Great 2005 Asian Book Binge

Dalkey Archives has published all its author interviews. Here’s a good interview with Paul West whom I understood published a book on creative writing workshops.

Another note: I generally will continue to link to amazon.com even though their political bents are questionable. However, their prices are still the best (in comparison to isbn.nu), and so are their comments and their wish list feature. My linking to them doesn’t imply endorsement.

What do you know–I have gone on another bookbinge!

1. Freedom Evolves [Paperback] by Dennett, Daniel C.
2. Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things [Paperback] by Sorrentino, Gilbert
3. Master Class: Scenes from a Fiction Workshop by West, Paul
4. Melancholy Of Rebirth: Essays From Post-Communist Central Europe, 1989-1994… Konrad, Gyorgi
5. Place in Flowers by WEST, PAUL
6. Portable People by West, Paul
7. Rat Man of Paris [Paperback] by West, Paul
8. Twice upon a Time: Stories by Stern, Daniel
9. The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll Alvaro Mutis
10. The New Guide to Modern World Literature by Martin Seymour-Smith
11. Buddha’s Little Finger [Paperback] by Pelevin, Victor; Bromfield, Andrew
12. The Floodmakers – Mylene Dressler BY HOUSTON WRITER CHEAP
13. Outlaws of the Marsh (Chinese Classics 4-Volume Boxed Set)- Shi Nai’An
    SUPPOSEDLY VERY FAMOUS 1000 YEAR OLD EPIC $20
14. Three Kingdoms: Chinese Classics (Classic Novel in 4-Volumes) – Luo GuanzhongIBID FOR THIS ONE EVEN MORE FAMOUS 20$
15. The Peach Blossom Fan (Classical Chinese Love Stories) -Kong Shangren BOUGHT NEW, LOVE STORIES 10$, BUT PLOT SOUNDED SO ENTRANCING
16. Chushingura – Donald Keene JAP PUPPET CLASSIC, KEENE’S TRANSLATION WIDELY LAUDED
17. The Twelve Chairs (European Classics (Northwestern Univ Pr)) – Ilya IlfBOUGHT NEW $11, THIS FUNNY WORK RECEIVED MASSIVE PRAISE ON AMAZON
18. The Scholars – Jingzi Wu HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING MY HANDS ON THIS FOR YEARS. 18TH CENTURY
19. The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, Vol. 2 – Maxim Jakubowski LOVE THIS EDITOR; always puts together a great collection
20. Doctor Glas : A Novel – HJALMAR SODERBERGheartily recommended by college friend
21. Chinese Ghost Stories for Adults: Sex, Love, and Murder Between Spirits and Mortals – Tom MaCHEAP, CLASSIC STUFF
22. Against Joie de Vivre – Phillip LopateCHEAP, CONTAINS THE DEFINITIVE ESSAY ABOUT HOUSTON (I’VE CITED IT WITHOUT HAVING A COPY HANDY).
23. Migrations – Milos Tsernianski RECOMMENDED BY MY YUG FRIEND, VERY CHEAP
24. John Henry Days – COLSON WHITEHEADRECOMMENDED BY CONVERSATIONAL READING BLOGGER SCOTT ESPOSITO
25. Death of Virgil – HERMANN BROCH MODERNIST CLASSIC, WRITTEN IN CONCENTRATION CAMP; i’ve read his sleepwalkers trilogy
26. Modern Baptists, James Wilcox NEW YORKER WROTE A PROFILE OF THIS WRITER, WHO SOUNDED REMARKABLE, AND THIS BOOK SOUNDS REMARKABLE TOO. THE FEATURE WAS ABOUT HOW SUCH A GREAT BOOK TURNS OUT TO BE SUCH A FAILURE IN THE MARKET (ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU ARE FEATURED IN NEW YORKER, THAT’S HARDLY CONSIDERED OBSCURITY!). I BOUGHT THIS BOOK BEFORE AND THEN DONATED THE DAMN BOOK TO THAT ALBANIAN LIBRARY.
27. Six Records of a Floating Life (Penguin Classics) – Shen Fu LOVELY 18TH CENTURY NOVEL
28. Shilappadikaram: (The Ankle Bracelet) – Ilango, Prince Adigal TAMIL LIT CLASSIC
29. The Conference of the Birds (Penguin Classics) – Farid-Ud-Din AttarREAD THIS PERSIAN/SUFI ALLEGORICAL CLASSIC IN EARLY 90’S. FOUND IT INCREDIBLE, BUT DONATED IT TO MY LIBRARY IN ALBANIA. IF I’M GOING TO GET INTO RUMI–WHICH SEEMS INEVITABLE–I MIGHT AS WELL AS OBTAIN CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS
30. The Women’s Decameron – Julia Voznesenskaya POST SOVIET COMIC BITCHFEST TAKING PLACE AT A MATERNITY WARD
31. The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P’ing Mei: Vol. 1, The Gathering – David Tod RoyI BOUGHT THIS BOOK ON THE BASIS OF A SINGLE REVIEW.