Customer Reviews

A Reader's Delight

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Even though I worked in a library for years and read dozens of books a month, I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't read any of Noel Perrin's recommendations outlined in "A Reader's Delight". I have now, though.

In essay after wonderful essay, Perrin uncovers gem after glorious gem. From Russian Sci-Fi ("Far Rainbow") to World War II memoirs ("When the Snow Comes, They Will Take You") , from lyrical fiction ("The Bottom of the Harbor") to the next-best-thing to Jane Austen ("The Semi-Attached Couple"), many of these books are out-of-print, some truly obscure, and all of them terrific.

Startling eclectic, Perrin discuses books from virtually every genre and he does so with grace and wit. There's tales of ancient China, old journals, satires, children's books and even a poem. This is guy who not only knows good books, but adores them, and he doesn't care where he finds them. In the introduction, Perrin tells about a professor he knew who cited the "Little House on the Prairie" books among his all time favorites, and Perrin makes it clear that true book-lovers know no snobbishness.

Some of these books will be a bit hard to track down, but most can be had by simply utilizing your local interlibrary loan program. In any case, "A Reader's Delight" is a must have for those who love a good read, not only for the recommendations but for Perrin's own stylish writing.

GRADE: B+

I discovered this book when I was 14, and have reread it almost annually. Many of the books Perrin recommended have become favorites of mine also, and even when they haven't, this book is still worth it for Perrin's great writing and his deep affection and understanding of what the printed word can do. It's honest, refreshingly unpretentious, and compulsively readable. This book makes you happy to be alive and glad to be an inveterate reader. I highly, highly recommend it!

In the early 1980s, Dartmouth English Professor Perrin was asked by the Washington Post to write a book review column called "Rediscoveries," in which he could review and tout his favorite obscure books. His rules were that the book had to be at least 15 years old (so that nothing from after the mid-1960s qualifies) and that no more than three of his colleagues could have read it. These were to be books he loved and wanted to reintroduce to the world. This collects those reviews of forty works (38 books and 2 poems), and from what I can tell, the essays are largely unrevised from their original publication.

I love the concept behind this book, because it's easy to find lists of acclaimed authors and titles, but by sheer probability, one has to acknowledge that there are lots and lots of volumes of buried treasure out there awaiting rediscovery. Indeed, part of the appeal of the book is that some of his selections require a bit of effort to track down (although thanks to the internet, not nearly as much as when the book first appeared). I found myself dipping in and out of this book as I found books that appealed to me and skimmed those that didn't. Perrin does an excellent job of explaining what makes each of his selections special, although he does tend to offer a good deal too much plot summary for my taste.

Still, this is a book well worth checking out by any open-minded avid reader, as it is likely to send you looking for 3-4 books to add to your "to read" list. Of course, personal taste plays a large role in whether or not you find this book useful. And while I skimmed the entries concerning memoirs and collections of letters, there were plenty of other things for me to dig into, such as comedy, and even science fiction. On the whole, good fun for bibliophiles.

An interesting collection of reviews of books you wish you could have read. I've always been interested in old books, and now, thanks to this book, I've got a couple I'm definitely keeping my eye out for

CodeMaster Talon's May 2004 review of "A Reader's Delight" by Noel Perrin provides a fine summary of the book and an appreciation of Professor Perrin's style. As both a reader and a book collector, Perrin's book introduced me to several authors who are now among my favorites (Diane Athill, Eric Newby, Rose Macaulay, and Peter Beagle) and challenged me to track down as many of the out-of-print titles Perrin described as I could. Never passing up a chance to visit an old book store in the days before the internet, I checked the shelves for the hard to find titles on Perrin's list. Over the years I found ten or so and read them all with great pleasure and added them to my "Perrin" shelf.

My favorite, "The Journal of a Disappointed Man & A Last Diary" by an author with the delightful pen name of W.N.P. Barbellion for Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion (combining barbarian and rebellion) is one I reread, quote frequently and press on friends looking for a good book. (It was also one of Perrin's favorites.)

As an aid to his readers, Perrin provided a note on the availability of all the books he included. At that time (1988) sixteen were out of print or unavailable in the United States. Now, by my count, all but four are in print (21) or available used at a reasonable prices from Amazon and other out of print sources including American Book Exchange (AbeBooks.com) and American Booksellers Association (bookweb.org). You should have no trouble finding them.

End Note. Noel Perrin (1927-2004) started teaching English literature at Dartmouth College in 1959. Four years later he bought a farm in Thetford Center, Vermont. where he wrote First Person Rural: Essays of a Sometime Farmer (1978). That book, too, is a great pleasure, as are its sequels.

I long suspected a hidden treasure, a list of books closely guarded by academia. This is the list. What a joy, delight. Inspiring. Like finding a private library. Just, don't tell Oprah. Something For Everyone, might be a suitable subtitle, for the list within could launch several genres of works. This is a thin antidote for writer's block and tepid literary challenges of your local lit club for sure. Overlooked gems.

This book is a real pleasure to read. All the short chapters (essays, pieces) are well and enjoyably written. I skip those whose subjects don't appeal but I am making mental notes about those that do--and out of this brief book I'm planning to read 3 or 4 of the recommendations: a novel on WWII, a photo-narrative book on hoboes, the diary of a brilliant brit who died young, and perhaps a few others.