TonyH - my 50(ish)

I started in March and was flying along until about 2 months ago since when I have had a long break, except for a friend lending me the Wheen book below which was great. Its almost like I got full of enough stories for a while and needed the break...so heres hoping this will help me get going again. Since the start of March I've read these books:

1. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
I really enjoyed this. I love the film too and found their points of departure interesting. On the strength of it I've bought Kavalier and Clay for the future.
2. Solaris by S. Lem
I like a lot of the ideas in this and I like both the movies based on it, but I didn't find it an enjoyable read.
3. Howards End by E. M. Forster
I really loved this by the end where it really came together but had not enjoyed a lot of the first half of the book. Maybe I misread it but his picture of the working class seemed quite patronising to me.
4. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
This was my second attempt at this book having stalled 2/3 of the way through once before. Maybe that earlier read helped me keep a picture of all the characters. This time I found it a lot easier and I really went with the flow without worrying too much about each detail and because of that perhaps found it easier to remember them when relevant. I don't know, it was just easier this time. At its best it had a great light touch. I'm not sure I understand the ending entirely but I will read more by him I hope.
5. Jung: A beginners guide by Ruth Berry
I found this an ok introduction I guess but was not spellbinding.
6. If on a winter's night a traveller by Italo Calvino
I loved how this started but did not enjoy most of the book. I found it frustrating and where I guess it was meant to be deep I mostly found it more superficial. Though I did like bits of it very much, especially the writer observing the reader from afar.
7. The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
I loved this - great story, beautifully written. I plan to read a lot more by him.
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
I liked this though I found some of it predictable. It left me wondering if I had learned about autism or about an idea of autism.
9. Chatterton by Peter Ackroyd
I liked this a lot too. I've read Hawksmoor as well and am now wondering if he adopts the same approach to time in all his novels. For me it worked in both of these, perhaps even more so in Chatterton, though I love the ending of Hawksmoor.
10. How mumbo-jumbo conquered the world by Francis Wheen
This was a great read and thoroughly enjoyable debunk of so much thats heralded as important. It certainly reengaged me on the importance of enlightenment reason. Though sometimes I wondered exactly what Wheen did think whilst he was busy exposing the positions of others. There were also moments I did not agree with him, but that didn't spoil the book.

I didn't stop cleanly, I'm still stuck 2/3 of the way through One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (and although I've greatly enjoyed it am not hugely enthusiastic to finish it). I'm two stories from finishing For Esme with Love and Squalor by J. D. Salinger (much the same as the last book). And have just started Lila: an inquiry into morals by Robert Pirsig which has really helped prompt me to get going again, realising what I have been missing!

* Edit - I'm editing this to add some comments about each book, just some of my thoughts on reading them.
Edit Edit - I'd also welcome comments or suggestions for further reading.

11. The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Just decided to reread this on the spur of the moment -- first time I have since I was a kid. Really glad I did and will continue with rereading the trilogy completing parts four and five of it which I haven't read before. I'm amazed how much had stuck with me for such a long time.

12. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams Reread.
13. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams Reread.
14. For Esme - with Love and Squalor by J. D. Salinger
I really loved these nine short stories by Salinger. They seem emotionally mature full of real people and having just read the last one it finished on a high.

15. Prufrock and Other Observations by T. S. Eliot
I love the Love Song - so quotable for so many reasons. The rest was mostly new to me -- lots of yellow and fog (and yellow fog I think) and teacups and situations created by others that he observes (the situation and the people), lots I am not entirely sure what to make of and also lots of other stand out quotable lines -- and I now know what 'La lune ne garde aucune rancune' means (cos I looked it up - 'the moon doesn't keep any resentment/rancour'), interesting, and reminded me a bit of Sylvia Plath talking of the moon.

16. Lila: an inquiry into morals by Robert Pirsig
I enjoyed this very much both the story and his ideas which the story supports. His Metaphysics of Quality seems a good ;) idea to me which to me allows very helpful ways of looking at the world, it feels fresh and chimes with other ideas for me. Although I say I like the story I should say that I did so by the end but, at points, as I read the book I did get a bit irritated by his attempts to write from Lila's point of view.
I've got much more unstuck in the last few weeks and am getting back on track -- if I finish a few books I've started I might be much nearer my target than I thought if I can keep making the same progress.

17. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
After my recent bash at his short stories I couldn't wait to have a go at this and it was excellent, what a great ending -- I read a critic who felt it was a bit overdone at the end (despite her arguing the case for these stories against the critical reception they got at the time) but it seemed pretty near perfect to me. I only have 'raise high the roofbeam' and 'Seymour an introduction' left to look forward to now though -- then I'll have to start searching for a copy of Hapworth somewhere.

18. Witchcraft and Magic in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Europe by Geoffrey Scarre Reread.
I hadn't even looked at this since I was a first year student, almost exactly 20 years ago. I'm not sure why it spoke to me to take it off the shelf, it wasn't just as its a relatively short read to boost my total ( honestly). Its a fascinating subject, horrible too. This is an excellent overview of the scholarship about it (at least it was up to the mid 80's, I don't know whats been written since), it also draws it together to see what can be said -- helped no end with an essay once. Its reawoken some interest in reading history, if I can find the time and also interest in early modern history. Also interesting to read of the rise of the stereotype of the witch and the later decline in belief in witchcraft, albeit after many horrors -- especially at this time when we seem to be so interested in so much reading in wizards and witches and demons etc.

19. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
This was fantastic and fabulous. Often quite dense, as with Midnight's Children there were a hundred little epsiodes and details with each character -- though the hardest part by far, for me, was to keep all those Aureliano's and Jose Arcadio's differentiated in my head. I took a break of at least 3 months about 2/3 of the way through as I struggled to move with the generations and I think my heart was staying with the older ones and not wanting to move to the younger, I'm glad I did as the younger lot were fresher to me this way. I did have to make myself go back to the book though, no matter that I knew I loved the writing. The ending was amazing, but I am really not sure I have entirely understood it and all its nuances (also as with the Rushdie) -- I'll be looking to learn more now and I actually look forward to rereading the whole thing sometime (guess I live in a world of second chances).

Edit - I wrote that I was sure I did not entirely understand the ending of this and of Midnight's Children above. I've realised that what I am struggling to say is that the way they both end is in some ways not entirely explainable (let alone briefly), its highly symbolic, if they could say it another way maybe they would have. To me both endings are quite dreamlike.

20. Brando: Songs my Mother Taught Me by Marlon Brando
I really enjoyed this autobiography, written together with someone called Robert Lindsay who doesn't show up on the touchstone. Its a very human book which seems to give a glimpse of his approach to life.

21. Raise high the roof beam, carpenters and Seymour: an introduction by J. D. Salinger
These were excellent, of course, as is obvious from this list I have become a big fan of Salinger's short stories in recent months. I found the introduction to Seymour difficult to read for some reason, the tone is so special in a way. But I still enjoyed it - though it has confused me a bit. The Seymour it describes is not quite the person I had pictured, especially from 'A perfect day for banana-fish' and it throws me somewhat, even despite Buddy claiming the picture of Seymour in that story being more himself than Seymour. I read someone (Janet Malcolm?)argue that for all the further exploration of Seymour in Salinger's short stories we're still no nearer an explanation of what he does - perhaps thats the way people are left after such an event in reality. I'll have to reread banana-fish now and see how it squares with this picture, also the story of Teddy which seems relevant in some ways.

21 / 50
(42.0%)

The answer to life the universe and everything?

22. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lovely book, despite dealing with some very unlovely behaviour. Don't think I have read it before but some of the ending seemed familar so I wonder if we read it at school (and perhaps I missed some for some reason). I wonder if she has written any more that are unpublished, and have been wondering the same about Salinger.
I loved the picture it gave of her town and society, without loving some of its standards. A friend of mine commented to me how it is a very middle class book and I see his point, though it doesn't bother me much. I got an impression that in those hard times people seemed to be thrown back on some very clear values. I do share his misgiving about the ultimate bad guy of the piece whom everyone seems quite content to have given up on. It seems to me it is a book about learning about the world especially about conformity and seeing individuals beyond that, which might be one reason it is so popular I guess as its something we all do and can be put in touch with so well by this writing.

23. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
I really enjoyed this. Something about its tone reminded me of Fugitive Pieces which, of course, was also by a Canadian poet. I'll have to think about what else to say - there were a couple of moments that did not quite work for me, but perhaps I wasn't in tune with it as I read those moments -- the vast majority I loved, very poetic. Its a very intimate book and convincing.

24. Briefing for a Descent into Hell by Doris Lessing
This week seemed like a good time to read this - I've had it a long time but was a bit put off by the title and by the reaction of a psychiatrist I leant it to who couldn't get through the stream of consciousness that makes up most of the first part fo the book (which might tell me something about psychiatrists - especially given this book's subject matter). Its just as well I come at things from a different angle.
Anyway, I needn't have been so wary of the hell and the stream of consciousness is very interesting -- it starts off very beautifully poetic and then develops in ways that reminded me of automatic writing and it was clearly about a special sort of journey and where that goes to, though a bit tough to get through for a while, it becomes very very interesting (to me at least). Then the rest of the book really takes off. Its a story thats very intersting to me personally for several reasons - I like its shamanistic aspects or that it could be seen as very Laingian (which was more fashionable when it was written). the journey gives him quite a vision.
I am a bit frustrated at the end as I could read an outcome two possible ways, though I suspect my least preffered might be what is intended.

I'll have to read more by her after being so stuck with this one for so long - I had bought it not long after reading some of her short stories and a book called London Observed, which I really liked. Anyway, I'm really glad I read this one. From what I have read I can start to be glad she got the prize.

25. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I'm not sure what to make of this book, I enjoyed it in many ways. He comments on uncertainty of faith at one point in the book and I guess it leaves me having to make a decision over what to believe. It beat one of my earlier reads on this list The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor to the Man Booker prize - thats now a favourite of mine and although Pi is good I don't think I agree with that decision.
Edit -- this was me being diplomatic, I found the way this book ended to be disappointing, annoying and foreseeable and even though I liked some of it to start with, I'm left disliking it.

I'm at my halfway point - I began at the start of March so that leaves me with about 4 months for the next 25. I think its doable especially as I read nothing for most of May, June, July - I have since got much more back on track, though its still going to be quite at task.

26. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Very powerful book, I'm not sure its possible to call it enjoyable but I found it insistent I stayed with it and cared.

(Edit - I did find it enjoyable - a book I'm sure I will think a lot about. Whether it be about its vision of disaster - or the fathers vision of being apart from any other good guys, that I think is challenged.)

I've had another break, not quite as long as the first but long enough that I think my target of 50 by the end of February is unlikely. Hopefully Mr McCarthy has me back in full swing and I might start finishing some of the books I have started, it would be good to get somewhere between 35 & 40.

27. The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi

I really enjoyed this - it was funny but also seemed very well observed to me. I like all of his work I have come across, so will read and watch more. This one had a warmth to it for me, though it definitely doesn't just deal with warm things.

Even if you don't make it to your number goal, it looks like you read a great crop of books this year! I have read and loved several of these--oh, to be reading Salinger for the first time again.

You really are reading a great crop of books - I'm embarking on a full Salinger re-read this year, to see how my impressions have changed since I first read him.

>17 Medellia: & 18 -- thanks Medellia and fannyprice :) my first comments! I like my selection and am aiming to continue it in the same vein. Reaching 50 isn't the main thing, I'm sure I have read as much (aside from work reading or when I was studying hard) as I ever have. Salinger was definitely a highlight. I'll have to reread Catcher at some point - I fall into the camp that has time for Holden.

28. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

Nice and short, read this in a day. Its my first McEwan, though I've seen a couple of films based on his work.

As I read I sometimes found him a bit clinical with the characters, like it was a case history. However overall I liked it and them...that clinical effect wasn't on them all the time. I'll have to read more by him to see if its in anything else

From the films I have seen this book shared an interest in how people's attitudes/beliefs/standpoints/character become concrete due to their perception of/role in events - the effect/consequences those events and their perception of them have on them. I guess I naturally react a bit against this -- but that may be his point, its almost a salutary tale, a warning to keep communicating. I'll have to read more as I say to see if I find this in his other work.

29. R. D. Laing: A Life by Adrian Laing

Fascinating biography of the radical psychiatrist and psychotherapist by one of his sons. It's given me lots to think about.

30. Things Merely Are by Simon Critchley

This book looks at philosophy in the poetry of Wallace Stevens and as an Afterword looks at the related idea of calm in the films of Terrence Malick (especially the Thin Red Line). I didn't really know Stevens' work, but am now inspired to become better acquainted with it. I do enjoy Malick's work and was interested in this author's point of view to both of them. The look at Stevens is interesting in general too as some thinking about poetry. Overall it was very interesting and thought provoking for me. Occasionally it thinks some difficult thoughts but overall seemed to do so with a lightness of touch and in a tone of thinking aloud.

I've been meaning for a long time to read some of Stevens' work as well. The only poem of his that I've read is "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," but it's one of those things that has never left me. The first time I read it, I was enchanted.

Sounds like a really interesting book!

Medellia12 -- yes it was very good. His argument is amply illustrated with quotes, many of them extended, from Stevens which helped make it readable when I did not know much of Stevens. I'm really looking forward to reading Stevens now -- although his (Critchley's) final analysis of him makes me wonder how much I agree with what Critchley sees as Stevens' final aim in poetry (though he also wonders if Stevens oscillates between two poles in his work, ending up nearer to one). I read in his letters that Ted Hughes liked Stevens' work but found every poem a disappointment -- that is not surprising if Critchley's analysis is correct, as Hughes seems to me to stand at, or near, the other pole.

31. Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard

An amazing book. Again I'm not sure whether I should describe it as enjoyable -- its a journey into degradation in a way and how a growing boy adapts to try to survive the social chaos of war torn Shanghai and then the internment camp, full of insight. I have seen the film, but this struck me as being much deeper and the experience of reading it was very powerful.

The end of this year's affair (challenge)!

ok, so I read 31 of my targeted 50 - not so bad seeing as I had gaps of 3-4 months when I didn't finish anything or read very little. Overall the challenge did keep me much more focussed than I have often been in the past on regular reading and has been A Very Good Thing for me, much of it has been wonderful. I'll start a new challenge immediately -- benefitting also from the fact I am sure to finish a half dozen or so books I am some way into but didn't finish by March 1.

Next years challenge is here

edit (6/10/15)

total = 31

Male = 28 = 90%
Female - 2 = 10%

novels = 20 = 65%
novellas = 2
short stories = 1
SF = 4
Philosophy = 2
History = 1
Biography = 1
Autobigraphy = 1
counselling/therapy =2
non fiction = 6

Country
UK = 15
India = 1
Ireland = 1
Italy = 1
Columbia = 1
Canada = 2
USA = 8