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.