It’s been 20 years since David C. Major and John S. Major published 100 One-Night Reads: A Book Lover’s Guide.
The brothers list their favorite books that can be read in a night. (They admit some of their choices stretch what’s possible — and might be better if enjoyed over two or three nights.)
This enterprise appeals to my aesthetic sense. Brevity is important in writing. It’s behind only clarity on my list of virtues.
A lot of their selections didn’t appeal to me. But that’s one reason to read: to discover what you like. And it was a pleasure to discover shared interests. I thought nobody had heard of A.J. Liebling’s Between Meals. It’s still the best piece I’ve ever read about food.
One of the things I like about the book is that it organizes its recommendations into categories:
• Fantasy and saga
• Fiction
• History, public affairs and environment
• Humor
• Memoirs
• Mystery and suspense
• Science
• Travel
I keep different lists, putting things into the categories of essays, short stories, memoirs, biography, letters, collections of aphorisms, etc. I keep thinking there is a literature of short items that would make a good college course. At some point, I’ll post a syllabus.
• Source: David C. Major and John S. Major, 100 One-Night Reads: A Book Lover’s Guide; New York: Balantine Books, 2001
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