''The Polysyllabic Spree'' is a 2004 collection of

Nick Hornby Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir '' Fever Pitch'' and novels '' High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work ...

's "Stuff I've Been Reading" columns in '' The Believer''. The book collates his columns from September 2003 to November 2004, inclusive. It also includes excerpts from such authors as

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

. In it, Hornby lists the books he bought each month, and the books he actually read. For instance, he might buy Dickens, but read J.D. Salinger. He then writes a column revolving around what he read, bought, and what he intends/intended to read. The title is a reference to the choral symphonic-rock group The Polyphonic Spree. In the book, Hornby describes the people who run ''The Believer'' as being "all dressed in white robes and smiling maniacally, sort of like a literary equivalent of the Polyphonic Spree." (pg. 30) There are three follow-up books, '' Housekeeping vs. The Dirt'' (2006), '' Shakespeare Wrote for Money'' (2008) and '' More Baths Less Talking'' (2012).

List of books

September 2003

Books bought: * ''

Robert Lowell Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the '' Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects ...

: A Biography'' – Ian Hamilton * ''Collected Poems'' –

* ''Against Oblivion: Some of the Lives of the 20th-Century Poets'' – Ian Hamilton * ''In Search of J. D. Salinger'' – Ian Hamilton * '' Nine Stories'' – J. D. Salinger * '' Franny and Zooey'' – J. D. Salinger * '' Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction'' – J. D. Salinger * ''The

Ern Malley The Ern Malley hoax, also called the Ern Malley affair, is Australia's most famous literary hoax. Its name derives from Ernest Lalor "Ern" Malley, a fictitious poet whose biography and body of work were created in one day in 1943 by conservat ...

Affair'' – Michael Heyward * '' Something Happened'' –

Joseph Heller Joseph Heller (May 1, 1923 – December 12, 1999) was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. His best-known work is the 1961 novel ''Catch-22'', a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for ...

* ''Penguin Modern Poets 5'' – Corso/ Ferlinghetti/ Ginsberg Books read: * All the Salingers * ''In Search of Salinger'' and Lowell * Some of ''Against Oblivion'' * ''

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was burie ...

'' by Robert Harris (not bought)

October 2003

Books bought: * ''A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates'' –

Blake Bailey John Blake Bailey (born July 1, 1963) is an American writer and educator. Bailey is known for his literary biographies of Richard Yates, John Cheever, Charles Jackson, and Philip Roth. He is the editor of the Library of America omnibus editio ...

* '' Notes on a Scandal'' –

Zoë Heller Zoë Kate Hinde Heller (born 7 July 1965) is an English journalist and novelist long resident in New York City. She has published three novels, ''Everything You Know'' (1999), '' Notes on a Scandal'' (2003), and '' The Believers'' (2008). ''Notes ...

(released in the US as "What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal") Books read: * ''Being

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beh ...

'' – Tim Adams * '' Stop-Time'' – Frank Conroy * '' The Fortress of Solitude'' –

Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His first novel, '' Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was publi ...

* ''

Desperate Characters ''Desperate Characters'' is a 1970 novel by Paula Fox. Plot Sophie and Otto Bentwood are a childless, upper-middle class married couple who live in a brownstone in Brooklyn. She is a translator, he an attorney, currently preoccupied by the ac ...

'' – Paula Fox * ''Notes on a Scandal'' – Zoë Heller * ''Where You’re At'' –

Patrick Neate Patrick Neate (born 1970) is a British novelist, journalist, poet, screenwriter and podcaster. Early life Born and raised as a Roman Catholic in South London, he was educated at St. Paul's School and Cambridge University. He spent a gap year i ...

* ''Feel Like Going Home'' – Peter Guralnick * ''The People's Music'' –

Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...

* ''A Tragic Honesty'' –

(unfinished) * ''How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good'' –

Gillian Riley Gillian Riley is an English food writer. Biography She was born 1933 and brought up in Yorkshire, read History at Cambridge University. After obtaining a diploma in education, she went to live in London London is the capital and largest ...

* ''Quitting Smoking – The Lazy Person's Guide!'' – Gillian Riley

November 2003

Books bought: * '' Bush at War'' –

Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for '' The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the title of associate editor. While a young reporter for ''The Washingt ...

* '' Six Days of War'' – Michael B. Oren * ''

Genome In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ...

'' – Matt Ridley * ''

Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, Theology, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosophy, natural philosopher"), widely ...

'' –

James Gleick James Gleick (; born August 1, 1954) is an American author and historian of science whose work has chronicled the cultural impact of modern technology. Recognized for his writing about complex subjects through the techniques of narrative nonficti ...

* ''God’s Pocket'' –

Pete Dexter Pete Dexter (born July 22, 1943) is an American novelist. He won the U.S. National Book Award in 1988 for his novel '' Paris Trout''. Early life and education Dexter was born in Pontiac, Michigan. His father died when Dexter was four and he ...

* ''The Poet and the Murderer'' – Simon Worrall * ''

Sputnik Sweetheart is a novel by Haruki Murakami, published in Japan, by Kodansha, in 1999. An English translation by Philip Gabriel was then published in 2001. Plot summary Sumire is an aspiring writer who survives on a family stipend and the creative input of her ...

'' –

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

* '' Lie Down in Darkness'' –

William Styron William Clark Styron Jr. (June 11, 1925 – November 1, 2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work. Styron was best known for his novels, including: * '' Lie Down in Darkness'' (1951), his acclaimed f ...

* ''Leadville'' –

Edward Platt Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 1965–70 NBC/ CBS television series: ''Get Smart''. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an ...

* ''

Master Georgie ''Master Georgie'' is a 1998 historical novel by English novelist Beryl Bainbridge. It deals with the British experience of the Crimean War through the adventures of the eponymous central character George Hardy, who volunteers to work on the ba ...

'' –

Beryl Bainbridge Dame Beryl Margaret Bainbridge (21 November 1932 – 2 July 2010) was an English writer from Liverpool. She was primarily known for her works of psychological fiction, often macabre tales set among the English working class. Bainbridge won the ...

* ''How to Breathe Underwater'' – Julie Orringer (two copies) Books read: * ''A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates'' – Blake Bailey (completed) * '' Wenger: The Making of a Legend'' – Jasper Rees * ''How to Breathe Underwater'' – Julie Orringer * ''Bush at War'' – Bob Woodward (unfinished) * ''Unnamed Literary Novel'' (abandoned) * ''Unnamed Work of Nonfiction'' (abandoned) * '' No Name'' –

Wilkie Collins William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for '' The Woman in White'' (1859), a mystery novel and early "sensation novel", and for '' The Moonstone'' (1868), which has b ...

(unfinished)

December 2003/January 2004

Books bought: * ''

Moneyball ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'' is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's analytical, evidence-based, sabermetric appro ...

'' –

Michael Lewis Michael Monroe Lewis (born October 15, 1960) Gale Biography In Context. is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to ''Vanity Fair'' since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He ...

* ''Saul and Patsy'' – Charles Baxter * ''Winner of the National Book Award'' –

Jincy Willett Jincy Willett is an American author and writing teacher currently living in San Diego, California. She has written short pieces for various anthologies and periodicals including ''The Norton Anthology of Contemporary Fiction'', ''Children Playi ...

* ''Jenny and the Jaws of Life'' – Jincy Willett * ''

The Sirens of Titan ''The Sirens of Titan'' is a comic science fiction novel by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., first published in 1959. His second novel, it involves issues of free will, omniscience, and the overall purpose of human history. Much of the story revolves around ...

'' –

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

* ''True Notebooks'' – Mark Salzman Books read: * ''No Name'' – Wilkie Collins * ''Moneyball'' – Michael Lewis * ''George and Sam:

Autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

in the Family'' – Charlotte Moore * ''The Sirens of Titan'' – Kurt Vonnegut

February 2004

Books bought: * '' Old School'' –

Tobias Wolff Tobias is the transliteration of the Greek which is a translation of the Hebrew biblical name he, טוֹבִיה, Toviyah, JahGod is good, label=none. With the biblical Book of Tobias being present in the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha of the Bible, T ...

* ''Train'' –

* ''Backroom Boys'' – Francis Spufford * ''You Are Not a Stranger Here'' –

Adam Haslett Adam Haslett (born December 24, 1970) is an American fiction writer and journalist. His debut short story collection, ''You Are Not a Stranger Here'', and his second novel, '' Imagine Me Gone,'' were both finalists for both the Pulitzer Prize and ...

* '' Eats, Shoots and Leaves'' – Lynn Truss Books read: * ''

Enemies of Promise ''Enemies of Promise'' is a critical and autobiographical work written by Cyril Connolly first published in 1938. It comprises three parts, the first dedicated to Connolly's observations about English literature and the English literary world of ...

'' –

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine '' Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote ''Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which comb ...

* '' What Just Happened?'' –

Art Linson Art Linson (born 16 March 1942) is an American producer, screenwriter and author. Life and career Linson was born in Chicago, Illinois. He did his undergraduate work at the University of California-Berkeley and graduated from the University of ...

* '' Clockers'' –

Richard Price Richard Price (23 February 1723 – 19 April 1791) was a British moral philosopher, Nonconformist minister and mathematician. He was also a political reformer, pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the French ...

* ''Eats, Shoots and Leaves'' – Lynn Truss * ''Meat Is Murder'' –

Joe Pernice Joseph T. Pernice (born July 17, 1967) is an American indie rock musician and writer, who has fronted several bands, including the Scud Mountain Boys, Chappaquiddick Skyline, The New Mendicants and the Pernice Brothers. Originally from Holbrook ...

* ''Dusty in Memphis'' –

Warren Zanes Warren Zanes is an American musician and writer who has been known as guitarist for The Del Fuegos, a solo artist, and the biographer of Tom Petty. A Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies, Zanes is the former vice president of education and publi ...

* ''Old School'' – Tobias Wolff * ''Introducing Time'' –

Craig Callender Craig Callender (born 1968) is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. His main areas of research are philosophy of science, philosophy of physics and metaphysics. Education and career Callender obtained his PhD ...

and Ralph Edney * PLUS: a couple of stories in ''You Are Not a Stranger Here''; a couple of stories in ''

Sixty Stories Sixty Stories is a Canadian three piece, female-fronted indie rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. History Sixty Stories formed in 1999. The band's original members included Jo Snyder (guitar, vocals), Kelly Martin (bass), and Paul Furgale (drumm ...

'' by

Donald Barthelme Donald Barthelme (April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the ''Houston Post'', was managing ...

; a couple of stories in '' Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry'' by

Elizabeth McCracken Elizabeth McCracken (born 1966) is an American author. She is a recipient of the PEN New England Award. Life and career McCracken, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, graduated from Newton North High S ...

March 2004

Books bought: * '' The Amateur Marriage'' –

Anne Tyler Anne Tyler (born October 25, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, and literary critic. She has published twenty-four novels, including '' Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant'' (1982), ''The Accidental Tourist'' (1985), and ''Breathi ...

* '' The Eclipse'' –

Antonella Gambotto Antonella Gambotto-Burke (née Antonella Gambotto, born 19 September 1965) is an Italian-Australian author, journalist and singer-songwriter based in Kent, England, known for her writing about sex, death and motherhood. Gambotto-Burke is best k ...

* ''The Complete

Richard Hannay Major-General Sir Richard Hannay, KCB, OBE, DSO, is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist John Buchan and further made popular by the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film '' The 39 Steps'' (and other later film adaptations), very loosely b ...

'' –

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...

* ''Selected Letters'' –

Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

* ''Vietnam-Perkasie'' –

W. D. Ehrhart William "Bill" Daniel Ehrhart (born September 30, 1948) is an American poet, writer, scholar and Vietnam veteran. Ehrhart has been called "the dean of Vietnam war poetry." Donald Anderson, editor of ''War, Literature & the Arts'', said Ehrhart's ...

Books read: * ''Some of Flaubert's letters'' * ''Not Even Wrong'' – Paul Collins * ''How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World'' – Francis Wheen * ''

Liar's Poker ''Liar's Poker'' is a non-fiction, semi-autobiographical book by Michael Lewis (author), Michael Lewis describing the author's experiences as a Bond (finance), bond salesman on Wall Street during the late 1980s. First published in 1989, it is co ...

'' –

* ''Some of

Greenmantle ''Greenmantle'' is the second of five novels by John Buchan featuring the character Richard Hannay. It was first published in 1916 by Hodder & Stoughton, London. It is one of two Hannay novels set during the First World War, the other being ' ...

'' – John Buchan * ''How to Give Up Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good'' –

April 2004

Books bought: * ''

Hangover Square ''Hangover Square'' is a 1941 novel by English playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton. It follows the schizophrenic alcoholic George Harvey Bone and his tortured love for Netta Longdon in the months leading up to the Second World War. Subtit ...

'' – Patrick Hamilton * ''The Long Firm'' –

Jake Arnott Jake Arnott (born 11 March 1961) is a British novelist and dramatist, author of ''The Long Firm'' (1999) and six other novels. Life Arnott was born in Buckinghamshire. Having left Aylesbury Grammar School at 17, he had various jobs including ...

* ''American Sucker'' –

David Denby David Denby (born 1943) is an American journalist. He served as film critic for ''The New Yorker'' until December 2014. Early life and education Denby grew up in New York City. He received a B. A. from Columbia University in 1965, and a master' ...

Books read: * ''Hangover Square'' – Patrick Hamilton * ''The Long Firm'' – Jake Arnott * ''

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (created by Arthur Conan Doyle) in the 1892 short story " ...

'' –

Mark Haddon Mark Haddon (born 28 October 1962) is an English novelist, best known for ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'' (2003). He won the Whitbread Award, the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, Guardian Prize, and a Commonwealth Wr ...

* ''True Notebooks'' – Mark Salzman

May 2004

Books bought: * ''Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx'' –

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Adrian Nicole LeBlanc is an American journalist whose works focus on the marginalized members of society: adolescents living in poverty, prostitutes, women in prison, etc. She is best known for her 2003 non-fiction book '' Random Family''. She wa ...

* ''What Narcissism Means to Me'' –

Tony Hoagland Anthony Dey Hoagland (November 19, 1953 – October 23, 2018) was an American poet. His poetry collection, ''What Narcissism Means to Me'' (2003), was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His other honors included two grant ...

* ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' –

(twice) Books read: * ''David Copperfield'' – Charles Dickens

June 2004

Books bought: * ''Donkey Gospel'' – Tony Hoagland * ''

I Never Liked You ''I Never Liked You'' is a graphic novel by Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown. The story first ran between 1991 and 1993 under the title ''Fuck'', in issues of Brown's comic book '' Yummy Fur''; published in book form by Drawn & Quarterly ...

'' –

Chester Brown Chester William David Brown (born 16 May 1960) is a Canadian cartoonist. Brown has gone through several stylistic and thematic periods. He gained notice in alternative comics circles in the 1980s for the surreal, scatological '' Ed the Happy Cl ...

* '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' – Lionel Shriver Books read: * ''Random Family'' – Adrian Nicole LeBlanc * ''What Narcissism Means to Me'' – Tony Hoagland * ''

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11� ...

Goes to War'' – David Edmonds and John Eidinow

July 2004

Books bought �/small>: * ''The Invisible Woman'' –

Claire Tomalin Claire Tomalin (née Delavenay; born 20 June 1933) is an English journalist and biographer, known for her biographies of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Samuel Pepys, Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft. Early life Tomalin was born Claire Dela ...

* '' Y: The Last Man Vols 1–3'' –

Vaughan Vaughan () (2021 population 323,103) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increas ...

Guerra Guerra is a Portuguese, Spanish and Italian term meaning "war". Notable people with the surname Guerra include: People Arts * Aaron Guerra, American guitarist * Adam Daniel Guerra, American drag queen also known as Venus D-Lite * Ana Clara Guer ...

, Marzan Jr., Chadwick * ''

'' –

* ''

David Boring ''David Boring'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. It was serialized in issues #19–21 of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball'' and appeared in collected form from Pantheon Books in 2000. The book depicts the misadventures ...

'' –

Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes (; born April 14, 1961) is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in '' Eightball'', a solo anthology comic book series. An ''Eightball'' issue typic ...

* ''

The Amazing Adventures of The Escapist ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' –

Michael Chabon Michael Chabon ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, DC, he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, gr ...

et al. * '' Safe Area Goražde'' –

Joe Sacco Joe Sacco (; born October 2, 1960) is a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is best known for his comics journalism, in particular in the books '' Palestine'' (1996) and '' Footnotes in Gaza'' (2009), on Israeli–Palestinian rela ...

* ''Not Entitled'' –

Frank Kermode Sir John Frank Kermode, FBA (29 November 1919 – 17 August 2010) was a British literary critic best known for his 1967 work '' The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction'' and for his extensive book-reviewing and editing. He was ...

�The author here inserts a footnote: "''I bought so many books this month it’s obscene, and I’m not owning up to them all: this is a selection. And to be honest, I’ve been economical with the truth for months now. I keep finding books that I bought, didn’t read, and didn’t list.''" Books read: * ''Train'' – Pete Dexter * ''This Is Serbia Calling'' – Matthew Collin * ''The Invisible Woman'' – Claire Tomalin * ''Y: The Last Man Vols 1–3'' – Vaughan, Guerra, Marzan Jr., Chadwick * ''I Never Liked You'' – Chester Brown * ''David Boring'' – Daniel Clowes

August 2004

Books bought: * ''

Prayers for Rain ''Prayers for Rain'' is a 1999 crime novel by American writer Dennis Lehane. It is the fifth novel in the author's Kenzie-Gennaro series, focusing on private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Plot summary After the events of ...

'' –

Dennis Lehane Dennis Lehane (born August 4, 1965) is an American author. He has published more than a dozen novels; the first several were a series of mysteries featuring recurring characters, including ''A Drink Before the War''. Of these, four were adapted a ...

* ''

Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts, in the United States. In Massachusett, means "large estuary," alluding to ...

'' – Dennis Lehane * ''

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained st ...

: Last Rebel of the Civil War'' –

T. J. Stiles T. J. Stiles (born 1964 in Foley, Minnesota) is an American biographer who lives in Berkeley, California. His book '' The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009) won a National Book Award and the ...

* '' The Line of Beauty'' –

Alan Hollinghurst Alan James Hollinghurst (born 26 May 1954) is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award, the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the 2004 Booker Prize. Early life and education Ho ...

* ''Like a Fiery Elephant'' –

Jonathan Coe Jonathan Coe (; born 19 August 1961) is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. For example, '' What a ...

Books read: * ''Prayers for Rain'' – Dennis Lehane * ''Mystic River'' – Dennis Lehane * ''Like a Fiery Elephant'' – Jonathan Coe

References

External links

"Stuff I've Been Reading"
– selections from Hornby's columns on ''The Believer'' website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Polysyllabic Spree, The 2004 non-fiction books McSweeney's books Books of literary criticism Works by Nick Hornby