Dirda on Books – Transcript Michael Dirda Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, June 23, 1999

Michael Dirda The Washington Post

Michael Dirda's name appears weekly in The Post's Book World section. If he's not reviewing a fat literary biography or an ambitious new novel, he's likely to be writing a lighthearted essay about the joys and burdens of living in a house filled with way too many books. Although he holds a PhD in comparative literature from Cornell, Dirda is still smart enough to be an unabashed fan of "The Simpsons," noting that "the show's genius derives from its details." He also loves P.G. Wodehouse, intellectual history, children's books and locked-room mysteries – just the sort of range you'd expect from a Pulitzer Prize winner for distinguished criticism.

These days, Dirda says he spends inordinate amounts of time mourning his lost youth and daydreaming ("my only real pastime"). Otherwise he just reads books and writes about them, with occasional visits to secondhand bookstores in search of treasures. He claims that the happiest hours of his week are spent sitting in front of a computer working on his reviews and Readings columns. "Do not imagine that I regard my taste for literary artifacts as anything but shameless and vulgar," Dirda says, "I have sunk so low as to covet Edward Gorey coffee mugs. I yearn for a bust of Dante to place on a bookcase."

Washington, D.C.: I can certainly understand why P.G. Wodehouse is your hero. But if I remember correctly you frequently recommend "Leave It to Psmith" as the book to read. While I think "Leave It to Smith" is quite good, and perhaps the first of the novels in which he hit his stride, I thing that the true vintage Wodehouse consists of novels such as "The Code of the Woosters" and "Uncle Fred in the Springtime," which were written in the 1930s-40s period. What do you think?

Michael Dirda: When I was at the Wodehouse convention in Chicago, I gave a talk in which I discussed the critical consensus on Wodehouse, ie. which of his novels was the best. Code of the Woosters and Right Ho, Jeeves were the winners, so to speak, but a half dozen other books have strong support. I like Psmith because it inaugurates the Blandings Castle series and because Psmith is such a terrific character. My favorite story is Uncle Fred Flits By. But yes, the novels of the 1930s and '40s are Wodehouse at the top of his game, but there are high spots before and after--e.g. Psmith, the Ukridge stories and the late Ice in the Bedroom.

Princeton, NJ: Of today's literary journalists-literary nonfiction writers—established, midcareer, emerging—whose work do you especially like?

Michael Dirda: Hmmmm. Do I especially like any? All my heroes in this genre are dead: Joseph Mitchell, Kenneth Tynan, Randall Jarrell, Janet Flanner. . . I find it difficult to take the work of my contemporaries with the same seriousness, let alone admiration (an obvious character flaw). But I do read certain scholarly essayists with the kind of passion you suggest: Anthony Grafton on Renaissance intellectual history, John Sutherland on pop culture and Victorian literature, Robert Irwin on Arabic matters. . . Personally, I like the kind of literary journalism I do and don't know that too many other people do it. THis could be good or bad, depending on your view of my stuff.

Silver Spring, Maryland: Two questions: From past comments in this forum and your review of The Commodore -I think that's right...-, I know you admire the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian. Do you have any comments on his two latest, The Yellow Admiral and The Hundred Days? Lots of folks regarded them as second rates. I was also wondering about your thoughts on an author at least one of your colleagues -Mr. Yardley- consistently praises: Charles McCarry -I hope I spelled his name correctly...-. A question came up recently about novels set in Washington. I would certainly mention a couple of McCarry's, especially Shelley's Heart. Have you any comments on McCarry?

Michael Dirda: Alas, you obviously read my colleague more closely than you read me. I did a long front page review of McCarry's SEcond Sight, the last in his spy series about Paul Christopher (it even ran with an interview of M by David Streitfeld). I think The Tears of Autumn is one of the best espionage novels of our time, and the whole CHristopher series a brilliant achievement, filled with twists and double turns that only become apparent in the final book. Or is it final? There is a daughter. I haven't read the last two O'Brian's--am waiting for the final volume--but yes, I suspect from the reviews that they don't quite measure up to the best novels in the series. But this often happens with such cyclical epics--see A Dance to the Music of Time.

Washington, D.C.: Why does Book World devote so much space to obscure, academic nonfiction that only .05% of your audience might find interesting? As a book lover and a reader of both literary and escapist fiction, I believe you're way out of touch with the interests of the vast majority of your readers -as any book store manager will tell you-.

Michael Dirda: So much space? Maybe. We'd have to look to see exactly what you consider obscure and academic nonfiction. Personally, almost any book about politics and world affairs strikes me as obscure and academic, but then I recognize my own limitations. One function of a book review is to be pedagogical--to lead people to discover good books they might otherwise overlook. If it were up to me, we'd never run a best seller list, thus making people talk to friends and bookstore personnel, or rely on their own wits, when choosing a book to buy.

Washington, D.C.: You have several times mentioned loving a particular book on classical music. I believe it was published in the 40s or 50s. But for the life of me I can't recall its title or author. Could you supply? Thank you.

Michael Dirda: I love Virgil Thomson's reviews from the 1940s--most of them are in A Virgil Thomson Reader, but there's also a paperback collection called Music REviewed or something like that. He's my favorite music critic, along with Shaw, B.H. Haggin, Ned Rorem, and Richard Freed.

Omaha, NE: I have been reading Calvino recently and I wanted to know if there were lesser known authors that you felt were comparable in crafting tales. Thanks.

Michael Dirda: You might try DIno Buzzati, whose a kind of proto Calvino. Also, Mihail Bulgakov (though Master and Margarita is a famous book). In some ways, Raymond Queneau is also Calvino-like--he's best known for Zazie in the Metro, but I like Le Chiendent, which is translated as The Bark Tree.

Bethesda, Maryland: I heard the news that Clifton Fadiman, whose "Lifetime Reading Plan" you've mentioned on several occasions during these chats, passed away this past week. Out of curiosity I picked up a copy of the book at the library -- Fadiman's is a quite formidable list! What are your thoughts on this and other "Great Books"-type programs that seem to have fallen out of favor in high school and college curricula over the past couple of decades? And what percentage of Fadiman's list have you read?

Michael Dirda: I've written about Fadiman from time to time, largely because The Lifetime Reading Plan changed my life. It's a long story--starting with my, uh, kind-of stealing the book from a department store. As a boy I checked off the titles I'd read--and I suspect that by now I've read nearly all of them. I believe that most readers should focus on the Great Books--and have written, sorry to do this, at length about the actual set of Great Books--but also believe that teaching a classic can kill it for many kids. But what books are still great? A vexed question. Fadiman never mentioned any of the great books of the East-eg. THe Tale of Genji, one of my half dozen favorite books of all time.

Gaithersburg, MD: Did you get any books for Father's Day? If so, which ones?

Michael Dirda: No, I never receive books as presents--one of the drawbacks to being a professional book reviewer--People figure I have what I want, and generally they are right. Ah, but in my youth I longed for books as gifts--I can remember one Christmas when I received a couple of Tarzans from my sisters. . .

Washington DC: As an undergrad attempting to compensate for the intellectual atrophy of a legal internship, I've set out to "become well-read" over the summer. -I prefer impossible goals.- What would you submit to the ambiguous canon of "books that everyone should read?"

Michael Dirda: You might do worse than acquire the Fadiman book we were talking about. For a summer, I'd suggest picking one or two authors you already like and reading as much of their work as you can. Go for depth when you can't manage breadth.

Washington, D.C.: Last week you characterized C.S. Forester, author of the Hornblower naval adventure stories, as a storyteller. Would you characterize writers like Jack London the same way? It seems to me that there is more in some of these so-called boys' adventure stories than is likely to meet the adolescent eye. Do you agree?

Incidentally, this chat DOES influence people. Because of one person's online objection to your characterization of Forester -in defense, he cited Hemingway's comment to the effect that anyone who wanted to know how to write should read the Hornblower stories-, I started the first book in the series right after the chat. I'm enjoying it immensely!

And because of your love of "Lolita," as expressed in this chat a few times, it is now high on my list of books to be read next.

Michael Dirda: BEing a storyteller is high praise in my vocabulary--it's easier to be a great novelist than a great storyteller. I love boys adventure books, as regular readers of my children's columns know (see my forthcoming review of Harry Potter and the CHamber of Secrets). Lolita is a great book, but a controversial one--one reason why it remains great, I suppose.

Rockville, MD: Did you get a MacArthur Grant?

Michael Dirda: Not unless the letter went astray. I keep hinting and groveling, but clearly this hasn't worked. Perhaps I should adopt an attitude of disdain, suggest that I wouldn't accept money from an organization that had honored such second-rates as . . .

washington, dc: I think it would be a good idea if Book World had a regular column devoted to antiquarian books, book history and book-collecting. Any chance of that happening?

Michael Dirda: Well, David Streitfeld used to write fairly often about such matters in Book Report, and I touch on them fairly often too. We're both collectors, and I have a fairly good knowledge of the book arts (having even written a paperback on caring for your books--another long story). I don't know that my masters would want more than the occasional piece on the antiquarian world. Still, I'll try to do more and help more be done by others.

FFX, VA: What is your opinion on writers such as Mary Higgins Clark, Steven King, Koontz, Clancy? I don't recall seeing many references to any of these, although any new release of theirs tops the NYT list as soon as released.

Michael Dirda: Of these, I've only read Stephen King whose work I admire immensely. I tend not to like horror fiction and most techno thrillers, but I don't disdain popular writers. I recently wrote an 8,000 word piece on John DIckson Carr--master of the locked room mystery--for an Edgar award winning reference book. I frequently read science fiction, detective fiction, Georgette Heyer, etc. But on the whole, I believe in reading hard books, classics, the books that matter.

Rockville, MD: The Lifetime Reading Plan was written when? Surely to focus on that list would leave off some outstanding works...

Michael Dirda: Came out in the 1950s, but there've been several updates. The most recent edition does contain ASian literature.

Arlington,VA: On the subject of nonfiction, is Edmund Morris's bio of Ronald Reagan actually coming out this fall? It's been promised for a while now but has not yet appeared. Thanks.

Michael Dirda: CAtalogues say it will be out this fall, but I haven't seen proofs yet.

Mt. Rainier MD : Re the remark about Book World's giving space to 'obscure' non-fiction, personally I am grateful that I can read the review of a book that I am very unlikely to pick up and read myself. I get a flavor of what else is out there without the drudgery of finding it for myself -lazy soul!-. The books I read for pleasure don't need reviewing by others - except rarely to entice me to read something unusual.

Michael Dirda: A good point: A lot of people use book reviews as 1) pleasurable essays, and 2) efficient ways to keep up on a variety of subjects. I do this myself with pieces in, say, the TLS on classical subjects and other highly scholarly areas.

Medford, OR: Can you tell me of some history writers such as Walter Lord who can make you feel like you're really on the scene?

Michael Dirda: Walter Lord--there's a blast from the past. I suppose you've just read his TItanic book? Let's see. Barbara Tuchman's books--especially The Guns of August and THe Zimmerman Telegram. A.J. Liebling's world war ii coverage (The Road BAck from Paris). Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day. John Keegan's various military histories--The Face of Battle. Trevelyan's trilogy about Garibaldi--wonderfully vivid. ANd the classics of course: Herodotus, especially.

Silver Spring, MD: I would like to purchase a hardback copy of the unabridged version of Dumas' 'Count of Monte Cristo.' I'm really enjoying the Bravo miniseries and, even though I've read the book several times before, I don't own an English-language translation. Many are available, but I would appreciate your recommendation for the one to own. Thanks.

Michael Dirda: I read a version, with illustrations by Mead Schaeffer. Don't know how good a translation or how complete. I believe the Lowell Bair translation--in I think Bantam paperbacbelievek--is standard. If you love The Count, you should try the sf equivalent: The Stars my Destination, by Alfred Bester.

Roseville, MD: What do you think of Paul Austere work?

Michael Dirda: Loved the City of Glass trilogy and Moon Palace. BEautiful writing, a bit melodramatic and experimental at once, very seductive. Have read some of the essays in ARt of Hunger, but haven't gotten to the most recent couple of novels. IN general, though, I think he's an extremely engaging writer, perhaps not quite as deep as he sometimes seems (but of how many of us could that be said?).

Richmond, VA: I personally found "Tears of Autumn" somewhat light. How would you compare Charles Miscarry with John Le Carr?

Michael Dirda: Really? OH well, no arguing with taste. Le Carr is uneven--The Spy Who, the Karla trilogy are masterpieces--I especially revere Tinker, Tailor, which I'd choose as my favorite post-war espionage novel. But the later books all have lots of problems, of one sort or another. But the man can write--and if you've ever heard his audio tapes, he can also narrate. Marvelous voice. My favorite spy novels are, by the way, Greenmantle, by John Buchan and Journey into Fear and A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler. Love the period flavor.

Washington, Dc: I recently found a book of African poetry selected by Langston Hughes in my grandfather's attic. I opened it to find it was signed by Hughes to my grandfather. Any idea what kind of price tag this would carry? The book is in excellent condition and has been preserved very well.

Michael Dirda: Could be worth a pretty penny. Look in the phone book under Books Used and Rare. You should probably go to a dealer specializing in 20th-century firsts. I'm not sure how common Hughes signatures are, or whether the book he's signed is scarce.

Pittsburgh, PA: I'm a big fan of the "Geeves and Wooster" Series formerly on PBS. Just wondering--are the videos accurate and better than the written version of the stories or visa-versa?

Michael Dirda: The videos are notoriously inaccurate. THey are amusing and often very true to Wodehouse flavor, but lots of liberties are taken. Laurie is a brilliant Bertie,though; FRy a more problematic Jeeves. The books are infinitely funnier, and endlessly rereadable.

Gaithersburg, MD: In this week's Book World, Vikram Seth is quoted as saying that India is his home "because my library is there". Have you ever visited Hemingway's "home" in Cuba?

Michael Dirda: No, went to the Key West place once. It seemed pretty commercial. The first thing I did when I came to Washington was to visit the grave of Scott Fitzgerald in Rockville.

washington, dc: Some of your readers may not know that Clifton Fadiman's daughter, Ann Fadiman, now the editor of "The American Scholar" - most readable serious journal- is also a book person. Her recently published "Ex Libris" is well worth reading.

Michael Dirda: Yes, Anne is a superb essayist in her own right, and Ex Libris a charming book. The AMerican Scholar is one of my favorite magazines, its former editor, Joseph Epstein, being our preeminent personal essayist. In fact, I should have mentioned him when an earlier question asked about literary journalists. I also like Calvin Trillin.

Arlington, VA: Any advice for an recent college-grad who's an aspiring book reviewer? How did you get to WP's Book World?

Michael Dirda: A very long story. Accumulate some clips--i.e. write fro any place you can. I'm not sure anyone should aspire to be a book reviewer--it's usually something you settle for when other things don't quite work out.

Washington: We are like-minded about the "Tarzan" books -though I've only read the first one -- and as an adult-! What were your favorites?

And I would encourage everyone who enjoys a good adventure story to read "Tarzan of the Apes," the first book. It's NOT what you might think it is from the movies, TV shows, etc.

Michael Dirda: Good advice. The first two books are the best (T of A and The REturn of T). As a kid, I loved them all indiscriminately.

alexandria VA: What is your opinion of the much-discussed publishing of Hemingway's "True at First Light?"

Michael Dirda: Look for our review--not by me--in this Sunday's bookworld.

Alexandria, VA: I belong to the Old Town Athletic Club and not only do some of us have 48 inch biceps , but we also have a bookclub that meets one a month and a free mini-lending library where I have been able to pick up quite a few gems. My most favorite find to date was a collection of children's stories by Oscar Wilde. I had no idea Mr. Wilde had these inclinations, but I found his stories to be amazingly imaginative, beautiful, and very much attuned to the mind of a child. My favorite story, of course, is The Ghost of Canterville, which is so charming, imaginative and funny. I have been looking around for these stories in Books on Tape format to send to my nieces and nephews. I recommend these stories to all your readers - they are truly wonderful.

Michael Dirda: Yes, he wrote very tender and affecting fairy tales. It's The Canterville Ghost, by the way. Wilde is a far greater writer than he is sometimes imagined to be. See Richard Ellmann's terrific biography.

Manteca, CA: Michael,
A comment and a question: Regarding the earlier question about literary nonfiction writers and especially Joseph Mitchell, I think that Mitchell's modern-day heir is Lawrence Weschler -another New Yorker writer- who, like Mitchell, produces wonderfully compelling portraits of unique characters. I just finished his "Boggs" and saw him speak about it a couple weeks ago at Chapters. I also highly recommend his collection "A Wanderer in the Perfect City", and am looking forward to "Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder". What are your thoughts on Weschler and on another writer I just saw at Chapters, New Republic critic James Wood who has a new book of his collected essays.

Michael Dirda: I've only read a bit of Wechsler and tend to agree with you. James Wood--I know him a bit--is a deeply intelligent, sometimes surprising, and always fearless critic, but his work isn't enough fun to read, though it's always rewarding. (This may be a minority view--Wood has many unconditional admirers.) His intended audience is far more sophisticated and patient than that of most newspapers. But if I were in a debate about a book, I wouldn't want Wood to be my opponent.

Washington DC: For the Alexandria gym guy looking for tapes of Wilde's fairy tales, why not tape your own voice reading them? Your nieces and nephews will love it -- as will their parents, I'm sure.

Michael Dirda: Good idea.

Montpellier, France: Thanks for your answer concerning Cees Nooteboom; I am happy to hear you also like his work. This time, I move South. What is your opinion of the Spanish writers Javier Marias or Arturo Perez Reverte? Also, were you at Cornell at the same time as Bill Vollmann? What do you think about his work?

Michael Dirda: Not at Cornell, so far as I know, with Vollmann. AM writing about Perez-Reverte this week. Wait and see. Haven't read Marias

Muncie, Indiana: I have just finished the best book i have ever read, THE RECOGNITIONS by William Gaddis. Now that i have read every Gaddis -in reverse chronological order - and finding them to be better and better in this sequence-, I would be interested to know which is your favorite.

Having unearthed some of the original reviews, it seems to me that Gaddis' treatment by critics -who wrote scandalously inaccurate descriptions and ignorant appraisals of his works, most notably THE RECOGNITIONS- is a lasting shame on the profession. I can't think of a blunder this bad - can you?

Instead of receiving the recognition -hmmm..- he deserved, Gaddis was forced to earn his living as a corporate speech writer. Had the early critics done their jobs and actually read his books, he would certainly have written more books -4 is far too few.-

Michael Dirda: The Recognitions is a great book, probably Gaddis's best (though fans of JR will argue). I love A Frolic of His Own because it's so funny, but The R is still the masterwork for me. Dalkey Archive publishes a book about the critical reception of The R--a shame as you suggest. I suppose truly original works are always misunderstood and dismissed in their time. But Gaddis has always been honored by the writers that count, starting with Pynchon who probably learned a lot from him.

Lone Pine, CA: What do you know about the unfinished manuscript THE ORIGINAL OF LAURA that Nabokov left unfinished at his death? Are there, or have there ever been, plans to publish it?

Michael Dirda: I suspect that Dimitri N will eventually bring out the book, in some form, but I don't know when.

Bethesda, MD: My literary tastes are diverse, but I'm madly in love with Victorian Nonsense Literature -Carroll, Lear-, mostly because I find it more intellectually inspirational than a lot of the general fiction that's out there. Is there a particular used book shop or two in the DC area you frequent or could recommend ? Not just for children's material -although the closing-merger of the Cheshire Cat is upsetting...any thoughts on that ?- The time I've spent in London makes me appreciate them, and here, I haven't found the volume or quality I experienced overseas.

Michael Dirda: Don't know that I should recommend any particular shop--but DC has a flourishing second-hand trade and if you ask around you should be able to find what you want.
Well, time's up for this week. Sorry if I didn't get to your question. Until next Wednesday at 2, keep reading.