Sonata for Jukebox: An Autobiography of My Ears by Geoffrey O'Brien  (2)
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"In that cobwebbed kingdom the rows of books were like rows of cupboards with rusty handles, each to be tried in turn: What's in this one, or that one?" Brainy and often convoluted, O'Brien's "meditation on reading" ranges through memory, autobiography, allegory and literary theory to try to describe the value he finds in books. Some smart readers will think it a lark and a half, while others will deem it so much navel gazing. A noted essayist, editor and poet, O'Brien has organized his topics and metaphors into 32 small units: their ideas and images hang together through the barest threads of suggestion and similarity. Children's encyclopedias, Chinese classical poetry, Virgil's Aeneid, the invention of the alphabet, a half-remembered metaphysical novel about "Doctor Tobacco" and much else give rise to gleams of language and flashes of insight, and then disappear. Originally published, in part, in magazines like Word, this slim volume can recall O'Brien's previous book-length essaysAThe Phantom Empire (on movies) and The Times Square Story; it also suggests the polymathically playful critical prose of Elaine Scarry, though without her moments of philosophical rigor. Readers familiar with academic theorists will recognize some of O'Brien's key ideas: "To move through a book from beginning to end is to advance triumphantly toward the death that waits after the last word of the last sentence." It is by no means a new point (nor does O'Brien make stringent records of his sources), but novelty of argument isn't the point. The point is the beauty and aptness of the analogy, the speed with which one context slips into the next and the momentary rightness of O'Brien's observations. Readers who care for this brand of highly associative, highbrow prose will appreciate this latest sample. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
An unusual, inventive, highly creative contemplation on reading, this small book takes one to the dreamlike state of being "lost in a book." Poet, editor, cultural historian, and author of nonfiction works that include, most recently, The Times Square Story, O'Brien muses about such subjects as when and why people started writing things down, the power of titles, the much-beloved volumes of The Book of Knowledge, and the possibility of computers replacing books. In one passage, he recollects the experience of reading as a child, when anticipating the next chapter is exciting and dangerous and all the characters are extensions of one's family. A truly original writer, O'Brien takes a mystical approach as he leads readers deeply into all aspects of the reading process. This book will appeal to those who love books and want to be challenged by the unusual. Recommended for larger public libraries.DNancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
"In that cobwebbed kingdom the rows of books were like rows of cupboards with rusty handles, each to be tried in turn: What's in this one, or that one?" Brainy and often convoluted, O'Brien's "meditation on reading" ranges through memory, autobiography, allegory and literary theory to try to describe the value he finds in books. Some smart readers will think it a lark and a half, while others will deem it so much navel gazing. A noted essayist, editor and poet, O'Brien has organized his topics and metaphors into 32 small units: their ideas and images hang together through the barest threads of suggestion and similarity. Children's encyclopedias, Chinese classical poetry, Virgil's Aeneid, the invention of the alphabet, a half-remembered metaphysical novel about "Doctor Tobacco" and much else give rise to gleams of language and flashes of insight, and then disappear. Originally published, in part, in magazines like Word, this slim volume can recall O'Brien's previous book-length essaysAThe Phantom Empire (on movies) and The Times Square Story; it also suggests the polymathically playful critical prose of Elaine Scarry, though without her moments of philosophical rigor. Readers familiar with academic theorists will recognize some of O'Brien's key ideas: "To move through a book from beginning to end is to advance triumphantly toward the death that waits after the last word of the last sentence." It is by no means a new point (nor does O'Brien make stringent records of his sources), but novelty of argument isn't the point. The point is the beauty and aptness of the analogy, the speed with which one context slips into the next and the momentary rightness of O'Brien's observations. Readers who care for this brand of highly associative, highbrow prose will appreciate this latest sample. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
An unusual, inventive, highly creative contemplation on reading, this small book takes one to the dreamlike state of being "lost in a book." Poet, editor, cultural historian, and author of nonfiction works that include, most recently, The Times Square Story, O'Brien muses about such subjects as when and why people started writing things down, the power of titles, the much-beloved volumes of The Book of Knowledge, and the possibility of computers replacing books. In one passage, he recollects the experience of reading as a child, when anticipating the next chapter is exciting and dangerous and all the characters are extensions of one's family. A truly original writer, O'Brien takes a mystical approach as he leads readers deeply into all aspects of the reading process. This book will appeal to those who love books and want to be challenged by the unusual. Recommended for larger public libraries.DNancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside Another Edition of this Book Citations: This book cites 8 books | 3 books that cite this book Explore: Citations | Concordance | Text Stats Key Phrases - SIPs: tap dancer Key Phrases - CAPs: Inspector French, Doctor Tobacco, Tanya Clare, The Blasphemers Browse Sample Pages: Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me! |
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Inside This Book
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Browse and search another edition of this book.
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First Sentence:
A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER our talk had taken a peculiar turn. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tap dancer Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Inspector French, Doctor Tobacco, Tanya Clare, The Blasphemers New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER our talk had taken a peculiar turn. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tap dancer Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Inspector French, Doctor Tobacco, Tanya Clare, The Blasphemers New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 8
books:
- The Mysterious Island (Modern Library Classics) by Jules Verne on page 70
- Dead Souls (Dodo Press) by Nikolai Gogol on page 105
- The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories (Dover Mystery, Detective, & Other Fiction) by Robert W. Chambers on page 96