Customer Reviews

Book by Book: Notes on Reading and Life

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This book is fun to read. Seemingly, it is very light reading as it is packed with lists, quotes and aphorisms. This book spoke directly to me because it is the product of Dirda's life of learning. With more and more people retreating further into escapism they are missing the joys and challenges that are possible through self improvement and life long learning. Dirda is right- who knows what book will speak to whom- so keep reading a healthy variety of books and you will be amazed. Dirda provides endless recommendations for reading.

This was my first experience with Dirda- a Washington Post book editor. I have been very pleased so far. I took more notes in this book than the books I used in college. Dirda's insights, gentle instruction and recommendation make this a memorable book (and one that I will always keep on my desk). This book will make a great gift for all readers and bibliophiles. It will also be good for those that have allowed their literary pursuits to diminish as the work is an effective call to the book life and all pleasures therein.

Another book of literary lists, interpolated with aphorisms on love, work, vacations and much else, culled from over fifty years of reading and collecting by this omnivorous Washingtom Post critic. What distinguishes this book from similar tomes is the wonderful taste, intelligence and wit Dirda brings to the enterprise. The pleasure he had in assembling his annotated lists is contagious: what to stock a guest-room library with, how to get children interested in reading, what music to take to a desert island, what are the best contemporary romantic novels, and so on. A book to browse, to debate and to take to heart.

I get the impression that Michael Dirda didn't so much *write* this book as he organized and edited his collections of thoughts, favorite quotations, and recommended-readings-for-all-seasons-of-life.

Which is perfectly fine, because what he's assembled is a fine little meditation on "reading and life" that makes an accessible and inspiring way to mark my tradition of starting the new year with a book about books.

Dirda's passion for books and reading is evident, infectious, and defiant. Although I don't have children myself, I was happy to write down in my own "commonplace book" his declaration on page 73 that "Children need to read, and then to read some more. Quantity matters far more than quality," he continues, "there will be plenty of time for the classics. But when starting out, the young should be immersed in a culture of the sentence, not the screen."

The author covers a lot of ground in this thin book, discussing not only quality children's lit, but also poetry, "matters of the spirit," and more, guided by his belief in the central role reading must play in any fully-lived life. It's a refreshing and powerful affirmation -- and when combined with Dirda's informed recommendations, makes for a great way to start a new year.

Probably the leading book critic in the US, Michael Dirda's long experience with reading is essentially summarised in this little volume. Like most "professional" readers, Dirda began young. Unlike most of us, children's books came to his hand later in life. The Count of Monte Cristo, he says, had a major influence on the direction of his life. Dumas' story of the persistent prisoner taught him to "advance confidently in the direction of his dreams". Dirda seems to have accomplished that during his many years practicing his craft. Along the way, he's managed to pick up - and organise - a collection of aphorisms. Adding some explanatory commentary, he has produced a little work of "life lessons".

Dirda's collection embraces Love, Learning, Work, Music, Poetry and even raising children. All this in 170 pages! Such distillation seems an overwhelming effort, but Dirda has a great deal of assistance in the task. Drawing on the canon of Western European literature - nothing from Africa, Asia or indigenous peoples anywhere contributes additional flavour to this collection - he produces a sort of "Life's Guidebook". It's a bit more elevated than "Life for Dummies", but only because his sources are mostly the "lofty" ones assigned in school or touted as "Great Literature". Each chapter offers pithy "clippings" from literature or writers who have summed up rules for living. There will those who, reading this may exclaim - "Did he [and most of the quotes are from men] really say that?" Some will be puzzled: "What does that REALLY mean?" No few will start building up a reading list of "Why haven't I read this author?" titles, bemoaning their lack of erudition.

The point Dirda is making is that the answer to life's questions have been aired by The Great Books. Literature is there to provide object lessons and advice to the perplexed. Writing skill is essential in providing clarity and perhaps some entertainment. It's the ideas the Classical [and that includes modern authors] writers deal with that makes them significant to us. The list of authors/books Dirda writes of may be read for pleasure, but under his guidance, they should also be studied for wisdom. He's helped us in that endeavour by providing a sort of "Cliff's Notes", but for personal edification, not for some term exam.

The book is a useful introduction to Dirda's writing skills [if you're not familiar with him], the breadth of his reading and his ability to impart wise counsel painlessly. Yet, the narrow Euro-North American scope of the writers and his lack of interest in other fields that might provide a larger view tempers my enthusiasm. Through the reading of this book, Darwin's comment about understanding life was a nagging refrain: "He who understands baboon would do more towards metaphysics than Locke." [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I really enjoyed this book and was sorry to see it end. For me, books are like spiritual food, and this one was a tasty little meal. The section entitled "Guidance Counselors" in the chapter "Matters of the Spirit", and the last chapter ("Last Things") were very helpful to me at a difficult spiritual/emotional time in my life. I did find a few mistakes (typos), but otherwise this was an excellent book. I'm looking forward to reading the author's other books.

Michael Dirda's "Book by Book" is an interesting, breezy book about books. The author lays out his purpose in writing this book in the preface: "We turn to books in the hope of better understanding ourselves and better engaging the meaning of our experiences...I've set down some of what I've learned about life from reading." Dirda divides his book into chapters that explore assorted themes: Life Lines, The Pleasures of Learning, Work and Leisure, The Books of Love, Bringing it All Back Home, Living in the World, Sights and Sounds, The Interior Library, Matters of the Spirit, Last Things, and finally a kind of appendix of "A Selective and Idiosyncratic Who's Who." In the chapters, Dirda intersperses personal essays on the particular topic with eclectic quotes and his own recommendations of books that explore the topic further. My personal favorite chapters were "The Interior Library," exploring fiction and creative non-fiction, and "Matters of the Spirit," exploring spirituality. "Book by Book" should be thought of as more of a reference book than something to read from cover to cover, although that can be done, too. Some of Dirda's lists I did not find particularly interesting. For example, I wouldn't even consider many of the books in his list for a guest room library; I have little interest in Jane Austen and none in Arthur Conan Doyle. Plus, in some parts of the book, his list of books and authors is a little too pithy, and can look like name-dropping to those who have not heard of or know anything about that which he mentions. But if one thinks of "Book by Book" as a jumping-off point for reading rather than as a manual that must be followed exactly, it's valuable. Dirda himself says that the important thing is to read books that one enjoys and develop a habit of reading, since "like Aristotilean virtue, reading is a habit." (p. 73) Overall, this is a good book for aspiring and confirmed bibliophiles, and will make a nice addition to any library.

Page 120: In fact, the rapport between a reader and his or her book is almost like that between lovers. The relationship grows, envelops a life, lays out new prospects and ways of seeing oneself and the future, is filled with moments of joy and sorrow; when it's over, even its memory enriches as few experiences can.

Michael Dirda, a Pulitzer-winning critic and longtime columnist for Washington Post Book World shares his love of literature and books in BOOK BY BOOK. This is an effortless read and it ignites the passion for classics in me. He does not only speak of classic but covers contemporary works as well, ranging from Cicero to Dr. Seuss. I had loads of fun pondering over Dirda's observations and the quotations he lavishes on his readers. Needless to say, my copy of the book is filled with marks and scribblings. After all, he encourages readers to do so and perhaps from our own reflections, we create our own reader's guide as well. Interesting idea, this one.

"Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and to be loved, is the greatest happiness of existence." - Sydney Smith

"A poet looks at the world as a man looks at a woman." - Wallace Stevens

The above are just some of the many striking quotations that Dirda said "worth carrying around in your head for their insight, solace, and counsel." I share his thoughts.

Why do we read? Mostly for pleasure, yes. But there is also another important reason and that is to learn how to live. When the author wrote the guide, he offers us from his personal reservoir of readings on how to draw meaning from what we read. That is to mean, as readers, we turn to books in the hope to the better understanding of ourselves and better engaging with the meaning of our experiences. Self-exploration. Life, love, work, education, art, the self, death. He points us to the books that house "the knowledge most worth having."

Dirda recommends the works of Homer (The Iliad and The Odyssey), Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice), Arthur Conan Doyle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), Vladimir Nabokov (Pnin and Lolita), Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary) and a whole load of other classic goodies. For fans of science fiction and fantasy, he suggests reading Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Jack Vance's The Dying Earth, or Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs--I followed his advice and bought all the fantasy titles he recommended.

Oscar Wilde once said, if a book isn't worth reading over and over again, it isn't worth reading at all. Dirda agrees with him and stresses the importance of rereading, Which is why classics such as Hamlet and many others are never stale. As Dirda himself articulated: "Major works of the imagination only gradually disclose the various facets of their artistry; only slowly do they reveal the subtleties of their constructions." I am sold with the idea of building a good library filled with such timeless work of art.

Another lovely thing about the book is the list of suggestions to encourage children to read more (p. 74-76).

There are so much more I would like to share about this book but it is definitely better and more worthwhile for booklovers to check out the small volume themselves. It has made me reevaluate the type of books I read and why I read them. It convicts me that I should pay serious attention to classics. Still, I love my light reading and now what I have to do is to add on some 'heavy-duty' stuff if I'm so inclined. It will be a rewarding journey, I am sure.

This is not a "Dummy's Guide to Becoming Erudite." "Book by Book" is a goulash of recommendations, opinions, quotations and other gems of literary, visual and musical arts Dirda has compiled or written. From the outset of this easy-reading book, it's clear Dirda invested a lot of time and thought in preparing this broad compendium of his favorites. Organized into thematic chapters with quotations, lists, mini-essays and thumb-nails on various topics, it's "news you can use" if you're looking for guidance in the culture wilderness and a comforting nod if you just want validation of your own tastes. Dirda's read enough and knows enough about that which he speaks to be trustworthy when it comes to recommendations. (Any friend of John Crowley's "Little, Big" is a friend of mine.) Even the most well-read person I think will find new ideas and fresh takes on some familiar authors. There's also some good advice to parents of younger readers.

In some respects, Dirda owes a lot to two other "reading gurus" -- Mortimer Adler, one of the supreme intellectual giants of the 20th century, and Clifton Fadiman, himself a disciple of Adler, whose encyclopedic knowledge of works of literature, philosophy, history and science is astonishing. Adler's "How to Read a Book" (with Charles van Doren) (no mean undertaking in itself) and Fadiman's more accessible "The Lifetime Reading Plan (3rd Ed.)" are both absolutely indispensable to anyone, young or old, who desires to become truly and broadly educated by reading "the Great Works". Dirda's approach is much more informal and, as I say, is broader than the topic of reading.

The difficulty with pleasing everyone with a book like Dirda's is that it's like showing your diary, a wedding or family album to strangers: they can appreciate it up to a certain point -- but it's just too private and self-referential. I kept being reminded of writers, books, musicians, etc., who - to me - were conspicuous by their absence. Heavy hitters like Jacques Barzun, William James, Thomas Pynchon, Ralph Ellison, Henry Miller, Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka, John Coltrane, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, The 13th Floor Elevators, R. Crumb, Classics Illustrated, Edward Hopper, Paul Klee, Andre Kertesz -- in other words MY favorites.

Still, I enjoyed and would recommend this book: Dirda reminded me of the intense and deep delight that's possible from reading a good book, viewing a painting, hearing music, how such experiences shape our personalities over a lifetime. "See Spot run." Fall 1956, Harding School, Erie, PA, Mrs. Daily's first grade. Like the man says: "book by book." You gotta start somewhere.

this was my first look at the words of michael dirda, and i liked what i saw. this book did about everything that one of its kind could be asked of. first and foremost, it entertained. secondly, it pointed me towards the work of about a dozen or so authors that i had never heard of. i now have that stuff to look forward to (thank you, mr dirda). third, it provided some food for thought. an angle or two of looking at something from a direction that is just normally not me. and lastly, maybe most important of all to me, this book made me lust after more books, more reading. even as i was enjoying this work, it had me rushing to the finish line so that i could get on to other books (i do mean that as a compliment). not simply a book about books, mr dirda touches on art in general, music, philosophy, and religion. and, thankfully, not a note of pretension taints this fine work. if i had a friend versed enough to talk on such matters, i would be pleased if it could be someone along the lines of this guy. makes me long to be smarter than i am. and yes, i highly recommend the thing. now go read it.

A deeply thoughtful, inspiring book. Dirda's knowledge is not only vast, but insightful and his prose is terrific.