Okay, here’s a breakdown of the provided text, focusing on the book recommendations and key details:
1. “Out of My league” by George Plimpton (1961)
* genre: Participatory sports Journalism/Memoir
* Summary: Plimpton recounts his experiance attempting to play baseball with Major league All-Stars, despite being woefully unprepared. It’s a humorous account of his epic failure and the awkwardness that ensues.
* Key Characteristics: Masochistic micro-detail (focus on the uncomfortable specifics of failure), self-deprecating humor, and a willingness to put oneself in a situation of obvious incompetence.
* Relevance: The author of the first piece (Charles Bethea) draws a parallel between his own tendency to fail dramatically and Plimpton’s approach.
2.”american Mermaid” by Julia Langbein (2023)
* Genre: Literary Fiction/Magical Realism/Satire
* Summary: Penelope Schleeman, an English teacher, writes a feminist novel about a mermaid. The book becomes a surprise hit, and she’s thrust into Hollywood, were executives try to sanitize her story. She begins to question her sanity and the possibility of actual mermaids.
* Key Characteristics: A “book within a book” structure, parable-like, humorous, and explores themes of feminism and the compromises of the entertainment industry.
* Author Background: Langbein has a diverse background (Ph.D., stand-up comedy, humor blogging).
* Upcoming Work: Langbein’s next novel, “Dear Monica Lewinsky,” is due out in April.
* Recommended By: Rachel Syme
3. “Death Comes for the archbishop” by Willa Cather
* Genre: Literary Fiction/Ancient Fiction
* Details: The text doesn’t provide a summary or review of this book. it simply lists the title and author.
Overall:
The text is a collection of mini-reviews/recommendations from The New Yorker. it starts with a personal anecdote about a tendency towards stunning failure, then transitions into two book recommendations. The first recommendation, Plimpton’s book, serves as a framing device for the author’s self-awareness. The second and third recommendations are more straightforward book suggestions for holiday reading.
