20 Books of 2020 (Pt.38)

I would first like to say how shocked and amazed I am at the response I have gotten for wanting to open up my network and beginning talking to people a lot more. Many, many people have followed me on Instagram since I've gone public and they are all such nice people as well. Everyone seems to be a part of this giant book network in which everyone follows everyone else and they talk about certain books and types of book on a per monthly or, per genre basis. It is really quite something and may be able to help me in my first stages of socialising and improving the social skills I require.

I have been working on numerous articles these past few months and I have many more planned to come out in the following year or so - all I need to do is get them typed up! If you remember, I told you I was a part of a read-along for one of my favourite books ever and I am, as of yet, working on the write-up. I have also joined the read-along for "The Count of Monte Cristo" which is something I've been meaning to read again as I read it as a teenager and basically couldn't get around to reading that gigantic thing a second time.

I am really quite impressed at how much of a response I have received and how positive it has been. I am very happy. Yes, you read that correctly. For the first time in my life, I actually believe that this is what happy feels like. It's not just 'content' anymore - it's happy.

Well, enough of my rambling, here's numbers 741 through to 760!

741. The Collected Tales by Nikolai Gogol

I have read this book a number of times before and the reason for that is because Gogol is such a great writer of things that are philosophical, often philosophically disgusting as well. Things that would, when it came to people with a moral compass, make the reader almost feel sick or at least uncomfortable. When I feel uncomfortable, I like to re-read this collection because it reminds me that there is far more discomfort out there. Especially in the works of Gogol.

742. Four Major Plays by Federico Garcia Lorca

Federico Garcia Lorca is a brilliant poet but when he writes poetically in his plays, he is even better at displaying his Spanish Civil War politics. Especially in the play "Yerma" in which there are layers and layers of political sides to the argument. First we have the social class, then the gender separation, then the traditional vs the new, then we have the political outlay of possibility and impossibility based on social standing. It is a brilliant set of plays displaying Lorca's incredible language use.

743. The Death of King Arthur

I loved Arthurian Legends as a child and teenager and so, re-reading this classic was a must for me. I read it more for comfort than learning, more for entertainment than education and I think honestly, that this is the best way to enjoy a book. A book is enjoyed far more if you've done the work beforehand and then, you can calmly get through the text. Arthurian Legends require some work, but it's all in good fun.

744. A Woman's Life by Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant's writing is often rife with emotional abuse of the human soul, madness in the style of Emile Zola and various obsessions that will remind you of reading Marcel Proust. But I will say that one thing that Maupassant is better at than those two writers is the reality of human connection. The deep, meaningful connections with the psychological push on the way in which morality, ethics and the strife of humanity works within it.

745. In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming

This book is told through the eyes of a child who begins experiencing some rivalry in his family and friend circle because of the colour of his skin, this book goes through the strange and distant emotions that plague a child from youth when it comes to their ability to 'fit in'. Like Toni Morrison and Harper Lee, the child-like innocence is set up against a world designed to hate them, but when it comes down to it - it is all about finding goodness in humanity, even when all hope is absolutely gone.

746. The Penguin Anthology of Ancient Rhetoric

Ancient Rhetoric is very interesting and to be honest, I've only ever read the rhetoricians separately. I wanted to read this book because of the way it combines various rhetorical theories, studies of rhetoric and the history of why it was so popular. There is an amazing amount language analysis, cultural history and a rich system of performance, a practice of intelligence and a requirement for these performers. I really enjoyed this one.

747. Selected Poems by Robert Browning

Robert Browning's poetry has always entertained me. The rich emotion and the analysis I could do on just "Porphyria's Lover" alone is enough to entertain me for hours on end. I am a big Browning fan and since I got this anthology and even though I had already read many of the poems in it, I was still amazed by the sheer emotional, turbulent and violent passion of Browning's writing.

748. Classical Comedies

I love reading Classical Plays like those by Euripides and Sophocles. But these, by the likes of Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus and Terence, are the comedies. I've read many of them before but reading them together makes all the difference because you can really draw on the ways that one was influenced by the other. It is a brilliant selection that, if you want to read some classical play-script then I would recommend this anthology.

749. Penguin Book of First World War Poetry

First World War Poetry has always been of interest to me because it is so raw and eventful. I mean, in the first war, people did not know what was going to happen. It wasn't like in the second war where people had seen things like it before. This poetry is fuelled by confusion, surprise, nervousness and the sheer want to survive. It is brilliant, coarse, raw and passionate. There are two lead emotions: 1) let's fight for our country and be heroes, and 2) (sarcastically) yeah, right.

750. A Shropshire Lad and Other Poems by AE Housman

Housman's poetry was recommended to me over eight years' ago and I read a rather shoddy anthology that was missing some pages from my local library. I recently got a full anthology of his writings and noticed more about his poetry than ever. His naturalism, his landscape description, his idyllic ways, his passion and emotion - it is all so incredible and vivacious. I love reading and re-reading his work.

751. Green Tea and Other Weird Stories by J Sheridan Le Fanu

This one was a new one by Oxford World's Classics published with the original "In a Glass Darkly" and other strange and often maniacal protagonists. I love Le Fanu's works because of the way they contain something old in their quality whilst also making great progressions in horror and terror. This collection shows us his career start to finish and leaves no stone unturned in his own journey as a writer.

752. The Late Writings of Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy is amazing and I read a lot of his works whilst I was growing up. When I was in university, I managed to get my hands on his late works and I remember on my MA, I was reading his criticisms on art. I always enjoyed that about him, he was always so articulate about every aspect of artistic life and his use of words is incredible beyond belief. I recently re-read the entire series of his late writings and it was incredible.

753. The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig

I've read a lot of Stefan Zweig's stuff before and personally, I love it when he is super emotional, super descriptive and intense about where, when and why. This is no exception. The writings of the landscapes in this book remind me of the tragic emotional state of his work "The Post Office Girl" and the adoration, obsession and passion of "The Impatience of the Heart". I love every single book by him and I cannot have it any other way. It is so brilliantly written.

754. Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell

The new release by David Mitchell starts off a little slow but as you move through the book, there is a definite immersive quality that is along the lines of "Cloud Atlas". I feel like there are very similar characters as well, like Dean Moss is relative of Robert Frobisher and Jasper de Zoet is probably related to Jacob de Zoet from "One Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet". I feel like the ending of this book was the best part because it gave the book real purpose and though it isn't as good as other David Mitchell novels, it is sure as hell better than most books on the market. Yep, still better than everyone else.

755. The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht

A story of motherhood, defiance and ethics, Bertolt Brecht tells the story of an exile in which a child is raised by a woman who is not his mother. Upon inheritance and money, the real mother and the adoptive mother will collide in a battle in which one wants to protect the child and the other wants to protect her interests. But in this war against law and order, the victor stands no chance if they do not act justly towards the child. It is an incredible play and possibly my favourite of Brecht's so far.

756. The Selected Letters of Catherine the Great

I was re-reading this for the anniversary of Catherine the Great becoming Tsarina of Russia. I'm not gonna lie, when I read this the first time, I wasn't all too impressed by it, but as I got into her and her knowledge of the culture and literature of the time, including her stuff about Voltaire etc. I became more and more interested in her policies. She was known as great because she was smart.

757. The Swindler and Other Stories by Ethel M Dell

I wasn't overly impressed by these stories because it read really dry until the second part in which there was a sequel to the Swindler. The character of Archie was very well written as a sort of villainous almost-criminal man, but I felt like in some aspects the story was lacking. As in the other characters, the writing style and some of the plot line which I thought were pretty predictable. However, I did enjoy reading it, because I had never heard of this author before now.

758. Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett

I loved the descriptions in this book but again, the plot line and the characters fell a bit flat. The saving grace for this book was literally the way in which the city was described, especially when you look right out of the window and see the steps. It is filled with these philosophical landscapes etc. and really, I would actually read this book again just for the descriptions. I've read a bit by Arnold Bennett before.

759. Tis Pity She’s A Whore and Other Plays by John Ford

I read a lot of John Ford when I was in school and university and I really enjoyed the stuff. However, I read them all separately as books instead of an anthology. Reading them altogether has made me realise that there is so much more to the writing style of love and melancholy than I had ever realised before. One of my favourite plays ever is "Perkin Warbeck" and so, I was very interested in the structure of Ford's plays and how this one is different to all the others.

760. Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

I read this for the first time shortly after it came out and I was amazed. I actually skipped a philosophy lecture to sit in a bar and read this book with a glass of orange juice and a chocolate bar. I wanted to finish it so badly that I hardly picked my head up from midday onwards and by the time I had finished being immersed in it, it was already 4pm and time for me to catch my train. I read it again recently and it was so comforting, which is strange because it's a murder mystery novel.