every-book

[every-book]

“Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut

First read in November 2018.

I like it! I think the narrative funkiness of the novel’s structure is ultimately really compelling. While it doesn’t have the same sort of fun attribute that a lot of my favorite novels have, it does have a degree of avant-garde weirdness that’s just super enjoyable to read. It’s definitely a grim book, and it is perhaps a little bit overblown, but the nut of the story is definitely very good. “So it goes” is also a really nice, simple turn of phrase that can really punctuate a good scene. Overall, this book is just a nice, quick read that stays with you long after you think you’re done.

I give “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

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“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë

First read in February 2019.

I think I like Wuthering Heights? There’s definitely something really strong about the characterization in this novel that works to propel the story along smoothly. Everyone is really strong and exaggerated and I love that. However, you really do need to go into this book with the understanding that everyone is just a supremely awful person. There’s just no good left in the world of Wuthering Heights, and the absurdity of that can make the heartlessness more compelling. However, for me at least, the awfulness of the characters serves to detach me from the story in the same way that a lot of Shakespeare can detach me. There’s nothing wrong with reading it like that per se, it’s just not as fulfilling as something with real investment. I love making fun of Heathcliff, for instance, but I really could not care less about his death. And that detachment, while fun in one way, is on the whole unsatisfying.

I give “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë two out of five stars.

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

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“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams

First read sometime in 2014.

This book is really very delightful. It was definitely my first run in with comedic fiction, like fiction that can make you laugh without being a literal book of jokes. There’s just so much strength in the character of this book, and how its sense of humor comes through those characters. And it’s a delight to read! From open to close, the act of reading is just so joyful and grim. It’s really a fun time.

One fault with this book, though, is its association. I thoroughly love this book, but it is very much attached to who I was in 2014. Moreover, the writing style can be a little overbearing--it almost feels too sardonic, too on top of things. And the effect of that is just a generation of uppity nerds who think like a cynical British writer, and that’s just no good. This isn’t the fault of the novel necessarily--just an unfortunate side effect.

I give “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams three and a half out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ½ ☆ 

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“The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” by Haruki Murakami

First read in the spring of 2018.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is probably Haruki Murakami’s best book. It tells a really compelling long-form narrative without being too boring or too pretentious. Like most of my favorite books, one of the best things about Wind-Up Bird is its strong characterization. There is a palpable distinction between each individual person, and their differences make them incredibly fun to read. While its protagonist is certainly unlikable, it doesn’t work to the novel’s detriment, and in fact serves only to highlight the competence of his (largely female) contemporaries.

There are also the novel’s broader long-form literary techniques. I really appreciate how structures repeat to form patterns throughout the book, such as the “Long Story” device used for Creta Kano and Lieutenant Mamiya. Not to mention to several changes in the form of the text! I’d never read a hypertext novel before, and this one really brings the medium to a solid effect. It’s all just so interesting and so wonderful and thoroughly worth a read. I cannot overstate how much I love this book.

I give “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” by Haruki Murakami five out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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“Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury

First read in late 2014.

My first exposure to Ray Bradbury was “All Summer in a Day,” about a kid who gets locked in a closet while all her classmates get to go outside and enjoy the brief sunshine on Venus. It made me cry.

I read Fahrenheit 451 not long after. It’s a really good story about censorship, as most folks know--but where I think the novel especially excels is in its use of genre. While it’s certainly a science-fiction novel, the horror elements in the novel really work to outline this greater sense of dystopia. Part of it might have been my age when I read it--a few misreads can really change your perception of a novel. But from people being burned alive, to the mechanical hound, to the impending sense of global war, this book works to make sure you as a reader are frightened by this world.

The structure of this book was also something really fascinating to me as a kid. It consists of three sections, each working almost like a short story more than a conventional chapter. Having never seen this before, Fahrenheit 451 holds a place for me in its development of my literary knowledge. One major flaw of the novel, though, is its characterization. Guy Montag isn’t a super thrilling protagonist, Faber is kind of a deus ex machina, and Clarisse is very much in line with the manic pixie dream girl trope. It’s just a rough patch in an otherwise pretty rad story that I would definitely recommend.

I give “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

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“Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo

First read sometime in 2017.

Reading Les Misérables helped me to better understand how it is I judge fiction. That is, the blend of literary craft, reading enjoyment, and thematic agreement that defines my perception of a good book started with Les Mis. I remember the feeling of just sitting there with the book in my lap, of being engrossed by the text, of feeling enraptured by the story in its truest sense. It was a feeling I had not known since reading Harry Potter as a kid.

There’s a lot to love in such a big book, but one of my favorite aspects is its approach to ethics. There’s just this visceral sense of goodness exuding from the novel’s message; true goodness, one that is critical of institutions claiming to be good, but also offers ways of improvement, so that those institutions may become good. That, I think, is what’s so great about this novel: it reminds us that goodness lies beyond the system. 

Plus, there are the characters. Each one is so memorable and so well-defined that simply seeing them all interact is a joy. I love the melodrama of it all, these heightened bombastic personalities clashing and conflicting towards an ultimately tragic end. It’s just good writing! So that, combined with the novel’s message, and the fun of reading it, makes Les Misérables truly a delightful book.

I give “Les Misérables “ by Victor Hugo five out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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“Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf

First read in January 2019.

I love Mrs. Dalloway. For whatever reason, I think, I just really love self-indulgent World War-era literary fiction; and this book is very much Peak Modernist. But it works! The stream-of-consciousness free indirect discourse thing is just really nice and it gives the book both a nice texture and a through-line that’s very effective in uniting all the weaving intertwined narratives. And that on its own is an incredible thing; seeing how each of the characters interact is truly delightful.

Part of my love for the book is also how progressive it is. Certainly, Virginia Woolf as a person is deeply flawed (re: antisemitism, eugenics), and perhaps should not be lauded to the extent that she is. However, the way this book presents women and queer women particularly is just phenomenal. Maybe it’s just because I’m a lesbian, but seeing folks accurately represent themselves in fiction is always a wonderful thing.

I give “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf four and a half out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

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“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway

First read on Christmas 2017.

As with the works of e.e. cummings, I had a brief Hemingway phase after we read A Farewell to Arms in History class. While I didn’t much like the bulk of that book, I did really enjoy the final chapter of it--specifically, how it constructs this metaphor of the stillbirth as being representative of World War One. It was a really compelling scene, and it inspired me to search out more of Hemingway’s books.

Old Man and the Sea does something similar for me, where it feels like the hunt for the fish is representative of some greater conflict. It’s been a while since I read the book, so I don’t remember if I ever came to terms with what the fish actually symbolized, but I remember being comfortable with some meaning. The blunt style Hemingway is known for is still present, which is nice, and the sparse setting really helps to construct the thematic intentions. I also really just love stories that take place in a very defined area, because I think there’s so much opportunity there for character growth.

And that’s something else I really like about The Old man and the Sea--its growth. When reading it, you get a really vivid sense of how the story is moving forward, how it’s progressing. And that, I think, is really compelling.

I give “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

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“Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace

I have not yet read Infinite Jest, but I heard it was pretty good.

I give “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace Pretty Good out of five stars.

Pretty Good /  ★

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“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

First read in the fall of 2016.

This book was really influential for me in shaping what a book could be. That is, both the structuring and the writing of Things Fall Apart was really impactful to me in 2016, and in dispelling any notions I had about what a book was supposed to be like. For one, the stripped-down, blunt writing style of the book stands in sharp contrast to a lot of what I was reading at that point in my life. Moreover, the broader novelistic techniques helped to introduce new ways of approaching narrative storytelling to someone who just didn’t know much yet. The first chapter, for instance, was one of the first time I had ever seen an extended antithesis play out, and that was really effective.

I do have some issues with the novel, though. While I think it’s really strong in its approach to characterization, especially as a means of representing complex issues, I do think the book is a bit too centrist when it comes to the people described within. I don’t like Okonkwo, for instance, and I can’t necessarily say that you’re supposed to. But, there also isn’t too too much in the text that alerts me to the fact that Okonkwo’s rejection of emotionality is harmful. Sometimes the commitment to perspective works to the book’s detriment. I will say, though, that on the whole the representation of colonization is well-done. Examining the complexities of civilizations before, during, and after imperialism is a worthwhile endeavor and done here in a way that feels sincere and purposeful. It’s just a dang good book, and I’m happy to have read it.

I give “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe four and a half out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

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“Selected Poems” by e.e. cummings

First read in late 2016.

Even though he has his problems, e.e. cummings is really special to me. I read “XLV” (or maybe it’s “you”) in tenth grade, and it was one of the first poems that really showed me how cool poetry can be. I just love breaking poems down, annotating them, color-coding them, the whole nine yards, and figuring out the real meaning behind them. It’s a blast, and I highly recommend it.

Because of this soft spot for e.e. cummings, I bought a small collection of his poetry and I ended up really liking it. I can’t necessarily speak to the layout of the book itself (how it’s edited, in what order the poems appear, etc.) but the poetry itself is delightful. I especially love the weirder poems, the ones that get really funky with the form. It’s just a good time.

I give “Selected Poems” by e. e. cummings four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

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“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger

First read in the winter of 2016.

Everyone goes through a phase where they’re super into Catcher in the Rye. It’s a book that’s almost genetically engineered to always appeal to the 12 to 20 demographic, and that’s when I read it. What was it about this book that made it seem so good? I don’t think it was the protagonist. When I first read this book, I hated Holden Caulfield. Even know, I don’t think he’s a great kid. He’s just so edgy! And in this very guy-who-took-one-philosophy-class kind of way. I don’t like him.

Maybe it’s the structure. There is something really interesting about the novel as character, how Holden seems to be the book, seems to be telling his story. That, aided by a fairly inviting plot structure, does explain some of the book’s quality. It’s just fun to read! I had to reread Catcher for a photography project and I just had a blast with it over an afternoon. The size of the book coupled with its informal style really benefits its thematic intention, and I think that’s what helped me come to like it.

Or maybe it’s just that he says “fuck” sometimes.

I give “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger three out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

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The “Harry Potter” Series by J.K. Rowling

First read sometime between 2007 and 2008.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first novel I ever read. It was very much essential to my childhood--everyone I knew read Harry Potter. There is just so much to love with this series--from its impeccable character writing to its delightful setting, everything is simply a joy to read. Part of this is certainly influenced by my nostalgia, but part of it is indicative of good storytelling. It falls into a similar category as Holes by Louis Sachar--when you read it as a kid, you love it for one reason, but when you read it as an adult, you love it for other reasons. They’re just good books!

But it is hard to love the series today. For one, as many have pointed out, the handling of race and ethnicity is sloppy at best and downright bigoted at worst (see: Cho Chang, hook-nosed villains, etc.) Moreover, Rowling’s presence on twitter has been unpleasant, to say the least. It’s hard to get psyched about her as an author in the same way I was almost a decade ago now, and that sentiment unavoidably extends to the books. Ultimately, though I think they are essential works of children’s literature, and despite their flaws are worth your time.

I give the “Harry Potter” Series by J.K. Rowling four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

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“Gmorning, Gnight!” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jonny Sun

First read in the fall of 2018

This book is delightful. I’ve been following Lin-Manuel Miranda on twitter for a while now, and have watched as the whole daily tweet thing has caught on and grown. Seeing those tweets every now and then is just wonderful. Same goes with Jonny Sun--his twitter is just a constant source of good stuff. With the two combined, you get this neat little book full of good quality content. Really nice--highly reccomend

I give “Gmorning, Gnight!” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jonny Sun five out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

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“The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Becky Cloonan

First read in early 2016

When I was in middle school, I was super into My Chemical Romance, and Danger Days was my favorite album. I really appreciated both this bombastic wonderful tech-infused musical style plus this really accessible revolution narrative; it was all really compelling and wonderful.

But it took a while for me to read the graphic novel based on it. I found an issue of it at Baltimore Comic-Con, and wanted to collect each one individually, but that proved unattainable. I only ever found one other issue, and that took going to a whole nother convention the following year. I did get around to buying the trade, though, and here we are today.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, the art is wonderful, and the aesthetic that so endeared me to the album was as prominent if not stronger in this book. All the characters were fairly compelling, though not as strong as I have seen in other works. There was just something in the plot or the pacing, something that made it just not stick. The whole thing went by so fast and with little impact on me as a reader. A bit disappointing, I think; and the disappointment made the flaws of the book sting harder.

I give “The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and Becky Cloonan three out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

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“Little Miss Austen - Pride & Prejudice” by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver

First read on Christmas 2018.

My mom got this for me as a joke gift since I love Pride and Prejudice so much. Thing is, it’s still a delight. Alison Oliver’s illustrations are just so adorable and really capture such a pleasant, playful aesthetic. I just love the character designs, and all the little references snuck in there to the book. It’s wonderful.

I give “Little Miss Austen - Pride & Prejudice” by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver 😊 out of five stars.

😊 / ★

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“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

First read in the winter of 2018.

I was never a huge fan of Shakespeare, at least not in the “traditional” sense. I never--and still don’t--thought of him as this Great Writer of English Literature, or whatever. Instead, I took to the reading best said by a middle school English teacher: “William Shakespeare was a drunk, horny old man--and he’s great.” This was the lens through which I read Shakespeare. For instance, when I read Romeo and Juliet, I treated it as a sleazy, poorly-written romcom, because it kind of was. And it was fun to read it like that; it just didn’t connect with me in the way other books had.

This reading of Shakespeare was left mostly intact after I read Hamlet, but it was questioned somewhat. I still tend to separate myself from the text somewhat, making jokes about how Hamlet is a 14-year-old edgelord who really hates his stepdad; but, I can sincerely appreciate the work for its literary value in a way I have yet to do with any of Shakespeare’s other works. There’s sincere merit in his construction and deconstruction of the revenge tragedy, as well as legitimate strength in his character building. It is both fun and meaningful, albeit a bit flawed. So, while I don’t think the play is the Greatest Piece of English Literature or anything, I do think it’s an overall enjoyable work that’s worth giving a read.

I give “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare four out of five stars.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆