Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables [Hardcover]

David M. Bader (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2005

Take a hilarious crash course in literature—just three pithy lines—from a bestselling haiku humorist.

Why spend weeks slogging through The Iliad when you could just read the haiku? From Homer to Faulkner to Lao Tzu, the Great Books are now within the reach of even the shortest attention spans. Show off your literary prowess at cocktail parties with minimal prep time, thanks to the author of the popular Haikus for Jews.

In the sixteenth century, Zen monks in Japan developed the haiku, a poem consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Little did they know that their ancient art form was destined to become a handy tool for today’s time-crunched Western reader!

Reducing eyestrain and deforestation, Haiku U. distills dialogue and plot, capturing the essence of our favorite literary classics, seventeen syllables at time:

Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past:
Tea-soaked madeleine—
a childhood recalled. I had
brownies like that once.

Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre:
O woe! His mad wife—
in the attic! Had they but
lived together first.

Just in time for graduation, Haiku U. gives the gift of an entire literary canon, packed into one hilarious gem.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Great fun to read and a cheerful gift for English majors or any lover of literature. -- Nancy Pearl Book Reviews

This week's nomination for fabulously goofy book concept is Haiku U. -- The Seattle Times

About the Author

David M. Bader is the author of the bestseller Haikus for Jews: For You, a Little Wisdom and Zen Judaism: For You, a Little Enlightenment.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (March 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592401287
• ISBN-13: 978-1592401284
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublimely Ridiculous, June 19, 2005

By 

Isle of New York (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables (Hardcover)

It seems absurd to try to summarize massive, difficult books in 17-syllables, but that's part of what makes Bader's attempt so hilarious. Some of the haiku are are silly, some are witty, and some really do capture the style and import of the books on which they're based. Almost all made me smile or laugh. It's fun to see how the author tackles each "great book" and there are some nice insights amidst the punch lines. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys books.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun with classics, June 5, 2005

By 

GoryDetails "gorydetails" (Nashua, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables (Hardcover)

Definitly on the "fluff reading" side, this book did make me laugh - and while some of the entries are pretty crude and/or punny, many do poke fun at more subtle aspects of the author's style or the book's reputation. [Others are just going for the laugh, but hey, it's a humor book.] One of my favorites is the entry on Alcott's Little Women; it's pithy, a tad mean-spirited, and very, very funny!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haiku U, a book / For all seasons and reasons / Aristotle, all, April 15, 2008

By 

Linda Bulger (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Haiku U : From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables (Hardcover)

I'm a list-lover. Show me a list of must-read books or must-see movies and I've got a pen out forthwith. So when I saw David M. Bader's selection of 100 great books, that was enough to "hook" me and I had to flip the pages.

What a great idea: "Condensed into haiku, the 'great books' are now within the reach of even the shortest attention spans." It's the next best thing to a Kindle, and in the case of some of these books, better. The selections are weighty overall, or at least the originals are; reducing them to haiku cuts their weight drastically.

Allow me to share some of the delights of this little book.

Bader gives us St. Augustine's TRUE CONFESSIONS: This is just to say / I screwed around. Forgive me. / I enjoyed it so.

Many truly important works of philosophy are represented, such as Adam Smith's THE WEALTH OF NATIONS: Supply meets demand. / The invisible hand claps. / Capitalist Zen.

... and PHENOMENOLOGY OF SPIRIT by Georg W.H. Hegel: Thesis: A whole pig. / Antithesis: Butcher shop. / Synthesis: Schnitzel.

...and BEING AND NOTHINGNESS by Jean-Paul Sartre: Gentle Left Bank sun-- / bluebirds chirp their empty song. / We are all condemned.

Any list of 100 Great Books must include some drama and classic fiction; this list is no exception. We have WAITING FOR GODOT by Samuel Beckett: Act I. "It's hopeless. / My boots don't fit. Where is God?" / Act II. The same thing.

...and Hawthorne's THE SCARLET LETTER: Grim, gray New England-- / all adulterers receive / free monogramming.

Bader shows a pithy grasp of C.G. Jung's pioneering work THE ARCHETYPES AND THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS: A patient says he / sees the phallus of the sun. / But then, who doesn't?

Living as I do in the Maine woods, my personal favorite of Bader's great books is undoubtedly WALDEN, OR, LIFE IN THE WOODS by Henry David Thoreau: Morning: Pond-gazing. / Afternoon: Berry-picking. / What a hectic day.

Don't let your days be too hectic this month, National Poetry Month. Take time to enjoy some great reading.

Linda Bulger, 2008