Why people recommend it
The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson is a classic psychological novel about severe alcoholism that later inspired the acclaimed Billy Wilder film adaptation. On The Book Review podcast episode titled Ron Chernow on Grant, John Williams recommended the book, explaining that he had finished reading it after mentioning it the previous week because he was enjoying the experience so much. Subsequently, during the episode titled Jennifer Egan Talks About Manhattan Beach, Williams discussed the novel further, noting that it had sat on his shelf for a long time before he finally picked it up. He added that he was about halfway through the book and found it to be terrific, despite never having seen the cinematic adaptation that drew inspiration from its pages. The podcast discussions emphasized the enduring power of Jackson's psychological portrait of addiction, with the host drawing fresh attention to a mid-century classic that remained compelling and memorable for modern readers.
Who recommended it
- John Williams Recommended
John Williams — 2 mentions
“the first is just a novel that's been on my shelf for a long time that I've been meaning to read which is Charles Jackson's The Lost weekend which was the inspiration for the Billy Wilder movie which I've never seen and I'm about halfway through the novel which is terrific”
“I finished the Lost weekend by Charles Jackson which I brought up last week and the reason I bring it up again is because I was enjoying it”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I had just finished my third biography about Charles Jackson who wrote The Lost weekend”