David Markson, Wittgenstein's Mistress (1988)

This is one of those books that constantly comes up in amazon recommendations and whatnot, but not 'til now did I find the wherewithal to read it. This is that unusual thing: a Dalkey Archive original. Usually they either publish translations or reprints of American literature that doesn't have the clout to stay in print otherwise, but occasionally they'll also put out something for the first time! I know a number of Gilbert Sorrentino novels were also thus published. But this, I think, is their most well-known. So.

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Herman Melville, The Piazza Tales (1856)

My feeling is that when it comes to Melville, most people start and stop with Moby-Dick, and given what a visionary writer he is, that is NOT ENOUGH. So I read this, which contains his best-known short works. And also some not. Anyway, I think it was a good choice.

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