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Reviews
Stone Reader (2002)
A great documentary about what it means to be a bibliophile
Mark Moskowitz is a bibliophile who became obsessed with a book called _The Stones of Summer_. I've become obsessed with books myself, from time to time, maybe you have, too, but Mark took it to another level--he began an investigation into the novel and its elusive author, Dow Mossman, and filmed the whole insane quest. As a life strategy it's questionable, but as a documentary it really works.
Mossman wrote a book that was heralded by one New York Times reviewer, circa 1972, as the great book of that generation. Despite this excellent review, the book was a flop, and Mossman descended into obscurity, never to write another novel. The film isn't entirely about Mark's obsession with Mossman's novel, though it makes humorous references to it, rather it takes a long look at what it means to be a reader, a writer, a critic and a publishing industry apparatchik. In his search for Mossman, Mark also comes to seek the answer to a fundamental question: what makes a great writer publish one novel and then stop?
If you love books, you should definitely try to see this film.
(Also, interestingly, in one scene he identifies Frederick Exley's _A Fan's Notes_ as one of the ten great novels of the century, by his estimation. I've always thought that, too--never realized anyone else did.)