The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Possibly the most viciously funny book novel ever written.
In Hollywood, at Whispering Glades, a full-service funeral home for departed greats, the mononymonous Mr. Joyboy and Aimee Thanatogenos fall in love...with each other and their work. He is chief embalmer, she a crematorium cosmetician. They spend their days contentedly prepping the loved ones for a final appearance.
Into this idyllic scene comes Denis Barlow, aspiring poet and funerary colleague. But Denis is downscale, his employer the Happier Hunting Ground, a pet cemetery. Denis looks to Aimee for professional reconstruction, falls in love with her instead, and sets up a triangle that is literally more than Aimee can bear.
So, are we calling the recommendation giiving over or extending it through this evening? We have 45 recommendations so far.
I'm for calling it. That's a lot to go on.
Okay, I'll post the full list in a few minutes.
45? How are we ever going to whittle that down?
perhaps -t could list the suggesters and that could be whittled?
perhaps -t could list the suggesters and that could be whittled?
Do you mean asking the suggesters to keep it to only, say, two recommendations? That makes sense to cut it initially. Or we could ask everyone to suggest only one book to start.
Suggested Books
NOTES (mostly stolen from Cindy):
1) Some entries are marked with a number. See bottom of post, for explanation.
2) I have used bold font, for titles and/or authors who seemed to garner either interest or support from at least one person, in addition to the person who floated the suggestion. If an author was mentioned more than once, his/her name was only put in bold in his/her first entry on the list.
3)Blurbs have been included when short enough, otherwise linked to
The Education of Henry Adams, by Henry Adams
Part autobiography, part cynical observation of politics and progress. An insightful and at times darkly humorous exploration of both a remarkable man and the tumultuous age in which he lived.
Ginger "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 2:28:05 pm PDT
Persuasion, by Jane Austen
Susan W. "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 10:05:27 pm PDT
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr(1)
Kathy Astrom "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 9:27:39 pm PDT
House of Sleep, by Jonathan Coe
hayden "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 14, 2004 7:58:20 am PDT
The Devil's Larder, by Jim Crace
hayden "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 14, 2004 8:12:46 am PDT
Available Light, by Ellen Currie
A book so good I tracked down her scant short stories. A woman, a man with a saxophone. Romantic, Irish again. Finding your place in the world after mistakes. Beautifully written and affecting.
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Topic!Cindy "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 2:00:55 pm PDT
Hard Times, by Charles Dickens
In our discussions in Literary, a number of people said they'd like to read Dickens, either because they never had or because they'd only read Great Expectations in high school, which is a good way to learn to loathe Dickens. (It's a great book, but perhaps not something to tackle in the 9th grade.) Hard Times is a relatively short work that explores Dickens' social concerns and the affects of an abusive system on both the abused and the people who profit from their work.
An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
Very long (my copy is about 875 pages), but a relatively fast read. Young man on the make gets job at factory owned by wealthy uncle, dates fellow employee with tragic results.
Louisiana Power and Light, by John Dufresne
Heather Alayne "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 1:50:24 pm PDT
Rides of the Midway, by Lee Durkee
Growing up Southern, teen boys, beautifully rendered. Also a ghost from a baseball mishap.
Jaran, by Kate Elliot
Susan W. "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 10:05:27 pm PDT
The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford
Strega "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 11:49:45 pm PDT
Sandman, by Neil Gaiman(3)
Mister Sandman, by Barbara Gowdy
Lyra Jane "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 14, 2004 10:55:11 am PDT
Mariette in Ecstasy, by Ron Hansen
AmyLiz "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 1:48:59 pm PDT
Into the Forest, by Jean Hegland
Lilty Cash "The Buffista Book Club: Isn't the Point of Computers to Replace Books?" Jul 14, 2004 8:28:33 pm PDT
The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Polter-Cow "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 1:35:09 pm PDT
The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson(1)
Kathy Astrom "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 9:27:39 pm PDT
Girl in Landscape, by Jonathan Lethem
hayden "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 14, 2004 8:12:46 am PDT
If Not Now, When?, by Primo Levi
Stranger Things Happen, by Kelly Link(2)
Kate P. "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 7:11:11 pm PDT
Small World, by David Lodge
Not only one of the funniest books I've ever read, but also (a) a neat structural parody of Medieval romances - so a history lesson tossed in, (b) a satire of academia and specifically deconstruction jargon. But don't worry - it's incredibly fun and absorbing, the kind of book you can't wait to pick up again.
Mary Reilly, by Valerie Martin(1)
AmyLiz "The Buffista Book Club: [insert quotey thing here]" Jul 13, 2004 1:48:59 pm PDT
Birds of America, by Lorrie Moore(2)
Like Life, by Lorrie Moore(2)
Who Will Run the
Sure. I can't remember how many actual suggesters we had, but certainly less than 25?
