Guest on How I Write
2 books recommended · 1 critiqued · 1 episode
Books they recommend that someone else wrote.
“Knut Hamsen, who was a Norwegian writer, he wrote a book called Hunger, and it's about a homeless man in Christiania, which was the old name for Oslo.”
Why: He was transported by the book and admires its searingly subjective nature.
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
“the first one I sent him was The Death of Ivan Illich by Leo Tolstoy. Dead white male but it's amazing. It's about Ivan Illich who slowly dies.”
Why: He believes anyone who reads it will be transported and wiser for it.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
Books they argue against or name the limits of.
“I never finished those. I found them so boring. Whereas an entire generation loved The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. It was their Bible.”
Why: He found them boring and couldn't get into them.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
Their own books, or books they discussed with the author. Not counted as recommendations.
“So let's take the example of Life of Pi. best known book of mine. You know, I did research on animal behavior, zoo biology. I did research on survival at sea.”
Life of Pi [Theater Tie-In] by Yann Martel
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
Named without an opinion attached.
“Kafka used animals all the time. You know, the metamorphosis, obvious example, Gregor Samsa wakes up and he's a dung beetle. He's a beetle.”
The Trial / Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
“I was trying to do, in a sense, with the Holocaust, with Animal Farm, what George Orwell did with Stalinism, with Animal Farm. Tell a light, engaging, delightful story.”
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Guest on How I WriteYann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write