Minority Report: H.L. Mencken's Notebooks (Maryland Paperback Bookshelf)

Rating:
Summary: A fix for all those addicted to contemplation.
Review: Chock-full of interesting and valuable insights, Minority Report encapsulates much of the Mencken oeuvre. The author never leaves room for doubt about his meaning. Not a few of the notebook entries reveal that Mencken had an inclination towards the visionary, as when he treats of scientific subjects. Mencken means everything he says; and although his writing has a very sharp flavor, his implicit message to the reader is that he is being as honest as possible within the confines of his own talents of reasoning and understanding. Mencken offends only insofar as the reader is guilty of taking himself too seriously. As the average entry is relatively brief, Minority Report accommodates all those who love to read deep but fun literature yet who find themselves always in a hurry with little time to devote to prolonged readings. Enthusiasts of H.L. Mencken will be pleased to find his hallmark of iconoclasm stamped on every page of Minority Report. For those new to Mencken, this is a good place to start. Those who have smarted aplenty from his other writings, either from too much laughter or from having watched their cherished preconceived notions herded to the slaughterhouse, should be pleasantly surprised by the depth, range and poignancy of H.L. Mencken's notebooks.

Rating:
Summary: The Meat of Mencken
Review: This is a wonderful collection of pithy Mencken writings which you may often see quoted. If you have no intention of reading his full essays, read this. This was one of the best bathroom books I have ever had. It is funny, amusing, nihilistic, and condescendingly brutal (or is it brutally condescending?). Mencken writes with the authority of a god, but one with a strong sense of humor and an honest reverence for honesty. This is one of the most original, interesting, and inspirational American writers period. So pick up a copy and see your illusions melt away.

Rating:
Summary: The Meat of Mencken
Review: This is a wonderful collection of pithy Mencken writings which you may often see quoted. If you have no intention of reading his full essays, read this. This was one of the best bathroom books I have ever had. It is funny, amusing, nihilistic, and condescendingly brutal (or is it brutally condescending?). Mencken writes with the authority of a god, but one with a strong sense of humor and an honest reverence for honesty. This is one of the most original, interesting, and inspirational American writers period. So pick up a copy and see your illusions melt away.