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What I'm reading right now
Sep. 25th, 2006 10:54 pm1) Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer. This isn't a strict chronology or a linear history, it's more of an introduction to some of the some of the magicians who invented the fundamental effects of modern stage magic. This is the sort of thing I'm a complete sucker for. It reveals a few secrets, but I've always been of the opinion that the mechanics of an effect are the least interesting part. How the effect is performed is what's important, and that's precisely what this book explores.
2) Aesthetes and Decadents of the 1890's: An Anthology of British Poetry and Prose , edited by Karl Beckson. Precisely what the title says it is. If that's your kind of thing, this is not a bad jumping-off point to further exploration. One of the pieces in this book is Aubrey Breadsley's version of "Venus and Tannhauser." It's been a century since this was written, and I'm a man of the world. I've seen some things, I've done some things. I read "Venus and Tannhauser," and I was scandalized.
3) The Barnum Museum by Stephen Millhauser. I picked this up on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fortunine's recommendation. It's a collection of short stories and novellas, one of which was the basis for the film The Illusionist. I've only gotten as far as the first story, but it's definitely piqued my interest. Millhauser does some interesting things with form and structure. My interest in modern literary fiction just went up a notch. That puts it at notch one.
4) Blood and Iron: A Novel of the Promethean Age by Elizabeth Bear. A loan fromcatherineldf. Again, I'm not too far into it, but it's got an interesting hook. I'm very fond of urban fantasy and the notion that there's an entire world hidden within THE VERY TOWN WHERE YOU LIVE, so this one promises to be very satisfying.
Recently Finished:
1) The Affected Provincial's Companion by Livejournal's ownlord_whimsy. This is a guide to dandyism and the virtues of dilettanteism. Interspersed with the fashion advice and anecdotes from Whimsy's life are a few essays on not hiding one's own eccentric self. I'm going to write more on this subject later (during which time I promise to keep the pontificating on the construction of identity and self-concept through communication transactions to a minimum), but for now, consider this one recommended.
2) Aesthetes and Decadents of the 1890's: An Anthology of British Poetry and Prose , edited by Karl Beckson. Precisely what the title says it is. If that's your kind of thing, this is not a bad jumping-off point to further exploration. One of the pieces in this book is Aubrey Breadsley's version of "Venus and Tannhauser." It's been a century since this was written, and I'm a man of the world. I've seen some things, I've done some things. I read "Venus and Tannhauser," and I was scandalized.
3) The Barnum Museum by Stephen Millhauser. I picked this up on
fortunine's recommendation. It's a collection of short stories and novellas, one of which was the basis for the film The Illusionist. I've only gotten as far as the first story, but it's definitely piqued my interest. Millhauser does some interesting things with form and structure. My interest in modern literary fiction just went up a notch. That puts it at notch one.4) Blood and Iron: A Novel of the Promethean Age by Elizabeth Bear. A loan from
catherineldf. Again, I'm not too far into it, but it's got an interesting hook. I'm very fond of urban fantasy and the notion that there's an entire world hidden within THE VERY TOWN WHERE YOU LIVE, so this one promises to be very satisfying.Recently Finished:
1) The Affected Provincial's Companion by Livejournal's own
lord_whimsy. This is a guide to dandyism and the virtues of dilettanteism. Interspersed with the fashion advice and anecdotes from Whimsy's life are a few essays on not hiding one's own eccentric self. I'm going to write more on this subject later (during which time I promise to keep the pontificating on the construction of identity and self-concept through communication transactions to a minimum), but for now, consider this one recommended.
