Bret’s Picks

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

In 16th century Istanbul, an artist working in the sultan’s book workshop is murdered by a colleague. Told through multiple perspectives, My Name is Red is a combination of muder mystery, love story, and historical novel set in the glory days of the Ottoman empire. Pamuk, a Turkish writer who won the 2006 Nobel prize for literature, skillfully uses the intriguing setting and plot to create a meditation on art and aesthetics, particularly the fascinating traditions of Islamic book illustration and miniature painting. In the process, he creates a powerful statement on the differences between East and West, the Middle East and Europe, which resonate with current events.

The Portable Blake

William Blake hardly needs introduction, but his poetry and engravings reveal the mark of a genius. Blake’s poetry remains in the mind after reading, and you may find yourself repeating his verses in your head at suprising and unexpected times.

Camp Concentration by Thomas M. Disch

This book, set in a dystopian 1970’s America, is a wild ride through the psyche of one man. The main character, forced to participate in the government’s unscrupulous experiments in “intelligence expansion,” reveals through his journals a mind approaching genius levels even as his sanity and physical health deteriorate due to the drug he is given. The result is a fascinating, disturbing and often morbidly funny book on the price of knowledge.

The Book of the New Sun: Shadow & Claw, Sword & Citadel
by Gene Wolfe

Wolfe’s tetrology, set millions of years into the future on a dying earth in which our own culture no longer remains in history or memory, follows the journey of a young man from torturer’s apprentice to ruler of his nation. This book is simply extraordinary, and has been compared to Moby Dick in its wonderful language and puzzle-like plot. When published critics praised Wolfe as the greatest science fiction writer the US has produced, and in recent years many have begun to call his opus one of the best works of American literature ever written. Reading it is an experience.

Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges

Borges, an Argentine, is generally acknowledged to be one of the most brilliant and inventive writers of 20th century. His short stories are difficult to peg into any particular category, but are often fantastical in nature, using fiction to explore ideas from philosophy and metaphysics. Some examples: the concept of the “infinite library,” immortality, a murder mystery based on the Kabbalah, a novel in which every single possible outcome of a situation is given a chapter, and of course Borges’ famous fascination with labyrinths and mirrors.

The Twits by Roald Dahl

The Twits

The Twits are two of Roald Dahl’s most delightfully repulsive characters, engaged in a battle of horrible pranks and tricks on one another. The results are incredibly entertaining.

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

There are few authors as quintessentially nasty as Roald Dahl, and these poems are wonderful twists on the tired fairy tales that every child is familiar with.

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire

After many years in print, this remains as possibly the best book on the rich mythology of ancient Greece. Clearly and elegantly written, and beautifully illustrated, it has introduced these stories and legends to millions of children. It is also admired for the accuracy and reliability of its retellings.

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

In the 16th century Babur, a Muslim prince of Kabul, crossed the central mountains of Afghanistan to invade India and found the Mughal empire. In 2002 Rory Stewart, a brilliant English diplomat and linguist, walked that same route through an incredibly dangerous region made more inhospitable by the recent fall of the Taliban. Told essentially that he would die if he attempted the trek, Stewart survived blizzards and hostile inhabitants to write an account of his journey. Written with precision and humility, and an eye to the rich history of the war-torn region, it is an excellent read.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

Taking elements from both The Phantom Tollbooth and The Arabian Nights, this is the story of Haroun and his father Rashid the Storyteller, who suddenly runs out of tales to tell. Haroun must journey to the moon to rescue the land of stories from the evil Khattam-Shud. This book is a wonderful metaphor for the power of stories and story-telling.