Reading devil atop the Berkins-Bostock Library, Duke University.
Updated format (as of 2/01/10) here.
Reviewing Philosophy
There is a form of activism found in book reviews. In my estimation it is either interventionist or conservationist. The Devil’s Accountant will aim to stay in the latter category.
The interventionist review is a reactionary one. It requires something to denounce or reorganize. Harold Bloom’s attack on Stephen King after the latter was awarded a “Distinguished Contributor To American Letters” award from the National Book Foundation is a classic example of a interventionist philosophy. Bloom did not want to allow what he believed to be a deterioration in standards to occur.
Another example was A.S. Byatt’s observations on J.K. Rowling’s success. She similarly sought to build a wall in front of the likes of Tolkien and Lewis in order to preserve the canon of fantasy literature. The success of a book does not demonstrate its merit but rather, Byatt argued, explains the situation of its readers. In the case of Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, Byatt believed it to be a situation of childish adults being the chief consumers (and a pervasive nuisance).
I’m not going to stand toe to toe with either Bloom or Byatt (Bloom fights dirty and Byatt has too many chops) nor am I going to invoke the wrath of Harry Potter fans. Instead The Devil’s Accountant will seek a middle path that neither cries that the sky is falling nor succumbs to the notion that everything is always the same. Books are a troubled industry. I know. I used to own a bookstore.
Bookstores and publishing houses have learned to live hardscrabble existences in order to make ends meet. The reasons are manifold and I feel that a philosophical hardline drawn in the concrete of literary modernity only adds to the difficulties. Still, Bloom and Byatt should be lauded for defending the canon, especially since few others rise to the challenge.
They should be chided as well. Escape, they forget, has always had a place in literature. Works meant to entertain may rarely make the (L)ists of the Western Canon but they have always existed and some have persisted quite nicely.
That’s the idea here: persist. I will deal with books that I believe deserve to live long lives and be enjoyed for centuries (despite how ridiculous some might seem). I will review classics, new releases and obscurities. Some books will be very hard to find. All of them however will be worth finding and keeping.
I promise to always strive for that.
This is not to say that I’m fashioning some new canon. I’m a proud sort, but not capable of that kind of audacity (yet). Instead the idea here is to work with books in a practical manner. I won’t spit-spray literary theory or soak the page with romanticism (it is already getting kind of damp as it is). The goal here is quick, useful and practical reviews of books worth your while.
I will also keep the Saint-Beuve to a minimum. I want to talk about the book first and the author second (Saint-Beauve maintained that in order to understand a work you must understand the author's biography).
So... That’s what The Devil’s Accountant will be about. Books.
Format Of The Devil’s Accountant
You should probably know that The Accountant likes themes. I can tolerate second-rate food so long as the restaurant has fishing nets and mounted marlins on the walls (and cheap cold beer). This philosophy extends to dive bars and neighborhood eating establishments. I need dirt in those cases. A beer garden has to have a bound list of brews and a wine bar must be condescending. If a restaurant fancies itself “fine” and offers only white table cloth, well, the food and sundry offerings had better be up to the task. That and the stemware must not have spots.
In hopes that I can get away with some second-rate fare myself, I am providing my readers with themes.
Some examples, perhaps...
February, to celebrate a month associated with amorous ventures, will be devoted to love. March is a favorite drinking month in the U.S. and so it will concern itself with…drinking. See? Themes. Each month will have one, mainly because they help me organize the material and offer you some entertainment.
Every month The Devil’s Accountant will publish at least five posts. One post published every Monday and one on the third Thursday. One to three books will be reviewed on Mondays and a single book will be reviewed on the third Thursday.
Each Monday will have a sub-theme related to the Month. For instance the Mondays of February of 2009 will consist of the following: Forms of Romance, Unrequited Love, Destructive Love and lastly something I’m calling “Your Way Or Mine?”
Naturally I’m making people wait for that last one.
The third Thursday will always guarantee you a work of escapist literature that falls within the confines of the theme. Escapist literature with merit, mind you.
My goal is to also include institutions in the running of the site. For instance, I will turn the site’s content over to a noted independent bookstore every May. For this first year I will leave it in the competent hands of my friend and former business partner, Jason Hafer of Wolfgang Books.
Additionally I will try to get innovative publishers involved and if possible allow them similar opportunities to provide content.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I will make it my goal to live up to the “quick” part I mentioned above. Don’t hold me to it, but each review will shoot for 500 or so words (or less).
Probably more.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment