Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (... and a bit of Native Son)

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. However, I've unfortunately been unable to read or blog as much as I'd like. College has unfortunately taken over my life, and I've only been able to read 15 of the 25 books on my to-do list.

But don't despair! I plan to continue my reading, just at a much slower pace.

Anyway, I'm glad that I ended my summer on a high note: Invisible Man was really an incredible book. The opening chapter is some of the greatest literature I've ever read. In addition, had previously read Native Son by Richard Wright for AP Literature class, and I enjoyed the similarities between the two. In both novels (and I highly recommend reading them together), the protagonist is a young black male dealing with the prejudices of society. However, they both deal with their contempt in different ways. The unnamed protagonist of Invisible Man joins the Communist Party in order to better the community he lives in. In Native Son, Bigger Thomas meets members of The Communist Party and lashes out in fear against them. It's no surprise that the former character is easier to sympathize with, and yet he doesn't feel as whole or complex as Bigger is. I suppose it is due in part to the fact that the "invisible man" seems sure of his decisions at all times; whether or not they end up to be the right decisions is a different story, but he is never conflicted. Unfortunately, this leads to some pretty dry inner monologues. Nevertheless, the vivid descriptions of the riots in Harlem are more than enough to make up for the book's shortcomings.

I highly recommend this, and Native Son, to every one of my dear readers. And I'd like to apologize for the fact that I didn't truly reach my goal. However, my summer has been a wonderful one, and I know it's success is due in part to the knowlege I have gained on this literary journey.

Keep on reading!

-- Skylark

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

I suppose the best way to start out this To the Lighthouse post would be to quote a passage directly from the book in question: "He was reading very quickly, as if he were eager to get to the end."

Except in my case, I was eager to get the end because I was desperate to start a new book. As many of you may have realized, it is not humanly possible for me to finish my challenge on time, but I'm still pushing through as best as I can. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book, which made my task even more arduous.

"But Kayla," you ask, "why didn't you like the book? Weren't you excited to finally read a book by the only female author on your list?"

Well, dear reader, to put it simply, there were just too many characters in the first part of the book, entitled "The Window", for me to follow. The moment I would start to understand the idiosyncrasies of Mr. Rayley, for example, Woolf would immediately begin describing what Mr. Ramsay thought of his children. And then when I started to feel sympathetic for young Mr. James, I would be introduced to all 7 of his brother and sisters. The 16 characters in the first section alone left me dizzy with confusion. Not to mention that they later all convene at a dinner party.

Once the first section was over, however, I was able to finally focus on what matters in this story: the relationships. The characters' relationships to each other, and to nature, are more important than any of the dialogue or narration. They are the reason why this book is considered a classic, and why I found the novel even remotely interesting.

For example, the feelings that Mr. Ramsay has for his wife and his children ebb and flow much like the ocean at his doorstep. One minute, all is calm and serene as he muses on his wife's beauty. Then all of a sudden, he hates how she panders to their children, and is angered by her generosity to those less fortunate than them. It is this constant tide of emotions that each character feels for his friends and family that kept me reading.

At any rate, this book is not one that I recommend at the moment. While the relationships kept me from putting the book down in defeat, They aren't enough to persuade me to pick the book up again.

At least, not for a very long time.

1984 by George Orwell

Sorry for the delay in my posting this entry! I've been to a conference this past week, and it's been difficult for me to have a quiet moment to myself, despite the length of the novel. However, I managed to finally finish on the airplane!

While waiting in line to board the plane, a man next to me made a very interesting point. For him, social networking sites were too similar to the telescreens that Big Brother uses to watch over his citizens. In fact, he explained to me that it was the terrifying portrayal of privacy invasion that causes his generation to stay away from Facebook, rather than a fear of technology. He told me that he found Orwell's depiction of the world in 1984 to be accurate.

And he's not the only one to think this way. According to the back cover of my copy, Orwell's message is "timelier than ever" and "no one can deny this novel's… power of its admonitions."

I however, disagree. While I understand the importance of the book to our society, and I do believe that the warnings signs are present in today's society, I don't find very many similarities between Orwell's version of the present and our reality. In fact, I rejoice at the fact our lives are quite the opposite of what Orwell prophesied!

We are certainly more capitalistic than we've ever been. Thanks to blogging and i-reporting, it's impossible to falsify information without people noticing. And the internet has made our general population well informed about the government's activities.

While Oceania may have seemed all to probable in 1949, the thing to notice here is that we have managed to avoid our fate. I enjoyed this book not because of how true to life I find it, but because of how different our life has managed to become. Winston's struggle to maintain who he is in the face of conformity and thoughtcrimes is heartbreaking. Despite his knowledge that no change will occur in his lifetime, he begins the story with an idealistic view of how he can inspire rebellion in future generations. While he may not ultimately succeed in his goal, the reader feels that they might be the ones to break the cycle of whatever horrible situation they may find themselves in.

1984 is certainly a very iconic book, and I think it lives up to its reputation. I highly recommend it as an interesting look on the future from a past perspective.

If that makes any sense.

The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

Well, after the travesty of a novel I read 3 days ago (see: Under the Volcano) I finally have hit the literary jackpot: The Way of All Flesh.

Now, before you start congratulating me on my scholarly victory, I'll admit that it has not became my all-time favorite book. But, I will say that it's probably in my top two books I've read on my journey.

First of all, this story is told by a third-party narrator named Mr. Overton. Previous readers may remember my hatred (found here) of a certain outside narrator named Nick Carraway. However, the difference between Mr. Butler's story and Mr. Fitzgerald's story is that the former never tries to present its narrator as an "unbiased spectator." In fact, Overton is extremely unsatisfied with the Pontifex family (the central characters) as a whole, and he lets the reader know that at every opportunity he can. It is with Overton's passionate commentary that we get a sense of who the Pontifexes really were.

Secondly, the main character, Ernest Pontifex, is extremely likeable and relateable. While the first characteristic isn't a necessary ingredient of a recipe of a good book, the second is an important factor, at least for me. If I can understand a character's situation and circumstances, I am far more likely to actually want to finish it.

More importantly, the book is a good representation of hypocrisy both in family life and in the church. The main character's father, Theobald, is a clergyman with a bizarre sense of parental duty. At the beginning of the novel, Theobald was mentally abused by his father as a youngster, and forced to enter the clergy against his will. You would think that such a horrible childhood would make Theobald re-evaluate how he would treat his children. But no! Theobald is even worse to his kids than his own father was! Not only does he bombards Ernest with accusations of stupidity and selfishness, he requires him to attend parochial school. Talk about deja-vu!

Even though ordained as a Minister, Theobald does not subscribe to his Holy Book's Golden Rule: "as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (Luke 6 v31). In other words, he does not treat people the way he wants to be treated. In fact there is an entire passage in which he and his wife are thrilled that Ernest is stupid: because if he were smarter than them, they would surely hate him.

The book is filled with little moments like that: moments that make you roll your eyes in disbelief at the ridiculousness of the church as it stood in the 1800s. Butler did not try to hide his disappointment with Evangelism. In fact, he waited until after his death to release the novel in order to avoid the outrage that surely accompanied his text. I highly recommend this book to any and all of my readers out there.

Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

I didn't like this book. In fact, I really, really hated it. And what's worse is that I can't place where my hatred is coming from! Nothing seems overtly wrong with this novel; it's not particularly long, nor is it difficult to read. I just couldn't connect with story, and I feel like it's my fault.

Now that I think about it, I think maybe I'm too young to appreciate the complexities of the characters. Consul Geoffrey Firmin, the protagonist of the novel, is an alcoholic who pushes away those who are closest to him. And yet, despite his horrible treatment of his ex-wife and brother, they adore him unconditionally! They literally follow him into the heart of a jungle (an obvious symbol for the depression he's spiraling into) and eventually end up groping through the darkness, while clinging to their last hope of human decency.

Oh, and did I mention that this whole novel takes place on The Day of the Dead? Yeah, that's not foreshadowing at all.

While Under the Volcano is considered a semi-autobiographical novel (with Lowry taking the backseat role of one of Consul Firmin's friends), critics also say that Lowry was inspired by Ulysses by James Joyce. And I definitely found some similarities. Both novels took place during the course of a single day. Both used the stream-of-conciousness technique of storytelling. But, like one amazon.com reviewer said, "[Lowry] aped all of Joyce's worst qualities without recreating any of Joyce's flair for wordcraft."

Hopefully my next book will be a little better.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Happy 6th of July everybody! I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day celebrations. I spent my holiday on the beach… with my laptop… reading a Grapes of Wrath ebook. Fun Stuff. At any rate, I managed to finish right before the fireworks started!

This book came at an extremely appropriate time, as I have been recently interested in the migrations to the west in the 1800s. Those trips were obviously extremely dangerous and traveler-unfriendly (ever heard about the Donner Party? Yikes) due to the unknown wilderness ahead of them.

By the 1930's, the time period in which The Grapes of Wrath is set, much was known about the West. The route was well-traveled, and thanks to cars, the trip was much faster.

Of course, Steinbeck has his main characters, The Joads, face a different set of problems. Instead of battling the elements, the Joads battle deceitful "corporate farmers" who pay intolerable wages. Their struggle to make it to the promised land (and then, ultimately, to survive) is heartbreaking and poignant.

The 3rd and 4th chapter of the book begins with a verbose description of a land turtle struggling to make it across the road. In the passage, the turtle, while constantly badgered by passing vehicles and humans, is determined to make it to his final destination. While the passage in question can be read here, what matters is that the turtle is later seen wandering off into the horizon, hopeful of success. To me, this turtle is an excellent foreshadowing of the trouble and hardships the Joads' face on their own journey. Just as Tom Joad watches the turtle with a sense of wonder, the reader is amazed at the pain and perseverance one family can go through.

I thought the novel was an excellent history of the times these Dust Bowlers lived in. Unlike Sons and Lovers, this one did have a nice story-arc. However, I was expecting it to be a little longer. I felt that the book spent too much time on the journey, and too little time on the hardships in California.

Next up: Under the Volcano, ie. the only book on the list that no one in my family had heard of!

Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence

* a note from the blogger *

Woohoo! One month into the challenge and I have 10 books checked off my list! Hopefully, if I keep up this pace, I'll be in good shape for August :)

* end of note *


When I was younger, my favorite series in the world was Anne of Green Gables. This was partly because I related to the lively young orphan who was full of wonder and curiosity about the world. But mostly, I loved Anne because the series seemed less like a novel, and more like a biography. Yes, her life had ups and downs, but there was no overlying story-arc or climax. The work was character-driven rather than plot-driven, and that was what I loved most of all.

Now, maybe it's because I've gotten older, but the character-driven Sons and Lovers just didn't do it for me. The entire time I was waiting for all of the rising action to go somewhere. I kept waiting for the exposition to make way for the conflict. And by the time I finally had created in my mind the illusion of a plot structure, the book was already over. I had already spent two days begging Mr. Lawrence to show me what I was supposed to get out of his work.

Alas, Mr. Lawrence didn't answer my prayers. What he did give me, however, was a slew of three-dimensional characters with emotional-attachment issues. Seriously -- all of the characters had trouble loving one another. The mother, Gertrude, wavers between disdain for her newborn son Paul and teary-eyed passion. When Paul grows up, he fluctuates between knowing that Miriam is the only woman he would marry, to hating her for understanding him so well. His older brother, William, describes his feelings for his new fiancée as such: "When I'm away from her I don't care for her a bit. I shouldn't care if I never saw her again. But, then, when I'm with her in the evenings I am awfully fond of her."

All of these emotional problems stem from the horrible marriage of Gertrude and Walter Morel. Walter comes home drunk from the mines every night and yells at his wife and kids. Surprisingly, this leads to everyone in his family hating his guts (one of his children prays that he dies in a mining explosion). While I felt for the plight of his family, they never actively tried to change his behavior, which bothered me.

At any rate, Sons and Lovers is not a book I particularly recommend for those who aren't hardcore D.H. Lawrence fans. For those who are, this book was apparently slightly autobiographical, so you might enjoy it more.


Only 15 books left!

Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler

The funny thing about this book is that it seems to be a mash-up of three books I've previously read: Catch-22, Crime and Punishment, and Native Son. And what's more, all of these books (with the exception of Crime and Punishment) are on the Top 25 list!

Considering Catch-22 was the book I just finished reading (my review can be read here), its similarities were the most striking to me. Almost immediately, the main character Rubashov encounters a case of circular-reasoning much like... well, much like every character in Catch-22. That excerpt (which can be read here), although short, is just the beginning of these resemblances. For one, Gletkin, the commanding officer in charge of Rubashov's case, is as conniving and evil as Colonel Cathcart. They both twist the words of their inferiors in order to charge them with crimes they didn't commit. And the inferiors, though once idealistic youngsters, are devoid of hope when faced with their immutable fates.

Crime and Punishment is not only emulated in this novel; it's actually referenced! Ivanov, another interrogating officer, constantly teases Rubashov for being "a Raskolnikov". They spend time discussing not only Raskolnikov's faults (as anyone who has read C & P knows are many), but also why what he did was wrong. During an intriguing monologue, Ivanov claims that Raskolnikov was wrong in killing the old woman, not because it was the morally wrong thing to do, but because he killed for his own personal benefit. If, for instance, he "had bumped off the old woman at the command of the Party," then the murder would be justified. Ivanov's statement comes to play later in the story, when they suggest Rubashov wrongly confess to treason for "he good of the party".

The similarities to Native Son are more subtle. Both Bigger Thomas, the main character in Native Son, and Rubashov are ruthless men. They killed innocent people because they thought they had to, and for that they were punished. In both books, the reader can't help but think that perhaps Bigger and Rubashov will be spared the severity of the law. However, she knows that any other ending would be unfaithful to the scenario, and therefore both characters must suffer the deathly consequences.

Perhaps it is because the book felt so familiar that I didn't like it very much. Every twist, every turn in the story seemed uninteresting. I knew how the story would end as soon as I realized which 3 books Darkness at Noon reminded me of. Of course, none of this is the fault of the author. If I had read this book before all the others, I may have found it supremely engaging. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. However, the book is still a good rendition of the Communist Party during the purges, despite Koestler's ommision of specific countries *ahem, Russia* or party leaders *cough cough, Stalin*.

And what's funny is the fact that George Orwell claims he was inspired by this book to write some of the scenes in 1984. So I guess all these great books feed into one another! More on that when I finally read 1984 ;)

Until next time!

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

What can I say? I loved this book. I loved Heller's descriptions of characters. I loved his use of deja-vu to bring across an important point. I loved his hilarious and ridiculous circular reasoning (my favorite "catch-22" can be read here). But most of all, I love Yossarian, one of Catch-22's main character.

No, he's not a perfect man. But really, what man is? Whatever his faults are, he makes up for them with a idealistic view of justice and honor. Despite, or rather because of, the fact everyone thinks he's crazy, Yossarian is perhaps the most sane character in the novel. He is one of the few who confronts his fears, and stands up to the government. Instead of shrinking away from conflict, he welcomes the challenge of defending what he thinks is right. And, on top of all that, he fights fair: despite the intolerable ill-will his superiors have shown him, he refuses to enter in an assassination attempt against them.

But what makes Catch-22 a great read is its portrayal of the idiotic bureaucracy. It's not too hard to believe that there are Generals out there as crazy and malicious as General Peckman. It's enirely plausible that supposedly the bravest men in our country are cowards who risk thousands of innocent lives in order to save face. And I am sure that the men who do fight honorably for our country are killed and then forgotten all too quickly.

Yet despite the tragedy and violence described in this book, Heller's message is hopeful. Sometimes good can triumph over evil, and all can be right with the world. All you have to do is speak out against the horrors, and to stand up for what you believe in.

If only more people in the world were able to stand up for their rights, the world could be a better place.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

My opinion of Faulkner before this week was that all of his books were dense and difficult to read. The Sound and the Fury in particular presented an extra challenge, due to its non-chronological narrative.

However, I managed to finish this book in 2 days, thanks to a wonderful online project. The University of Saskatchewan has created a hypertext that color-codes each chronological event. I know my explanation of probably makes no sense, so you should check it out for yourself. All I can say is that it saved me from trying to figure out which sentences were flashbacks and which were not.

Thanks, University of Saskatchewan!

The Sound and the Fury is, at its best, the tale of a highly dysfunctional family. The Comptons are all unstable characters, with a tendency to lash out at each other at a moments notice. Every family member is either on the verge of or completely racist, as shown by the generous use of the n-word throughout the book. While I know that the word is used often in early 20th century literature, it still catches me off guard every time. After I finally accustomed myself to his word choice, I began to truly read the work.

My favorite section was "June 2nd, 1910", which follows Quentin, a Harvard student who sets out to commit suicide by the end of the day. The chapter centers, in my opinion, around a conversation he once had with his father about the nature of time (read that excerpt here). Throughout the rest of the chapter, this conversation is alluded to, due to a peppering of words like "time", "ticking", "clock" and "ringing". This, to me, is Quentin's rationale for his suicide: if his life only truly begins when the "clock stops ticking", then he'll do what he can to end his time on earth. Yet despite his wanting to end time, he never seems rushed for time. In fact, the calmness with which he takes care of his final affairs is unnerving to say the least. He packs his suitcase, mails some letters, buys a small girl a pastry, and generally goes about his business as if it were a normal day. He is not fazed by his decision, and in fact seems pleased with the whole situation. It is this juxtaposition that makes this chapter so fascinating.

Another wonderfully heart-wrenching section was the first chapter of the book, told from the perspective of Benjy, the mentally retarded son of the Comptons. While Benjy's family and caretakers all view him as a burden who is incapable of comprehending the world around him, the reader knows the opposite to be true. Benjy's narrative is clear and knowledgeable, despite his inability to share his thoughts with the world around him. It is the desperation with which he wants to communicate with others (especially in this portion) that made me teary-eyed on many occasions.

The rest of the book didn't really appeal to me, which I found ironic considering how much easier it was to understand! I think it's because the last two sections felt a little labored: not much happened and the characters weren't very relatable. Oh well, in my opinion it's worth it to read this book just for the two sections alone. Just make sure to use U of S whenever you can!

Next up on the agenda: Catch-22! I'm very excited for this one!

Update: 6/21/2010

Well, it's been 21 days, and I've only been able to finish 3 books: so far it's not going so well.

The last few days have been really difficult because of family celebrations and whatnot. Normally, I'd say to just suck it up and deal with it. However, that means I'll only have three days each to read the remaining books.

So, here's the deal: the books that I've already read (Native Son and Brave New World) won't be given blog posts until after the challenge is over. That means you won't see reviews of these books until after August 15th.

Hopefully, that still sounds fair to all of you :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Although I had a vague knowledge of the main characters (I knew, for instance, there was a girl named "Lolita"), I had no further knowledge of the plot. In fact, I only knew of the book because it shares the name of a genre of Japanese fashion (Lolita wearers, however, insist that their style was not inspired by Nobokov's novel). Imagine my surprise, then, when the intentions of a perverted psychopathic are made perfectly clear within the first few paragraphs!

I should begin by saying that this novel is in no way vulgar or smutty. The language is far from offensive despite the horrifying subject matter. In fact, any depiction of sexual behavior is written with the utmost care and tenderness; there is no doubt that Humbert, no matter how psychologically disturbed, truly loved Lolita.

That being said, the novel artfully balances the line between lighthearted frolicking and gruesome acts of violence. Each character is completely two-dimensional and unpredictable. And just as every character suffers from violent mood swings, the reader's emotions are constantly toyed with.

As a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe's poem "Annabel Lee", the book took on a second layer of importance for me. Nobokov refers to the poem extensively in the first few chapters, and then alludes to it throughout the rest of the novel. Everything from direct quotations, to mentions of sea kingdoms, to even character names (a girl named "Annabell Leigh"? Really?) heightens the obsessive, repetitive actions of Humbert Humbert. He views himself as a tragic hero who has wronged and been wronged by society, and therefore obviously identifies with the brooding unfortunate Poe.

Was the novel disturbing? Yes. But I loved every minute of it. It's not often that a main character is so despicable and yet so incredibly apologetic for his behavior. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief every few paragraphs, simply because the situations were so outrageous.

I know I'm probably one of the few who has not read this important step in sexually liberated literature, but for those who, like I, really only knew Lolita as a clothing line, I highly recommend it.

Aren't I boring? I'm recommending nearly everything! I suppose that's why they're all on Top 25 list.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

* a note from the blogger *

For the sake of my sanity (and wrists) I will be shortening the title of this work to Portrait. I know that this is very forward of me, as I don't have his express permission, but I hope that Joyce (may he rest in peace) will forgive my casualness.

At least I haven't started calling him J.J.

* end of note *

Yes, readers, I went from reading one daunting piece of Joycian literature to another. But before you ask me, "Why would you subject yourself to another difficult stream of consciousness 20th Century classic?," know that I enjoyed this one a great deal more. Portrait is not nearly as long (a relaxing 255 pages), nor is is it complex in its structure. In fact, I wish I had read this piece first, for two reasons: One, it would have been allowed me time to acclimate to Joyce's writing style, and two, Ulysses is, in a way, a sequel to this book. Portrait was written 6 years earlier, and describes the childhood and early adult life of Stephen Dedalus, the first main character introduced in Ulysses. For anyone wanting to read both books, I suggest you do so in chronological order: Although both pieces are truly independent of each other, it's nice to have a little background on the character.

Stephen is, like most young men and women, questioning his belief in God and the role of a structured education. He starts his education as small pious child, following his parents' orders and attending a school run by Jesuits. Stephen finds beauty and importance everywhere, which makes for vivid descriptions of the world around him. Stephen is hyper aware of his surroundings hyper aware, as he experiences his fluctuating hot and cold sensations, both physically and mentally. He then goes through a vicious teenage rebellion, in which he squanders his families hard earned money on prostitutes, and generally sins a lot. As if this radical change wasn't enough, he then suddenly finds the light of God, and almost joins the priesthood. The last chapter of the book, we find Stephen somewhere in the middle: a man who feels that God may not exist, and yet fears that he might be. He also debates whether a formal education is necessary to acquiring knowledge, when so much can be learned from observation.

What makes all of Joyce's novels interesting is their lack of a climax or conflict. Stephen is living his life, and while he experiences many ups and downs, there is not one pivotal moment in which the fate of the characters are decided. Joyce teaches us, in a way, that nothing in life is decided; that life is a series of thousands of choices, each of which alters the course of our life.

Calling this book a "portrait" is really an accurate description: Every aspect of Stephen's personality, from his hopes for the future to his theory on what makes something beautiful (one of the most intriguing passages in my opinion) , is masterfully rendered by Joyce. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I read this book my Junior year as part of my AP Literature class. I was very excited when my teacher handed us her well-worn copies from the storage room for two reasons: a) I had heard it was a great book, and b) the cover intrigued me. "Who's the chick on the cover?" I asked myself. "Why are her tears green? And more importantly, how can she possibly be sad when she's hovering above a Ferris wheel?" I read the Great Gatsby fervently, searching for answers to my deep, philosophical questions.

Unfortunately, none of these questions were ever answered. If they had been answered by Mr. Fitzgerald, the book probably would have been a lot more interesting.

That's right, folks. I didn't like The Great Gatsby. At all. I thought it was a dreadfully boring book, due in no small part to the dreadfully boring lives the main characters lead.

The book is told from the point of view of Nick Carraway, a self-proclaimed outsider who is "inclined to reserve all judgments," a statement which I could spend a whole other post disagreeing with. He spends most of his time either bored at his cousin Daisy's mansion, bored at a party, or bored while commuting to New York City. In fact almost all of the main characters are utterly dissatisfied with their luxurious lifestyles. Dozens of pages are spent just explaining that the Buchanans are reclining on sofas in their living room and complaining about the heat. Pages that could have been spent describing the Buchanans' excitement from riding a Ferris wheel at an amusement park, perhaps.

The only characters of any interest are Myrtle and Jay Gatsby, and that's simply because I feel sorry for them. Both of them desperately want to fit in, and yet despite their connections (For Myrtle, it's her affair, for Gatsby it's his newly made fortune), they are forced to watch while the Buchanans have everything they want.

I understand that Fitzgerald's intention was to show the flaws in the American Dream. Money doesn't make the world go round. In the words of a British rock band, "Can't buy me love" (Which I, for the longest time, thought was "Can puppy love." Anybody? Nobody.) But I feel that there are better ways of showing the characters' discontent with their lives. Ways that don't involve the reader feeling discontent with her life.

That being said, I did like his use of color symbolism. Green representing envy or money. White representing the "holier-than-thou" attitude of the upper-class. It made the experience slightly more enjoyable.

But only slightly.

That's all for today. My next review will be A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. See you next time!

Ulysses by James Joyce

Wow. Let me start off by saying that this probably wasn't the best way to begin my challenge, as it took me 11 days to finish the book! Finishing each chapter felt like running a never-ending marathon; I was tired, out of breath, and yet determined to reach the speck of a finish line in the far horizon.

Although not my favorite book ever, I understand why Modern Library considers Ulysses the quintessential novel of the 20th century. I could read this book another dozen times and still learn something new with each reading. In fact, I probably SHOULD read it another dozen times; the sheer number of literary, biblical, and historical allusions present in James Joyce's novel is astounding. In fact, there is a whole book written by Don Gifford that consists, not of Ulysses' text, but of FOOTNOTES relating to the work (Gifford's book, entitled Ulysses Annotated, is a must-have for in-depth comprehension. Had I afforded myself more time for this challenge, I would have used this book constantly).

It's also been a while since I read The Odyssey, and that definitely made my experience with Ulysses more difficult. Before every chapter, I would read a synopsis of the corresponding chapter in Homer's epic poem (Each one of Joyce's chapters is named for a chapter of The Odyssey). This allowed me to find at least some of the parallels between the two works. For instance, knowing that the 12th chapter is called "Cyclops" allowed me to understand why the word "eye" kept appearing in the text, why this chapter was told in first-person narrative (get it? "I"?), and why when one of the characters got mad, he imagined his fury starting an earthquake. I suggest anyone attempting to read the novel to try the same technique (Or watch the Wishbone version. Because seriously; who doesn't love a talking dog?)

The format in which the novel is written is a puzzle in and of itself. The majority of the chapters have no quotation marks signifying dialogue, but rather em-dashes when a new character begins to speak. This led to some confusion as to whether I was reading the character's thoughts, or what he was saying aloud. Some chapters take on decidedly different formats: "Aeolus" is peppered with newspaper headlines, while "Circe" is written as a script for a play. One of my favorite chapters, "Ithaca", is written in question and answer format, while the last chapter is 36 pages long and contains 8 run on sentences.

I could literally spend hours discussing the finer points of this book, but for your sake I think I'll simply describe my favorite chapters.

Chapter 13, entitled "Nausicaa", focuses on an encounter between Leopold Bloom, the main character, and Gerty MacDowell, a naive, beautiful, 17-year old girl. The first half of the chapter focuses on Gerty's musings on love and romance. After seeing Leopold from a distance, she decides that he's the perfect man for her, and that she'll never love anyone else. Her effort to balance innocence and seduction is incredibly realistic and relatable. I found her character's spirit to be a refreshing change from the dark, depressing tone of the previous chapters. Her wide-eyed optimism is all the more poignant because the reader knows that she'll soon be just as blasé and unsentimental as the other women in the novel (such as Bloom's wife, Molly). The second half of the chapter focuses on Bloom's attraction to this young girl and how he deals with it. Despite his intense desire for Gerty, his lackluster marriage, and a sexually charged passage involving fireworks (which can be read here), Leo chooses to remain faithful to his wife and vows to never see the girl again. His decision, as well as his actions throughout the rest of the novel, makes Bloom, in my opinion, one of the most realistically decent characters ever written about.

My second favorite chapter is Chapter 17, entitled "Ithaca". The entire chapter is written, as I mentioned earlier, in the form of a Q&A. What makes this chapter so brilliant is the answers given to some of the most mundane questions ever asked by man. For instance, when asked what Bloom thinks about water, what follows is an incredibly long list of scientific and philosophical thoughts (the passage can be read here). And that's not all; the same detail and attention was given to questions about constellations, shaving, and items located in obscure drawers. Despite embarking on a 540 page journey with Leo, I had never felt more connected to him than in this chapter. I saw the innermost workings of his mind; his hopes and dreams, fears and habits, and I loved every single word of it.


The book as a whole challenged my idea of what a novel can be. Joyce's use of language and syntax is truly groundbreaking, and I often found myself shaking my head out of sheer astonishment. I highly recommend that everyone read this work, but without a deadline. Enjoy the piece, and truly savor his poetry. You won't regret it.

My next review will be of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. See you soon!

Not a walk in the park...

So, I've started my journey. I began reading Ulysses by James Joyce on Monday. And let me tell you, folks. It's not easy.

It is, in fact, probably the most difficult book I've ever read. My goal was to finish it by Tuesday, but it's looking more like Friday now. Hopefully the other books will be easier. Perhaps I should have started with number 25...

At any rate, I promise to blog about Ulysses as soon as I'm done!

To-Read List

Some of you may be wondering exactly which books I'll be tackling, and which books I've already read. The following list will be updated throughout the summer:

1. ULYSSES by James Joyce
2. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
4. LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
6. THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
7. CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller
8. DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
9. SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence
10. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
11. UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry
12. THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Samuel Butler
13. 1984 by George Orwell
14. I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves
15. TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf
16. AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY by Theodore Dreiser
17. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers
18. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
19. INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison
20. NATIVE SON by Richard Wright
21. HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow
22. APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O'Hara
23. U.S.A. (trilogy) by John Dos Passos
24. WINESBURG, OHIO by Sherwood Anderson
25. A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster

the Five Ws (and one H)

In Journalism, an article, if properly written, must answer six important questions. These questions are considered the staples of an informative piece: without it, an author has lost her ability to inform her readers of the cold, hard facts.

Although personal blog posts are not traditionally written with these questions in mind, I figured they worked well for my purposes. I hope, dear reader (and yes, I do mean my singular reader) that the following questions, and answers, effectively communicate my purpose for this blog. The Five Ws (and one H) are as follows:

1. Who (the hell are you)?

Why, that's a very good question. My name, for all intents and purposes, is Skylark, and I'm an 18 year old high school graduate. I will be attending university in the fall, and I hope to spend my last summer of childhood in a productive (but fun) manner.

2. What (do you think you're doing)?

Again, another insightful question. Obviously, I'm creating a blog. But more importantly, I'm using this blog to document my harrowing journey through literature.

That's right: I'm reading The Modern Library 100 Best Novels.

I know that reading all 100 of them this summer would be a suicide mission, so I'm limiting my goal to the top 25 this summer. However, I hope to continue my quest long after August ends.

3. Where (will you be reading these books)?

Now, now, a lady never reveals her home address to strangers! Just kidding, I know that's not what you meant. I'll actually be reading these books in a variety of places, as I'm going on a few cross-country vacations this summer. The locations of these trips may tempt me to lay down the book and explore my surroundings, but never fear: I'll find time to fit in a few (dozen) chapters here and there.

4. When (will you find time to read all these)?

Anytime I get the chance, really. One can't be too picky when on a strict deadline, albeit self-imposed. I've decided to begin my task on June 1st and end it on August 15th. This way, I'll have time to run college related errands, and well as read some books that, although entertaining, are not... shall we say... the most sophisticated novels of our time.

Okay, fine, they're FLUFF books, okay?!?!?! Teenage Fluff!!!!! Can't a girl just have some fun?!?!

Sorry about that outburst. I just get a little sensitive about my book choices sometimes. Moving on to the next question then.

5. Why (are you doing all this)?

The answer is simple: A few months ago I found myself looking at the Modern Library 100 Best Novels List. Written in 1998, the list attempted to assemble the most important and influential works of fiction written in the 20th Century. After having realized that in my 18 years of life (15 of them having been able to read books) I had only read 6 of them, I felt totally depressed. I consider myself an avid reader, and yet most of these novels I had never even heard of. More importantly, most of these books I had heard of, but am ashamed to admit I haven't read yet.

College is a new chapter (pun intended) of my life, and I want to start it off on the right foot. If that means reading incredible books written by brilliant authors, then so be it.

6. How (on earth will you manage to read more than 10,788 pages in 76 days)?

Heh heh. I've seen you've done your homework. Yes, it's true that these books range in approximate page number from 300 to over 1000. However, 3 of the top 25 I've already read, and will not be reading again for this blog. I'll still post entries about them, but that cuts down my page count to a workable... 9,844 pages! See, that's not so bad!

Also, I'm lucky to have been raised by two wonderful parents who have always encouraged and supported me in everything I do. Because of them, I began to speak at 2 and a half, and read 6 months later. In fact, my parents love to share the story of when I read their scuba diving manual to them at the ripe old age of three. My early ability to read has lead to my ability to read quickly without losing words or meanings in the process. Hence the clever title of this blog: I know that my speedreading talents are crucial in accomplishing my mission . I'm proud to say that I read the 7th Harry Potter book (759 pages) in less than 24 hours. While I know that the books on my list may not be as easy to read as my beloved childhood series, I have no doubt I'll be able to accomplish my goal.

Well, some doubts. But not a lot.

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I hope this "article" served its purpose well! Check back on June 1st for my first official entry!