Here It Is, Here It Is At Last, the Encounter With Reality. . . All Is Lost Now!

As I mentioned in my review of The Bell Jar, I greatly appreciate an author that can write an interesting and convincing first-person narrative. To date, I have scarcely read one more engaging that Dostoevsky's Notes From the Underground. What impressed me most about this short novel was Dostoevsky's ability to completely change my opinion of his main character half-way through. For those who know me well, this may come as a surprise.

I began the story highly irritated by the Underground Man. His constant contradictions make him a remarkably unreliable narrator. While this is part of the point of his character, it annoyed me nonetheless. In the second half of the story, when the mask of his insincerity begins to fall apart, I suddenly found myself completely sympathetic to him. His narrative truly is tragic and his character's evolution highlights Dostoevsky's mastery as a writer. Coming in at less than 200 pages, there's really no excuse for you not to read it! I give it an A.

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"Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man." (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

In Short, Whatever Does Become of the Gentleman, They Are Not at Cranford

If any of you readers out there have taken the time to look through my earlier posts, you'll know my profound love of Jane Austen. Along a similar vein is Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, Cranford. Differences abound, however, but not without its advantages. As such, it was very interesting to read about an entirely different aspect of the same culture. Rather than the high class attitudes and aspirations of the majority of Austen's characters, Cranford centers around a small, close-knit, and poor town. Even more striking is that the town is entirely comprised of women, all of whom are entirely opposed to the very idea of men. Quite a difference from Austen's husband-seeking protagonists!

If you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility, these differences alone make it worth the read. I give it an A-.

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"Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly better than wise people for their wisdom." (Elizabeth Gaskell)

It Seemed To Me a Situation Fraught With Embarrassing Potentialities Had Arisen

I find it difficult to describe what profound love and respect I have for the countries and culture of Great Britain. My semester abroad in London only magnified this admiration, and it is now my future goal to live there (much to the dismay of both my parents and my closest friends). My favorite "products" of British culture are too many to count, but among them is the television series "Jeeves and Wooster" (with excellent performances by both Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry in the title roles). The episodes are based off of various novels by P.G. Wodehouse and, needless to say, I was more than thrilled when one such novel, Thank you, Jeeves, appeared on this list.

Long story short, the "Jeeves" novels chronicle the innumerable mishaps of Bertie Wooster, a privileged and eccentric British gentleman and the unorthodox yet brilliant schemes devised by his overly-qualified manservant, Jeeves, that always seem to prevent complete disaster. As you can imagine, these stories are hilarious and, being written by a comedic British writer, incredibly witty and hilarious. These are just plain fun to read, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. A+.

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"Every author really wants to have letters printed in the papers. Unable to make the grade, he drops down a rung on the ladder and writes novels." (P.G. Wodehouse)

Show Us How Happy It Makes You To Write a Poem

If you asked my friends to describe me, somewhere along the way, the word morbid would pop up. Now, I’m certainly not serial killer material, but it's true that I am certainly fascinated by them. Generally speaking, I tend to gravitate to stories that examine some sort of emotional or mental anguish or darkness. Perhaps this is the reason that I enjoyed Sylvia Plath’s well known novel The Bell Jar so greatly.

What is most impressive about this specific tale of manic depression, however, is the first person narrative. As events progress, the reader does not just stand by and watch as the main character crumbles; rather, the reader experiences the same confusion, disillusion, and, eventually, resignation. It takes a masterful author to communicate such a singular state of mind, and Plath does so remarkably well. A solid B+.

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"And by the way, everything in life is writable if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." (Sylvia Plath)

To Air Differences and Remain Friends, the Essence of Civilized Existence, Don’t You Think?

As I have written previously, I was wholeheartedly disappointed with the first Ian McEwan novel I read. To this day, Atonement is still the only story for which I enjoy the film adaptation more than the original novel. I had been worried to see so many more of McEwan's novels on this list. Despite this, he survived his second chance, offering readers a beautifully written morality tale.

There is much lacking in this novel: it's characters seem to lose their luster halfway through the book, the excitement of the plot begins to lose steam, and the ending seems hollow. However, McEwan still paints an accurate portrayal of a dramatically conflicted friendship that is riddled with moral questions and debates; I have never read a book that examines euthanasia from such an interior perspective.

What struck me most about Amsterdam, however, really has nothing to do with the plot or themes. One of the main characters of the novel is a musical composer, and the way in which McEwan describes the way that character "sees" his symphony come together is brilliant. The imagery is beautiful and a true delight to read for anyone who loves music.

In the end, I still expect better from McEwan, an author who has four or five books on this list. I give this attempt a B+.

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"No one knows anything, really. It's all rented or borrowed." (Ian McEwan)

The More I Suffer, the More I Love

I had been looking forward to reading Bernhard Schlink's morality tale, The Reader, since hearing of the film and watching Kate Winslet cinch her Oscar win for it. I still haven't seen the movie, but I knew what it was about and anticipated an intense and dramatic novel to accompany its dark and tumultuous themes. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit underwhelmed.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading the novel. It's plot and themes (without giving away too much) are imaginative and thought-provoking, looking at the divisive nature of the holocaust from an entirely different perspective, but I found that the writing and character development left something to be desired. The whole novel just felt a bit flat. However, the part of the book from which the novel draws its title is beautiful and inspiring. It will be interesting to see if the movie follows along the same lines.

All in all, though, I'm giving The Reader a solid B+. It's minor plot twist and ultimate messages are wonderful.

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"People who commit crimes are not necessarily monsters. If they were, things would be easy. But they aren't, and it is one of the experiences of life." (Bernhard Schlink)

He Who Ruled Scent Ruled the Hearts of Men

Anyone that knows me well - actually, anyone merely acquainted with me - knows of my profound love of Alan Rickman. Whether my love is unhealthy or just enthusiastic is up for debate, but regardless, I was thrilled that Patrick Suskind's novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer made this list. The movie (featuring Alan Rickman, of course) that this book inspired is brilliant, one of my absolute favorites. A subtle tale of horror, it's plot is so imaginative and the end is so unexpected that I acutely remember staring at my blank television screen in silence for about ten minutes after the credits were done rolling. Although I am generally of the belief that books are always better than their film counterparts, I admit being somewhat concerned that I would be disappointed; I did, after all, already know the ending.

However, the novel was the farthest thing from a disappointment. For fear of giving anything away, the most I will say about the plot is that the main character, the murderer, experiences the world not through sight or touch but through scent. It is truly an imaginative notion. To have such developed descriptions of his thoughts and feelings that are not explored within the limited narrative voice of the film was delightful. Reading the novel makes Suskin's ideas about scent and the emotions that they can inspire much more of a way of thinking about the world as opposed to mere plot points.

Stylistically, Perfume reads like a good mystery novel; suspense is always subtly building. At the same time, however, it takes the time to offer reflections on such important things as Beauty and Truth. It's fabulously written and truly one of a kind. I give it a resounding A and encourage everyone to read it AND see the film. You won't be disappointed... if not a little disturbed.

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"No human being can go on living in the same house with a pigeon; a pigeon is the epitome of chaos and anarchy." (Patrick Suskind)

I Hate Your City. It Has Standardized All the Beauty Out Of Life

We live in strange times. We are always encouraged to be individuals, to do what it is that will make us happy regardless of what others may think. At the same time, however, our society has a sneaky way of imposing conformity upon us. Most of us silently judge those who are too different. We generally prefer to socialize with those who think and feel the same way that we do. Don't forget, though, we're individuals.

It was not always this way. Conformity used to be much more obvious. Class divisions were more sharply defined; there were fewer visible symbols of ones wealth and prosperity. Even the most minute diversions from the path of acceptable behavior were seen as the worst of offenses. This is the society in which George Babbitt, the title character in Sinclair Lewis' novel, Babbitt, lives. Since Lewis' novel is, at its core, a satire, the unrelenting desire of the Babbitt family to successfully conform to society's standards is sickeningly desperate. Everything they do is measured in terms of the opinions of others; George routinely talks to himself about how wonderful it is that others will see his success and like him. Everything seems to be going perfectly for them. Slowly however, George becomes more and more tired of his work and family. As he finds even more about which to complain, he begins to resent everyone around him. He has grand visions of his own rebellion and, for a while, breaks the rules of prohibition and has affairs with various women in an attempt to break free of society's oppression. Before long, however, he is shamed back into conformity. This would all be utterly depressing if not for the next generation made up of young adults who still have time to break free and be true individuals if only they will try.

Generally, I am a huge fan of satire. However, I must admit that I don't find much appealing about the American 1920s, especially not when depicted with this extreme sense of conformity and contrivance. I found the incessant use of the slang of the times somewhat annoying, as I'm sure it was meant to be, but even so, it did lessen my enjoyment of the book. I give it a B-.

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"There are two insults no human being will endure: that he has no sense of humor, and that he has never known trouble." (Sinclair Lewis)

Scotland Takes Drugs in Psychic Defence

Growing up in a suburb of Philadelphia, I've lived a rather sheltered life. Sure, I've come across the random acquaintance who, on occasion, smokes weed or takes hallucinogenic drugs, but I have no absolutely no experience with "drug cultures" or junkies. This, however, is precisely the culture depicted by Irvine Welsh in his cult classic, Trainspotting. I had watched the film based on the book during my freshman year study abroad experience in London. The professor of my British Life and Culture course was obsessed with the evolution of British youth culture, and Trainspotting certainly defines a particular area its history.

The novel follows a group of friends in Scotland, bonded by their mutual need to shoot up. They share everything: drug cocktails, needles, AIDS, and girls. Of course, their destructive habits are not without consequences, and the book's plot serves as a chronicle of both their individual and mutual downfalls. This is, of course, not at all surprising. Fortunately for both the characters and the reader, it ends with a glimmer of hope.

What sets Trainspotting apart from other novels that examine the same dark subject matter is the language and perspective. Welsh writes his chapters from the viewpoints of a variety of narrators, each accompanied by his or her own distinctive Scottish dialect. The phonetic spelling of these dialects can be hard to read and understand at first (for example, my ignorance of the Scottish slang word for "baby" had me missing that one of the characters had an abortion in the opening chapters), but as the novel continues, this difficulty is almost completely erased. The confusion of the reader in experiencing the phonetic spelling of the Scottish accent, in my opinion, even enhances the confusion that the drug addled minds of Welsh's characters experience.

This book is a fascinating one to read, both as a character study and as a literary work. I give it a B+ and would highly recommend it, although it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Those opposed to reading graphic descriptions of unsafe drug injections or sexual acts, all told in extremely explicit language, should skip this one.

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"I didn't have any concept of Trainspotting being published. It was a selfish act. I did it for myself." (Irvine Welsh)

This Is the Sorcery of Cities

Arcadia (n): a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet.

This is certainly not the definition with which Jim Crace is working in his novel of the same title: Arcadia. Rather, his theme focuses on the corruptive nature of cities in opposition to the rustic life that country settings provide. In the book's second half, the building of "Arcadia", what is supposed to be a modernized country-style market, only causes destruction and grief. His themes show clearly in his characters, who all carry some sort of burden as a result of their city-inspired ambitions.

His plot is not a fast paced one, nor is it particularly imaginative. The true gem in Crace's writing, here, is his imagery. He truly is a painter with words, making his descriptions wonderful to read. Reading the novel, I felt that I was seeing exactly what Crace, as an author, wanted me to see. While some might find that limiting, I am of the opinion that it serves to enhance his theme. A division between two alternatives cannot be completely understood if one does not have a clear picture of the two alternatives in and of themselves.

Crace does a wonderful job with a fairly slow-moving plot line, keeping the reader interested in the setting more than the action. Definitely worth the read; I'm giving it a B.

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"There is no remedy for death - or birth - except to hug the spaces in between. Live loud. Live wide. Live tall." (Jim Crace)

The Answer to the Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything... Is... Forty-two

I have, since grade school, been meaning to read Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Once, when I was home from school, sick, a very good family friend lent me his VHS (yes, I just said VHS... I was in grade school, remember?) set of the BBC mini-series adaptation, and I absolutely loved it. Then, lo and behold, Marvin the manically depressed robot was voiced by Alan Rickman in the 2005 adaptation. Could I possibly love The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy more? Yes; I could read it.

What's there to love, you ask? What isn't there to love? This book is just plain fun. It's hilariously clever and sarcastic, and I found myself, on several occasions, laughing out loud. Don't be fooled, though, it's surprisingly poignant in some places. Isn't it just a book about aliens, you ask? Not really. True, it's "science-fiction-y" enough for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing, but it's not so far "out there" that it's rigidly genre-specific and off-putting to those who claim to hate sci-fi classics the likes of Star Wars. It has to be that way, in a sense, given Arthur Dent's whirlwind introduction to intergalactic travel. To that end, the excerpts from the actual Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are not only helpful in acclimating the reader to new planets and their inhabitants, but they are written in a fun and light-hearted manner. It's as if much of the book is written like one big inside joke between Douglas Adams and his readers, and it makes it a true delight to read. Screw the quintessential chick-books often referred to as "summer reading" and pick this up instead. Sure, you might get some strange looks on the beach, but I have a feeling you'll be much more satisfied. Hands down, a well-deserved A+.

It should be noted that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is only one of five novels that tell the entire story of Arthur Dent's journey through space. However, why stop there when it's end so clearly sets up the next novel's beginning? I didn't! Barnes & Noble *insert shameless pitch for my place of employment here* currently offers a beautiful leather-bound book with all of them in one; I strongly suggest purchasing it. It costs less than buying all five separately! Even less if you have a membership! *insert shameless pitch for the Barnes & Noble membership program here*

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"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." (Douglas Adams)

All of the Advantages of Christianity and Alcohol; None of Their Defects

I love when professors just happen to assign books on this list. Not that I find reading other course books useless, but there's a nice sort of satisfaction in reading something that will "double count" for something. It makes me feel much more productive. And so, as per my syllabus, I completely dove into Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World.

I must admit that I enjoy dystopian novels, especially those that serve to point out how humanity will destroy itself if it continues down the path on which it is currently venturing. Is that morbid? Perhaps, but these books, in my opinion, are fascinating to read. However, I admit that I most likely would not have liked this particular novel as much were it not for the humanities gateway for which I am reading it. Thus far in the semester, my class has been examining the shift between the classical and modern views of the world and how the scientific revolution served as the catalyst of this drastic change. We have considered whether what we view today as "scientific progress" is really progress at all, and how all of our contemporary conceptions of reality are altered if we look at the world as a series of forms that have their own intrinsic meanings. In Brave New World, reality takes one more shift away from us, serving to exaggerate the very principles by which we are living life now. The allusions to our previous class discussions abound. Rarely have I seen a work of fiction so well employed in a class that has previously been reading philosophical works and scientific treaties.

I still, however, maintain that I would not have enjoyed this book as much without this class. Huxley's novel is surely not a literary work of art. There is nothing particularly admirable about his writing style; his sentence structure is short and clipped. Yes, this partly serves to demonstrate the barren nature of the world he has created, but is nonetheless unimaginative. His plot is interesting, but, as I suppose must be the case considering the setting, there is little to no character development. The entire plot, especially the ending, is rather abrupt. I felt as though the book should have been longer.

But despite this, Brave New World leads us to ask questions that are vital for the world in which we currently live. And for that, I give it an A.

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"It's with bad sentiments that one makes good novels." (Aldous Huxley)

And We're Back!

Okay, so I've been reading and reading, and I'm getting way too behind with reviews that I have to write. So, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to list the books I've read thus far but haven't reviewed. Then, I'll begin reviewing again. Technically I'll be "caught up". There's just no realistic way that I'll sit down and write all of these reviews. Anyway, here we go!

34: Barchester Towers - Anthony Trollope - A
35: Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - A
36: Anna Karinena - Leo Tolstoy - C
37: Little Women - Louisa May Alcott - A
38: The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood - B
39: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon - A
40: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twian - C
41: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson - A
42: Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson - A
43: Les Miserables - Victor Hugo - A
44: The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo - A
45: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce - B
46: The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy - B+
47: Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald - A-
48: Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert - A
49: The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway - B-
50: Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - A
51: Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There - Lewis Carroll - A
52: The Lambs of London - Peter Akroyd - A
53: The Virgin Suicides - Jeffery Eugenides - B+
54: The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells - B-
55: David Copperfield - Charles Dickens - B
56: Les Liasons Dangereuses - Choderlos Laclos - A
57: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle - A

58: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle - A

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