Four books that changed David Vann

David Vann's latest novel is Aquarium.

One of four books that changed the author, as shared at the Sydney Morning Herald:

BEOWULF

I've been working on my translation for three years now, and I don't care about the story, about what happens. What I love is the language, this earlier beautiful Germanic Scandinavian tongue and its insistent rhythm, and this poetic mind from 1200 years ago. What literature offers is intimacy from another time and place.

Read about another book on the list.

Beowulf is among Thomas Asbridge's top ten knights in literature.

Learn about David Vann's six favorite books.

--Marshal Zeringue