Person
Every book Scott Heller recommended on podcasts
Scott Heller's appearance on The Book Review podcast highlights his deep engagement with contemporary literature, cultural criticism, and the performing arts. As a guest discussing notable modern titles, Heller enthusiastically recommended several books that define twenty-first-century writing. He praised Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay as a complete delight that explores the history of the comic book industry, and highlighted Paul Beatty's The Sellout as a bold and impressive satire on race and racism. Heller also expressed his admiration for Joshua Ferris's Then We Came to the End, noting it as one of the funniest books of the era, and praised the theatrical insight found in Stephen Sondheim's lyric collections, Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat. In addition to these recommendations, Heller discussed non-fiction works like Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower, identifying it as a crucial text specifically focused on the events of 9/11 and its aftermath. Through these selections, Heller presents himself as a well-read critic with an appreciation for both sharp comedic fiction and profound historical and cultural non-fiction.
Books recommended by Scott Heller
-
Finishing the hat
Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim is a celebrated collection of the legendary composer and lyricist's work accompanied by extensive personal and professional commentary.
Recommended“and the best theater books that have come out during this period are these two books of Steven stimes lyrics called finishing the hat and look I made a hat”
Where to get it
-
Look, I made a hat
Look, I Made a Hat is a collection of song lyrics and commentary by renowned composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Recommended“and the best theater books that have come out during this period are these two books of Steven stimes lyrics called finishing the hat and look I made a hat”
Where to get it
-
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a celebrated historical novel by Michael Chabon that explores the history of the comic book industry against the backdrop of the twentieth century.
Recommended“all right I would say going to the list number 16 The Amazing Adventures of cavalier and Clay Michael Shan's book about the history of the comic book industry is a complete Delight”
Where to get it
-
The Sellout
The Sellout by Paul Beatty is a bold, satirical novel about race and racism in contemporary America that made history as the first American novel to win the Booker Prize in 2016.
Recommended“and then actually the one right after that on the list is the sellout by Paul batty which is a pretty impressive pretty bold satire about race and racism”
Where to get it
-
Then we came to the end
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris is a sharply observed, darkly comic novel that chronicles the final days of a failing Chicago advertising agency through the collective voice of its anxious employees.
Recommended“Scott we were talking about funny before and one of the funniest books that was on the other list and I wish it was on this one is then we came to the End by Joshua Ferris”
Where to get it
-
The Looming Tower
Lawrence Wright's meticulously researched non-fiction book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 provides a comprehensive and chilling investigation into the origins of modern Islamic terrorism.
Discussed“we have the looming Tower the Lawrence Wright book was very specifically about 911 and its aftermath”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 6 |