Bowie's Top 100 books

[steveo]

http://www.openbooktoronto.com/news/special_feature_how_read_bowie

I've read about seven of these, and started and not finished six or eight more.

Plus Viz and Private Eye.

But does it matter?

Strafer?

[StraferJack]

I'm surprised this has made such a splash on media - the comeback album and exhibition yeah, but reading list? Interesting enough to browse and compare but really...

[Tr?]

'there was never any doubt that Bowie is a genius, but if there had been, this list should more than quiet any critics'

Great, all I need to do is read these books and I'm quids in for Mensa. Some of them look pretty heavy going though so I hope uncomprehending skim reading still qualifies.

[Otta]

I'm clearly no genius, I've read 2 of the books, and the odd copy of Viz as a teenager.

[Jah Lush]

What SJ said.

I've only read 15 of them plus the Private Eye and Viz stuff.

[red devil]

Earthly Powers is a great read, and also doubles up as a handy door stop...

[KidKruger]

2 for me too.

He's mentioned very few that I've read, so he can't be that clever !

[edhistory]

BS detector:

> But book lovers should pay attention too; the curators of the exhibit, who had to select a mere 300 items from Bowie's personal archive of over 70,000, felt it was important to include many books that have effected the cultural chameleon.

Who selected them?

Do the math.

John K

['bout now]

or Maths.

[KidKruger]

'bout time to quit the pedantic BS.

[BrandNewGuy]

Tr? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> 'there was never any doubt that Bowie is a genius,

> but if there had been, this list should more than

> quiet any critics'

>

> Great, all I need to do is read these books and

> I'm quids in for Mensa. Some of them look pretty

> heavy going though so I hope uncomprehending skim

> reading still qualifies.

Skim reading definitely qualifies. These Big Swinging Books lists are always suspect. I have a sneaking regard for people such as novelist Jim Crace, who 'admitted' in yesterday's Standard: 'I've never read a Dickens and I've never read a Hardy. Or a Bront?. Or a Virginia Woolf. Or a Henry James.' No doubt the literati are horrified...

[El Pibe]

I suppose if you're filthy rich and bring out an album every 10 years you probably DO have the time to actually read those books.

I too will admit to viz, private eye and a smattering of others.

But nothing looks especialy suspect. He likes music, a bit of history, a couple of stalwarts from usual top list suspects, and some obscure books.

I think I'd have a hard time remembering a hundred books that I'v read let alone which ones may have had an impact enough for me to recommend.

As per a meme on a different social media, I could only come up with 'The Hungry Caterpillar' and the Asterix books!!

[El Pibe]

Agree with Crace's sentiments.

Dickens is hit and miss as actual entertainment goes.

Woolfe and H James make me lose the will to live by page 360 of having more tea/existential angst with insufferable nobs, and I have nor ever will bother tackling bronte, austen or Hardy, life is too damn short!!!!!

[giggirl]

I read an interview in a fashion mag with Iman a couple of weeks ago and she talked about his reading habit; said that he devours books and has new ones delivered weekly.

[StraferJack]

I'm 99.9% sure El Pibe knew he would get a rise, so to not dissapoint him

the book habit is well entrenched - of the 1970s for example Bowie says:

"I took along four library trunks full of books. At least 400 books. All the books I owned. I didn't have a house then. I drove Eric (his bodyguard) crazy. He had to haul all those books around."

This was around the time he wrote and produced Low and "Heroes" albums for himself and the music for The Idiot and Lust for Life labums for Iggy Pop

Within a 12 month period

Album every 10 years... pfft

[Jah Lush]

Do you reckon he gets 'em from Amazon?

[El Pibe]

Well can you imagine how many books Jeff Mangum must have read!?!?!

eta gawd bless t'interweb and allwho sail in her.

http://www.atpfestival.com/events/jeffmangum/view/bookclubjeff.php

says alot about his lack of output

[Huggers]

I've read 26. I'm impressed.

[edhistory]

Bowie's about 24,250 days old.

That's a average of 2.88 books per day since birth.

John K

[Sue]

red devil Wrote:

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> Earthly Powers is a great read, and also doubles

> up as a handy door stop...

xxxxxx

Yeh, brilliant book.

Famous first line: "It was the afternoon of my eighty-first birthday, and I was in bed with my catamite when Ali announced that the archbishop had come to see me."

ETA: I've read 26 of the books on the list too. Intrigued to see that he's read Douglas Harding (in particular) and RD Laing.

[HonaloochieB]

Aaah, who gives a flying Carrie-style fork for DB's reading list?

In this week's NME Paul McCartney makes mention of him.

I long for the day when they collaborate and put out a 45 under the group name of the MaccaDameEEAAZ.

Paul did say he liked hip-hop so...

['bout now]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> 'bout time to quit the pedantic BS.

Not pedantic, just an inherent hatred of Americanisms seen as cool.

see BS.

[edhistory]

One calculation = math,

multiple calculations = maths.

John K

[StraferJack]

"That's a average of 2.88 books per day since birth. "

What is that average based on? The 70,000 figure? That's personal items* in his archive, not books

(from stage costumes, designs, artworks, to tour notes from the 60s etc etc)

[maxxi]

I suspect DB's list is like anyone elses - 10% actually read, 40% started and never finished, 20% seen the film, 20% bought intending to read (just haven't got around to it yet) and 10% on the shelf just to look good and/or impress girls/boys/the boss/the staff/the shrink/the vicar/the in-laws/etc.