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rltinha's review against another edition
4.0
In spite of Salter’s superb mastering of the sentence, one can only read so much about military life and flying sequences.
The second half is quite more what I wanted and truly expected from this memoir.
But what truly swept me off my feet were the parts in which Salter dealt with the great, unique and overwhelming accomplishments of others, ex-army colleagues that at one point shared the same status and then were set off to the race for space.
Salter approaches this inner and deeply human feeling of failure and deep convulsion that might resemble envy with deep and admirable honesty. Up to now, I lived under the impression that such a tawdry feeling could not be addressed with such greatness.
The second half is quite more what I wanted and truly expected from this memoir.
But what truly swept me off my feet were the parts in which Salter dealt with the great, unique and overwhelming accomplishments of others, ex-army colleagues that at one point shared the same status and then were set off to the race for space.
Salter approaches this inner and deeply human feeling of failure and deep convulsion that might resemble envy with deep and admirable honesty. Up to now, I lived under the impression that such a tawdry feeling could not be addressed with such greatness.
loonyboi's review
5.0
A wonderful, unconventional sort of autobiography. It's subtitled, "a recollection" and that's an accurate description. Salter leaps around in time, telling the complete stories of people he meets. Partially due to his colorful life, and partially due to its length, this typically means we find out how everyone dies. Which is a little sad, but you get used to it.
Burning the Days is effectively divided into four parts: his early life in New York, his days as a fighter pilot, his time as a screenwriter, and finally his life as a novelist. Some of these I felt like I'd read before. His novels [b:The Hunters|174621|The Hunters|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320504686s/174621.jpg|168680] and [b:Cassada|174625|Cassada|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347630860s/174625.jpg|2083413] are so autobiographical that out of context I would have had a hard time telling which book certain passages were from. Similarly, the last portion shows how his life clearly influenced [b:Light Years|174622|Light Years|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1374594784s/174622.jpg|2825318], [b:All That Is|13330444|All That Is|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344618906s/13330444.jpg|18538084] and [b:Dusk and Other Stories|174626|Dusk and Other Stories|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312020237s/174626.jpg|168685]. I point this out, but I don't consider this a negative. I adore Salter's writing, and reading where life and art intertwined was one of the joys of this book.
Salter is a treasure. He has little regard for most of his work, constantly comparing himself to other writers. I respectfully disagree. I highly recommend Burning the Days, particularly if you've read his other work.
Burning the Days is effectively divided into four parts: his early life in New York, his days as a fighter pilot, his time as a screenwriter, and finally his life as a novelist. Some of these I felt like I'd read before. His novels [b:The Hunters|174621|The Hunters|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320504686s/174621.jpg|168680] and [b:Cassada|174625|Cassada|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347630860s/174625.jpg|2083413] are so autobiographical that out of context I would have had a hard time telling which book certain passages were from. Similarly, the last portion shows how his life clearly influenced [b:Light Years|174622|Light Years|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1374594784s/174622.jpg|2825318], [b:All That Is|13330444|All That Is|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344618906s/13330444.jpg|18538084] and [b:Dusk and Other Stories|174626|Dusk and Other Stories|James Salter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312020237s/174626.jpg|168685]. I point this out, but I don't consider this a negative. I adore Salter's writing, and reading where life and art intertwined was one of the joys of this book.
Salter is a treasure. He has little regard for most of his work, constantly comparing himself to other writers. I respectfully disagree. I highly recommend Burning the Days, particularly if you've read his other work.
doriastories's review
5.0
Once more, I am reading a book that I picked up initially on the recommendation of my late grandparents' journal entries. And once more, I have found a winner. This is a tremendously well-written book, and I say that not merely because Salter describes my grandfather (Robert Phelps) with such tender affection towards the end of the book that it brought me to tears. Salter's writing is intimate, prescient and reverent; he holds me in thrall with his words, so that the twin chasms of time and physical distance that lie between us vanish. It is as though he wrote this book - his autobiography - just for me. Under his pen, the lives of ordinary people become exalted and beautiful, however he writes honestly and unflinchingly, so that we come to see that his unerring eye is that of truth: the lives of ordinary (even tawdry) people really ARE exalted and beautiful. Puccini had it right, and so does Salter. I can't wait to read the rest of this book, and I recommend it highly.
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