"Swann's Way"

The cookie that launched
4000+ pages (not a joke)

My book group decided to tackle Proust's seven-volume A La Recherche du Temps Perdu, usually translated as "In Search of Lost Time," over the next two years. The idea is to space out the reading and schedule multi-month breaks between volumes so we have time to read other things in the meantime. For my part, I find the optimism required to schedule anything out that far in advance quite admirable, and there's no way I'd read this work on my own, so I decided to join in and see what the draw is...and, of course, see how the original compares to Monty Python's classic All-England Summarize Proust Competition.

"The Way of Kings"

Michael Whelan's cover art is gorgeous

I learned about Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series from a video talking about his approach to worldbuilding. Sanderson apparently spent years fleshing out the setting, history, and characters before starting "The Way of Kings," and it shows.

A few minor plot details follow.

"Middlemarch"

 

Definitely looks like the Victorian era.

"Middlemarch" is widely considered to be George Eliot's greatest work. It follows the people of the fictional town of Middlemarch through years of their lives, including marriages, births, deaths, and the occasional scandal and dispute over the terms of a rich relative's will. This is English historical fiction, after all!

"War and Peace"

...and Love and Feuds and
Ironic Money Troubles and
Tolstoy's Philosophy of History, etc.

When I tell people I've read Tolstoy's War and Peace, the two most common reactions are "The whole thing?" and "Eh, I liked Anna Karenina." I think a few things make this a difficult read: the length¹, that the recommended translations use overly florid language², and the subject matter. It's a novel that reads a bit like history, or perhaps more like philosophy wrapped in a parable about, well, war and peace.

"Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing"

My most offbeat book group read yet

"Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" is at least as odd as implied by its title. The book is structured as a fictional autobiography, irreverently describing guru Jed McKenna's time leading a Zen-inspired retreat in, wait for it, rural Iowa.

"The Stone Sky"

 

Three Hugos in a row!
What are the odds?

 

"The Stone Sky" is the final installment in N. K. Jemisin's fantasy trilogy, preceded by "The Fifth Season" and "The Obelisk Gate" (also featured on this blog).¹ I originally discovered the series on a list of recommended dystopian novels, and the first two books are fascinating examples of worldbuilding. The story takes place during an eponymous fifth season, or climate apocalypse, and the characters struggle to survive while their dystopian society denigrates into a collection of warring city-states. In this final volume, the society's origins are revealed, and the main characters must choose which ancient wrongs to right and which to let stand.

Brief thematic discussion below.

"Mother of Learning"

Not the actual cover art for this month's review

"Mother of Learning" is a fantasy novel with an original premise. Zorian is a young wizard studying at the premier academy of magical arts in his homeland's capital city. As he returns to school for the fall term, Zorian is unaware of political machinations taking place behind the scenes, and he soon finds himself trapped in a time loop he can't control. The novel was originally published in serial form by amateur writer Domagoj Kurmaic, Dickens-style, but I read the whole work in about six weeks — which is coincidentally about how long it took me to get through "Great Expectations."

"The Obelisk Gate"

 

That's two Hugos in a row

 

 

"The Obelisk Gate" is the follow-up to "The Fifth Season" and I believe the only sequel I've written about on this blog.¹ I read the previous book back in 2016 and consider it a great example of effective world-building, so I'm a bit surprised that I forgot about the series until this year.

A couple plot points from the first book are mentioned below.

"The Plague"

 

"La Peste" en français

Though it's been a couple months since I finished reading it, I still haven't decided whether "The Plague" is a bit too on the nose – or the perfect book – for this COVID-19 era. It tells a fictional tale of bubonic plague in a coastal city, following the lives of various citizens as they look for meaning amidst the suffering. Much of the human experience is on display: selfishness and greed and denial, yes, but also empathy and care and even heroism found pursuing a shared purpose. It's part philosophy, part psychology, and fully profound.

A few of my favorite passages follow¹.

"A Gentleman in Moscow"

 

Not his everyday view

I'd categorize "A Gentleman in Moscow" as historical fiction with a humorous slant. The titular gentleman is Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who returns to the country after the Communist revolution of 1917. To his own surprise, rather than being put to death, he's sentenced to live under house arrest in the Hotel Metropol in the center of Moscow, never again to leave its premises.

A few first chapter details below.

"All The Light We Cannot See"

Redundant Subtitle: A Novel

I added Anthony Doerr's "All The Light We Cannot See" to my reading list after hearing about it on the radio. I remember that someone said it's a different take on a French World War II story. Besides that, I was going in blind.

"Republic"

 

The one-name author
Gives us a one-word title
(This is a haiku)

What can I say about "Republic"? Before reading a single page, I already knew that it's considered one of the great works of the Western canon, setting in motion centuries of philosophical debate about the nature of justice and purpose of government. What I didn't realize is that it's also something of a page-turner.

"The Short Reign of Pippin IV"

Astride the royal steed

Did you know that John Steinbeck wrote a satirical novel about dysfunctional French politics? I didn't, but I saw a copy of "The Short Reign of Pippin IV: A Fabrication" at a nearby used bookstore and decided to pick it up.

"Cat's Cradle"

"A free-wheeling vehicle...an
unforgettable ride." –NYT

Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" is hard to classify. Is it an absurdist Cold War parable? A treatise on human foolishness? Theology?! It's probably some of each, and definitely a wild ride.

Minor plot details below.

"Circe"

Can be pronounced with a C or K,
but definitely not just one syllable

Madeline Miller's "Circe" is a reworking of Greek mythology from a new point of view. Circe, daughter of Helios, is mainly known for her role in "The Odyssey" – first turning Odysseus's crew into swine, then turning them back, and finally telling Odysseus what to expect on his journey home. Miller weaves together familiar myths into a story of the goddess's entire life, giving her an epic of her own.

"The Martian"

Andy Weir is actually the author,
not the eponymous Martian.

"The Martian" is a feel-good book about human perseverance, ingenuity, and coming together to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. It's also a Matt Damon movie I haven't seen, but I liked the book enough that I may just give it a shot!

A few minor details below.

"The Alchemist"

"To realize one's destiny is a
person's only obligation."

"The Alchemist" is a story about Santiago, a Spanish shepherd boy who travels the world in search of his personal legend, or purpose in life. The book was a birthday gift a couple years ago and is currently a top bestseller¹ on Amazon. Having finished it, I understand why – it gently pokes at the ideas of meaning and purpose many people begin pondering in young adulthood.

A few minor plot details below.

"Station Eleven"

Just a scenic Great Lakes camping trip

(First, an editorial aside. I've read many books since my "Bobos in Paradise" review and I don't think I'll ever get caught up if I keep expecting myself to write longer compositions, so I'm switching to a shorter format. If I'm really feeling it I may still put up an essay, but the length of a review does not reflect my enjoyment of a book.)

"Station Eleven" is one of my favorite works of fiction in years. It's quite an understated novel, following a troupe of actors as they travel down the shore of Lake Michigan years after a flu-pocalypse caused the collapse of modern civilization. A few chapter one plot details below.

"Rashomon"

Several years back, I watched Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and it made such an impression on me that I immediately looked up his entire filmography. Though I saw that his work is nearly universally acclaimed, I somehow didn't get around to watching anything else he's directed until last week.

I decided to start with "Rashomon" because its synopsis had stuck in my head and sounded very relevant for this moment in history.

Minor spoilers below.

"Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

A book about our relationship with books

If Robin Sloan had asked me to write a person-quoted-on-cover blurb for "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" I'd probably have sent in something like:

"A highly enjoyable typesetting mystery romp!" —Paul Hively

No hard feelings for going with George Saunders's blurb instead.

Upon reflection, I think what the novel suggests about our relationship with books and technology is every bit as interesting as its plot. A bookstore that stays in business without customers; secret codes; missing artifacts; strange cultists; these may be fun, but anxiety over technology's role in transforming society is timely.