Not gonna lie folks... I'm kinda proud.
You already know about my Russian lit obsession. But you should know I've also been tracking the Met Opera's nightly stream schedule. I don't watch every single one because, well, time, but I've seen some iconic productions so far and... wait, why is this relevant? Oh, yes, I picked up this wonderful absurdist short story about a man whose nose suddenly disappears and forges a life of its own because they showed the Shostakovich opera based on it. The story is simultaneously funny and sinister, as the narrator's deliberate humor hints that there is more to this disappearance than a mere nostril mishap. My penguin little black classics edition also includes "The Carriage", which is good but definitely not as strong.
((2/Contemporary Fiction)) The Overstory - Richard Powers
I don't even know how to summarize this book in a clever way, so I'll just describe it. It's divided into tree-themed sections (roots, trunk, crown, and seeds), the first of which reads like a fantastic short story collection and presents the characters. The rest of the sections are the story per se, which in terms of plot is about environmental activism, but thematically is also about human connection (or lack thereof) and our place on Earth. I really enjoyed this smart work of literature. Its structure and epic tone serve its purpose well. I totally recommend it, but I have to warn you that in the end it's quite anticlimactic—the first section is too good, the buildup too great, the reality too bleak, for the book to have any type of satisfying ending.
Echolocution, again. I picked this up at Albertine earlier this year, on impulse, and suddenly I was seeing it everywhere. Which is good, because this autofictional childhood novel (I wouldn't quite call it coming-of-age) about a gay boy growing up poor and marginalized in a rural French village is fantastic. The writing style is straightforward, even violent and crude at times, but also clinical, honest, never cold. It tackles not only sexuality but class and gender with deceptive simplicity. Definitely worth your time.
It is no secret I am obsessed with classical music, collective biographies of any kind, and pop nonfiction, so this would have had to be terrible for me not to like it. Fortunately, it's great! It's very light yet informative, full of both random amusing details and relevant biographical (and musical!) facts. Ideal for people just starting to get into classical music who want an overview from Baroque to Contemporary. Three highlights: feminist commentary, the composers' astrological signs, and their most famous pieces (and where you might have heard them).
Another, if minor, bonus of my newfound obsession with classical music, is this whole new area of artistic genius and gossip to explore, which this book delivered. To be fair, it also delivers much more: it's a historical overview of the role of the conductor, and how he (because it's been, almost always, a he) became the most expensive and powerful figure in any orchestra. The book has been criticized as too subjective, but I don't think Lebrecht ever claimed or aimed for objectivity. His analysis, if biased, is definitely informed and acute. I especially appreciated the chapters on how POC and women have been forcefully relegated from the podium, as well as the one on quasi-mafioso conductor manager Ronald Wilford. Although it's generally well written, I did find the structure became messier as it moved from chronological to topic-centered. Still, I learnt so much I not only recommend it but want to reread it as well.
How many times can this play break my heart before I tire of it? The answer is infinite. It is a fictional imagining of the real life encounter between the young man and old woman who were once the inspirations for Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. They talk outside the venue for the Lewis Carroll centennial, where Alice Liddell will give a speech. Their emotional barriers slowly dissolve as the conversations steers towards how their past with these men shaped their lives. It is brilliant, both in language and structure, and I would possibly sell a kidney to have seen the original production with Judy Dench and Ben Whishaw.
((7/Reread)) Fun Home - Alison Bechtel
Although I endorse rereading in general, there is a special kind of joy in giving a second chance to a book you weren't too moved by and falling in love with it the second time around. Four years ago, I read this iconic graphic memoir about Bechdel's complicated relationship with her dead father (who may or may not have killed himself) and thought it was clever but lagged too much. Upon rereading it, I think I was able to appreciate the literary parallels to a greater extend, and understood the slow pacing as an opportunity for introspection. Some adjectives: smart, funny, honest, unflinching. I love the art style. I reviewed it along with its sequel a couple of weeks ago, so go check it out!
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