{"product_id":"9780374709068","title":"The Fun Stuff: And Other Essays","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing \u003ci\u003eThe Broken Estate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Irresponsible Self\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHow Fiction Works\u003c\/i\u003e—books that established James Wood as the leading critic of his generation—\u003ci\u003eThe Fun Stuff c\u003c\/i\u003eonfirms Wood's preeminence, not only as a discerning judge but also as an appreciator of the contemporary novel. In twenty-three passionate, sparkling dispatches—that range over such crucial writers as Thomas Hardy, Leon Tolstoy, Edmund Wilson, and Mikhail Lermontov—Wood offers a panoramic look at the modern novel. He effortlessly connects his encyclopedic, passionate understanding of the literary canon with an equally in-depth analysis of the most important authors writing today, including Cormac McCarthy, Lydia Davis, Aleksandar Hemon, and Michel Houellebecq. Included in \u003ci\u003eThe Fun Stuff \u003c\/i\u003eare the title essay on Keith Moon and the lost joys of drumming—which was a finalist for last year's National Magazine Awards—as well as Wood's essay on George Orwell, which Christopher Hitchens selected for the \u003ci\u003eBest American Essays 2010\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eThe Fun Stuff \u003c\/i\u003eis indispensable reading for anyone who cares about contemporary literature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Farrar, Straus and Giroux","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47077684183280,"sku":"9780374709068","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780374709068_p0.jpg?v=1769916025","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780374709068","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}