I just ordered a Lispector!! Also I got halfway through East of Eden and took a pause so if you do pick that one up let me know and I will buddy read with you!
I now have a separate part of my book wish list that is called MM thanks to you and all your wonderful reviews. Will and Testament was just added, as well as Close to Home because I am a sucker for Irish writers (still need to get to Trespasses, have you read it?)
I have been listening to The Minimalists podcast since I had a menty B in the pandemic about all the stuff I owned, so the book about the things we own and leave behind is so interesting.
Omg WHICH Lispector?? Maybe we can buddy read East of Eden AND a Lispector! I will 100% let you know when I pick up the Steinbeck. It’s long enough that I’d appreciate the emotional support whilst reading it.
A book wish list category called MM!! 🥹 I LOVE it. I feel v honoured. I think you’d love Will and Testament! It was so so good. Irish writers really are so great - I have read Trespassers! I enjoyed it, but would say I loved Close to Home much more!
Tbf being stuck in the house surrounded by all your belongings during the pandemic was deffo overwhelming. The book was really interesting and funny - there were a lot of reflections about her bookshelf too and the type of books she was emotionally attached to which I enjoyed. It also made me think I bet we will never be remembered by the objects we’d like to think we’d be remembered by. And instead just weird crap from around the house.
lovely wrap up as always!! I also read Beloved this month and it destroyed me. Morrison has such a compelling writing style as you said, I was immediately taken with it
Thank you Hannah! Ahh twins I can’t believe you read it too! Such compelling writing - it was such a surreal reading experience. ‘Jazz’ is the second in the trilogy - are you interested in reading it?
Well I’ll lyk when I read Jazz too! I actually really want to reread Sula because it was my first Morrison I think I didn’t *deeply* appreciated it. Whereas now I’ve read ‘Beloved’ and feel like I understand her voice so much more I think a reread of Sula could be really fun!
It was SO good - you absolutely have to. I’ve never actually read Dorian Gray but always wanted to.
My life hasn’t been the same since I read Giovanni’s Room last year - I might have to pick Beale Street next. I saw you read ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ is month too! What did you think?
Thank you Nix!! I have eyed Septology before but have always been severely intimidated by the length and the fact it’s got multiple parts! Chewing your way through is the perfect way to describe churning through such a long book. How’re you finding it?
There’s a reason I started with A Shining because it was so short lmao
I read East of Eden in high school and really enjoyed it but it’s definitely got a lot to unpack!
My personal favorite classic has got to be Les Miserables. I read it last December and it was absolutely magnificent. I think I underlined hundreds of lines in that book, it’s so thought-provoking and relevant to current times.
I’m hoping to pick up War and Peace later this year 👀
I’ve heard so many great things about East of Eden! I’m trying not to be intimated by the prospect of a lot of unpack lol. And more be excited for the challenge.
Les Miserable! Wow I’ve never heard someone so enthralled by the book. You’re definitely selling it to me - I did love the film. I am very open to reading this. Heavily considering!
War and Peace! Jenna I admire you 🫡 that’s no easy feat - the length of that terrifies me. I’m trying to warm up reading Crime and Punishment this year.
There's a lot of great religious allusions and references (I wrote a whole 20 paged paper on Cain and Abel in relation to the book) and the writing is really easy to get into, but when I tried to reread it a few years ago with all the knowledge I have now, there were definitely some dated aspects to it...
I also did Crime and Punishment in HS! And while it was definitely a beast, I'm actually trying to get back into Dostoyevsky because I remember not hating C&P. People rave about The Brothers Karamazov, so maybe someday I'll get on a Russian kick haha
But seriously, Les Mis. I did it on both physical and audio (the 2021 release on Audible is absolutely wonderful) and if you enjoy philosophy or social justice or sociology, it is a wonderful option. The writing style is really agreeable depending on the translation you go for, and even though it is a bit intimidating, it really opens up the musical in a wonderful way, and there's so much amazing commentary on class! Don't feel like you have to really be present for all of it (I definitely skimmed the 40 pages about Waterloo and the whole section on the Paris sewer system...), but be warned that you may end up completely obsessed! 😅
I can definitely appreciate after studying a book for school you then know SO much going into a reread it’s overwhelming- I’d feel the same with some of my A Level texts probably! The religious references intrigue me a lot.
C&P!! Yeh I really want to read it because I’ve heard such great things I’m just for some reason intimidated. I really want to read ‘White Nights’ too! Maybe I’ll start w WN before C&P bc it’s shorter and it can get me into Dostoyevsky writing style before C&P. ‘Not hating C&P’ made me laugh haha.
Okay I will consider Les Mis! I do love social justice and sociology so I can totally see how it would be so enjoyable to read. What translation did you read? Skimming pages on the sewer system is valid lmao
The physical Les Mis I read was the Denny translation and the audio was Donougher translation! Donougher is probably the most modern and easily accessible. I can't remember which other ones are floating around, but you may wanna do some research to figure out what kind of reading experience you're looking for - obviously each translation is good for something different!
I finally read Moby-Dick last fall and I’m a little bit (or maybe a lot…) obsessed with it. So I always recommend it although I think a lot of people read it in a way that does it a disservice (there’s no plot and that’s the point! It’s extremely funny!) I love your own classic a month goal, I’m doing something similar with 20th century queer lit and it’s been so much fun so far!
Moby-Dick! I hadn’t considered that as an option - I don’t always bode well with no plot books I have to be in the right mood but I’m open too it! Who doesn’t love a funny book!
And thank you - I think it’s so easy to get comfortable as a reader to only pick books that never challenge you - and I definitely don’t challenge myself with classics enough and I’d like to change that!
I love your 20th century queer lit goal too - what have to read so far??
One of the qualities of Moby-Dick is that you can dip into it just about anywhere and not feel like you have to first read or re-read everything up to that point. It’s a long book, but with 135 chapters, picking it up on a whim and reading a chapter through doesn’t take long.
One of my favorite chapters is 35, The Mast-Head. This is not only a short history of the mast-head (similar to a crows-nest) and whale watching, but also a meditation on what it’s like to man the mast-head, “with the problem of the universe revolving in me” and the “opium-like listlessness” of the experience.
You can also just read it as an adventure story, which is more the approach that John Huston’s 1956 film took, screenplay by sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury.
Melville was pretty much forgotten by the turn of the 20th century, but writers like D.H. Lawrence revived interest in his books. Here’s Lawrence’s influential essay from his 1923 book, Studies in Classic American Literature:
Ha, well if you're not into plotless books I'm not sure if Moby-Dick for you. It's really an encyclopedia disguised as a novel. But I do think it has a lot to offer!
So far I've just read one book for my 20th century queer lit goal this year: The Garden God by Forrest Reid which was strange but which I kind of loved. (Published in 1905). Last year my favorite was Alexis by Marguerite Yourcenar, which I am head-over-heels in love with.
Yay! It's so good. It really blew me away with how urgent and contemporary it felt, and it has some really astute observations about identity and music and autonomy. The writing is just gorgeous. And it's only like 100 pages.
I notice you revel in the stories about intergenerational trauma. If you've yet to read it, William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a great illustration of this, and could be one of your monthly classics!
You are so right Gillian I do reveal in them. I am yet to read ‘As I Lay Dying’! Thank you for such a thoughtful recommendation that could be a monthly classic and includes themes of what I really enjoy to read - I appreciate it Gillian! I’ll be sure to let you know when I pick it up!
Close to Home and Will & Testament (you’re right, you know I love an Irish author ☺️) both piqued my interest! I love that you had an unintentional theme going this month!
2 excellent choices - both of those books were SO good. We both have an affinity for the Irish 💚 my partner is Irish so I took that affinity one step further. Not an author unfortunately - it’s tragic. I loved the unintentional theme too!! And am now overly invested in accidentally creating one again..
Your reading is simply unparalleled!! As someone who mostly reads “mainstream” lit I get so excited to see what unheard of book you’re going to introduce me to ☺️
omg okay. I’m actually very excited to read East of Eden. For some reason I’m having a PULL to read it in warm weather, so I’m saving it for maybe May? When the sun is shining. Idk why my intuition is telling me this but who am I to ignore it! The size of Middlemarch scares me but I’m willing to try and be brave…
East of Eden feels perfect for sunshine!! And middlemarch intimidated me too but I am still shocked by how much I was just immediately sucked in and then the length felt much more manageable
I always savour your reviews and look forward to reading them when I should be working <333
Truly though, I enjoyed the range in this round-up. Especially excited to take the time to read your thoughts on Beloved as I was glad to see your note about deciding to pick it up. I feel like you've expressed so many sentiments that I had while reading, thank you for also sharing 'Southern Gothic' as a literary genre. I had no idea it existed but I completely see that in Morrison's Beloved.
Otherwise you've inspired me to read into 'They Fell Like Stars From The Sky' and 'A Shining' seems interesting (as a writer more than a reader maybe) for its experiments with storytelling. Amazing job xx
Amara 🩷 I love your comments. I also had no idea that ‘Southern Gothic’ was a genre until recently! And since learning about it I am all over it trying to find more. It’s seen so much in Beloved and To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter which I read last year and really loved! So grotesque and captivating I really want to make a point to read more southern gothic. I want it all.
Two great books! ‘A Shining’ is totally a book for a writer rather than a reader I think! Really experimental, weird and impressive. The first 20 pages are like ‘wtf is going on’ and the last 20 are like ‘I’m in awe of this talent how did he do this’. Very thought provoking on use of words and word count. When I was reading ‘They Fell Like Stars’ I was thinking of you actually! I could see you enjoying it so I’m glad you said that! Xxx I also saw a butterfly this morning and the sun is out! A great day ahead xxxx
Thanks for that and yes, I actually hadn't thought of To Kill A Mocking Bird fitting in that category/genre. Also how sweet that you thought of me with They Fell Like Stars, that's such a gorgeous alignment!!!!
ohhhhhh the butterfly Queen and her winged companions are back in time for the Spring Equinox (she never left!). What a beautiful sign for this version of the new year! I hope it was a beautiful day and continues through the week love xxx
I love your reading wrap ups so much! Thanks for mentioning my review!
Thank you Yulani!! My pleasure, I really enjoyed reading it, especially so soon after I finished the book!!
Woohooo Clarice Lispector!!! Traveling tomorrow and can't wait to dive into these reviews! xx
Honoured to be your travelling literature - I hope you are sufficiently entertained xox I hope you’ve had a lovely time in Paris!
So many great recommends thank you!
❤️❤️
I just ordered a Lispector!! Also I got halfway through East of Eden and took a pause so if you do pick that one up let me know and I will buddy read with you!
I now have a separate part of my book wish list that is called MM thanks to you and all your wonderful reviews. Will and Testament was just added, as well as Close to Home because I am a sucker for Irish writers (still need to get to Trespasses, have you read it?)
I have been listening to The Minimalists podcast since I had a menty B in the pandemic about all the stuff I owned, so the book about the things we own and leave behind is so interesting.
Omg WHICH Lispector?? Maybe we can buddy read East of Eden AND a Lispector! I will 100% let you know when I pick up the Steinbeck. It’s long enough that I’d appreciate the emotional support whilst reading it.
A book wish list category called MM!! 🥹 I LOVE it. I feel v honoured. I think you’d love Will and Testament! It was so so good. Irish writers really are so great - I have read Trespassers! I enjoyed it, but would say I loved Close to Home much more!
Tbf being stuck in the house surrounded by all your belongings during the pandemic was deffo overwhelming. The book was really interesting and funny - there were a lot of reflections about her bookshelf too and the type of books she was emotionally attached to which I enjoyed. It also made me think I bet we will never be remembered by the objects we’d like to think we’d be remembered by. And instead just weird crap from around the house.
Such a good reading wrap up!! Adding Close to Home to my TBR.
Thank you! An excellent choice.
lovely wrap up as always!! I also read Beloved this month and it destroyed me. Morrison has such a compelling writing style as you said, I was immediately taken with it
Thank you Hannah! Ahh twins I can’t believe you read it too! Such compelling writing - it was such a surreal reading experience. ‘Jazz’ is the second in the trilogy - are you interested in reading it?
absolutely! I was so happy to find out it was a series. I’ll have to read Sula too!
Well I’ll lyk when I read Jazz too! I actually really want to reread Sula because it was my first Morrison I think I didn’t *deeply* appreciated it. Whereas now I’ve read ‘Beloved’ and feel like I understand her voice so much more I think a reread of Sula could be really fun!
So happy to read your review of Close to Home... I've been so close to getting it before, and now I know I have to.
In terms of classics, I have a hankering for a Dorian Gray reread and definitely support a James Baldwin pick!
It was SO good - you absolutely have to. I’ve never actually read Dorian Gray but always wanted to.
My life hasn’t been the same since I read Giovanni’s Room last year - I might have to pick Beale Street next. I saw you read ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ is month too! What did you think?
Wow - love your reviews! I also picked up Jon Fosse (his other novel Septology - and am chewing my way through it)
Thank you Nix!! I have eyed Septology before but have always been severely intimidated by the length and the fact it’s got multiple parts! Chewing your way through is the perfect way to describe churning through such a long book. How’re you finding it?
There’s a reason I started with A Shining because it was so short lmao
I read East of Eden in high school and really enjoyed it but it’s definitely got a lot to unpack!
My personal favorite classic has got to be Les Miserables. I read it last December and it was absolutely magnificent. I think I underlined hundreds of lines in that book, it’s so thought-provoking and relevant to current times.
I’m hoping to pick up War and Peace later this year 👀
I’ve heard so many great things about East of Eden! I’m trying not to be intimated by the prospect of a lot of unpack lol. And more be excited for the challenge.
Les Miserable! Wow I’ve never heard someone so enthralled by the book. You’re definitely selling it to me - I did love the film. I am very open to reading this. Heavily considering!
War and Peace! Jenna I admire you 🫡 that’s no easy feat - the length of that terrifies me. I’m trying to warm up reading Crime and Punishment this year.
There's a lot of great religious allusions and references (I wrote a whole 20 paged paper on Cain and Abel in relation to the book) and the writing is really easy to get into, but when I tried to reread it a few years ago with all the knowledge I have now, there were definitely some dated aspects to it...
I also did Crime and Punishment in HS! And while it was definitely a beast, I'm actually trying to get back into Dostoyevsky because I remember not hating C&P. People rave about The Brothers Karamazov, so maybe someday I'll get on a Russian kick haha
But seriously, Les Mis. I did it on both physical and audio (the 2021 release on Audible is absolutely wonderful) and if you enjoy philosophy or social justice or sociology, it is a wonderful option. The writing style is really agreeable depending on the translation you go for, and even though it is a bit intimidating, it really opens up the musical in a wonderful way, and there's so much amazing commentary on class! Don't feel like you have to really be present for all of it (I definitely skimmed the 40 pages about Waterloo and the whole section on the Paris sewer system...), but be warned that you may end up completely obsessed! 😅
also not to self-plug but I completely forgot I wrote up a whole post trying to get people to read this book!
https://jennaclarek.substack.com/p/reading-the-brick-part-ii
Love the plug! I’ll check it out xxx
I can definitely appreciate after studying a book for school you then know SO much going into a reread it’s overwhelming- I’d feel the same with some of my A Level texts probably! The religious references intrigue me a lot.
C&P!! Yeh I really want to read it because I’ve heard such great things I’m just for some reason intimidated. I really want to read ‘White Nights’ too! Maybe I’ll start w WN before C&P bc it’s shorter and it can get me into Dostoyevsky writing style before C&P. ‘Not hating C&P’ made me laugh haha.
Okay I will consider Les Mis! I do love social justice and sociology so I can totally see how it would be so enjoyable to read. What translation did you read? Skimming pages on the sewer system is valid lmao
The physical Les Mis I read was the Denny translation and the audio was Donougher translation! Donougher is probably the most modern and easily accessible. I can't remember which other ones are floating around, but you may wanna do some research to figure out what kind of reading experience you're looking for - obviously each translation is good for something different!
I finally read Moby-Dick last fall and I’m a little bit (or maybe a lot…) obsessed with it. So I always recommend it although I think a lot of people read it in a way that does it a disservice (there’s no plot and that’s the point! It’s extremely funny!) I love your own classic a month goal, I’m doing something similar with 20th century queer lit and it’s been so much fun so far!
Moby-Dick! I hadn’t considered that as an option - I don’t always bode well with no plot books I have to be in the right mood but I’m open too it! Who doesn’t love a funny book!
And thank you - I think it’s so easy to get comfortable as a reader to only pick books that never challenge you - and I definitely don’t challenge myself with classics enough and I’d like to change that!
I love your 20th century queer lit goal too - what have to read so far??
One of the qualities of Moby-Dick is that you can dip into it just about anywhere and not feel like you have to first read or re-read everything up to that point. It’s a long book, but with 135 chapters, picking it up on a whim and reading a chapter through doesn’t take long.
One of my favorite chapters is 35, The Mast-Head. This is not only a short history of the mast-head (similar to a crows-nest) and whale watching, but also a meditation on what it’s like to man the mast-head, “with the problem of the universe revolving in me” and the “opium-like listlessness” of the experience.
You can also just read it as an adventure story, which is more the approach that John Huston’s 1956 film took, screenplay by sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury.
The book’s on Gutenberg if you want a taste:
https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2701/pg2701-images.html#link2HCH0035
Melville was pretty much forgotten by the turn of the 20th century, but writers like D.H. Lawrence revived interest in his books. Here’s Lawrence’s influential essay from his 1923 book, Studies in Classic American Literature:
https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/60547/pg60547-images.html#XI_HERMAN_MELVILLES_MOBY_DICK
Thank you for such an interesting and thoughtful comment Frank! I enjoyed The Mast-Head chapter - thank you for sending it over!
Ha, well if you're not into plotless books I'm not sure if Moby-Dick for you. It's really an encyclopedia disguised as a novel. But I do think it has a lot to offer!
So far I've just read one book for my 20th century queer lit goal this year: The Garden God by Forrest Reid which was strange but which I kind of loved. (Published in 1905). Last year my favorite was Alexis by Marguerite Yourcenar, which I am head-over-heels in love with.
Books with a lot to offer are a favourite of mine! I trust your judgement and will consider it.
I’ve just searched for ‘Alexis’ because of your comment and it sounds so so wonderful? I’m invested, I want to read it.
Yay! It's so good. It really blew me away with how urgent and contemporary it felt, and it has some really astute observations about identity and music and autonomy. The writing is just gorgeous. And it's only like 100 pages.
Laura you’ve completely sold it to me. Urgent, contemporary and 100 pages?! *orders immediately* I look forward to chatting about it with you!
Yesssss I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! I was totally dazzled by how relevant it felt even though it is distinctly and totally not of this time.
your wrap up is SLAYING my TBR - so many good finds in here I haven't heard of and now need to read :)
Slay!!! I appreciate the phrase ‘I need to read’ rather than ‘I want to read’ :)
haha yess adding things to my NTR list ;)
In Cold Blood was one of the best books I have ever read. I watched both movies, as well.
I always hear such great things - You make me more excited to read it Jacki! I think I’ll do the book first and the movies after?
That's how I did it. The book, the original movie, and then the remake.
I notice you revel in the stories about intergenerational trauma. If you've yet to read it, William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying is a great illustration of this, and could be one of your monthly classics!
You are so right Gillian I do reveal in them. I am yet to read ‘As I Lay Dying’! Thank you for such a thoughtful recommendation that could be a monthly classic and includes themes of what I really enjoy to read - I appreciate it Gillian! I’ll be sure to let you know when I pick it up!
Close to Home and Will & Testament (you’re right, you know I love an Irish author ☺️) both piqued my interest! I love that you had an unintentional theme going this month!
2 excellent choices - both of those books were SO good. We both have an affinity for the Irish 💚 my partner is Irish so I took that affinity one step further. Not an author unfortunately - it’s tragic. I loved the unintentional theme too!! And am now overly invested in accidentally creating one again..
Your reading is simply unparalleled!! As someone who mostly reads “mainstream” lit I get so excited to see what unheard of book you’re going to introduce me to ☺️
Also, East of Eden! I think about it ……all the time. Middlemarch is my fav classic that I’ve read in recent years!
omg okay. I’m actually very excited to read East of Eden. For some reason I’m having a PULL to read it in warm weather, so I’m saving it for maybe May? When the sun is shining. Idk why my intuition is telling me this but who am I to ignore it! The size of Middlemarch scares me but I’m willing to try and be brave…
East of Eden feels perfect for sunshine!! And middlemarch intimidated me too but I am still shocked by how much I was just immediately sucked in and then the length felt much more manageable
unparalleled !!!! Steph you’re making me blush 🩷💋 happy to hear my posts are so exciting to receive in your inbox! best compliment ever.
I always savour your reviews and look forward to reading them when I should be working <333
Truly though, I enjoyed the range in this round-up. Especially excited to take the time to read your thoughts on Beloved as I was glad to see your note about deciding to pick it up. I feel like you've expressed so many sentiments that I had while reading, thank you for also sharing 'Southern Gothic' as a literary genre. I had no idea it existed but I completely see that in Morrison's Beloved.
Otherwise you've inspired me to read into 'They Fell Like Stars From The Sky' and 'A Shining' seems interesting (as a writer more than a reader maybe) for its experiments with storytelling. Amazing job xx
Amara 🩷 I love your comments. I also had no idea that ‘Southern Gothic’ was a genre until recently! And since learning about it I am all over it trying to find more. It’s seen so much in Beloved and To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter which I read last year and really loved! So grotesque and captivating I really want to make a point to read more southern gothic. I want it all.
Two great books! ‘A Shining’ is totally a book for a writer rather than a reader I think! Really experimental, weird and impressive. The first 20 pages are like ‘wtf is going on’ and the last 20 are like ‘I’m in awe of this talent how did he do this’. Very thought provoking on use of words and word count. When I was reading ‘They Fell Like Stars’ I was thinking of you actually! I could see you enjoying it so I’m glad you said that! Xxx I also saw a butterfly this morning and the sun is out! A great day ahead xxxx
Thanks for that and yes, I actually hadn't thought of To Kill A Mocking Bird fitting in that category/genre. Also how sweet that you thought of me with They Fell Like Stars, that's such a gorgeous alignment!!!!
ohhhhhh the butterfly Queen and her winged companions are back in time for the Spring Equinox (she never left!). What a beautiful sign for this version of the new year! I hope it was a beautiful day and continues through the week love xxx