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Lost Classics

Lost Classics, edited by Michael Ondaatje, Michael Redhill, Esta Spalding, and Linda Spalding

Anchor Books, 2000


Brick, a Canadian literary journal invited some of its longtime contributions to tell their stories of books they loved and lost or that they considered overlooked and underread for a special issue on “Lost Classics” (number 61) in 1998. This material was later expanded into this book. Not all the titles were selected based on their merit. Michael Turner, for example, writes of The Bells of Russia, “I have never read the book–nor has anyone else in my family.” The three times he tried to read it, his mother grabbed it away from him. When he looked for it a fourth time, his mother “told me my father took it with him when she kicked him out. Haven’t seen it since.”


Address Unknown, Kressmann Taylorselected by Nancy Huston
All About H. Hatterr, G.V. Desaniselected by Githa Hariharan
The Amateur Poacher, Richard Jeffriesselected by Sean Virgo
The Bells of Russia, Alexander Moskoyovselected by Michael Turner
• Bernadette, French girl’s annualselected by Carole Corbeil
Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, Palmer Brownselected by Sarah Ellis
By the Sound, Edward Dornselected by Sharon Thesen
Capital of Pain, Paul Eluardselected by Natalee Caple
Classics Revisited, Kenneth Rexrothselected by Brian Brett
Codex Seraphinus, Luigi Serafiniselected by Christian Bok
Confessions of an Un-common Attorney, Reginald Hineselected by Dougles Fetherling
The Cruise of the Cachalot, Frank Bullenselected by Derek Lundy
The Dead Seagull, George Barkerselected by Cassandra Pybus
Doctor Glas, Hjalmar Soderbergselected by Margaret Atwood
Down and Out in the Woods: An Airman’s Guide to Survival in the Bush, selected by Sarah Sheard
Far Away and Long Ago, W.H. Hudsonselected by Alan Lightman
The Fish Can Sing, Halldor Laxnessselected by Murray Bail
Fishes, Url Lanhamselected by Erin Mouré
The Five Nations, Rudyard Kiplingselected by Karen Connelly
Fobidden Territory, Juan Goytisoloselected by Colm Toibin
A Fool’s Life, Akutagawa Runosukeselected by Lawrence Sutin
Frost, Thomas Bernhardselected by Murray Bail
The Gate of Horn, G.R. Levyselected by W.S. Merwin
Genoa, Paul Metcalfselected by Joanna Scott
Geraldine Bradshaw, Calder Willinghamselected by Leon Rooke
Glimpses of World History, Jawaharlal Nehruselected by Roo Borson
The Good Soldier Svejk, Jaroslav Hasekselected by William Humphrey
The Granite Pail, Lorine Niedeckerselected by Eleni Sikelianos
The Greenlanders, Jane Smileyselected by Steven Heighton
Ha! Ha! Among the Trumpets, Alun Lewisselected by Philip Levine
Handbook for William (Liber Manualis), Dhouda, translated by Carol Neelselected by Anne Carson
The Headmaster’s Papers, Richard A. Hawleyselected by John Irving
The Highwayman, Alfred Noyesselected by Rudy Wiebe
A History of Newfoundland, D.W. Prowseselected by Wayne Johnston
How I Became One of the Invisible, David Rattrayselected by Robert Creeley
I Served the King of England, Bohumil Hrabalselected by Siri Hustvedt
I Want to Go to School, Yu-pao Gaoselected by Anchee Min
Islandia, Austin Tappan Wrightselected by Isabel Huggan
Jigsaw, Sybille Bedfordselected by Eleanor Wachtel
The Journey of the Stamp Animals, Phyllis Hayselected by Helen Garner
Jungle Peace, William Beebeselected by Wayne Grady
The Junior Classics: The Young Folks’ Shelf of Books, selected by Lola Lemire Tostevin
Lependu, Don McKayselected by Michael Redhill
Life of Monsieur de Moliere, Mikhail Bulgakovselected by Greg Hollingshead
The Life of Rossini, Stendhal selected by David Malouf
The Log of a Sea-Waif, Frank Bullenselected by Derek Lundy
Lost Horizon, James Hiltonselected by Esta Spalding
Malina, Ingeborg Bachmanselected by Robert Boyers
The Mouse and His Child, Russell Hobanselected by Bill Richardson
N by E, Rockwell Kentselected by Michael Winter
The Name and Nature of Poetry, A.E. Housmanselected by Susan Musgrave
The Newfoundland Journal of Aaron Thomas, 1794, Aaron Thomasselected by Wayne Johnston
The Old Wives’ Tale, Arnold Bennettselected by Wendy Lesser
On Being Blue, William Gassselected by Sam Solecki
On Growth and Form, D’Arcy Wentworth Thompsonselected by Harry Mathews
The Peterkin Papers, Lucretia P. Haleselected by Jane Rule
The Pilgrim Hawk, Glenway Wescottselected by Jeffrey Eugenides
Pincher Martin, William Goldingselected by Ronald Wright
Play Ebony Play Ivory, Henry Lee Dumasselected by George Elliott Clarke
Russian School Primerselected by Janice Kulyk Keefer
The Private Diaries of Stendhal, Stendhal selected by Murray Bail
Put Money in Thy Purse, Micheal Mac Liammoirselected by Caryl Phillips
The Quest for Sita, selected by Diana Hartog
Reweaving the Web of Life: Feminism and Nonviolence , Pam McAllister, ed.selected by Anne Holzman
The Saddest Pleasure, Moritz Thomsenselected by Pico Iyer
The Salt Ecstacies, James Whiteselected by Jim Moore
Anonymous Smutselected by C.K. Williams
Some Chinese Ghosts, Lafcadio Hearnselected by Laird Hunt
The Story of Harold, Terry Andrewsselected by Edmund White
The Ten Thousand Things, Maria Dermoutselected by Linda Spalding
The Tenants of Moonbloom, Edward Lewis Wallantselected by Leon Rooke
They Feed the Lion, Philip Levineselected by Michael Helm
The Third Policeman, Flann O’Brienselected by Charles Foran
Too Late to Turn Back, Barbara Greeneselected by Russell Banks
Treatise on Style, Louis Aragonselected by Darren Wershler-Henry
The Twilight of Briareus, Richard Cowperselected by Eden Robinson
The Wabeno Feast, Wayland Drewselected by Gordon Johnston

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