Louis Menand, writing in The New Yorker, called Geoffrey O'Brien's The Phantom Empire "a prose poem about the pleasures and distractions of movie-watching", "an ambitiously literary attempt to write about the (mystery of the) medium as though it were a dream the author had just awakened from". Now, in Tbe Browser's Ecstasy, O'Brien has written a prose poem about reading, a Louis Menand, writing in The New Yorker, called Geoffrey O'Brien's The Phantom Empire "a prose poem about the pleasures and distractions of movie-watching", "an ambitiously literary attempt to write about the (mystery of the) medium as though it were a dream the author had just awakened from". Now, in Tbe Browser's Ecstasy, O'Brien has written a prose poem about reading, a playful, epigrammatic nocturne upon the dream-state one falls into when "lost in a book", upon the uncanny, trancelike pleasure of making silent marks on paper utter sounds inside one's head.We call The Browser's Ecstasy a "Meditation on Reading", but like any truly original book -- and especially the short book that goes both far and deep -- it resists easy summary and classification. As Luc Sante once wrote, "The density of O'Brien's work makes word count irrelevant as an index of substance; he is seemingly capable of compressing entire encyclopedias into his parenthetical asides. I defy you to name any precedent for what he does. He's a school unto himself".
The Browser's Ecstasy: A Meditation on Reading
Louis Menand, writing in The New Yorker, called Geoffrey O'Brien's The Phantom Empire "a prose poem about the pleasures and distractions of movie-watching", "an ambitiously literary attempt to write about the (mystery of the) medium as though it were a dream the author had just awakened from". Now, in Tbe Browser's Ecstasy, O'Brien has written a prose poem about reading, a Louis Menand, writing in The New Yorker, called Geoffrey O'Brien's The Phantom Empire "a prose poem about the pleasures and distractions of movie-watching", "an ambitiously literary attempt to write about the (mystery of the) medium as though it were a dream the author had just awakened from". Now, in Tbe Browser's Ecstasy, O'Brien has written a prose poem about reading, a playful, epigrammatic nocturne upon the dream-state one falls into when "lost in a book", upon the uncanny, trancelike pleasure of making silent marks on paper utter sounds inside one's head.We call The Browser's Ecstasy a "Meditation on Reading", but like any truly original book -- and especially the short book that goes both far and deep -- it resists easy summary and classification. As Luc Sante once wrote, "The density of O'Brien's work makes word count irrelevant as an index of substance; he is seemingly capable of compressing entire encyclopedias into his parenthetical asides. I defy you to name any precedent for what he does. He's a school unto himself".
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Michael –
A worthy addition to the growing books-on-books section of my library. Rhapsodic and insightful in equal measure, though some narrative and conceptual threads fall a little short. Perfect for browsing- to pick up and read a couple paragraphs from anywhere inside.
Crystal –
This started very slow and very unusual. I almost gave it up but skimmed ahead. Really only those who enjoy reading about reading will enjoy this book
Kevin Waggoner –
I garnered several insights into my reading meditation and thinking. This book opened my eyes in a very delightful way.
Alexis –
Lovely little book of prose poetry re: reading.
Kiri –
A book that will always be on my shelf. A treasure for those of us who love books.
Michael Powell –
mark mendoza –
Mark Sandbothe –
Noel –
Aaron Sieben –
Beth Shields-Szostak –
1st Printing
Mary Beth –
Katie Day –
Zoé Duhaime –
Kim –
Alexa Cascade –
Tom Pare' –
Janette –
Glenn –
Cornelia –
Lucid –
Ljstubbs –
Jon –
Katie –
John –
Leigh Hinton-Ridling –
Roy Kenagy –
Joan –
Mike –
Nicole –