Tuesday, April 10, 2007

John Freeman's 25 best reads

John Freeman, president of the National Book Critics Circle, writes in the Denver Post:
One of my recurring dreams involves selling all my possessions, shutting down my cellphone and e-mail, and setting off around the country - and then the world - by train with a small suitcase full of great books. If I ever do this, I'd take things I had already read. And if I had to narrow this group to a list of 25, here is what they would be. I'm not sure they would all fit in one suitcase, but they'd certainly be worth packing two.
Number One on his list:
1001 Nights | Anonymous (A.D. 850).

Scherezade marries the King of Persia, who until that night has executed every one of his brides the next morning. To save herself and her country, she tells him a tale that does not end - never has there been such pressure on a storyteller, and never has a yarn-spinner risen so well to the challenge.
Read the entire list.

--Marshal Zeringue