The Fun Stuff

Following The Broken Estate, The Irresponsible Self, and How Fiction Worksbooks that established James Wood as the leading critic of his generationThe Fun Stuff confirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of the contemporary novel. In twenty-three passionate, sparkling dispatchesthat range over such crucial writers as Thomas Hardy, Leon Tolstoy, Edmund Wilson, and Mikhail LermontovWood offers a panoramic look at the modern novel. He effortlessly connects his encyclopedic, passionate understanding of the literary canon with an equally in-depth analysis of the most important authors writing today, including Cormac McCarthy, Lydia Davis, Aleksandar Hemon, and Michel Houellebecq. Included in The Fun Stuff are the title essay on Keith Moon and the lost joys of drummingwhich was a finalist for last year's National Magazine Awardsas well as Wood's essay on George Orwell, which Christopher Hitchens selected for the Best American Essays 2010. The Fun Stuff is indispensable reading for anyone who cares about contemporary literature.

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