The Books of 2010: January

Ok, so I'm on this reading thing, wherein I make sure I read a "classic" book and something non-fiction each month. This month's books: The Art of War by Sun Tzu (both a classic AND non-fiction!), The War of Art (non-fiction), and The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde (my classic for the month).

I was disappointed in my translation of The Art of War. There was more commentary than there was text, and the commentary was annoying. I would have much rather have just read the original, in a giant numerated list, as it appeared to have been written. But I suppose you get what you pay for: it was free for the Kindle. I'm not planning on leading an army any time soon, so I don't have much use for the strategies it contained, but I could see how it could be useful. I would imagine this book being used today for philosophical discussions and cherry-picked aphorisms.

Speaking of aphorisms... seems like people have been mining the pages of Dorian Gray for years. I liked this book, but then I like Oscar Wilde a lot. Such pretty words... no pretty doesn't even begin to describe it. Lush, humid language. I did find a few paragraphs that I read aloud to Cabana Boy, and found my own quotes that I want to explore in more depth. However, I did skip over the catalog of fancy things that Dorian began to acquire after reading the "poisoned book." As one chastised for cataloging in my own writing (yeah, except for this here bloggy-blog), I'm not likely to seek it out in others. Having seen Gross Indecencies, the play about Oscar Wilde's trials, I feel primed to look for homoerotic subtext in every chapter. But I don't think that matters too much, and there's no need to add to what's already there. I don't think Dorian and Harry were shtupping. With Dorian and Basil, probably some oral. Dorian and those other pretty boys he corrupted? Most definitely.

I did want to capture this quote: "A great poet, a really great poet, is the most unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating. The worse their rhymes are, the picturesque they look. The mere fact of having published a book of second-rate sonnets makes a man quite irresistible. He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry they dare not realize."

It's very common to see writers, actors, general creative types who are wacky on the outside. Ostentatious clothes, hipster trends, disdain for normal grooming habits, ridiculous nicknames, and a deliberate cultivation of a low-rent lifestyle... the visual identifiers for so many artsy types (especially when I was in college). Some of the most talented writers and artists I've met are the most unassuming, nondescript people in a crowd. This is not to say that one shouldn't follow one's own style, just that Burning Man is no longer counter-culture. In other words, stop trying so hard.

If I can find the time between today and Sunday, I will try to throw in a classic play too. I've also selected my books for next month, but more on that, uh, next month.