• The Fun Stuff

  • And Other Essays
  • By: James Wood
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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The Fun Stuff  By  cover art

The Fun Stuff

By: James Wood
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's summary

A new, far-ranging collection of essays from "the strongest…literary critic we have." (New York Review of Books)

Following The Broken Estate, The Irresponsible Self, and How Fiction Works—books that established James Wood as the leading critic of his generation—The Fun Stuff confirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of the contemporary novel. In 25 passionate, sparkling dispatches—which range over such crucial writers as Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy, Edmund Wilson, and Mikhail Lermontov—Wood offers a panoramic look at the modern novel. He effortlessly connects his encyclopedic, passionate understanding of the literary canon with an equally in-depth analysis of the most important authors writing today, including Cormac McCarthy, Lydia Davis, and Aleksandar Hemon.

Included in The Fun Stuff is the title essay on Keith Moon and the lost joys of drumming—which was a finalist for last year's National Magazine Awards—as well as Wood's essay on George Orwell, which Christopher Hitchens selected for The Best American Essays 2010. The Fun Stuff is indispensable listening for anyone who cares about contemporary literature.

James Wood is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a visiting lecturer in English and American literature at Harvard. He is the author of How Fiction Works, several essay collections, and the novel The Book against God.

©2012 James Wood (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc

Critic reviews

"Proof that Wood is one of the best readers writing today. Devouring these pieces back to back feels like having a long conversation about books with your most erudite, articulate, and excitable friend." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A pleasure…. Wood's very title reminds us what literature is really about: fun…. Get ready for some bracing delights." ( Library Journal)

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Read this book and you’ll want to read more.

I was so impressed by James Wood’s The Fun Stuff, that I began adding to my Audible and Kindle wish lists books and authors he had brilliantly analyzed in his insightful essays. If you listen to or read this book you will want to read more. I highly recommend it.

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