Ads are not an endorsement by the blog author.

AOL's Book Maven

Public Journal
 Back to Journal Archives | Subscribe to Alerts Alerts Subscribe to Alerts | Feeds
< Holidays 2006: Gi
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Back to the Blog- >
Monday, December 4, 2006
November 2006
11/29/06
A Thing to Flout
11/28/06
Holidays 2006: Gift Choice #1 for Bibliophiles
11/27/06
Cyber-Monday!
11/22/06
Plagiarists' Plague
11/21/06
If She Said It
11/20/06
BREAKING: Simpson Book Cancelled
11/20/06
The New Michael's?
11/16/06
True Lies
11/15/06
Recommended Reading: 'The Lay of the Land'
11/14/06
Humorous Corollary to Yesterday's Entry
11/13/06
No New Books?
11/9/06
Apologia pro vita mea -- whatcha reading?
11/6/06
Recommended Reading: 'Paint It Black'
11/3/06
PW Book Life
11/2/06
Elegy for William Styron
11/1/06
Murakami Mon Amour
« November 2006 Archive
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A Thing to Flout

I'm sure many of you are familiar with 'Outwitted' by Edwin Markham:

"He drew a circle that shut me out--
        Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
        We drew a circle that took him in!"

Well, I have "a thing to flout" this week, and it's the new Thomas Pynchon novel.

'Against the Day' is "the mysterious author's" first book in ten years. Like many Important Novels, it received not one but two reviews in the New York Times: a long paean by Liesl Schillinger in this past Sunday's Book Review, and a briefer and bitterer mention by Michiko Kakutani last Monday.

                                     Cover Image

Will love and Liesl have the wit to win me over so that I actually read this looooong (1,120 pages) novel? I do like the fact that the Publisher's Weekly review calls it "Knotty, paunchy, nutty, raunchy." But I'm simply setting reasonable boundaries for myself. I can't read everything...

Which leads me to today's question: what Big, Important Book will you flout this year? In case you need to jog your memory, here's the NY Times Top 100 List...



bookmaven2005 at 8:51:00 AM EST Blog about this entry
This entry has 2 comments: (Add your own)
  • #2 Comment from georgetteisbn
    12/5/06 10:53 AM | Permalink
    What big, Important Book will I flout about this year? "Look Not Upon Our Sins" by Georgette Symonds. It's just being released and hasn't made the NY Times Top 100 list yet but it will be on it of that I'm sure. It's a compelling novel both fact and fiction. An Irish version of "Roots" meets "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn". Bethanne, you said you enjoy review copies. How could I send you one? Oh, did I mention that I'm the author. The publication of my debut novel has been a dream come true and has added to this holiday season for me. If you or anyone wants more information about "Look Not Upon Our Sins" visit my website www.georgettesymonds.com or go to amazon.
  • #1 Comment from peterkahrmann
    12/3/06 7:16 AM | Permalink
    Not too long ago I finally got a t-shirt with the phrase, "So many books, so little time" embalzoned across the front. I am delighted beyond description to discover your blog. I ahve just begun one of my own

    http://journals.aol.com/peterkahrmann/the-kahrmann-blog

    I am thinking of reading the Pynchon book next.  

    Thank you for your blog. I will be visiting it on a regular basis.

    With respect,

    Peter