http://www.newsweek.com/id/34644
A Life in Books: Laura Lippman
Ex-reporter Laura Lippman may be known as a gritty crime novelist, but her Tess Monaghan series sends love notes to Baltimore's food, music and literature—an artsy side explained, perhaps, by her habit of rereading "Marjorie Morningstar" every year.
My Five Most Important Books
- "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. I began reading this at 12 because I had inferred that it was very dirty. I think I was 19 by the time I identified the dirty parts, and by then I no longer cared. My favorite novel, hands down.
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http://www.newsweek.com/id/35601
A Life In Books: David Hajdu
He loves Henry James, though he admits James's novels are full of dead ends. Then again, as a biographer, David Hajdu has a knack for working around dead ends, resulting in the detailed life stories of musicians Joan Baez and Billy Strayhorn.
MY FIVE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS
- "The Adventures of Augie March" by Saul Bellow.
It's the first book I ever finished and then immediately started reading it again. I love the way it combines high and low elements.
- "Up in the Old Hotel" by Joseph Mitchell.
I love his respect for little lives. He's also the first writer I ever tried to imitate. My early writing is essentially plagiarism of Mitchell.
- "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov.
For the fearlessness of the subject matter and Nabokov's passion for language.
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http://www.newsweek.com/id/32836
A Life In Books: John Banville
Call it a victory for the not-so-old man and "The Sea." Irish novelist John Banville clinched the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 2005 for his 18th novel, "The Sea." If he awarded a Banville Prize for most important book, this would be his shortlist.
My Five Most Important Books
- "The Catholic Church Catechism." This was certainly the most influential book in my childhood. By the age of 7 I knew what simony is, not to mention concupiscence and lust.
- "Dubliners" by James Joyce. This was the book that showed me that literature can be about life, life as I knew it.
- "Duino Elegies" by R. M. Rilke. No doubt Yeats is greater, but Rilke ran straight into my bloodstream.
- "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. Simply, the most beautiful extended piece of prose I have ever read.
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