Is it a prison novel, a crime novel or just a great novel about a down and out man who can't catch a break? It’s all of them! It’s a book that cannot be placed into one single genre because it's essentially about a life, and who can put someone's life into one genre? Hard Rain Falling is filled with poignant systemic critique and emotional nuance and written with such incredible honesty and empathy.
You may have only heard of Lenny Bruce because he was one of the famous celebrities who died on the toilet, but he was also known as one of the most outlandish comedians and social critics of his time. He was arrested multiple times on “obscenity” charges for his profane language in his routines where he challenged the sanctity of organized religion and the hypocrisy of society and the law. His autobiography is as outlandish as his acts are, but at the same time it is incredibly poignant and important. I have read this book multiple times, and with each read I find it funnier, smarter and more enjoyable than the last time.
At some point in your life I’m sure you have had someone tell you to read Lonesome Dove because it is amazing and one of the best western books out there, and even though it’s long it doesn’t feel like it once you get into it. If you’ve never had someone tell you that, then I am going to right now.
Before reading Lonesome Dove I had never read a 900-page book so quickly and then been disappointed that it wasn’t longer. McMurtry’s characters are psychologically deep and incredibly charming and his depictions of the vast western frontier makes you feel like you are taking the journey across the country with the
This is a unique horror story that talks about personal and generational trauma and loss through mythology and metaphor. I enjoyed this book for its beautiful description of Cree culture, especially highlighting the power and importance of the female members of the family. I found it to be incredibly poetic and psychologically rich.
This is a combination you didn’t know you needed until you saw that it existed. While reading this book, it was evident that the only person you could get to illustrate a Kafka story is someone who is equally deep, smart, strange and ironically humorous. R. Crumb uses his scratchy pen-and-ink style drawing to perfectly capture a Kafkaesque mood.
