#74 - "Native Son" by Richard Wright

I've just completed perhaps my fastest read since I started through these 100 books. Native Son, my 74th book from Time's list, and its 430 pages only took four days to read. Of course books like Animal Farm took less time, but you know what I mean...

I'll assume the chief reason I read it so fast, was that I enjoyed it so much. It was a real page turner, and one I couldn't put down. But while I couldn't wait to read the next page, at the same time, I dreaded reading that page. This book was a tragedy in the truest sense of the word. It was gut wrenching, heartbreaking, frustrating, and maddening. And wonderful.

Bigger Thomas, a 20-year-old African-American man lives in a rat-infested, one-bedroom apartment on Chicago's South Side. Living in quarters so cramped, he and his brother are forced to turn their heads when his mother and sister wish to change, as there simply isn't any privacy in their one room.

#68 - "The Heart of the Matter" by Graham Greene

A week ago I finished #68 from Time's list, The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene. This was the 2nd Greene book I've read from the list, so he joins Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner with this honor. I'm happy to report that this book was more enjoyable than Woolf and Faulkner's books combined. In fact, I think it's safe to say I'd rather read this book 100 times, than read those four books once.

Henry Scobie is a policeman, serving in an unnamed West Africa colony during the War. Scobie is, in many ways, a classic colonial Englishman, dedicated to Queen and country and proud of his English heritage and traditions. But unlike most of his contemporaries in West Africa, Scobie is also very honest; refusing bribes and for the most part doing what is "right." Or at least, what he feels is right.

And from this testimony of your own sex,

Thinking back to my previous read, Under the Net, it dawned on me that there was something fairly unique about it, that being it featured a male protagonist but was written by a woman.  And this would be the same case the other way, a male author writing a female character; it doesn't happen very often.

Looking back at the 58 books I've read so far, I only see two other books that truly fit into this category.  Number 56, Death Comes for the Archbishop, was entirely about a man, written by Willa Cather, while Atonement centers around a young woman, written by Ian McEwan.  There may be a couple of others I suppose, as one could argue that Paul Bowles' The Sheltering Sky featured a female protagonist, but I would respond by saying that although Kit had the most 'screen' time, she wasn't the main character.  And while Lena Grove is quite central to Light in August, she takes a seat to some of the more powerful characters in that book.

Thinking about it, it makes sense this would be the case, as one tends to be more familiar with their own sex, and hence better able to write a character that shares that trait.  It reminds me of a great Hemingway quote about a writer being able to omit a lot of details, "If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them."  While I think he was probably more talking about plot or settings, the same would apply to characters.  Naturally, a woman would know more about being a woman, which would show through her writing.

Of course this isn't to say that one can't write a character of a different gender, and there are no shortage of examples.  Atticus Finch is one of the giants of fiction, written by Harper Lee, ditto for Rhett Butler written by Margaret Mitchell.  But in neither case are they the central character of the book, no matter how important they were.

But I wonder why Under the Net made me think about this, when clearly there are other examples.  Never once do I remember pondering this question after finishing Atonement or Death Comes for the Archbishop.  I think the reason is that neither of those books featured a character I really enjoyed reading.  Jake Donaghue was one of my favorites so far and really sticks out in my mind, while the Archbishop and Briony do not.  In fact, I already don't remember the Archbishop's name (or if it was even given) and I'm not a hundred percent sure that Briony is correct (it is, but I had to look it up and probably wouldn't have remembered if I hadnt' found it such an odd name).

I also think the above Hemingway quote is bang on in this instance.  While Willa Cather was fascinated and well educated in the setting and time period in which she placed her novel, perhaps she wasn't as much an expert on the male psyche.  Conversely, I would never have guessed Under the Net was written by a woman, had that not been completely obvious from the cover and multiple other sources.  So many of Jake Donaghue's thoughts made me feel as if somebody understood how I thought things through.  Ironically this is what two people have told me was the reason they loved To the Lighthouse so much.  Perhaps that's why I didn't; I'm not a woman from the early 20th century.

As an update to my reading, Revolutionary Road is excellent.  And while there have been some rather intense moments, I haven't felt the need to use my cyanide pill yet.  However, I know things are going to turn for the worse, and the set-up is already there for it to be a complete nosedive (the mood, not the quality).

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.

#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.

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.

The non-fiction book I just finished is called God is not Great 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.

#33 - "The Day of the Locust" by Nathanael West

The 33rd book of The List has been read; one third finished, two thirds to go.  It was 18 months ago I started reading these 100 novels and I'm a little behind my desired pace, so I currently should be finishing around April of 2014.  I actually finished my latest book a few days ago, but was out of town and unable to find the time to write anything about it.

The quarter pole book, er...third pole, was The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, which ended up being so because I was hoping to squeeze in a quick read before going away, thus I wouldn't have to pack more than two books for my trip.  Of course, despite being only 127 pages and the second shortest on the list so far (ahead of only The Bridge of San Luis Rey) I wasn't able to finish it until about halfway through my flight; about two hours too late.

The book is set in Hollywood in the 1930's, and centers around a few fringe players in the movie industry.  Included are Tod Hackett, a wannabe artist who works painting backgrounds for movie sets, and the woman he's after, Faye Greener, an aspiring starlet.  As the story moves along, the two run into many obstacles to ever getting together, meaning Faye has other suitors who are getting in Tod's way.  Most notably is Homer Simpsons (see my previous post), a hapless businessman who Faye uses for money, clothing and shelter, and Erle Shoop, another Hollywood wannabe whose Texan roots lend well to being an extra playing cowboys in the movies.

Of course the book isn't just a novelization of a rom-com, where the a love triangle develops and hilarity ensues.  Rather it is the story of Hollywood and the people who try and fail to make it big in the movies.  Which in reality of course, is almost everybody.  Nearly every character has moved to Southern California, with the hopes of becoming the next big thing, and most of them will stop at nothing to see this dream become a reality.  Faye Greener even goes so far as to say that if she doesn't become a big star, she'll kill herself.  I shudder to think how many people actually lived out this scene.

When I finished reading this book, I had a hard time putting my finger on it.  But it suddenly dawned on me, that my having trouble writing about it, was because I didn't really like it.  It isn't that it was poorly written, but the story wasn't terribly interesting, and the characters, for the most part, weren't that memorable.  In fact, when I look back at it, the only thing that jumps out about it in my mind, was the fact that one of the characters was named Homer Simpson.  I'm sure if Fitzgerald's book was called The Great Simpson, I'd have been able to get over it, and I doubt Homer would be the only thing I remember.

Not only was in not that interesting, it was also slightly depressing and didn't really have any closure at the end.  Now an unhappy ending can be done to great effect, (see Gatsby again) but here it only led me to often lose interest in what was happening.  As for the conclusion, the book just seemed to end for no reason other than West ran out of ink.  Had it not been for the fact that there were only a few pages left, I wouldn't have had any clue I was nearing the end.

But then I begin to wonder, as I always do when I don't really care for a book from The List, did I miss something?  Maybe there is some deeper meaning to this novel, and I'm not savvy enough to pick up on it.  Or maybe I read the important parts when I was sleepy and kind of glossed over them.  But then again, maybe it just wasn't that good of a book.

Having been written in 1939, The Day of the Locust was one of the first books to try and tackle the movie industry.  So perhaps it was a little more cutting edge at the time, exploring such a  glamorous and exciting business.  But today, when the topic has been discussed ad naseum, when there are magazines, books, TV shows, movies, blogs, and facebook groups dedicated to the same thing, perhaps it's impact isn't as profound.



You can read TIME magazine's original review from June 19, 1939 right here.  It's interesting to note that TIME didn't think much of this book in 1939.

Notes: There is an odd line in this novel, which goes as follows: "...from a flood in Medicine Hat, Wyoming, to an angry policeman in Moose Factory, Ontario."  Besides being two of the funnier place names around, anybody from Alberta (as I am) can tell you Medicine Hat is here, not in Wyoming.  I have been unable to find any trace of a Medicine Hat, Wyoming, so I'm guessing West must have liked 'Medicine Hat', but thought Alberta was a little too obscure in 1939.  'Moose Factory', by the way, does exist, and is home to former NHL'er Jonathan Cheechoo.

The main character's name is spelt 'Tod', so I didn't misspell it in this post.  However, the edition of this book I read did, having spelt it 'Todd' once, like a normal person would.

As I mentioned, I actually finished this book last Sunday, so I'm already over halfway through number thirty-four, The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.