20 Books of 2020 (Pt.30)

Now that we've reached a milestone in these lists, I just want to say how happy I am that you've all come on this journey with me so far. I managed to get more reading done because of the international lockdown situation that's been going on but slowly, I want to ease away from reading four or five books a day purely out of the fact that I'm not really going anywhere or doing anything. I want to get back to normal, my two to three books a day are more than enough to see me through. I'm starting a bunch of new projects as you've seen and more will be on the way hopefully.

Some of these projects include my 'first impression' essays. Some of you may remember my first impressions of "The Pale King" by David Foster Wallace. You may read the article here: https://vocal.media/geeks/the-pale-king-by-david-foster-wallace - Let me just go through what 'first impression' articles are before we get too far into them. I'm planning to release one each month and it's basically me going through annotating some poignant things about a novel that I haven't read before (but have selected through a bit of a long process!) and then, I write a 2'000-ish word essay on what I've found. This comes complete with quotations from the book and my personal thoughts on what I think the book represents with little outside influence.

Another project is my 'reading experience' pieces that you've probably seen. A few are out at the moment and they are all about books that have changed me as a person through the years. More of a figure of speech than a literal change, these are books that have had a lasting impact on my existence. Some of these I read in my teens, some in my late-teens and some in my 20s. But mostly, they have had some sort of impact on the way I look at literature, life and the arts.

I'm hoping to develop some more projects soon but I don't want to give myself too much to do just yet. But one thing I really wish is that you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them!

Here's part 30 - and these are numbers 581 through to 600...

581. The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki

Thieves, gypsies, Spanish traditionalism and so much more written by a French author in the 19th century, this book has such a great essence of Lorca about it. It travels through culture, humanity and a person of every kind to give us an amazing flavour of the mystical culture that brought us a rich history complete with people who get more and more interesting the more you read about them.

582. A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene

I really enjoyed this book as always - I enjoy everything by Graham Greene and this was the last one by him that I had to read before I'd read them all. It's about a man called Raven who doesn't seem to believe that actions have consequences even as an agent. When he kills a no-good politician he is warned that it'll spark a war. He doesn't believe it but when people start hunting him down for blood, he must hide and hide quick. A war seems to be on the way, whether Raven likes it or not.

583. Second-Hand Time by Svetlana Alexeivich

Set at a turbulent time in Russia, it practically makes you suffer through the fall of the USSR. The writer is so emotional about the times in which money now means everything and a person is no longer a person unless they have money. This book really hits you where it hurts because it reminds you of a regime that indoctrinated its people and yet it reminds of the world it is moving towards. Is any system really for the people? Are we all just a part of the establishment? Do we believe what we are told to believe?

584. The Rim of Morning: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror by William Sloane

Cosmic Horror is normally the realm of HP Lovecraft but this, by William Sloane, was something else. Complete with dead bodies, fires, mysterious happenings, disappearances and things that could change the course of life and the universe as we know it. This book has everything you could expect from cosmic horror in the new age, and it's only two novellas long. It is a brilliant work of dark art.

585. African Myths of Origin

This book is one of my favourites of the year. It is all about the different regions of Africa and their different stories of creation, death, the sun and moon, humanity, equality and peace with nature and animals, hunting and what makes the quintessential humanity of people from then to now. African Myths have always amazed me since I first read a book called "Told by Starlight in Chad", they are always so magical, filled with prophecy, complex themes and philosophies that stare right into your soul.

586. That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gadda

This book is about a cop that goes to investigate two crimes in Italy - one robbery and one murder. When we see the various criminal investigations unfold, we actually see how deceptive everyone else is towards the case. In a very Graham Greene-style case, everyone seems to have something to do with the dead woman and yet nobody has any information. It is a witty, satirical and often dark tale of vengeance and lost love.

587. The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche

An amazing feat again by Nietzsche, this is all about the application of his critical theories of the self, morality and basically how we should live our lives. The Birth of Tragedy concerns itself with many different mediums and this is how we see the theories in practice. Starting with an effort in self-criticism and self-analysis, Nietzsche has always been one of the most paradoxical philosophers for me.

588. The First Poems in English

When reading this I was shocked at how complex the older poems were. Around the times of Beowulf and before, we get poems about the crucifixion of Christ and love poems of the most romantic and critical type. These are normally not just stories, but they are odes and they contain lyrical genius. It is like they interweave the ideas of folktales, stories of ancient times, timeless themes and excellent wording into one. They are incredible.

589. The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells

This is a re-read, clearly. My favourite Sci-Fi novel of all time, this book is a work of absolute genius. About a madman scientist who lives on an island where he experiments on human-animal hybrids, he doesn't expect something that we all thought was going to happen. When he's in serious trouble and running out of time, Edward Prendick must enlist the help of others to try to get off this godforsaken island.

590. The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch

This is a dangerous story of obsession and love, it's about a man who falls for a painter but the catch is that he is a schoolmaster with a reputation to maintain. Iris Murdoch writes a strange tale of love, obedience and the requirement to keep social rules in place whilst she paints a masterpiece of schoolmasters, strict lifestyles and absolute foreboding. A grand story, it's one of Murdoch's best works.

591. The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki

I recently wrote an article about my first impressions of this book and honestly, I don't know why I put off reading it for so long. It is an excellent book about four sisters who live through a changing Japan. Whilst their own family is traditional and historical, living in Osaka - the younger sister, Taeko, wishes for a life in the modern world whilst Sachiko - an older sister, wants to keep the reins on the family's past but is poisoned by her own. Unable to marry, the shamed Yukiko must redeem herself and yet, the world around them seems to be moving so fast that none of them can keep up. Keep your eyes peeled for my article!

592.The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry's autobiography is exactly what you'd expect it to be. From the great times at Cambridge, to the first friends he had there to the time he spent building his career - we get an Oscar Wilde-esque look at the world through the eyes of one of the world's greatest human beings. A great mind, a wonderful man and a brilliant personality - we see that his world is not only not very different to our own but that in several cases, he makes a pretty good point for appreciating what you've got and just respecting people as they come. I have to admit, I'm a huge Stephen Fry fan and I think I always will be.

593. The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly

This book is about a small town in which pottery and ware are a big culture amongst the native people - but when an imposter threatens to spread the secrets of the ware across the world, a dead body turns up and everything goes south really quickly - it is clear that some people know more than they are letting on. Inspector Nicholson is called in to investigate and alongside a woman called Corrina, there are more mysteries buried within.

594. The Case of the Demented Spiv by George Bellairs

I love the Inspector Littlejohn Mysteries and well, this one is no exception. This book is about a dead body that turns up smeared in make-up and when Littlejohn is called in to sort through this theatrical crime, he finds that when he gets into it, nobody wants to tell him anything. Forced to pry the truth from their hands, he has some pretty aggressive methods but again, he will succeed in solving this strange, dark crime. But first, he'll have to get through a terrifying backstory.

595. Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov

About a man who tries to commit suicide because of his failing career, he quickly comes to hate the popular Moscow Literary Scene. Be that as it may, he tries to pick up his chances by writing a play. This novel is one of Bulgakov's many satires of Moscow life during times of turmoil. Politically and comedically it is genius but always has that strange undertone of discomfort.

596. Agostino by Alberto Moravia

About a man who has a very DH Lawrence "Sons and Lovers" relationship with his mother, this book tells the tale of how when a new man moves in with him - he is basically ignored. Agostino makes up his own mind to join a tough gang, but it isn't all arm wrestles and pile-ups. Things are about to get seriously out-of-hand for this once obedient child-like character and they probably won't end pretty either.

597. The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei

This book was brilliant. It's about a man living in China and he gets married to a beautiful, but completely shallow woman and ends up divorcing her just as his mother dies. Through his turbulent times, he really has nobody to talk to. He has no home, he has no life. But his sister, constantly spinning on her own troubles, tries to save him once or twice. The fact is, you can take a horse to water but not make it drink. This character has an awful lot of flaws and each one, through cheats and scams, he needs to address before he sells one more sound system.

598. Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West

This book wasn't really for me. It was about a columnist who, in typical Nathanael West fashion, has his life fall apart right before his eyes. But, the style of writing often confused me and felt a bit forced. Some of the emotions didn't connect with me and didn't feel real. To be honest, I much prefer his other books to this one, I didn't feel immersed enough to enjoy it and it took me a while to actually get into the swing of the writing. I have to say, "The Day of the Locust" is still my favourite Nathanael West novel.

599. The Cynic Philosophers: from Diogenes to Julian

This book was incredible. It taught me so much about the interlocking between the cynic philosophers and the stoic philosophers because they had similar belief systems on luxury and humanity. Cynicism was just a more extreme and less tolerant one when it came to immoralities. Cynics are people who believe you should only take what you absolutely require from the earth - only eat enough food to live, only clothe yourself enough to keep from freezing to death (wearing one basic cloth is the equivalent of this in Ancient Greece) and having no luxuries, not even a house. In cynicism, your home is wherever you are: a cave, under a tree etc. It was just so eye-opening that they did actually practice their philosophy as well as stating what they were.

600. Esther Waters by George Moore

This is basically like Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. It's about a woman who works as a maid and she is left and abandoned whilst she is pregnant with someone's baby. For a while she goes super Fantine from Les Miserables and then, she starts struggling to get back on her feet. This is a woman who clearly won't take it lying down. It's a pretty good novel and a great effort at depicting a woman who suffers but doesn't go down easy. That's what makes it different to Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Les Miserables's Fantine.