The Anthologist: A Novel Audiobook

" Solipsism, Nicholson Baker, is thy middle name. Quite good fun, and at last I understand what iambic pentameter is! "

" I could not give much of a defense for why this book should exist or why it's worth reading beyond the fact that it pleased me. That's all I've got. "

" This author is very eccentric and fun. Can't believe how fun he made it to read about poetry. Unfortunately, the book stalled out about 2/3 of the way through. "

" Loved it!! A real pleasure to read. "

" Hilarious, funny, reminds me too much of my eight years of writing dissertation. "

" A must-read for any poetry lover! My only complaint? It just kind of ended. But lots of beautiful words about beautiful words in between! "

" It either had good things to say, or it was boring. Skimmed much of it. "

" Baker is an excellent writer, and, while I was impatient with the main character, I also wanted to meet him. I learned quite a lot about poetry, which has increased my appreciation already. "

" Baker is always a delight to read. I feel this book is very current and relevant. Not only are the pop culture references current but so is Paul Chowder's credit card debt. Just like much of the American population is in debt, Paul spends more money than he makes. "

" I wanted to like it. I thought that a "beguiling love story about poetry" had to be a treat. But at the end of the day, not so much. I'm not sure why, but I hope it wasn't because I found too much of Paul Chowder in me. "

" This book embarrasses me in the best possible way. Poets, please read. "

" This was a fiction book, but it absolutely changed the way I think about poetry on a larger scale. You can learn a lot from the narrator of this book! "

" Loved loved loved this book. "

" I might have faded through Paul Chowder's ramblings on poetry. And maybe I didn't even like how well it all worked out for him in the end. I should have, right? Be happy when the stumbling writer pulls it together and gets it all. Like hope. I much prefer The Wonder Boys, the book and the movie. "

" You've really got to be into poetry to appreciate this. That said, Baker is incredible. The depth and breadth of his writing is truly remarkable. "

" On seeing someone else's poem in the New Yorker: "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." "

" Funny, likeable, obsessed English professor/poet character who can't get it together to write his anthology introduction or win his estranged wife back. He gets away with pages and pages of techical stuff, as I tried to do in "The Man Who Loved Rilke" "

" This was a fiction book, but it absolutely changed the way I think about poetry on a larger scale. You can learn a lot from the narrator of this book! "

" My new favourite author. Had not read this quirky chap before and will read more. Great for literary types. "

" This author is very eccentric and fun. Can't believe how fun he made it to read about poetry. Unfortunately, the book stalled out about 2/3 of the way through. "

" Wonderful w/juicy bits about poets' lives "

" I think I would have liked poetry better in school if I had a lovable crackpot like the narrator explaining it. "

" Have not finished but love the inner dialog of an anguished poet. Very funny. "