619. In the First Circle

In the First Circle
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

1968
Around 740 pages

Despite his depressing subject matter, Solzhenitsyn always manages to convey a slightly optimistic message. Which is exactly why I am going to miss ole Solz around here. Other authors are much more pessimistic. 

Like most of his novels, this one is highly autobiographical. This time, we are in a luxury gulag. Well, compared to other gulags that is. The sharashka is mostly made up of technicians or academics that complete projects for Stalin's regime, under threat of being sent to a much worse gulag, potentially in Siberia. 

I'm sure we all have our fantasies about how we would have behaved under Hitler or Stalin. Many of us believe we would be the Inglourious Basterds, but most people are going to behave in their best interests, and aren't the "bad guys" that we pretend have nothing to do with ordinary people. Solzhenitsyn did an excellent job capturing how decentralized evil was, although we do get glimpses of real Soviet leaders.

I appreciated Solzhenitsyn's honesty, courage, and story-telling ability. Even with everything he experienced, he still believed the world could get better. You will be missed sir.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Made into a TV movie in 1992, starring Victor Garber.

UP NEXT: A Void by Georges Perec

618. Myra Breckenridge

Myra Breckenridge
Gore Vidal
1968
Around 265 pages

The movie version of this novel was so bad that it essentially erased all the critical acclaim and popularity that the book had. Considering this is the first novel to undergo a sex change operation, it's odd I don't hear it mentioned more, given the current dialogue on transgenderism. It's a hard book to categorize, so maybe it's not so weird that people don't touch it.

The story is told through the entries of Myra's diaries. Myra is a transgender woman obsessed with old movies.  This is one of those books that was shocking for its time, and is now a bit of a slog. I don't really like camp, or books that are just designed to make you clutch your pearls. I understand the impulse on the writer's side, but it doesn't make it any more enjoyable.

So it's transphobic, racist, Anti-Semitic, and violent. I felt Gore Vidal's smugness through the pages; I would imagine he was insufferable in real life. I don't think this is much to be gained from identifying all the problematic issues with this novel, since the point was to be as provocative as possible.

Felt like a precursor to American Psycho, but not as gross. 

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Vidal hated the film adaptation and called it "an awful joke."

UP NEXT: In the First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

617. Cancer Ward

Cancer Ward
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1966
Around 560 pages

A cancer ward in Soviet Russia is just about the most depressing place I can think of, so naturally, that's the next setting on the List. Despite its ominous title, I actually enjoyed this one, starting with the first sentence: "On top of everything, the cancer wing was Number 13." Not bad, Solz.

Kostoglotov is a former soldier and gulag prisoner in a hospital for cancer treatment. He has two romances in the story, one with a doctor and one with a nurse. Anyone has who spent time in the hospital will be able to relate to his account of the ward. Although none of the doctors or nurses fell in love with me during my stays. Or if they did, they played it pretty close to the chest.

The novel takes place one year after Stalin's death, and Solzhenitsyn does an excellent job exploring the corruption of the regime using the character of Pavel Nikolayevich, a cancer patient and personnel officer. But his exploration and observations of death and cancer are universal and timeless. 

Obviously, this is a relentlessly depressing novel, just like A Day in The Life of Ivan Ilyich. But still brilliant.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Distributed in Russia that year in samizdat, and banned there the following year.

UP NEXT: Myra Breckinridge by Gore Vidal

616. The Nice and the Good

The Nice and the Good
Iris Murdoch
1968
Around 350 pages

By now (and by "now" I mean 1968, because I am deeply disturbed), Iris Murdoch is an established writer. I read one review suggesting that the favorable reception she received from this novel was merely because people had gotten into the habit of praising the annual Murdoch work. People just dislike female artists who are consistently successful. This was a banger, just like everything else she wrote.

The story starts with the death of Joseph Radeechy, who appears to have died from suicide. His department head, Octavian Gray, asks the department's legal advisor, John Ducane, to investigate his death. Ducane discovers that Radeechy was a practicer of the magicks, and was being blackmailed. Ducane has a relationship with Octavian's wife, Kate, who lives at the Gray seaside country house with two other single women, Paula and Mary, and their children.

Murdoch takes a deeply philosophical approach to her writing, but never sacrifices the pacing of her story. I love how character driven the plot was, it makes even the most outrageous events seem plausible. I also love how introspective the characters are. This isn't necessary for a good story, but I enjoyed exploring the morality of their actions as the characters did the same thing.

I wouldn't have the faintest idea how to wrap a story like this up, but Murdoch handles it masterfully. And this isn't even her best novel yet!

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Shortlisted for the 1969 Booker Prize.

UP NEXT: Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Sounds like another laugh riot.

615. Belle du Seigneur

Belle du Seigneur
Albert Cohen
1968
Around 1110 pages

It's like what Roger Ebert said about movies: no good film is too long, no bad film is too short. At 1110 pages, you might think even an engaging story may wear out its welcome, but I was into this story from start to finish. I even wanted it to be a bit longer, but that might have been due to the unsatisfying ending.

The story focuses on the romance between Solal, a high ranking official, and Ariane, the wife of one of his employees. Ariane's husband, reminded me of Percy Weasley, and Cohen had a lot of fun at his expense. Actually, Cohen has fun at everybody's expense. I get the feeling he didn't like women very much, but that's a general vibe on this List.

Cohen's social observations were brilliant, if unflattering. He really dives into the dynamics of relationships. Solal is in love with the idea of Ariane, who can't possibly live up to the standard of Romantic Heroine. Ariane commits such cardinal sins as needing a tissue or having stomach noises. Solal also treats Ariane like a child, and disses Proust. So he's not perfect either.

He also makes bold stylistic choices. My favorite was when he started each paragraph with the same sentence, describing Ariane and Solal's miserable life together. He really debunks the idea of the romantic fantasy that we all carry around in our heads. Or I carry around in my head, after watching and reading way too many love stories.

The ending was a little melodramatic, but hey, that's romance for you.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Adapted as an English version in 2013.

UP NEXT: The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch

614. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey

Arthur C. Clarke
1968
Around 220 pages

I think this is the only time that a novelization of a movie made a List. I didn't realize that was the situation at first, nor that Stanley Kubrick worked on this book as well. So my dream of enjoying this story without the, ahem, Kubrick touch, was dashed across the rocks. But this was still preferable to its aggressively boring film adaptation.

I'm still not entirely sure why we need the simian human section at the beginning of the story. I guess it's there to signify that technology can be our salvation and our downfall at the same time. I feel like it's an unwillingness on the creator's side to kill their darlings, but I'm sure many think this is a genius set up. At least, it's much more bearable than the movie version. Anyway, the main narrative focuses on the Discovery One mission to Saturn. Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole are the only conscious humans onboard, with the other three in suspended animation. The HAL 9000 is an A.I. computer that runs a tight ship, so beware.

It's always strange when we get a cluster of novels that all deal with the same societal issue in such a short time span. First it was our cult trend, now it's A.I. It feels pretty realistic to my understanding of A.I., which, to be fair, is fairly limited to movies and listening to my programmer brother rant about how we are all doomed.

Definitely will help you make sense of the movie version, if the film didn't sour you too much on the story. Loving all the sci fi lately, but I'm sure we will back to wartime atrocities soon.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

By 1992, the novel had sold three million copies worldwide.

UP NEXT: Belle du Seigneur by Albert Cohen

613. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Phillip Dick

1968
Around 210 pages

Due to my fanatical devotion to Lists of all shapes and sizes, I have watched both versions of Blade Runner. I probably would have ended up watching them anyway, to stay popular with the fellas. Naturally, I hated both films, making me even more unpopular with the fellas. But I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

The story is set after a devastating global war. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco police department. His wife, Irene, is depressed, despite the fact that they have a Penfield Mood Organ, a bedside device that allows you to punch in for a better mood. My kingdom for a Penfield. Anyway, Rick has been hired to kill six androids, which are now so similar to humans that it is nearly impossible to distinguish between the two. Rick hopes to be able to afford a live animal for his wife, which is a status symbol in the land of robots. 

This was such a great set up with a rich world. I have no idea why they made so many changes in the movie. The latest version is more faithful to the book, but they still made it much more boring than Dick's novel. The story has become increasingly relevant with the explosion of A.I., and their ability to fool Turing tests. They are definitely going to take over and kill all of us, but at least we are getting some good video games and literature out of it first.

A wonderful novel and I'm definitely bummed that this is the only Dick on the List.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Considered the birth of cyberpunk.

UP NEXT: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur Clarke

612. The Quest for Christa T.

The Quest for Christa T.
Christa Wolf
1968
Around Christa Wolf

Interesting fact: I have now read all the novels on the List that start with the letter "Q." Please hold your applause until the end of this post. 

The story focuses on Christa T., from the German Democratic Republic, who is slowly dying from leukemia. The structure is fairly confusing and non linear, and we know from the jump what happens to Christa, so it's a pretty slow march of misery.

The perspective here is unique, and I like novels that take on the patriarchy as much as the next feminist. But the novel doesn't really go anywhere, as our narrator is mostly interested in piecing together Christa's life, rather than creating a compelling narrative.

Really demonstrates how totalitarianism is detrimental to its followers, as well as its decriers. Worth reading, and I'm going to have to chew on it more.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

One of David Bowie's favorite books.

UP NEXT: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick

611. Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid

Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid
Malcolm Lowry
1968
Around 276 pages

What an awkward title. It's even lampshaded in the novel as kind of annoying, but it made the final cut anyway. Malcolm Lowry is part of our pessimistic crew of alcoholic writers. I wasn't too excited about his most famous novel, Under the Volcano, so I didn't expect much out of this one.

This was unfinished before Lowry's death, and apparently assembled by his wife, who may or may not have killed him. You can always tell when a work is unfinished, but when I like the author enough, I'll read the incomplete works anyway. Much like Under the Volcano, this is an autobiographical work about a struggling writer who almost drinks himself to death in Mexico. Lowry gives himself a really cool name though, in Sigbjorn Wilderness.

I never really enjoy hallucinogenic novels, and he pretty much covered this material before in his previous novel. You can tell he was an insecure and troubled person, which is always relatable. But if you take your new wife on a vacation to the same place where your first marriage fell apart, you are kind of bringing it on yourself, no?

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Lowry reputedly wrote his own epitaph: "Here lies Malcolm Lowry, late of the Bowery, whose prose was flowery, and often glowery. He lived nightly, and drank daily, and died playing the ukulele," but the epitaph does not appear on his gravestone.

UP NEXT: The Quest for Christa T. by Christa Wolf

610. The German Lesson

The German Lesson
Siegfried Lenz
1968
Around 470 pages

Siggi Jepsen is forced to write an essay called "The Joys of Duty" as an inmate of a juvenile detention center. Which is interesting in context, but also intriguing from a reading perspective. A lot of these novels I am reading out of a sense of duty due to my fanatic devotion to this List. And there's definitely some joy to be found in the duty, even if the List tries to break my spirit with an endless barrage of Nazi novels.

In his essay, Siggi writes about his childhood in Nazi Germany. His father was a police officer who commits himself to blind obedience, which involves betraying his old friend, an expressionist painter. Even though expression was banned in Germany at the time, Siggi finds himself fascinated with the paintings and hides some of the confiscated paintings. My Nancy Drew brain wanted him to leave a series of clues about where he stashed the paintings in an elaborate scavenger hunt, but we can't always get what we want.

It's hard to have a novel about this subject and not succeed, because the truth of what happened is so shocking and unsettling that the author merely has to describe what's going on, and bow out. I wasn't a huge fan of Lenz's writing. I don't think he wrote the most believable child narrator, but that's a tough thing to do.

It's interesting getting the perspective of a German author, but nothing too new here in terms of themes or presentation. Still worth reading.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Adapted to film in 1971 and 2019.

UP NEXT: Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid by Malcolm Lowry

609. In Watermelon Sugar

In Watermelon Sugar
Richard Brautigan
1968
Around 145 pages

Apparently, Harry Styles was inspired by this novel, but his Watermelon Sugar refers to the female orgasm, so I guess he just thought the title sounded cool. Based on the cold, dead-eyed creep on the cover, I thought we were in for another weird cult story where everybody is tripping balls. But I was pleasantly surprised.

The story focuses on a commune organized around a house called iDEATH. In this world, many things are built from watermelon sugar, pine wood, and trout oil. And everything is always in flux, even the sun. It sort of sounds like a Nintendo universe, but there are also talking tigers who eat parents in front of their kids. 

Brautigan acknowledges that this world is a lot to swallow, so he writes in a minimalist way, with our narrator composing sparse journal entries on the events of the novel. Other writers might have overwhelmed us with heavy prose, but this was very digestible. 

Weird that so many cult novels are coming out, before the most violent cult crimes have occurred. It's like the novelists are trying to warn everybody. But we never listen to them.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

According to Michael Caines, the story that Brautigan left a suicide note that simply read: "Messy, isn't it?" is apocryphal.

UP NEXT: The German Lesson by Siegfried Lenz

608. A Kestrel for a Knave

A Kestrel for a Knave
Barry Hines

1968
Around 160 pages

I'm not British (unfortunately), but something about this novel seemed really familiar. I have seen the movie for my other blog, but I also think passages from this story have appeared in my classes or state exams from time to time. The symbolism here is about as straightforward as symbolism can get.

The story takes place in South Yorkshire, and follows Billy Casper, who has a bad home and school life. He is bullied by his half-brother Jud, and has an absentee father. The plot takes places over the course of a single day, but we are given flashbacks that show just how dismal his life is. And obviously, he forms a special bond with a kestrel.

The plot isn't actually that concerned with the growth of Billy and Kes's relationship, it's more about his dysfunctional life, and how Kes represents a sort of escape. This was slightly disappointing, I would rather get a more nature driven story. And I thought the ending was predictable and a little easy. 

One of those rare occasions where the movie is an improvement on the book.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Often taught in GCSE English Literature courses.

Translated into Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.

UP NEXT: In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan

607. Eva Trout

Eva Trout
Elizabeth Bowen
1968
Around 300 pages

And that's a wrap on Elizabeth Bowen, who we have been enjoying since 1929. It's always sad to see a female author go, because it could be many List years until another one pops up. Here's my official ranking of Bowen, an underrated author and adulteress. 

1. The House in Paris

2. The World of Love

3. Eva Trout

4. The Heat of the Day

5. To The North

6. Last September

So Eva Trout falls somewhere in the middle, but only because she knocked 1 and 2 out of the park. Eva is staying with the Arbles after her father's death, but she has much more fun with the Danceys. I guess they are like her Weasleys. Eva is the sole heiress to her father's estate, so naturally, many people are eager to tell her what to do.

Based on that description, you might have a specific idea of what Eva looks like, but Bowen actually gives us something here other than EnglishRose.jpeg. Eva is a big lady and doesn't present as very feminine. She is also incredibly socially awkward to boot. We get more homosexual relationships in this novel, which unfortunately, are just as miserable as the heterosexual ones. 

I'm still digesting how I feel about the ending. On the one hand, it felt abrupt, almost comically so. On the other hand, that's exactly how an event like that would unfold. I never fully felt like I grasped what was going on inside her head, and she made such...questionable choices that I would have liked to get deeper into her psychology.

As always, Bowen's descriptions make me smile. I'll miss you Lizzie.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Shortlisted for the 1970 Booker Prize.

UP NEXT: A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

606. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Tom Wolfe
1968

Around 420 pages

I loved Bonfire of the Vanities, but I typically don't enjoy drug-fueled romps. I'm not judgmental about all drug use, I just don't find it terribly interesting. It's like getting stuck at the party with the stoned guy and having to listen to him ramble. 

Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters take acid and roam around in a bus called the Furthur. It's pretty creepy to me that this is taking place at the same time as the Manson family. Obviously the groups are very different, but cults of any kind always freak me out. Kesey is idolized in an unsettling way to me. 

So this is interesting from a social history perspective, as we transition from beatniks to hippies. But I imagine many people connect to this novel because they feel disenfranchised and believe Kesey holds some answer key to society's problems. I don't feel that way.

I still think this is an essential read, but not my cup of drug laced Kool-Aid. Some creepy foreshadowing with the Jonestown mass murder.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts: 

Gus Van Sant has said he is working on the film adaptation, but there have been no new reports of the project progressing.

UP NEXT: Eva Trout by Elizabeth Bowen

605. No Laughing Matter

No Laughing Matter
Angus Wilson

1967
Around 600 pages

There are many books that I hate, but I usually get through those pretty quickly, because I want to see other people, and I'm a faithful lover. But this one DRAGGED. I just couldn't get into it, and I didn't even want to get it over with. I kept avoiding it with a cocktail of my favorite procrastination techniques: crossword puzzles and sporcle quizzes. After a few weeks, I decided enough was enough, and powered through it. 

We get the lives of six children Matthews children from 1912 to 1967. The siblings mock their parents and their mistakes, but ultimately end up fucking their lives as much as the generation before them. Sometimes, Wilson forgets he is writing a novel and switches to play dialogue.

The line is a classic for a reason: it's not you, it's me. I know this book wasn't as bad as others on the List, so I'm willing to shoulder the blame for not connecting with this one. On the other hand, Angus Wilson has faded into obscurity even though he was famous during his lifetime. Maybe there's a reason for that. He is exhausting.

I never want to read another book with a character named Quentin.

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Knighted for his services to literature.

UP NEXT: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

604. Chocky

Chocky
John Wyndham 
1968
Around 155 pages

John Wyndham comes up with the most creative stories. And I know it's a little weird to put this story on the same level as something like One Hundred Years of Solitude with my rating, but in the immortal words of Tamra Judge, that's my opinion. Plus I love horror movies, so I'm excited whenever a child has an imaginary friend who is not so imaginary.

David Gore is concerned that is twelve-year-old son Matthew has an imaginary friend named Chocky. Understandably so. At that age Harry Potter had already saved the world from Voldemort thrice. Chocky, however, might not be what he seems.

I don't want to give too much away with this plot, but it has all the elements of a great Wyndham story. An eerie and fascinating "what if," carried out by relatable and likable characters. I'm so bummed this is the last of his novels on the List. And I can't even rank them, I loved them all.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Spielberg secured the film rights in 2008. 

Adapted into a children's television series and radio play.

UP NEXT: No Laughing Matter by Angus Wilson

603. The Cubs and Other Stories

The Cubs and Other Stories
Mario Vargas Llhosa

1967
Around 140 pages

Have I ruined my mind with horror movies, or is that book cover absolutely terrifying? 

We once again defy the gods with a short story collection on this List. The stories concern the maturation of young boys in Peru. Boys are pretty gross, and there were many...unsavory elements in this collection. Which is realistic, obviously, but not something I want to read about.

I don't have much to say about this one, its immediate placement after Garcia Marquez's masterpiece doesn't do it any favors. Skippable.

RATING: **---

Intersting Facts:

Vargas Llhosa was supportive of the Castro regime until the imprisonment of the poet Heberto Padilla for a month in 1971. Vargas Llosa, along with other intellectuals of the time, wrote to Castro protesting the Cuban political system and its imprisonment of the artist.

UP NEXT: Chocky by John Wyndham

602. One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred of Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
1967
Around 420 pages

He's arrived! The prince who was promised! I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the man is coming into this blog HOT.

I love my multigenerational stories, and this is probably the finest example of the form in literature. The Buendia family is pretty much cursed from their inception, due to in large part to their own actions. Our OG patriarch Jose Arcadio established the magical city of Macondo after visualizing its creation in a dream. Macondo is mostly cut off from the world, but the government of the newly independent Colombia eventually creep in and affect our favorite unlucky clan.

When you have such a mastermind at crafting descriptions and setting, you might think the action would stall. But Garcia Marquez keeps it moving with a fascinating plot, rooted in real history, like the Banana Massacre. This is the quintessential magic realism read, and it's easy to see its influence on future works. 

If we ever do get this on film, can Lin-Manual Miranda adapt it into a musical?

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

As famous as this novel is, there has not been a movie adaptation as Garcia Marquez never sold the rights.

Translated into 46 languages.

UP NEXT: The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa

601. Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage
Dorothy Richardson
1915-1967

Around 2275 pages

Is there something about the last name Richardson that renders you incapable of brevity? I was prepared for the previous chunksters on the List. I knew Richardson's Clarissa was roughly a million words, and that Proust would take up a significant portion of my life, but I had never heard of Pilgrimage. I was unprepared for the 13 volumes I would have to endure before I earned my coveted checkmark. 

Oof, how am I going to summarize 13 volumes? Each novel is actually pretty distinct, so I wish the List had spared us the whole enchilada, and maybe treated us to two or three of these volumes. Our main character is Miriam Henderson, who is a stand in for our author. We start in 1893, with Miriam when she is 17 teaching English at a finishing school in Germany, and end in 1917. The juiciest bits were probably her affair with H.G. Wells (who was represented in the novel as Hypo Wilson). But even that wasn't that exciting; who didn't have sex with Wells back then? Of course, I love any lesbian plot line as well.

But even if I loved Miriam, it would be hard to sustain interest for her through such a massive work. As it were, I didn't like her very much. I found her to be a reactionary character, although I understand this is meant to be more about an inner journey than an outer one with an action packed plot. We get to experience her learning about feminism, and I'll be honest, I got really impatient with some of the discourses. None of them really made me think about any issue in a different way, I just wanted her to get to the finish line faster, where modern feminists are waiting.

I think the volumes really worth reading are The Tunnel, Dawn's Left Hand, and Clear Horizon. Otherwise, use the time it takes to finish Pilgrimage to do something else, like learn a foreign language, or get a medical degree.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Virginia Woolf said that Richardson "has invented, or, if she has not invented, developed and applied to her own uses, a sentence which we might call the psychological sentence of the feminine gender."

UP NEXT: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

600. The Joke

The Joke
Milan Kundera
1967
Around 370 pages

600!! We are definitely over the hump and the end is *somewhat* in sight. It's not always easy slogging through some of the clunkers on the List, and it's even harder to come up with something to post about for the complete snores. So this is definitely a milestone worth celebrating, and here's to 401 more posts!

Ludvik Jahn was a popular student who supported the communist regime in college. He made a joke to a female classmate after she raved about the healthy spirit of young Marxists, by replying "Optimism is the opium of mankind! A healthy spirit stinks of stupidity! Long live Trotsky!" The Party isn't exactly known for their sense of humor, so he is expelled from school. This means he also has to serve in the Czech military, since he lost his student exemption. So one joke causes his life to careen off in an unexpected way. I'm sure this is a very relatable fear, even without an oppressive government, since we can all easily ruin our lives by posting one dumb comment on social media.

I like Kundera, he has a really good sense of humor. He cares about his characters, even the ones he chooses to humiliate. I'm excited to explore his other novels on the List.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Banned in 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded and crushed the Prague Spring.

UP NEXT: Pilgrimage by Dorothy Richardson

599. The Third Policeman

The Third Policeman
Flann O'Brien
1967
Around 210 pages

By now, we are all aware of how I feel about wacky Irish comedies. The humor never lands for me, the characters never behave in believable ways, and the stories can often be wrapped up as, the main character was either tripping out of his mind, or he was the dead the entire time. Either way, that kind of ending tends to render the plot of the novel pointless. 

Our unnamed narrator (sigh) is a scholar of the fictional de Selby, a scientist and philosopher. He breaks his leg (we don't know how), and befriends John Divney, who runs a farm and pub. I'm not sure why the author chooses to withhold so much information from the reader. I guess it's supposed to be intriguing. Anyway, our narrator and Divney decide to kill a wealthy local man, but they have some disagreements about who should get the cash box.

I didn't gel with ole Flann last time, and I don't gel with him now. Skip.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Featured in an episode of Lost with the intent of providing context for the show's complex mythology. The sales of the book in the three weeks following its mention equalled what it had sold in the preceding six years.

UP NEXT: The Joke by Milan Kundera

598. Wide Sargasso Sea

Wide Sargasso Sea
Jean Rhys
1966

Around 175 pages

I tend to roll my eyes at the constant rewrites/sequels/prequels/parodies of classic novels, particularly Jane Austen's works, which nobody will leave alone. But I have to say, this feminist update to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre complemented the original so nicely that I now find it an essential pairing.

Remember the crazy first wife of Mr. Rochester that he kept in the attic? Well, this is her story. And I think this is why it works, because there was a hole in Bronte's novel. When you read Jane Eyre, you're not really given a satisfying explanation about the "madwoman in the attic." So this novel tells Antoinette's tale, which begins in Jamaica before her marriage to Mr. Rochester and then continues until her confinement at Thornfield Hall.

I love Rhys as a writer, and this novel handled issues of misogyny and race skillfully. I wonder what Bronte would have thought of this.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

BBC News listed Wide Sargasso Sea on its list of the 100 most influential novels.

UP NEXT: The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien

597. The Master and the Margarita

The Master and the Margarita
Mikhail Bulgakov

1967

Around 375 pages

There are some novels that I would dread dissecting in an academic environment, but I think it really would have helped me to have more context for this novel. This novel is so heavily laden with historical references, and I probably only understood 15% of them. So I probably didn't glean as much from this novel as I could have.

Where to begin with the plot of this fever dream? Satan comes to Moscow with his posse and wreaks havoc over three hot summer days. Pontius Pilate has achieved immortality due to fucking over Jesus and lives in regret. Immortal people are so hard to please. Mostly, it's a story about the oppression of early Stalin days and the scarier aspects of Soviet bureaucracy, which includes vampires and black cats.

Bulgakov is tackling so much different topics, that the result is inevitably going to be a trippy nightmare. Again, I would have had a better time with this if I was better versed in all the allusions that Bulgakov made. 

Not really my style, but I can appreciate the genius that went into creating a work like this.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

One of Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century.

Adapted into film, comics, ballet, radio, television, and music.

Bulgakov was among the invited guests who attended the Spring Festival at Spaso House, the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, hosted by Ambassador William Bullitt. Critics believe he based his novel on this event.

UP NEXT: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

596. A Man Asleep

A Man Asleep
Georges Perec
1967

Around 170 pages

I remember when I first learned about second person point of view, I was confused why anybody would choose to tell a story this way. Doesn't this get on everybody's nerves by the second page? And if I were going to participate in a novel, I wouldn't pick a Georges Perec story. But I actually enjoyed this more than our previous Perec works. He kept it short, which I think is essential with this point of view.

A 25-year-old student wakes up completely indifferent to the world. He hears the alarm, but doesn't get up for his exam. Which is a frequent nightmare of mine, even though I've graduated. So I didn't appreciate being put in this character's shoes. My anxiety doesn't need any story ideas for its night production schedule, thank you.

I like it when authors muse on sleep. Because it's Perec, you know he is going to be in his literary laboratory, performing all sorts of crazy experiments. This makes his books a bit of a chore, but this was much more readable than his previous work.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Adapted into a 1974 film.

UP NEXT: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

595. The Birds Fall Down

The Birds Fall Down
Rebecca West

1966

Around 450 pages

It's a bit surprising that Rebecca West wrote a spy thriller. She did a great job with a genre outside of her wheelhouse, and the woman can write insults like there's no tomorrow. Here was my favorite from this novel: "You're idiotic like an idiot in Gogol. You're such a fool that you achieve a certain eminence by being such a supreme example of your type." Yeah, she could definitely make me cry.

Laura Rowan's parents have a strained relationship. Her Russian mother wants to go to France with Laura to meet her elderly father. Laura's grandfather was a senior government official and suddenly we are in a political story based on the Azef affair. If you are an American like me and have no idea what that was, here's a quick rundown. A Russian revolutionary terrorist group was led by a Tsarist secret agent who in order to maintain his cover organized the assassination of minor members of the Tsar's family and leading figures in government. Don't worry, the Russian government was okay with it.

The real version of this story is complicated and sounds made up, so naturally it makes for a pretty good novel. It did drag in places (that conversation on the train lasted way too long), but overall, it was educational and entertaining. Perfect for my little nerd heart.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Cicily Fairfield took the pseudonym "Rebecca West" from the rebellious young heroine in Rosmersholm by Henrik Ibsen.

UP NEXT: A Man Asleep by Georges Perec

594. Trawl

Trawl
B.S. Johnson
1966
Around 210 pages

My library had never heard of this novel, rightfully so, but I managed to find a free audio version of the book. I don't usually listen to audiobooks, but it was a good idea here. I haven't been clicking with postmodernism, so maybe a fresh approach was necessary.

As you might have noticed, I am a fast reader. But the audio version forced me to spend eight hours with this story.  And oh, what an eight hours it was. Our protagonist is on a trawler, deeply seasick, with nothing to do but reminisce about his sexual past. 

Thank goodness I listened to this, otherwise the vomiting scenes would not have been quite so vivid. This is a pretty gross novel, which carries over to the sex scenes. I don't need to know about your lovers' dirty feet, thank you. 

Our narrator is super annoying too, he can't commit to any thought. If you must read this, hopefully your experience is shorter than mine was.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Johnson left school when he was 16 years old to work various odd jobs, but taught himself Latin in the evenings, attended a year's pre-university course at Birkbeck College, and passed the university entrance exam for King's College London in 1956.

UP NEXT: The Birds Fall Down by Rebecca West

593. In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
1966

Around 340 pages

I am not a true crime junkie, which is a morbid trend in recent years. But every once in awhile there is a case that fascinates me, and the Clutter family is one of those cases. Hurray for Capote for doing something completely different but still readable.

Herb Clutter was a well-off and generous farmer, with a wife, a daughter, and a son at home. Two convicts, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, received incorrect information from a former employee of Clutter's that there was large amount of cash in the family's safe. Hickock and Smith broke into the Clutter house, murdered the family, and walked away with less than $50 in cash.

The entire tragedy was just so senseless, it really demonstrates how fragile life is. Your entire family could be murdered simply because someone mentally ill hears a false rumor about you. We've had some non-fiction novels before, but Capote really mastered the formula here. This is one of the most compelling stories we've had the List, and I knew the entire plot before it happened. 

As far as the ethics of this, I'm not entrenched in either stance, but I do think Capote treated everybody involved respectfully, with humanity. Okay, hopefully this will fortify me against the B.S. coming our way.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Capote became so famous and related to trials that he was called to help the Senate in an examination of the court case.

Capote opposed the death penalty.

UP NEXT: Trawl by B.S. Johnson

592. The Magus

The Magus
John Fowles
1965
Around 660 pages

We are about halfway through the sixties, and there has been an absolute onslaught of postmodernism. I think they are starting to wear me down, because I actually sort of liked this. I mean, obviously I wish the story resolved in a way that actually made sense, but I gave up that hope after Pynchon joined the scene.

Nicholas Urfe is a young Oxnerd, and an aspiring poet. He's dating an Australian girl but decides to leave England and take up a teaching post on the Greek island of Phraxos. Unfortunately, relocation isn't a magic cure for depression, so Nicholas still struggles. He befriends Maurice Conchis, who may or may not be a Nazi collaborator. 

Fowles takes his time before taking this story off the rails, which I appreciate. If you're going to be a weirdo, you have to ease the reader in at least. Which he does. I think refusing to provide a proper ending is kind of a cop out. I mean, it's harder to write a satisfying ending than it is to just say "hehe I'll never tell."

I found Nicholas much more relatable than any of our recent characters. And no women were kept prisoners in basements, so that's a plus.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Adapted into a film starring Michael Caine. Caine called it one of the worst films he has ever been involved in, because nobody knew what it was about. That's postmodernism for you.

Woody Allen was asked if he would do anything differently with his life, he said he'd do "everything exactly the same, with the exception of watching The Magus." Coming from him, that really says something.

UP NEXT: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

591. The Vice-Consul

The Vice-Consul
Marguerite Duras
1965
Around 170 pages

Almost at the big 6 hundo. I'm looking forward to the reaching that milestone, even if we have to get through some dreck first. Ahem. Georges Perec.

The novel is set in Calcutta, and Duras does an excellent job making us feel that steamy monsoon heat that would make me completely miserable. Our main squeezes here are Anne-Marie Stretter, the beautiful wife of a French ambassador, and the former Vice-Consul of Lahore, an awkward, loner guy who likes to throw tantrums. Oh, and there's a mysterious beggar whose presence in India intrigues all the Europeans.

I wasn't that impressed with The Ravishing of Lol Stein, and I felt similarly here. It felt like the book promised more than it delivered, although like I said, she nailed the setting very well. Not offensive, just not particularly memorable.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Duras signed the Manifesto of the 343, thereby publicly announcing that she had had an abortion.

UP NEXT: The Magus by John Fowles

590. Giles Goat-Boy

Giles Goat-Boy
John Barth
1966
Around 750 pages

Naturally as an avid Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, the first thing that came to my mind was a Mr. Rupert Giles, librarian/watcher/sex god. Obviously, his name should not be taken in vain, and certainly not used for a Goat-Boy's name. For shame.

George Giles was raised by goats, and thinks he is a goat. The entire world of our Goat-Boy is very strange, as the universe is portrayed as a giant campus, and the plot follows Giles' quest to become a Grand Tutor. There's also a random play within the story which is a kind of parody of Oedipus Rex. 

This novel was written for university students, so they can map out all the allegories and supplement the reading with articles about the Cold War. I'm just glad I didn't have to go through all that. I actually really liked our previous John Barth, so this was pretty disappointing. Oh well, he's not the first author I've enjoyed who I've lost to postmodernism.

I never find parody particularly funny, and it doesn't make the racism or sexism any easier to swallow. Way too long as well. Skip.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

On The New York Times bestseller list in 1966 for 12 weeks, but was coldly received in England.

UP NEXT: The Vice-Consul by Marguerite Duras

589. The Crying of Lot 49

The Crying of Lot 49
Thomas Pynchon
1966
Around 150 pages

This is going to be the most favorably reviewed Thomas Pynchon novel on the List, because it is the shortest.

The main character is named Oedipa, so the eye rolling began pretty early. Oedipa is married to Mucho Maas, who is a major perv, and regularly sees a therapist Dr. Hilarius, who is a major psycho. Her rich ex lover dies, leaving her as the executor of the estate. She meets the ex-lover's lawyer, and begins an affair. A teenaged band, The Paranoids, become fascinated with their affair and follow them around.

God, these character names. Nobody behaves realistically, and the humor never hits the mark for me. I don't like these kind of drug induced stories, where everybody seems to be either hallucinating or stoned out of their mind.

But like I said, I appreciate that this wasn't 700 pages. 

RATING: *----

Interesting Facts:

Included in Time's 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

Radiohead alludes to the novel in the name of their online merchandise shop and mailing list, W.A.S.T.E.

UP NEXT: Giles Goat-Boy by John Barth