On a recuperative post-Christmas trip to the beach, I discovered a massive book sale and loaded up on a number of finds. Then, on returning home, I was confronted with another nearby going-out-of-business event at a local bookstore, and made multiple trips, list of preferred titles in hand.
The universe had sent a number of signs, and so I heeded. I was to read in 2018, and so I did. I went ahead and read more than 30 books of various genres, topics, and narrative styles. I've taken a stab at trying to pick the best of the lot amidst a whirlwind year of reading.
#1. "Confederacy of Dunces," by John Kennedy Toole
What I Say Now:
A hysterical, transformative work that is almost as interesting as the story behind its writing and posthumous publication. I thought the ending could have been a bit stronger, but Ignatius C. Reilly is among the most memorable characters in American literature, and I look forward to finding his statue in New Orleans sometime. Toole's talent was staggering, and it's quite a loss to consider what other masterpieces he might have written.
Passages to Remember:
"I dust a bit," Ignatius told the policeman. "In addition, I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain reels from my literary labors, I make an occasional cheese dip."
"This stuff in here is fascinating," Myrna said, indicating the tablet through which she was flipping. "Genesis of nihilism."
"Leaving New Orleans also frightened me considerably. Outside of the city limits the heart of darkness, the true wasteland begins."
"Her logic was a combination of half-truths and cliches, her worldview a compound of misconceptions deriving from a history of our nation as written from the perspective of a subway tunnel."
"Ignatius, we better go," Mrs. Reilly said and belched.
"What?" Ignatius bellowed. "We must stay to watch the corruption. It's already beginning to set in."
#2. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," by Ken Kesey
What I Say Now:
This masterpiece ended up being more complex than I anticipated, with more going on under the surface than would first appear. There were times when I questioned whether Mac or Ratched was the villain, due to the questionable ethics and subtext of a protagonist like R.P. McMurphy. The brilliance of this work was probably somewhat lost under the weight of its success as a movie.
Passages to Remember:
" ... You think this is too horrible to have really happened, this is too awful to be the truth! ... But it's the truth even if it didn't happen."
"Practice has steadied and strengthened her until now she wields a sure power that extends in all directions on hair-like wires too small for anybody's eyes but mine; I see her sit in the center of this web of wires like a watchful robot, tend her network with mechanical insect skill, know every second which wire runs where and just what current to send up to get the results she wants."
"She's lost a little battle here today, but it's a minor battle in a big war that she's been winning and that she'll go on winning ... She'll go on winning, just like the Combine, because she has all the power of the Combine behind her."
"Nobody complains about all the fog. I know why, now: as bad as it is, you can slip back in it and feel safe. That's what McMurphy can't understand, us wanting to be safe. He keeps trying to drag us out of the fog, out in the open where we'd be easy to get at."
"Because he knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy ... He won't let the pain blot out the humor no more'n he'll let the humor blot out the pain."
#3. "A Brief History of Seven Killings," by Marlon James
What I Say Now:
The patois can make it a dense read at times and it can be hard to follow (perhaps by design), but this novel features brilliant character-building. NPR called it a "beautiful mess" and "a story that makes a reader work," and the New York Times called it "exhilarating and exhausting," so it's not for everyone. But if you can forge your way through, the reward is a multifaceted treasure. For true.
Passages to Remember:
"From this stew of pimento, gunshot blood, running water and sweet Rhythms comes the Singer, a sound in the air but also a living breathing sufferah who is always where he's from no matter where he's at."
"The dream didn't leave, people just don't know a nightmare when they right in the middle of one."
"And killing don't need no reason. This is ghetto. Reason is for rich people. We have madness."
"Like me she realise that right and wrong is just two words some fool invent and what really matter is what I have over you and what you have under me."
"Jamaica never gets worse or better, it just finds new ways to stay the same. You can't change the country, but maybe you can change yourself."
#4. "Another Country," by James Baldwin
What I Say Now:
With momentous themes like racism and pervasive, fluid sexuality, this work feels bold for 1961 (indications are it was written over a span of 15 years). A massive plot twist occurred relatively early on, setting the stage for Baldwin's torrid, excellent writing to punctuate the ending. He is at his best spinning dialogue, and those skills were on fully display in this memorable novel.
Passages to Remember:
"He knew that Harlem was a battlefield and that a war was being waged there day and night -- but of the war aims he knew nothing."
"And he himself felt, in a way he had not felt before, that it was time for him to take the plunge. This was the water, the people in this room; it impressed him, certainly, as far from fine, but it was the only water there was."
"They were oddly equal: perhaps each could teach the other, concerning love, what neither now knew. And they were equal in that both were afraid of what unanswerable and unimaginable riddles might be uncovered in so merciless a light."
"He stared into his cup, noting that black coffee was not black, but deep brown. Not many things in the world were really black, not even the night, not even the mines. And the light was not white, either, even the palest light held within itself some hint of its origins, in fire. He thought to himself that he had at last got what he wanted, the truth out of Ida, or the true Ida; and he did not know how he was going to live with it."
"Love," she said, and watched the cold sunlight. She thought of the cold river and of the dead black boy, their friend. She closed her eyes. "Love," she said, again, "love."
#5. "Empire Falls," by Richard Russo
What I Say Now:
On the surface, this book is a down-home, simple look at Main Street USA, with its inherent secrets and backstories that live just underneath everything. However, Russo's usage of shifting perspectives -- moving from the point of view of Miles Roby to other characters -- is both clever and difficult to pull off as a writer. This novel also formed the backbone of a decent miniseries on HBO to boot.
Passages to Remember:
"What he discovered was that violating his own nature wasn't nearly as unpleasant or difficult as he'd imagined. In fact, looking around Empire Falls, he got the distinct impression that people did it every day."
"He seemed, the old man's doctor observed, to be dying from within, the surest sign of which was an almost biblical flatulence."
"It was easier to believe in God, she said, or at least the possibility of God, on Martha's Vineyard than it was in Empire Falls. Miles knew what she meant, understood the bitter irony. Half the cars in the Vineyard chapel's lot were either Mercedes or Lexuses. No surprise that their owners believe that God was in His heaven."
"To his surprise, she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, a kiss so full of affection that it dispelled the awkwardness, even as it caused Miles's heart to plummet, because all kisses are calibrated and this one revealed the great chasm between affection and love."
"Wasn't there something in a father, he asked himself, some extra sense, that should've told him right where she'd be? Wasn't she his only daughter? A better father would've been able to find her blindfolded, in the dark, attracted by the invisible beacon of her suffering ... Thankfully, seeing Tick alive and well was enough to confirm his sense that his best destiny in life was as this child's father."
Honorable Mention (in 10 words or less):
"Pincher Martin," by William Golding: Harrowing, detailed depiction of dying, going crazy in isolation.
"Hellhound on His Trail," by Hampton Sides: Meticulously researched, fascinating tale that suffers from verbose, obtuse language.
"Razor's Edge," by W. Somerset Maugham: Strong start somewhat diminished by petering end, overly philosophical prose.
"All Our Wrong Todays," by Elan Mastai: Breezy, digestible, slick read marked by highly emotional ending.
The Rest (in 5 words or less):
"Dogs of War," by Frederick Forsyth: Procedural soldier-of-fortune tale.
"QB: The Making of a Modern Quarterback," by Bruce Feldman: Interesting, but too much Dilfer.
"Billion Dollar Ball," by Gilbert M. Gaul: Formulaic, repetitive evisceration of NCAA.
"Hearts in Suspension," by Stephen King and University of Maine Press: So-so biography, great short story.
"The Hanging Girl," by Jussi Adler-Olsen: European mystery lacking Larsson oomph.
"The Last Season," by Stuart Stevens: Father-son tale veers maudlin.
"Cradle: A Novel," by Arthur C. Clarke: Worst book of year ... ever?
"Robert F. Kennedy," by Jack Newfield: Wrenching re-creation of lost hope.
"Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead," by Sara Gran: Fun depiction of New Orleans.
"Writing Movies for Profit," by Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon: Hilarious insider view of Hollywood.
"Fatherland," by Robert Harris: Exciting read hits too close.
"Outsider," by Stephen King: Above-average, derivative King effort.
"Dear Fahrenheit 451," by Annie Spence: Amusing love note to libraries.
"The Girl on the Train," by Paula Hawkins: Absorbing story with iffy writing.
"Heart-Shaped Box," by Joe Hill: Promising debut from King's son.
"Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting," by Syd Field: Painstaking manual from legendary screenwriter.
"Jack Kerouac: A Biography," by Tom Clark: Straightforward bio of iconic Beatnik.
"Flight or Fright," by Stephen King and Bev Vincent: Collection of terrifying flying tales.
"Elevation," by Stephen King: Emotional short story recalls "Thinner."
"Scrum: A Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction," by Chris Sims and Hillary Louise Johnson: Blessedly short explanation of agile.
"The Agile Mind-Set: Making Agile Processes Work," by Gil Broza: Another work read, strongly detailed.
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