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.

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.

224. The Immoralist

The Immoralist
Andre Gide
1902
Around 150 pages

It's nice when the chunkie chunksters on this List are broken up by some shorter works. I read this in a couple hours and it was a pretty delightful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Michel recently married Marceline, and is pretty much the worst husband imaginable. After a rather embarrassing wedding night performance, he concludes with coughing blood all over her silk foulard. He also drags her around North Africa despite her being in poor health. Despite Michel's treatment of his wife and some of his Michael Jackson-y attachments to children, Gide passes no judgment on his hero. He prefaces the novel saying:

"The public nowadays will not forgive an author who, after relating an action, does not declare  himself either for or against it; more than this, during the very course of the drama they want him to take sides, pronounce in favor either of Alceste or Philinte, of Hamlet or Ophelia, of Faust or Margaret, of Adam or Jehovah. I do not indeed claim that neutrality (I was going to say 'indecision') is the certain mark of a great mind; but I believe that many great minds have been very loath to conclude — and that to state a problem clearly is not to suppose it solved in advance."

I like novels where the protagonist is somebody who has no business being a protagonist (Hufflepuffs for the win!). I probably couldn't have put up with Michel for very long, but I enjoyed the journey, even if Marceline got the short end of the stick in terms of characterization.

It's clear this had a heavy influence over other works, particularly Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. A worthy entry to the List and I am enjoying getting to know Gide.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

James Dean starred in a stage adaptation of this novel.

UP NEXT: The Ambassadors by Henry James. We can't shake this guy.

211. The Fruits of the Earth

The Fruits of the Earth
Andre Gide
1897
Around 50 pages

Reading this prose poem made me grateful that I am done with college. I can just picture this showing up on the syllabus of some philosophy class and having to analyze it for weeks, or more accurately, listen to the one loudmouth alpha male analyze it for weeks. We would probably have to take turns leading discussions about it, and it would be an option to write about for the final paper. God, just the thought of it gives me shudders.

Okay, so basically this is a novel in the loosest sense of the word. The narrator is speaking to someone named Nathanael. The general thesis of the book is "Live!"  But he admitted to being a pedophile, so I don't really have much of an interest in his opinion on how I should live my life. I'm sorry, how Nathanael should live his life.

This one was easy to knock out because of its length, but dull, dull, dull. As for the ideas he is pushing forth, you'll have to wait to hear my thoughts until my presentation in class. My turn's Tuesday.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Referenced in Roger Martin du Gard's The Thibaults.

UP NEXT: The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. We are hitting a cluster of novels that I have already read, so expect reviews up shortly!