The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, the Art of Writing, and Everything Else in the World Since 1953 [Hardcover]

The Paris Review (Author), George Plimpton (Introduction), The Paris Review (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2003

An exciting new anthology from the journal Time magazine called “the biggest ‘little magazine’ in history.” To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the venerable Paris Review, Picador is proud to publish a unique anthology based on the themes of modern life. Like the work of the writers included, this book will inspire a dizzying range of thought and emotion, serving as a cumulative and breathtaking “mirror” to the world we live in.

To appear:
Jack Kerouac
Norman Mailer
Louise Erdrich
Jonathan Franzen
Gabriel García Márquez
William Burroughs
Denis Johnson
David Foster Wallace
Raymond Carver
Italo Calvino
Grace Paley
and many more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While this volume's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink title may seem to imply an odd combination of editorial insecurity or pretension, it only takes one spin through the table of contents to know why the editors felt the need for such a busy, bursting name. This astoundingly diverse anthology, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Paris Review, is jam-packed with resonant and provocative work from some of our greatest writers, past and present: W.H. Auden, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Jack Kerouac, Elizabeth Bishop, Truman Capote, William Burroughs, Susan Sontag, Joyce Carol Oates, Toni Morrison, Jonathan Franzen, Ian McEwan and Alice Munro, to name just a fraction. Rather than relying on critics to illuminate the craft of writing secondhand, the founders inaugurated a series of interviews with the authors themselves, creating what Plimpton, in his introduction, refers to as "a DNA of literature"; several excerpts from those interviews are included here. A look at the eras and themes represented shows that the journal's only abiding mandate has been an evolving brand of artistic humanism, which has morphed and adapted to the changing times. How else can one explain being able to jump with such joy and ease from a hilarious and poignant story by Lorrie Moore to an interview with Ted Hughes about his first meeting with Sylvia Plath, then to Allen Ginsberg's loving, sexually charged poem about the life and death of Frank O'Hara? It is a tribute to Plimpton and his cofounders that the entries in this wonderful book can be read in any order, for the reader will be able to see his or her life reflected on every page.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The Paris Review, that mighty "little" literary magazine, is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with an anthology every bit as mammoth and marvelous as its endless title suggests. Founded by Peter Matthiessen, Harold L. Humes, Donald Hall, William Pene du Bois, and George Plimpton, who remains at the helm, the Paris Review has published an extraordinary group of seminal fiction writers, poets, and essayists and some of the best writer interviews extant, irresistible conversations (Truman Capote responds to a simple question thusly: "Good Lord! I'm afraid you've let yourself in for quite a saga. The answer is a snake's nest of no's and a few yesses") excerpted throughout this dynamic compendium showcasing more than 100 writers past and present. A shattering short story by Lorrie Moore kicks off the "Heartbreak" section, while Zelda Fitzgerald is first up in the "Madness" category. Rick Moody offers a painfully graphic variation on "Sex," and Jonathan Lethem writes of a Tourette's sufferer in "Outsiders." Elsewhere the entranced reader will find Faulkner, Auden, Elkin, Cheever, Komunyakaa, Boyle, Erdrich, Munro, and Clifton. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 752 pages
• Publisher: Picador; 1st edition (May 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312422385
• ISBN-13: 978-0312422387
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 750 pages of good writing is a bargain, April 10, 2004

By 

Ian Muldoon (Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, the Art of Writing, and Everything Else in the World Since 1953 (Hardcover)

Well I have never read a copy of the magazine The Paris Review but have subscribed to Granta since it started and subscribe to The New Yorker. The first story in the anthology "Terrific Mother" by Lorrrie Moore was enough for me to give this five stars - let's face it, where can you get such a thrill for $21? There may be some stories, poems, interviews, that don't grab me with the same electric immediacy as that first story, but I don't have to read it from cover to cover. It's one of those terrific bedside books as far as I'm concerned and an absolute joy to explore.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Anthology, Longest Title Award, July 30, 2003

By 

Jamie Jahncke "jamjahncke" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, the Art of Writing, and Everything Else in the World Since 1953 (Hardcover)

This book makes a perfect gift for both serious literature junkies and those who have blown off reading for the past fifty years. If the former applies to you, here's the best from the best. If you're in the latter category, this book will catch you up to speed. The Paris Review published the first chapter of Kerouac's ON THE ROAD, the first chapter of McInerney's BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, the first chapter of Franzan's THE CORRECTIONS, etc., etc., etc. Obviously, they've been able to spot new talent from the day they started even to today. And of course, their fantastic interviews with writers themselves are legendary. A must for the collector and the neophyte alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tossed Salad of Writing: Eat Your Greens, February 26, 2008

By 

P. Shackleton "PubPro" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, ... and Everything Else in the World Since 1953 (Paperback)

I picked this up because I admire the editors at the Paris Review (past and present) and I wanted to acquaint myself, and my family with the variety of authors and their writing in the near immediate way that an anthology affords. The book is divided into topics: heartbreak, madness, sex, love, betrayal, etc., and the contributers span living and dead, male and female, young and old writers. In point of fact some pieces are interviews of the author on the topic, some are essays, short stories and other formats by them. Even if you've read their novels, it's interesting to see how they handle a topic in short form. If you have a mental check-list of important writers and want to taste their particular style and craft -- this book is for you. It is especially interesting to examine how pieces can become dated or continue to feel timeless, regardless of the mastery. Take a forkfull of radicchio then a piece of endive, or consume the entire bowel in one sitting. You are sure to enjoy this literary meal.