Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

One man's simple, colloquial meditations on his past, his family, and his life's daily minutia are the substance of Nicholson Baker's A Box of Matches.

Feeling that life is passing him by, Emmett, a middle-aged medical textbook editor, decides to wake up early each day to sit by a fire in his country house and record his thoughts in a diary. "Good morning," Emmett begins, "its January and its 4.17 am, and I'm going to sit here in the dark." From this vantage point, Emmett reflects stream-of-consciousness style on whatever occurs to him, no matter how mundane: his recent trip to Home Depot, how he met his wife, the habits of the family duck. Routines, such as how he makes his morning coffee in the dark or picks up his underwear with his toes, are described with childlike reverence and directness.

All told, nothing much happens in A Box of Matches, which seems to be the point. Baker is more interested in the idea that for many, life is made up of such apparent trivialities, and that only by pausing to appreciate them can anyone gain any lasting satisfaction. Baker emphasises this through the moments of understated wisdom and joy that Emmett derives from ordinary occurrences, such as the daylight through the window: "a simple light that goes everywhere but with no heat, aware that it is taken for granted and content to be so."

This is the philosophical equivalent of a one-joke premise, however, and there are moments when Emmett's naiveté and laundry list-like narrative wear thin. Likely understanding this, Baker has wisely kept things short. A curious, often charming novel, A Box of Matches will inspire some readers, while inspiring frustration in others. --Ross Doll, Amazon.com

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Depends how your mind works, 06 Dec 2007
Some people seem to like this book, and Nicholson Baker's work in general, but there seems to be as many turned off by his style. I'll be the first to admit, it's not for everybody.

That it's about sex, and a phone conversation, is less important than how it reads. If you like minutiae, if you like the incessant, piercing curiosity of a mind fascinated by detail (and I mean fine detail, like discussions about the texture of a camberwick bedspread and how it feels to your fingers) then you could easily lose yourself for a couple of hours with Vox - it's a short book, you can read it in just an evening. I've even laughed out loud to this and a couple of his other novels, they're largely similar in writing style (though the subject matter changes of course). The characters are likeable too.

You might just find the whole thing tedious however - and that's not a criticism of the book, it's just to acknowledge different people are 'turned on' by different things. In the same way that some people just like the sound of an orchestra, but can't stand electric guitars, so it is with Nicholson Baker. Nothing wrong with you if you don't like him, nothing wrong with him either.

Cute, 17 Mar 2007
A man and a woman meet on an adult chat-line. They discuss their sexual fantasies. They might speak again, there again, they might not.

This is kind of cute, kind of funny, kind of sexy but not very, certainly not pornographic. Read it once, on your own, just in case there are any bits that really do turn you on; then read it again on public transport, watch who's watching you: a fun game to play :-)


foxy voxy, 11 Mar 2004
This is the first novel of Bakers ive read.It is also the first ever erotic piece of work i've read, so it is fair to say i did not know what to expect.The book focuses on dialogue between two people engaged in erotic chat.The details are sharp,graphic and do not leave much to the imagination!!!However, as a female who just reads for pleasure, i did not find it pornographic.Indeed it was very tastefully done, and i enjoyed the interjection of the awkward moments of embarassement as they shared their intimacies and fantasies together.For some reason , i seemed to find it very americanised, and although a novel idea when first published, would seem old hat now with the growing popularity of
phone and cybersex.I did find parts of the dialogue unneccessary and cumbersome , making me want to scream out and say "hurry up and get on with it"!.However, it was an enjoyable easy read and did not take long for me to finish it.Baker certainly is able to paint pictures with his verbiage though and it certainly makes me want to read more of his work. This is not the sort of book i would lend my granny but i have urged my husband to read it!!!

Beautiful and necessary, 01 Feb 2001
While not quite the mind-altering classic that is Baker's earlier 'The Mezzanine', 'Vox' still has much to recommend it. A wonderfully simple scenario, two slightly unbelievably clever and articulate protagonists, and the truly life-affirming frankness with which sex in all its guises is discussed. Once again Baker has forcibly uncovered areas of life little talked about, described them with his unique combination of photographic precision and aching emotional attachment, and in the process made them somehow glorious.

A gentle, witty insight into the world of phone chatlines., 29 Oct 2000
Having also read Fermata by Baker, I was aware of the manner in which he is able to describe everyday events with a precision that opens up the characters to the reader. This book, whilst erotic, is not pornographic. Merely, it illustrates the lengths to which some people will go to find a partner. Whilst not exactly a gripping tome, it is a pleasant read.

One man's simple, colloquial meditations on his past, his family, and his life's daily minutia are the substance of Nicholson Baker's A Box of Matches.

Feeling that life is passing him by, Emmett, a middle-aged medical textbook editor, decides to wake up early each day to sit by a fire in his country house and record his thoughts in a diary. "Good morning," Emmett begins, "its January and its 4.17 am, and I'm going to sit here in the dark." From this vantage point, Emmett reflects stream-of-consciousness style on whatever occurs to him, no matter how mundane: his recent trip to Home Depot, how he met his wife, the habits of the family duck. Routines, such as how he makes his morning coffee in the dark or picks up his underwear with his toes, are described with childlike reverence and directness.

All told, nothing much happens in A Box of Matches, which seems to be the point. Baker is more interested in the idea that for many, life is made up of such apparent trivialities, and that only by pausing to appreciate them can anyone gain any lasting satisfaction. Baker emphasises this through the moments of understated wisdom and joy that Emmett derives from ordinary occurrences, such as the daylight through the window: "a simple light that goes everywhere but with no heat, aware that it is taken for granted and content to be so."

This is the philosophical equivalent of a one-joke premise, however, and there are moments when Emmett's naiveté and laundry list-like narrative wear thin. Likely understanding this, Baker has wisely kept things short. A curious, often charming novel, A Box of Matches will inspire some readers, while inspiring frustration in others. --Ross Doll, Amazon.com

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Depends how your mind works, 06 Dec 2007
Some people seem to like this book, and Nicholson Baker's work in general, but there seems to be as many turned off by his style. I'll be the first to admit, it's not for everybody.

That it's about sex, and a phone conversation, is less important than how it reads. If you like minutiae, if you like the incessant, piercing curiosity of a mind fascinated by detail (and I mean fine detail, like discussions about the texture of a camberwick bedspread and how it feels to your fingers) then you could easily lose yourself for a couple of hours with Vox - it's a short book, you can read it in just an evening. I've even laughed out loud to this and a couple of his other novels, they're largely similar in writing style (though the subject matter changes of course). The characters are likeable too.

You might just find the whole thing tedious however - and that's not a criticism of the book, it's just to acknowledge different people are 'turned on' by different things. In the same way that some people just like the sound of an orchestra, but can't stand electric guitars, so it is with Nicholson Baker. Nothing wrong with you if you don't like him, nothing wrong with him either.

Cute, 17 Mar 2007
A man and a woman meet on an adult chat-line. They discuss their sexual fantasies. They might speak again, there again, they might not.

This is kind of cute, kind of funny, kind of sexy but not very, certainly not pornographic. Read it once, on your own, just in case there are any bits that really do turn you on; then read it again on public transport, watch who's watching you: a fun game to play :-)


foxy voxy, 11 Mar 2004
This is the first novel of Bakers ive read.It is also the first ever erotic piece of work i've read, so it is fair to say i did not know what to expect.The book focuses on dialogue between two people engaged in erotic chat.The details are sharp,graphic and do not leave much to the imagination!!!However, as a female who just reads for pleasure, i did not find it pornographic.Indeed it was very tastefully done, and i enjoyed the interjection of the awkward moments of embarassement as they shared their intimacies and fantasies together.For some reason , i seemed to find it very americanised, and although a novel idea when first published, would seem old hat now with the growing popularity of
phone and cybersex.I did find parts of the dialogue unneccessary and cumbersome , making me want to scream out and say "hurry up and get on with it"!.However, it was an enjoyable easy read and did not take long for me to finish it.Baker certainly is able to paint pictures with his verbiage though and it certainly makes me want to read more of his work. This is not the sort of book i would lend my granny but i have urged my husband to read it!!!

Beautiful and necessary, 01 Feb 2001
While not quite the mind-altering classic that is Baker's earlier 'The Mezzanine', 'Vox' still has much to recommend it. A wonderfully simple scenario, two slightly unbelievably clever and articulate protagonists, and the truly life-affirming frankness with which sex in all its guises is discussed. Once again Baker has forcibly uncovered areas of life little talked about, described them with his unique combination of photographic precision and aching emotional attachment, and in the process made them somehow glorious.

A gentle, witty insight into the world of phone chatlines., 29 Oct 2000
Having also read Fermata by Baker, I was aware of the manner in which he is able to describe everyday events with a precision that opens up the characters to the reader. This book, whilst erotic, is not pornographic. Merely, it illustrates the lengths to which some people will go to find a partner. Whilst not exactly a gripping tome, it is a pleasant read.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Depends how your mind works, 06 Dec 2007
Some people seem to like this book, and Nicholson Baker's work in general, but there seems to be as many turned off by his style. I'll be the first to admit, it's not for everybody.

That it's about sex, and a phone conversation, is less important than how it reads. If you like minutiae, if you like the incessant, piercing curiosity of a mind fascinated by detail (and I mean fine detail, like discussions about the texture of a camberwick bedspread and how it feels to your fingers) then you could easily lose yourself for a couple of hours with Vox - it's a short book, you can read it in just an evening. I've even laughed out loud to this and a couple of his other novels, they're largely similar in writing style (though the subject matter changes of course). The characters are likeable too.

You might just find the whole thing tedious however - and that's not a criticism of the book, it's just to acknowledge different people are 'turned on' by different things. In the same way that some people just like the sound of an orchestra, but can't stand electric guitars, so it is with Nicholson Baker. Nothing wrong with you if you don't like him, nothing wrong with him either.

Cute, 17 Mar 2007
A man and a woman meet on an adult chat-line. They discuss their sexual fantasies. They might speak again, there again, they might not.

This is kind of cute, kind of funny, kind of sexy but not very, certainly not pornographic. Read it once, on your own, just in case there are any bits that really do turn you on; then read it again on public transport, watch who's watching you: a fun game to play :-)


foxy voxy, 11 Mar 2004
This is the first novel of Bakers ive read.It is also the first ever erotic piece of work i've read, so it is fair to say i did not know what to expect.The book focuses on dialogue between two people engaged in erotic chat.The details are sharp,graphic and do not leave much to the imagination!!!However, as a female who just reads for pleasure, i did not find it pornographic.Indeed it was very tastefully done, and i enjoyed the interjection of the awkward moments of embarassement as they shared their intimacies and fantasies together.For some reason , i seemed to find it very americanised, and although a novel idea when first published, would seem old hat now with the growing popularity of
phone and cybersex.I did find parts of the dialogue unneccessary and cumbersome , making me want to scream out and say "hurry up and get on with it"!.However, it was an enjoyable easy read and did not take long for me to finish it.Baker certainly is able to paint pictures with his verbiage though and it certainly makes me want to read more of his work. This is not the sort of book i would lend my granny but i have urged my husband to read it!!!

Beautiful and necessary, 01 Feb 2001
While not quite the mind-altering classic that is Baker's earlier 'The Mezzanine', 'Vox' still has much to recommend it. A wonderfully simple scenario, two slightly unbelievably clever and articulate protagonists, and the truly life-affirming frankness with which sex in all its guises is discussed. Once again Baker has forcibly uncovered areas of life little talked about, described them with his unique combination of photographic precision and aching emotional attachment, and in the process made them somehow glorious.

A gentle, witty insight into the world of phone chatlines., 29 Oct 2000
Having also read Fermata by Baker, I was aware of the manner in which he is able to describe everyday events with a precision that opens up the characters to the reader. This book, whilst erotic, is not pornographic. Merely, it illustrates the lengths to which some people will go to find a partner. Whilst not exactly a gripping tome, it is a pleasant read.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

A brilliant satire, 15 May 2006
Controversial and criticised by many, Checkpoint is a stark satire on political activism. While the characters are intentionally simple, perhaps even a bit 2D, there is evidence that plenty of research has gone into presenting the reader with real facts and a true representation of the frustration and impotence felt by a significant proportion of our generation. It's funny, sometimes ridiculous and well worth the read.

Proust with Asperger Syndrome, 27 Sep 2008
Proust with Asperger Syndrome. Baker describes one work lunch-hour with dizzying detail, and an array of huge, memory-saturated asides about the little, technical things in life: shoelaces, straws, staplers, escalators, etc. At times this can become tedious, but I also found it terribly immersive, wonderfully fresh, and in the end full of a life-affirming reverence for the wonders of technology and the human curiosity that has generated it.

Minutiae matters, 06 Nov 2006
There are a million and one tiny thoughts that flit unbidden through the human mind every day, and most slip through the fingers before they are even acknowledged. Baker has a gift for retaining these wraith-like filaments of imagination and making them concrete. In what is ostensibly a collection of the thoughts of a man on his lunch hour, Baker takes us through a wildly diverting tour of the minutiae of everyday life, from the coincidental but strangely logical patterns of shoelace wear and tear, to the merits and aesthetics of Soviet-esque stapler arms. Brilliant and jaw-droppingly intuitive, Baker serves up a lunchbox treat of hyper-stylish trivia liberally seasoned with backhanded jokes and a supreme understanding of the human mind.

Series of observations about minutiae, 28 Mar 2006
It seems to be fairly dividing the audience down the middle, this book. A couple of other reviewers have given it just one star, & said the author's trying too hard to be clever. Others have said he's engrossing, fascinating and funny.

I guess one way to approach it is to ask yourself how your own brain works, and realise what it is you spend your day thinking about - the sort of stuff you find interesting. It's a very personal question, and your answer will be particular only to you, because other people's brains don't work the same way. Question: Do you find it fascinating to think about the tiny, fine details of things, such as why one shoelace wears out before the other (why not both at the same time, since you walk on each foot the same amount?); or gents wash-room ettiquette ?

If you're that type of person, then you will find Nicholson Baker an auther who shares your curiosity - and he uses his books to hold forth on the minutiae of life - the sprockets in celluloid film; candlewick bedspreads; the day-dreams we have - and he does it in a highly funny way. Me: I find his books fascinating and he makes me laugh, and if you like this book, try "Vox", "The Fermata" and "A Box of Matches".

Smart but Vacuous, 10 Feb 2004
It's a strange concept to be sure but reading about the main character's lunch hour is certainly a smart and, initially at least, engaging concept.

Unfortunately after a couple of chapters the anal nature of the character's observations become tiresome, particularly as the story fails to engage on any emotional level and so reading it is ultimately a fairly hollow experience.

Nicholson Baker - you're clever, but not that clever.

Shame really.

Short, but not Baker-lite, 09 Jun 2003
Great fun to read, but still thought-provoking. The epicycles of diversion from the main "plot" are, of course, the entire point of the novel, and re-reading it now it seems oddly prescient of the web, following hyperlinks to other thoughts.

This is much more accessible than VOX or the disturbing Fermata, and IMO, more enjoyable too.

A waste of a good idea, 01 Aug 2003
Baker takes an interesting and amusing concept - the ability to stop time - and squanders it. Whilst one doesn't necessarily expect high minded intellectual moral quests, the lead character does nothing but waste his gift on sexual pursuits. Two chapters in particular, written as tales within the main story for the sole purpose of supposedly eliciting a sexual fantasy response from various female characters, are straightforward pornography written from a male perspective that is unlikely to reflect the true desires of real women.

The rudest book my wife has read., 11 Mar 2002
If you're not aroused by this, you're unarousable. Clever, pacey, and very horny.
I bet no one who read it didn't try at least once to see if they could stop time! I've lent this book to many, male and female, all have enjoyed...

A compellingly good read., 14 Dec 2001
I just love this book. It is clever, funny, erotic, thought-provoking and well thought-out. Those who carp about the 'hero' not becoming a better person or the author breaking his own rules are trying to dig too deep. They miss the point - it is fiction and a compellingly good read. I have had it on my bookshelves for years and return to it again and agin when I want something light-hearted.

Stop the world, I want to get off., 10 Oct 2001
Baker's book introduces us to Arno Strine, a morally ambiguous hero who is blessed with the ability to stop time in it's tracks and go about his business without interruption from the world at large.
Arno isn't interested in using this ability to help humanity, commit crime, or even to better himself; all he wants is to look at the paused women around him naked.
This set up is an interesting one and immediately asks the reader: "What would you do if you had these powers?". But whilst Baker's use of language is both evocative and provocative, the overwhelming feeling at the conclusion is one of disappointment.
Yes, Arno has undergone some (often amusing) adventures and the reader is given an insight into his character. And, of course, the erotic content is sublimely filthy (if you like that sort of thing). But, like another reviewer of this book on these pages, I find the fact that Arno doesn't become a better human being deeply unsatisfying.
So I'm giving this two stars (although if you're a fan of 'posh porn' you're more likely to rate it as 5!)

If you're not easily shocked..., 03 Jul 2001
It's true that this book contains extremely descriptive sexual passages and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But call me smutty; I enjoyed it enormously - the dirty bits and the rest. I find it intruiging that on the one hand, Baker, a big, red-faced, blustery middle-aged bear of a man turns out books like this (and Vox, the book Monica Lewinsky gave Bill Clinton to excite his intrest), and then puts out scholarly items like his defence of paper-based library systems - and they're all equally readable. A remarkable book, based on a daring, schoolboy fantasy. Read it when you're alone though, or you'll go scarlet-faced.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that bodily functions? All will sound a chord somewhere, in an endearing and thoroughly witty and smile inducing way.

Strike a light, settle back and be reflected in the glow. An amazing short dazzle of inspiration. Don’t miss it.

A small book about small things., 14 Apr 2003
This small book seems at first to be not about very much. Baker’s books tackle small subjects ( a shoelace, bottle feeding a baby, not writing a biography) in very profound ways.

A Box of Matches is concerned with the minutae of one person’s life through a small window of time across a few days. The beauty here is that Baker has discarded much of the brash intellectualism of his previous books and just tells it as it is. This book has a much more human feel to it, and there is almost an air of sadness throughout the book. The tragedy of the everyday is felt in the cadences of the prose, and captures the atmosphere (the dark kitchen, the fire growing each morning) perfectly. That’s not to say there is no humour in this book – I found myself laughing out loud at some of the anecdotes within, particularly concerning his cat. The narrator’s duck, beautifully described, is a superb character.

The book begins and ends quietly, and not much happens on the surface, but it will stay with you for a very long time.

Depends how your mind works, 06 Dec 2007
Some people seem to like this book, and Nicholson Baker's work in general, but there seems to be as many turned off by his style. I'll be the first to admit, it's not for everybody.

That it's about sex, and a phone conversation, is less important than how it reads. If you like minutiae, if you like the incessant, piercing curiosity of a mind fascinated by detail (and I mean fine detail, like discussions about the texture of a camberwick bedspread and how it feels to your fingers) then you could easily lose yourself for a couple of hours with Vox - it's a short book, you can read it in just an evening. I've even laughed out loud to this and a couple of his other novels, they're largely similar in writing style (though the subject matter changes of course). The characters are likeable too.

You might just find the whole thing tedious however - and that's not a criticism of the book, it's just to acknowledge different people are 'turned on' by different things. In the same way that some people just like the sound of an orchestra, but can't stand electric guitars, so it is with Nicholson Baker. Nothing wrong with you if you don't like him, nothing wrong with him either.

Cute, 17 Mar 2007
A man and a woman meet on an adult chat-line. They discuss their sexual fantasies. They might speak again, there again, they might not.

This is kind of cute, kind of funny, kind of sexy but not very, certainly not pornographic. Read it once, on your own, just in case there are any bits that really do turn you on; then read it again on public transport, watch who's watching you: a fun game to play :-)


foxy voxy, 11 Mar 2004
This is the first novel of Bakers ive read.It is also the first ever erotic piece of work i've read, so it is fair to say i did not know what to expect.The book focuses on dialogue between two people engaged in erotic chat.The details are sharp,graphic and do not leave much to the imagination!!!However, as a female who just reads for pleasure, i did not find it pornographic.Indeed it was very tastefully done, and i enjoyed the interjection of the awkward moments of embarassement as they shared their intimacies and fantasies together.For some reason , i seemed to find it very americanised, and although a novel idea when first published, would seem old hat now with the growing popularity of
phone and cybersex.I did find parts of the dialogue unneccessary and cumbersome , making me want to scream out and say "hurry up and get on with it"!.However, it was an enjoyable easy read and did not take long for me to finish it.Baker certainly is able to paint pictures with his verbiage though and it certainly makes me want to read more of his work. This is not the sort of book i would lend my granny but i have urged my husband to read it!!!

Beautiful and necessary, 01 Feb 2001
While not quite the mind-altering classic that is Baker's earlier 'The Mezzanine', 'Vox' still has much to recommend it. A wonderfully simple scenario, two slightly unbelievably clever and articulate protagonists, and the truly life-affirming frankness with which sex in all its guises is discussed. Once again Baker has forcibly uncovered areas of life little talked about, described them with his unique combination of photographic precision and aching emotional attachment, and in the process made them somehow glorious.

A gentle, witty insight into the world of phone chatlines., 29 Oct 2000
Having also read Fermata by Baker, I was aware of the manner in which he is able to describe everyday events with a precision that opens up the characters to the reader. This book, whilst erotic, is not pornographic. Merely, it illustrates the lengths to which some people will go to find a partner. Whilst not exactly a gripping tome, it is a pleasant read.

hmm, 04 Jan 2008
Formulaic whimsy, and somewhat coy besides. Occasional stabs at humour and a sort of pale philosophising.

Disappointingly lazy effort but just about passable if you`re having problems sleeping.

Hardly a page-turner, but read it for the sheer joy of reading, 06 Apr 2007
This is one of those books where nothing really happens, but that's not really a bad thing! It is the story of a man who get up every morning very early, while it's still dark, to light the fire with a box of matches.

The narrative takes us through the motions of each of these mornings, and the subsequent day, through his thoughts, and via a series of flashbacks, over some of the events of his life.

Will it keep you on the edge of your seat? No. Is it worth reading for sheer skill of the storytelling? I think so


Humble pleasures, 26 Mar 2004
I picked this up at random in a bookshop and discovered, in the first two pages, one beautiful simile (about a fire) and one profound truth (about socks).

So I bought it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's always a pleasure to read a book that, rather than striving and failing to be the Great American Novel, instead meets its own humbler goals. "A Box Of Matches" is full of fresh and meditative observations on a quiet domestic life. The narrator's obvious love for his wife and children (who spend most of the book either asleep or padding around discreetly in the background) saves the book from sliding towards solipsism, and his pets in particular are beautifully drawn. It's not entirely true to say there is no plot - over the course of the book Emmett's comforting suicide fantasies melt away, and one can try reading between the lines for a better understanding of who he is.

But really it's Baker's gifts for imagery and anecdote that make every page a pleasure, dare I say the literary equivalent of basking in front of a warm fire.

ordinarily wonderful, 20 Feb 2004
How great it is to be alive. Rejoicing in the ordinary and everyday, Nicholson Baker has produced a brilliantly original and mesmerising short novel of thoughts, memories and ideas, run through with plain non-drama.

In concept, it may seem a daring move. But never underestimate the consummate observation and affirmation which sparkles within Nicholson Baker’s prose.

“A box of matches” can be summed up as a snapshot of a middle aged man from Maine getting up between 4-5 am to light a fire in his grate, in the dark, making coffee and reflecting on his life and current concerns. Are we sleepy yet? That’s your plot; full stop.

But wait, wake up. Recounts of the loving wife and two fast growing kids tells of a family man and over-hours publishing editor who cares; he’ll be sure to be ready to drive them to school, get the shopping in and earn a serious wage. Tales of the pet duck and the pet ant are laugh out loud drollness gone mad. The matter of fact of human nature with children, parents, grandparents, love, hope, sincerity and bodily functions are all here. Was that