Siam Scarlett

I can't believe I forgot to mention this last week, but while in Thailand, I had a run-in with one of the list books. It wasn't until we were going through our photos last night that I remembered...

As I've mentioned many times before, I always enjoying perusing a bookshelf. It could be in somebody's home, at a hotel, in a library, or in a bookstore; it doesn't really matter, I just like walking my eyes over the spines of books. I suppose the fun is that you might come across something unique or something you've never heard of, and it just might take your reading in a new direction.

After having spent over five years reading through this list, I'm still little amazed how often I come across these titles. Of course it shouldn't really come as any surprise, after all they are 100 "all-time novels."

Often give us soldiers the lie: but we pay them for

My reading through a list of 100 books has meant that I have had to get my hands on...100 different books. While I understand the appeal of buying books and having them displayed on a bookshelf in one's home, it isn't really for me. Maybe if the books I bought were leather-bound first editions, but I have no desire to line my shelf with a collection of paperbacks, most of which I will never read again.

So, to read through these books I've been making good use of the library. Of the 65 books I've read so far, 60 were from the library. However, the library doesn't have every book on the list. To ensure that I'll never been in a situation where I'm waiting to read the 100th book, I've always kept my eyes open for these missing titles at every used bookstore I visit.

Currently my two most sought titles are Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone, and Loving by Henry Green. There are other titles the library currently doesn't have, but I know this is only because their previous copies were discarded and are being replaced (White Noise).

I shall continue thankful.

I haven't been able to post recently for one simple reason, I haven't been reading from the list. For the past several weeks, I've been rather pre-occupied with WordFest and my commitment to reading #61 has been spectacularly dismal.

It has continued however, and I am currently about a hundred pages into Lord of the Rings.  But really, that's pathetic progress considering I finished One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  over a month ago.  And I'll admit that of those 100 pages, I read about 96 of them last night.  So basically, I took a month off from reading the list, but resumed my journey yesterday.  Hopefully I can continue on a good pace for the next couple of months, and get into the 70's before 2013.

But just because I haven't been reading from the list doesn't mean I haven't been reading. As part of my association with WordFest, I try and read as many books that will be appearing at the festival as possible.  This year included among others, Seen Reading by Julie Wilson, Cures for Hunger by Deni Bechard, and One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston.

Like reading from this list, my involvement with WordFest introduces me to a ton of new books and authors I might not otherwise be aware of.  Hearing authors read from and discuss their books is always very intriguing, as is actually meeting them.  As happened last year, my 'to read' list grew substantially longer.  But, I vow they'll stay on the "to read" list for quite some time, as for the foreseeable future I will be obediently reading #61 and beyond.

#60 - 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesey

For the second time since I've been reading through this list, I've read a book that I was very familiar with because I had seen the movie several times, but never read the book.  As was the case with Deliverance, two things struck me after reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. First off, the book is almost always better, second, I wish I had read the book before I saw the movie.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is narrated by Chief Bromden, the deaf and dumb, well at least everybody thinks he's deaf and dumb, Indian living in an Oregon Psychiatric Hospital.  The lives of the patients at the hospital follow a fairly mundane routine, that is until the day Randle Patrick McMurphy arrives.  McMurphy, a larger than life character, bucks the trends in the hospital, questions every practice, and isn't afraid to stand up to the powers that be.  Having been transferred from a nearby prison, McMurphy has engineered his move, with the thought that six months in the psych ward would be more pleasant than prison.

Of course he didn't count on being transferred to the ward managed by Nurse Ratched, one of literature's more evil characters.  With the rest of the patients serving as mere pawns in their game, Mr. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched do battle for power within the ward, each trying to show the other who's boss.  But for perhaps the first time in his life, the deck is stacked against him, and almost immediately, we know this will be a battle Mr. McMurphy can't win.

The book works well on so many levels, and made for an interesting and enjoyable read, despite me knowing how it would end.  Chief Bromden provides insight into the goings on at the hospital through his narration, and allows the reader to join him for a front seat to the pending war between nurse and patient. 

While McMurphy is by no means a good person, I found myself cheering for him for a couple of reasons. First off, he isn't nearly as evil as Nurse Ratched, which would make him the good guy in this little battle. Secondly, he finds himself in such a hopeless situation, it is nearly impossible to not only feel for McMurphy, but also the other patients in the hospital.

Author Ken Kesey had a lot of experience with 1950's psychology techniques, having served as a human guinea pig for several years, as well as working in different mental institutions.  He denounces most of their practices, and creates McMurphy into a very sympathetic character, who is caught in the machinery of 'medicine.'  And while Nurse Ratched is pure evil, the entire institution also serves as a worthy antagonist, as we see how the patients are trapped by their surroundings, and are not really offered any help or any cure for their conditions.

Even with such great and iconic characters, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest's greatest attribute is the entertaining give and take between McMurphy and Ratched.  Despite McMurphy's inevitable downfall being so apparent, we're given almost continuous hope with every small victory he has against the nurse.  His ability to stand up to Nurse Ratched, and his ability to have the rules of the ward changed in the patient's favor, create a feeling that maybe, just maybe, things will work out.  Of course this only makes McMurphy's fate that much more difficult to swallow, and reminds us that the house always wins.

While I finished this book over a week ago, I have yet to begin number 61.  Instead, I've been pre-occupied with reading books that will be featured at WordFest.  Currently that would be Cures for Hunger by Deni Bechard, an autobiography of growing up with am ex-bank robber father.  But my reading the list will not be put on hold until after WordFest and I will pick my next book this week.

I'll prove a busy actor in their play.

It's been a busy few weeks for me, which is the main reason I haven't posted anything.  Most of the busy, neh, all of the busy is because I am again blogging for WordFest this October.  Well actually, I suppose I will be blogging leading up to the event as well.  But long story short, I've had to divert a lot of my attention to my duties with WordFest.

    

To begin, I've now been presented with a lengthy list of books to read.  Of course with over 70 authors coming, I'm unable to read even a quarter of them, but I would like to get a few of them in, as it always adds to an event when I've read the book being presented.  What this means is that I'll have less time to devote to my list reading.  In addition, I need to prepare and write a series of blog leading up to the event.  This includes author interviews, a look behind the scenes, and perhaps a couple of reviews.


But WordFest still affords some time for The List.  Last year, Lev Grossman, author of this list I've been devoting so much time to, was in attendance at WordFest.  This year, I am happy to report there are two connections to The List.  First off is Richard Ford, author of my 37th read The Sportswriter, who will be talking about his latest book Canada.  Ford will actually be presenting at a pre-WordFest event later this month, and I would love to be able to read his book before then.  Everybody I've talked to who has read it, raves about it.  The second author, who will actually be this year's "Distinguished Author", is Martin Amis, presenting his newest novel, Lionel Asbo: State of England.  Amis was the author of my 55th read, Money.  I was able to read Lionel Asbo last week, a quick read, and enjoyable for the most part, but a book that falls well short of his list entry.


Concerning my list read, which is currently One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I am still reading and actually nearly finished.  It's a great book, but one that I've been forced to go a little slower than I'd like, to allow more time for some WordFest books.  Hopefully I can get a review up this weekend, and start on #61, which is yet to be determined.


You can follow my WordFest blog right here.    

#59 - 'Revolutionary Road' by Richard Yates

April and Frank Wheeler appear to be doing well as they approach their 30's; they have two kids, Frank has a 'good' job, and they live in a nice house in the suburbs.  But like so many couples, the wear and tear of living a normal life has begun to drag them down.  This is the setting for my 59th read from Time's list of 100 All-Time Novels, Revolutionary Road.

Before they had kids, before they were married, April and Frank felt they were better than the average couple, smarter and more sophisticated.  The world was to be their oyster, living the dream, destined for greatness.  But after a few years, the responsibilities of having a mortgage, having kids, and having a job, have made them wonder what happened to their dreams.

While they are seemingly happy on the surface, the weight of these realities has begun to make their lives completely different from what they had planned.  But when April suggests they move to Paris and allow Frank to find a great job he enjoys, things begin to look up for the Wheelers.  Moving to Europe would free them from the shackles of suburban life and free them from the rut they find themselves in.

Revolutionary Road was a great novel in every respect, taking the reader on a emotional roller coaster through the ups and downs of suburban life in the 1950's.  Despite knowing things would probably not work out for the Wheelers, there was always a glimmer of hope.  Just when it seemed things all hope was lost, something would happen to make me think everything might work out.  Of course every high was short-lived and the inevitable downfall would continue, descending lower and lower each time.


The Wheelers are very complete characters, realistic in their interactions with each other, their neighbors and co-workers.  Their problems were ones that seemed so normal, unlike the extraordinary circumstances characters from so many other books find themselves in.  This always made it easy to relate to their situation and ensured I was always sympathetic to their plight, and always hopeful they could find a way out.  But unlike characters in movies, they are real people, who don't have all the answers and are as afraid of the future as any of us.  Through their ups and downs, they never seem unrealistic, even if their aspirations do.  Just as with so many people, who dream of bigger and better things, they cling to the faint possibility, even though they know deep down it is unlikely to ever happen.

As I was warned, it was a depressing story, perhaps even more so than I thought it would be.  But I suppose so many good books are, which is often what makes them great; they don't wrap everything up in a neat little package.  The sadness described in Revolutionary Road is so realistic it reads almost as a cautionary tale instead of merely a fictional tragedy.  Perhaps this is what made it such a downer.  While many tragedies are entertaining in their story, they might not be a situation someone will ever find themselves in.  But the story in Revolutionary Road seems to be one that anybody could fall into.  While both April and Frank have their faults, I was never sure which side I should take in their marital struggles.  And I think that was the most depressing part of their story; neither of them was really at fault, it was just the hard reality of life, that everything doesn't always work out.  No matter how much they or I hoped it would.




For my 60th, which is a milestone of sorts I suppose, I am going to read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.  I am quite familiar with the movie and will assume the book is more or less the same story.  Yes, I will assume.    

Come, and take choice of all my library,

I headed to the library today with a couple of things in mind. First off, I need to read a couple of books that I know nothing about. While I haven’t read the vast majority of the books on the list, I might have seen the movie (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) or I might be very familiar with the story (Lolita) despite not having read it or seen the movie. However, most of the books on the list don’t fit into either category. Let's face it, I haven’t even heard of most of these books. So instead of finding myself with thirty books to go, none of which I know anything about, I’ve decided to make a point of tackling some of these novels.

I came out with two selections from today’s trip; Beloved by Toni Morrison and Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. I don’t know anything about Beloved or its author, and the only thing I know about Tropic of Cancer is that it’s supposed to be quite racy. And I only know this from that episode of ‘Seinfeld’ where Jerry has a 25-year overdue library book.

I think I’ll start with Beloved as it would come first alphabetically. Written in 1987, this will be by far the newest book I’ve read so far, the next one being The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, written in 1964.

I will (not) watch to-night;

I cam across the movie version of Catch-22 today while I was flipping channels. Let me re-phrase that, I came across the movie Catch-22 today, when I was flipping channels instead of doing what I should have been doing; reading. Although I'd heard of the movie, I've never actually seen it. I believe this means that Catch-22 fits into the "I've heard of the movie but didn't know it was a book as well" category from this list. Along with A Clockwork Orange and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Fortunately I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't realize A Clockwork Orange was a novel before it was a movie.

I didn't watch Catch-22, but I have PVR'd it for later viewing. I've actually PVR'd (perhaps the newest verb I've ever used) a couple of movies from the list, to watch them after I've read the books, including All the King's Men, Deliverance, To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone with the Wind. I always like seeing a movie version after reading a book, to see how others have interpreted the same story.