Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books

I enjoyed this book much more than a couple of other similarly titled books (So Many Books, So Little Time; and Ruined by Reading), which simply did not hold my interest and failed to deliver in regard to unearthing rare classics or more books to read. Corrigan's lists of books at the back of Leave Me Alone are a treasure trove for booklovers. I guess my only difficulty with her book was the inordinate amount of space give to the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen, whose books I've tried to read, but have never finished. After reading Corrigan's extrapolations of them as "extreme adventure" type stories for women, I've decided that it's probably not just me; it's a gender thing. The parts I probably enjoyed the most were her more show more autobiographical revelations, about her parents (a father who loved books and a mother who did not), and her friends growing up in Queens. She also let us into her adult life, telling of the ordeal she and her husband endured in trying repeatedly to have a child and then of the adventure of the successful adoption of their daughter in China. But I also loved the segments of stuff she read throughout her life. Odd to find out that a distinguished scholar and book critic like Corrigan loves mysteries and noir detective stories, and also enjoyed "series" books. Her descriptions of the Beany Malone books that Catholic girls apparently loved from the 40s through the 60s even sounded interesting. Made me think of a few similar books I remember reading somewhat guiltily many years ago, since they were thought to be "girls' books": Mr & Mrs Bojo Jones, and Seventeenth Summer. I was somewhat surprised that we share many "favorite" books. And although she never mentioned it, while reading this book I also thought often of Washington Post book critic Michael Dirda's wonderful memoir of his life-long love affair with books, An Open Book. I think I'll put the two books side-by-side on my to-read-again-someday bookshelf. This was a terrific book. From a confirmed fellow booklover, thanks, Maureen. show less

In this delightful memoir, the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air reflects on her life as a professional reader. Maureen Corrigan takes us from her unpretentious girlhood in working-class Queens, to her bemused years in an Ivy League Ph.D. program, from the whirl of falling in love and marrying (a fellow bookworm, of course), to the ordeal of adopting a baby overseas, always with a book at her side. Along the way, she reveals which books and authors have shaped her own life—from classic works of English literature to hard-boiled detective novels, and everything in between. And in her explorations of the heroes and heroines throughout literary history, Corrigan’s love for a good story shines.

Maureen Corrigan, book critic/host for NPR's Fresh Air, professor and author opens her debut novel with, "It's not that I don't like people. It's just that when I'm in the company of others - even my nearest and dearest - there always comes a moment when I'd rather be reading a book." and from that moment on I was hooked. This memoir resonated with me throughout its pages, how many times have I hated to come up for air when someone around me interfered with my newest find! As its pages progressed I found myself identifying more and more with Corrigan. We learn of her Irish Catholic background, her love of hard boiled detective fiction, female extreme adventure stories, and her childhood book list list including Catholic martyr tales. show more There is no literary snobbery to be found here, in fact she often pokes fun at her graduate school memories. If you too are a bookaholic this is a gem! It is a rumination of her lifelong obsession with books that I found at times, both appealing and original. What books did she pack for her trip to China, what books did she pass on to her father, what books influenced her education? For the answer to these questions, you too will need to take a trip with Corrigan! show less

From a truth in advertisement standpoint, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books delivers.

The literary memoir opens with Maureen Corrigan writing, “it’s not that I don’t like other people. It’s just that when I’m in the company of others‑even my nearest and dearest—there always comes a moment when I’d rather be reading a book.” That is a woman after my own heart.

It’s no surprise then that what follows is literary criticism that those of us without a master’s (or doctoral) degree can understand. Corrigan is an engaging writer, and shines when correlating books to tales of her Catholic working-class childhood or adult life. One wonderful chapter delves into her time in graduate school and her show more discovery that the world of academia may not be for her. She escapes into the world of detective fiction, on which she became an excerpt. “By day, I shambled listlessly around Penn; by night, I walked down the mean streets of hard-boiled heaven,” she writes.

That said, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books is a tough sell, even for those of us who love to read. I started and stopped reading this book over several months, and it’s only 200 pages. Many of the chapters narrow in on a very specific book, and if you haven’t read it, you find yourself slogging though. Case in point: I’m sure Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) is wonderful, but there are several PAGES devoted to the exploration of it as a female adventure tale that anticipated “today’s feminist-inflected detective fiction.” However, I also found myself reading aloud some of Corrigan’s sections on Robert Parker, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler to my husband, whose book diet consists almost exclusively of mysteries. It’s almost as if this book was designed to be in audio format, so that you could hear Corrigan giving you insights and recommendations in small doses without getting lost in analysis. In the end, it’s a book that I liked and think is well-written, but I’d only recommend it to certain NPR listeners who want to look erudite on their Metro commute.

This first appeared at www.elizabethsbooks.com show less

(#10 in the 2008 book challenge)

NPR fans may know Corrigan from her book commentaries. This is a nicely rambling and chatty series of essays looking at how the books one reads and the events of one's life become intertwined. This was a joy to read -- first, because I think it's easy for fiction readers to relate to the issues Corrigan explores, and second, I've happened to have read nearly every book Corrigan addresses. This is somewhat rare, even among the rabid reader set. Usually, when authors talk about their favorite or most influential books, there are always plenty that I'm not familiar with. The plus side of that is it often provides excellent recommendations for future reading. But on the other hand, the fun of reading a book show more like this while knowing and liking all the plots and characters cited is that you feel as if it's an exclusive party of people who share your own excellent taste. In real life, I try to self-edit (somewhat) and not wax too crazily poetic over books that I have reread multiple times. Reading this book was like being given free reign to wallow in my own memories of first discovering Harriet Vane and staying up all night to read about the trials and tribulations of Karen Killilea. Corrigan does combine her own personal stories and anecdotes with more standard academic literary criticism, but I found that aspect satisfying -- this isn't a fluffy "here's a bunch of things to read before you die" list. It brought back rather fond memories of grad school -- the paradoxical kind because part of what makes them fond is the fact that you're not in grad school anymore.

Grade: A-
Recommended: To people who enjoy Maureen Corrigan on NPR. Also, in a strange but pleasing combination, 20th century mystery fiction (esp. American hardboiled) and Beany Malone books (1950s series for teen girls) both get a lot of attention. She also tackles one of my own pet issues, class and education in the US. show less

Corrigan has a delightful, humorous, and just-intellectual-enough style to make her book feel interesting, personal and still a bit rigorous. I enjoyed her exploration of the way books have influenced her life and her life has influenced her choice of reading in 4 key life areas: women's roles (extreme adventures seen another way), vocation, partnering and religion. There were just a few instances that she took her discussions of character or plot a little more deeply than interested me, but overall, a very enjoyable book. And, I know her voice from her NPR/Fresh Air book reviews and I could hear her narrating her own story, much to my pleasure.

Professor, NPR book critic, and bibliophile Maureen Corrigan discusses the books that have been important to her, dividing her choices into three categories: women's extreme-adventure stories, stories about work (including interesting considerations of detective novels), and Catholic martyr stories. Corrigan's discussions are fascinating and insightful, and she discusses how these books informed her life well. Recommended to anyone who enjoys books about books or the reading life.