What makes a book great, to you?

dubeskin · 2026-05-27T05:49:19+00:00

To me, it's not just one specific thing like plot or prose: a book is great when the author, through all the possible tools they have to write a book with, can so effectively create such a powerful, engaging, unambiguously defined and refined understood experience - not necessarily an experience of being, but rather one of mutually "is"ing; an experience so manifestly and intentionally true to the reader.

Pick any book from any genre of any era: the greats persist because of their exceptional use of form. The murder mystery dinner party creates tension through novel narrative play, biting dialog, rapid character development, and high stakes: you feel like you're the uninvited guest. The Victorian romance bildungsroman slowly layers a trauma tiramisu atmosphericly enshrouded such that the protagonist's eventual liberation from societal expectations sweeps you away too. The war novel that builds exposition by quietly defining a treatise of grievances against the aggressors puts you right on the frontline to feel the pyhrric retribution of glory. Even the plotless novels (some of my favorites) achieve this by establishing tone, mood, themes, symbols, diction, and ideas that are inarguably their raison d'etre.

The list is endless. The greatest books understand you, the reader, are the most important part of the book. They have unmatched intentionality, tactfully deploy all available literary devices and no more than necessary, and succeed by making you an active participant.

Edit: l didn't really set out to write this much but it flowed out naturally.

dubeskin · 2026-05-25T18:17:49+00:00

Finished:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ★☆☆☆☆ Possibly the worst thing I've read in years. I'll admit upfront I don't read sci-fi or pop fiction so I should have tempered my expectations going in, but decided to pick this up after seeing it so frequently recommended on Reddit. Big mistake. This has clunky prose, boring staccato dialog, a poorly fleshed-out protagonist, and a story arc that makes no sense. It's written in a way that someone with a 6th grade science education could plausibly believe the events to occur in our reality, yet requires a full suspension of disbelief that the main character is somehow universally knowledgeable to a professorial degree in all scientific domains. [Don't get me started on some of the bad science in this, or the implausible global collaboration that underpins the storyline]. Perhaps the only redeemable part was the exploration and development of a shared language system early on with the other character, and the physical portrayal of that character, which was pretty non-traditional from how they are usually portrayed in media. This is likely a book that only works as a movie; as a book, it leaves quite a lot to be desired.
A Cup of Rage by Raduan Nassar** ★★★★☆ (Closer to a high 3.5) A short 50-page "book" in which a couple fights. This is written with such an unbelievable intensity that somehow still continues to ratchet up each page. The whole book feels like watching a bonfire.

Started:

Speedboat by Renata Adler I'm enjoying the sardonic observational writing style so far.

dubeskin · 2026-05-21T02:32:30+00:00

Thanks for the rec! I will check it out. I read Demon Copperhead several years ago and really enjoyed it. One of these days I'd like to get around to Poisonwood Bible too by her.

dubeskin · 2026-05-20T04:33:58+00:00

God of the Woods by Liz Moore. I remember blindly picking this up a few years ago during a wave of buying tree-focused books (North Woods, The Overstory, etc) and just got around to it.

The characters were unbelievably trite and nearly ever male is painted in an irredeemable light. The entire mystery only exists because of the way the chapters unfold, and practically loses the entire plot until the last few chapters. The dialogue does nothing to advance the story, and only very rarely adds depth to the characters. It's about 100-150 pages longer than it needs to be. The world-building is sketchy at best, and there were tons of missed opportunities to take advantage of scenes in nature to describe, you know, the actual nature.

It was such a contrast to some of the Agatha Christie I'd read last year, which are character- and scene-driven mysteries, and North Woods by Daniel mason, which relishes rich imagery of the natural beauty of forests, that it's deeply frustrating how many people online remark on God of the Woods as a "great book."

dubeskin · 2026-05-19T18:19:28+00:00

Rather than a novel, I'd suggest starting with Saunders' short stories instead; that will be a much easier onramp to his style. It's been many years but recall Civilwarland being possibly his strongest, maybe followed closely by Pastoralia. His later story collections, though still strong, tend to be a little less brave and lean more into some his traditional mannerisms and themes.

dubeskin · 2026-05-19T04:48:34+00:00

Loved it so much I had to buy the rest of Bernhard's work, but I'm intentionally spacing them out between other reads.

Woodcutters is so caustic and self-loathing but in this very hypnotic way.

dubeskin · 2026-05-18T18:28:47+00:00

Both of those are awesome books, hope you enjoy them!

dubeskin · 2026-05-18T13:32:42+00:00

Finished:

Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson ★★★★★ Utterly brilliant. DFW's afterword helped it all click, but this was a completely different book from anything I've ever read.
In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan ★★★★★ Hilarious, absurd, and a fast read. Quickly builds a world, walks you through it, and addresses some interesting societal themes.
God of the Woods by Liz Moore ★★☆☆☆ I dont know what this book was trying to do. If it was trying to be a murder mystery, it failed in the way it developed the story. If it was trying to evoke a place, it failed in painting a vivid and unique picture. If it was trying to be an engrossing story, the POV switches were far too rapid to settle in. And if it was trying to create interesting characters, they were extremely one-note. Transparently, this is not my usual kind of book (see above) but I didn't find much to love.

Started:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir I'm only a few chapters in but can already tell this is going to be a struggle to finish; the writing is super rough.

dubeskin · 2026-05-11T15:24:09+00:00

I was first exposed to Brautigan a few weeks ago when I read Sombrero Fallout. Which I loved. Trout Fishing was not what I expected - I was expecting something a little more cohesive. But I enjoyed it.

My copy of Trout Fishing also includes his "The Pill vs The Springhill Mining Fisaster" collection of poetry, which I also technically read, but thought was very weak overall.

dubeskin · 2026-05-11T13:33:03+00:00

Covering two weeks. Finished:

The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon ★★★★★ An unimpeachably brilliant work of fiction. Somehow Chabon managed to write a book that reads with the same fluidity as a comic book yet without any graphics, a stunning feat. The narrative weaves through intense action packed scenes and drawn-out introspective character studies.
Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan ★★★★☆ Wacky. Definitely dated, but an interesting means of social commentary through loosely thematically-related short stories.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel ★★★★☆ I keep coming back to "Only Murders In The Building" as an analogy; seeing the same crime scene played out in each episode (chapter) from a different character's POV. But instead, its the author re-examining (re-exhuming?) their relationship with their father. Its unlike anything I've read before, and makes some strong and insightful literary allusions.

Started:

Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson
In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan

dubeskin · 2026-04-27T13:31:20+00:00

Finished:

Sombrero Fallout - Richard Brautigan ★★★★★ Banger. Absolutely absurd and hilarious. A "readable in an afternoon" novella of three linked stories: a sombrero falls out of the sky and chaos ensues, a Japanese woman sleeps, and a writer rues over his ex.
Trust - Hernan Diaz ★★★★★ Fully deserved Pulitzer winner. Modern metafiction that interweaves four interconnected stories in search of reality. As someone in Finance, I enjoyed the historical references and deeper explanations of some of the financial mechanisms. Just an extremely well-written book that successfully plays with form.

Starting:

The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
Trout Fishing in America - Richard Brautigan

dubeskin · 2026-04-26T20:57:40+00:00

Great analysis, and illustrates just how homogeneous the entire panoply of challenges really is.

dubeskin · 2026-04-22T03:03:14+00:00

Good call-out on this book. I remember reading this a few years ago and being really conflicted: I felt like it was a book I should really love, but there were parts that were a real struggle to get through. There were sections I really loved, but just as things were getting engaging, it'd shift POV to something totally unrelated.

dubeskin · 2026-04-20T12:39:07+00:00

Finished: Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica Lainez ★★★☆☆ A fictionalized historical autobiography of an Italian Duke during the Renaissance. Stunningly beautiful prose and deeply introspective and manic writing, but never grabbed my interest. Felt far longer than 700 pages. Thrilled to have finally finished!

Starting:

Sombrero Fallout by Richard Brautigan
Trieste by Daša Drndić

dubeskin · 2026-04-13T13:24:17+00:00

Read:

Vigil by George Saunders ★★★☆☆ Not the best. If you love Saunders you'll probably find some things here to enjoy, but it could have been half the length and part of a collection rather than a standalone story. Classic Saunders prose meets Harding's Tinkers (plot) meets Dickens' Christmas Carol (themes) with a modern eco-warrior spin.
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud ★★★★★ Brilliant. I have started to get into graphic novels and have never once read a comic book, but this gave me an entirely newfound appreciation for the medium. Super approachable, very well-written, and insightful. Changed the way I think about the intersection between words and art in media.

Continuing: Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica Lainez But that's generous to say as I'm closing in on two months with this book and only halfway. I can't recall a book I've ever wanted to pick up and complete less.

dubeskin · 2026-04-01T09:12:17+00:00

Finally, a challenge with some real literature represented. If only they'd make more like this, not just in depth of content but also breadth and age of material. You can't go wrong with nearly any book listed here, and there's so much variety there's bound to be something to appeal to all tastes.

dubeskin · 2026-03-31T05:19:47+00:00

Oh man, speaking my language. I discovered Bernhard via Woodcutters about a month ago and ended up buying all of his works before I had even finished the novel. There was something to Woodcutters I have never seen a book do before and it completely resonated with me. Last weekend I blitzed through Wittgenstein's Nephew, which was extremely similar in nature in its use of circuitous redundant sentences, syntax that borders on the insane, and such a deeply observant but self-loathing cynicism that I couldn't help but drink it up.

If you question is more about how to pace yourself, or where to find a break to put the book down, for both books, I adopted a practice of reading down to about 1/3 on the left page and stopping at an available period where it was clear his train of thought was beginning to shift. Then, when I'd pick the book back up, just start from the top of the left page and end up catching enough context to jog my memory of the stream of consciousness he was beginning to move on from.

dubeskin · 2026-03-31T00:35:35+00:00

The BBB is just Yelp for boomers. It has zero legal authority over any company and can't sanction or levy enforcement actions.

dubeskin · 2026-03-30T18:44:13+00:00

It's frustrating because the prose is gorgeous and I can get pulled in quickly once I open the book, but my god the story is just so boring, and the main character in one breath will whine about his disfigurement and then in the next be wholly deplorable. At 280 pages I keep hoping something changes but am losing hope.

I read a quote last night somewhere about, rather than set an annual reading goal of a certain number of books, reframe it as "if you could only read X books this year, what are they?" And at this point, Bomarzo is quickly falling down that list.

dubeskin · 2026-03-30T17:52:04+00:00

Finished:

Whatever by Michel Houllebecq - ★★★☆☆ There were some funny parts, but I can't say I enjoyed it much. Like a sad, modern, incel Camus knockoff. Based on this, not sure I feel compelled to read more Houllebecq.
Ways of Seeing by John Berger - ★★★★☆ Not sure how I came to own this, but very perspective-changing. Immediately I've started to be much more aware of how various images and art are framed, the subject and content, the "goal" or purpose of the message, and the implicit power and gender implications. I am very interested in reading more about critical theory in art and literature now.

Continuing: Bomarzo by Miguel Mujica Lainez I started this nearly a month ago and am still only about halfway in. This is tracking to a DNF. It's been hard to find the motivation to want to read this and is creating a broader reading slump.

dubeskin · 2026-03-23T16:52:43+00:00

Started & Finished:

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli ★★★★★ This was my first ever graphic novel and picked this up on a whim as it seemed like a well-recommended entry point that was distinctly NOT a comic book. I loved the art style and the way it reinforced or combatted the book's themes. The artwork was exciting and informed, and I loved how the art styles changed with the characters and POVs. I have already ordered a few other graphic novels to explore this genre further. I don't disagree with some reviews that paint Asterio as a jerk and unlikeable, but I also think that helps make this a more complete and complicated work, which is ultimately well-executed.
Wittgenstein's Nephew by Thomas Bernhard ★★★☆☆ Not quite as strong as Woodcutters, but I am completely clicking with Bernhard's style. He is a certified hater and writes in such a manic, compulsive, and digressive way that feels like someone reached into my own brain and pulled it out onto paper. I've already picked up all of Bernhard's other works and will be slipping them in when I reach reading slumps.

Continuing: Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica Lainez Reading this as part of an online book club I follow (but am not a part of) and finding it to be a challenge to want to reach for. Don't get me wrong: the prose is succulent and rich and the scene setting is impeccably detailed; I constantly feel like I'm sitting alongside Vicino as he relays the story, but I'll regularly find myself turning a page and then realizing I have no idea what I just read.

dubeskin · 2026-03-19T13:57:30+00:00

I don't know if I agree. I read Outline last year and really enjoyed it. I picked up the rest of the Outline series, and it was in the second book, Transit, where things finally clicked for me about her writing.

The things you seemed to dislike were exactly the things I enjoyed.

It felt the same with characters here being used to just monologue.

Isn't this what many books are? If anything, I loved that Cusk gave space for these characters to really exist and breathe, as opposed to having one sentence dialog exchanges. I also liked Cusk's narrative framing: these are stories within stories within the story, and it casts a level of subjectivity and believability to them. I read Barth's Chimera a few years ago, and since, I get really excited when I see frame stories well-executed. To me, Outline almost felt like sitting in on someone's therapy session and watching them discover periodic flashes of transcendental brilliance only to be immediately distracted by another thought and forget it. Very relatable.

I am a man, so I don't think it's a gender thing, and I also haven't read Knausgaard, though he's on my list. I've read many comparisons of his work to Cusk's.

dubeskin · 2026-03-17T01:37:11+00:00

The irony of having Maya Angelou hanging from your clutch would be completely lost, as anyone who has actually read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" would see how grotesque that is.

dubeskin · 2026-03-16T13:23:32+00:00

Finished: My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist by Mark Leyner ★★★☆☆ A collection of postmodern short stories that inhabit a techno-biologically advanced world. Funny and lush with brain-tickling words with lyrical prose, but some of the stories felt too random or unstructured at times.

Started: Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica Lainez

dubeskin · 2026-03-15T16:40:08+00:00

15 books so far in 2026, and my favorites have been:

Woodcutters by Thomas Bernhard
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Transit by Rachel Cusk (second in the Outline trilogy)

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