Best books...chosen by James Franco

Actor James Franco is about to publish his first novel, just weeks before the release of a film he directed.

Actor James Franco is about to publish his first novel, just weeks before the release of a film he directed—his third this year. Franco’s movie Sal, about actor Sal Mineo, debuts Nov. 1. His novel, Actors Anonymous, arrives on Oct. 15.

Reality Hunger by David Shields (Vintage, $15). David, my teacher and friend, has made it his mission to deconstruct the novel as we know it. This book, which calls for a new way of thinking about fact and fiction, is a masterwork. Its content breaks down the expectations readers have while reading traditional narrative, while its form is a shining example of the new kind of narrative Shields endorses.

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