The Book That Changed My Life: Interviews with National Book Award Winners and Finalists

by Neil Baldwin (Introduction), Diane Osen (Editor)

Every reader can name at least one book that changed his or her life—and many more beloved titles will surely come to mind as well. In The Book That Changed My Life , fifteen of America’s most influential authors discuss their own special literary choices. These unique interviews with National Book Award winners and finalists offer new insights into the many ways in which the experience of reading shapes the act of writing. Robert Stone on Joseph Conrad’s Victory , Cynthia Ozick on Henry James’s Washington Square , Charles Johnson on Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf —each approaches the question of literary influence, while offering rich and wonderful revelations about his or her own writing career. James Carroll, Don DeLillo, E. L. Doctorow, Diane Johnson, Philip Levine, David Levering Lewis, Barry Lopez, David McCullough, Alice McDermott, Grace Paley, Linda Pastan, and Katherine Paterson are the other distinguished contributors to this collection of informed, insightful interviews.

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, Essays, Anthologies, Writing

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2002

Reviews

[Robert Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book for awhile, but it managed to avoid being entered into my LibraryThing bookshelf until tonight as #292.

It's time to start catching up on and through my partials. Be that as it may, will start at the beginning with, "I owe a great deal to a great many." We all do. Hmmm - that theme by itself sounds like a journal entry heading towards a blog entry.

Fifteen authors, fifteen chapters. Standard format of introduce the author with books authored, books nominated for prizes, prizes awarded. Then the interview. All chapters but one closed with two lists of books: 1. Books authored. 2. Books that influenced. I have chosen one book from each list by each author for a total of thirty more books to get around to reading.

My reading rotation is now, pleasure, professional, prize winner and my Harvard Classics collections. I guess that's enough to chose from.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen authors interviewed about the book, or in many cases books, that changed their lives. And not just any authors, but authors who had won or been nominated for awards for their work, important authors that dedicated readers might find interesting to read, if only to find out if they disagree with those critics who bestowed the awards. These life-changing books range from children's favorites to popular fiction to classics: the Canon. The stories told in the interviews share in common the love of reading and its meaning for people who have become creators of books themselves. But what does it mean for a book to change your life? Did it influence you in some important way? And, if so, how and when and why? That is part of the import of the interviews, but most of wonder of this collection of interviews arises from the reading of books and its importance for these authors. There is a hint of the mystery of the act creation (as Arthur Koestler put it in the title of a marvelous book about creativity) and the wonder that reading can have any influence at all.

My interest in this book comes from that same space: wonder at what reading has meant in my life, and why and how. In my case the why is simply the question why, but each author must answer for him or her self. The parts of this book that impressed me were the moments of remembered childhood and the books that were important then in the beginning, formative years. Whether it was Diane Johnson reading Henry James or Philip Levine reading Dostoevsky, it is fascinating to read their stories about what books meant for them. The "matrix of relationships" is complex and, as I said, no two are alike, but it is reassuring to find, here and there, an author who read a book that you did and was influenced in some small way. Creativity begins there in part and love of learning and the road to Wisdom as well.

[Jenell Klinedinst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay. Interesting for more books to read

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is a little misleading. It could be more accurately entitled "Books that Impacted My Career as Writer" or "Books that Influenced Me as a Writer." But would either of those options have drawn as much attention as the chosen title? Probably not. When my son saw the title of this book, he said "Ooh Mom, what book changed your life?" I started to explain that there the book contained interviews of writers and the books that influenced them, but he was already gone. Oh well.

Diane Osen prepared a compilation of interviews of fifteen prominent American writers:
James Carroll
Don DeLillo
E.L. Doctorow
Charles Johnson
Diane Johnson
Philip Levine
David Levering Lewis
Barry Lopez
David McCullough
Alice McDermott
Cynthia Ozick
Grace Paley
Linda Pastan
Katherine Paterson
Robert Stone

Each writer explains how specific books or authors impacted their work. Most authors also discuss their childhood, their views on life and art and their perspective on religion and politics. At the end of each interview is a list of each writer's works and the books that influenced them. (I don't recall that anyone actually confessed that a specific book changed his or her life.)

Personally, I found the interviews of Cynthia Ozick and Grace Paley the most compelling. I have added Ozick's book The Puttermesser Papers to my to-read list along with many of the books that shaped her life as a writer. I was moved by Grace Paley's personal anecdote that stresses the importance of civil responsibility. I also enjoyed the interviews of David McCullough, Alice McDermott and Linda Pastan.

I would recommend this book to people who like to read about writers talking about books. Clearly, the editor Diane Osen was thoroughly prepared for each interview. I would have liked to have had her provide some personal details on why she chose these particular writers. Neil Baldwin's introduction should have covered this topic, but it didn't.

[Ann Straight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the interviews of the chosen national book award authors inspiring. The books that effected them we from early to mid 1900's and generally are considered classics. I enjoy reading about books but this is somewhat out of date, copyright 2002.

The gist is that award winning authors are more involved in the writing and telling truth as they see and hear it, without knowing if someone will publish it initially or buy later books in the future. They just make it as clean as they are able, until they are pleased with the results.

[Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really was excited for this book, and while there were some interesting points, the bulk was uninspiring answers or uninteresting questions.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book hovers at a star and a half, I was generous to round up to two. The title is incredibly misleading; this is not a book in which authors discuss their biggest influences. I was hoping for in-depth reflections on the books they cherished most, perhaps even discussing the experience of reading. In other words, a book by readers, for readers, about great and effective books.

Instead it's a bunch of authors talking about their own books, and why their own books are so important. Every now and then there is a glimpse of what the title promises (like in the Linda Pastan chapter, for instance) but mostly it is a quick summary of their own (the author's) biographies, and a few thoughts on one of their own books. Bleh. Good thing it was a quick read.

Though having said all this, if you scan the list of authors interviewed in the book and get excited then maybe this is a five star book for you -- I suppose it depends on if you want some insider info on how their books came together.

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to get ideas of books to read, but I didn't get too many ideas from it. Rather than THE BOOK that changed an author's life, it's more about books they have read which may have influenced their way of writing and thinking. There was also much discussion (this is a Q and A series between the authors and an editor) about the books that each author has written. Surely an author would not choose one's own book as the book that changed his/her life. If an author states that, say, Dickens changed his/her life, I would have liked for the editor to delve into that: Which books? What specifically about Dickens? Style? Character? Attitude? Philosophy? Maybe at that point it would be OK for the author to mention a book or story or poem that he/she has written but only as it relates to Dickens.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I didn't dislike this book. "it was ok"

So I thought it would be mostly interviews where we found out what these famous writer's considered a book that changed their lives, but most of the interviews seemed to focus on the books they wrote that changed there lives. Which okay, pretty interesting.

How curious that pretty much all of the fiction/poetry authors, especially the men, seemed much more pretentious, and the historians not so much. But Grace Pauley sounds lovely, and I'll have to look her up.

[Kerith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love to read about books and about what other people read and discover within books. This book of essays is perfect for that sort of thing. Most are quite short, some more interesting than others, and some completely wonderful. My favorite was Da Chen's essay about growing up in Communist China without books -- a very moving tale of forbidden reading and "renting" books with the toothpaste money.

[Darla Grieco · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is well written. The interview questions are probing, and the authors' responses contain relevant information. However, I've rated this book two stars as it proved to be too wordy for my taste. I found myself skimming large portions of the book to find the information that I wanted to know.

[Marc David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good read for understanding the how and why authors write, also for starting writers.
The book depicts the author's past experiences and life changing moments that led them on the path they are now... their success, failures, insights, belief, and life-changing moments.

[Barbara Van loenen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the perspective of the authors, what books they enjoyed and why. However I did think the group of authors interviewed had too similar childhoods (most grew up with privilege attending college etc). I would have liked more diversity of the authors interviewed.

[KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably wouldn't work in the classes I teach.

[Christine Boris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I wasn't familiar with most of the writers that were interviewed.

[E.J. Cullen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Nothing in here that changed anyone's life. Hyped title.