Jacob’s Comments (group member since Jun 16, 2011)

Jacob’s comments from the NYRB Classics group.

Ok, I confess--I only brought up PLF because he has so many books out. I'm really hoping to read The Way of the World by Nicolas Bouvier...

How about some nonfiction? NYRB has plenty of travel literature. There's this fella called Patrick Leigh Fermor, I've heard good things about him :)

Mikki wrote: "Jacob, how's your collection growing? You've got to be over 150 by now. :)"

Yep, hit 150 earlier this month, bought three more since then. Posted a picture here. I think I'm gonna need a bigger bookcase.

New York Review Books wrote: "Jacob I'm very impressed you found this cover already. Yes I'm pretty sure it's final—we suspect it wouldn't have got into Wal Mart anyway—but we only posted on Friday!"

Ok, you caught me. I like to check the "Forthcoming" page on the NYRB site to look for new cover art (when do we get to see Lucky Jim?), and I guess I just had good timing this time around.

Hate to spoil your fun, everyone, but I think I found a winner. I just found the new cover art for Tyrant Banderas (forthcoming, August 2012), and I think it might be the best cover NYRB has ever done. Or maybe just the weirdest.



Nick, please tell me this is the final cover. Pleeeeease.

Me also!

Just started reading yesterday. Quite good so far, although it's not really a proper book for long car trips.

Patrick wrote: "I'm partial to the cover of Wheat That Springeth Green. I love the photo."

All of the NYRB Powers covers are nice, but I especially love The Stories of J. F. Powers. I wasn't into short stories or Catholic writers at the time, but I knew I had to buy that book for the cover alone.

Mikki wrote: "There is something very striking about Stoner by John Williams -- a very quiet beauty."

Yes, I almost forgot about that one. Stoner was the one that got me hooked on NYRB--and the cover was one of the reasons I got it in the first place.

That's because it isn't actually out yet. I just got it early through their monthly book club.

The cover for The Sun King by Nancy Mitford (out in May) is also nice.

I'm rather fond of Amsterdam Stories right now.

Too late! The December selection is The Letter Killers Club by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky. I read his Memories of the Future earlier this year, and if LKC is anything like that, my head might explode.

Ooh, looks like the November selection is The Adventures of Sindbad by Gyula Krúdy. Nice!

(Someday I'll actually manage to go half a month without checking the club website so I can be surprised when the next book comes...but not yet)

Yep, got mine too. It's a bit unusual, but I'm starting to like the look. Also got the little catalog announcing a Simenon Sale for October. Uh-oh. I should probably read Act of Passion and The Man Who Watched Trains Go By first, see if I actually like Simenon, before I splurge on more.

Ooh, interesting. TMWWTGB is the only Simenon I own so far, and I haven't found any other in stores. I assumed glossy was the exception, but I guess non-glossy is instead. Thanks.

Seems a bit odd for Strangers, considering the cover art for that one--but I suppose I should see an actual physical copy (on my bookshelves with the other nyrbs, of course) before judging.

Good to know, thanks. It seemed unusual at first, but it goes with the cover photo, I guess.

I brought this up in another thread, but you're probably the one to ask. I found a copy of Red Lights with a very glossy cover at a used bookstore several weeks ago. Is this part of the design, or possibly a protective cover used by a library/previous owner? I only ask because it was far shinier than any other NYRB edition I've seen, and I haven't found any other copies of Red Lights elsewhere to compare.

Honestly, it wouldn't have been my first choice. I was hoping we would get an early October pick, since NYRB has four titles coming out in October and four in November (and so many interesting ones! Which will they pick?), but it's probably better to get something from the club that I hadn't planned on buying/reading, instead of one I'm most likely going to get on my own. Broaden your horizons, right?

Got The Mirador by Élisabeth Gille on Friday. A bit earlier than expected...not that I'm complaining. Guess I should probably read Suite Francaise first, eh?