The goal is one book a day.

February 19, 2016 8:48 AM

"The Complete Review, “a selectively comprehensive, objectively opinionated survey of books old and new,” sits on the margins of the literary world, where it has flourished for sixteen years. As of last Friday, according to an analog counter on the site’s decidedly unglamorous homepage, it had reviewed three thousand six hundred and eighty-seven books, from a hundred different countries, originally published in sixty-eight different languages—an average of two hundred and thirty books a year. Virtually all of this criticism, and everything else on the Complete Review, is the work of Michael A. Orthofer, a fifty-one-year-old lawyer who was born in Graz, Austria, and brought up in New York City. "

via

posted by the man of twists and turns (18 comments total)

The main characters are trendy young things.

I want to be all yourfavoritebooksucksamirite but I find his way with words rather endearing.
posted by googly at 9:06 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

If I'm understanding the organization correctly, he's only given about 20 books the top A+ score, which is a pretty dedicated resistance to grade inflation. I often wish I had this sort of mania for literature, but then some bastard invented netflix.
posted by Think_Long at 9:13 AM on February 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

he's only given about 20 books the top A+ score

That's a very interesting list. Hardly any of those titles are ones that normally appear on "best books" lists.
posted by Gerald Bostock at 9:31 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

f I'm understanding the organization correctly, he's only given about 20 books the top A+ score, which is a pretty dedicated resistance to grade inflation.

And I've only read one of them. Even though I'm sure I wouldn't agree with all the ratings, this is the kind of thing that reminds you how much you have been missing. Even if you believe in Sturgeon's law, there's so much literature that even 10% of it is staggering, and much more than anyone could hope to read.

That's both disappointing and wonderful.
posted by layceepee at 9:33 AM on February 19, 2016

From his blog:

I'm used to publishers sometimes getting summary- and information-copy (on covers, flaps, etc.) about their books and authors wrong, but the American University in Cairo Press' paperback sports one of the odder slips I've come across: the back flap author information says: "he continued to write and publish prolifically until his death in 1990", while the almost identical 'About the Author' information printed on one of the back pages concludes: "he continued to write and publish prolifically until his death in 1992". Which one is right ? Neither ! You have to split the difference: Idris passed away in 1991.)

Christ, this dude even reads the flaps and author pages!
posted by Think_Long at 9:34 AM on February 19, 2016

I find myself at odds with many of his choices. Am I wrong or is he? And if it is me, what is to be done? Nothing.
posted by Postroad at 9:45 AM on February 19, 2016

I hadn't known that Iain Pears had written a new novel and it's only just available in the US, but I've enjoyed his writing enough that I'm going to go see if my local independent has "Arcadia" tomorrow (pitch for Iain Pears and for Small World Books on Venice Beach behind the Sidewalk Cafe).
posted by Death and Gravity at 10:50 AM on February 19, 2016

The Complete Review introduced me to The Modern Literary Novel, which also offers great, thoughtful reviews by one avid reader, featuring generous coverage of literature in translation, which is what I like best about both sites.

The one thing I don't like is that they're total snobs! You know, it IS possible to enjoy WG Sebald AND Terry Pratchett. But I guess it's unfair to expect one man to be all things to all people.
posted by zeusianfog at 10:51 AM on February 19, 2016

Been reading this guy's reviews for years. It takes me about as long to read his review as it takes him to read a whole book, apparently.
posted by mrbigmuscles at 11:16 AM on February 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

The one thing I don't like is that they're total snobs! You know, it IS possible to enjoy WG Sebald AND Terry Pratchett. But I guess it's unfair to expect one man to be all things to all people.
posted by zeusianfog at 1:51 PM on February 19 [+] [!]

But Tom Stoppard is soooooo pedestrian (adjusts eye monocle).
posted by edbles at 1:10 PM on February 19, 2016

I’ve been visiting there since at least 2004, and dropped in only the other day to read Mr. Orthofer’s thoughtful views on László Krasznahorkai’s Destruction and Sorrow beneath the Heavens, which left me thinking, on balance, that I ought to buy the book, until I saw the asking price, which dissuaded me anew. Over the years I’ve come to learn that, while there’s a good overlap between my taste and his, we’ll just as often differ as agree, but I’ve often had cause to be grateful for his news & reviews - I’ve learned a lot from them - and I’m very pleased to see he’s still going strong: long may he continue!
posted by misteraitch at 1:47 PM on February 19, 2016

I enjoyed browsing this site and adding things to my hold list at the library this morning. The Modern Literary Novel is pretty much my least favorite genre, after all other genres, so we don't overlap much, but I found enough in the non-fiction and literary criticism to keep me reading for awhile.

I also had never heard of Oulipo, so that was interesting.
posted by not that girl at 2:34 PM on February 19, 2016

Raymond Queneau's "exercises in style" is a good introduction to Oulipo, but I rather prefer "Life, A User's Manual" by Georges Perec (though the english translation may not be great).
posted by Death and Gravity at 5:37 PM on February 19, 2016

Death and Gravity: "Raymond Queneau's "exercises in style" is a good introduction to Oulipo, but I rather prefer "Life, A User's Manual" by Georges Perec (though the english translation may not be great)."

I stumbled unto Exercises in Style thanks to this webpage an hour ago and started reading it, alternating between laughing my ass off and looking up words. That alone made it worthwhile for me. Now I check back and see this wonderful comment and know I'll finally have to read Perec (next). Thanks!
posted by bigendian at 6:14 PM on February 19, 2016

Raymond Queneau's "exercises in style" is a good introduction to Oulipo

I only sort of agree! I didn't find Queneau's actual execution to be nearly as compelling as the concept. A Void strikes me as a better bet.

This wedding poem by Harry Mathews is also good (and much, much shorter), or this bizarre and amazing exercise also by Mathews (before he joined the Oulipo, I think).
posted by kenko at 7:45 PM on February 19, 2016

The one thing I don't like is that they're total snobs! You know, it IS possible to enjoy WG Sebald AND Terry Pratchett. But I guess it's unfair to expect one man to be all things to all people.

I don't think not enjoying Pratchett makes one a snob. It makes one, say, someone who doesn't enjoy Pratchett. Snobbery would be looking down one's nose at Pratchett.
posted by kenko at 7:46 PM on February 19, 2016

In regards to Exercises in Style, l have to agree with his assessment that this is not only a great book but a great translation. Otherwise, I have to admit that this -- site, post and comments, as per usual, for these sorts of thing -- makes me feel so terribly illiterate and unread. I am going back to sleep now.
posted by y2karl at 8:57 AM on February 20, 2016

Reminds me of Piero Scaruffi, another extremely prolific reviewer (though of rock music, mostly).
posted by gold-in-green at 7:24 AM on February 21, 2016