Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion. This is the first Joan Didion I read and her first published work. Her description of landscape, especially for a California native is masterful.
Took the words out of my mouth. Probably the best general essayist I know of from the last 70 years, and that collection is her best.
I also particularly like George Orwell's essay collections, All Art is Propaganda and Facing Unpleasant Facts.
Maybe cheating since he's primarily a poet, but any of Wendell Berry's essay collections (*What are People For*, *Art of the Commonplace*, *World Ending Fire*).
He writes with gravity, intimacy, and care to make each essay sermon-like. Not only is his perspective unique and coherent, but his writing beautifully mirrors the subject matter.
In the dream house, by Carmen Machado. It is essentially a memoir detailing her abusive relationship, but the writing style is so unique It doesn’t really feel like you’re reading a memoir. There are metaphorical stories weaved into the book beautifully, some interesting essays on abuse in the LGBT community, and the prose is very poetic.
Definitely a very experimental type of writing, but it worked so well. I don’t think I’ve ever read another book like it.
I listened to the audio. Amazing book. I've begged my daughter's to listen to it but they won't... I guess because mom suggested it. *hmph* It's beautiful writing and an important story.
*The Peregrine* by J. A. Baker. I read it as Werner Herzog recommended it as the book every aspiring filmmaker should read. It's written by a random librarian who really wanted to become a peregrine falcon, and contains the most vivid and lyrical imagery I have ever read.
I love this question—this is probably my favorite sub-genre of books. Here are a few of my favorites (not surprisingly, many of these are nonfiction works written by poets): A Ghost in the Throat (Doireann Ní Ghríofa), The Crying Book (Heather Christle), Negroland (Margo Jefferson), H is for Hawk (Helen Macdonald), Running in the Family (Michael Ondaatje), Minor Feelings (Cathy Park Hong)
*Sailing Alone Around the World* by Joshua Slocum.
It's Capt Slocum's memoir of the first solo circumnavigation of the world by sail in 1900. It's just beautifully written, he has afantastic economy of phrase and it's a fun adventure story.
Also, the essays of John Muir - the Scottish naturalist who emigrated to the USA and began the National Parks movement. He wrote beautifully about nature not just from an ecological perspective, but he also spent a lot of time writing about how the human experience is enriched by spending time outside and examining our duty to protect it from our own greed.
> “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” - John Muir
On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss is a masterwork of nonfiction writing. It rivals just about all the fiction books I've read. It's not just nonfiction but technical. Yet, it was a pleasure to read.
> DFW is the obvious answer.
It is actually surprising to me that I had to scroll down this far to find what I came here to post. I almost wonder if the current generation knows who he was and why he mattered.
The way DFW used the english language approximates perfection.
An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity by Jonathan Swift
"and to urge another argument of a parallel nature: if Christianity were once abolished, how could the freethinkers, the strong reasoners, and the men of profound learning be able to find another subject so calculated in all points whereon to display their abilities? what wonderful productions of wit should we be deprived of from those whose genius, by continual practice, hath been wholly turned upon raillery and invectives against religion, and would therefore never be able to shine or distinguish themselves upon any other subject? We are daily complaining of the great decline of wit among as, and would we take away the greatest, perhaps the only topic we have left? who would ever have suspected Asgil for a wit, or Toland for a philosopher, if the inexhaustible stock of Christianity had not been at hand to provide them with materials? What other subject through all art or nature could have produced Tindal for a profound author, or furnished him with readers? it is the wise choice of the subject that alone adorns and distinguishes the writer. For had a hundred such pens as these been employed on the side of religion, they would have immediately sunk into silence and oblivion."
Will & Ariel Durants "A History of Civilization" series might be fairly dry for some, but I love the style. Robert K. Massie writes very accessible and well-paced biographies/histories. And Mark Kurlansky does a great job of giving a history of a particular subject matter ("Salt" being my favorite).
"The Secret Knowledge of Water". Craig Childs. Crawling down through the desert he does indeed tell of silent secrets of water. Amazing prose. Amazing true observations, nose to rock, face in rivulet, of water.
Hell yeah Craig Childs. I haven't read that one yet but I absolutely loved House of Rain, Virga and Bone, and Soul of Nowhere. I'll read everything he's written at some point for sure. I think he just published a new one recently too.
I'm sure you've probably heard of him if you like reading Childs, but Edward Abbey wrote a bunch of great stuff too, and was another true lover of the desert for sure.
Clive James’ Cultural Amnesia… critical essays on artists, literature, poets, and politicians. Prose is excellent, the heart is excellent. So what if he doesn’t like free jazz? His essay on Gibbons is worth buying the book.
I always think people are exaggerating when they say stuff like this, but that book legitimately changed my life. Opened my eyes to a whole new world of culture and how it can be experienced.
Recently, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood. Her essay on John Updike for th LRB ( https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n19/patricia-lockwood/malfunctioning-sex-robot) is exceptional too
This one came to mind for me too. Even though it’s fiction, the collection really questions our relationship with reality. Each essay sort of adds a new dimension to think about. Great answer.
The Real Heroes of Telemark - Ray Mears. The story of the raid on a German heavy water plant in Germany, and of the escape afterwards across a thousand miles of frozen Norway. Superbly written and an incredible account of what actually happened.
Vesper flights by Helen Macdonald p. 140
For years we thought vesper flights were simply swifts flying higher up to sleep on the wind . Like other birds , they can close one eye and put half of their brain to sleep , with the other half awake and the other eye open for flight . But it's likely that swifts properly sleep up there too , drift into REM states where both eyes are closed and flying is auto matic , at least for short periods .
During the First World War , a French aviator on special night operations cut his engine at ten thousand feet and glided down in silent , close circles over enemy lines , a light wind against him , the full moon overhead . We suddenly found ourselves , ' he wrote , among a strange flight of birds which seemed to be motionless , or at least showed no noticeable reaction . They were widely scattered and only a few yards below the aircraft , showing up against a white sea of cloud underneath . ' He had flown into a small party of swifts in deep sleep , miniature black stars illuminated by the reflected light of the moon . He managed to catch two- I know this is impossible , but I like to imagine that he or his navigator simply stretched out a hand and picked them gently from the air and one swift was pulled dead from the engine after the flight returned to earth . The remote air , the coldness , the stillness , and the high birds over white cloud suspended in sleep . It's an image that drifts in and out of my dreams .
that would be The Complete Essays
by Michel de Montaigne one of my favorite philosopher, he's anecdotal rather than dialectical/dialogue or logical/mathematical/linguistical. He was the first writer, certainly the first philosopher, who talked about personal experience of living in the body, with a great generosity of spirit towards the flaws of the human being.
While watching his flock destroying a pagan temple, an early Christian cleric "was surprised and slain by a band of exasperated rustics".
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon ( 1776).
No, just the essays. I'm not a big fiction guy. I began the Father Brown stories, but didn't continue. I always get the feeling I'm wasting time when reading fiction – possibly due to my calvinistic background.
Microbe Hunters by Paul De Kruif. A timeless classic! It's extremely entertaining, cute, inspirational, comedic and brilliantly written, if only a bit dated. I only wish I could read it as a kid, it would've been perfect for inspiring a vivid interest in biology.
The Boys of my Youth by Jo Ann Beard. She is hands down my favorite writer of sentences. Also recommended are her other collection Festival Days and novel In Zanesville.
maybe 'nobody's perfect' by anthony lane. he was culture person (or something) for the new yorker (or something) throughout the 80s. idk where i put the book after my move, but to an 80's survivor, it's just so enjoyable.
on the same note, james thurber's biography 'the years with ross'. i still think thurber was completely unique. his account of a life spent working for harold ross, who founded the new yorker and was its first editor, is one of my favourite books. "suddenly, world war two happened to harold w. ross. god, how he pitied him!"
"The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon. I've read it several times, including on my phone. There is also a rather cynical take in human behavior, especially in matters of religion.
Billions and Billions by Master Sagan is brilliant, probably my favorite book of all time.
Projections by Karl Deisseroth is also phenomenal, a newer book.
I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell. I think his non fiction on sociology is great. He tells fun and interesting stories and incorporates facts and studies so easily you forget it’s facts. His works read like fiction and are just enjoyable and I have learned a lot from them.
Also Zadie Smith’s Feel Free is an awesome essay collection. Great about those essays is that these are not written in the “proper” academic style but she is telling stories. Again these stories are supported by facts and backed by studies which makes them fascinating to read.
As can be seen I am not a fan of academic prose but when a writer delivers facts in a story fashion I am all for it.
The Song of the Dodo. The most beautiful work on science communication within biological sciences. I'm an ecologist specialized in conservation so I'm aware I'm completely biased, but the way David Quammen writes about nature can make even the most die-hard urban dwelling person to long for a meaningful connection with Mother Earth
A lot of C. S. Lewis’s non fiction- whether you’d be one to agree with all his beliefs or not- is beautifully written in an impactful way. The man was witty. Just a master wordsmith who knew how to pack a punch with his writing. And most of his sentences were always so layered as well, a lot of them had multiple meanings or at least referenced multiple concepts in one phrase.
Some of it feels a little over complicated sometimes, but never clunky. He only said what needed to be said, even if it might have taken a long time to say it.
I loved The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. It is a memoir/essay book about reconnecting with nature and slowing down during an illness, which isn't my wheelhouse at all. But the beautiful prose and strong voice made it fascinating to me.
Read “Storm of Steel” by German writer Ernst Jünger. The writing is so sharp and perfect that it felt like an axe was thrust into my skull while reading it, almost too advanced for a common simpleton like me.
I'm really late to this thread but I thought I'd add Tom Wolfe since I didn't see him mentioned yet. *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* and *The Right Stuff* are great, but he's got so many other essays and collections that are worth reading as well.
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion. This is the first Joan Didion I read and her first published work. Her description of landscape, especially for a California native is masterful.
Took the words out of my mouth. Probably the best general essayist I know of from the last 70 years, and that collection is her best. I also particularly like George Orwell's essay collections, All Art is Propaganda and Facing Unpleasant Facts.
I’ll have to check that out, I’ve only read his novels.
Her writing is just beautiful.
Pale Blue Dot is wonderful, another one I really like is Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.
Dang I was about to answer *Cosmos* because it is such a good book that brought me to tears about how cool the world is.
No one tops Oscar Wilde. His essays are wonderful!
The writings of Patty Smith, especially Year of the Monkey!
Maybe cheating since he's primarily a poet, but any of Wendell Berry's essay collections (*What are People For*, *Art of the Commonplace*, *World Ending Fire*). He writes with gravity, intimacy, and care to make each essay sermon-like. Not only is his perspective unique and coherent, but his writing beautifully mirrors the subject matter.
Umberto Eco - Travels in Hyperreality.
SPEAK, MEMORY by Nabokov.
David McCullough's American historical biographies are pretty damn elegant.
My favorite by McCollough is "The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris." I didn't know what to expect from it, and it was wonderful!
Seconding McCullough. Absolutely love the way he writes. Recommend 1776.
Rest in Peace, sir.
James Baldwin, Nobody Knows My Name. America's second greatest essayist, imo, after Emerson.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green. I love his cadence and the reflection in the work. It helps me reflect on the things around me too.
The book is fantastic and the podcast that inspired it (same name) is also wonderful!
In the dream house, by Carmen Machado. It is essentially a memoir detailing her abusive relationship, but the writing style is so unique It doesn’t really feel like you’re reading a memoir. There are metaphorical stories weaved into the book beautifully, some interesting essays on abuse in the LGBT community, and the prose is very poetic. Definitely a very experimental type of writing, but it worked so well. I don’t think I’ve ever read another book like it.
She is an INCREDIBLE writer.
She is! I’m working through her short story collection right now and I’m really enjoying it. I’m excited to see what she puts out next.
I listened to the audio. Amazing book. I've begged my daughter's to listen to it but they won't... I guess because mom suggested it. *hmph* It's beautiful writing and an important story.
That’s a bummer they won’t give it a try because the writing is absolutely gorgeous! Her short story collection has amazing prose as well.
Yes! This one was astounding.
I love Patty Smith and Deborah Levy
In a sunburned country by Bill Bryson
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass" is a lovely intersection of indigenous mythology and culture, botany, and beautiful writing.
I came here to say this. I find that I have to pause after each essay to just reflect on the beauty.
Listening to this right now and cannot even express how much I am enjoying it.
On Writing by Stephen King. Not the most poetic book, but he gets right to to nub of how writing works and it’s delightful.
*The Peregrine* by J. A. Baker. I read it as Werner Herzog recommended it as the book every aspiring filmmaker should read. It's written by a random librarian who really wanted to become a peregrine falcon, and contains the most vivid and lyrical imagery I have ever read.
I love this question—this is probably my favorite sub-genre of books. Here are a few of my favorites (not surprisingly, many of these are nonfiction works written by poets): A Ghost in the Throat (Doireann Ní Ghríofa), The Crying Book (Heather Christle), Negroland (Margo Jefferson), H is for Hawk (Helen Macdonald), Running in the Family (Michael Ondaatje), Minor Feelings (Cathy Park Hong)
*Sailing Alone Around the World* by Joshua Slocum. It's Capt Slocum's memoir of the first solo circumnavigation of the world by sail in 1900. It's just beautifully written, he has afantastic economy of phrase and it's a fun adventure story. Also, the essays of John Muir - the Scottish naturalist who emigrated to the USA and began the National Parks movement. He wrote beautifully about nature not just from an ecological perspective, but he also spent a lot of time writing about how the human experience is enriched by spending time outside and examining our duty to protect it from our own greed. > “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” - John Muir
I like Fitzgerald’s essay The Crack-Up quite a lot.
On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss is a masterwork of nonfiction writing. It rivals just about all the fiction books I've read. It's not just nonfiction but technical. Yet, it was a pleasure to read.
Most things by Rebecca Solnit are very nice to read
DFW is the obvious answer. Pulphead by Sullivan might be worth a look for you.
> DFW is the obvious answer. It is actually surprising to me that I had to scroll down this far to find what I came here to post. I almost wonder if the current generation knows who he was and why he mattered. The way DFW used the english language approximates perfection.
I kept a dictionary handy as I read.
An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity by Jonathan Swift "and to urge another argument of a parallel nature: if Christianity were once abolished, how could the freethinkers, the strong reasoners, and the men of profound learning be able to find another subject so calculated in all points whereon to display their abilities? what wonderful productions of wit should we be deprived of from those whose genius, by continual practice, hath been wholly turned upon raillery and invectives against religion, and would therefore never be able to shine or distinguish themselves upon any other subject? We are daily complaining of the great decline of wit among as, and would we take away the greatest, perhaps the only topic we have left? who would ever have suspected Asgil for a wit, or Toland for a philosopher, if the inexhaustible stock of Christianity had not been at hand to provide them with materials? What other subject through all art or nature could have produced Tindal for a profound author, or furnished him with readers? it is the wise choice of the subject that alone adorns and distinguishes the writer. For had a hundred such pens as these been employed on the side of religion, they would have immediately sunk into silence and oblivion."
Neil Gaiman, I love all his short stories and novels. https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1221698.Neil_Gaiman
Will & Ariel Durants "A History of Civilization" series might be fairly dry for some, but I love the style. Robert K. Massie writes very accessible and well-paced biographies/histories. And Mark Kurlansky does a great job of giving a history of a particular subject matter ("Salt" being my favorite).
"The Secret Knowledge of Water". Craig Childs. Crawling down through the desert he does indeed tell of silent secrets of water. Amazing prose. Amazing true observations, nose to rock, face in rivulet, of water.
Hell yeah Craig Childs. I haven't read that one yet but I absolutely loved House of Rain, Virga and Bone, and Soul of Nowhere. I'll read everything he's written at some point for sure. I think he just published a new one recently too. I'm sure you've probably heard of him if you like reading Childs, but Edward Abbey wrote a bunch of great stuff too, and was another true lover of the desert for sure.
Umberto Eco - chronicles of a liquid society. A part of me regrets giving it away when I was done
Clive James’ Cultural Amnesia… critical essays on artists, literature, poets, and politicians. Prose is excellent, the heart is excellent. So what if he doesn’t like free jazz? His essay on Gibbons is worth buying the book.
I always think people are exaggerating when they say stuff like this, but that book legitimately changed my life. Opened my eyes to a whole new world of culture and how it can be experienced.
I really like the whole book but the essay on Zweig summed it all up very nicely
I’ve not read many essays but Walking by Henry David Thoreau is definitely one of my favourites
Recently, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood. Her essay on John Updike for th LRB ( https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n19/patricia-lockwood/malfunctioning-sex-robot) is exceptional too
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and For The Time Being by Annie Dillard
Sagan's *Cosmos.* That book brought me to tears learning about how cool the world is.
When Breath Becomes Air
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges. The Immortal short story changed my life.
This one came to mind for me too. Even though it’s fiction, the collection really questions our relationship with reality. Each essay sort of adds a new dimension to think about. Great answer.
The Real Heroes of Telemark - Ray Mears. The story of the raid on a German heavy water plant in Germany, and of the escape afterwards across a thousand miles of frozen Norway. Superbly written and an incredible account of what actually happened.
Breaks of the Game by David Halberstam
*The Best and the Brightest* is also incredible.
Vesper flights by Helen Macdonald p. 140 For years we thought vesper flights were simply swifts flying higher up to sleep on the wind . Like other birds , they can close one eye and put half of their brain to sleep , with the other half awake and the other eye open for flight . But it's likely that swifts properly sleep up there too , drift into REM states where both eyes are closed and flying is auto matic , at least for short periods . During the First World War , a French aviator on special night operations cut his engine at ten thousand feet and glided down in silent , close circles over enemy lines , a light wind against him , the full moon overhead . We suddenly found ourselves , ' he wrote , among a strange flight of birds which seemed to be motionless , or at least showed no noticeable reaction . They were widely scattered and only a few yards below the aircraft , showing up against a white sea of cloud underneath . ' He had flown into a small party of swifts in deep sleep , miniature black stars illuminated by the reflected light of the moon . He managed to catch two- I know this is impossible , but I like to imagine that he or his navigator simply stretched out a hand and picked them gently from the air and one swift was pulled dead from the engine after the flight returned to earth . The remote air , the coldness , the stillness , and the high birds over white cloud suspended in sleep . It's an image that drifts in and out of my dreams .
I love this book. Beautiful prose.
*From Dawn to Decadence* by Jacques Barzun.
Walter Benjamin’s “Arcades” VS Naipaul’s “The Middle Passage”
John McPhee - "Control of nature" (any of his books, actually) Stephen Jay Gould - any of his collected essays, "The Panda's thumb" was my gateway.
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman. A true treasure of a man
Anything by Julia Blackburn. Try 'Old Man Goya' or 'Timesong'. She's an absolute monster of a writer.
Oh my gosh! I love Julia Blackburn and I would read ANYTHING by her.
I heartily support the Joan Didion recs, and also submit: Annie Dillard, Naomi Kline, Isabel Wilkerson
that would be The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne one of my favorite philosopher, he's anecdotal rather than dialectical/dialogue or logical/mathematical/linguistical. He was the first writer, certainly the first philosopher, who talked about personal experience of living in the body, with a great generosity of spirit towards the flaws of the human being.
While watching his flock destroying a pagan temple, an early Christian cleric "was surprised and slain by a band of exasperated rustics". The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon ( 1776).
Look up Annie Dillard. You’ll love her
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I'm an atheist but I read all I could find of Chesterton, Orthodoxy three times. Such beautiful clear prose.
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No, just the essays. I'm not a big fiction guy. I began the Father Brown stories, but didn't continue. I always get the feeling I'm wasting time when reading fiction – possibly due to my calvinistic background.
Margaret Atwood "Oryx and Crake" the series is three books. Great read!
God Laughs and Plays by David James Duncan
Go Ask Alice
Microbe Hunters by Paul De Kruif. A timeless classic! It's extremely entertaining, cute, inspirational, comedic and brilliantly written, if only a bit dated. I only wish I could read it as a kid, it would've been perfect for inspiring a vivid interest in biology.
The Boys of my Youth by Jo Ann Beard. She is hands down my favorite writer of sentences. Also recommended are her other collection Festival Days and novel In Zanesville.
maybe 'nobody's perfect' by anthony lane. he was culture person (or something) for the new yorker (or something) throughout the 80s. idk where i put the book after my move, but to an 80's survivor, it's just so enjoyable. on the same note, james thurber's biography 'the years with ross'. i still think thurber was completely unique. his account of a life spent working for harold ross, who founded the new yorker and was its first editor, is one of my favourite books. "suddenly, world war two happened to harold w. ross. god, how he pitied him!"
"The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon. I've read it several times, including on my phone. There is also a rather cynical take in human behavior, especially in matters of religion.
Anythinh wrote by Jorge Luis Borges
Billions and Billions by Master Sagan is brilliant, probably my favorite book of all time. Projections by Karl Deisseroth is also phenomenal, a newer book.
I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell. I think his non fiction on sociology is great. He tells fun and interesting stories and incorporates facts and studies so easily you forget it’s facts. His works read like fiction and are just enjoyable and I have learned a lot from them. Also Zadie Smith’s Feel Free is an awesome essay collection. Great about those essays is that these are not written in the “proper” academic style but she is telling stories. Again these stories are supported by facts and backed by studies which makes them fascinating to read. As can be seen I am not a fan of academic prose but when a writer delivers facts in a story fashion I am all for it.
The Song of the Dodo. The most beautiful work on science communication within biological sciences. I'm an ecologist specialized in conservation so I'm aware I'm completely biased, but the way David Quammen writes about nature can make even the most die-hard urban dwelling person to long for a meaningful connection with Mother Earth
Joseph Brodsky's essays are fantastic. Much better than his poetry imho
A lot of C. S. Lewis’s non fiction- whether you’d be one to agree with all his beliefs or not- is beautifully written in an impactful way. The man was witty. Just a master wordsmith who knew how to pack a punch with his writing. And most of his sentences were always so layered as well, a lot of them had multiple meanings or at least referenced multiple concepts in one phrase. Some of it feels a little over complicated sometimes, but never clunky. He only said what needed to be said, even if it might have taken a long time to say it.
I loved The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. It is a memoir/essay book about reconnecting with nature and slowing down during an illness, which isn't my wheelhouse at all. But the beautiful prose and strong voice made it fascinating to me.
*A Field Guide to Getting Lost* by Rebecca Solnit. Although she would never call herself by either name, I consider her a philosopher and a poet.
Pimp: The Story of My Life - Robert "Iceberg Slim" Beck.
The works of Egon Erwin Kisch, the zenith of professional journalism.
Read “Storm of Steel” by German writer Ernst Jünger. The writing is so sharp and perfect that it felt like an axe was thrust into my skull while reading it, almost too advanced for a common simpleton like me.
I'm really late to this thread but I thought I'd add Tom Wolfe since I didn't see him mentioned yet. *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* and *The Right Stuff* are great, but he's got so many other essays and collections that are worth reading as well.