Started Louis L'Amour's memoir Education of a Wandering Man the other day and was pleasantly surprised to find the introduction to the 1939 book by Daniel J. Boorstin who himself was both an author and the Librarian of Congress. To say Boorstin knew a thing or two about books and authors would be an understatement. He wrote, "We are often told that we are what we eat. In our world since the printing press it may be more accurate to say we are what we read."
L'Amour read everything and though he was a "lone reader but somehow never felt lonely in the company of a book."
Louis L'Amour showed many of the traits of both a wise and happy man to Boorstin:
- "Louis was a modest man, slow to reveal what he really knew."
- "He kept his own values undented."
- "Jealous of any time not spent writing, he luxuriated within the walls of his books."
- "Louis was a good listener, as eager to learn from the spoken as from the printed word."
- "Louis gives us a lesson - too seldom offered by academic or professional critics - in open-mindfulness and literary charity.
Louis L'Amour is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
Two to start with: read ‘The Lonesome Gods’ for a great big story, then ‘Flint’ for a compact novel with a great protagonist.
ReplyDeleteThe five years I spent gradually reading his entire oeuvre was like giving myself a gift.
SP RN
Thanks! Have only read a few L' Amour books and in the past it was always purely for fun including Flint. Will definitely add The Lonesome Gods to my list. Now I'll be paying closer attention.
ReplyDeleteI've read all his stuff. Some of it is really good. Sometimes he needs a stronger editor. Always a good way to escape the world for two and a half hours. S
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