As I mentioned in my previous post, I have continued to read in spite of everything life has thrown my way. Upon looking back, my reading over the past two months spanned three centuries and wide range of topics - murder mysteries, the French Revolution, the Holocaust, a satire of philosophy, unrequited love, exploitation of the health industry, and self-reflection. Here is a look at what I've been reading:
Voltaire
Although I'm not able to participate in an organized literature study of any kind (as I had hoped to this past summer), I did join a classics book club that meets at a Barnes & Noble store north of Cincinnati. This is a small group of people who are reading classic works that have been published by B&N. October's read was Candide by Voltaire. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it. It is satire on philosophy, and Voltaire pokes fun at just about everyone - especially the Catholic church. Candide's story is a journey, and every place he travels to finds him in increasingly bizarre and fantastic circumstances. This is one where you need to just suspend belief and go with the flow. The trip, although painful for Candide, is worth it.
Charles Dickens
The November selection for the classics book club was a personal favorite of mine - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This makes my fourth reading of this book, and it is one that I enjoyed just as much the fourth time as the first. I love Dickens' use of pluralities, and I can't think of a better representation of tragedy/sacrifice than Sidney Carton and his fate. Dickens makes the French Revolution come alive by showing both sides - the cruel heartlessness of the privileged against the poor which caused the cruel ruthlessness of the poor against the privileged.
Anne Michaels
Canadian author Anne Michaels was recommended to me by Ann at Table Talk. I read Michaels' first novel, Fugitive Pieces, a piece that follows into adulthood two children of Holocaust victims (one set of parents survive while the other set does not), their feeling of guilt and its ramifications on their lives and relationships. The story is beautifully written, yet I found it to be one of the most disturbing books I have read. I highly recommend it.
Georgette Heyer
If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a big Georgette Heyer fan. Heyer is best known for her Regency romances and historical fiction, but she also wrote mysteries. I was in need of a book that would be fun to read without requiring too much thought. I decided on Heyer's Why Shoot a Butler?. This was the first mystery by Heyer I've read, and based on this book, I prefer her historical pieces. I felt that none of the characters were worth my sympathy and some of the language was very dated (read politically incorrect).
Agatha Christie
Even more disappointing than the Heyer mystery was Halloween Party by Agatha Christie. In this story, Hercule Poirot becomes involved in solving the murder of a 13 year old girl at a children's Halloween party. Not only did I find the plot disturbing, it seemed poorly written. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie, but what I have read I enjoyed much more than this one. This was the October selection for my library's book club, and for once everyone was in agreement in their opinions.
William Trevor
I read two books by Irish author William Trevor in November. First was the 2009 Booker longlisted Love and Summer, the beautifully subtle yet powerful story of two lonely individuals who discover love one summer.
I had not read anything by Trevor before, and this book prompted me to read the equally haunting and beautiful 2002 Booker shortlisted The Story of Lucy Gault. The plot surrounds the the chain of misunderstandings and miscommunications that are sparked when, on the eve of her family's departure to England to escape becoming victims of the Irish civil war, 8 year old Lucy Gault hides because she does not want to leave her home. Trevor is an author whom I want to read more of.
Nicholson Baker
Nicholson Baker is an author whom I heard about in three different books about literature, which made me think I really should read something by him. I chose A Box of Matches, which is a novel of self-reflection. The protagonist, a 44 year old medical textbook editor, begins each day in a dark room, striking a match to light a fire, and making a cup of coffee. He then proceeds to reflect on his understanding of life. Although the framework of the story is extremely restricted, Baker managed to make quite an interesting tale out of the reflections.
T. C. Boyle
Last but not least, I read The Road to Wellville by T. C. Boyle, loosely based on the story of John Harvey Kellogg's (yes, corn flakes) health sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan at the turn of the 20th century. Boyle's characters are quirky and there is a dark humor that pervades the plot. At the same time, though, Boyle exposes the side show elements that give the Sanitarium a carnival atmosphere and makes Kellogg to be more of a purveyor of snake oil than health. At 455 pages, it is a lot to wade through, but it is well worth the trip.
What's Ahead?
I'm currently reading Don Quixote by Cervantes for the classics book club, A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch, both of which I am enjoying very much.
Even though I have been happy not to be restricted by reading challenges, there are a few that I am interested in for 2010. I will post about those in the coming days.
Until next time, happy reading!