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literatetexan's review against another edition
4.0
A book about the reading life that made me want to read more, and I already read a lot. Full of quotes, book recommendations, and observations about life. Book by Book is also a very short read; you can finish it in a single evening.
zeezeemama11's review against another edition
1.0
The intro-preface was the only thing I enjoyed about this book. Otherwise it is just quotations on life that are not all that meaningful.
_mallc_'s review against another edition
4.0
Pretty heavy on the quoations but a really neat book. I found a ton of new things to read and I loved his advice.
elusivesue's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book immensely, for the lists and recommendations and finding out about all kinds of authors I hadn't heard of before. In fact, there are so many nice lists and recommendations, that I am going to buy a copy of the book. (when one uses more than 20 paper bits to mark a page to go back to for referral, I think it means one should own the book)
ainiali's review against another edition
3.0
3.8 🌟
After a few pages in, I thought this was more like a commonplace book, full of quotes from other books. Immediately, I felt detached because reading a single quote by itself could lead one to misunderstand what it really means. However, the more I read, the more I like the way the author put down his perspectives. There are 10 different topics discussed in this book. By page 8, book recommendations are getting out of hand.
It also made me realized that what I'm looking in reading is stories; good stories and new knowledge. Yes, I couldn't care less if the author of a certain book wins an award or not, a certain book is popular or not. If I find the story is good, it's good, doesn't matter what language, what kind of literature or where it comes from. It also made me think
of those who read only the list-of-book-that-should-be-read books without having the desire to browse in a library and finding hidden gems.
I had a hard time trying to rate this book. Some chapters are either I totally can't get into or I just don't agree but a few others, I really like them. Especially at the end, the author reminds us to read but don't forget to live life.
annahimmelrich's review against another edition
4.0
Charming--and Dirda gives a shoutout to my girl Patricia Highsmith. That said, if you get the go-ahead to write a book that is essentially a compilation of your favorite passages from your commonplace book, recommendations for reading on various universal human concerns, and your own wit and wisdom, and the end result is not charming, you should definitely hang it up. (Not the case here, but just saying.)
tbr_the_unconquered's review against another edition
5.0
Every one of my thoughts around books on this website attains a concrete form as I spend time musing about the book. The form, content and structure of the review takes shape first in my mind and then on the screen. This book however refused to fall into that rhythm. I did find out the reason for it and it was that I am completely bowled over by Michael Dirda and his writing style. In the space of 170 pages, he gave me a huge bunch of books to be read and fascinated me with the length and breadth of his reading.
There is one reason I took an immediate liking to Dirda. He is a reader with an omnivore’s appetite for reading and does not dictate from high atop the ivory towers of literature. From what little I have read of books about books, people talk about Milton, Chaucer, Nabokov, Updike, Shakespeare and so on but not a word about a writer of popular fiction. They use their formidable skills of writing to dictate that the books us lesser mortals read are not even worthy of their exalted glances. Well screw all of you divine ladies and gents ! Some of us do find moments of happiness in the hands of authors who never even cross your minds. When Michael Dirda mentions that his work desk is cluttered with books and quotes from poets and authors and one wall is adorned with a poster of Conan the barbarian, I felt a strong bond with this man and his passion for books. He does talk about the classical canon but reserves words of mention of many a popular author. He divides the chapters of his book along the lines of learning, education, love/romance/sex (or more poetically – eros), joys of reading, how a child is built by reading and why you should not think that all of your life is about books alone. Dirda is quite qualified to talk on this topic, having been a reviewer for the Washington Post for a few decades now.
If you see a recurring line among most of the reviews about this book, it is that you should go back again and again to read this one. This is a true statement for the book deserves a re-read. The quotes that Dirda has collected here are practically gems of thought from some the finest minds to have graced the earth and coupled with that is a long list of to-read books.
Highly recommended and I close this review with a few of my favorites from the book.
The main interest in life and work is to become someone else who you were not in the beginning. If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage to write it ? What is true for writing and for a love relationship is true also for life. The game is worthwhile insofar as we don’t know what will be the end. – Michael Foucault
Throughout history the exemplary teacher has never been just an instructor in a subject; he is nearly always its living advertisement.
The point is : You generally can’t wait for inspiration, so just get on with the work. Disciplined, regular effort will elicit inspiration, no matter what your field.
Recognizing masterpieces is the job of the critic, not writing competent reviews of the unimportant.
Oliver Cromwell’s plaintive entreaty : “I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.” (Why you should never think that you are always right).
On poetry : It is simply there, true to itself. Let me be fanciful : If you picture good prose as a smooth politician deftly reaching out to the crowd and welcoming everyone into the party then poetry is Clint Eastwood, serape flapping in the wind, standing quietly alone on a dusty street, pure coiled energy, he’s not glad-handing anybody.
I have been told that the late Sir Edward Marsh, composing his memoir of Rupert Brooke, wrote “Rupert left rugby in a blaze of glory,” the poet’s mother, a lady of firm character, changed “a blaze of glory” to “July.” – E.L. Lucas
The structure of the play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost . – Arthur Miller
Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made. – Immanuel Kant
Perhaps we will die knowing all the things that are to know in the world, but from then on, we will only be a thing. We came and were seen by the world. Now, the world will continue to be seen, but we will have become invisible. – E.M. Cioran
A man’s soul is like a train schedule. A precise and detailed schedule of trains that will never run again. – Yehuda Amichai
When all is done, human life is, at the greatest, and the best, but like a froward child, that must be played with and humored a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep, and then the care is over. – William Temple
There is one reason I took an immediate liking to Dirda. He is a reader with an omnivore’s appetite for reading and does not dictate from high atop the ivory towers of literature. From what little I have read of books about books, people talk about Milton, Chaucer, Nabokov, Updike, Shakespeare and so on but not a word about a writer of popular fiction. They use their formidable skills of writing to dictate that the books us lesser mortals read are not even worthy of their exalted glances. Well screw all of you divine ladies and gents ! Some of us do find moments of happiness in the hands of authors who never even cross your minds. When Michael Dirda mentions that his work desk is cluttered with books and quotes from poets and authors and one wall is adorned with a poster of Conan the barbarian, I felt a strong bond with this man and his passion for books. He does talk about the classical canon but reserves words of mention of many a popular author. He divides the chapters of his book along the lines of learning, education, love/romance/sex (or more poetically – eros), joys of reading, how a child is built by reading and why you should not think that all of your life is about books alone. Dirda is quite qualified to talk on this topic, having been a reviewer for the Washington Post for a few decades now.
If you see a recurring line among most of the reviews about this book, it is that you should go back again and again to read this one. This is a true statement for the book deserves a re-read. The quotes that Dirda has collected here are practically gems of thought from some the finest minds to have graced the earth and coupled with that is a long list of to-read books.
Highly recommended and I close this review with a few of my favorites from the book.
The main interest in life and work is to become someone else who you were not in the beginning. If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage to write it ? What is true for writing and for a love relationship is true also for life. The game is worthwhile insofar as we don’t know what will be the end. – Michael Foucault
Throughout history the exemplary teacher has never been just an instructor in a subject; he is nearly always its living advertisement.
The point is : You generally can’t wait for inspiration, so just get on with the work. Disciplined, regular effort will elicit inspiration, no matter what your field.
Recognizing masterpieces is the job of the critic, not writing competent reviews of the unimportant.
Oliver Cromwell’s plaintive entreaty : “I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.” (Why you should never think that you are always right).
On poetry : It is simply there, true to itself. Let me be fanciful : If you picture good prose as a smooth politician deftly reaching out to the crowd and welcoming everyone into the party then poetry is Clint Eastwood, serape flapping in the wind, standing quietly alone on a dusty street, pure coiled energy, he’s not glad-handing anybody.
I have been told that the late Sir Edward Marsh, composing his memoir of Rupert Brooke, wrote “Rupert left rugby in a blaze of glory,” the poet’s mother, a lady of firm character, changed “a blaze of glory” to “July.” – E.L. Lucas
The structure of the play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost . – Arthur Miller
Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made. – Immanuel Kant
Perhaps we will die knowing all the things that are to know in the world, but from then on, we will only be a thing. We came and were seen by the world. Now, the world will continue to be seen, but we will have become invisible. – E.M. Cioran
A man’s soul is like a train schedule. A precise and detailed schedule of trains that will never run again. – Yehuda Amichai
When all is done, human life is, at the greatest, and the best, but like a froward child, that must be played with and humored a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep, and then the care is over. – William Temple
irishannie's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book fascinating, especially the idea of the commonplace book. I have been writing down quotes and other interesting writings in notebooks for years. I am now trying to record my gleanings in Access databases.
The mark of a good book is when you have to put it down because the writing is so moving or so lovely or so right on. It took me a long time to read this book because I loved it so.
I based my master's thesis on this book. I got an "A."
The mark of a good book is when you have to put it down because the writing is so moving or so lovely or so right on. It took me a long time to read this book because I loved it so.
I based my master's thesis on this book. I got an "A."