Post by cortwilliams on Jan 3, 2013 18:31:42 GMT -6
My favorite 10 novels I read this year(in no particular order, that's too hard)
Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzru
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
My Revolutions by Hari Kunzru
The Human Stain by Philip Roth
Germinal by Emile Zola
Harlot's Ghost by Norman Mailer
City of Bohane by Kevin Barry
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Recently read "Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro, "By Night in Chile" by Roberto Bolano, and "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene. The former was the story of an aging English butler Stevens, reflecting on his life and the choices he made. Stevens' unflagging commitment to professionalism makes for moments of humor and heartbreaking pathos. Easily made my top 10 novels of the year. The novella "By Night in Chile" is likewise a look backwards by an aging figure, in this case the tale of a Chilean poet, literary critic, and priest who lived in the turbulent historical era of Allende and Pinochet. Brief, feverish, at times very striking, though considering the length sometimes the novella seems to meander a bit here and there. The two aforementioned novels also have some related themes: What is the responsibility of the worker to make sure that his/her employer lives up to his/her ideals? What is the responsibility of the artist to draw attention to injustice and tyranny, even at personal risk?
"The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene is the story of a Catholic priest in Mexico in a time where the priesthood was persecuted by the government. The Catholic paradigm of the protagonist left me tempted to sympathize with the ruthless leftist police lieutenant who hunted him down, though I admit the character was likeable and the story raised many interesting reflections psychological and theological in character, as well as being a suspenseful enough tale of a hunted man.
Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzru
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
My Revolutions by Hari Kunzru
The Human Stain by Philip Roth
Germinal by Emile Zola
Harlot's Ghost by Norman Mailer
City of Bohane by Kevin Barry
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Recently read "Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro, "By Night in Chile" by Roberto Bolano, and "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene. The former was the story of an aging English butler Stevens, reflecting on his life and the choices he made. Stevens' unflagging commitment to professionalism makes for moments of humor and heartbreaking pathos. Easily made my top 10 novels of the year. The novella "By Night in Chile" is likewise a look backwards by an aging figure, in this case the tale of a Chilean poet, literary critic, and priest who lived in the turbulent historical era of Allende and Pinochet. Brief, feverish, at times very striking, though considering the length sometimes the novella seems to meander a bit here and there. The two aforementioned novels also have some related themes: What is the responsibility of the worker to make sure that his/her employer lives up to his/her ideals? What is the responsibility of the artist to draw attention to injustice and tyranny, even at personal risk?
"The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene is the story of a Catholic priest in Mexico in a time where the priesthood was persecuted by the government. The Catholic paradigm of the protagonist left me tempted to sympathize with the ruthless leftist police lieutenant who hunted him down, though I admit the character was likeable and the story raised many interesting reflections psychological and theological in character, as well as being a suspenseful enough tale of a hunted man.