Why Don't I Listen?

Aug 21

By Michael Kindness Uncategorized Add comments

maus For the longest time, friends were telling me how great NPR’s "Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!" was. It wasn’t until last year that I finally gave the Wait, Wait podcast a try. It was love at first listen. Now, I can (and often do) have 200 podcasts on my iPod but I will ignore them all if there’s a new episode of Wait, Wait.

In the book world, I was always a little ashamed that I had never read Maus, despite all of the raves, accolades and recommendations from friends. Maybe I thought it would be too heavy or that I wouldn’t be able to get through it. I was wrong on both counts. It was heavy, yes, but not too heavy. And I read both volumes in two days.

maus 2 I am amazed at how well Art Spiegelman was able to balance the past with the present, giving you not only the story of his father during WWII, but also in his later years. Though the story was by no means light or happy, neither was it overly dark or depressing. It was real. And anyone who thinks a "funny book" is incapable of telling a moving, important story has never looked at this book.

Now I know why it won a Pulitzer, why it is taught in schools and why it may just be the most important graphic novel ever published.

What books have been recommended to you over and over, yet you still haven’t read them? Don’t worry, I won’t judge.
__________________________

We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale Vol. 1: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman,

Pantheon trade paperback, $14.95, ISBN 9780394747231

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale Vol. 2: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman,

Pantheon trade paperback, $14.95, ISBN 9780679729778

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

http://www.annhandley.com Ann Handley

“A Hundred Years of Solitude.” I know I would love it — friends tell me that all the time. Every summer I think *this* will be my first beach book. And then I get distracted. Bottom line: I don’t really KNOW why I don’t just pick it up and read the darn thing!!
http://www.annhandley.com Ann Handley

“A Hundred Years of Solitude.” I know I would love it — friends tell me that all the time. Every summer I think *this* will be my first beach book. And then I get distracted. Bottom line: I don’t really KNOW why I don’t just pick it up and read the darn thing!!
http://jjchristie.wordpress.com JChristie

ALthough they’ve only been out briefly, I’ve been told I need to reed both “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Diaz and “The Road” by McCarthy. I just finished my last book, so hopefully I can push myself over the hump and start one of the Pulitzer winners today.
http://jjchristie.wordpress.com JChristie

ALthough they’ve only been out briefly, I’ve been told I need to reed both “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Diaz and “The Road” by McCarthy. I just finished my last book, so hopefully I can push myself over the hump and start one of the Pulitzer winners today.
thomas

The book that I keep meaning to read is “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace. Everyone keeps telling me to read it, and the hard cover has been in a book case by my bedside for way too long. Well I moved it to the top of stack after reading your post here about Maus.
Have a great weekend.
thomas

The book that I keep meaning to read is “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace. Everyone keeps telling me to read it, and the hard cover has been in a book case by my bedside for way too long. Well I moved it to the top of stack after reading your post here about Maus.
Have a great weekend.
http://bookworm.typepad.com/ Laura

“One Hundred Years of Solitude” — One of my family members counts this as a must-read and I went so far as to buy a nice hardcover edition. Still haven’t read it. Was recently told I had to immediately read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; own a copy, but haven’t read it yet. I think the biggest barriers for me are time and the lure of magazines, Olympics, and library books.

Michael — I *adore* Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me! It is one of the few pieces of media that causes me to literally laugh out loud while listening. It is so smart, clever, and irreverent. I sometimes click “Update” in iTunes, even when I know there isn’t another episode yet.
http://bookworm.typepad.com/ Laura

“One Hundred Years of Solitude” — One of my family members counts this as a must-read and I went so far as to buy a nice hardcover edition. Still haven’t read it. Was recently told I had to immediately read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; own a copy, but haven’t read it yet. I think the biggest barriers for me are time and the lure of magazines, Olympics, and library books.

Michael — I *adore* Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me! It is one of the few pieces of media that causes me to literally laugh out loud while listening. It is so smart, clever, and irreverent. I sometimes click “Update” in iTunes, even when I know there isn’t another episode yet.
Susan

I went to see “Wait, Wait” live when it was in Schenectady in May–if you ever have the chance to go, DO IT!!! So much fun! And even funnier than on the radio, though that seems impossible.

I still haven’t read “The Kite Runner.”
I may get to it eventually, but it hasn’t been recommended to me by my friends, mostly by customers. And there are so many customer recommendations, I tend to put them last on my “to read” list.

I should read “Maus”, though…
Susan

I went to see “Wait, Wait” live when it was in Schenectady in May–if you ever have the chance to go, DO IT!!! So much fun! And even funnier than on the radio, though that seems impossible.

I still haven’t read “The Kite Runner.”
I may get to it eventually, but it hasn’t been recommended to me by my friends, mostly by customers. And there are so many customer recommendations, I tend to put them last on my “to read” list.

I should read “Maus”, though…
http://www.kimwerker.com Kim

The Kite Runner for me, too. Mostly because my mom raved about it so enthusiastically that I had no choice but to rebel against her insistence that I drop everything to read it. I’ll come around eventually.
http://www.kimwerker.com Kim

The Kite Runner for me, too. Mostly because my mom raved about it so enthusiastically that I had no choice but to rebel against her insistence that I drop everything to read it. I’ll come around eventually.
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com Lenore

I need to read Maus – I even have it in German. One of these days!
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com Lenore

I need to read Maus – I even have it in German. One of these days!
Robyn

I was surprised Maus was not brought up in BOTNS #4 on graphic novels. Book I was required reading for one of my undergraduate courses I took just over a year ago and I loved it so much I went out and bought book II. I even got my sister into them. I’m so glad Maus was brought up in the blog. Great book!
Robyn

I was surprised Maus was not brought up in BOTNS #4 on graphic novels. Book I was required reading for one of my undergraduate courses I took just over a year ago and I loved it so much I went out and bought book II. I even got my sister into them. I’m so glad Maus was brought up in the blog. Great book!
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Michael

Hey Robyn-

I’m embarrassed to say that, when we recorded episode 4, I hadn’t read Maus yet!

Which is why I definitely felt it deserved its own post when I finally got around to reading it.

thanks for your comments!
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Michael

Hey Robyn-

I’m embarrassed to say that, when we recorded episode 4, I hadn’t read Maus yet!

Which is why I definitely felt it deserved its own post when I finally got around to reading it.

thanks for your comments!