The Happy Reader - Issue 9

The Happy Reader #9

by Penguin Classics

A model who owns a bookshop. A movie actress who put it all on hold to clinch an art history degree. For every ounce — and there are many ounces — of celebrity possessed by the new Happy Reader cover star, there is at least one equal measure of bookishness. Photographed here by WOLFGANG TILLMANS, and interviewed by PENNY MARTIN, the whirlwind of entrepreneurial derring-do discusses an array of amazing authors from Vladimir Nabokov to Maggie Nelson.

Next, the issue sails off to TREASURE ISLAND by the towering master of the nineteenth-century page-turner, ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. This somewhat boyish yet universally cherished tale gives rise to curious news from the parrot world, a conversation with a singalong genius, and in-depth reportage examining the worldwide electoral surge of pirate political parties.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books

64 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, providing readers with a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. We focus on bringing together the best of the past and the future, using cutting-edge design and production as well as embracing the digital age to create unforgettable editions of treasured literature. Penguin Classics is timeless and trend setting. Whether you love our familiar black-spine series, our Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions, or our Penguin Enriched eBook Classics, we bring the writer to the reader in every format available.

Reviews

[Kinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This issue was brought down by a lacklustre interview. The interviewer didn't let Lily Cole shine and she seemed more interested in herself than in the person she was interviewing. The only interesting thing I picked up was this quote:

"There is no motivational app for reading. Unlike with exercise and 'self-improvement', we are meant to just... do it. How vulgar, to need a 'regime' for enjoying books."

The other half which was the usual exploration of one selected Penguin Classic (this time 'Treasure Island) was fantastic as always. I like how the essays selected are never some boring literary treatises but meandering rivers of associations.

Still if you haven't subscribed to the Happy Reader yet, do so right now (it's super cheap for the UK - you basically pay for postage only). It's a nicely designed little gem of a magazine.

[Dioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

First part is interview with Lily Cole. Didn't know her before but she seemed cool - a model who's also a bookstore owner, a startup sharing app founder, and a Cambridge Art History degree graduate. Ada by Nabokov was brought up a couple of times, which piqued my interest.

The second part is all things Treasure Island and Robert Louis Stevenson, which I read a few months ago with the book club. I'm never into Pirate-y stuff much, but it was a fun read nevertheless. I'd love to go to the island where Stevenson died and was buried. Another good issue by the Happy Reader.

[CuriousBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curiosity level: Inspiring (Lily Cole), and interesting (Dive into Treasure Island worlds)
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"There is no motivational app for reading. Unlike with exercise and 'self-improvement', we are meant to just... do it. How vulgar, to need a 'regime' for enjoying books." -p.5
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I've never read a bookish magazine before. This is thinner than a literary journal like The Paris review - yet filled with hors d'oeuvres of bookish information. I enjoyed reading Lily Cole's interview on being an all-rounder (actress, supermodel, bookstore owner) without bothering about the quiet stigma that the British attach to people who are good at many things.
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The next portion of this magazine is based on the adventures of Treasure Island: a bunch of bookish tidbits about pubs with the theme of treasure island, a fun section on piratey looking flags of the world, and even an actual treasure map. I snoozed a bit here but it was still fun to read!
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Suitable for: Magazine readers who enjoy a more bookish bent

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conversation with Lily Cole about books and related stuff is why I love THR so much. The other half was a proper guilty pleasure - though I didn't love "Treasure Island" too much (probably should have read it 20 years earlier), all that talk about treasure, parrots and pirates was very entertaining. And now I'm off to watch "Black Sails".

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this issue a little less than the previous ones, because the interview with Lily Cole wasn't terribly interesting to me.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Issue 9 of the (now) biannual literature magazine. Usual rules apply. Front half is an interview with Lily Cole (very much a renaissance woman) & the back half contain articles that are loosely connected to Treasure Island. It's a shame it's now only 2 issues a year, especially as it can be read in less than an hour...it will be a long wait until the next issue.

[Claire (find me on Storygraph) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a delicious read (especially on a sunny day).

[Maria Lianou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the article about the pirate parties.

[Jaden Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed a lot of it.. I thought I would be more interested in it. Not bad I guess, but not really my favorite.