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3.0 

The Year of Reading Dangerously

By Andy Miller
The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

“[A] fanciful, endearing account of his experiences tackling classic works of fiction. . . . There is plenty of hilarity in [this] intimate literary memoir.” —Publishers Weekly

Nearing his fortieth birthday, author and critic Andy Miller realized he’s not nearly as well read as he’d like to be. A devout book lover who somehow fell out of the habit of reading, he began to ponder the power of books to change an individual life—including his own—and to the define the sort of person he would like to be. Beginning with a copy of Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita, he embarks on a literary odyssey of mindful reading and wry introspection. From Middlemarch to Anna Karenina to A Confederacy of Dunces, these are books Miller felt he should read; books he’d always wanted to read; books he’d previously started but hadn’t finished; and books he’d lied about having read to impress people.

Combining memoir and literary criticism, The Year of Reading Dangerously is Miller’s heartfelt, humorous examination of what it means to be a reader. Passionately believing that books deserve to be read, enjoyed, and debated in the real world, Miller documents his reading experiences and how they resonated in his daily life and ultimately his very sense of self. The result is a witty and insightful journey of discovery and soul-searching that celebrates the abiding miracle of the power of reading.

“An affecting tale of the rediscovery of great books . . . [by] a friendly, funny Brit.” —Boston Globe

“Funny and engaging.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Amiable, circumstantial, amusing, charming. . . . [Miller’s] style owes something . . . to Joe Brainard and David Foster Wallace.” —The Times (London)

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152 Reviews

3.0
Thumbs Up“A wonderful book about books. Rekindled my passion of reading. Am enthused to read many of the books mentioned in this one.”
“I loved this. An inspiring journey to capture more stories and keep them or share them. Honest and hilarious. I feel compelled to re-read old favorites and spice up my reading list with new and old MUST READS. As a story, it’s a bit like a modern day Huck Finn if I dare say so. If you go looking for the meaning, you’ll miss it entirely. And although the author promises he has changed his ways, he is really very much the same person as before, however cosmically altered he may be. Brilliant.”
Beaming Face with Smiling Eyes“Andy Miller’s biblio-memoir is a book after your own reader’s heart. Yes, yours. Mine, too. I’ve read this twice in my life. Once when I was very young and believed literature would crack the world open for me, making lucid all this cacophony. And a second time, a decade later, when I found out that the experience of a life in this world really does transcend our philosophies. He is every one of us. He scrounges about for time to read. Maybe while eating breakfast. Maybe during lunch, away from nosy colleagues. He opens the book. Finds he cannot concentrate enough on the text. Remains preoccupied with how he looks like to other people on the street. He enjoys being perceived as a well-read person. Even feels a little smug, turning a page when everyone around him looks down at a screen. Now, he is reading. He is following the characters’ lives. This leads him to think about his own. Later, he finds that he remembers nothing about what he read. If this is not also you, dear reader, you are a liar. If, like me, you find that striving towards being a well-read teenager only marginally demystifies what it means to live in adulthood, you’ll enjoy this. This is a man who is striving to rediscover that easy love of reading that comes with no effort in the simplicity of childhood. Though he finds that this love comes in fits and starts in the complexities of adulthood, his writing about it makes for good reading. Will re-read again in ten years.”

About Andy Miller

Andy Miller is a reader, author, and editor of books. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Esquire, and Mojo. He lives in the United Kingdom with his wife and son.

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