The Happy Reader - Issue 13

The Happy Reader #13

by Penguin Classics

Owen Wilson, the movie star, loves to read. His mind is filled with quotes from favourite books, which he is able to recall at a moment’s notice. In this rare interview he invites The Happy Reader to get to know him while perusing the classic and not-so-classic titles stacked up around his home.

Our Book of the Season for summer is an eternal bestseller by the Stoic philosopher, imperial life coach and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The book is his secret diary that everyone is reading, the Meditations. With contributions from writers including Geoff Dyer and Deborah Levy and the photographer Martin Parr, the second half of the magazine tells you all you may ever need to know about nature, exercise, philosophy and love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books

66 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2019

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

[Austra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laba saruna ar Ovenu Vilsonu, lai gan šajā žurnālā ir bijušas arī labākas (pāris). Otrā daļa gana interesanta, bet interesantākais tajā bija raksts, kurā 12 pašpalīdzības grāmatu autoriem tiek uzdots vienkāršs jautājums - kas ir tā viņu īpašība, kuru viņi nav spējuši mainīt. 9 no autoriem ir vīrieši, un tikai 3 no viņiem spēja atzīt, ka viņiem ir kaut viena īpašība, ar ko viņi nelepojas vai ar kuru nākas pacīnīties. Pārējie kā atbildi sniedza vispārīgu īsāku vai garāku diršanu (pardon my French!) riņķī un apkārt. Nu ja, pasarg Dievs, viņi atzīs, ka ir cilvēki ar savām vājībām un kļūdām.

[Ritinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quanto me apercebi da existência desta publicação criei o oposto do recomendado pelo estoicismo. E em boa hora o fiz.

[Akylina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of this issue. I never expected Owen Wilson to be a bookish person, and reading his interview was really entertaining. Wonderful issue!

[nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed perusing this magazine, as it reflected many things that have been on my mind lately or happening in my life.
Stoicism and the meditations have preoccupied my thoughts. Intentionality, frugality, so it was a happy coincidence (or synchronicity?) that Marcus Aurelius was featured in this issue.
I was also pleasantly surprised by Owen Wilson's thoughtful answers, his reflections on film and humor, on Paris bookshops (namely Shakespeare & Co., The Abbey Bookshop and the Librairie Galignani) - all of which I recently visited and in one of which I actually I bought this copy ! (Talk of synchronicity...).

[🐢 · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s my man! Smart, funny, talented and sexy af

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great issue. The Happy Reader always offers up interesting book recommendations but more than that, it provides multiple ways of looking at the same thing - always fascinating, leaving you pondering.

I especially enjoyed all the creative responses to Aurelius' Meditations. It's always been one of my personal favourites and seeing how others consumed it was fun and thought-provoking.

[lera · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loveee owen, this was like a cozy conversation with him in a warm bookstore

[Dioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

First part is interview with Owen Wilson. I was never a fan, but was nicely surprised to find that he's such an avid reader. This one really felt like it was an interview with a reader who happened to be famous, not an interview with a celebrity with a weak connection to reading.

The second part revolves around The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor known for being a champion of Stoicism. I did not read The Meditations, but I just finished reading Seneca (also a stoic) so I was in that head space. I really liked Seneca's On the Shortness of Life, I'm not sure if I can say the same for the Meditations, from just reading random bits of it in the Happy Reader.

As always I enjoyed reading this beautiful looking magazine, though sometimes I wonder whether it's because of the paper and the print more than anything. They're so pretty to look at, so nice to the touch...

[i. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interview with Owen Wilson helped me to regain an interest in reading :)

[Resa Koleva-Demonty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hugely enjoyable interview with Owen Wilson - I discovered an interesting side to him through his favourite reads.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summer edition: Front half is an interview with Owen Wilson, the back half a series of articles themed around Marcus Aurelius’ Mediations...Odd bedfellows for sure...

[Ewout · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad my subscription fell through.