David Hajdu: 5 most important books

David Hadju, critic and author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn and Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina, recently named his five most important books for Newsweek.

He also tagged a couple of titles in other categories:

An Important Book that you admit you haven't read:
I read lots of classic novels, but what I'm more bothered by is my inability to keep up with great stuff that's being written now. I'd love to get around to reading What Is the What by Dave Eggers. Everyone says it's great.

A classic that, on rereading, was disappointing:
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. It's great, but I haven't been able to get through it again. I'm sure it's not his fault, it's mine. I suppose I'd like it more if I learned Spanish, but working with English is hard enough as it is.

Learn more about Hadju's list.

--Marshal Zeringue