Books I Read October 17th, 2023

Working four nights a week as a line cook has diminished the speed of my reading, alas. Nevertheless, in the last two weeks I've managed...

The Book of Khalid by Ameen Rihani – Written by a Lebanese immigrant (who later returned back to Lebanon) the 'first Arab-America novel' proves to be a philosophical satire of a kind distinct to the early 20th century, deeply indebted to Emersonian optimism and pregnant with sadly unrealized hopes for the Arabic and modern world. It's interesting as a historical object but particularly given the tragic events of the last few weeks Rihani's grand thesis, that Western industry married with Eastern spiritualism would result in a world-wide renaissance, seems too obviously phantasmic to grapple with seriously.

Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith – The only honest Soviet detective investigates a triple murder, contemplates the injustices of his country, species, plumbs the depths of his own commitment to justice. Very good. Well-written, sympathetic to its broad range of characters, full of twists which feel earned and meaningful.

Labrador by Kathryn Davis – A young girl's relationship with her brilliant, eccentric sister, their drunken, depressed parents, and an angel who may or may not exist. I've read quite a lot of entries in the 'female coming of age/magical realism' sub-genre but this really stands out. Davis had a fabulous turn of phrase and a fascinatingly odd mind, there are some genuinely original movements in here. Good stuff.

Books of Blood: Volume 2 by Clive Barker – I think one of these was sufficient for me.

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara – Homework for the new gig. For all my reading this might genuinely be my first text on business development, and it proved a fast, engaging read, with what seemed like some probably pretty good advice on running a restaurant. It also raised fond memories of that NOMAD truffle chicken from back in my NY days.