Long Reads #16

This time, I've been reading mainly book-ish articles.

Don't Support Your Local Bookstore by Farhad Manjoo - It makes a very interesting case of why you should not shop at an Independent Bookstore. Personally, I like the limited selection, because it's a very good way to browse and find something completely new. Something that rarely happens on Amazon (I may find something different from what I intended, but it all starts with a search term)

Amazon's Jungle Logic by Richard Russo - This is actually the article that sparked Don't Support Your Local Bookstore as a response. So you can tell, it's a defense of the bookstore. Or rather, the defense of the reputation of the bookstore, as more than merely a place for buying books.

They Cracked This 250 Year-Old Code, And Found a Secret Society Inside by Noah Schatman - It's a really interesting article on how computers can be useful. And of course, teamwork too. It's also a really indirect case for inter-disciplinary coorperation - there's no one expert who has the definitive word.

Don't Look for e-Literature in Novels by Dan Holloway - I will be the first to admit, I don't understand most modern Literature. Or Modern Art. Personally, I prefer the times when (to quote Clarice) "pictures showed people or even things" (approximate quote). The same goes for novels, I like the narrative to be understandable. I still haven't mastered Ulesyss by James Joyce. It took me very long to read Mrs Dalloway, and I still don't understand it. In fact, one of my favourite authors to study is Shakespeare. But if you like the new styles of writing, give this article a go.

The Story Behind a Non-Fiction Novel  by George Plimpton - Can Nonfiction be Literature? Well, I studied The Art of Travel for Literature so I'm guessing yes. And if you think about it, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is an awesome autobiography that utilises fiction techniques. So the answer is definitely yes. The article gave me another book to look up: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

My 6,1288 Favourite Books by Joe Queenan - If you remembered, I reviewed One For The Books by the same author some time back. And after I posted it, Yvonne from Fiction Books posted a comment alerting me to this article. If you haven't read One For The Books (and you should), go look up this article. You can treat it as a teaser for the book.

What articles have you been reading?