Synopses & Reviews
Readers everywhere know that nothing soothes the spirit like sinking into a really good book. If you're one of that happy band, you'll quickly recognize the authors of this inspired reading guide as kindred spirits. Here David and John Major have chosen one hundred books that can each be delightfully consumed in one quiet evening. Covering categories from fantasy to fiction, history to humor, mystery to memoir, this addictive volume features books to match all your moods—by both celebrated writers and gifted unknowns, including:
• Russell Baker • Willa Cather • Raymond Chandler • F. Scott Fitzgerald • Graham Greene • Edith Hamilton • Dashiell Hammett • Helene Hanff • Ernest Hemingway • Patricia Highsmith • Shirley Jackson • Henry James • W. Somerset Maugham • Mary McCarthy • Walter Mosley • Vladimir Nabokov • Patrick O'Brian • Barbara Pym • Phillip Roth • Vikram Seth • Isaac Bashevis Singer • C. P. Snow • Dylan Thomas • Evelyn Waugh • Edith Wharton • Laura Ingalls Wilder • Virginia Woolf
Each selection contains an entertaining discussion of what makes the book special, from an adventurous writing style to a unique sense of humor. The Majors also share insights about the authors and literary anecdotes, as well as recommend other gems on a similar subject or by the same author.
A literary companion to relish and refer to again and again, 100 One-Night Reads is a masterpiece in its own right!
Review
"Beyond engrossing stories and pretty language, good books offer 'a sense of having participated in much of what is finest in human culture,' assert David C. Major and John S. Major....Though some recommendations may take longer than one night (e.g., The Hobbit), they are all enjoyable, tasteful, educational. Greene's Our Man in Havana, Wharton's Madame de Treymes, Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Roth's Portnoy's Complaint, and Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop exemplify the authors' canonical taste." Publishers Weekly
About the Author
David C. Major and John S. Major are brothers. Each is the author of numerous books: David mainly in natural resources and the environment, John mainly on East Asian history and culture. John is also co-editor of two poetry anthologies and coauthor of
The New Lifetime Reading Plan.
The Majors are currently collaborating on works of history and biography, and on a guide to creating a satisfying lifestyle in New York City. They both live in Manhattan with their families.