Mitgliedmkl

Unlike a lot of readers, I don't fetishize books; they're commodities. I have more books than shelf space (and, for that matter, floor space). Paperbacks are desirable, because they take less space than hardbacks. I have a few collectibles and rare editions, and a large collection of hymnbooks going back to the 18th century.

The main categories in my library are:

* Fiction, mostly "classic" (whatever that means), mostly English, but because of my daughter, I'm increasingly reading "young adult" fantasy.

* Literary criticism, mostly from grad school days. But I'll occasionally buy something that's interesting or that was written by an old friend.

* Music, mostly piano

* Technical books: professional stuff

I'm an obsessive reader, a senior editor for a publisher of technical books, and an English PhD (Stanford) with an Electrical Engineering undergrad degree (Cornell). I have always fantasized about cataloging my books, but even with LibraryThing, that's likely to remain a fantasy. I've done about two shelves, somewhat imprecisely, and there's a very long way to go.

A few things I like. I do not consider myself a fantasy fanatic, but I loved Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy. Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is similarly brilliant. I wouldn't have read either if it weren't for my daughter. Penelope Fitzgerald's short novels have one problem: they should be longer. She's the true modern novelist of manners, a worthy heiress to Jane Austen. I also think that Toni Morrison is the greatest living American author; the only novel of hers that I haven't read is The Bluest Eye, and I won't read that because--well, if I did, there'd be no more Toni Morrison to read, and I couldn't bear the thought.

The problem I'm facing currently is whether to read Against the Day. I didn't read Pynchon in graduate school; he seemed like another writer trying to prove he could write books as difficult as James Joyce. Then I read Vineland shortly after it came out, and I was rolling on the floor laughing within about 30 pages. After that, I had read Gravity's Rainbow--and it was a similar experience. Pynchon is one of the great comic novelists in an era that has very few comic novelists. But I was ready for Mason and Dixon to be over by the time I got to the end, and I'm not not sure I have the patience for another 1000+ pages.