My reading progress the past couple of weeks could best be described as lethargic. I continue to read The Sot-Weed Factor, but at an incredibly slow pace. I'm enjoying the book, and am eager to see what happens, but I find myself maybe reading ten or twenty pages each day. If it was Animal Farm, that would be okay, but this book is 800 pages long. At my current pace, I won't finish this book until February. Late February.
I've decided that I need to re-dedicate myself to tackling this read. When I was reading Infinite Jest, a book I wasn't enjoying, I set a goal of reading 50 pages every day. I wasn't able to keep that pace, but it did serve as a motivational tool for continuing to read. With The Sot-Weed Factor, I'm a little over 200 pages in, with just under 600 to go, so I've decided to try the same thing; reading 50 pages a day. This should have it finished in two weeks. It won't be my best performance, but I'll get through it.
When thinking about why I've been reading this book so slowly, I've decided that reading through a list of 100 books is a little like sailing from the North Pole to the South Pole. Currently, I'm reading my 49th book, which puts me near the equator and in the dreaded doldrums. Like the sailors of the past, making it through the doldrums is no easy task and forces one to work hard, lest they come to a stand still. I'm stuck in the doldrums right now, content with how much I've read so far, but still with so much to read. I have to keep working or I'll never reach my goal. I don't want to be the guy who read 48 of Time's list of 100 All Time Novels.
Now it's off to my reading chair; the couch!
Showing posts with label jest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jest. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
A heavy reckoning for you, sir.
I was able to finish The Sisters Brothers a couple of days ago, and my preparation for this Tuesday's event with Patrick deWittt seems to be going alright. So, I've been able to begin my 49th read from the list, with John Barth's The Sot-Weed Factor.
Once again I'm reading a book I don't know anything about, which I guess has been the case with many of them so far. But with The Sot-Weed Factor, I'm finding nobody knows anything about it. Telling people this is the book I'm currently, reading, I've yet to hear a 'oh yeah, I read that,' or even a 'ooh, I've always meant to read that, I've heard it's great.' In fact, I haven't even heard a 'I am aware of that book's existence.' But I don't take anything from this as some of my favourite reads so far fell into the same category. I know very few people who have read Lucky Jim or The Berlin Stories and they've been two of the greats in my opinion. But neither of those two approach the anonymity this one seems to. It really is a mystery; a chameleon on the stacks, blending in with every book around it.
Set in the 17th century, the book is following Ebenezer Cooke through his developmental years. I'm really not that far into it, so I can't really say anything more and I don't have any idea where it's going. It must be going a lot of places though, as it weighs in at almost 800 pages. My last few books have all been, shall we say, 'briefer.' Of the last twelve, only The Blind Assassin has broken the 400 page barrier, at 521 pages. Of course there's nothing wrong with a long book, but it does make for a different reading experience.
In the case of books I've enjoyed, like Gone with the Wind, a big book allows the reader to really immerse themselves into the story, the setting and the characters. The fact that it's 900 pages doesn't really matter. Of course when I read a book like Infinite Jest, which I didn't enjoy at all, 1,100 pages seemed like some kind of torture. I was immersed, in my misery, drowning in a sea of disappointment. Yes, a long book can be a real double edged sword.
The other thing about reading really long books, is the experience of physically reading them. Big books are, of course, heavier, bulkier, and generally more of a pain to tote with you everywhere you go. Some of my clearest memories of reading Gone with the Wind are of my arms falling asleep as I read in bed, holding the book with two hands above my head. With Infinite Jest, I remember the difficulty in packing the book. It was too large to fit into any pockets, too large to comfortably hold with one hand, and heavy to lug around.
But perhaps the worst part, or rather my least favourite part of reading a long book, is that it takes me longer to read. That in itself doesn't really bother me as it should take longer, there's more to read! What bothers me is that I tire of people saying to me, 'are you still reading that?' They don't mean anything by it of course, but I always find it a little discouraging, because what they are saying is, 'are you still reading that?'
When you read a book for two months, as I did with Infinite Jest, it seems to become a part of you, and people you meet in that time period think of you as 'the Infinite Jest guy.' I don't want anybody to think of me as the 'sot-weed guy.' I suppose I had better make haste, to avoid this most unusual of nicknames.
Once again I'm reading a book I don't know anything about, which I guess has been the case with many of them so far. But with The Sot-Weed Factor, I'm finding nobody knows anything about it. Telling people this is the book I'm currently, reading, I've yet to hear a 'oh yeah, I read that,' or even a 'ooh, I've always meant to read that, I've heard it's great.' In fact, I haven't even heard a 'I am aware of that book's existence.' But I don't take anything from this as some of my favourite reads so far fell into the same category. I know very few people who have read Lucky Jim or The Berlin Stories and they've been two of the greats in my opinion. But neither of those two approach the anonymity this one seems to. It really is a mystery; a chameleon on the stacks, blending in with every book around it.
Set in the 17th century, the book is following Ebenezer Cooke through his developmental years. I'm really not that far into it, so I can't really say anything more and I don't have any idea where it's going. It must be going a lot of places though, as it weighs in at almost 800 pages. My last few books have all been, shall we say, 'briefer.' Of the last twelve, only The Blind Assassin has broken the 400 page barrier, at 521 pages. Of course there's nothing wrong with a long book, but it does make for a different reading experience.
In the case of books I've enjoyed, like Gone with the Wind, a big book allows the reader to really immerse themselves into the story, the setting and the characters. The fact that it's 900 pages doesn't really matter. Of course when I read a book like Infinite Jest, which I didn't enjoy at all, 1,100 pages seemed like some kind of torture. I was immersed, in my misery, drowning in a sea of disappointment. Yes, a long book can be a real double edged sword.
The other thing about reading really long books, is the experience of physically reading them. Big books are, of course, heavier, bulkier, and generally more of a pain to tote with you everywhere you go. Some of my clearest memories of reading Gone with the Wind are of my arms falling asleep as I read in bed, holding the book with two hands above my head. With Infinite Jest, I remember the difficulty in packing the book. It was too large to fit into any pockets, too large to comfortably hold with one hand, and heavy to lug around.
But perhaps the worst part, or rather my least favourite part of reading a long book, is that it takes me longer to read. That in itself doesn't really bother me as it should take longer, there's more to read! What bothers me is that I tire of people saying to me, 'are you still reading that?' They don't mean anything by it of course, but I always find it a little discouraging, because what they are saying is, 'are you still reading that?'
When you read a book for two months, as I did with Infinite Jest, it seems to become a part of you, and people you meet in that time period think of you as 'the Infinite Jest guy.' I don't want anybody to think of me as the 'sot-weed guy.' I suppose I had better make haste, to avoid this most unusual of nicknames.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
You must return and mend it.
Progress on number 48 continues, as I read The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. I'll admit it might end up being a bit of a slow read. I say this because the book is turning out to be a major downer; it's about the Holocaust. While there's nothing wrong with a 'depressing' book, many good reads are, it's just that it's a difficult read, and one you don't just breeze though. But it isn't slow because of boredom, like To the Lighthouse or because it's so mammoth like Infinite Jest. I'm hoping that as I get deeper into it, my pace will pick up.
In other news, I've been having a little bit of trouble managing my library books. After not incurring any fines for almost six months, I racked up fines on Animal Farm and Red Harvest in October, but only $1.40, so nothing to write home about. Before I left for Hawai'i, I thought I had made sure I had everything renewed until I got back, but some how missed two, which became overdue the day I left. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon I realized I had two book that were more than ten days overdue. The books in question were Christopher Hitchens' biography of Thomas Jefferson, as well as poet Ian Williams' Not Anyone's Anything. As a result, my library account was locked, and I was billed $7.30. To add to my shame, I didn't read either of them, which means I paid the library seven bucks to store their books on my shelf for a few weeks.
When I had started this project, I only borrowed one or two books at a time, but thought that with the Internet making it so easy to renew, I could take out dozens at a time, and always manage them without any problems. I guess I was wrong. While it is still much less expensive than buying all the books I read, I have now generously donated $41.15 to the Calgary Public Library since November of 2009. Of that, $25.15 has been from books from the list.
I vow to not incur any more fines, until the next time I forget to return a book on time; which could be as early as next week.
In other news, I've been having a little bit of trouble managing my library books. After not incurring any fines for almost six months, I racked up fines on Animal Farm and Red Harvest in October, but only $1.40, so nothing to write home about. Before I left for Hawai'i, I thought I had made sure I had everything renewed until I got back, but some how missed two, which became overdue the day I left. It wasn't until yesterday afternoon I realized I had two book that were more than ten days overdue. The books in question were Christopher Hitchens' biography of Thomas Jefferson, as well as poet Ian Williams' Not Anyone's Anything. As a result, my library account was locked, and I was billed $7.30. To add to my shame, I didn't read either of them, which means I paid the library seven bucks to store their books on my shelf for a few weeks.
When I had started this project, I only borrowed one or two books at a time, but thought that with the Internet making it so easy to renew, I could take out dozens at a time, and always manage them without any problems. I guess I was wrong. While it is still much less expensive than buying all the books I read, I have now generously donated $41.15 to the Calgary Public Library since November of 2009. Of that, $25.15 has been from books from the list.
I vow to not incur any more fines, until the next time I forget to return a book on time; which could be as early as next week.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Yes, I have gained my experience.
When I started tackling this list over 16 months ago, my goal was to expand my reading horizons; to explore books that I wouldn't otherwise tackle. And for the most part, I would say it's been successful so far. I've been able to experience books I loved but had never even heard of, such as The Sheltering Sky and Lucky Jim, and I can now say that although I didn't enjoy them, I have indeed read To the Lighthouse and Infinite Jest. Without a doubt, I'd say I'm the richer for it. But as I near the halfway point (on schedule too I might add), the experience has done so much more than just introduce me to titles or authors I didn't previously know.
This summer I was fortunate enough to talk about these books on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC radio. Not only was it a fun opportunity to discuss something I enjoy, with others, on the radio, but it was also very educational. Prior to being on the radio, my reading habits as far as this list was concerned were fairly straight forward. I picked a book, read it, wrote a blog, and moved on to the next one. The order or the speed weren't really paramount to anything. And since I was only blogging about them, I could simply spill my thoughts out onto the page and was done.
Being on the radio forced me to not only read quicker, doing a book a week, but also to pay more attention to what books I was reading. I had to make sure I was reading books from different kinds of authors and of differing styles, so as not to bore my listeners with the same thing each week. I also now had to answer other people's questions about these books; no longer was this a one-man show. This offered me a lot more insight into what I was reading, and offered me the chance to see this project from somebody else's perspective.
But most importantly, this reading project has allowed me to become more involved in the book community with people who share my passion for reading. I’ve met others who are reading and blogging their way through this same list (most notably Robert and Matt), and I’ve met people who are simply following my journey because they find it interesting, and hopefully a little educational.
I’ve also now become involved with WordFest, Calgary’s annual literary festival being held in October, as their Festival Blogger. This will give me the chance to work with other avid readers, and expose me to the world of publishing. I’ll be blogging about my experiences at WordFest, offering a behind-the-scenes look, and talking to authors from around the world. It should be a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to it!
It also means that I have a few more books to read. While I’ll still be continuing my journey through The List, I’ll also be exploring some of the books from WordFest. I’ve started with Funeral for a Dog
, the first novel by German author Thomas Pletzinger. Also attending WordFest will be Lev Grossman, author of The Magician King
and literary critic for Time magazine. He’s one of the guys who put this list I’ve been reading for the past year and a half together. I can’t wait to talk to him about it.
As for an update on said list, I have indeed started reading Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry, which will be my 44th book. Again, I don’t know anything about it.
This summer I was fortunate enough to talk about these books on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC radio. Not only was it a fun opportunity to discuss something I enjoy, with others, on the radio, but it was also very educational. Prior to being on the radio, my reading habits as far as this list was concerned were fairly straight forward. I picked a book, read it, wrote a blog, and moved on to the next one. The order or the speed weren't really paramount to anything. And since I was only blogging about them, I could simply spill my thoughts out onto the page and was done.
Being on the radio forced me to not only read quicker, doing a book a week, but also to pay more attention to what books I was reading. I had to make sure I was reading books from different kinds of authors and of differing styles, so as not to bore my listeners with the same thing each week. I also now had to answer other people's questions about these books; no longer was this a one-man show. This offered me a lot more insight into what I was reading, and offered me the chance to see this project from somebody else's perspective.
But most importantly, this reading project has allowed me to become more involved in the book community with people who share my passion for reading. I’ve met others who are reading and blogging their way through this same list (most notably Robert and Matt), and I’ve met people who are simply following my journey because they find it interesting, and hopefully a little educational.
I’ve also now become involved with WordFest, Calgary’s annual literary festival being held in October, as their Festival Blogger. This will give me the chance to work with other avid readers, and expose me to the world of publishing. I’ll be blogging about my experiences at WordFest, offering a behind-the-scenes look, and talking to authors from around the world. It should be a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to it!
It also means that I have a few more books to read. While I’ll still be continuing my journey through The List, I’ll also be exploring some of the books from WordFest. I’ve started with Funeral for a Dog
, the first novel by German author Thomas Pletzinger. Also attending WordFest will be Lev Grossman, author of The Magician King and literary critic for Time magazine. He’s one of the guys who put this list I’ve been reading for the past year and a half together. I can’t wait to talk to him about it.As for an update on said list, I have indeed started reading Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry, which will be my 44th book. Again, I don’t know anything about it.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Forty Down, Sixty to Go
I've now hit my next 'milestone', book number forty. I am now two-fifths of the way through this list of 100 All Time Novels. Two-fifths doesn't sound like as many books as 'forty' does, so I'll stick with that; I'm forty books into this list.
The second twenty books has had some ups and downs, and has taken me from October 2010 to today. By far the two longest books I've read were in the last twenty, those, being, Infinite Jest and Gone With the Wind
, which are both 400 pages longer than any other book I've read so far. The shortest two books have also been since October, with The Bridge of San Luis Rey and The Day of the Locust. I had assumed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret
. would be the shortest. I suppose the latter still could be.
I've also noticed I've changed by library borrowing habits in this past segment, having returned 19 books without reading them, including Gravity's Rainbow
twice. I also incurred more fines this go around, with 13 book, totalling $13.30 in fines. I guess this is because I now usually have 10 to 20 books from The List borrowed from the library at any given time. It ensures I'll always have something ready to read, but also that I'll incur more fines.
Lastly, I see I've been on an American author kick, with 17 of the past 20 books being my American authors. This is purely by coincidence, as I haven't ever really taken the author into consideration when selecting my next title. But, I think I'll try to make a concious effort to squeeze in a few more international talents in the next twenty reads.
Well, forty books down, only sixty more to read!
Here's the second twenty books 'by the numbers':
Misc.:
Shortest - The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- 107 pages
Longest - Infinite Jest
- 1,076 pages
Oldest - The Bridge of San Luis Rey - 1927 (Gatsby - 1925)
Newest - Infinite Jest - 1996 (Atonement - 2002)
Longest Reading Time - Infinite Jest - 50 days (To the Lighthouse - 56 days)
Shortest Reading Time - Play it as it Lays
- 6 hours (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - 4 hours)
Books Started but Not Finished - 0
Books borrowed from Library and returned, unread - 19
Books by Decade from this Twenty: (total)
1920's - 1 (4) 1960's - 4 (6)
1930's - 3 (7) 1970's - 3 (4)
1940's - 3 (4) 1980's - 2 (5)
1950's - 2 (6) 1990's - 2 (2)
2000's - 0 (2)
Nationality:
Books by American Authors - 17
Books by British Authors - 2
Books by Russian Authors - 1
Source of Book:
From the library - 19 (35 Total)
Borrowed from friends - 0 (3 Total)
Books I own - 0 (1 Total)
Book Stolen from Rural Hotels - 1
Library Fines:
Gravity's Rainbow - $2.80
Herzog - $0.70
On the Road - $0.70
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - $1.05
Play it as it Lays - $0.35
The Death of the Heart - $1.05
The Blind Assassin - $1.05
The Berlin Stories - $0.35
An American Tragedy - $1.05
Painted Bird - $0.70
Lolita - $2.10
Slaughterhouse Five - $0.70
All the King's Men - $0.70
Total Fines: $13.30
References to The List:
Infinite Jest - William Burroughs is mentioned by one of the characters
The Sportswriter - Frank Bascombe is reading The Sun Also Rises
The Sportswriter - Bascombe refers to Tropic of Cancer
Appointment in Samarra - A character is reading Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms
Appointment in Samarra - One of the club members reportedly went to school with F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Second Twenty Books:
Ragtime
Falconer
Snow Crash
On the Road
Herzog
Play it as it Lays
The Berlin Stories
Infinite Jest
Lolita
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Day of the Locust
The Sheltering Sky
Gone With the Wind
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Sportswriter
Rabbit, Run
Blood Meridian
Appointment in Samarra
The First Twenty Books:
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Brideshead Revisited
Naked Lunch
Light in August
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Great Gatsby
Catcher in the Rye
Catch-22
Beloved
Tropic of Cancer
Midnight's Children
The Corrections
Atonement
The Power and the Glory
To The Lighthouse
Lucky Jim
The Sun Also Rises
I, Claudius
Housekeeping
Deliverance
The second twenty books has had some ups and downs, and has taken me from October 2010 to today. By far the two longest books I've read were in the last twenty, those, being, Infinite Jest and Gone With the Wind
, which are both 400 pages longer than any other book I've read so far. The shortest two books have also been since October, with The Bridge of San Luis Rey and The Day of the Locust. I had assumed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret. would be the shortest. I suppose the latter still could be. I've also noticed I've changed by library borrowing habits in this past segment, having returned 19 books without reading them, including Gravity's Rainbow
twice. I also incurred more fines this go around, with 13 book, totalling $13.30 in fines. I guess this is because I now usually have 10 to 20 books from The List borrowed from the library at any given time. It ensures I'll always have something ready to read, but also that I'll incur more fines.Lastly, I see I've been on an American author kick, with 17 of the past 20 books being my American authors. This is purely by coincidence, as I haven't ever really taken the author into consideration when selecting my next title. But, I think I'll try to make a concious effort to squeeze in a few more international talents in the next twenty reads.
Well, forty books down, only sixty more to read!
Here's the second twenty books 'by the numbers':
Misc.:
Shortest - The Bridge of San Luis Rey
- 107 pagesLongest - Infinite Jest
- 1,076 pagesOldest - The Bridge of San Luis Rey - 1927 (Gatsby - 1925)
Newest - Infinite Jest - 1996 (Atonement - 2002)
Longest Reading Time - Infinite Jest - 50 days (To the Lighthouse - 56 days)
Shortest Reading Time - Play it as it Lays
- 6 hours (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - 4 hours)Books Started but Not Finished - 0
Books borrowed from Library and returned, unread - 19
Books by Decade from this Twenty: (total)
1920's - 1 (4) 1960's - 4 (6)
1930's - 3 (7) 1970's - 3 (4)
1940's - 3 (4) 1980's - 2 (5)
1950's - 2 (6) 1990's - 2 (2)
2000's - 0 (2)
Nationality:
Books by American Authors - 17
Books by British Authors - 2
Books by Russian Authors - 1
Source of Book:
From the library - 19 (35 Total)
Borrowed from friends - 0 (3 Total)
Books I own - 0 (1 Total)
Book Stolen from Rural Hotels - 1
Library Fines:
Gravity's Rainbow - $2.80
Herzog - $0.70
On the Road - $0.70
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - $1.05
Play it as it Lays - $0.35
The Death of the Heart - $1.05
The Blind Assassin - $1.05
The Berlin Stories - $0.35
An American Tragedy - $1.05
Painted Bird - $0.70
Lolita - $2.10
Slaughterhouse Five - $0.70
All the King's Men - $0.70
Total Fines: $13.30
References to The List:
Infinite Jest - William Burroughs is mentioned by one of the characters
The Sportswriter - Frank Bascombe is reading The Sun Also Rises
The Sportswriter - Bascombe refers to Tropic of Cancer
Appointment in Samarra - A character is reading Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms
Appointment in Samarra - One of the club members reportedly went to school with F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Second Twenty Books:
Ragtime
Falconer
Snow Crash
On the Road
Herzog
Play it as it Lays
The Berlin Stories
Infinite Jest
Lolita
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Day of the Locust
The Sheltering Sky
Gone With the Wind
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Sportswriter
Rabbit, Run
Blood Meridian
Appointment in Samarra
The First Twenty Books:
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Brideshead Revisited
Naked Lunch
Light in August
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Great Gatsby
Catcher in the Rye
Catch-22
Beloved
Tropic of Cancer
Midnight's Children
The Corrections
Atonement
The Power and the Glory
To The Lighthouse
Lucky Jim
The Sun Also Rises
I, Claudius
Housekeeping
Deliverance
Friday, May 13, 2011
Of every Wind that blows
I’ve passed the half way mark on reading Gone with the Wind. Progress isn’t as bad as it may first sound, as I’m 500 pages into a 960 page book, after only two weeks. Compare this to Infinite Jest, where it took me a month to reach the halfway mark. The big difference, as I’ve mentioned before, is that I’m enjoying reading Gone with the Wind. I’m usually eager to pick up the book and dive into the world of Tara, the Civil War and Scarlett O’Hara.
Having not seen the movie, I was pretty vague on a lot of the story details, or so I thought. But now, after having read half the book, I find it amazing how much I really do know about the book, the story and the characters, all just picked up over the years through mentions, movie clips, etc. I suppose it’s one of the most popular books of all time and one of the most popular movies of all time.
I knew that Scarlett would be very hungry at some point, which I deduced from the oft quoted line, “as God is my witness, I shall never be hungry again!” So that was always in the back of my mind as the good times were rolling in the land of cotton. I knew Rhett Butler would drive Scarlett out of Atlanta as the town burned to the ground, because I’ve heard about how the producers burned all of MGM’s old sets and props to create the large inferno. And while I haven’t go there yet in the book, I’m pretty confident that tomorrow, will be another day.
And speaking of Rhett Butler, I’m finding it very difficult not to picture Clark Gable. I know what Gable looks like and I know what he sounds like. Whenever the book talks about Rhett, I find myself picturing Gable, and he’s usually saying, ‘frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ But sometimes, I picture Albert Brooks, who once did an impersonation of Gable on The Tonight Show
using a lemon. It's a classic bit. It doesn't really take anything away from the book, but it shows how much impact a movie can have on our impression of a book. This is a movie I haven't seen, and it influences many of my perceptions.
But I digress. The war is over, things are starting to look up for the O’Hara clan, and I’ve got to get back to my reading.
. Progress isn’t as bad as it may first sound, as I’m 500 pages into a 960 page book, after only two weeks. Compare this to Infinite Jest, where it took me a month to reach the halfway mark. The big difference, as I’ve mentioned before, is that I’m enjoying reading Gone with the Wind. I’m usually eager to pick up the book and dive into the world of Tara, the Civil War and Scarlett O’Hara.Having not seen the movie, I was pretty vague on a lot of the story details, or so I thought. But now, after having read half the book, I find it amazing how much I really do know about the book, the story and the characters, all just picked up over the years through mentions, movie clips, etc. I suppose it’s one of the most popular books of all time and one of the most popular movies of all time.
I knew that Scarlett would be very hungry at some point, which I deduced from the oft quoted line, “as God is my witness, I shall never be hungry again!” So that was always in the back of my mind as the good times were rolling in the land of cotton. I knew Rhett Butler would drive Scarlett out of Atlanta as the town burned to the ground, because I’ve heard about how the producers burned all of MGM’s old sets and props to create the large inferno. And while I haven’t go there yet in the book, I’m pretty confident that tomorrow, will be another day.
And speaking of Rhett Butler, I’m finding it very difficult not to picture Clark Gable. I know what Gable looks like and I know what he sounds like. Whenever the book talks about Rhett, I find myself picturing Gable, and he’s usually saying, ‘frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ But sometimes, I picture Albert Brooks, who once did an impersonation of Gable on The Tonight Show
using a lemon. It's a classic bit. It doesn't really take anything away from the book, but it shows how much impact a movie can have on our impression of a book. This is a movie I haven't seen, and it influences many of my perceptions.But I digress. The war is over, things are starting to look up for the O’Hara clan, and I’ve got to get back to my reading.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Time's thievish progress to eternity.
While reading Gone with the Wind these past few days, something dawned on me. Although one of the most popular novels of all time, as well as one of the most popular movies of all time, I don't really know what it's about. I must admit, I've never seen the movie, so most of my knowledge is limited to knowing that Clark Gable says 'damn,' while not wearing an undershirt.
I did, of course know, that it was set during the Civil War and that it follows Scarlett O'Hara. And I know about Rhett Butler. But I don't really know the back story, nor do I have any idea as to what's going to happen. In a way, I consider myself both lucky and rare. I'm sure there are few people today who can read this book for the first time and really not know what is going to happen. And this ignorance is making for a more enjoyable and interesting read.
When reading this rather lengthy book, I must compare it to Infinite Jest, the only other book from The List that I've read so far, that is even close in size (Infinite Jest weighed in at a hefty 1,076 pages, to Gone with the Wind's 959). Many of the same problems I had with Infinite Jest are present with my current read. First off, the book is huge, making it difficult to carry around. It doesn't really fit into any pockets, or even into a briefcase. And like Jest it's difficult to read because of it's size; it's heavy and awkward. Reading in bed is tough, because it's hard to hold the book up over my head for any length of time. Sometimes, if I do hold it up too long, I can feel my arms falling asleep at my elbows. Seriously. Really I have to read this one at a table so I have somewhere to put the book down.
But unlike Infinite Jest, I'm really enjoying reading Gone with the Wind. When reading Wallace's 'gargantuan' read, I found it difficult to stay involved in the story or the characters, making any progress slow and tedious. My mind set was always to just read, in order to finish it. So far, with Gone with the Wind, I'm interested in what's going to happen, so I'm reading quicker and enjoying my time spent doing so. Reading it isn't a chore, but rather a pleasant diversion; just like a book is supposed to be. But, it's still almost a thousand pages long, so it'll probably take me close to a month to read. I had earlier projected finishing around May 16th, but that banks on a 50-page-per-day pace. I'm starting to doubt I can keep that pace up as I'm already 100 pages behind.
So let me revise my predicted finishing date of May 16th, to June 1st. That's a little more reasonable, or rather a little more realistic.
these past few days, something dawned on me. Although one of the most popular novels of all time, as well as one of the most popular movies of all time, I don't really know what it's about. I must admit, I've never seen the movie, so most of my knowledge is limited to knowing that Clark Gable says 'damn,' while not wearing an undershirt.I did, of course know, that it was set during the Civil War and that it follows Scarlett O'Hara. And I know about Rhett Butler. But I don't really know the back story, nor do I have any idea as to what's going to happen. In a way, I consider myself both lucky and rare. I'm sure there are few people today who can read this book for the first time and really not know what is going to happen. And this ignorance is making for a more enjoyable and interesting read.
When reading this rather lengthy book, I must compare it to Infinite Jest
, the only other book from The List that I've read so far, that is even close in size (Infinite Jest weighed in at a hefty 1,076 pages, to Gone with the Wind's 959). Many of the same problems I had with Infinite Jest are present with my current read. First off, the book is huge, making it difficult to carry around. It doesn't really fit into any pockets, or even into a briefcase. And like Jest it's difficult to read because of it's size; it's heavy and awkward. Reading in bed is tough, because it's hard to hold the book up over my head for any length of time. Sometimes, if I do hold it up too long, I can feel my arms falling asleep at my elbows. Seriously. Really I have to read this one at a table so I have somewhere to put the book down.But unlike Infinite Jest, I'm really enjoying reading Gone with the Wind. When reading Wallace's 'gargantuan' read, I found it difficult to stay involved in the story or the characters, making any progress slow and tedious. My mind set was always to just read, in order to finish it. So far, with Gone with the Wind, I'm interested in what's going to happen, so I'm reading quicker and enjoying my time spent doing so. Reading it isn't a chore, but rather a pleasant diversion; just like a book is supposed to be. But, it's still almost a thousand pages long, so it'll probably take me close to a month to read. I had earlier projected finishing around May 16th, but that banks on a 50-page-per-day pace. I'm starting to doubt I can keep that pace up as I'm already 100 pages behind.
So let me revise my predicted finishing date of May 16th, to June 1st. That's a little more reasonable, or rather a little more realistic.
Friday, April 29, 2011
#34 - "The Sheltering Sky" by Paul Bowles
I've now finished The Sheltering Sky, my 34th book from The List. And, it marks the fifth book from The List that I'd heard of neither the book or the author. I like to consider myself 'in the know' but it's true; I'd never heard of this book or author Paul Bowles until I first came across this list. It joins Lucky Jim, Snow Crash, Play it as it Lays, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. And taking a quick glance of said list, there are quite few more as well.
The Sheltering Sky takes place in North Africa in the late 40's, and follows three Americans as they travel the area. They are Port and Kit, a young married couple, and their friend Tunner, and together they venture deeper and deeper into the desert, unsure of what they seek, but determined to find it. But the farther they stray from 'civilization', the more their lives unravel, until it's one debacle after another.While I read this book, I found myself fascinated with the journey, jealous of people who could pick up their lives and venture to Africa's hinterlands for an undetermined amount of time and without any kind of plan or destination. The experience of different cultures, far from the typical tourist spots most people visit, is incredibly appealing, but at the same time frightening. And many of the reasons for those fears are played out in The Sheltering Sky. As the trio delves deeper into the culture and closer to the locals around them, they drift apart from each other and things take a turn for the worse.
The story and setting were interesting and well written, but I'm still undecided on the main characters. Or better yet, I'm unable to figure them out. At times I found myself cheering with great interest, for Port and Kit, whose marriage seems rocky at the best of times. But there would always be some seed of doubt about both of them. Whether it would be something they said or did, or more often than not something they didn't say or do, there was just something that stopped me from really getting on board with either of them. By the end of the book, I was of the conclusion that although interested in their story, I didn't really like them as people. This probably made their tragic fates a little easier to accept.
In the final of three parts to this book, Kit, on her own, ventures into the desert, where she experiences a series of rather tragic events. Said Richard Lacayo, co-creator of this very list, "...when Kit is given over to her fate in the desert, (it) is one of the damnedest things you will ever read." And much of it is quite disturbing. But what struck me about it was the way in which it was told. Bowles was able to set a, at times, horrifying scene, through wonderful descriptions and prose, but without any detailed or graphic descriptions. Like how a Hitchcock movie creates suspense without blood and violence, Bowles is able to create a dreadful situation with the same technique. Of course I really have no problem with graphic descriptions of violence or sex, nor 'offensive language' so it's not that I'm relieved/glad it wasn't used. I just noticed the author took the road less travelled, so to speak. I guess it can be chalked up to good writing.
Despite my difficulties with the characters, I truly found this book to be a 'page-turner,' and was always eager to see what would happen next. Even if I knew it wasn't going to be pretty.
Read Time magazine's original review from December 5, 1949 here.
For number thirty-five, I have officially entered the ring for a no holds barred match against Gone with the Wind
. At 957 pages it will be over 200 shorter than Infinite Jest, but still quite a read. My plan is for 50 pages per day, meaning I finish this behemoth on May 15th. Through 60 pages, I'm happy to report I'm already finding it a much more pleasurable read than the other gigantic one.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Was i, to take this drunkard for a god
My reading has continued at a good pace this week and according to my Goodreads account, I'm 80% through The Sheltering Sky
. I'm enjoying it very much, and as soon as I'm finished writing this, I look forward to returning to it.I've decided that part of my good progress since 'the big one,' since Infinite Jest, is due to the fact that I've been throwing in a little non-fiction on the side. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I find reading some non-fiction works as a motivational tool, causing me to actually read more often. When I have two books I'm enjoying, I'm eager to read both, but must split my time; therefore I read more often. If I'm not enjoying one of them, I make reading some of it mandatory before continuing with the book I am enjoying, so again, I read more often. So far I haven't run into an instance where I don't like either book, so I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
, is due to the fact that I've been throwing in a little non-fiction on the side. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I find reading some non-fiction works as a motivational tool, causing me to actually read more often. When I have two books I'm enjoying, I'm eager to read both, but must split my time; therefore I read more often. If I'm not enjoying one of them, I make reading some of it mandatory before continuing with the book I am enjoying, so again, I read more often. So far I haven't run into an instance where I don't like either book, so I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
by Christopher Hitchens. Obviously this is a very polarizing book, and I don't really have any desire to get into any kind of religious debate, despite my feeling so passionately toward one side. What I can comment on is what a good writer Hitchens is. I'd never read anything of his before, and had only seen him in interviews or debates, where he carries himself as well as anybody, mostly due to his uncanny ability to recall quotes, facts, examples, etc. Said Martin Amis (author or the book Money, which is on The List), "With his vast array of geohistorical references and precedents, he is almost Google-like; but...Christopher's search engine is much more finely tuned." In God is not Great, Hitchens uses this 'google-like' ability to explain why he doesn't believe in any god, and why he feels 'religion poisons everything.'As far as The List is concerned, I have been able to find some relevance. Throughout my quest, I have been noting when one book from The List mentions another book, or at least an author. Well God is not Great
takes the cake, making references to eleven different authors and five different books from The List. Some references tied in nicely to the book's theme, like C.S. Lewis, a tireless promoter and defender of religion, and Salman Rushdie, whose work offended some religious types so much they ordered him executed. Other times, such as when Hitchens quotes The Adventures of Augie March, it doesn't pertain to religion necessarily, but rather he quotes them because great writers are so good at putting their thoughts on paper, why not borrow from their genius to make a real impact. After some background research, I did discover Hitchens' love of literature, it seems to be his true passion. Perhaps this is why he turns to the literary world the way many would turn to, ironically, religion. I guess Hitchens prefers to look to the good books for advice (Hitchens also can't resist a bad pun).For those interested, the authors mentioned in one way or another in God is not Great are Salman Rushdie, George Orwell, Saul Bellow, C.S. Lewis, Ian McEwan, Evelyn Waugh, Anthony Powell, Graham Greene, Doris Lessing, Philip Roth and Joseph Heller. As for books, Hitchens refers to Animal Farm
, Nineteen Eighty-four
, The Adventures of Augie March
, Brideshead Revisited
, and A Dance to the Music of Time
.I don't have any non-fiction reads ready to go right now, so my concentration will return solely to The List for the next few days. I'll hopefully have number thirty four finished soon. I'm still unsure of what thirty five will be, but am currently, as I type these words, staring at Gone with the Wind. And it's staring right back at me, I think daring me to read it.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
#29 - "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov
I think everybody knows what Lolita is about, or at least has a vague idea. The term 'Lolita' has entered the modern lexicon to refer to 'sexually procarious' young girls, so it's no surprise to learn this novel is the story of a man and his affair with his 12-year old step daughter.
Self-named 'Humbert Humbert' narrates his story from prison, where he awaits trial for murder, the story of his life as a pedophile and his courtship of the 12 year old Dolores Haze, whom he refers to as Lolita. Humbert first marries the girl's mother, in an effort to remain close to his true love, and it isn't until her untimely (or for Humbert, timely) death that the 'dirty old man' is able to make his move and prey on his Lolita. The two travel across the country, going from motel room to motel room, taking part in acts indescribable even by the narrator, the man who committed them.
As you can well imagine, the book caused a bit of a stir when it was first published in France in 1955. It was ordered to be seized and destroyed in the UK until 1957, and wasn't published in America until 1958 (it is interesting to note that an American firm offered to publish it in 1955 if Nabokov changed the Lolita character into a young boy). Of course that isn't much of a surprise, the subject matter remains controversial even today.
While the subject is so controversial and continues to be morally wrong in our society, Nabokov is able to weave it into a story without attempting to condemn or even comment on it. The author states in the afterword that "there is no moral to the story" and never at any point was he trying to deliver a message. He was simply telling a good story. And this is exactly why I enjoyed this book so much. It wasn't the controversial subject matter, or the shock value of the it, but rather the excellent writing, the wit, and the characters.
Lolita is very well written, almost like poetry, with the words flowing from one page to another so beautifully, the reader gets lost in the descriptions and the narrator's inner-monologue, instead of the dark underbelly of pedophilia. Looking back, I find it difficult to describe the feelings I experienced while reading Lolita. When Humbert's wife, Lolita's mother, discovers his true feelings by reading his diary, she runs out of the house with the intention of telling the world what kind of monster he really is. At this point, I found myself worried he would be exposed, instead of being relieved at the prospect. When she runs into the street and is struck by a bus moments later, Nabokov creates a sense of ease, leaving me relieved at Humbert's sudden liberation. It is hard to explain why I would feel relief that a pedophile's accuser has been killed, leaving him free to rape a 12-year old girl, but oddly, that is what I felt.
But this isn't to say Nabokov handles this subject as light-hearted or funny, nor do his descriptions ever suggest what Humbert is doing isn't wrong. Quite the opposite in fact, even Humbert realizes what he is doing and why it is wrong, he simply feels that he can't help himself. But despite the nature of the subject, Nabokov is able to inject a lot of humour into the story; often from Humbert's descriptions of the things around him, like his distaste for Lolita's obsessions with American pop culture and his distaste for what he sees as short comings of that society. And the inner battle Humbert often has with himself was also quite funny, but become less and less so as he slowly comes to grips with what a monster he had become.
It is Humbert's descent into this realization, his descent into his own personal hell, that the books takes a more serious turn. In the beginning I was curious as to what was going to happen, wondering how an affair would ever begin between a 12 year old and a grown man. In the end I had to keep reading to see how that affair would reach it's inevitable end and who would be left standing when it did.
You can read Time magazine's original review from September 1, 1958 right here.
Next up I plan on reading The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. I haven't read a book from the 20's for a while, To the Lighthouse was the last, and it doesn't look too lengthy. Again I find myself worried about the length of the books I read. In an effort to make up for time lost to Infinite Jest, I want to read some shorter books, but at the same time don't want to leave myself with only the really long ones at the end.
Notes: I returned Lolita three days late, and incurred $1.40 in fines. That puts my total at around twenty bucks.
Self-named 'Humbert Humbert' narrates his story from prison, where he awaits trial for murder, the story of his life as a pedophile and his courtship of the 12 year old Dolores Haze, whom he refers to as Lolita. Humbert first marries the girl's mother, in an effort to remain close to his true love, and it isn't until her untimely (or for Humbert, timely) death that the 'dirty old man' is able to make his move and prey on his Lolita. The two travel across the country, going from motel room to motel room, taking part in acts indescribable even by the narrator, the man who committed them.
As you can well imagine, the book caused a bit of a stir when it was first published in France in 1955. It was ordered to be seized and destroyed in the UK until 1957, and wasn't published in America until 1958 (it is interesting to note that an American firm offered to publish it in 1955 if Nabokov changed the Lolita character into a young boy). Of course that isn't much of a surprise, the subject matter remains controversial even today.
While the subject is so controversial and continues to be morally wrong in our society, Nabokov is able to weave it into a story without attempting to condemn or even comment on it. The author states in the afterword that "there is no moral to the story" and never at any point was he trying to deliver a message. He was simply telling a good story. And this is exactly why I enjoyed this book so much. It wasn't the controversial subject matter, or the shock value of the it, but rather the excellent writing, the wit, and the characters.
Lolita is very well written, almost like poetry, with the words flowing from one page to another so beautifully, the reader gets lost in the descriptions and the narrator's inner-monologue, instead of the dark underbelly of pedophilia. Looking back, I find it difficult to describe the feelings I experienced while reading Lolita. When Humbert's wife, Lolita's mother, discovers his true feelings by reading his diary, she runs out of the house with the intention of telling the world what kind of monster he really is. At this point, I found myself worried he would be exposed, instead of being relieved at the prospect. When she runs into the street and is struck by a bus moments later, Nabokov creates a sense of ease, leaving me relieved at Humbert's sudden liberation. It is hard to explain why I would feel relief that a pedophile's accuser has been killed, leaving him free to rape a 12-year old girl, but oddly, that is what I felt.
But this isn't to say Nabokov handles this subject as light-hearted or funny, nor do his descriptions ever suggest what Humbert is doing isn't wrong. Quite the opposite in fact, even Humbert realizes what he is doing and why it is wrong, he simply feels that he can't help himself. But despite the nature of the subject, Nabokov is able to inject a lot of humour into the story; often from Humbert's descriptions of the things around him, like his distaste for Lolita's obsessions with American pop culture and his distaste for what he sees as short comings of that society. And the inner battle Humbert often has with himself was also quite funny, but become less and less so as he slowly comes to grips with what a monster he had become.
It is Humbert's descent into this realization, his descent into his own personal hell, that the books takes a more serious turn. In the beginning I was curious as to what was going to happen, wondering how an affair would ever begin between a 12 year old and a grown man. In the end I had to keep reading to see how that affair would reach it's inevitable end and who would be left standing when it did.
You can read Time magazine's original review from September 1, 1958 right here.
Next up I plan on reading The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. I haven't read a book from the 20's for a while, To the Lighthouse was the last, and it doesn't look too lengthy. Again I find myself worried about the length of the books I read. In an effort to make up for time lost to Infinite Jest, I want to read some shorter books, but at the same time don't want to leave myself with only the really long ones at the end.
Notes: I returned Lolita three days late, and incurred $1.40 in fines. That puts my total at around twenty bucks.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
#28 - "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace
After fifty days, I have finally finished Infinite Jest. It was a gargantuan read, and I truly did try to read it as fast as I could. However, the combination of small print, large pages, and over a thousand of them, there really wasn't anyway I was going to finish this one quickly. I guess if I was going to take a ride on the Ark, this would be the perfect book to take with me.I've read a plethora of reviews on this book, and see that people either really like it or really hate it, there's no in between. My first instinct is to say I'm in the latter group, but I've been having second thoughts. At first glance, I didn't enjoy the story (or lack there of), I didn't really enjoy a lot of the humor, and for the most part found myself only reading out of a sense of obligation, not because I had any interest in continuing.
But now I'm starting to wonder how much of my distaste for the book was related to its' size. By just looking at it sitting on my desk, I felt defeated. It was heavy to carry around with me, it's uncomfortable to hold up to read, and I grew tired of people saying, "you're still reading that one..." Of course I'm still reading it, it's over a thousand goddamn pages!
But while the size was a major factor, really it just wasn't my kind of read. Following an array of different people at a Boston tennis academy and a nearby addiction recovery house, the book would float between the two story lines, often losing this reader in the process. Yes, I'm admitting I didn't really understand a lot of the book, but I don't put the blame entirely on myself. Part of it was the meandering-take-four-pages-to-describe-what-should-only-take-four-sentences approach to Wallace's prose, while part of it was the not-too-distant-future setting where society has taken a severe turn for the worst. I never like these 'the future sucks' type stories and when it's stretched out over a thousand pages, I found myself frequently bored. With boredom comes a wondering mind and soon I find myself not paying enough attention.
So maybe it wasn't so much that I didn't understand the book, but rather that I found it difficult to pay attention to it. And like a teacher or speaker, if you have trouble paying attention, it might speak to the quality of the work as much as it does to the attention span of the student or audience. While I wouldn't put this book as low as my current cellar-dweller, Naked Lunch, it isn't much higher up the list.
Now that I've taken so much time ro read Infinite Jest, I'm going to need to do some serious catch-up in order to continue my pace of two books per month. I'm starting with Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I'm vaguely familiar with the story and I have the feeling it shouldn't take too long to read. At only 330 pages, it seems like a mere pamphlet compared to #28.
You can read Time magazine's original review from February 19, 1996 right here.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
In the future, they'll be read
While I was at the book store today I was looking at a couple of books from The List, reading the back cover; checking them out basically. I had no intention of buying any of them, as A, I'm not planning on buying any of the books for now. And B, I already have ten books sitting on my desk at home from the library, that need to be read.
One I looked at was Day of the Locust, which seems quite interesting. It's about someone trying to make it in Hollywood in the 1930's. Another was The Golden Notebook, about a divorced female author, suffering through writer's block. I was intrigued by both, but for the reasons stated above, left them both on the shelf. It got me thinking however, that although I've spent a lot of time thinking about my reading order, for the most part I haven't been considering the stories I want to read, and trying to spread them out amongst all the books I don't want to read, or at least think I don't want to read.
So far, I haven't done a bad job of this, and have managed to mix in Brideshead Revisited and Tropic of Cancer with Beloved and Housekeeping. This isn't to say I enjoyed or didn't enjoy any of these books, but rather that going into some books, I'm excited, and some I am not. Probably most of that is due to either the cover, or me having heard of the book somewhere else (this was the case of Tropic of Cancer which I knew only from 'Seinfeld'). So the two books I saw today seem like two books I would like to read, but I realize that I can't be reading them for a while.
Then it struck me, that going through a list of 100 books presents one with some odd situations. When I see Never Let Me Go, the book which I have decided I will read 99th, I realize that I won't be reading it for almost three years (okay, at my current pace, over three years). It's odd to say, 'Ooh I want to read this. I shall do so in 2014.' But I suppose that's what happens when you decide to make your way through a list such as this. And of course my current read, Infinite Jest isn't helping this problem at all.
Speaking of Infinite Jest, I've basically reached the halfway point, sitting on page 529. Only 540 to go! It hasn't really gripped me yet, and I've basically lost any hope that it will. Instead, it looks as if it will be a book a slug through over one thousand pages and then never speak of it again.
One I looked at was Day of the Locust, which seems quite interesting. It's about someone trying to make it in Hollywood in the 1930's. Another was The Golden Notebook, about a divorced female author, suffering through writer's block. I was intrigued by both, but for the reasons stated above, left them both on the shelf. It got me thinking however, that although I've spent a lot of time thinking about my reading order, for the most part I haven't been considering the stories I want to read, and trying to spread them out amongst all the books I don't want to read, or at least think I don't want to read.
So far, I haven't done a bad job of this, and have managed to mix in Brideshead Revisited and Tropic of Cancer with Beloved and Housekeeping. This isn't to say I enjoyed or didn't enjoy any of these books, but rather that going into some books, I'm excited, and some I am not. Probably most of that is due to either the cover, or me having heard of the book somewhere else (this was the case of Tropic of Cancer which I knew only from 'Seinfeld'). So the two books I saw today seem like two books I would like to read, but I realize that I can't be reading them for a while.
Then it struck me, that going through a list of 100 books presents one with some odd situations. When I see Never Let Me Go, the book which I have decided I will read 99th, I realize that I won't be reading it for almost three years (okay, at my current pace, over three years). It's odd to say, 'Ooh I want to read this. I shall do so in 2014.' But I suppose that's what happens when you decide to make your way through a list such as this. And of course my current read, Infinite Jest isn't helping this problem at all.
Speaking of Infinite Jest, I've basically reached the halfway point, sitting on page 529. Only 540 to go! It hasn't really gripped me yet, and I've basically lost any hope that it will. Instead, it looks as if it will be a book a slug through over one thousand pages and then never speak of it again.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Time's thievish progress to eternity.
I guess it's time for a little (how ironic) update on Infinite Jest. As of this moment in time, I am 33.27% finished. Which means, I am on page 358 of 1076 pages. While it doesn't seem like much, I have made may way through a fair chunk, and I've been progressing much better as of late. Allow me to explain. I had planned on reading 20 pages per day, which means that as of today, February 2, 2011, I should be on page 460. So, that means I'm only 100 pages behind, or five days. The good news is that the last week, on Thursday, I was 140 pages behind. When I should have been on page 320, I was only at 180. So that is progress.
Either way though, I still have over 700 pages to go. To put that into perspective, the longest book I've read from The List so far was Midnight's Children at 589 pages. So, I've got more than that to read, plus these pages are probably about 50% larger. While it may seem like I'm being a Negative Nelly, I'm simply venting my frustrations at reading a book larger than most phone books. I'm really staying quite upbeat about my progress or lack there of.
Back to reading now, and perhaps I can get within 80 pages of my pace today. Okay, maybe 90 pages.
Either way though, I still have over 700 pages to go. To put that into perspective, the longest book I've read from The List so far was Midnight's Children at 589 pages. So, I've got more than that to read, plus these pages are probably about 50% larger. While it may seem like I'm being a Negative Nelly, I'm simply venting my frustrations at reading a book larger than most phone books. I'm really staying quite upbeat about my progress or lack there of.
Back to reading now, and perhaps I can get within 80 pages of my pace today. Okay, maybe 90 pages.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
#27 - "The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood
I have finished my first book of 2011, or is it my first two books? The Berlin Stories is two books combined into one; The Last of Mr. Norris and Goodbye Berlin. While the two are not directly linked, they do have a common narrator, boarding house and landlady (all the essentials to a great story).
Book one follows the narrator (presumably the author) on a trip from his native England, on the train, to Berlin, where he shares a berth with the odd, yet intriguing Arthur Norris. The story explores their relationship in inter-war Berlin where they become involved with the local communist party, while Hitler and the Nazis rise to power in the background. Arthur Norris is simply a great character. I liked him, but wasn't sure why, and I loathed him for the same reasons. I found him inexplicably interesting and mysterious, and didn't know what to make of him until the end. At times he seemed as if he would fit right into a Le Carre spy novel, while at other times he seemed as if he could double for Willy Loman. Add a little political intrigue into the mix and you get quite a story.The second book follows a bit of a different format. While it still revolves around the same narrator, almost all the supporting characters are different. The second book reads more like a diary or journal, with six different entries, each about people the narrator spends him time with in Berlin. Most famous of these is no doubt Sally Bowles, who Liza Minnelli won an Oscar for portraying in "Cabaret," but there's also his relationship with Peter and Otto, a gay couple struggling with their relationship in a soon-to-be-Nazi-run Germany, and Natalia Laundauer, a wealthy Jewish heiress, who's family isn't prepared for the fate we all know now they must have met. Like Arthur Norris from the first story, the characters in the second book are so well written and developed. They all at times seem oddly likable, but strangely repugnant.
I'm torn as to what to think of this book. When I finished reading, my first thought was no doubt that I had enjoyed reading it, but when I look back, I'm not exactly sure why. The first story was quite interesting, especially as the two get more and more involved with the communist party, all while Hitler is rising to power, but the second story didn't really have any story, nor any conclusion. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy the second half, it just didn't seem to have any real point. As I mentioned earlier, it was more a series of diary entries, which when I think about it, is exactly how it was intended. I've always thought that a great story is what make me enjoy a book, but here the story wasn't the best part, rather it was the characters and the setting, both so well written, I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the period.
But I think what I enjoyed the most was the writing style. More Hemingway than Woolf, Isherwood writes more like a storyteller, and less like a psychiatrist. Instead of 'philosophical introspection' (a term I once saw used to describe boring, modernist novels like To the Lighthouse), he uses a more direct style of prose; describing the character and their actions, instead of their inner thoughts about their actions or other characters. Combine this with his interesting characters, and Isherwood gave me an excellent read.
It was also interesting to read this book, knowing what was to happen in Germany and the world in the years following its publication. When published in 1935, although the Nazis were in power, the war was yet to start, the world was unaware of the atrocities that were to occur. While many of the characters in both books doubt war will ever happen, the narrator is less certain, predicting not only war, but ethnic mass murder. If only Neville Chamberlain had thought that way, things might have turned out very differently.
You can read TIME's original review from May 20, 1935, right here. They only review The Last of Mr. Norris, as the two were not published together at the time it was written.
I've forged ahead into my 28th book, Infinite Jest. I almost went with a smaller, less intimidating book, but realized that I'm going to have to read this sooner or later, so I might as well dive in right now. It's going to take some kind of effort to finish this thing before the snow melts (in May).
Thursday, January 6, 2011
And mark how well the sequel hangs together:
I've been reading The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood for the past week and a half; since Christmas I guess. It's bit of a different book from any on the list so far, as it is really two books in one. Isherwood first published two books called The Last of Mr. Norris and Goodbye Berlin in 1935 and 1936 respectively. Then, in 1946, they were combined into one novel, The Berlin Stories and have appeared as such ever since.
I'm about half way through the second 'book' right now. I'm not sure if this will change, but so far, they have little of anything to do with each other. The main character is the same (who happens to be named Chris Isherwood) and his landlady is the same, so I'll assume the setting is basically the same as well. However, he interacts with completely different people in each. I guess it almost makes it seem like a sequel in a way, but the story from the first book did reach a conclusion. It wasn't like in "Back to the Future," when the DeLorean disappeared, destined for the future, leaving the audience hanging. This is more like Toy Story 2, where it is just another wacky adventure for the main character.
So far, I'm enjoying this book (or these books rather) quite a bit. I'm liking the writing style, the characters and the inter-war Berlin setting. I hope to finish it soon, Sunday at the latest. Then, I'm moving on to Infinite Jest, one of the books I've truly been fearing. Not because I think I won't like it, or that I'll find it boring, but because the last page has a tiny '1076' in the bottom right-hand corner. It is truly gigantic.
I'm about half way through the second 'book' right now. I'm not sure if this will change, but so far, they have little of anything to do with each other. The main character is the same (who happens to be named Chris Isherwood) and his landlady is the same, so I'll assume the setting is basically the same as well. However, he interacts with completely different people in each. I guess it almost makes it seem like a sequel in a way, but the story from the first book did reach a conclusion. It wasn't like in "Back to the Future," when the DeLorean disappeared, destined for the future, leaving the audience hanging. This is more like Toy Story 2, where it is just another wacky adventure for the main character.
So far, I'm enjoying this book (or these books rather) quite a bit. I'm liking the writing style, the characters and the inter-war Berlin setting. I hope to finish it soon, Sunday at the latest. Then, I'm moving on to Infinite Jest, one of the books I've truly been fearing. Not because I think I won't like it, or that I'll find it boring, but because the last page has a tiny '1076' in the bottom right-hand corner. It is truly gigantic.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Virtuous and holy; chosen from above,
I`ve chosen Snow Crash as my 23rd book from The List. I was conflicted in choosing my next read. I`ve wanted to try and get through 25 books within a year of first starting this list, and I`ve only three weeks to read the last three books. My first thought was that to do this, I`d need to read some shorter books, and, let`s say, easier books. A couple of my current checkouts would fit nicely into this list, especially Animal Farm and Lolita. Both are short, I have a vague idea of the plot line of both, and both are regarded as classics, so I`ve no doubt I`ll enjoy them.
But the other four books I have checked out are...quite large. There`s Infinite Jest at a hefty 980 pages, and Gone with the Wind at 998 pages. There's really no way I could finish either of these in enough time to finish 25 books within one year of starting.
As I leaned toward one of the shorter selections, something hit me. If I continue to read only the shorter books, I`ll run into a problem later on, when I have only lengthy books remaining. I don`t want to find myself trying to get to fifty next October, or worse, trying to get to 100, and having seven thousand-page behemoths left.
As a compromise, I`ve gone with Snow Crash, which clocks in at 470 pages. Not the longest book out there by any means, but it is Sci-Fi, which I`m not a big fan of. That'll likely slow down my progress a little. Hopefully not too much though, I have only two weeks to read three books. Hmmm....it's not looking good.
But the other four books I have checked out are...quite large. There`s Infinite Jest at a hefty 980 pages, and Gone with the Wind at 998 pages. There's really no way I could finish either of these in enough time to finish 25 books within one year of starting.
As I leaned toward one of the shorter selections, something hit me. If I continue to read only the shorter books, I`ll run into a problem later on, when I have only lengthy books remaining. I don`t want to find myself trying to get to fifty next October, or worse, trying to get to 100, and having seven thousand-page behemoths left.
As a compromise, I`ve gone with Snow Crash, which clocks in at 470 pages. Not the longest book out there by any means, but it is Sci-Fi, which I`m not a big fan of. That'll likely slow down my progress a little. Hopefully not too much though, I have only two weeks to read three books. Hmmm....it's not looking good.
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