Moby-Dick

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick: or The Whale. Oak Park, IL : Top Five Books 2026. (originally published 1851). Print.

First Sentences:

Call me Ismael. Some years ago -- never mind how long precisely -- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear or every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to the sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball.

Description:

Please do not be afraid of taking on Herman Melville's Moby-Dick: or The Whale. I know, I know, there are many reasons to avoid this masterpiece of literature and history. 

• Too long (600+ pages with 135 (short) chapters); 
• Too much whale info (from species differences to killing to processing to the value/use of spermaciti); 
• Too difficult a language (in 1850s style, why use one adjective and a short sentence when ten adjectives in a 50-word sentence works even better?); 
• Too much symbolism (everything comes in three's, too religious, fate vs. free will, etc.); 
• Too tragic (obsessive, vengeful doomed captain vs. maniacal, equally vengeful whale); 
• I simply don't have the time and don't care about this book.

But you will be denying yourself one of the greatest work of historical fiction ever created. You would want to at least give such an immersive novel a chance, wouldn't you? I thought as much so keep reading. 

 

To warm you up, I have included several more opening sentences above, more than just the first words of this novel. After all, who doesn't know "Call me Ishmael," probably one of the familiar opening three words in literature? 

 

But you need to notice and absorb the rest of these enticingly rich, revealing opening sentences to get a sample of what lies ahead. What you are presented with immediately are the evocative, highly-personal musings of the narrator, Ishmael, as he contemplates his current lack of funds, boredom with life, thoughts of death, the growing dominance of his "hypos," along with a weakening "moral principal" which prevents him from "knocking people's hats off," and his growing attraction to "pistol and ball" to end his life. 

 

To address his musings, Ishmael turns to his usual remedy: he takes to sea and impulsively joins the crew of the Pequod whaling ship.

 

Thus Melville introduces the character whose role is to observe and relate his tale to any land-lubber readers unfamiliar with a seaman's life and whaling. From his first musings and descriptions of the world and people around him, Ismael reveals his serious eye for detail and contemplation, a masterful use of language, and even some humor. He becomes an ordinary man on board a whaling ship in the 1850s among a company of shipmates with distinctive personalities. In these first sentences, we are given a penetrating picture of this thoughtful character.

And his fellow Pequod crew members are all under the leadership of captain Ahab who, Ishmael soon discovers, only took on the captaincy of this whaling ship so he could pursue and take vengeance on Moby Dick, the white whale that chewed off Ahab's leg on a previous voyage. Collecting valuable spermaieti from whales, the PequodI's investing owners' goal, would be only a secondary task to Ahab and his crew.

 

Here are the main characters:

• Ishmael (narrator) - "A simple sailor";
• Quequeeg (harpooner) - A heavily tattooed Islander who could hit a spot of tar across the ship deck with his harpoon (which he shaves with), and a friend to Ishmael;
• Starbuck (First Mate) - Voice of reason who tries to convince Ahab to abandon his quest of vengeance;
• Stubb (Second Mate) - Happy-go-lucky, pipe-smoking officer who enjoys eating raw whale meat; 
• Flask (Third Mate) - "A short, stout, ruddy young fellow...who somehow seemed to think that the great leviathans had personally and hereditarily affronted him";
• Fedallah (Ahab's harpooner) - Parsee (fire-worshiper) and predictor of the future; 
• Ahab (Captain) - Glowering, facially scarred, peg-legged, tragically-driven, vengeful leader of the voyage and crew.

  

We all know the story of Moby Dick and its tragic ending, so I won't re-tell it here. But beyond the plot, what makes this book fantastic is the depth Melville explores in so many areas. Whether describing the thoughts and actions of Ishmael's crew mates, musing over the roles of Fate vs. Free Will in decision-making, sharing the workings of a real whaling ship and voyage (a significant industry to readers of 1851 when the book was published), and even the cataloging of the different species of whales and harpoons, Melville is the master of observation and encyclopedic knowledge. He intersperses references to Shakespeare and the Bible alongside the history of whaling tools and the men who created and used them. All these inclusions are to support Melville's broad survey of the importance and reality of whaling in the 1850s. 

 

Moby-Dick is not a page-turning thriller although there are many suspenseful situations. It also is not a straightforward story that moves from Point A to Point B clearly and succinctly. If you are looking for a quick distraction, this is not the book for you.

 

Rather, it's as if we, the readers, are placed at a table with a magnificent gourmet feast in front of us. But before we can sample the food, the chef enthusiastically explains the workings behind the meal: from the growing of special crops and meat and their preparation; the people who cultivated and cooked the ingredients; the kitchen layout and utensils employed; the table setting; and even the atmosphere of the room. 

 

While this may sound tedious and frustrating ... "Just let me get on to the food!" you might think ... these vital details reveal the complex world behind the meal, a necessity to fully enhance for the novice diner the gourmet experience and the food itself. Through this chef's concern about presenting these details, we diners come to understand and appreciate the totality of this feast far beyond just the mere consumption of the food. 

 

There are plenty of fast food or even sit-down eating experiences out there if you preger those. No judgment. But Moby-Dick is a "meal" to be contemplated, savored slowly, and appreciated on a variety of levels. If you want a quick bite, an action-based story with everyday characters, you'll not find these in Moby-Dick. 

 

But there is oh, so much more that turns this novel from a hunt for a whale into a higher level that contemplates the battle between predestination, tragic obsession, and commercial whaling. Melville's language is so rich that it cannot be skimmed over. A reader must deliberately slow him/herself down to savor the 19th century words, the layered phrasings, and the concepts possibly unfamiliar to us living 175 years after Melville wrote. 

 

In short, you need to commit yourself to 1850 and life in the whaling industry to fully appreciate and identify with the characters and action of this book just as you would slowly, appreciatively relish each bite of a gourmet dining experience, even if there are courses that are not to your initial liking. It is the entire experience that shines and will stay with you long after the meal is over or the final pages are read.

 

 

 

As an elementary school kid I had repeatedly poured over my Classics Illustrated comic book version of Moby-Dick. (Note: Familiarity with the plots and characters in these 169 graphic interpretations of great novels, e.g. Silas Marner, Pitcarn's Island, Kidnapped, etc., carried me through my English classes in high school, my college BA and Masters in English). Later I had a wonderful high school teacher who took one entire day on the opening sentence of this novel and taught me how to appreciate its enormity. 

 

This month, when I learned that there was a re-release of a 1930 edition of Moby-Dick illustrated by Rockwell Kent, one of my favorites artists (these are his illustrations), I decided it was time to give the novel another, more adult look. Not a glance, not something to be quickly skimmed, but something I really wanted to understand in-depth. And boy, what I ever satisfied.

 

Maybe the 600+ pages is daunting to many readers. Or the language too unfamiliar. Or the diversions in whales, whaling, and the world of 1850 is too tiring to pursue when we have the internet, social media, and the television to captivate us more quickly. 

But I stand here today to highly recommend Moby-Dick  to everyone willing to at least sample, even if only for 50 pages or so, what powerful writing, themes, and stories can be. It will be time well spent, and, if nothing else, something you can brag about to friends and family.

 

[P.S. Those who notice such things may wonder why there is a hyphen in the title, Moby-Dick, but only the unhyphenated name "Moby Dick" is used in the book. No one knows why this is, although the rumor is that Melville's brother changed the proof in the title at the last minute because he liked hyphens, but didn't have time to do so throughout the book. Melville himself used a hyphen in his sea-faring adventure novel, White-Jacket, but really who knows (or cares)?  It's still a fantastic book, with or without a hyphen.]

[P.P.S. Here is a beautiful graphic map to help you understand what happens where and when on the voyage]:   https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/moby-dick-map/

Of course, it gets my Highest Recommendation. Enjoy. And let ne know your thoughts if you do read it or decide to give it a pass. I'm interested.

 

 

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]

 DeFoe, Daniel. Robinson Caruso

One man is shipwrecked on a deserted island and make his way along, contemplating the world, his fortune, and his survival until jhe discovers a companion.

 Happy reading.

Fred

[P.S. Click here to browse over 500 more book recommendations by subject or title and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader.]

How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup

Carr, J.L. How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup. New York : Penguin 1975. Print.

First Sentences:

After the big Share-Out there was a thousand pounds left for an Official History. A top Sports Personality put the idea into our Chairman's head. His letter read, 'This most illustrious feat in modern Sporting Annals should -- and must -- be enshrined for posterity, and it will be my proud honour, sir, to perform this service for you and your gallant band, when suitable terms are agreed ..."

Description:

The first sentence above refers to the events occurring in the final pages of this dry, witty novel, How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup by J.L. Carr. It is the "history" of a small village in England, Steeple Sinderby, which in one year fielded a football (soccer) club from local players and went all the way to Wembley Stadium to win the prestigious FA Cup. (No spoiler here as this result is part of the novel's title.) The book's first sentence refers to how the winners' purse was to be divided, including leftover funds set aside to document this rise to fame. 

 

Enter the narrator and author of the book, Joe Gidner, a local greeting card writer. Gidner, accepts the position of the team's documentarian, carefully laying out the one-year run of the small-town Wanders' football team. He details the team's history that year based on newspaper articles, minutes from the team's governing committee, along with his own observations of the team, the townspeople of Steeple Sinderby, and the man who created the winning system, Dr. Kossuth.

 

Kossuth, the headmaster of the local school, had no previous interest or experience with football, However, he had developed a system for his school's students performance in educational tests which had dazzled the government examiners. He therefore was asked by the football Committee to develop a similarly unique system for their football team in achieve similar success. After attending only two games, Kossuth came up with seven Postulations to promote winning including:

• The only truly striking difference between the technical skills in amateur and professional players is the latter's control of a ball's movement when struck by his head.  Whenever possible, keep the ball close to the ground and select terrain disadvantageous to flighted passage of balls; 

• Every player except the centre-forward must defend his own goal, and every player except the goalkeeper must assault his opponents' goal;

• A Home team's only advantage is feeling at home. An away side should think itself at home, and then make the home side feel less at home.

These Postulations led the Wanders' Committee to create a home field in a marshy, uneven, rocky area where the team, through practices on it, could feel more comfortable than opponents. They implemented a game strategy where every single player attacked or defended on every play, creating mismatches based on overwhelming their opponents with numbers whether on offense or defense.

 

The rag-tag team which implemented these Postulations was made up of the local vicar, a milkman, a "wild man", and a faded football star who had given up the game for good as "pointless." Townspeople also contributed to the Postulations by cheering so loudly when the Wanders played in their opponents' territory that they drowned out any opponents' fan support. 

 

Implementing these ideas helped the Wanderers win their qualifying preliminary minor league games and move into the next level of competition where they faced more experienced players.

So the First Round Proper now was upon us and into the hat tumbled the survivors of the rough and tumble preliminary rounds of Free for All, battered and weary from too much football and staring wildly around like half drowned men cast up from the sea, amazed to find themselves still breathing though not likely to live.  

It's a serious-sounding book chock full of odd characters, unusual situations, and unexpected outcomes. The players' adventures implementing the Postulations and coming together as a team despite many unexpected setbacks are a wild ride from start to finish. The humor is very subtle, expressed in the narrator's quite serious language (all the more to hide the truly laugh-out-loud occurrences), presenting a highly-believable history of quirky characters and situations.

 

Recommended for lovers of wit, football/soccer competition and strategy, clever small stories and relationships, off-beat characters, and David vs. Goliath match-ups. I loved it.

I often wish that I could have known the end at the beginning, so that each detail could have been savoured as it happened. But then, life isn't a gramophone record one can play again and again till one feels one understands it. It is Now or Never for most of us, and we haven't the time. But we shall tomorrow ... 

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]

Jerome, Jerome K. Three Men in a Boat.

Three men (and a dog) set off for a river excursion in a rented boat, although none has any previous boating experience. Probably the closest book I could think of with the very dry, serious British sense of humor. Delightfully witty, unexpected, and funny.

 Happy reading.

Fred

[P.S. Click here to browse over 500 more book recommendations by subject or title and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader.]

Shark Heart

Habeck, Emily. Shark Heart: A Love Story. New York : MarySue Rucci  2023. Print.

First Sentences:

Lewis: In the early days after I left New York, I would ruminate, doubt all my choices. But when I met you, I began to thank my failure. Maybe failing was a kind of miracle. Maybe everything happened just right. 

Description:

Please stick with me to read this review after I tell you the plot. It sounds wacky with a capital "W" I know, but I assure you that if you at least read this recommendation and then hopefully give this compelling novel a try, it will be very much worth your time and enjoyment.

 

Shark Heart by Emily Haback, is a love story between two young people, just as the book's subtitle announces. Wren ("like the bird") is a successful accountant satisfied with her "medium-sized life" of safe, ordinary choices. Lewis is an aspiring actor currently teaching junior high drama and directing his school's plays. They meet, court awkwardly, and eventually marry.

On one of her solo excursions, Wren met a man in a yellow shirt who made her feel that the world was a good place, and the world was a good place because she was someone living in it. 

So far, so good, right?

 

But then Lewis begins to notice small changes in his body: a flattening of his nose, patches of scaly skin on his back, slight protuberances on his sides, and "colors losing their vibrancy." The doctor calmly gives him the diagnosis. Lewis has the carcharodon carcharias mutation.

 

He is turning into a great white shark. There is no cure. 

 

But odd as this premise sounds, the book triumphs in so many ways. The characters Wren and Lewis continue with their lives, adapting to the gradual changes due to his condition. Their relationship is strong, loving, and deep, which comes through on every page with their conversations, actions, and time spent with each other. 

They are wonderful characters with no quit in them, people whom author Habeck paints with an honest, sincere brush without being sappy or succumbing to a farcical approach to this situation. 

Wren became soft and young when she was learning [with Lewis about plays, books, etc.]. and in these moments, Lewis pretended they'd gone back in time together. On this imagined plane, Lewis and Wren were sixteen years old, discovering new music and spiraling into the sort of cloudless love that fears no consequences.  

The second half of the book details the life of Wren's mother, Angela, pregnant with Wren at 15, and then leading a difficult life raising a child on her own while dealing with her own medical problems. But there is always a deep affection between mother and child that glows throughout this narrative which brings new clarity to the figure of Wren and her life before Lewis:

Angela and Wren interpreted the night sky in their own way, drawing and naming constellations. It was their secret language, an orbiting, silent elegy. For example, the Big and Little Dippers were two kites flying next to each other. Angela and Wren pretended they held the kite strings, keeping the taut universe floating.

I cannot give away any more. But please trust me that this is a book worth reading, an unusual plot that somehow makes sense, and love stories between multiple characters that are satisfying and admirable. The impression readers are left with is one of hope, love, adaptability, and perseverance. 

Give it a try and I don't think you will be disappointed.

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis.

One day a man, Gregor Samson, awakes to find himself turned into a giant insect. A classic tale of horror, questions, and adaptations.

 Happy reading.

Fred

[P.S. Click here to browse over 490 more book recommendations by subject or title and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader.]

Special Post: My Forever Books

My Forever Books. October, 2025. Print

 

First Sentences:

To build up a library is to create a life. It's never just a random collection of books. --Carlos María Domínguez, The House of Paper 

A [book] collection is a reflection of who we are and what we love. It is a testament to our passions and the things that bring us joy. -- Unknown author and source 

Collect with your heart, not just your eyes. Choose items that speak to you on a deeper level. --Unknown author and source 

Introduction:

I am in the process of giving away or donating most of my current library. Why? It's certainly not due to a lack of space as there is plenty of room on the shelves the cosy reading room in our house. It's not that I have grown tired of scanning over the titles of loved books from my reading past. That is a sight I will always enjoy. I do, however, still love getting books as presents as well as recommendations from friends and family. Maybe they'll will become part of my "Forever Books" collection (see below).

 

So why donate them? 

• I don't plan to re-read most of these soon-to-be-eliminated books, although they do give me pleasure to see them lined up on my bookshelves, reminding me of their stories, the worlds they opened to me, their language, and even the circumstances I came to possess them (gifts, funky second-hand bookshops, online used books sites, library sales, and sometimes actually even purchased brand new;

• I can easily acquire from a library any of those books I might possibly re-read;

• I had once thought I would loan/give my books to friends and family when they wanted a recommendation and I would be able to steer them to something great from my collection. Never happened. I was very rarely asked by someone to borrow one of my books, so that dream eventually faded;

• I felt there may be other people, unknown to me, who might enjoy discovering a new, offbeat book that caught their eye and then picked up at a library book sale, Goodwill, or Little Library box (and, of course, read its first sentences).

So I am gradually, sometimes reluctantly, donating books to my local library book sale, dropping them off at the nearby Volunteers of America resale shop, and placing them in Little Library boxes I walk by in my neighborhood. Safe travels and enjoy your new homes.

However:

 

There are some what I call "Forever Books" that will remain with me until I die, never ever to be given away, and only begrudgingly loaned (with blood-signed promises to return them). These will be placed proudly in full view on my bookshelves. 

 

Why keep these particular books?

• The plot, characters, writing, and setting of these specific books' remain fascinating to me even after multiple readings. These elements may be familiar to me, but somehow always seem new, like meeting up with a lifetime friend who continues to entertain, surprise, and confide in you;

• I plan to re-read and immerse myself into the worlds of these books until my eyes won't focus anymore, and then will tell my long-suffering care-giver to read them aloud to me;

• Just seeing the spines of these favorites continue to give me great pleasure and memories. They make me tingle in anticipation of the next opportunity when I will be able to immerse myself into their worlds and characters. Whether through their plots (which never get old and always provide new elements, as well as teach me something about the world, people, and myself); their writing (unique, clear, humorous, clever, wise, or all the above); the characters (brave, silly, noble, skilled, thoughtful, open, honest, self-deprecating, or just likeable); or the setting (challenging, gorgeous, natural, imaginative, violent, or serene), these volumes have a special place in my mind and heart.

 

My Forever Book Titles and Description:  

 (* = Click on these titles to read my reviews)

 

[Note: There will probably be a few more that I simply cannot part with, but here is today's list.] 

* 5 Simple Steps to Perfect Golf  - Count Yogi

My father's short, ragged book with simple, clear, solid instruction by and demonstrative photos of the flamboyant character, Count Yogi, a wonderful golfer who set many golf records on the Los Angeles courses, but refused to join the PGA circuit as he didn't want to get up for early tee times.

* Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare - Isaac Asimov

My go-to reference book for understanding any Shakespeare play. Probably the book I use most often, allowing me to best understand the language, nuances, history, humor, and unique writing of The Bard, especially to bone up on the piece before watching any performance 

* Asimov's Guide to Science - Isaac Asimov

Finally I have a book I can search to understand anything in the world, from the universe to Earth, to biology, the body, evolution, atoms, and so much more, written in highly-readable, clear, sentences for a layman like me. 

The Complete Short Stories of W. Somerset Maugham - W. Somerset Maugham

Two hefty volumes of the most remarkable, unpredictable, beautifully-written short stories ever, full of fascinatingly human characters and unique tales in Maugham's lovely prose. I've donated away this collection for years, but keep repurchasing used copies because these stories are always fresh, unpredictable, and wonderfully written, stories that will reach me no matter my mood. Guess I can't quit them.

* Cowboys Are My Weakness - Pam Houston

Short stories powerfully and sincerely written, narrated by courageous, outrageous women and their relationships with questionable men in the gorgeous settings of remote towns in the back country of the Western mountains.

The First and Last Freedom - J Krishnamurti

Given to me by a close friend, this unique book of philosophical questions in dialogue form are continually grounding and deeply thoughtful, always forcing me to challenge any easy answer to life and relationship, and search for the truth amidst the reality of living. 

A Gift from the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

Crystal clear, quiet thoughts and exquisitely delicate writing on various aspects of love and relationships using sea shells as her metaphors.

* The Golf Omnibus - P.G. Wodehouse 

My absolute favorite, book for cheering me up or just offering escapist fun through a world of goofy characters doing outrageous activities in the stiff-upper-lip language and manner on the golf course.  

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

A book I have loved for years, re-reading it for my own pleasure and to our son from an early age, as well as to young tennis players in India while traveling on long-distant train rides. My copy was a special edition given to me by our son, so I will never part with it and will continue to read it alone and maybe even with a future grandchild.

* The Housekeeper and the Professor -  Yoko Ogawa

There is something about the story of an aging mathematics professor with a memory of only 80 minutes and his humble housekeeper and her son that compels me to re-visit their quiet, challenging world over and over to reclaim their individual struggles and peaceful co-existence.

* Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson

A strange, compelling tale of a wandering transient aunt who is unwillingly given the responsibility to settle down and raise two young girls in a bitter cold environment. Always captivating, unexpected, challenging, and loving.

 The Importance of Living - Lin Yutang

Another book introduced to my by a close friend on the value of noticing small things, not taking everything seriously, enjoying the humor of everyday life, loafing, appreciating details of home, nature, travel, culture, and the art of thinking. Challenging, humorous, and thoughtful on every topic.

 * In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

Who knew a travel account about Australia could be so outrageously funny? Always something new in this book to learn about this interesting country, always something funny to make me laugh out loud every time I read it.

Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace

I will probably never read even a small portion of this book. But it was given to me by dear friends when I had Stage 4 cancer, along with the note that said they had confidence I would live long enough to read this tome. That meant a lot to me and I will never forget their confidence in me regaining my life and health, as symbolized by this book. 

* Kayaks Down the Nile - John Goddard

This author was a life-long adventurer who at age 15 compiled a list of 127 actions he wanted to accomplish before he died. One of these was paddling from source to mouth of the Nile. My sister gave me this book because Goddard used to come to our high school twice a year to show slides from his latest death-defying exploration. He therefore has a deeply-embedded place in my heart both for his fascinating narrations and for getting the entire school out of class for his semi-annual assemblies. 

Keeko - Charles Thorson

This children's book by the extremely talented illustrator of Bugs Bunny cartoons was the first book in my life I remember, with its lush pictures I drooled over long before I could read. A wonderful story of a young Indian boy trying to find an eagle feather.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

I just love everything about this book's plot, writing, characters, and setting. Seems to offer me something new and changes my opinions with each re-reading, the marks of a great book

* The Lord of the Rings  - J.R.R. Tolkien

Simply the best epic story ever. These volumes were given to me by a close friend which we read aloud several times, and which later I read to our son. He later carried his own thick volume version to his elementary school class as he read it for himself. Unmatched in every aspect of a great novel.

* The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat - Oliver Sacks

Can never get enough of this volume of very human, unique, fascinating accounts of people with unusual behaviors caused by previously undiagnosed brain disorders 

* Manners from Heaven - Quentin Crisp

Simply a wonderfully witty, barbed, sarcastic, and insightful view of the world, why humans should be well-mannered (not just following stiff rules of etiquette), and how to achieve this highly agreeable personality.

* The Martian - Andy Weir

I simply never get tired of the ingenious bravery of the main character and the setting of his lonely world. Wonderfully concise, precise, funny writing as well. Any books that opens with the first words "I'm pretty much f**ked" promises to be a wild ride ... and delivers on every page.

* The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

These timeless stories about the exploration of Mars, along with the nature of man's ingenuity, emotions, greed, love, and dreams in a unique setting show a mirror of the face of humanity and consequently never grow old for me. 

Moment in Peking - Lin Yu-Tang

Introduced to this book by a man I admired, this sprawling novel is a powerful, yet intimate introduction for me into the world of pre-Mao China, the lives of wealthy and poor people, and the culture of that era. 

 * Never Cry Wolf  - Farley Mowat

Another book that always makes me laugh at the misadventures of the narrator and the natural world he finds himself in, forever confused by his misconceptions about wolves and men. 

* The Piano Shop on the Left Bank - Thad Carhart

Just a delightful memoir about piano restoration in a hidden store, where the author learns about pianos, their history, their tones, and their personalities, as well as the men who bring them back to life. 

* Plainsong - Ivan Doig

My wife introduced me to this gentle, thoughtful book which I return to often when despairing of the lack of kindness of humans towards each other. This book never fails to restore my faith that there are gentle, quiet people out there doing good for the benefit of their fellow humans. 

A River Runs Through It - Norman MacLean

A beautifully-written memoir about a family fishing, and living life in the backwoods of Montana. It never fails to inspire a warm glow about nature, nor evokes such sadness at the foibles of human nature. 

Roughing It - Mark Twain

A book that continues to make me laugh while learning about the untamed West through the eyes of a young "secretary" (Twain) who has free rein to explore and describe whatever catches his fancy, whether odd people, unusual sights, or wild adventures.  

* Shakespeare Saved My Life - Laura Bates

Memoir of a teacher who entered a prison's solitary confinement cell block and, by pushing books, questions, and notes through the men's food slots, leads discussions of the Bard's writings among prisoners sentenced to years of solitary confinement. These men, through lively conversations, eventually re-wrote some of Shakespeare's plays to better express the criminal's point of view behind the action, and then had other prisoners perform these revised versions, performances the solitary prisoners could never attend. Inspiring.

* Tennis for Life - Peter Burwash

The absolute best, simplest tennis instruction book written by the former pro and president of the tennis management company I worked for which changed my life. This company sent me to teach these techniques from this book at tennis facilities on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Chennai (India), and The Woodlands (Houston), Texas where I met my beautiful wife.

* To Serve Them All My Days - R.F. Delderfield

A shell-shocked WWI soldier is hired by a boys' school to teach for the first time and by this experience, hopefully achieve some recovery and encourage his re-entrance into the world. Warm, funny, insightful, and always full of characters I would love to meet. 

* Total Immersion - Terry MacLaughlin

My reference book on how to swim efficiently. I return to it often to improve my stroke and understand the body's relationship to the water to swim more "fish-like" and efficiently. 

* We Took to the Woods - Louise Rich 

A wonderful memoir of life in the isolated woods of Maine by a woman who, in each chapter, answers the most common questions she received about living alone in the woods. Inspiring, funny, clear-sighted, and beautifully written. Always a book for me to bring calm to a frantic world.

* The Whistling Season - Ivan Doig

Small Western town novel about a widower and his sons who hire a housekeeper (who can't cook) to organize their home and life. She and her brother who joins her are whirlwinds of new ideas, strong personalities, and challenges to the widower, his family, and the community. Always new, unexpected, and delightful. A book I recommend to more people than all the other books I have ever read. 

* Why We Swim  - Bonnie Tsui

Inspiring essays on the history and wonders of swimming that continue to remind me of why people are fascinated by and thus lured to enjoy the water. 

So there you have my list. I might have a change of heart over some other books of mine before I donate them, but for now these are the books that continue to inspire and entertain me. Each book makes me wish I were a better, funnier, braver, more thoughtful, or admirable person, or at least a better writer. And I wish I were reading each one for the first time again.

Hope you find something here to interest you. Please me know your own "Forever Books." Just reply to this email. I'd be very interested to read about your choices and your reasons behind each selection

 

Happy reading.

Fred

Click here to browse over 480 more book recommendations by subject or title (and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader).

Cowboys Are My Weakness

Houston, Pam. Cowboys Are My Weakness. Berkeley, CA : Washington Square Press 1992. Print.

First Sentences:

When he says "Skins of blankets?" it will take you a moment to realize that he's asking which you want to sleep under. And in your hesitation he'll decide that he wants to see your skin wrapped in the big black moose hide. He carried it, he'll say, soaking wet and heavier than a dead man, across the tundra for two -- was it hours or days or weeks?


Description:

I admit I first picked up Pam Houston's Cowboys Are My Weakness, simply based on the title. But after only the first few sentences and paragraphs, I was deeply hooked by the relationship descriptions conveyed in her deft, personal writing style.

These are stories of love, each narrated by a woman who isn't afraid to take chances with questionable men and enter into challenging situations. Her writing is so packed with penetrating evaluations of her environment and the people she encounters, honest hesitations over choices to be made, questionable decisions settled on, and then unblinking acceptance of consequences that I felt author Houston was telling deeply-felt episodes from her own life to me, her confidential friend. 

Houston's stories include:

• Hunting with a boyfriend for six weeks as he leads paying customers to locate, shoot, and bring back trophy big horn sheep ... and she hates hunting, never having ever even shot a gun much less killed any animal. Not to mention the miles slogging on her belly to sneak up on unsuspecting sheep; 

• Deciding to winter camp in -30 degree weather to ward off the blues, despite never having camped in sub-zero weather, having poor equipment, and only two freezing dogs as companions;

• Rafting down an impossible river that the local park ranger said was too high to run, leaving at night and unable to see the killer rapids throughout their adventure, aware that only the day before on the same river a similar boat had capsized, killing one experienced rafter;

• Watching her best friend deal with repeated cancer diagnosis; hosting a mother who doesn't like her boyfriend's tattoos or lifestyle; tending a horse with a lame tendon (after hitting a gopher hole while she was riding and being thrown over his head and concussed); and working her way through cowboy after cowboy, each with great affection for her, wonderful physical attractiveness and attentiveness, but each carrying a warning sign of some aspect (previous girlfriend he can't leave, possible pregnancy decisions, and just plain old reluctance to stick around and change his lifestyle) that always threaten her deep feelings for each man.

It's her writing that is supurb: thoughtful, concise, emotional, and always honest to her inner most feelings. Whether describing her connections to her dogs, horses, men, or women friends, her stream-of-consciousness narration is always clear and open, revealing her deepest and sometimes not so deep feelings on every page.

There are multiple relationship decisions facing her protagonist in every story, such as:

• She said the wild ones were the only ones worth having and that I had to let me do whatever it took to keep him wild. She said I wouldn't love him if he ever gave in, and the harder I looked at my life, the more I saw a series of men--wild in their own way--who ...I tamed and made them dull as fence posts and left each one for someone wilder than the last;

• I thought about all the years I'd spent saying love and freedom were mutually exclusive and living my life as though they were exactly the same thing;

• There was something about the prairie--it wasn't where I had come from, but when I moved there it just took me in and I knew I couldn't even stop living under that big sky. When I was a little girl....I used to be scared of the flatness because I didn't know what was holding all the air in.

• After the first week in Alaska I began to realize that the object of sheep hunting was to intentionally deprive yourself of all the comforts of normal life.

• [On waking up after surviving a -30 night of winter camping] The morning sunshine was like a present from the gods. What really happened, of course, is that I remembered about joy.

I absolutely loved every story, character, setting, and writing style in each of these short stories. It's one of the few books that I could pick up immediately and re-read, certainly one title that will go into my Forever Library collection. 

I sincerely hope you pick it up and enjoy the trials and joys of relationships, whether with men, women, or animals, as I have and will continue to do in the future.

A relationship, you've decided, is not something you need like a drug, but a journey, a circumstance, a choice you might make on a particular day.

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:]

 

Ehrlich, Gretel. The Solace of Open Spaces.

Wonderfully powerful, personal, and highly descriptive essays of rural life on a sheep ranch and other very small town locales in Wyoming.

 Happy reading.

Fred

Click here to browse over 470 more book recommendations by subject or title (and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader).

Cabin

Hutchison, Patrick. Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman. New York: St. Martin's 2024. Print.

First Sentences:

 

I bought the cabin for $7,500 from a guy on Craigslist. He was a tugboat captain. His name was Tony. Here's why.* (*Footnote: Why I bought the cabin, not why Tony was a tugboat captain or why he was named Tony.)

Description:

Patrick Hutchison, author of Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman, at age 30, found himself in a frustrating rut. He had a decent job as a copy editor with decent pay and some interesting travel. But working in a cubicle under florescent lights, turning out copy that may never be read, he longed for something else

Years after leaving college with an intent to roam the earth telling the stories of beautiful lunatics, I was in an office creating email template to sell advertising to plumbers and wondering how I'd ended up here.

He thought that maybe if he could get away to the woods, to the environment he grew up, that would be a distraction and give him a purpose to his life that would somehow provided satisfaction.

 

Eventually, he found his answer while perusing Craigslist (during slow work hours) for cabins. There, among the pricey, fully-outfitted houses, he found a very brief note for a rustic cabin for sale 40 minutes away from his home in Seattle. Driving up that same day, he saw the "rustic" (i.e. dilapidated, falling-down) 10' x 12' structure that resembled "a big chicken coop" or kids' clubhouse. It was on an isolated road lined with abandoned buses and unoccupied cabins that were once meth houses and squatters' shelters. The cabin had no running water, electricity, heat, cell service, or Wi-Fi, but to Hutchison, it was his dream. 

Like any new parent with a hideous baby, my eyes glazed over the flaws. At that moment, I only saw what I wanted....I saw only potential, and I saw a version of myself that was capable of making it better. Not great, necessarily, but better....Most importantly, I felt the pull of something a bit bigger, a grand pursuit, a thing to dive into that was different and new and exciting.

One problem: he knew nothing about building, carpentry, or even power tools. The only time he had used an electric drill was to hang a painting, ending up making multiple holes in the wall, chipping plaster, and making a shambles of everything. With this cabin restoration, what could possible go wrong, or through some great luck actually succeed?

 

Undaunted, he bought the cottage immediately and began obsessively searching YouTube videos and any other source of info to find the best, cheapest tools, materials, cabin restoration techniques, outhouses, foundations, driveway drains, and everything else imaginable. With friends (who also knew nothing about tools or building but brought plenty of beer), on his very first weekend they somehow built an outhouse, fortified the broken deck, cut the front door so it could swing open over the leaning house (leaving a large enough gap at the bottom for birds could walk into the house, and rigged up a Coleman stove for heat and soup. These became his cottage staples, along with plenty of beer and whiskey.

 

All this happens in the first few pages of Cabin, so I'll leave the rest of this delightfully satisfying book to your imagination. But this narration is not just a laughable series of efforts by a hapless idiot. Hutchison is a serious, dedicated, albeit unskilled worker who figures things out on the fly, Yes, he make some (many) quirky mistakes along the way. But all the while, he enjoys the feeling of personal satisfaction he gains with building something with his own hands (and yes, some power tools), while experiencing the beauty and silence in a gorgeous section of forest.

[After buying his first tool, a power drill] Climbing into bed that night, I felt a glow that reminded me of Christmas nights growing up, falling asleep to the reality of new toys and the knowledge that the future held many, many days  of good times.

While the restoration of the cabin is the foundation of the book, this is also a stream-of-consciousness memoir of Hutchison's personal restoration journey to self-confidence through problem-solving of daunting tasks along with his deep love for the cabin itself, and what it represented in his life.   

At times, it felt like the cabin and I were partners in a sort of joint self-improvement project. When the cabin was all fixed up, maybe I would be too.

I don't often whole-heartily recommend a book to all First Sentence Readers, but Cabin is the exception. I hope that everyone reads this absorbing and delightful book. It is at once funny, thoughtful, energetic, foolish, emotional, and triumphant, all in the backdrop of a glorious forest setting full of hikes, trees, snow, stars, and quiet. There are times of rollicking, deep friendships as well as plenty of solitude for dreams and simply enjoying life in an isolated cottage of your own building. Highest recommendation for all readers.

With no one but the trees to judge us and a fistful of Band-Aids to keep everything in order, we'd pick up where we left off as kids, making forts, learning how to build things again.

[If this book interests you, be sure to check out:] 

  

Wallace, Don. The French House:An American Family, a Ruined Maison, and the Village That Restored Them All.   

Author Marshall and his wife, Mindy, both budding writers living in New York City, fall in love with the small French island of Belle Ile off the coast of Brittany where the architecture has remained the same since the 1700s. Their "brand-new ruin" is an eyesore, but a piece of history that needs tender (i.e., specific and expensive) attention.  (Previously reviewed here.)

Happy reading.

Fred

 

Click here to browse over 435 more book recommendations by subject or title

(and read the introduction to The First Sentence Reader).