First with the one I didn't read. When I was on the mainland last summer, I visited my English teacher friend and she gave me two books that she insisted that I had to read. Jeni, I tried - really I did!
A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I've come across this title before and it was always recommended, so I assumed I would enjoy it when it was one of the two that Jeni gave me. The author won a Nobel prize for literature - surely that means something? I painstakingly made it through 52 pages before I stopped. It was artsy and fanciful and I just couldn't figure out what was happening or enjoy the story. I'm going to hang onto it and try again someday. Maybe my ability to embrace a "modern classic" will improve.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. Another artsy-fartsy book, but I actually made it through this one. The good news is that I was depressed before I began reading it, so it didn't bring me down. The bad news is that it certainly didn't bring me up either. For a novel to be considered fine literature, does it have to leave the reader with an overpowering awareness of the meaninglessness of life? I kept waiting for something positive or redemptive and then the story ended. Again, I probably lack the intellectual tools to pick apart the brilliance of the work and missed the significance entirely.
So, what do I read and enjoy? Thankfully, there have been lots of those lately, too. I already wrote about The Hiding Place. Fabulous memoir. Perfect book club fodder. Here are some other titles I've gone through lately:
The Shack by Paul Young. I went at this one cautiously because it has gained such notoriety in Christian circles. I was afraid it would be as horribly written as the Left Behind books and didn't want to waste my time. I was amazed by how this book affected me and even enhanced my understanding of the nature of the trinity. The first-time author is not a theologian, but his character's interaction with God was incredibly imaginative and yet scripturally plausible. God as a friendly black woman - who would have thought?!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. As I read this novel, I hoped that the author wasn't historically accurate, but know that she probably researched the details extensively. It's about the friendship of two women from girlhood until death, set in 19th century China. It was the time and place of foot-binding, arranged marriages, strict classism and un-ending suffering of women. There's sadness, but also the timeless lesson on the importance of friendship among women. Every woman needs a sister-chick!
A Singular Hostage by Thalassa Ali. One of my many finds from thrift stores, this proved to be a fun read. The story concerns a Victorian woman sent to India by her family to get herself a soldier husband. Instead she becomes intimately involved with the locals and ends up staying. I wouldn't call this high literature, but it was certainly entertaining and well written. I just saw on amazon that there are two sequels - I'll read them if I come across them in my bargain hunting.
Too Much Tuscan Sun by Dario Castagno. The subtitle of this one is "Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide" and he certainly has entertaining stories to tell. Most of the shocking behavior from clients is, of course, courtesy of Americans. We are generally an obnoxious bunch when we visit other countries, so I'm certainly not offended by his observations. Since Dario is an Italian telling about Tuscany, it's definitely a new viewpoint from all the other books that have come out in the last decade or so. But it also means that he has an amazing depth of passion for certain subjects and spends many pages on them. He's a Siena native, so that means I got to learn alot about the Palio. Not what I expected, but still interesting. Since I love Italy so much, I enjoyed reading this book, but it's not my favorite on Tuscany. That distinction goes to The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran. It's been a couple years since I read it, but I remember laughing out loud when I did.
It is acceptable to read for entertainment, right?
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