249. Fantomas

Fantomas
Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre
1911
Around 300 pages

I had never heard of Fantomas before, but apparently he is very popular outside of the United States and occupies an interesting space in the history of crime fiction. Now that I realize how cool this character is, I am fully onboard to stan this guy...even if I am about a hundred years late to the party.

Fantomas is a criminal genius that has become a legend in Paris. Some believe that he is just a sensationalized newspaper invention, who is simply blamed for all the crimes that police officers can't solve. Among those that believe in Fantomas is Inspector Juve. Juve thinks that Fantomas might be behind the recent murder and disappearance he has been called in to solve.

This was an interesting story that marks the transition from the traditional Gothic villain to the creepy serial killers were are so obsessed with today. I was curious what the character of Inspector Juve would be like; the genius detective is such a trope, even in 1911. Juve isn't the most distinct character but he is logical and a worthy opponent of Fantomas. I did guess elements of the plot ahead of time, which either means I'm a genius or it took some fairly obvious turns. I am choosing to go with the former. 

I should also mention this is one of those strange novels that is written by two people. You can tell, but only a little.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

The depiction of Fantomas wearing a blue mask and black gloves is not in the books, but was popularized by the 1960 Fantomas movies. 

UP NEXT: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. An old favorite.

248. Impressions of Africa

Impressions of Africa
Raymond Roussel
1910
Around 250 pages

Based on the title of the novel and the year it was written, I expected it to be something I would have to grit my teeth through. But I didn't expect it to be so bizarre in structure. I'm pretty sure Roussel was tripping his balls off when he wrote this. 

The first hundred or so pages of the book are descriptions of the elaborate contraptions King Talu has arranged for his party. After that, you learn that a group of shipwreck survivors are being forced to entertain the king in all manner of crazy ways. It gets a little gross, and corsets are employed in a way even more painful than usual. 

I think most of this is lost in translation. Apparently, Roussel did a lot of impressive things with puns and homonyms that are understandably absent in the English version. The whole thing seems like the kind of nightmarish writing exercise my more eccentric professors would assign and make us read out loud in college. I guess public humiliation is supposed to get your trauma juices flowing and make you a better novelist. I don't think it worked on me.

So if you are a French speaker who digs surrealism this may be the book for you. Also, if that's the case, tell me more about yourself, you seem interesting.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Roussel died of a barbiturate overdose at the age of 56. Thought to be a suicide.

Admired by Dali. Naturally. 

UP NEXT: Fantomas by Marcel Allain. What by whom?

247. Howards End

Howards End
E.M. Forster 
1910
Around 350 pages

This was my first exposure to E.M. Forster many years ago and I really disliked it. Since then, I have read Where Angels Fear to Tread and A Room With a View, both of which I enjoyed much more than this. I think Forster is following the Henry James trajectory, where each novel he writes is progressively worse than the previous book. I'll wait until A Passage to India before I officially place him in that category though.

Helen Schlegel falls in love with Paul Wilcox, leading to a hasty engagement that is soon called off. Some time later, Margaret Schlegel, Helen's sister, befriends the Wilcox matriarch, Ruth Wilcox. Ruth is deathly ill, and soon succumbs to her illness, leaving behind a husband, Henry, and children. Henry becomes attracted to Margaret, but the other Wilcoxes aren't thrilled about his choice.

I know this is considered Forster's masterpiece, but once again, his characters don't seem real to me. The women are mostly irrational and driven entirely by emotion. The men don't fare much better in his depiction, although they are terrible in a different way (obstinate and prone to fits). His characters are a bit too melodramatic for my taste.

I will say that Forster always does a great job establishing a rich setting.  But I still think this one is skippable, which I know is an unpopular opinion.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Howards End is based on Rooks Nest, Forster's childhood home.

On Beauty (another List novel!) was written as a homage to Howards End. 

UP NEXT: Impressions of Africa by Raymond Roussel. I can only imagine what this is going to be. Brace yourselves.

246. Three Lives

Three Lives
Gertrude Stein
1909
Around 250 pages

I had never read any Gertrude Stein novels, but I was excited to dive into her works. For one thing, it is always exciting to hear from a female author on the List, as they are few and far between. I also feel a certain kinship for her since we were both born in Pittsburgh. Of course, her family moved her to Vienna and Paris when she was three years old and my parents...didn't. Anyway, now that I have read one of her novels, my opinion of her has diminished somewhat.

Three Lives is separated into three novellas, "The Good Anna," "Melanctha," and "The Gentle Lena." "The Good Anna" tells the story of Anna, a spinster servant who loves her dogs. Yeah, I didn't find that one particularly compelling either. "Melanctha" is the longest story, and is so disgustingly racist that I don't want to spend too much time on it. Yes, I know it was a different time, but it was still really tough to endure. "The Gentle Lena" is about a passive German girl who marries Herman Kreder to please her elders, and goes on to live a quiet, miserable life.

Gertrude Stein is unapologetically repetitive. It's almost like every story is a song, and like a song, has a refrain. It's definitely a distinctive but irritating style. It felt a little condescending to the reader, and even more condescending to her characters, none of whom she seems to like. 

I'm still looking forward to her other novels on the List, which sound like they contain more interesting plots, but this wasn't a great first impression of Stein.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Stein sent copies of this novel to W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Good lord, really?

After a year of rejections, Stein had the book published at her own expense.

UP NEXT: Howards End by E.M. Forster. I've read this one already, so expect a new post shortly!

245. Martin Eden

Martin Eden
Jack London
1909
Around 400 pages

This is the second and final London novel on the List. I think many people, me included, think of London as a rugged outdoorsman who writes survivalist stories, but once again, he presents us with something unexpected.

Martin Eden is an uneducated sailor who falls in love with Ruth Morse. Unfortunately, she comes from a bourgeois family. Martin vows to "make good" by becoming an esteemed writer, which would enable him to marry Ruth. As the novel progresses, Martin slowly finds acceptance from the class that once shunned him, but he doesn't enjoy it quite as much as he thought he would.

In many ways, this is your typical "artist becomes disillusioned, fame isn't what it's cracked up to be, etc" story. But I was very engaged even though the plot moved in a pretty predictable direction. London clearly put a lot of himself in Martin, and the ending (without giving too much away) is almost like fantasy fulfillment.

This was also a vast improvement from Iron Heel, in terms of characterization and pacing. I want to read more Jack London now but those seem like winter reads.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Written after London had already achieved fame with The Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf.

Referenced in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America.

UP NEXT: Three Lives by Gertrude Stein. I am excited for this one, I've never read any Stein.

244. Strait is the Gate

Strait is the Gate
Andre Gide
1909
Around 250 pages

I haven't quite clicked with any of our books from Gide yet and I am afraid this novel is no exception. Once again, he portrays a very unhealthy relationship with melodramatic characters. That's fine, but I think we are supposed to think this one was romantic. Ick.

Jerome is in love with his cousin Alissa, who strings him along for years, because that is how they will both get into heaven, I guess? Jerome is so enthralled with Alissa that he fails to realize his other cousin is in love with him as well.  I guess dating options were pretty thin on the ground back then.

I think we were supposed to mistake Alissa's mental illness for virtue. Instead I just found it kind of silly and over the top. Gide has one more chance to win me over on this List, but I don't have high hopes.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Based on Gide's own failure to woo his cousin.

The title is a reference to a phrase from the Gospel of Luke.

UP NEXT: Martin Eden by Jack London.