{Wrap-up #5} Ideal Month: March

The system has (sort of) fallen back into place.


((1/Classic)) Moby-Dick, or the Whale - Herman Melville 

If I were a lesser (or smarter) person, I would have used Emma for both the reread and classic entry. But you guys know I'm not that type. Full disclosure, I have not finished this yet, so I cannot vouch for how satisfying the ending will be (although because I was dumb enough to think the first two pages of the intro would not spoil it, I know how it ends). Nevertheless, I have enjoyed every single page of this wild (very homosocial/homoerotic) adventure story of hatred and love of whales. If you're intimidated by this lengthy book's reputation, don't be! (I promise it's way shorter than you think if you wisely skip the introduction.) I'm sure you can dissect in college for a whole semester, but it also works simply as a beautifully written cross between nature writing and revenge plot.  

((2/Contemporary Fiction)) The Wife - Meg Wolitzer 

After her husband has won a prestigious literary award, his wife reflects on their marriage and all the sacrifices she has made for the sake of her husband's career. The prose is intense and gripping while also taking the time to reflect on how this particular couple's situation reflects a larger history of overlooked female talent. My main criticism is that the rage of the protagonist is so strong that it seems to resist any nuanced interpretation of the story. As it is a third person narrative (if mostly in free indirect style), this could have been handled with a bit more perspective—and yet, the author seems so (justifiably) enraged too that her voice seeps into the narrative and takes you out of the story at times. A bit more authorial restraint would have helped. Still, a short novel worth your time. (In case you're wondering, the movie is pretty decent, much more nuanced, and Glenn Close is MAJESTIC in it.)

((3/In translation/in Spanish)) Sweet Days of Discipline - Fleur Jaggy

This novella, originally written in Italian, has an almost dreamlike-quality to it. The narrator is a teenage girl at a boarding school who becomes obsessed with one of her classmates. The poetic prose is a vehicle to explore female-female dynamics in the secluded and rarified environment that is the boarding school. The text is not without its pacing flaws, but it's so refreshing to read such a book from a female perspective that also delves into the mechanics of female socialization and desire, that I cannot but recommend it to everyone whose interest has been peaked.

((4/Essay Collection/Bio/Memoir)) The Polysyllabic Spree - Nick Hornby

Let us get this out of the way. No, I haven't read High Fidelity yet, or any Nick Hornby fiction, for that matter. Let us move on. This is the first volume of the collected columns Hornby wore (and still writes) for Believer Magazine. Critics of the book consider it too light and pointless, which it is... unless you really enjoy people talking passionately about their reading experiences and the books they've read and bought, in which case YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. It's hilarious and relatable and, at times, truly insightful. And, as I keep saying to everyone who will listen, my DREAM JOB. I rest my case.

((5/Non-fiction)) I'll Be There For You - Kelsey Miller

Another unexpectedly controversial book. I picked this up because I expected a comfy yet insightful look at F.R.I.E.N.D.S (my all-time favorite series) as a TV and cultural phenomenon... and this was exactly what I got. The prose is fresh and engaging, the facts relevant, and the contextualizing truly informative. What's not to like? Well, according to some people, there is not enough insight into the making of the show, not enough gossip. This is true, but in my opinion not what the book promised. Some people are also really (and I do mean really) upset by the author raising questions about the show's lack of diversity and controversial plot-lines, which is ridiculous because 1) she is not wrong (the show ended in 2004... this century!) and 2) her assessment is nowhere near damning. Her stance, like most people's, is: it was slightly groundbreaking for its time, and it is what it is. So ignore those voices and go pick this up. 

((6/Poetry Collection/Play)) I Know My Own Name - Emma Donoghue 

This depiction of real-life historical figure Annie Lister's relationship with her best friend, as well as a peasant young woman, and her sister, was my first play ever by prolific author Emma Donoghue... and it was such a disappointment! The pacing, the dialogue, the scenes... it was all just a mess. And right after having read Room, too! (Quick review: masterpiece, heart-wrenching, a must read but perhaps too close to home for the times.) I will check out the rest of the plays in the future, but so far I believe prose to be Donoghue's true medium. 

((7/Reread)) Emma - Jane Austen

First, the admission: I'm only halfway through. Is this cheating? Possibly. But it's the best I've got. In any case, I couldn't wait until Jane Austen July to dive back into Austen's BEST BOOK. (Yes, I said it. Have I read all of Austen's work? No. Does that stop me from hailing this as the superior work? Nope.) Emma is a well-meaning but too-clever-for-her-own-good only child who takes it upon herself to marry off her newly acquired friend Harriet Smith, an orphan who in her eyes is far more genteel than everyone else gives her credit for. In the process, she misreads every single cue and situation and chaos ensues. It's hilarious and sharp and I love it so much I will literally go back to reading it as soon as this entry is finished. Yes, it's that good. (Also, the new film written by Eleanor Catton is brilliant.) Some people don't like Emma, some people think the book is too slow, blah blah blah. (Counterargument: Emma is fascinating and complex, and there is underlying tension throughout every lengthy argument and social gathering scene.) READ. THIS. NOW.

I talk about these and other books in my march wrap-up, so go check that out and then go read my recommendations!