Person
Every book Andrew Solomon recommended on podcasts
Appearing on The Book Review, Andrew Solomon offered deep insights into memoirs, literature, and profound human experiences such as illness, vulnerability, and dying. Solomon discussed several works by and about Oliver Sacks, highlighting Hallucinations, which revealed the author's past drug addiction, and praising On the Move as a poignant memoir in which Sacks made his own vulnerability apparent. In another segment focused on narratives of mortality, Solomon examined assigned readings on dying in America, including Anne Neumann's The Good Death in the Slender Margin and Marion Coutts's memoir The Iceberg. He also highlighted Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air as a profound exploration of dying, comparing the clarity and emotional resonance of Kalanithi's account to Leo Tolstoy's classic work The Death of Ivan Ilyich. To contrast contemporary memoirs with historical fiction, Solomon referenced classic literature by Leo Tolstoy, including Anna Karenina and War and Peace, as well as discussing how readers traditionally view works by dead authors versus living ones who expose their personal vulnerabilities. Through these discussions, Solomon emphasized how literature captures the intricate realities of human suffering, emotional endurance, and the ultimate confronting of mortality across different centuries and narrative forms.
Books recommended by Andrew Solomon
-
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is a sweeping nineteenth-century masterpiece examining love, infidelity, and societal norms in imperial Russia.
Discussed“you know when we read anak kenina”
Where to get it
-
Hallucinations
Discussed“the book he did just before this um hallucinations was also surprisingly revelatory in that um in the excerpt that ran into the New Yorker first he confessed that he had been a drug addict”
Where to get it
-
On the Move
On the Move by Oliver Sacks is a memoir by the renowned neurologist and writer that chronicles his eventful life, career, and intellectual development.
Discussed“and it seems as though in these last couple of books but especially in on the Move he's decided to make um his own vulnerability apparent”
Where to get it
-
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy is a profound classic exploring human mortality, existential dread, and the emptiness of conventional bourgeois life.
Discussed“if one wants to talk to story it was more like The Death of Ivan ilich”
Where to get it
-
The good death
Discussed“the good death and exploration of dying in America by Anne noyman in the Slender margin”
Where to get it
-
-
War and Peace
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is a monumental literary masterpiece that chronicles Russian society, family life, and the dramatic historical events surrounding the Napoleonic Wars.
Discussed“we don't live that part of War and Peace”
Where to get it
-
When Breath Becomes Air
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a powerful autobiographical memoir written by a neurosurgeon facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, exploring mortality, meaning, and the intersection of medicine and life.
Discussed“and when breath becomes air by Paul Colony”
Where to get it
Books Andrew Solomon wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside The New York Times Book Review: The Future of Work | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |
| Inside The New York Times Book Review: Love and Death | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 7 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“i' had been very depressed subject of another one of my books I was asked by travel big Revelation there as by travel and Leisure to write a piece about sailing in turkey”
“uh there was a version of it published in the Noonday demon but it's expanded and changed here”