June 14, 2005
Salon Goes to Summer School
Salon is starting a new series this week, in which they ask their "favorite writers" to read books they've always meant to read but never did, and talk about them. The first piece is by their resident critic, Laura Miller, who chose Tolstoy's War and Peace.
I chose "War and Peace" for my Summer School assignment because my friend Sallie had given me the idea that -- contrary to its reputation as the quintessential unfinished summertime reading project -- the novel was something of an old-fashioned page turner, like "Our Mutual Friend." This is not, strictly speaking, true. There are several long, detailed battle scenes and frequent expository interludes -- essays on military strategy, history and the nature of free will -- that make for some pretty heavy sledding. Instead, this is a book that, like a capricious wind with a sailboat, picks you up and sends you scudding along at an exhilarating clip then suddenly subsides into a lull.The list of classics I've never read includes War and Peace, actually, so Miller's essay was of particular interest. The trouble with some of these books is that I'm not even sure whether I read them or not. They seem familiar, and I'm never sure if the familiary is because I've read them or just read about them.
posted by Laila Lalami at 09:19 AM
About
bio articles news contact rssMy Events
04.26: LA Times Festival of Books04.30: Claremont, California
09.23-10.04: International Literature Festival Berlin
Search
My book
In hardcover
In Morocco
In Italian
In Portuguese
In french
In dutch
In spanish
Monthly Archives
April 2008March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001