three books as recommendation
making top n lists of such-and-so always make me a bit anxious. what do i choose (and thus discard!) amongst the many things i like? so instead, i just present you with three random recommendations. from the high brow (european intellectual) to the low brow (comics) to the uncategorizable (burton).
1) invisible cities by italo calvino
a fairy tale mastermind, calvino tells us the stories marco polo tells the kahn when he is on audition there. he spins wondrous narrations about the cities he explored and travelled to on his long journey – stories of cities with intricate architectures, mind baffling customs and habits and exotic creatures. read slowly, take it in and imagine you are in a world of the yet-to-be explored. the book has inspired many fans to draw illustrations based on his descriptions.
2) the melancholy death of oyster boy by tim burton
a little gem of pictures and imaginative stories that suck you into the freakshow plane/subconcious of the master, tim burton, himself. sometimes sad, sometimes happy, but always sincere and odd. please meet the fabrics of burton’s dreams: oyster boy, matchstick girl. you can read it online or buy it on amazon; this is really a book you want to have – to absorb over and over again.
3) fables by bill willingham
a series of comics by dc vertigo that has won all possible awards. re-interpretation of classic fable figures such as the big bad wolf, snow white and prince charming – who, forced to leave the fantasy homelands, now live in new york city and try to keep a low profile. with a cigar smoking wolf, a devious cinderella and a vain and flirtateous prince charming, you will never view the classic fairytale figures we all have come to love in the same light again. you can read the first issue for free.
on a sidenote: fables is a classic example of how the public domain, free culture and the right to rip, mix and burn allows for human creativity to soar and prosper. for example, a comic like fables but based on classic disney figures is just “never” going to appear because the term copyright expires has been extended again and again, preventing disney figures from entering the public domain and thus be freely interpreted; free as in without having to ask someone (disney) for permission and often (impossible) financial compensation.
so, what are your three recommendations?
Posted in books
July 22nd, 2006 at 5:41 pm
nice recommendations.
i have some you might be interested in too:
London Orbital – Iain Sinclair
Jounal and polemic about city architecture and its consequences on all aspects of life in London. Reads like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He circumnavigates London by foot around the M25 orbiting motorway.
Buddha – Vol.1 Kapilavastu
Osamu Tezuka
Have only just dipped my toe into this 8 part serial graphic novel account of the life of Buddha. Visually, its wonderfully Astroboy-esque.
What Are The Arts? – John Carey
Billed as an attempt to measure our general preconceptions to good art. The results being prickly and poigniantly scathing.
July 25th, 2006 at 11:18 am
Hm, I should check out that London Orbital book…
Not reading anything exhilirating at the moment… I almost never read fiction… I can count on 1 hand the fiction I’ve read in the past 10 years, LOL. Right now, I’m reading “The Portable MBA” by a bunch of professors from somewhere in massachussetts and “The Fables of Kirkegaard” (can’t remember the publisher or translator or anything… it’s just for when I’m drinking my coffee). Come on, you know I’m just reckless like dat!
August 2nd, 2006 at 6:14 am
How about that, I’m reading Invisible Cities as well!! It’s quite wonderful. I bought it along with Calvino’s intriguing “If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller”, which would be my recommendation if you haven’t read it yet.
And just to throw out two more recommendations, I’ll mention “Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman” and Paul Auster’s “The New York Trilogy”.