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By Bill Altreuter

Although a bit too Brit oriented, I thought this piece on books that haven't survived their time is provocative. "This was an interesting, if not entirely scientific, exercise. For many, it provided the opportunity to wallow in what we might call antinostalgia; the shaking of the ageing head and the muttered ?My God, were we stupid enough to fall for all that claptrap??. Like remembering you?d once purchased a Uriah Heep record, or sported three-button high-waisted Oxford bags with a cheese-cloth shirt." Robert Pirsig, John Fowles belong there-- I wonder when the last time was that someone read "The French Lieutenant's Woman"?-- but I'd argue against including Philip Roth or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. There is a time in one's life to read Herman Hesse-- miss it and you'll never go back. You'll never miss it, and you'll probably never go back, but I'd say that Hesse is as timeless as teenage existentialism, and therefore not properly on this list. In the comments someone mentions Lawrence Durrell-- couldn't agree more, "The Alexandria Quartet" is as dated as spats. (Via Bookslut.)

My summer read at the moment is Al Kooper's reminiscence. I'd thought it was serialized in Rolling Stone back in the day, but it must have just been excerpted, because there is a ton I haven't seen before. There's a lot less Dylan-- the story about sneaking into the "Like a Rolling Stone" session, Newport, Forest Hills and a Hollywood gig, then the Hawks want in, and Al plays some sessions and gets involved with the Blues Project. Kooper is an engaging writer, and although he loves being a musician what he is best on is how the music biz worked in those days.

Full post as published by Outside Counsel on June 24, 2008 (boomark / email).