Thursday, April 3, 2014

Walter Kirn's six favorite books on deception

Walter Kirn is the author of Thumbsucker and Up in the Air, both made into major films, and 2014's Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade.

One of his six favorite books on deception, as shared with The Week magazine:
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

Dreiser was known for his sometimes plodding prose, but this great tale of yearning and frustration draws power from its author's literal-mindedness. Clyde Griffiths, a child of the Kansas City streets, sees his chance to climb the golden ladder, only to have its rungs snap under his weight. His terrible plunge is brutally observed and expressed.
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue