Read this first

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener Modern Library # 73 1939, Nathanael West I was so happy to read this book. Really and truly. For one, it’s nice and short. (So short that Hoang picked it up and read it in a 24-hour block over the last two days of 2010, for no other reason than to rub it in my face that she is … [Read more...]

Disrupt, Corrupt or Interrupt Me Modern Library # 70a 1957, Lawrence Durrell While only a quarter of the way through the Modern Library list, I can’t help myself from making the following bold statement: Lawrence Durrell might just be the best writer I’d never heard of before being “forced” to read his stuff. That … [Read more...]

Not Such a Horror Modern Library # 67 1910, Joseph Conrad Do not be afraid of this book. Heck, it's less than 100 pages long! What is there to fear? Well, two things actually. This little work has a reputation for being difficult to read and in a lesser sense, a "scary" journey into the shadow's of man's evil … [Read more...]

Droog! This Book is the Cal Modern Library # 65 1962, Anthony Burgess I know. You’ve “seen the movie.” Without scanning over the list of 100, I’m going to say with no proof or even the most minimal of research that this book and Deliverance are probably the top two for “I’ve seen the movie.” (Okay, maybe … [Read more...]

If a Body Meet a Body, Give Them This Book Modern Library # 64 1945, J.D. Salinger [I write CT Beer Reviews too. They aren't typical beer reviews at all - like this one in particular which, if you're reading this page, you may enjoy a little bit.] I begin this review with a plea: If you haven’t read this book … [Read more...]

Wahoo Prew! Baa! Yah! Bah! Modern Library # 62 1951, James Jones Man, this is a good book - for many reasons. First and foremost, the mere fact that I (me! )finished a 954 page smallish font book (in 5 months) alone tells you it's got to be at least readable. On top of that, I didn't utilize an all-too-simple … [Read more...]

Twisting the Night Away Modern Library # 56 1929, Dashiell Hammett I read an article a couple weeks ago lamenting the current state of television with respect to the asinine obsession with ridiculous plot twists and shocking (for the sake of shocking) surprises. I didn’t watch Lost but know enough to know that I … [Read more...]

Beat Down Modern Library #55 1955, Jack Kerouac I’m a pretty cool guy. Just ask me. So it may shock you to learn that I’d never read a word of Kerouac before cracking this book open. Okay, so maybe I'm not so cool. Or does that make me cooler somehow? On the Road is one of the books on THE LIST that I pretty … [Read more...]

I Spit Hot Fire Modern Library # 53 1962, Vladimir Nabokov [I must note that one cannot read enough online about Pale Fire - before AND after reading it. Knowing all about it before setting out with it does not diminish it in the least. And as you'll read here, no one really "knows" all about it anyway. Which is … [Read more...]

Oy Vey! Modern Library # 52 1967, Philip Roth This may perhaps be the most difficult Top 100 Book Review I'll ever do. Not because I loved it so much I can't find the words and not because I hated it either. No... it's because "Portnoy's Compaint" is so downright dirty and sex-filled that I wouldn't know how to … [Read more...]