Narcissus

  - …, but his body was nowhere to be found. Instead of his corpse, they discovered a flower with a circle of white petals…. -

 Metamorphoses, Ovid

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books read so far in 2021

 

“Always be reading something, he said. Even when we’re not physically reading. How else will we read the world?” - from “Autumn” by Ali Smith

books read (so far) in 2021:

”The Snow Queen“ by Michael Cunningham:

A New York tale about 2 brothers, one gay, one straight and the straight brother's girlfriend who live together in a shabby apartment. The girl is dying of cancer, the gay guy one night, on a walk through the park, sees a strange light and miraculously the girl recovers afterwards, but only for a short time. I did like the book, although it really was nothing out of the ordinary. A bit melancholic, a Big Town Tale.

“Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen:

Better than I thought, but I didn’t like the ending: far too straight, too moral, too puritanical. After all the trials and tribulations and heart-rendings they all go back to what society deems right and each one gets his deserved reward and “Cinderella” her prince. All a bit disappointing.

“The Eye” by Vladimir Nabokov:

Short and amusing.

“Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov:

Great, amusing, good style, beautiful phrases, loved it (and it was long due). 

“The Neapolitan Novels“ by Elena Ferrante:

The saga comprises all the four books (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, Story of the Lost Child) and I loved them all. A great epic and a wonderful tale. One of the best books this year. Ferrante really is a good teller of tales.

“The Sympathizer“ by Viet Thanh Nguyen:

Another very good book. The underlying theme is the estrangement, the feeling of never really belonging, of a Vietnamese American. It is an unexpectedly strange book, part spy novel, part historical recounting of the Vietnam war. Very strong, brutal, psychological, philosophical. I loved it.

“The Unicorn“ by Iris Murdoch:

I have made it my task to read all the books by Iris Murdoch. This one, although praised as one of her better ones, did disappoint me, though. Too gothic, too weird without really touching on relevant themes. A time-waster. I have read much, so much better by her, i.e. The Bell, The Dark Prince, A Fairly Honourable Defeat, The Philosopher’s Pupil, The Book and the Brotherhood. 

“Detransition Baby“ by Torrey Peters:

Another surprise book. Written by a trans woman it functioned as mind opener to the problems, thoughts and general difficulties of trans people. The book, the story itself, centers around three persons, one pregnant, biological woman, her boyfriend who impregnated her but is a guy who transitioned to woman and detransitioned back to man, and the former girlfriend of the guy, another trans woman, who all want to raise the baby together. So the book is also much about what motherhood means in our strange times. I really liked it.

“The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet“ by Becky Chambers:

I felt the need to something just “entertaining and light“ and found this little Science Fiction novel. A light read with a funny crew of mixed species (one a polyamorous reptile). What I liked was the overall optimistic tone. It is Book One of the so called Wayfarer Series, I started the second book, but then it turned out to be too much and began to bore me.

“Annihilation“ - Southern Reach Trilogy No. 1 by Jeff VanderMeer:

Another Science Fiction, but this time of the heavy, weird, strange, mysterious, sort. An expedition of 4 women to a strange Area X turns to disaster for everyone, strange encounters and slow take-overs by a weird alien life form. The book is mesmerizing and gripping, one gets drawn into the story, there is a definite build up of tension. The only disappointment was, that it doesn’t give you answers at the end, to get those you would have to read part 2 and 3. But I liked the sinister psychology.

“When We Cease to Understand the World“ by Benjamin Labatut:

A spanish author, the book is on the shortlist for the Booker International Prize 2021. I loved it. It is mainly a recounting of scientific breakthroughs in the last century, like dynamite, warfare, cyanide, mathematical findings, or the findings of Heissenberg and Schrödinger in quantum physics. So you get a bit of insight into the science and how everything came about but also a lot about the people, the scientists, their psychological dramas, obsessions, diseases, psychosis and tribulations. To me an insightful, fast, interesting and rewarding read. The overall tone throws an unfavourable light, though on how science really can be good for humankind in the greater picture.

“The Gathering“ by Anne Enright:

Irish author, whom I wanted to read for quite some time now. This book won the Booker Prize in 2007. It is the story of a woman narrating the story of her family, mainly her relationship to her dearly loved brother, 1 year older, who met an untimely death. It is quite sad and full of negative feelings towards her family, her estranged husband and is, in general an outlook onto the world from the perspective of a middle aged woman, seemingly disappointed from life. Very Irish, all this suffering. Not really one of my favourites. 

“Snow” by John Banville:

An unusual Banville, but a good one. In the disguise of a detective story, and making use and enjoying all of the genre’s possibilities, Banville tells of the mysterious murder of a catholic priest, played out in the restricted, puritanical, bigot, times of Ireland in the 50s and touches on failures in the ethics of these times, of the church and society. A light read, a heavy topic, good prose, a gripping tale and an accusing finger in the wound of how we dealt and let be dealt with society’s weakest: the children.

“The Plot“ by Jean Hanff Korelitz:

I fell to the hype. My bad!

Although at the beginning a promising read (because of insights into the world of writing, struggling and publishing), it soon turned to be a disappointing while, admittedly suspenseful time-waster. Quickly forgotten. 

“Real Life“ by Brandon Taylor:

While a bit slow in getting into gear the book soon develops surprisingly into an interesting, very sensitive, insightful and warm, intimate emotional portrait of an introverted young man in Alabama, queer and black, overcoming his traumatic childhood, slowly exploring and coming to terms with his feelings of inferiority. He finally starts to start his life and resolves to alter his self-protecting social distancing. All this is set in motion on a weekend of finding unexpected, troubling and confusing love.

Warm, sometimes violent, often baffling, but tender and very touching.

“Autumn” by Ali Smith:

The first of four seasonal works, a real revelation. Artistically woven, contemporary. It was on my list for years and I’m happy I finally found the time. I think it an amazingly artistic achievement, cinematic, contemporary, witty, colorful, imaginative, full of little stories and strung together by insightful musings about the absurdities of life, the meaning of it all, of age, of love, of friendship and generally, of living. 

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