Because even bad Bowie is better than no Bowie
October 1, 2013 4:38 PM Subscribe
How to Read Like Bowie - David Bowie's Top 100 Books Don't miss Meta-Bowie or Bowie on metafilter music or in MetaTalk (just because).
even bad Bowie is better than no Bowie
Better read Bowie than dead, Bowie!
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:27 PM on October 1, 2013
Better read Bowie than dead, Bowie!
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:27 PM on October 1, 2013
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes, 1976
That book is a whole FPP.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 5:45 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
That book is a whole FPP.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 5:45 PM on October 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I've read 8 of these; I am humbled.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:53 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:53 PM on October 1, 2013
This is the best list of books to read I've seen since grade school!
No snark, I really can't recall a time since then thar I was so excited about a bunch of books.
posted by maggiemaggie at 6:16 PM on October 1, 2013
No snark, I really can't recall a time since then thar I was so excited about a bunch of books.
posted by maggiemaggie at 6:16 PM on October 1, 2013
I kind of want to read all the ones I haven't read but crikey I have no idea where I'd even start.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 7:50 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 7:50 PM on October 1, 2013
The fact that he included a book by Camille Paglia is ultimate and final proof that nobody bats a thousand.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:24 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:24 PM on October 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
This is so so so very good. At last a book list that is filled with curveballs I never would've considered. Here's to me finishing them all before I die.
*downs a double of tequila*
posted by zardoz at 8:25 PM on October 1, 2013
*downs a double of tequila*
posted by zardoz at 8:25 PM on October 1, 2013
How has no one linked to this poster yet?
posted by Lou Stuells at 8:40 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Lou Stuells at 8:40 PM on October 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
That's a hell of an interesting list.
posted by Chitownfats at 8:48 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by Chitownfats at 8:48 PM on October 1, 2013
UGH the 5th book he listed is Fingersmith. I LOVE THAT BOOK SO MUCH.
posted by Windigo at 9:00 PM on October 1, 2013
posted by Windigo at 9:00 PM on October 1, 2013
At last a book list that is filled with curveballs I never would've considered.
Really? To me that reads like exactly the sort of list somebody of Bowie's age and interests would read, but nothing that stands out as being, well, Bowie.
posted by MartinWisse at 11:49 PM on October 1, 2013
Really? To me that reads like exactly the sort of list somebody of Bowie's age and interests would read, but nothing that stands out as being, well, Bowie.
posted by MartinWisse at 11:49 PM on October 1, 2013
The check-out and return of the thin white duke.
posted by pracowity at 12:32 AM on October 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 12:32 AM on October 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
I was happy to see Viz and Spike Milligan in there. I wonder at what stage in his life Nietszche & Crowley fell out of the list.
posted by misteraitch at 1:30 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by misteraitch at 1:30 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
@misteraitch If you look at Viz's Twitter profile (@VizComic) you'll see their profile background graphic is a photo of Bowie enjoying the comic.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:02 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by GallonOfAlan at 2:02 AM on October 2, 2013
Hang on, there are only 75 titles in this top 100.
posted by misteraitch at 2:53 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by misteraitch at 2:53 AM on October 2, 2013
Several other news articles likewise have lists of 75. The Independent seems to have the complete list: still no Nietzsche.
posted by misteraitch at 3:01 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by misteraitch at 3:01 AM on October 2, 2013
Good to see Rupert Thomson in there. One of the UK's most underrated novelists, for my money. The Insult is good, but The Five Gates of Hell is magnificent. Divided Kingdom was also wonderful, not least because the central conceit was a UK segregated according to the four humours: the Sanguines live in the Red Quarter; the Cholerics in the Yellow Quarter; the Melancholics in the Green Quarter and the Phlegmatic in the Blue Quarter. I mean, come on. How irresistible is that?
posted by Decani at 4:42 AM on October 2, 2013
posted by Decani at 4:42 AM on October 2, 2013
How has no one linked to this poster yet?
We don't talk about Bowie's John Hughes period.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:06 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
We don't talk about Bowie's John Hughes period.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:06 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Independent: Geoffrey Marsh, the V&A exhibition co-curator, described Bowie as a “a voracious reader” who consumes a book a day.
Dear Mr Bowie,
All that reading is very nice, but please put the book down and write some more music.
Your sincerely,
Everyone
posted by pracowity at 6:03 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Dear Mr Bowie,
All that reading is very nice, but please put the book down and write some more music.
Your sincerely,
Everyone
posted by pracowity at 6:03 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
But book lovers should pay attention too; the curators of the exhibit, who had to select a mere 300 items from Bowie's personal archive of over 70,000, felt it was important to include many books that have effected the cultural chameleon.
I like this because it's possible that the use of "effected" rather than "affected" is in fact not erroneous.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 6:49 AM on October 2, 2013
I like this because it's possible that the use of "effected" rather than "affected" is in fact not erroneous.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 6:49 AM on October 2, 2013
To me that reads like exactly the sort of list somebody of Bowie's age and interests would read
It's the bookshelf ofevery a late 20th century Anglo/American arts/humanities grad student with a few offbeat interests. Hang on. Wait! That's my bookshelf! What are you doing with my books, Bowie!
The funny thing is that I'm inclined to believe it really is a list of some of Bowie's faves because you can look at it and imagine saying "Oh, yes, that was my Jaynes/Laing period," or "I bought the Lévi because X was really into magic," etc., just like I can with my own shelves or the shelves of someone I know well. Given the dates accompanying each title, I can almost see the cover of each particular edition.
I'm unreasonably happy to see Crane on the list. The thrill of seeing my favorite American poet on a list by my favorite British rock star is ... well ... SQUEE!
Also also, this line from the Independent piece, "Supposedly, when he went to the desert to make The Man Who Fell to Earth, he took a trunk of books with him," makes me think of my favorite line from Byron's The Road To Oxiana, "I wish I were rich enough to endow a prize for the sensible traveller: ₤10,000 for the first man to cover Marco Polo's outward route reading three fresh books a week, and another ₤10,000 if he drinks a bottle of wine a day as well."
posted by octobersurprise at 7:02 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's the bookshelf of
The funny thing is that I'm inclined to believe it really is a list of some of Bowie's faves because you can look at it and imagine saying "Oh, yes, that was my Jaynes/Laing period," or "I bought the Lévi because X was really into magic," etc., just like I can with my own shelves or the shelves of someone I know well. Given the dates accompanying each title, I can almost see the cover of each particular edition.
I'm unreasonably happy to see Crane on the list. The thrill of seeing my favorite American poet on a list by my favorite British rock star is ... well ... SQUEE!
Also also, this line from the Independent piece, "Supposedly, when he went to the desert to make The Man Who Fell to Earth, he took a trunk of books with him," makes me think of my favorite line from Byron's The Road To Oxiana, "I wish I were rich enough to endow a prize for the sensible traveller: ₤10,000 for the first man to cover Marco Polo's outward route reading three fresh books a week, and another ₤10,000 if he drinks a bottle of wine a day as well."
posted by octobersurprise at 7:02 AM on October 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Holy dang. Of the fifteen books on the list that I've actually read there's only one that isn't in my top twenty favorite books ever. I've just added 75 books to my Amazon wish list.
(I KNEW he would be a fan of Paglia. I just KNEW it.)
posted by Mooseli at 12:39 PM on October 2, 2013
(I KNEW he would be a fan of Paglia. I just KNEW it.)
posted by Mooseli at 12:39 PM on October 2, 2013
« Older What could possibly top Valve's announcement of... | Teahupo'o... ohhh... whooooah! Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by cjorgensen at 4:39 PM on October 1, 2013