The Anthologist

Next book on the chopping block is The Anthologist, by Nicholson Baker. For some reason, I kept thinking anthropologist, not anthologist, so I realllllly had no idea what to expect.

So, the book is basically about a man that's compiling an anthology of poems (hence that anthologist part) and is having trouble writing the introduction, so... he writes this book about how he's having trouble writing the introduction.

Thank goodness he did.

For the first chapter or so, I literally wrote down something on every page that I wanted to share as hilarious, or true, or randomly delightful. Then I realized that it seemed the whole book was going to be that way, so I'd better knock it off or I'd be copying the whole book onto a library receipt. So here are just a few...

"His name is Paul, and my name is Paul. Paul: What is that crazy U doing there? Paw- U- L" (p5).

" I've always been attracted to short women. They're usually smarter and more interesting than tall women and yet people don't take them as seriously. And it's a bosomy kind of generous smartness, often" (p7). (Truer words have never been spoken :) )

(About sending poems in to be published)"And I'll flip through the newest issue, walking back from my blue mailbox, hunting for the poem he chose over mine, and it'll be the same thing as always. The prose will have pulled back, and the poem will be there, cavorting, saying, I'm a poem, I'm a poem. No, you're not! You're an imposter, you're a toy train of pretend stanzas of chopped garbage. Just like my poem was" (p 23).

"At some point you have to set aside snobbery and what you think is culture and recognize that any random episode of Friends is probably better, more uplifting for the human spirit, than ninety-nine percent of the poetry or drama or fiction or history ever published" (p 77). (I realllllllllllllly want to continue with this one, but I won't.)

"I learn too much and it crowds out what I already know" (p116).

But seriously, I could go on and on. Have you gotten the picture? I absolutely love this book, unabashedly. It's deep without making me feel like I'm drowning, it's real and light hearted and beautiful. Baker gives us a protagonist that is endearing, randomly thoughtful, smart, and funny, though he doesn't know it. He makes this book all about poetry in his life- the way he sees it, hears it, feels it... and yet, it still reads like a novel and a peek into this guy's crazy head.

Were there things I didn't like? Not really. Another book has been added to the "gotta buy" list. For those of you that are skeptical but interested, it was easy to get from the library. I think this is the perfect summer book. Not too long (243 p), not too emotionally draining, and really, really interesting and engaging and likable. Easy to slip in a beach bag and read on a lawn chair, which I wish I had done.

So please, enjoy! Tell me what you think. Have you read any of his other books? Does the idea of a book that's primarily about poetry make you cringe? (If so... give it a shot still, please...) Just tell me your thoughts!