Jason Hartley's 6 favorite books
The author of The Advanced Genius Theory says some artists are always a step ahead of the rest of us — and shares some reads that prove his point
Jason Hartley, author of The Advanced Genius Theory, says some artists, from Miguel Cervantes to Bob Dylan, are so advanced that the rest of us can't keep up with them. The Week asked him to suggest a few books that help illuminate his theory:
Chronicles, Vol. 1 by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster, $15). Dylan is the ultimate Advanced musician, having made bewildering career choices that have angered and confused his fans. One such choice was writing an autobiography that barely mentions his greatest hits but describes in detail the recording of obscure albums, and also muses about the wrestler Gorgeous George. He made the right choice: The book fascinates because it avoids well-worn topics.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (Harper, $17). Cervantes may be the original Advanced Genius, having written what is sometimes called the first modern—or even postmodern—novel. As Harold Bloom once wrote, he’s “always out ahead of us, and we can never quite catch up.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (Dover, $5). Melville’s masterpiece did find a publisher during his lifetime, but reviews were mixed and it virtually disappeared until the Melville revival of the 1920s. Nathaniel Hawthorne, though, recognized the novel’s genius right away, so perhaps he was Advanced.
The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham (Wilder, $6). In this 1919 novel, a London man leaves his comfortable life as a stockbroker to become a painter. His art, though startlingly original, is dismissed, and he dies alone, in Tahiti, blind from leprosy. Though the story is based on the life of Paul Gauguin, it reads a bit like a biography of actor Marlon Brando.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Grove, $15). Walker Percy wrote that Toole’s protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly, was “without progenitor in any literature I know of—slob extraordinary, a mad Oliver Hardy, a fat Don Quixote, a perverse Thomas Aquinas rolled into one.” It’s unorthodox to call a fictional character Advanced, but Reilly is worthy of the title.
Finnegans Wake by James Joyce (Penguin, $21). Though Joyce is my favorite author, I’ve never tried to read this book because I know it is too Advanced for me. I hope to be ready for it someday, because I know I will enjoy it—even if it’s just a complicated recipe for bangers and mash.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
—Jason Hartley is the author of The Advanced Genius Theory, which proposes that some artists are so advanced that they move beyond ordinary folks’ comprehension
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 6 favorite books about war and colonialism
Feature The Nobel Prize winner recommends works by Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Elliot Ackerman’s 6 favorite books on war and duty
Feature The Marine veteran recommends works by Robert A. Heinlein, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Xochitl Gonzalez’s 6 favorite books that shaped her storytelling
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Julian Barnes, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Jason Isaacs's 6 favorite books that changed his perception on life
Feature The British actor recommends works by George Orwell, C.S. Lewis, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Tessa Bailey's 6 favorite books for hopeless romantics
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Pagan Kennedy's 6 favorite books that inspire resistance
Feature The author recommends works by Patrick Radden Keefe, Margaret Atwood, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Sayles' 6 favorite works that left a lasting impression
Feature The Oscar-nominated screenwriter recommends works by William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and more
By The Week US Published