As has become an annual tradition, here is a look back at the books I read, 2016. Best of at the bottom.
Nonfiction
Treatise on Thermodynamics by Max Planck
The
first third is eminently readable for a layperson – a trait so often lacking in
scientific works. Unfortunately the next two hundred pages are nigh
incomprehensible even when attempting to decipher the equations. That said, I’m
glad it clarified the first two laws for me.
Collected Essays of Rudolf Eucken
Eucken
is an apologist, and slathers on the unquestioned assumptions in a way I
personally think is unbefitting for a philosopher. A couple of choice sections,
though.
Towards a New Architecture by Le Corbusier
The
ideas in this odd manifesto are interesting, but for someone who speaks of
utility so highly it seems almost hypocritical that his writing style should
take such great effort to engage with. The introduction refers to the style as
‘staccato’ and I can think of no better word – you have to fight with each
sentence and paragraph’s upsetting abruptness.
Ancient Civilizations of the Old
World by Charles Keith Maisels
Maisels’
rather academic work carefully looks at the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indus, and
Chinese civilizations, focusing on the transition from hunter-gathers to
statehood. Of particular interest is the section on the Indus, but the whole
work is very solid, well-researched, a brimming with graphs, pictures,
schemata, drawings, and prudently considered arguments.
The White Rectangle by
Kazimir Malevich
The
originator of Suprematism (and one of the founders of all abstract art) had
some thoughts on film. Some reactionary, not particularly deep, thoughts. Stick
to Walter Benjamin.
The Orchard by Saadi
A
mixture of tales and autobiography this slim volume of 13th-century
wisdom is an interesting read. If possible endeavor to find a translation that
preserves the rhyming couplets – although I know of none.
Cuisine & Empire by Rachel Laudan
Very
informative, brisk, scholarly and chockfull of interesting anecdotes. I’d long
been interested in food history, but never taken the time to delve. So I was
pleased to not be disappointed.
Ai Weiwei’s Blog by Ai Weiwei
Much
of this translated collection is from 2006, discussing architecture and the
role of art in totalitarian China. In 2009, though, the criticism begins,
comprising the last fifty pages of the 240 pages of blog entries.
One Two Three Infinity by
George Gamow
An
odd little work. I can’t recommend it for a few reasons: the science has
progressed significantly, the explanations are not elucidating, and, though a
small point it stuck in my craw: the pictures half the time are pointless, and
half the time are not helpful. It’s remarkable to me that Gamow’s work was so
popular. His style of writing is not illuminating.
A History of Rome Under the
Emperors by Theodor Mommsen
The
first section on the Julio-Claudian emperors was very good – but I picked up
the work to know more about what came after Nero. Unfortunately, it gets lost
deep in the weeds. Without compelling biographies long dry passages on tax and
state treasury details, relatively insignificant frontier wars, and so forth
bogs the work down. The final third is buoyed somewhat by the early
interactions with the growing power of the Christian church and the biographies
of Diocletian, Constantine, and Julian – but not enough. The end feels like a
race to the finish, by which point I’d lost all interest.
Cybernetics by
Norbert Wiener
About
40 pages of this 200 page volume are indecipherable logarithmic sorts of
things. However, the other 160-ish pages are really rather fascinating. Be
warned, though: Wiener alights from topic to topic with remarkable agility,
from Lewis Carroll to Leibniz, Turning to Margaret Meade, Pavlov to Locke, and
Von Neumann to Russell. Some familiarity, therefore, with the Western Canon is
a must.
Fiction
American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa
A
collection that begins with Dakota Sioux legends, then turns autobiographical
in recollections for growing up when Native Americans were being “civilized” at
boarding schools, and ending on various political works and poems. I’m glad to
have encountered this author.
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by Joao Guimaraes Rosa
A
world-classic, and likely the greatest novel in Brazilian literature,
unfortunately this book is very hard to get your hands on. It was only
translated into English once, about 70 years ago, and has long been out of
print. If you can find it, though, it is definitely worth a read. Rosa’s
language is similar to Joyce, in that there’s a rather unique rhythm to adapt
to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s smooth sailing.
History by Elsa Morante
The
first chapter of this work drew me in, and it was an engaging read throughout
the majority. A Roman family’s struggles to survive World War II – it certainly
shares a crowded field, which makes its ability to stand out more remarkable.
Twenty Love Poems and A Song of
Despair by Pablo Neruda
The
title is a perfectly good description – Neruda is well regarded as one of the
finest composers of love poems the world has seen. Precociously he produced
this collection at the age of just 19.
The Red and the Black
by Stendhal
Continuing
my annual tradition of reading at least one piece of French literature from the
1800s – of which there is a great deal to catch up – I had no expectations for
Stendhal, or this particular work. What followed surprised me, with a focus
almost entirely unlike what I had presumed.
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
A sort-of
updated Conrad, I think it is important to distinguish Naipaul’s character from
the author. The work got a lot of flak for being colonialist, or
neocolonialist, but since the main character comes from a colonial
heritage…that shouldn’t be too odd of a view for him to have. Overall the work
had interesting insights and, in my opinion, is miles away from Achebe’s deft
criticisms of Conrad in “An Image of Africa”.
The Charles Men by Verner von Heidenstam
It’s
difficult to recommend this work. It deals with Swedish heroes of the Great
Northern War, and is written for a Swedish audience. Familiarity is expected,
and the passing saga-like references are many. Annotations would be burdensome,
however. If not bogged down by missed references, it’s an entertaining read.
Chickweed Wintergreen by
Harry Martinson
Continuing
the Swedish theme, this collection is the most complete of Martinson’s poems.
His arc begins with exotica from his sailing days, then reaches the cosmic,
before returning to the everyday observations of his world. But the arc is not
heroic – his return only sometimes glimpses the cosmic to which he flew. I
think his best poems were from a collection entitled Cicada, published in 1953,
just prior to his epic space poem, Aniara
(selections of which are included and are quite good). Since Cicada, in full,
is not available in English I would recommend this collection for anyone
interested in the cosmic-everyday interplay.
Children of Gebelaawi by
Naguib Mahfouz
Long,
long on my to-read list, this work did not disappoint. Allegorical, but
inventive, with a closing section that is on-par with Dostoevsky’s ‘Grand
Inquisitor’ for boldness and ingenuity.
The Georgics by Claude Simon
Verging
on unreadable. Nice idea – a battle fought on the same place by a Napoleonic
ancestor as fought by the author during WWII – but so self-consciously
stream-of-consciousness/Faulknerian that it can only be described as poorly
rendered.
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
It
takes a particularly adept author to write at length, sincerely and
unapologetically, about a Pentecostal revival while holding the attention of an
atheist reader like me. This book immediately became part of my ‘Essential
American Literature’.
The Assistant by
Bernard Malamud
This
one’s tough. Parts appear on the horizon so early you know what’s going to
happen thirty pages in advance, leaving a plot to get through instead of enjoy.
But on the other hand it does a nice job with certain aspects of psychological
portraiture.
Reeds in the Wind by Grazia Deledda
Little-known
Italian novelist in the English-speaking world. Humans = reeds, wind = fate.
There you go.
People in the Summer Night by Frans Sillanpaa
A
very nice, episodic pastoral novel that covers the happenings of a few ethereal
nights: a birth, an engagement, a death, and the artist’s own musings on it
all.
The Fall of the King by Johannes V. Jensen
I
usually am not fond of characters with implausibly tangled arcs – one person
has a son who daughter marries the foe of the other whose child then etc.
Jensen manages such an arc, and only once or twice pushes the reader to the
point of incredulity. Even without a command of Danish history this
sixteenth-century-based story is a nice piece of modernist prose.
The Pilgrim Kamanita by
Karl Gjellerup
If
you remove 2/3 of the Buddhist-esque (through Danish interpretation)
philosophy, this would actually make a good film. Reincarnation, eternal
lovers, but unfortunately bad writing – original, but not recommendable.
The Thibaults by
Roger Martin du Gard
An
underappreciated novel – no doubt due to the scarcity in English editions. In
the years leading up to the First World War two brothers and a domineering
father take different trajectories to deal with their surroundings and
challenges. Sounds rote, but du Gard handles the psychologies as deftly as
Dostoevsky’s brothers, and with a remarkable naturalistic clarity.
The Days of His Grace by Eyvind Johnson
Admittedly,
all the medieval stories of service to one’s king I’ve read this year are
beginning to blend in my mind. Set in the waning years of the eighth century I
seem to have traveled backwards in pursuit of this theme: The Charles Men, was set in the early modern period, and The Fall of the King in the high
medieval. This time one family’s connection to Charlemagne is explored.
Johnson’s Nobel Prize is undoubtedly ignominious – having nominated himself as
a member of the Academy – but the novel isn’t bad, and has some nice passages.
Not a bad read, but not too likely to leave an impression.
Neuromancer by
William Gibson
A
book that feels more important than good – lots of interesting concepts. I’ve
felt its reverberations throughout media for a long time, but all in all the
original work didn’t impress. Too many convoluted unexplained terms and
mind-bending concepts obfuscate the Blade Runner-ish plot.
The Peasants: Autumn by Wladyslaw Reymont
A
bunch of Polish peasants have petty disputes over acreage, religion, and relationships.
The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka
“Complete”
should make one wary. What to say of this collection? It is split it two parts,
the longer and the shorter. From the longer, I have long admired ‘In the Penal
Colony’ as one of the best short stories ever written. Other highlights from
that section include ‘The Hunger Artist’, and ‘Blumfeld, an Elderly Bachelor’.
In general, though, I found the shorter stories to be far better, which account
for less than a fifth of the total volume. Some of the longer stories are
nigh-unreadable, so perhaps a selection would be best for most casual readers.
Madwomen by Gabriela Mistral
A
selection of poems focusing on female perspectives by the acclaimed Chilean
Nobel Laureate. As the works go on, as is often the case, the poems mature and
become more noteworthy. Particularly adept are her treatments of Greek
mythological characters: Antigone, Cassandra, and Clytemnestra.
Les Fleurs Du Mal by
Charles Baudelaire (Trans. George Dillon and Edna St. Vincent Millay)
A
defining texts of early modernity, the
benefit of this translation is that the meter and rhyme is kept – no small
feat. The drawback is this leads to a looseness of translation. The edition
overcomes this problem with a dual language format, so you may check the
opposite page and reassure yourself of Millay's more free-form choices. At its
worst the translation comes off as merely dyspeptic, instead of bearing the
full weight of Baudelaire's unique "indolence".
Masnavi Books
I-III by Rumi (Trans. Jawid
Mojaddedi)
I found this translation difficult to bear. The
jangly couplets with modern phraseology are likely vastly inferior to the
Persian original.
Berlin
Alexanderplatz by
Alfred Doblin
Having seen the Fassbinder adaptation I was
surprised by the many differences – most notably the pacing. Doblin’s modernist
prose is of a unique type, but it can be grating in the current English
translation (by Eugene Jolas). All in all it’s original enough to be rewarding
for those both willing to put in the time for 600+ pages, and who are
particularly drawn to modernist writing.
Kaddish
for a Child Not Born by Imre
Kertesz
This slim, but strenuous novella of recursive
psychological scrutiny and identity is likely to be worth the effort. It is a
difficult prospect to shed new intellectual and emotional light on the
ramifications of a childhood and adulthood effected by Auschwitz, but Kertesz
manages to do so in an intensely personal fashion.
Graphic Novels
The
Planetary Omnibus by
Warren Ellis and John Cassady
As a big fan of Ellis’ work on
Transmetropolitan I found Planetary a bit oblique. References are deep and left
to the viewer to figure out – I had the distinct impression of not getting
everything out of it I should have. Sort of like overhearing a bunch of
in-jokes, and while you’re able to work out some, you’re very aware of the ones
you missed.
Top 5
1.
Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire
2.
Children of Gebelaawi by Naguib Mahfouz
3.
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by Joao Guimaraes
Rosa
4.
Tie! The Red and the Black by Stendhal / People
in the Summer Night by Frans Sillanpaa
5.
Cuisine & Empire by Rachel Laudan
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