For what it's worth, I think Demons is his best novel. Just make sure to stick through the first third, which promises a very different book than the one it eventually becomes (for the better).

If you need a nudge, I found the book's ending to be some of Nabokov's most powerful writing. I didn't really love the first half or so, though. But it's been a while.

Yeah, I think Open City would have made less of an impression on me without that out-of-left-field hammer drop, which forces a reevaluation of the whole book.

I liked Melmoth but felt it kinda fizzles by the end. Still: you can see why he became such an iconic villain.

I'll lower your expectations a bit: there are about two or three sentences scattered throughout the book that I found less than perfect. The rest, though? *swoon*

Co-signed. I didn't even try IQ84 after I was told it "revists the author's themes," because I've read three or four of those already.

^ You win

You'll get a lot of different opinions on this, but both of those are kinda outliers: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore are more "standard" Murakami. He does start getting repetitive after a while, but you should at least try one of those two, if not both.

I managed to read a ton this year, but the top of the stack was, without a doubt, Renata Adler's Speedboat. I was vaguely aware of her work and took a chance on the NYRB reissue, and from the very first line, it was like finding a long-lost soulmate that you never knew you missed. Holy hell. I love her rhythm, her…

I would actually not recommend them for Gogol or Pasternak (something about them is just plain clunky when it comes to more poetic prose). Their version of Dostoevsky's Demons is probably the my favorite one, though.

I'm generally in your corner on this, but "perfectly clear" is kinda overselling it. The reason so much confusion exists is that they really do have a lot in common - the silent universe, the lack of a priori meaning, the challenge of suicide as the only "consistent" response to absurdity, etc. And when you add the…

"Find Shelly Miscavige" has me in tears, you guys. I'm dying laughing over here.

And that the characters are so well-rounded and interesting despite the limitation is a testament to his talent.

Double points for bringing up Oulipo, which is the greatest thing ever.

Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that…

Oh, you have no idea.

I'll see this on the strength of (mostly) loving Tabu.

It's blowing my mind that most awards-watchers have him down as a long shot for a nomination at best. I can see people preferring other movies this year as "best", which is always a complicated mix of things, but I don't see anything so far that was so dependent on its director making smart but unusual choices with…

I didn't mind the camera thing too much since it at least gave Therese something to do during the trip, but you're right that it completely wrecks the book's social dynamics. As far as "good" choices, [SPOILERS, I guess, if anyone cares] I think they were also right to collapse all the letter-writing, and Therese's…

Have you had a chance to see it yet? I'm curious what you thought.