Books that Saved My Life: Reading for Wisdom, Solace and Pleasure

by Michael McGirr

A profound, funny and uplifting collection of reminiscences about a life in books.

Here are forty texts to read at some stage in your life: forty texts that can enrich you in all manner of ways.

Some are recent, like Harry Potter; some ancient, like Homer and Lao Tzu. There are memoirs (Nelson Mandela), poetry (Les Murray) and many of the world’s great novels, from George Eliot’s Middlemarch to Toni Morrison’s Beloved.

Our guide, in entertaining short essays about personal encounters with each of these works, is Michael McGirr: schoolteacher and former priest, reviewer of hundreds of novels and lifelong lover of literature. His humour and insight shine through in stories that connect the texts he has selected with each other, and connect us to them.

Never prescriptive, and often very funny, this book is an invitation to reflect on—and share with others—the extraordinary gift of reading. ‘It is a gift that is taking me a lifetime to unwrap,’ McGirr writes. ‘The excitement has never worn off.’

Great literature is thrilling. It will feed your hungry mind and take your heart on a journey. It will help you on the path of one of life’s most elusive and hard-won freedoms, freedom from the ego.

Michael McGirr is the bestselling author of Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleep, Things You Get for Free and Bypass. He has reviewed almost one thousand books for various newspapers; his short fiction has appeared in Australian and overseas publications; and he has been a publisher of Eureka Street and fiction editor at Meanjin.

He teaches at St Kevin’s College in Melbourne.

‘McGirr is an inspired synthesiser, serious in intent even while riotous in execution.’
Eureka Street on Snooze: The Lost Art of Sleep

‘His anecdotes will make you laugh out loud. If you haven’t read any books by him before, seek them out’.
Good Reading

‘Readers will come for the humour, but they’ll stay for McGirr’s haunting memories…brimming with lyrical insight and earthy humour, this debut is a rare treat’.
Publishers Weekly on Things You Get For Free

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Essays, Australia

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 29, 2018

About the author

Michael McGirr is the author of Things You Get for Free and The Lost Art of Sleep. His book Bypass: The Story of a Road has been a popular Year 12 English text in Victoria. He has reviewed over 900 books for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is currently dean of faith at St Kevin’s College in Melbourne.

Reviews

[Brona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and half stars
Books That Saved My Life: Reading For Wisdom, Solace and Pleasure was a delightful book all about books by Australian essayist Michael McGirr. It was a lovely mix of classics, international and Australian stories and poems. McGirr showed us with each and every chapter how reading and rereading favourite books is a personal experience as well as a universal one.

"At every season of life, the mind needs to be nurtured. It needs challenges. reading is as much a part of investing in yourself as are gyms, financial planning and relationships. It will feed your hungry mind and take your heart on a journey."
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2019/...

[Jacinta Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title gets me every time! A wonderful read. Moments that make you pause & contemplate & others that make you chuckle. Clearly he has a wealth of literature on his bookshelf & enjoys every word. His passion shines through. Makes me wonder which books are the ones that saved my life.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book to read over a period of time as each essay requires reflection. I enjoyed some and found them both interesting and enlightening. I think a person interested in literature, such as a teacher, would find this worthwhile, as there was sometimes too much detail. I couldn't really find a link between the books and the author sometimes knew the writers or would go off into their stories. It was an unpredictable read and I persisted as I could not figure out which I would find worth reading and which I would not . Even the essays were sometimes boring ( to me) and other times so glad I had persisted. I sometimes struggled with the author's comments or stories. I didn't finish with a clear idea on why they were the chosen books from an obviously widely read and passionate reader.

[Text Publishing]

‘For those of us similarly saved by, shaped by, the books we have loved, McGirr’s beautiful essays will be deeply fortifying. The sensibility that ties them all together is both edifying and intimate; this, too, is a book that will save.’
Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner

[Amanda Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great insight into why the author chose these 40 books. He gives a tidbit from his life and then the books' background and history as to why and how it came to be written. Ranging from Shakespeare titles to modern authors like Tim Winton.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very uneven book. There are some insights, but also some ridiculous statements (check out the section on Homer's Iliad for the worst of them). There's a lot of philosophising that often seems only randomly associated with the books being discussed. There's quite a lot about the author which varies from interesting to curious (the self-deprecation gets a little tedious after a while). There's also quite a lot of name-dropping - or maybe it's just that he talks about a number of books where he happens to know the author, or lives down the road from where they lived, or...
I read a good deal of it with enjoyment. It was interesting to find out about some books and authors I'd never heard of, especially the Australian ones; it was interesting to get a different perspective on books I did know. But too often the book just became a starting off place for some other thing the author wanted to say, and was only loosely connected to the book in question.
McGirr is a good writer, but he sometimes prefers the clever statement to the one that actually tells us something. (Did I mention Homer? Yup - perhaps best not to read that chapter; it will spoil the others for you.)

[Lee Belbin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't in the right mood for this book. I found most of the chapters way too heavy after spending time with my daughter in hospital (collapsed lung). Most of his books are 19th century, and yes, while I have read many of them, I wouldn't have the majority on my 'hit list' to foster reading in high-school students. Some nice quotes though "I allowed Jacob and his sister to wander for a while to kill time. I love that expression. Time will eventually kill us all, so it’s nice to be able to get in first."

[Zachary Alaimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt necessary to share a deep love for a book that gives back. From wonderful anecdotal story-telling to fabulous book suggestions, this is a wonderful celebration of reading and wanting to learn more about the world.
And, this is a fantastic resource and insight for any educators or teachers out there. Loved it!

[Linette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tossed up on what to rate this book, 4 or 5. I realised that when you’ve copied quotes from a book, rung someone to talk about insights from it, written a poem because of it and laughed out loud that it is a 5.

[Nick Thorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book. Writing about the books that have changed your life. The author happens to be an amazing writer himself. As the author is/was a priest there are too many recommendations of works of piety or the religious reads why he likes a book. I would also of preferred more non-fiction references. However reading this has inspired me to read some works of classic literature.

[Ferocious french fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Got a bunch of laughs - I really like Michael's writing style l. Unfortunately towards the end it got quite religious and that's not really my jam. Well written tho

[Laura Jayne Tricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heavy read that requires reflection on each essay. It found it hard to get through due to religious leanings. However, I love the concept and I loved how these particular books fit into the authors life. We all read texts at different moments in time and find different meaning in them due to where we are at in our journey and I loved seeing that here.

[Kate Cornfoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enchanting book. Michael McGirr writes with such grace and insight as he describes 40 or so significant books in his life. But don't be mistaken - this is not a 'list book'; this is a beautifully crafted collection of anecdotes, reflections, book descriptions and personal confessions, all with a pulsing through line of Book Love. As a fellow Book Lover, I delighted in reading about books I'd never heard of but are now firmly on my list of Books I'd Like To Meet.

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book was given such fantastic reviews in the Weekend Australian and also the Sydney Morning Herald that I decided to treat myself for my birthday and buy the very attractive hard copy. Great decision as for a busy person who adores reading, this book was the equivalent of enjoying having the very intelligent, insightful, humorous and sensitive Michael McGirr having a conversation with me about the books that have meant so much to him over his lifetime.
The 40 chapters and the epilogue are each able to be read separately but I chose to read them in order. Choosing my favorite is incredibly difficult but I loved Chapter 14 The Freshness of Good ( Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem).
McGirr's friend Chris Stratford ( the book is dedicated to him) must have been a wonderful man as there is so much love invested in this chapter and his description of Chris' final days, battling a terminal disease,brought me to tears. This is a book that I read with my pencil in hand so I could underline or comment on a particular insight. I will return to it frequently as this book is definitely “ a keeper”
Buy it for yourself or for a special person who loves reading. Thank you, Michael McGirr!

[Anne Fenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could anyone not give this book five stars? It contains 40 short reflections linked to different writings, old and new. These include novels, short stories, philosophy, history, poetry, even a cookery book. You'll be surprised by its breadth, there will be something there you've read, or something you will have experienced yourself. The writing is beautiful. Each sentence is perfectly formed. McGirr's style is intimate, honest, searching of himself and our world. He brings the everyday into his evaluations, as well as deeply personal memories. Nothing painful here though, I found it one of the most interesting books I have come across. Something about his open humanity is very soothing in these times where sincerity and truth seem to lie at the bottom of the pack.

[Melville Proust · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was slight. I was being pretentious. It takes a lot of craft to write this simply. It's old fashioned in many ways—most of them good. Tho I must admit, much as I admire many of them, I'm a little tired of Jesuits who've left the order. The seminary is always close by, even if rejected. They try too hard to be serious people; but many of them are. And it would be unwise to ignore, say, Greg Dening. Anyway, this is a page turner that encourages you to turn more, and I've taken note to read some books I'd once thought uninteresting.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Overall it gave me delight. McGirr doesn't tell you much about the various books he mentions and mostly he omits how each book changed him. Rather he has given us 40 short essays about the books, their writers, their place in our world, and what might be learnef from reading these books. Some books mentioned I already have, others I have read and then given away. One at least I have been inspired to buy.

[Chris Waterford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this author but was sorely disappointed. This book didn't fit readily into any category that I was familiar with. As a memoir, it jumped all over the place and didn't seem to have a coherent thread. His descriptions of the books were not convincing about their merits. His potted biographies of the authors were interesting but brief and unsatisfying. Sadly unfulfilling.
5/10

[Karen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading will feed your hungry mind and take your heart on a journey

The jacket says it all

Here is a book about the sheer joy of living, exploring forty texts than can enrich us in al mannere of ways. Never prescriptive, often very funny, this book is an invitation to reflect on the extraodinary gift of reading, It is a gift that is taking me a lifetime to unwrap says the author.

My reading list has expanded - WOW

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Group read. Didn't love it. The premise is good and it is true as a reader I hold some books dearly that have meant something to me at certain ages and stages in my life, but I just couldn't get into this. It felt a bit prescribed and despite the author relating the books and passages to certain stages in his life, it just didn't feel authentic. A positive takeaway...a few more books added to my reading list.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a former Jesuit priest who now has a wife and family but remained a teacher, this book is a delight. Michael McGirr's chosen 40 books that have moved and affected him in different ways through his life, and expanded on each one. From Mrs Beeton to Shakespeare! He's also shared snippets from his own life along the way. Wonderful to read.

[Gabby Yager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given to me to borrow my a colleague/ friend. I enjoyed reading and will probably need to buy my own copy as I’d like to read back through the essays again when I read the books that I haven’t yet. I appreciated the authors perspective on life, his role as a teacher and the impact of this vocation on his perception. I also enjoyed reading where he had come across some of the books.

[Swan Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this book but, my enjoyment was in snippets more than overall. There were many titles he wrote about of which I have not read nor will not venture to read so as those chapters approached toward the end of the book, I simply wanted to scan quickly through them to find the end. I am sure I missed some interesting notes but I also feel I gained much in the reading.

[Alan Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful book by a person who not only values a good read but has a deep love for humanity. His "saving" books are not always my choices but I found a few to put on my "to read" list. A very enjoyable experience

[Felicity Waterford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised I enjoyed this book as much as I did given the eclectic ramblings of books loved, authors studied and random connections, but I enjoyed the snippets of wisdom and moments of reflection that had me also reflect.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. My only problem - if, indeed, one might call it a problem - with a book like this is that it points me towards more books I haven’t yet read but now feel I need to, thus increasing the already considerable size of my to-read piles.

[Sarah-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read with titbits from 40 different pieces of literature and a conversation that flows around how these works have affected and impacted the author’s life. What an interesting life he has lived so far. Intelligence, empathy and kindness.

[Melissa dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unpretentious list, chosen carefully and based on his personal life experiences. Can't say I liked the sound of all the books on the list but several of them I now want to read over the summer (starting with Cloudstreet). Also got me thinking about books that have influenced my life.

[Lyn Quilty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful rambling read - it has humour , reflection, philosophy, interesting details about authors and history, a great love of literature and much more. Just finished it and plan to reread it in a few days time. My copy comes from the library but I think I need to buy my own copy.

[Helen Koehne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book. I knew about half the books discussed and the other half sound very interesting. Can’t wait to check them out. Text could have done with a proofread.