THE SOUND AND THE FURY

by William Faulkner



Faulkner's masterpiece telling of Caddy Compson and the Compson family, seen mostly through the eyes of her three brothers: mentally handicapped Benjy, Harvard-educated Quinn, and cold, resentful Jason.

I was terribly afraid of this book, so decided to read just enough background to get a handle on how to approach it but not enough to give anything away. Here is what I learned: If you keep in mind that the first part, told from the point of view of Benjy, will make no sense until later, it's a lot easier to get through. And this, too: The second, third and fourth parts don't make much sense on their own either.

Despite that, I found much of the writing in The Sound and the Fury strangely beautiful. Even at its most confusing it was able to evoke emotion -- mostly making me uncomfortable, like when you see couples verbally arguing in public and you know you should just walk away and mind your own business, but you really want to know what they meant by some of the weird, enigmatic things they said to each other.

I was able to pick out bits and pieces of the full picture as the book progressed, but I have to thank Sparknotes and Wikipedia for any real comprehension of what on earth was going on. Once I looked at those, I wanted to go back and read the book again. I have a feeling that will be a repetitive theme with me when it comes to classics. And that's not a bad thing!

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky



Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikiv murders two women in an attempt to prove a social theory, but even though he escapes capture by the police, there is no evading his own conscience.

It might just be me, but those Russians can write some incredible stuff! Crime and Punishment is not a book you want to read in small doses. This is one for when you're burrowing in for the weekend. You'll want to follow all the twists and turns of social and criminal psychology without a lot of interruption. At least, I did.

I felt the most riveting aspect of the book was the myriad of scenes in which Raskolnikov is self-analyzing, alternately rationalizing what he has done and loathing what he has become. There were a few times when I found myself reminded of Anne Rice's vampire Lestat. It came across most strongly in the scene when Raskolnikov is at Sonya's apartment and he makes her read to him from the Bible. I could clearly picture his words coming out of Lestat's mouth. The image was so strong that it was almost distracting. If I was an ambitious sort of girl, I would do a compare and contrast of those two and see what I could come up with. But, alas, I am not, so the teaser is all you or I get. :-)

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

by Kurt Vonnegut



How does one summarize and review Slaughterhouse-Five? The answer for me is, I don't. I just don't go there. Suffice it to say there is a reason this book is studied in Lit classes.

I will say this, however. I bought the first twelve or thirteen of Kurt Vonnegut's books last summer. I have only one left to read, and I have not a bad word to say about any of them. Many are very, very odd, but I enjoyed each and every one while marveling at Vonnegut's observations of the absurdity of human behavior. I am looking forward to eventually reading the rest. Not too quickly though. I don't want to run out too soon!

A FAREWELL TO ARMS

by Ernest Hemingway



"A tale of the love between ambulance driver Lt. Henry and Nurse Catherine Barkley during World War I. The action takes place in Italy and the two fall in love during the war and will stop at nothing to be together." -- From the CD container

I have never read Hemingway before, so out of the many there are to choose from, here is the reason I picked A Farewell To Arms as my first Ernest Hemingway book: Do you remember a movie called "The Evil Dead"? More to the point, do you remember its horror-comedy sequel, "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn"? I positively love that movie! It's so fabulously bad! There is a great scene when Bruce Campbell's character's own hand becomes possessed and tries to kill him. He cuts it off and traps it under a bucket, placing a pile of books on top of the bucket to hold it down. The book on the top of the pile? You got it: A Farewell To Arms. (Get it? Cut off hand? Farewell to arms? Ha!) It still makes me laugh when I think about it, and I've wanted to read the book ever since. Stupid reason, I know. But there it is. :-)

I also don't have an acceptable reason for continually being reminded of Catch-22 while I was listening to this. I think it was because the character of Rinaldi seemed like someone who would have been in that book. Maybe it was because the descriptions of war were similarly stark and matter-of-fact rather than verbose and emotional, which I think made them more compelling in both books. My understanding is that Hemingway's general style is very understated. There is no re-reading paragraphs trying to figure out what he meant. Not that there isn't deep meaning. The story is just presented very up-front, "just the facts, ma'am", almost like reading a man's diary, if he kept one. A refreshing change from the more flowery or difficult classic writers. Now I know who to turn to when I know I'll be TWR (Tired While Reading). :-)

THE POWER & THE GLORY

by Graham Greene



"In a poor, remote section of southern Mexico, the Red Shirts have taken control. God has been outlawed, and the priests have been systematically hunted down and killed. Now, the last priest is on the run." -- From the back cover of the Penguin Classics edition of The Power and the Glory.

I have an issue when I read classics that I know nothing about other than the book is considered a classic and it looks really good. Do I read some background information first and get a handle on what the book is about and the themes to look for? Or do I go in cold and just see what I get out of it all on my own? I go back and forth with this decision, because the resulting experiences are very different and you can read a book for the first time only once.

I chose to go cold into The Power and the Glory. I had a hard time with it. I didn't get it, but I kept at it. And I'm glad I did. While I can't say I was blown away, there were moments that gave me pause, captured my thoughts. I'm glad I hadn't read previously about the scene in the overcrowded jail, because I was able to let it move me without thinking, "Oh, this is the part that's supposed to be so fantastic". I found out after I finished the book that, yay! I got it!

Graham Greene's writing got to me even when I wasn't exactly following the point, and that has fed my curiosity for more. Looking over a list of descriptions of his other books, I have a lot of exploring of human nature to do. Excellent! The next one I pick up by him I will faithfully read while I am fully conscious, not nodding off after a Timberwolves game.

CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY

by Alan Paton



Description from Books On Tape CD: An old Zulu parson from the hills above Ixopo sets out for Johannesburg, the "city of evil", looking for his son. He finds his boy in prison, charged with the murder of a white man who had devoted his life to justice for the black race.

Need a good book for your reading group? There is more to discuss in Cry, the Beloved Country than a single short review could ever touch. There was one particular theme, though, that deeply resonated with me. I'm a true believer in "there is a reason for everything that happens, we just don't always see it", and this book delves into that belief at nearly every level. The definitions of "good" and "bad" are questioned. The uneasy friendship that develops between the father of the murdered man and the father of his killer transcends mere forgiveness and comes to benefit an entire town. Actually, it's not even "friendship" they develop. It is more of a respect and a desire to understand. It is one of those books that makes me want to be a better person. And that is never a bad thing.

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

by Mark Twain



As usual when I read a classic of this caliber, there is not a single innovative thing I can say. It's all been dissected and studied more closely than I will ever attempt on these pages. I will say this, however: If you have not yet read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you truly are missing out. Granted, the repeated use of the N-word was like nails down a chalkboard to me, but the book as a whole was enchanting, and the friendship that develops between Huck and Jim is too precious to treat lightly on a quick-review blog. It's easy to understand why Huck Finn is held in such high esteem.

Also, for those of you who love audiobooks as much as I do, I listened to both this and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer narrated by the most amazing actor, Norman Dietz. His vocal portrayals of all the characters was incredible! I highly, highly recommend his recordings of these books! I believe the versions from Recorded Books and sold at Borders under their logo are his readings. I can't say enough about how much enjoyment I got out of listening to him as Tom, Huck, Jim, and all the rest.

TIME'S ARROW

by Martin Amis



Time's Arrow is the life of an Auschwitz doctor from death to birth, experienced and told in reverse by an alternate consciousness that exists inside of him.

Time's Arrow is probably the most unique reading experience I have ever encountered. I had to really think about what was happening as the backwards actions cause good deeds to look bad and bad deeds to look benevolent, which often makes the former humorous and the latter even more repulsive. Observing the Holocaust from this twisted vantage point turned it into a mass resurrection, reunion of families, and societal integration. All the while, your brain is twisting it back into the sickening slaughter it was in reality, and the innocence of the narration magnifies the offense, chilling you to the bone.

This is the first book I've read by Martin Amis, but it definitely will not be the last.

CATCH-22

by Joseph Heller



Catch-22 is a M*A*S*H-like look at the atrocities and absurdities of war, the people who conduct them and the people who actually fight them, whether they want to or not.

This book is worth the time you spend during the first 1/3 or so of it wondering what on earth is going on. Stick with it! Once the back stories start getting filled in, it gets a lot easier to just sit back and enjoy the ride. In here are some of the funniest conversations I have ever read (such as when Major Major gives orders that no one is to see him in his office unless he's not in there). And, just like M*A*S*H, you can go from hysterical laughter to wide-eyed unbelief at what is happening so quickly that you'll wonder if you should have yourself checked for whiplash. Like all good books, you'll find yourself thinking about all the messages these characters have to pass on to us. It's no mystery to me why this book is studied, read and loved.

Lezlie

Just FYI -- There is a great article on Wikipedia that talks about concepts, themes, and has links to descriptions of who all the characters are to help you keep track of everyone. Also, for those interested in the continuing story, Heller did write a sequel entitled Closing Time: The Sequel to Catch-22.


Other reviews of Catch 22:

Lost In A Good Story
Trish's Reading Nook

KING SOLOMON'S MINES

by H. Rider Haggard




For those of you, like me, who are eagerly anticipating the return of Indiana Jones to the theatre, King Solomon's Mines is your book! Hero Allan Quartermain is the original Indy, minus the snake phobia and whip. Not so much that Quartermaine is equally as cool as Indiana Jones (after all, that's not possible), but you can see where the idea came from. Much like you can see the seed of the idea for Captain Jack Sparrow in Long John Silver from Treasure Island.

From Amazon.com:

The story begins when renowned safari hunter Allan Quartermain agrees to help Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good search for King Solomon’s legendary cache of diamonds. Eager to find out what is true, what is myth, and what is really buried in the darkness of the mines, the tireless adventurers delve into the Sahara’s treacherous Veil of Sand, where they stumble upon a mysterious lost tribe of African warriors. Finding themselves in deadly peril from that country’s cruel king and the evil sorceress who conspires behind his throne, the explorers escape, but what they seek could be the most savage trap of all—the forbidden, impenetrable, and spectacular King Solomon’s Mines.

I had a blast with this book! It was pure escapism and outrageous fun. Allan Quartermain is the main event, but I became quite fond of his companions in this adventure. And the scenes of the lost tribe standing in awe and worship of Captain Good's white legs when they come across him nearly undressed and half shaved are more than worth the price of admission.

If you haven't had enough when you're done with this one, there is a whole series of books about Allan Quartermain, most of which can be read for free at Project Gutenberg. Here is the list:

King Solomon's Mines (1885)
Allan Quatermain (1887)
Allan's Wife (1887)
Maiwa's Revenge: or, The War of the Little Hand (1888)
Marie (1912)
Child of Storm (1913)
The Holy Flower (1915)
Finished (1917)
The Ivory Child (1916)
The Ancient Allan (1920)
She and Allan (1920)
Heu-heu: or The Monster (1924)
The Treasure of the Lake (1926)
Allan and the Ice-gods (1927)
Hunter Quatermain's Story: The Uncollected Adventures of Allan Quatermain


Happy Reading, Everyone!
Lezlie

Other reviews:

Heather at "Age 30 - A Year of Books"

1% Well-Read Challenge

Here's a Challenge I can easily get on board with, since I had wanted to read 50 off the list this year anyway! ;-)

From the Official Challenge site: The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. For you non-math people, 10 out of 1001 is approximately 1%, hence the title. The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009. You may change your list at any time and cross-posting to other challenges is permitted. The only requirement is that your ten book choices must be on the "1001 List".

The only changes I'll make for me personally is that I will end at the end of this year with the rest of my Challenges. Other than that, here is the list I plan to choose from, books read will be bolded as I finish them. (The full list I actually read is at the bottom of this post with a link to the review.)

Catch-22 -- Joseph Heller
Shindler's List -- Thomas Kenealy
Cry, The Beloved Country -- Alan Paton
Junky -- William S. Burroughs
The Power & The Glory -- Graham Greene
The Scarlet Letter -- Nathaniel Hawthorne
King Solomon's Mines -- H. Rider Haggard
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn -- Mark Twain
Petals of Blood -- Ngugi Wa Thiong'o
Theresa Raquin -- Emile Zola
Siddhartha -- Herman Hesse
Beowolf -- Anonymous
Pride & Prejudice -- Jane Austen
Crime & Punishment -- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Jungle -- Upton Sinclair
The Master & Margarita -- Mikhail Bulgakov
Memoirs of Hadrian -- Marguerite Yourcenar
Breakfast of Champions -- Kurt Vonnegut


Now let's see what *actually* gets read! Ha! :-)

Happy Reading, Everyone, and have a great weekend!
Lezlie

The "actually read" list:

Completed: 10 of 10 as of Dec. 11, 2008 ** FINISHED **

1. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
3. Time's Arrow by Martin Amis
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
6. Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
7. A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway
8. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
9. Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner