308. One, No One, and a Hundred Thousand

One, No One, and a Hundred Thousand
Luigi Pirandello
1926
Around 175 pages

This is one of those novels I had to put down frequently to reflect on the crazy, brilliant ideas Luigi Pirandello presented. What a great find, I would have never checked this out without the List. 

Vitangelo Moscarda's wife tells him he has a big nose, which sends him into an existential crisis. Girl, I would have the exact same reaction. He realizes that everybody he has ever met has constructed a different persona of him, none of which correspond with the real "Vitangelo." Which is crazy and true.

We are a new person to everybody we meet. Some people know me as daughter, girlfriend, that bitch who doesn't "get" Joyce. Am I all of these things, or none of these things? And do we have the authority to proclaim we know our true selves, or does that right belong to somebody else? 

Vitangelo is chillingly sane, and this made for a fascinating novel.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Pirandello began writing this is 1909. That's so inspirational to me. Some projects take a long time to gestate. Don't give up!

UP NEXT: The Plumed Serpent by D.H. Lawrence. 

307. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Agatha Christie
1926
Around 290 pages

The List rarely lets its hair down long enough to give us a decent detective story. You can see how influential this novel was on the entire genre, and it definitely makes me want to check out more of Aggy's work. In my off-hours, of course.

All Hercule Poirot wants to do is retire to a quiet English village and cultivate vegetable marrows. But crime doesn't take any gardening breaks, and his friend Roger Ackroyd is murdered. The story is narrated by Dr. James Sheppard, because doctors make the best narrators in crime stories. Hey, I don't make the rules.

You can see the vast influence this had on future novels. Christie is truly a master at weaving red herrings and important clues in her narrative. Crafting a story like this takes a lot more savvy than say, repeating the same phrase sixty times on one page (ahem Gertie).

Hercule Poirot isn't the most exciting detective ever created, but the story was stunningly original. A great choice if we can only have one Christie. 

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Took inspiration from the Charles Bravo murder, which remains unsolved.

Voted best crime novel of all time by the British Crime Writers' Association.

UP NEXT: One, No One, and A Hundred Thousand by Luigi Pirandello

306. The Making of the Americans

The Making of the Americans
Gertrude Stein
1925
Around 925 pages

Gertrude Stein wrote a book (typed by her long-suffering partner, Alice B. Toklas), and it's basically unreadable. The book Gertrude Stein wrote can't be read. As I was saying, Gertrude Stein's book is an unreadable one.

Are you crazy yet?

It took me about 400 pages into this tome before the rage really hit. Obviously, the repetition is hella intentional. Gertie would call it insistence, not repetition. I suppose the steel man argument is that meanings shift with every repeated phrase, like how you can't say your name 100 times in a row without it eventually devolving into meaningless sounds.

I think saying "As I was saying" four times per paragraph is just bad writing. Artful writers can insist upon a point without bludgeoning the reader to death with it. I got through this one by sheer force of will, because hey, I've journeyed this far into the hellfires of the List. If you're not fighting for something as noble as a check in a box, you'll never make it.

RATING: -----

Interesting Facts:

Published in excerpts by Ford Madox Ford, at the urging of Ernest Hemingway. Guys, get a grip.

My boyfriend recently took me to see Gertrude Stein's home in Pittsburgh! It's near one of my favorite breakfast places, Bier's Pub. I hate her, but it was still nice.

UP NEXT: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. This is the only Christie I have read so far.

305. Manhattan Transfer

Manhattan Transfer
John Dos Passos
1925
Around 340 pages

Some novels are forever stained by the memories associated with the reading experience. This was my waiting room book as my father underwent open heart surgery. So I was never going to be hanging on every word.

That being said, this was probably not going to be my cup of tea anyway. The story follows many characters in New York, with a wide range of subplots. This certainly immerses you in the chaotic feeling of New York City. But it's a little hard to follow all the characters, who are, predictably, not a happy bunch.

Once again, we have an author playing with the form of the novel itself. And I don't like it! I really want to sink my teeth into a story, and I didn't really enjoy the flashes of misery I saw bouncing from character to character. 

Anyway, another author trying to be James Joyce. Skippable.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

D. H. Lawrence called it "the best modern book about New York."

Inspired the name of the vocal group Manhattan Transfer.

UP NEXT: The Making of the Americans by Gertrude Stein. I've really been dreading this one.

304. Mrs. Dalloway

Mrs. Dalloway
Virginia Woolf
1925
Around 200 pages

Virginia Woolf becomes more and more experimental as she ages, which probably has a lot to do with her deteriorating mental state. This is the fourth Woolf novel on the List, and I feel like we are in the sweet spot. She's found her footing as a writer but things haven't become too weird yet. 

We were introduced to the minor character Clarissa Dalloway in The Voyage Out, but she is bumped up to protagonist for this gig. The novel takes place in a single day, the day of Clarissa's party in London. She spends the day getting ready and reminiscing about her choices. 

I love novels that take place in a single day (though I will bitch about Ulysses until the end of time). I love how she zeroed in on the particular, the everyday actions that make up our existence but novelists never pay much attention to. 

And I love getting more queer novels, especially when the writer isn't a pedophile. 

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Working title was The Hours.

Often considered a response to James Joyce's Ulysses. Oh honey, you won!

UP NEXT: Manhattan Transfer by John Dos Passos.

303. The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1925
Around 200 pages

You'd be hard pressed to get through the American educational system without being forced to read this novel at some point. I understand why; English teachers are obsessed with the "American Dream" theme, and the symbolism is easy to digest. There's nothing like having to do a powerpoint on a novel to suck the fun out of it. 

Nick Carraway relates his interactions with the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby, who is obsessed with reuniting with old flame Daisy. Nick teaches us all what an unreliable narrator is, and Daisy doesn't do a lot for female drivers. That summary would probably get me an F in an English class, but thankfully I am free from the tyranny of Socratic seminars.

When I think of the Roaring 20s, this is usually one of the first images that springs to mind. Fitzgerald certainly captured the setting brilliantly. The dynamics between the characters are rich for interpretation, but plots that hinge on misunderstandings are always a little irritating to me.

I liked Tender is the Night better, but this is a pretty great novel and one that everybody should read.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Inspired by Fitzgerald's affair with socialite Ginerva King and the parties he attended in Long Island.

Other titles considered were Among Ash Heaps and Millionaires, Trimalchio, Trimalchio in West Egg, On the Road to West Egg Under the Red, White, and Blue,The Gold-Hatted Gatsby and The High-Bouncing Lover.

Written after his Fitzgerald's play The Vegetable flopped.

UP NEXT: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. An old favorite.

302. The Counterfeiters

The Counterfeiters
Andre Gide
1925
Around 400 pages

The structure of this novel is intended to mirror cubism and is considered the precursor of the nouveau roman. Now, ordinarily this news would cause me to run and hide behind Henry Fielding's skirts. But I was actually warm for this novel's form. I always love writers writing about writing.

Bernard discovers from letters in his mother's desk that he is in fact, *gasp*, a bastard. He writes a very mean letter to his parents and runs away from home. He spends the night in his friend Olivier's bed, because this novel is very gay. Bernard steals a suitcase from Olivier's uncle, Edouard, which surprisingly results in Bernard becoming Edouard's secretary. Olivier is jealous of their relationship. There are many other subplots too, including Olivier's brothers' entanglements with women and the law. 

Andre Gide is a self described pedophile. We must once again grapple with separating the art from the artist. But like Thomas Mann, Gide makes this difficult by writing a very personal novel about the sexual awakening of young men.

But I did enjoy reading this novel. I am excited that we will be getting more queer literature as we make our way through the 20th century. I really enjoyed reading Edouard's thoughts on his novel, which he thinks he is writing but actually hasn't written a word of yet. Been there, buddy.

Our last Gide on the List. Which is good, because liking him makes me uncomfortable.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Adapted into a tv film in 2010.

Received coldly upon its initial release, but has gained prestige in the intervening years.

UP NEXT: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Is it wrong that when people say this is their favorite book, I assume they haven't read anything since high school? I know I'm a snob, but there's nothing like a high school English class to make you hate a novel. 

Also, if it's still your favorite novel, feel free to tell me how off I am in the comments.

301. The Trial

The Trial 
Franz Kafka
1925
Around 250 pages

Poor Franz Kafka. His last request was that everything he left behind be burned, unread. I wonder if it would be a comfort to him, knowing everybody thinks he's a genius. I'm not sure obsessively trying to complete a list is proper justification for invading his privacy. But like teenagers in a horror movie who've killed a homeless person and dumped the body in the ocean, I've come too far to turn back now.

Josef K., a cashier at a bank, is arrested by two agents of an unspecified agency for an unspecified crime. On his birthday no less. He's permitted to remain "free" but must appear at court on a Sunday, without being told the time or room. 

So basically, it's everybody's worst nightmare. I saw a critic refer to Kafka as the Dante of the twentieth century, which I think is an apt description. Bureaucracy is modern hell. You can relate to this novel simply by picking up the phone and calling Budget. 

It's unfinished, so the ending is abrupt, but I actually thought it was perfect for the story. Well done.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Heavily influenced by Crime and Punishment, and Kafka even called Dostoyevsky a blood relative.

Adapted in 1962 by Orson Welles, with Anthony Perkins in the lead.

UP NEXT: The Counterfeiters by Andre Gide. Another pedophile, gag.

300. The Artamonov Business

The Artamonov Business
Maxim Gorky
1925
Around 350 pages

300! Why, it seems like only yesterday...

Just kidding, it feels like I've been doing this forever. And will continue to do this forever since we still have 701 entries to go. But 300 is a cool milestone anyway. 

We celebrate with a dull family epic, designed to show us how capitalism is evil. With the rise and fall of the Artamonov clan, Gorky demonstrates how the massive societal upheavals at the time affected small communities. Naturally, he's only interested in exploring the lives of the male Artamonovs. 

In our 300 books, we've had plenty of pushy social justice novels. It's never fun being lectured, so when the author is able to pull this off without feeling like you are reading a pamphlet, it's pretty amazing (yes, I am thinking of Emile Zola, and no, I will never shut up about him). Gorky didn't really pull that off here.

And being in Stalin's good graces kind of bugs.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Adapted to film in 1941 by Grigori Roshal.

UP NEXT: The Trial by Franz Kafka. Our first Kafka! I'm sure by the end of his entries, the brightness will be extinguished from my eyes.

299. The Professor's House

The Professor's House
Willa Cather
1925
Around 250 pages

There's about one female author for every ten entries on this List. I wish Willa Cather in particular was better represented. Professor's House is a weird choice as well, when she's best known for O, Pioneers! or My Antonia. I guess they were trying to subvert expectations, but excluding works from female authors is about as unsurprising as it gets.

Professor Godfrey St. Peter is a 52 year old man on the brink of a mid life crisis. He has a wife, who is a typical nag obsessed with status. He also has two married daughters. His eldest daughter was originally engaged to Tom Outland, before his untimely death. Tom was a student of Godfrey's, and the family's fond reminisces of him form the centerpiece of the novel.

Every novel, no matter how terrible, poses one question: is life worth living? Godfrey is rather obviously searching for the answer to this question. I actually like stories about men who deal with their crises in more interesting ways than buying a sports car and banging the yoga instructor. 

The most remarkable element of this novel is the structure, which is either seen as masterfully fragmented or jarringly disjointed depending on how cranky you are that day. I'm leaning toward the former. Still, I feel like Cather had better novels to offer. 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Willa Cather didn't gain popularity until the 1980s with the rise of the feminist movement. 

Many critics still ignore The Professor's House in her canon, largely due to its structure.

UP NEXT: The Artamonov Business by Maxim Gorky. He's always a barrel of laughs.

298. Billy Budd

Billy Budd
Herman Melville
1924
Around 160 pages

It's a bit unexpected to have another Melville novel pop up after all this time. This was an unfinished work at the time of Melville's death. With the help of his long suffering widow, and the contributions of scholars and biographers, the Billy Budd as we know it today was published.

Which leaves you wondering how much Melville really had to do with this. If Melville had his way, I know this would have been at least 800 pages. Instead, we get a tidy and succinct novella. Very out of character if you ask me. 

In 1797, Billy Budd is shanghaied into service with the Royal Navy. Billy is handsome and has a stutter, which is Hollywood's favorite disability (that way, they can still be hot!). His likability invokes the ire of John Claggart, the ship's masters-at-arms. John falsely accuses Billy of conspiracy to mutiny, and Billy responds brutally. The other officers must deliberate on what to do with Billy.

I can see the appeal of this novella, particularly for those studying law. I just don't like Melville very much, if Melville was even in there that much. I don't like it when authors' estates attempt to finish incomplete works. I'm still mad about what they did to Michael Crichton. But moving on to Melville.

He has a stupid beard, he beat his wife, and he was a talented drone. I'm glad to see the last of him.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Adapted into an opera that I never want to hear.

Beau Travail (a 1001 movie!) is loosely based on this novel.

UP NEXT: The Professor's House by Willa Cather. Looking forward to it!

297. The Green Hat

The Green Hat
Michael Arlen
1924
Around 230 pages

I've been tantalizingly close to the 300 milestone for awhile now, and I'd like to seal the deal. The only problem is I'm not really looking forward to these next few entries. Maybe they will surprise me. Magic Mountain surprised me.

The Green Hat was a widely read book when it was first released, but now you would be hard pressed to find anybody who's heard of it. I suppose its popularity largely came from the novel being "provocative" and now we aren't so thirsty. It's a somewhat forgettable tale about Iris Storm, a woman who presents herself as somebody of easy virtue. 

Our narrator is fascinated by Iris Storm in a way that I certainly wasn't. I found him to be a little flowery, occasionally funny, and a tad moralistic. I'm also not a big fan of the Great Gatsby-like style, where everybody is called "darling" and drinking and driving.

Not terrible, but didn't make a big impression. 

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Adapted to screen, with Greta Garbo playing Iris.

Catapulted Michael Arlen into celebrity status.

UP NEXT: Billy Budd by Herman Melville. This novella proves Melville can be succinct when he wants to be. 

296. The Magic Mountain

The Magic Mountain
Thomas Mann
1927
Around 720 pages

It's been quite awhile since my last post. Blame the Pittsburgh Public Library system, which was slow in supplying my greedy hands with this enormous tome. I was able to significantly expedite the system by ordering from our Overlord Masters (Amazon.com). Suddenly, the library couldn't wait to hand over their copy. Suspicious, to say the least.

In the decade before World War I, Hans Costorp decides to visit his cousin, who is staying in a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps. Most of the patients have been diagnosed with tuberculosis. In the early 1900s, the only treatment just seems to be lying down outside and taking your temperature enough to add mercury poisoning to your list of ailments. Hans finds it easy to slip into this strange world, which seems to exist outside of space and time.

I fully expected to have to slog my way through this one. I have never clicked with Thomas Mann before, as he is a little too Humbert Humbert-y in his writing. But I actually really enjoyed this. True, the action is very slow. But it's consciously done. Our protagonist is marveling at how little story time has actually passed even though we are already 200 pages in. I loved the chapters that delved into the perennial and fugacious nature of time, particularly in an isolated setting.

And then there's the brilliance of having each character being deeply symbolic of the archetypes of the time. Hans Corp is the waffling and somewhat naive member of the bourgeoisie without truly feeling at home with that world. He's complemented by his cousin Joachim, who has a much more dutiful nature and is determined to become well enough to enlist. There are plenty of other memorable characters as well, with the elderly patient Settembrini providing the best humanistic commentary. He's often at odds with his intellectual nemesis, Naptha, a Jesuit revolutionary.

It's an exhausting work, but it's richly rewarding to unpack all the allegorical significance of each piece of the story.  A must read if you are interested in this period of European history.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Was inspired by his experience visiting his wife at a sanatorium in Switzerland for several months.

The progress on the novel was interrupted by World War I. After the War, Mann revamped the earlier work to include post-War ideas and more political commentary.

UP NEXT: The Green Hat by Michael Arlen. Never heard of it!

295. We

We
Yevgeny Zamyatin
1924
Around 225 pages

Only 5 more books to go before the big 300! To be honest, the entries before that milestone seem rather blah. But We is arguably one of the most influential novels of all time. Even if Huxley claims he never heard of it before writing A Brave New World. Not sure I buy that. 

It's been a few hundred years since One State's conquest of the entire world. In One State's society, everybody is assigned a number and lives in glass apartment buildings monitored by the Bureau of Guardians. One State plans to build a spaceship, Integral, and use it to invade and conquer other planets. Integral's chief engineer, D-503, meets a woman, I-330, who flouts the laws of One State. Does this sound familiar?

That's the wonderful thing about doing this List chronologically. You realize that the work you regarded as highly original had actually been done before. I really don't care about who did something first though. I think all great authors stand on the shoulders of giants, and Orwell and Huxley improved on this formula. 

I'm not the biggest dystopian fiction fan, but it's cool seeing the genre evolve this way. 

 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

We was the first novel banned by the Soviet censorship board.

Zamyatin is considered one of the first Soviet dissidents. 

He died in poverty in Paris after being exiled.

UP NEXT: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Something tells me I could do without this Mann in my life.

294. A Passage to India

A Passage to India
E.M. Forster
1924
Around 400 pages

We've come to the last E.M. Forster novel on the List. This is a much better farewell than Henry James gave us. Instead of smacking us in the face with the Golden Bowl of symbolism, Forster presents a thoughtful piece that actually doesn't reek of early twentieth century bigotry.

Dr. Aziz, a Muslim Indian widower, accompanies his British friend Mr. Cyril Fielding, Mrs. Moore, and Miss Adela Quested on a trip to see Marabar Caves. Adela plans on marrying Mrs. Moore's son, but wants to see the "real India" first. Adela thinks she is alone in a cave with Dr. Aziz, panics, and flees. It is assumed by the other members of the party that Dr. Aziz assaulted her. There's a trial, which brings to a boil many of the racial tensions brewing under the surface.

I know some people can't stand stories based on a misunderstanding or false accusation, as the experience of reading it is too frustrating. I enjoyed this story, though. It wasn't preachy and even the most flawed character wasn't portrayed cartoonishly. 

Not that certain sections won't make you cringe, but he does a good a job of depicting the irremediable impasse between two cultures. 

OFFICIAL FORSTER RANKING:

1. A Passage to India

2. A Room With A View

3. Where Angels Fear to Tread

4. Howard's End

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Forster began writing the novel during a stay in India from 1912 to 1913. 

Chosen by Modern Library as one of the top 100 works of 20th century English literature.

UP NEXT: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. 

293. Zeno's Conscience

Zeno's Conscience
Italo Svevo

1923

Around 430 pages

Zeno doesn't have a conscience. There, I just saved you a good deal of time. Use it wisely, to plant a tree or acquaint yourself with Taylor Swift's discography. 

Zeno is ordered by his psychiatrist to write his memoirs in order to get over his various diagnoses. The doctor decides to publish the memoirs as revenge for Zeno discontinuing his visits. Sounds like he was in a great position to give advice. Anyway, Zeno battles a cigarette addiction and has a complicated relationship with his father. He tries to court three sisters: Ada, Augusta, and Alberta. He cheats on his wife. Fairly normal male behavior.

This novel is segmented in its structure, with each section focusing on a certain theme. For me, his disastrous attempts at romancing Ada, then Alberta, then Augusta, were the most entertaining moments. I also liked that their other sister, Anna, knew what was up. 

I thought Zeno was a great narrator. He had a way of making it known he was being laughed at, but still making it clear he thought he was being charming. So if you can suffer Zeno, it's worth reading.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Svevo was a close friend of James Joyce. Gross.

UP NEXT: A Passage to India by E.M. Forster.

292. The Devil in the Flesh

The Devil in the Flesh
Raymond Radiguet
1923
Around 120 pages

Raymond Radiguet wrote this novel between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. What was I writing when I was that age? Oh, right, my earliest blog posts. That's disheartening.

In the sudden aftermath of World War I, a sixteen-year-old boy falls for a married woman, whose husband is still away at the front. As a statutory rapist, Marthe is portrayed pretty sympathetically.  And the boy is smug, as boys that age are.

I'm always amazed when a teenager is able to produce anything other than embarrassing moments, which explains my unapologetic fascination with Olivia Rodrigo. It's still an impressive work regardless of his age. I think cynical youths often mistake their pessimism for wisdom. I think Radiguet captures the dramatics of adolescent romances well, but man, is the main character self-satisfied about it.

Probably not a must read, but enjoyable and will tide you over until The Graduate.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

The story was semi-autobiographical based on Radiguet's relationship with an older woman.

Radiguet died at the age of 20 from typhus.

UP NEXT: Zeno's Conscience by Italo Svevo

291. Cane

Cane
Jean Toomer
1923
Around 140 pages

I recently wrote in a blog post about my intentions to read more poetry. Cane is about as poetic as this List gets. By the way, let me know your favorite poets in the comments and I can check them out. My preferred style is Dorothy Parker meets William Shakespeare. If you don't leave a comment, my perennial illiteracy is on your head.

Cane is structured as a series of vignettes about the experiences of African Americans in the South. He intersperses his short stories with poems, and one section is written as a short play. So I suppose it's debatable whether this is even a novel or not. Ah, modernism is upon us. We best be ready for that storm.

I'm glad the List isn't skipping over the Harlem Renaissance in favor of everything going on in Europe at the time. My favorite poem was "Harvest Song" which has a fantastic opening line "I am a reaper whose muscles set at sundown." I tend to think of the Harlem Renaissance as a distinctly American style, but you can see the influence of, lord help us, James Joyce in his writing.

Writing that left a bad taste in my mouth.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Toomer said he was not a "Negro" and would not feature himself as such. 

Langston Hughes said of the work: "(Excepting the works of Du Bois) Cane contains the finest prose written by a Negro in America." Which probably pissed off Toomer.

Alice Walker said she couldn't exist without this book. 

UP NEXT: The Devil in the Flesh by Raymond Radiguet. 

290. Antic Hay

Antic Hay
Aldous Huxley

1923
Around 350 pages

I am getting close to the 300 milestone, which will surely call for some celebratory cake and crumpets. Although a quick perusal of those final last ten novels doesn't have me too excited about what lies in store. Maybe they will prove me wrong.

It's difficult to give a plot summary about this one. Theodore Gumbril ambles around London, unsure of how he'll adjust to a post-war setting. He even resorts to dressing up as "The Complete Man." "The Complete Man" wears a false beard and approaches women he doesn't know in public. Evidently this book has inspired many copycats.

Like all Huxley works, this was deeply philosophical. There really wasn't much of a plot. I prefer novels that a bit more grounded.  He hasn't yet perfected his storytelling technique yet, although this is still a thematic improvement from Crome Yellow.

I understand this book being cut from future editions, but you can do worse than a Huxley novel.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Mentioned in Brideshead Revisted. 

UP NEXT: Cane by Jean Toomer.

289. Amok

Amok
Stefan Zweig
1922
Around 60 pages

It's nice that the Listmakers are giving us a reprieve from the 1000 page tomes they typically like to assign. I recently read a Jules Barne novel where he makes an allusion to Zweig. The main character approaches a woman who is reading Zweig, and hits her with this line: "So you've finally reached the end of the alphabet." By the way, that would totally work on me.

A nameless narrator meets an...eccentric doctor on a ship to Europe. The doctor tells him his story. Basically, a woman asked him to give her an abortion and he became obsessed with her. 

The doctor character is portrayed just about as sympathetically as possible. Having a disturbed and abusive man get a pass like that can be difficult to digest. But it's also an impressive feat to make the doctor's actions almost seem conscionable. 

I'm interested to see what else Zweig has in store. I shall parade around with his works, prowling for men who've read Barnes.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The title of the book comes from the Indonesian word "amok." The term refers to people who attack others in supposedly blind rage randomly and fearlessly.

UP NEXT: Antic Hay by Aldous Huxley. I read this when I was going through my Huxley phase.

288. The Garden Party

The Garden Party
Katherine Mansfield
1922
Around 12 pages

This was an easy one to knock out, as it is only 12 pages and readily available online. I was blown away by how impressive this was, considering the word count. Take it from somebody who has written many bad short stories. There's really nowhere to hide.

The Sheridan family is getting ready for a garden party. Mrs. Sheridan has ordered an absurd amount of lilies, and her daughter Laura chides her for her interference. Laura and her sister Jose learn from the workmen that a man died outside their gate this morning. Laura believes the party should be called off, but nobody in her family agrees. 

This is a particularly fascinating story when you consider the setting, when death was at everybody's front gate. But if comedy is the refusal to cry, then throwing a garden party is a refusal to die. And maybe an excuse to ignore the problems of the working class. 

Katherine Mansfield had a tragically short life, and could have penned so many other classics. Why do all my heroes die so horribly?

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

The names of the characters Jose, Laurie, and Meg may be a reference to Little Women.

First published in the Saturday Westminster Gazette in three parts.

Mansfield was good friends with Virginia Woolf and D.H. Lawrence.

UP NEXT: Amok by Stefan Zweig. 

287. The Enormous Room

The Enormous Room
E.E. Cummings
1922
Around 230 pages

I keep meaning to read more poetry and plays, but how can I when there are so many good novels in the world? But I've enjoyed the few poems by Cummings I've come across. I am lover of simplicity, even if grammatical errors make my heart hurt.

This is an autobiographical novel that details Cummings' capture in France during World War I. During the war, Cummings worked as an ambulance driver. His colleague, William Slater Brown, was arrested by the French authorities because he expressed anti-war sentiments in his letters. Cummings was loyal to his friend when questioned about it (what a baller), so Cummings was arrested as well. He then spent four months in prison, where he predictably met some colorful characters.

I've been reading some plus-sized books lately, so it was nice to pick up something concise like this. It's fascinating how many famous writers from this time were actively involved in these global conflicts. We are able to have firsthand accounts of the biggest wars ever fought, written by masterful craftsmen. This isn't true of present day, which I guess is a good thing, since normies aren't getting drafted.

I would add more Cummings to my reading list, but I don't think it can take the strain.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

F. Scott Fitzgerald said of the book "Of all the work by young men who have sprung up since 1920 one book survives—The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings... Those few who cause books to live have not been able to endure the thought of its mortality."

UP NEXT: The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield. This is a shawty.

286. Jacob's Room

Jacob's Room
Virginia Woolf
1922
Around 300 pages

I believe the above image will appear in my nightmares tonight, so I had to share my horror with others. You're welcome. 

Virginia Woolf is definitely growing more experimental with her works, so it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to write a plot summary. We follow the life of Jacob, although the story is mainly told through the perspectives of the women in life, including the upper class Clara Durrant, and an art student he was an affair with. 

The shift from a traditional novel structure to modernism could have been a disaster for Woolf, but she is in her element here and as usual, delivers breath-taking sentences. The stream of consciousness style really bonds you to the author. And when an author had such a tragic life, it's hard not to feel a little heartbroken reading this.

I think this was deleted in later editions. I get it, she is a bit over represented. Still well worth reading.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Woolf's third novel. The previous two were also on the List. 

UP NEXT: The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings. I never knew he was a novelist.

285. Siddhartha

Siddhartha
Herman Hesse
1922
Around 150 pages

This is perhaps the most puzzling of my high school reading assignments. At least The Catcher in the Rye and Romeo and Juliet deal with adolescent angst. This book deals with a different kind of angst that I'm not sure the average teenager relates to. But they also made us read Antigone, so I guess accessibility wasn't on the top of their list.

The story takes place in the ancient kingdom of Kapilavastu. Siddhartha begins a quest for spiritual illumination. He fasts, meditates, dispenses with all of his worldly possessions, and meets the Enlightened One. Although Siddhartha's friend Govinda is eager to join the Buddha's order, Siddhartha takes umbrage with the Buddha's philosophy, which doesn't account for the individuality of a person. He decides to carry on his journey for self discovery alone. 

I preferred Hesse's earlier work, Rosshalde, which I suppose doesn't deal with as large of questions. But I think that's okay, sometimes when a book tries to take on too much, it ends up being a mess (e.g. Cloud Atlas). I'm not saying this was a cluster, but his other novel was definitely easier to read.

I agree with Siddhartha that the path to meaning or truth needs to be traveled alone. But I didn't really enjoy him much as a character. He's not entirely human, or at least, he doesn't want to be. Still, Hesse is a good writer and it's a short novel.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The word Siddhartha is made up of two Sanskrit words: "Siddha" (achieved) and "artha" (what was searched for).

Inspired the Nick Drake song "River Man."

Set during the time of the Gautama Buddha.

UP NEXT: Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf. 

284. Glimpses of the Moon

Glimpses of the Moon
Edith Wharton
1922
Around 275 pages

We have reached the last Edith Wharton novel on the List. We are definitely entering a new era of fiction, which promises to be a little less stuffy than the period we are leaving behind. I'll be interested to see how the next generation of writers shakes things up, even if I have to clutch my pearls while I'm reading.

Nick Lansing and Susy Branch are socialites who are low on funds. They devise a scheme to marry each other, and spend the next year or so in an extended honeymoon period, staying in villas and mooching off of their wealthy friends. If either of them meets somebody who would offer social mobility, they are free to dissolve the marriage. It quickly becomes apparent that neither Susy or Nick are as cool-headed about the arrangement as they pretend to be.

I can't believe this hasn't been adapted more, although I guess many writers of romantic comedies have been inspired by Wharton's clever machinations and characters. Wharton always explores the relationship between marriage and social status in her work, and if it's truly possible for an unmarried woman to exist comfortably in high society. I think it's interesting that she explores both sides of the equation and how much men can hate women for playing by their rules.

 So I'll miss you Edith, it was nice having a consistent female presence on the List. Now back to the stag party.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Made into a silent movie in 1923, but the film is now considered lost.

Official Wharton ranking. Strange that her most well known book came in dead last for me, but it's just because her other books were so good:

1. The House of Mirth

2. The Bunner Sisters

3. Glimpses of the Moon

4. Ethan Frome

5. Summer

6. The Age of Innocence 

UP NEXT: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Another novel deemed essential in my school to the upbringing of teenagers.

283. The Life and Death of Harriet Frean

The Life and Death of Harriet Frean

May Sinclair
1922

Around 170 pages

Something about this book seemed very familiar to me. Maybe I read it when I was younger and forgot (even though I pride myself that I never forget a conquest). I think it may actually be because this novel is so similar in theme to The Bunner Sisters, another List book I read recently. By the way, I'm not complaining. This is one of the best books I've read in awhile.

Harriet Frean is determined to behave. She is a dutiful daughter and a dutiful friend. When she falls in love with her best friend's fiance, she is content to suffer in silence and reap joy from her moral integrity. In doing so, she condemns all three members of the love triangle to misery. In other words, she's the perfect Victorian era woman. And what a waste of a life it is.

Harriet Frean is a fascinating character; I felt like I knew her inside and out, even though the book was fairly short. I think it's safe to say that personal happiness and fulfillment wasn't high on the list of priorities for people in the past. It will be interesting to see that shift during the twentieth century. I just felt sorry for Harriet, and I didn't even want her to have any disquieting realizations. Poor thing.

I wish May Sinclair had ended up writing more novels, but I'll take what I can get.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Only Sinclair novel still in print.

UP NEXT: The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton

282. The Last Days of Humanity

The Last Days of Humanity 

Karl Kraus

1918
Around 300 pages

I had taken a break from my husbandly duties with the List to read A Song of Ice and Fire series. It was a fun gentleman's intermission, but now I am ready to meekly return to my duty. And unfortunately, my duty was to read an expressionist play. 

First of all, what gives? If the List permits plays among its entries, it's made some gut-wrenching snubs over the past 1600 years. I suppose the List doesn't consider this a truly a play, because it's not the sort of thing you could ever imagine being performed. But do the author's intentions dictate how a text should be consumed, even if the form tells quite a different story? I'm not sure, but I am grateful that nobody's taken a stab at adapting this creature yet.

Much of the content of the play is drawn from documentary sources. Often, he has two characters, The Optimist and The Grumbler, converse with each other and draw the predicted conclusions. Krause expressed dismay that Austria, and the rest of the world, was hurtling toward self-destruction. This is in sharp contrast to many other works being peddled at the time, which conveyed patriotic fervor or dutiful resignation. So in that sense, it was rather interesting. 

Still, that wasn't enough to make me reconcile with the style and while his pessimism is well founded, it does get a bit wearing after awhile. 

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Kraus was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times.

UP NEXT: Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair. Haven't heard of this one before.

281. Aaron's Rod

Aaron's Rod
D.H. Lawrence

1922
Around 350 pages

Even as a D.H. Lawrence fan, I think he is overrepresented on this List. This is one of his entries that I would label as expendable. Apparently the Listmakers agreed and removed this one from subsequent editions. But a so-so Lawrence novel is still pretty good.

Aaron Sisson is a union official in the coal mines of the English Midlands. He decides to walk out on his wife and kids to pursue his dream of becoming a celebrated flautist. He eventually ends up in Florence, swimming in circles he certainly wouldn't have been exposed to if he decided to be a good dad. 

It's interesting to see this novel appear right after Babbitt. Babbitt was a man who couldn't bring himself to escape the shackles of his domestic life, to the point where you wonder if he ever had a choice in the matter. Aaron manages to cut ties, but it's difficult to argue that he's much better. So I guess it's all pretty bad. 

It wouldn't be a Lawrence novel without heavy symbolism. Here he is slightly more subtle than he was in The Fox. But only slightly. 

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Lawrence began writing the novel in 1918, but abandoned it after 11 chapters. He picked it up again in 1921.

UP NEXT: The Last Days of Humanity by Karl Kraus. Technically, this isn't a novel, this is a play. The Listmakers are getting frisky.

280. Babbitt

Babbitt
Sinclair Lewis
1922
Around 400 pages

George F. Babbitt is man's worst fear come true, which is why he makes such great character.  He's on the conveyer belt but he still has a little fight in him. Come to think of it, it's my worst fear too.

What's strange about this novel is there really is no story. George briefly struggles against his marital and family bonds, before giving up the fight. His friend Paul takes a slightly different approach in rebelling against his institutions. 

Sinclair Lewis is shaking his head at America's consumerism and bleak sameness here, without offering much in way of solutions. I don't think it matters, though. Rarely have I seen such a searing indictment on the average man. John Updike does a brilliant job elaborating on these themes in his Rabbit Run series in about 40 years.

Just by describing Babbitt's morning routine, we learned everything we needed to about him. That's talent.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

After the publication of this novel, the word "Babbitt" entered the English language as a term for a person who conforms unthinkably to middle class standards.

Won the Nobel Prize in 1930.

UP NEXT: Aaron's Rod by D.H. Lawrence.

279. Ulysses

Ulysses
James Joyce 
1922
Around 750 pages

It's been awhile since I read Ulysses. Perhaps I would enjoy it more if I read it now, since my tastes have no doubt shifted over time, likely for the better. But I have practicing self love lately, and that includes not making myself reread really long books I hate. 

Over the course of one day in Dublin, Leopold Bloom encounters many characters, including his unfaithful wife Molly and Stephen Dedalus, from A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Ulysses is loosely based on The Odyssey, with the episodes in the novel corresponding to the books of the epic poem.

I think Ulysses has large lost the ability to shock anymore. I can see why this was considered groundbreaking for its time, but to me it felt like a Rabelaisian retread. I like the traditional novel structure enough to not get pleasure out of upending it in this way. 

So much style that it was hard to get to the substance. One of those books you "should" read, but should also be thrown against a wall. 

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Bloomsday is universally celebrated on June 16, the date of the events in Ulysses.

Virginia Woolf wrote that "Ulysses was a memorable catastrophe—immense in daring, terrific in disaster."

UP NEXT: Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. 

278. The Fox

The Fox
D.H. Lawrence
1922

Around 90 pages

D.H. Lawrence is a master at using symbolism effectively, and this is perhaps the finest example of his remarkable talent. Like Edith Wharton, he is able to do an incredible amount in a very short novel. 

Nellie March and Jill Banford manage Bailey Farm without any help. They are in their late twenties and unmarried (read: confirmed spinsters). They are plagued by a fox that has been wreaking havoc on their poultry, and has evaded all attempts to shoot it. One day, a young man shows up and a love triangle of sort forms. 

As usual, he really dives into the psychology of his characters and the dynamics between all three characters are fascinating. I guess Lawrence is never really cheerful in his writing, but this was a particularly dark entry in his works.

I guess this is as close as we are going to get to a lesbian love story at this time. I am still enjoying this era of post World War I literature. You really get a sense of this universal feeling of displacement. Definitely looking forward to more Lawrence in the future.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

First appeared in The Dial literary magazine in 1922. 

UP NEXT: Ulysses by James Joyce. One of my least favorite books I've ever read. 

277. Crome Yellow

Crome Yellow
Aldous Huxley
1921
Around 175 pages

I really liked A Brave New World but never bothered to explore Aldous Huxley's other works. I don't know why. I guess I read enough old British male authors as is. This was a decent introduction to his other work and was wildly different from what I was expecting.

Denis Stone, a young poet, is invited to stay at Priscilla and Henry Wimbush's country house, along with a handful of other guests. Denis is secretly in love with the Wimbushs' niece, Anne, but lacks the courage to voice his affection. Other guests include Mr. Barbecue-Smith, a literary hack who tries to "help" Denis' writing and Mary Bracegirdle, who is determined to have a romantic adventure. 

I like novels like this, where the emphasis isn't so much on plot. Instead, we simply get to observe a diverse cast of characters discuss the ideas of their time. Huxley is a deeply philosophical writer, and I enjoyed his exploration of different questions. It was also interesting to analyze his commentary on contemporary writers of the time. One character, Scogan, is able to guess the plot of the novel Denis is working on, which strongly resembles Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Scogan isn't wrong about that story being done to death and I will take any Joyce bashing I can get.

This is Huxley's first novel, but he seems to have found his voice already. I imagine they will only get better from here.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

An American musical, Virginity, was inspired by Crome Yellow. In the musical, the deaf character Jenny is given the lead role. That seems cruel.

The story of Hercules Lapith was adapted into a radio play.

UP NEXT: The Fox by D.H. Lawrence. This is a pretty good one. 

276. The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence
Edith Wharton
1920
Around 300 pages

I recently reviewed the movie version of this book on my film blog. This feels like one of those strange network crossover episodes. While I wouldn't consider this my favorite Edith Wharton novel, it is undeniably her most iconic and is definitely deserving of its place on this List. On the movie List, I'm not so sure.

Newland Archer is head over heels in love with May Welland, a sheltered, beautiful young woman who is the darling of the New York society set. That is, until he meets Countess Ellen Olenska, May's cousin, who is returning from Europe after a disastrous marriage to a Count. May and Newland attempt to reintegrate Ellen back into their world, but Newland's growing attraction to her threatens to destabilize the perfect life he had been building for himself.

Wharton is getting more daring, which is exciting to witness. She is still very structured in her writing, so I wouldn't say she is letting her hair down in that way. But the characters are making racier decisions than they would have made two novels ago. 

There are some really unforgettable characters here that I really enjoy reading about. A must read for sure.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Won the Pulitzer Prize, making Wharton the first woman to win.

The inspiration behind the name apparently came from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

UP NEXT: Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley

275. Main Street

Main Street
Sinclair Lewis
1920
Around 450 pages

I always mix up this novel in my head with Sister Carrie, with Sister Carrie being the novel I hold in higher regard. This is nothing particularly wrong with this book, it's just very bleak and dreary. Like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but somehow even more depressing.

Carol Milford is an optimistic daughter of a judge. She marries Will Kennicott, a doctor, and they move back to Will's hometown of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. Carol is excited to put her ideas to improve the small town into practice. Predictably, it's not as easy to enact change as she imagined.

I feel like there are many such works that explore similar themes. A character begins the novel wide-eyed and bushy tailed and becomes less innocent as the novel progresses. I have nothing negative to say about Sinclair Lewis's writing style, but I don't think this is the most original work we've come across.

Personally, Carol didn't annoy me. I think it would be easy for that type of character to really grind on your nerves, so good on Lewis for managing to remain relatable.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The town of Gopher Prairie is a fictionalized version of Lewis's hometown, Sauk Centre.

UP NEXT: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Yay!

274. Women in Love

Women in Love
D.H. Lawrence
1920
Around 530 pages

This book brings back some memories of boyfriends past. I was once dragged to a volleyball tournament, which I mistakenly thought would last a couple hours long. Cut to eight hours later, when I was desperately trying to combat a migraine from lack of food and trying to fix something I call "Gymnasium Hair." Anyway, at least I had this book to keep me company, which I read and finished during my incarceration. 

We pick up where we left off from The Rainbow. Ursula and Gudrun are sisters living in the Midlands of England. They meet a local school inspector, Rupert Birkin, and the heir to a coal mine, Gerald Crich. Ursula and Birkin begin a romantic relationship, while Gudrun and Crich form a romantic bond of their own. One is much smoother than the other.

My love for D.H. Lawrence is well documented at this point, but we still have quite a ways to go before we are finished with him. I will say his writing style is superb as always, and once again, he is racy for his time. It's interesting to see him elaborate on themes from The Rainbow as he gains more confidence as a writer. 

Are you a Gudrun or an Ursula? Comment below!

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Gudrun's character was partly based off of Katherine Mansfield, while Gerald Crich is based off of her husband.

UP NEXT: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis.

273. Night and Day

Night and Day
Virginia Woolf
1919
Around 500 pages

Now that this is the only 1001 blog I have left (I finished the music and movie blog), I look forward to writing blog posts more. It also has inspired me to spruce things up around here, so this blog might be getting a makeover soon. The List is feeling a little stale right now, as we ping pong between familiar authors. I guess it's up to me to bring the spruce.

Katharine Hilbery is the granddaughter of a distinguished poet, and thus belongs to the upper class. Katharine is engaged to William Rodney, who should taken public speaking off his list of attributes. Katharine attracts the attention of Ralph Denham, a lawyer who actually has to work for a living to support his long list of dependents. He doesn't realize that Mary Datchet, a suffragette, is in love with him regardless of his social standing. 

Virginia Woolf is clearly still in the early stages of her career, when the plot is much more coherent and the structure less experimental. And I like this Woolf. She seems like the type of person who would catch your eye during a dinner party and make it difficult not to laugh at some social snafu. I liked the love square, as well. It felt like a Shakespearean comedy.

Probably not a necessary addition, since she already covered a lot of this ground in The Voyage Out, but I enjoyed it.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Published following Woolf's second suicide attempt.

UP NEXT: Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence. Not many other sequels on the List.

272. Tarr

Tarr
Wyndham Lewis
1918
Around 350 pages

My new tracking system for 1001 reads allows me to see which books I am passing over across all editions. Since I am following the original List, it feels like I am just skipping all the entries not written by white Englishmen. It might be time to shake things up soon. For now, we will forge ahead with the original List, pre-non Western makeover.

The novel is set in pre war Paris, and follows the lives of two artists. The main character, Tarr, is thought to be based on Wyndham Lewis himself. Tarr is fed up with rules, conventions, and anything resembling civilization. His foil is Kreisler, a violent German and general failure as an artist. Their lives are full of missteps, duels, and truly terrible approaches to bed women.

This is my first Lewis novel, and wow, am I impressed. Lewis is a master of writing punchy sentences. I was delighted with many of the vivid and humorous descriptions in this novel. I was less interested in the world views that the two artists were meant to represent. It felt like the kind of nihilistic philosophizing that the Russians have already beaten to death by this point. But I loved his language, and was content with his descriptions of just about anything.

There are many more Lewis novels on the List (he is an Englishman, after all), and I am looking forward to it. That is, if he doesn't get too soapbox-y.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

The first American edition used equal signs instead of periods, in order to introduce painterly strokes into literature. Oh, brother.

Lewis wondered later if he had anticipated the personality of Hitler with the character of Kreisler. 

UP NEXT: Night and Day by Virginia Woolf. Another great pick.

271. The Return of the Soldier

The Return of the Soldier
Rebecca West
1918
Around 100 pages

I have been loving the frequent appearances of female authors on the List lately. The List tends to overdose on specific female authors like Virginia Woolf and Edith Wharton (love you, ladies), so we don't get the one-offs as much as we do with the men. After reading this novel, I am looking forward to the other Rebecca West entries on the List.

Our narrator, Jenny, is anxiously awaiting the return of her cousin, Chris, who is fighting for England in France. Jenny is keeping Chris's wife Kitty company as they wait for news and keep the Baldry estate up and running. One day, they are told by an unlikely informant that Chris is alive, but has no memory of the past 15 years. This makes things hella awkward, because Chris is still pining for Margaret, the girl he was in love with at 15. Not to mention he has no memory of his son's existence.

I loved the choice of narrator here. In some ways, she's much more reliable narrator than Kitty would have been. We are almost tricked into thinking she is impartial, then her hero worshipping of Margaret begins. I also thought it was fascinating that three such different characters had to decide among themselves what the cost of dignity should be. 

A brilliantly weaved tale, and can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Made into a stage musical in 2014. I'm sorry, what?

UP NEXT: Tarr by Wyndham Lewis. 

270. The Shadow Line

The Shadow Line
Joseph Conrad
1917
Around 200 pages

I had been keeping track of my progress on the 1001 Book List using an app. Unfortunately, the app doesn't work on my new phone, so I've resorted to using a Google Doc. The Google Doc contains the titles across all editions, which makes me think I should just start over with the higher total. If anybody wants to check out my progress, or wants a Google Sheet of their very own, drop me a line and I will send you a link. 

I'd much rather talk about List strategies than this novel, but the beat goes on. A young sea captain is eager to begin his first command, which is almost as dangerous as having one last shift before retirement. His ship experiences nothing but trouble, including disease, insanity, and poor weather conditions.

Once again, the concept of this novel is more interesting than the execution. There are four other Conrad novels on the List and this is easily the weakest link. I thought the descriptions were dull and the characters weak. Maybe his heart wasn't in it anymore. 

There are other authors that I am much more eager to show the door, but I was getting a little tired of Conrad's style. So ahoy Conrad, and thank you for coming.

RATING: **---

Official Conrad Ranking:

1. Lord Jim
2. The Secret Agent
3. Nostromo
4. Heart of Darkness
5. The Shadow Line

Interesting Facts:

Andrzej Wajda made a 1976 film adaptation of the novel (Smuga cienia).

UP NEXT: The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West. This is a quick read.