The Fun Stuff: And Other Essays

The Fun Stuff: And Other Essays

<p>Following <i>The Broken Estate</i>, <i>The Irresponsible Self</i>, and <i>How Fiction Works</i>--books that established James Wood as the leading critic of his generation--<i>The Fun Stuff c</i>onfirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of the contemporary novel. In twenty-three passionate, sparkling dispatches--that range over such crucial writers as Thomas Hardy, Leon 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, Aleksandar Hemon, and Michel Houellebecq. Included in <i>The Fun Stuff </i>are 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 <i>Best American Essays 2010</i>. <i>The Fun Stuff </i>is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about contemporary literature.</p>