Books: Claire Messud

"The Complete Poems" by Elizabeth Bishop. It's rewarding on many levels, and the closer you look, the more rewarding it is. But never showy.

An important book that you haven't read: "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. It's slightly bizarre to make references without knowing what you're talking about. "Tilting at windmills"?

A classic that, upon rereading, disappointed: "Two Serious Ladies" by Jane Bowles. It breaks my heart. I wrote my college thesis on this book. I went back to re-read it, and it no longer spoke of hidden depth. It was mannered, and I couldn't find the significance anymore.

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