254. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Robert Tressell
1914
Around 400 pages

I know I have to get over Emile Zola eventually. But I miss how deftly he handled social issues in his novels. I am not saying he never crossed the line into melodrama, but I always felt there was a mutual respect between the narrator and reader.

You can tell this was written by an inexperienced author. There is a hesitation to let the work speak for itself and a lack of trust that the reader can grasp metaphors. Animal Farm, for example, doesn't begin with a preface that says: "and though these characters are animals, let the animals stand in the reader's mind for the very real workers who have suffered..."

But Noonan (Tressell is a pen name) didn't attend Eton or study the craft of novel writing. If he had been afforded those opportunities, I am sure he would have been capable of producing masterpieces. Instead, he was a poor house painter who I guess wanted to create a very long Socialism pamphlet.

Frank Owen tries to convince his fellow workers that capitalism is the cause of all their problems. In these sorts of novels, there is always the one good looking guy that can eloquently explain Socialism, and amaze others with his cool logic and charisma. Insert eye roll here. I don't like it when characters are reduced to mouthpieces. I guess one thing that stands out about this particular novel is that Tressell appears to be angrier at his fellow workers who do nothing to change their situation (The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists) than the people who exploit them. 

The plot isn't good enough to make up for the preaching, and the preaching isn't persuasive enough to make up for the lack of plot.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Published after Robert Tressell's death from tuberculosis.

George Orwell has called this a book everybody should read. Sorry, I only take orders from Boxall. 

UP NEXT: Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This calls for a Phil Collins binge.

253. Sons and Lovers

Sons and Lovers
D.H. Lawrence
1913
Around 450 pages

I finally finished reading Infinite Jest, which I hate, hate, hated, but I suppose that is a rant for another post. It's okay. I don't mind waiting. My hate is an eternal flame that will burn long after this blog, and all its readers, are dead and buried. So for now, I'll content myself with discussing Sons and Lovers.

The protagonist of this novel is Paul, the third of four Morel children. Mrs. Morel is unhappily married to her abusive husband, who works in a mine. She is able to endure her life solely because of her love for her children. Paul's relationship with his mother affects every other relationship in his life, and constitutes his Freudian excuse for tormenting other women. 

Lawrence is obviously a wonderful writer, and it was fascinating untangling all the relationships in the Morel family. Lawrence isn't as intent on exposing the harshness of a mine worker's life as somebody like Zola, and, interestingly, he never takes us into the mine with Mr. Morel. But we get to see what Mr. Morel becomes because of the mine and the toll his behavior takes on the family. It's really the characters that stand out more than the setting. 

The characters are actually pretty frustrating, as nobody seems to act in their best interests. But I really liked this novel and look forward to reading more Lawrence in the future!

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

The character Gertrude Morel was heavily based on Lawrence's own mother.

Received a lukewarm reception by critics, but is now widely considered a masterpiece.

UP NEXT: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell.

252. Death in Venice

Death in Venice
Thomas Mann
1912
Around 150 pages

I am amazed that somebody as longwinded as Mann could manage to write a novella, but I get the feeling Thomas Mann was less interested in creating a great work here and more interested in producing an outlet for his...urges.

Gustav von Aschenbach feels compelled to visit Venice, where, unbeknownst to him, a serious cholera epidemic is taking place. So if anybody is looking for a 1001 read related to outbreaks, add this to your 2020 nightmare shelf, along with The Plague and Love in the Time of Cholera. Anyway, Gustav sees a 14 year old Polish boy in a sailor suit and falls in love with him. It's like Lolita, but with a boy. Of course, this was written before Lolita so I guess Mann beat Nabokov to the pederasty punch.

I really don't know what to say about this one; critics really seem to go gaga over it. I won't necessarily hate a novel just because the main character is loathsome or pathetic or whatever the hell Gustav was. For example, I actually liked Lolita, which is not an opinion I tout about much. But I get the sense that Mann was just as damaged as this character was, so there was something intrusive about the experience of reading this. It felt like he was trying to suppress his desires, and when that didn't work, tried to intellectualize those urges to lend them some sort of godly significance. Like he was saying, "I'm not being a predator, I'm paying homage to the Greeks." Gee, I wonder how many times police have heard that excuse before. 

Of course, the writing is good, but there is a lot of good writing in the world. I wouldn't recommend spending time on this.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Thomas Mann's wife said that the idea for the story came when they were visiting Venice. Thomas became enthralled with a 14-year-old, Polish boy who was traveling with his family. Um.

Mann confessed to being attracted to his young sons in his diaries. Double um.

UP NEXT: Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I am really excited to read this one. I have been meaning to read more Lawrence for awhile now. 

251. The Charwoman's Daughter

The Charwoman's Daughter
James Stephens
1912
Around 250 pages

I thought a Charwoman was a chambermaid, but I guess it's a dated term for a cleaning person (as opposed to a maid, who typically lived with the household). So the charwoman in question is actually more fortunate than I realized. Doesn't stop her from behaving...strangely.

Mrs. Makebelieve (yes, that is the character's name) hates her station in life and hopes one day Mary, her daughter, will marry rich and thus create a better life for them. Mary attracts the attention of a burly policeman, but isn't sure if she wants to get married.

This is a very weird book with very weird characters. Mrs. Makebelieve hugs her daughter so tightly that she hurts her, and Mary's dearest ambition is to be the victim of domestic violence. "Will not women cherish a bruise that it may be medicined by male kisses?" Stephens asks. Uh, can I reply to that question on behalf of my people? 

So in a lot of ways, it just felt like another failed attempt by a man trying to capture the female psyche. He did a better job with the characterization of Dublin, which is where this story takes place. His passages about St. Stephen's Green really hit me in the feels, as that was my favorite place in Dublin when I visited. I always find it fascinating when we read a book from the 1900s or earlier and the building/location being described is the same today. As an American, I'm used to places constantly changing.

Overall, though, you can skip the adventures of Mary Makebelieve and not be worse off for it.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Good friends with James Joyce.

Joyce initially expressed interest in having James Stephens help him finish Finnigan's Wake. Ultimately, Joyce was able to finish the book himself.

UP NEXT: Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. A shortie shortster, so I should have this one up soon.

250. Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome
Edith Wharton
1911
Around 150 pages

250! Seems like a pretty significant milestone. And it only took me nine years to get here. Doing the math, that means I'll finish when I'm...oh my.

What is this, a math blog? Let's talk about books.

The unnamed narrator is fascinated by a man with a quiet man, Ethan Frome, who limps around a village because I guess entertainment was thin on the ground back then. The narrative switches to Ethan's story from twenty years ago, which among other things, explains the limp.

I feel like the modern perception of an Edith Wharton novel is a long dreary book about stuffy people, but her pacing is actually excellent and her characters unforgettable. This isn't my favorite Wharton novel because it is a little heavy in the melodrama department, but it's a quick and easy read with an incredible ending.

I think an argument could be made that she is overrepresented on the List, but I am glad to be reading more of her work.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Initially began as a homework assignment Edith wrote for a French class.

UP NEXT: The Charwoman's Daughter by James Stephens