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Every book Neil Strauss recommended on podcasts
Neil Strauss appeared on the How I Write podcast to discuss the mechanics of storytelling, bestselling writing formulas, and the power of memorable opening lines. During the episode, Strauss enthusiastically recommended John Fante's novel Ask the Dust, describing it as one of his absolute favorite books that everyone needs to read. To illustrate the craft of hooking a reader, Strauss analyzed several famous opening lines from canonical literature. He cited George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four to praise its shocking and disorienting opening sentence about clocks striking thirteen. He also discussed Albert Camus's The Stranger to highlight the stark and effective simplicity of its famous opening about a mother dying today or yesterday, and referenced Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God to examine how evocative first lines force readers to pause and reflect. Additionally, Strauss discussed Knut Hamsun's novel Hunger and Hubert Selby Jr.'s Last Exit to Brooklyn, exploring how unconventional punctuation, stylistic choices, and historical literary influences shape impactful writing and gritty character development.
Books recommended by Neil Strauss
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Ask the Dust
Ask the Dust by John Fante is a celebrated 1939 novel chronicling the struggles of a young writer in 1930s Los Angeles and featuring the semi-autobiographical protagonist Arturo Bandini.
Recommended“I love John Fante's Ask the Dust. It's one of my favorite books ever. Do you know that book? No. It's great. You've got to read it.”
Where to get it
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Hunger
Discussed“And there's an older work by Norwegian writer called Knut Hamsun called Hunger, and I think that's what John Fante took for his thing.”
Where to get it
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Last Exit to Brooklyn
Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.
Discussed“There's another writer named Hubert Selby, the same genre though, but who wrote Last Exit to Brooklyn, and his typewriter was broken.”
Where to get it
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Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian masterpiece that examines totalitarianism, state surveillance, and the manipulation of truth through terrifying government control.
Discussed“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. And it's such a good line because you're like, wait, what?”
Where to get it
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The Stranger, The Plague (Coles Notes)
The Stranger by Albert Camus is a foundational work of absurdist literature that explores the profound alienation and emotional detachment of its protagonist, Meursault, against the backdrop of colonial Algeria.
Discussed“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure. It's great. It's so good. It's so good.”
Where to get it
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a classic American novel that follows the profound spiritual and emotional journey of Janie Crawford as she seeks self-discovery and independence in the American South.
Discussed“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. What does that mean to you? Right, it makes you go... That's interesting.”
Where to get it
Books Neil Strauss wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has He Cracked The Bestseller Formula? | Neil Strauss | How I Write Podcast | How I Write | 2024-03-27 | 6 |