What the Manolo Is…
Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…
The Manolo has to say that he cannot remember when he loved the book on the first reading as much as he loved the Freddy and Fredericka.
Yes, it is the hilarious book, but more than that it is the beautifully written, wonderfully humane and elegaic book, one that celebrates all of those things that the Manolo most admires. It recognizes what the Manolo has long thought, that the greatest philosophy of all is love. It trumps everything.
Sadly, instead of moving straight into the next Helprin novel, the Manolo read the
Christopher Buckley book, which, while amusing, was the thin, watery gruel compared to the feast of the Freddy and the Fredericka. And now the Manolo is determined to read all of the Helprin novels in the coming weeks.
January 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I love the Decemberists. The Crane Wife is fantastic.
January 16th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I was moved to stare as I noted a special deal if one purchases The Crane Wife w/ the latest from Yo Lo Tengo. Hahahaha! I am very tempted to turn on again the 1-click option…but noooo, I will wait for previous selections to arrive first. Thanks for the rec on Helprin. I’m going back in time, re-reading A Confederacy of Dunces, & am getting slightly depressed by it this time, even as I derive a wicked grin, still, from time to time. Time does take its toll even on some good literature, alas. But the Manolo points the way to rich chuckling & the circuitous path of amusement worth the trouble.
January 16th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Don’t get me wrong, Manolo’s are my shoe soulmate, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t playing the field; for example, go look at the Balenciega’s on Ashley’s feet….
http://www.whowhatweardaily.com
–jess
January 16th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Read Winter’s Tale. It will make you weep for the beauty of it.
January 16th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
The Manolo, who was most, most generous in his piece for the Washington Post Express regarding shoes for my scoliosis-afflicted daughter, must be sure to read A City in Winter, the second of Helprin’s children’s books illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. I cannot recommend the other books in the series, but A City in Winter, which I read during one of my daughter’s surgeries, is written with the breath of heaven.
January 16th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
You listen to the Decemberists!! Majour, majour points, Manolo. You are now even cooler to me, and that is saying something!
January 16th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
My favorite Helprin book is “Soldier of the Great War,” which is, along with “King Henry V,” one of the most stirring portraits of nobility and richness of the human spirit that I am aware of. My favorite section from the book, which has become part of the fabric of my life, is this slightly expurgated bit: “The spark of life is not gain. Nor is it luxury. The spark of life is movement. Color. Love. And furthermore… If you really want to enjoy life, you must work quietly and humbly to realize your delusions of grandeur.”
January 17th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I am so glad that you’ve discovered Mark Helprin! He has been my favorite author for a decade and I cannot recommend “Winter’s Tale” enough. It is beautiful, strange, fantastic, and utterly unforgettable. You will not be disappointed.
Also wonderful and completely breathtaking are Helprin’s children’s books–the Swan Lake series, which were illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, who is better known for his book “The Polar Express.”
January 19th, 2007 at 1:46 am
Helprin is great (and F&F was very sweet and funny - as well as wish-fulfillment for many people, myself included - *why* didn’t *they* turn out that way???). Buckley - LGM is okay-funny, but you really should read the book “Thank You for Smoking”. Even better than the movie.
January 19th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Thanks for recommending Richard Russo’s “The Straight Man” recently. I’ve been in the higher ed world for 20 years and had never heard of it.