kenny

What have I read, watched, listened to, and considered this week? Here's a selection:

Books:

• Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot. I've continued to plug along, reaching page 350 this week. I've continued to enjoy the narrative, but I feel as though I'm missing pieces along the way. I'm not sure if something is lost in translation, I'm too unfamiliar with the historical context, or I just can't put together the pieces. Every character except the eponymous idiot seems conniving, but I have difficulties building up models of what motivates each of them, let alone their relationship with the others.

• John William's Stoner. I devoured this short, simple, and beautiful book within three days. Highly recommended for all, but especially for those who enjoy clear prose, are intrigued by bitter rivalries within academia, or are scrutizing an outwardly-disappointing life for meaning.

Short Pieces

• The Runner by David Samuels. An excellent New Yorker article on James Hogue, a conman who bluffed his way into Princeton. Hogue clearly had the smarts and athletic ability to make it at Princeton. Each time I read about cons like this, a small part of me laments how difficult they would be to replicate in today's digital, double-checking world.

• David Foster Wallace's Tennis, Trigonometry, and Tornadoes. A short piece in Harper's. I'm a sucker for anything midwestern, so DFW's account of his time on the Illinois tennis circuit immediately hooked me.