Click to enlarge Fragonard: "A Girl Reading"
Here are a few of my favorite reads:
Fiction
Non-fiction
Drama
Science Fiction
YA Fiction
Fiction
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
This exciting philosophical novel is the most influential and profoundly original work in modern literature, exhalting human achievement like no other book (except, perhaps, Atlas Shrugged). Today, almost twenty years after the author's death, The Fountainhead continues to sell several hundred thousand copies every year. Ayn Rand fled the tyranny of Soviet Russia for America in the 1920's. The hero of The Fountainhead, Howard Roark, is an architect who must face the ultimate choice: sell out or maintain his personal integrity. The trial scene is one of the great defenses of individualism in world literature and a testament to Rand's own heroic struggle to succeed and fight to flourish. Although the result did not match her expectations, the movie version of The Fountainhead was filmed without a single word altered from her screenplay - an unprecedented event in Hollywood, and one still to be matched. Ayn Rand also wrote the screenplay for one of my very favorite movies, Love Letters, which you must see if you wish to reaffirm your confidence in romance and in integrity (starring Joseph Cotton and Jennifer Jones). Recent interest in Rand has spawned a movie about her fascinating life, titled Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, directed by Michael Paxton (1999).
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
Orphan Jane, against all adversity, survives her harrowing childhood to become a self-reliant woman of formidable charm. Drawing upon on her own experience, Brontë fashioned Jane as a woman of wit and passion. Like The Fountainhead, this is also a powerful love story. The scene in which Rochester impersonates a fortuneteller is piercingly powerful: psychoanalysis raised to an art form. Through all her many travails, what fascinates is that we are privy to all of Jane's careful moral reasoning and her quest for integrity. Though there have been many attempts at capturing this story on film (some, like the recent BBC attempt, decent), none have done this forceful work justice. A fascinating tangent to this story is that of Wide Sargasso Sea which tells of Rochester's life in Barbados and his tragic - for both parties - marriage to a mad woman. Essay on Jane Eyre.
Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Can two titanic heroes clash, yet each inspire empathy? If you've seen the movie The Fugitive, you'll know what I mean. Unlike in The Fugitive, however, we eventually choose sides, as do the characters themselves. Javert, the principled police inspector, relentlessly tracks Jean Valjean, a man committed to hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread. Valjean reinvents himself, earning the position of mayor and providing a livelihood for scores of workers, but he is still a fugitive from justice. (Many will recognize a clash between Old and New Testament notions of justice vs. forgiveness, à la The Merchant of Venice.) Several other characters of heroic stature are portrayed against the tumultuous background of 19th century France. Hugo's monumental romantic style, epic in scope, is all but absent from modern literature. When Hugo died in 1885, all of Paris turned out for his funeral. Read this incredible novel and find out why. The musical, a fine work of art in its own right, evokes the spirit of the novel through its character-based themes and eloquent lyrics. The best version is the Original London Cast recording. I don't recommend any of the film versions, though there have been some laudable attempts.
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Andrew, Valentine, and Peter Wiggin are children, but they possess the wisdom, the courage, the passion that I wish more adults evinced. What's more, they save the world. This is the first in a tetralogy, and once you've read it you'll want to quickly consume the rest. The final novel, Children of the Mind, is a powerful conclusion to one of the finest works of science fiction. (Every student I have recommended this book to has come back with a glowing report. Many have told me, however, that they ultimately preferred Ender's Shadow, the story of Bean, one of Ender's lieutenants.) [Note: with the subsequent publication of Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, and Shadow Puppets, clearly this is no longer a tetralogy. Interesting to observe also: Card said that he does not consider any of the sequels to Ender's Game to be YA literature: they deal with themes more of interest to adults, such as parenthood.]
The King Must Die, Mary Renault
As a devotee of Ancient Greece (and a virtual pagan), I relish a literary experience that leaves me feeling as though I have lived in ancient times. Mary Renault is superb at recreating the entire pagan mind set (though Graves' I Claudius and Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian come close). This novel chronicles young Theseus' early travails, including his journey to Crete and his defeat of the "Minotaur." Renault's account is natural and plausible throughout without downplaying the gods' influence on Theseus' life. The sequel, The Bull from the Sea, details his return to Athens and his adventures as an older man. Renault was also a scholar of Alexander the Great and has written a number of books on that topic. My favorite is Fire From Heaven, the story of Alexander's young life. (Parental warning: these books should perhaps be previewed for their frank treatment of sexual matters.)
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy
"They seek him here, they seek him there - those Frenchies seek him everywhere..." Set during the French Revolution, this fast-paced and exciting novel pits the wits of an unknown English hero against those who would slaughter the "aristos" (aristocrats) in France. The scarlet pimpernel is the signet of the mysterious man of many disguises. This novel has it all: searing romance, subtle intrigue, daring action, narrow escapes, cunning deceit... There are few novels I know of that have kept my attention so firmly as this did. If you must see a movie version, there's a fine one with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymore. I wouldn't bother with the early b&w version.
Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Once, when I was trapped in bed with the flu for a week, I escaped to the South with a book that's never removed its grippe [sic, pardon the pun] from my imagination. Clark Gable's and Vivian Leigh's vivid portrayals of Rhett and Scarlet have tended to eclipse what is a vast, rich, and incredibly rewarding literary experience. This is, in every sense of the word, a large novel, brimming with larger-than-life characters and all the poignancy of a world "gone with the wind that swept through Atlanta." I wish that more students had a chance to live the civil war through Mitchell's eyes before reading The Outsiders - they would take away so much more of the splendor and tragedy that obviously deeply touched S.E. Hinton (and remember, she was only 16 when she wrote her first novel).
The Odyssey, Homer
The goddess Athena watches over all Greek heroes, but Odysseus, the cunning orator and brave warrior, is her favorite. This is an epic poem portraying a courageous journey and a romantic reunion. The charming young princess, Nausikaa, is one of the most finely drawn characters in literature, and Penelope is a woman worth the wait of twenty agonizing years. There is a fascinating and controversial thesis that The Odyssey was composed by a woman (a thesis first propounded by Samuel Butler, the 19th century novelist). If you are intrigued by this idea, and have read the epic poem first, you won't want to miss Robert Graves' Homer's Daughter. For lyric beauty, try the translation of Fitzgerald; for accuracy and power, read Lattimore's somewhat dated (but still excellent) rendering. The most widely accepted modern translation is by Robert Fagles.
Nonfiction
Being Digital, Nicholas Negroponte
Speaking of Greek heroes, Negroponte is the harbinger of a mighty happy future world. Some works have a certain inevitability about them, and this one does in spades. Negroponte is the director of Medialab at M.I.T. and was a regular columnist for Wired magazine. Few futurists are grounded in the humanities, and even fewer can write as lucidly and passionately as Negroponte does. A heady and inspiring read. (Take note: he's dyslexic. Computer-aided writing offers great hopes to the lexically impaired. Think of the physicist Stephen Hawkings.)
Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud
This is pretty off the wall, but more website designers have been influenced by this book than would care to admit. McCloud's book repays close scrutiny, yet it is also quite entertaining. Though I don't agree with all of his philosophical premises, there is a great deal of insight in this beautifully illustrated book. McCloud has brought a new cloud of controversy upon his head with his new book Reinventing Comics, which was hotly debated at the 2000 Comicon.
Drama
Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmund Rostand
"There are things in life a man does well to carry to extremes," opines Cyrano. His life is a testament to that credo. He is a man of many attainments: poet, philosopher, soldier, scholar, gentleman. Though his virtue often condemns him to walk alone, he is capable of boundless love, and this play will not fail to evoke a few tears. Plays are meant to be performed, and although Brian Hooker has done a masterful job translating this play and it can be read with pleasure, the spoken word carries the day. See Jose Ferrer's incredible performance, or if you prefer to hear the sheer gorgeousness of the French, Cyrano starring Gerard Depardieu is a treat. Not bad, either, is Steve Martin's fine adaptation, Roxanne, though Darryl Hannah is a bit far-fetched as the love interest.
Prometheus Bound, Aeschylus
Antigone, Sophocles
Medea, Euripides
This is a representative sample of Classical Greek tragedy. Many people eschew tragedy in the belief that life can be tough enough without seeking out sadness. Alas, tragedy is not at all about the sadness, but about human dignity. Prometheus suffers Zeus' wrath for bringing hope and knowledge to human life (an all-too-typical case of reviling those who work for mankind's betterment, evidenced in attacks on science and scientists throughout history). Antigone is, in many ways, Creon's tragedy: his authoritarian posturing will brook no argument, no matter how reasonable. Might triumphs (briefly) over right, and people suffer. "I would rather stand three times in the front lines of battle than bear one child," says Medea. Her husband has abandoned her for a younger woman and wants to take the children with him. How far would you be willing to go under those circumstances? Translations are important: for Aeschylus and Euripides the University of Chicago series is quite good (unless you can get E.A. Havelock's book Prometheus). The best translation of the Oedipus Cycle is by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald.
Scholarly papers ensue:
Science Fiction
Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, Orson Scott Card
If you could alter any event or person in history, which would it be? If you could travel to any point in the world in any era, when and where would you go? Sometime in the future, the Pastwatch organization is trying to decide these very questions and the past and future of humanity hangs in the balance. I have recently learned that he intends to write two companion pieces to this work (not sequels, mind you, for they are truly alternative histories): one covering Noah and the Ark, the other the story of the Garden of Eden. According to Card, then he will be truly finished as an author because, as his wife told him, he will have noone left to offend.
The Architects of Emortality, Brian Stableford
Oscar Wilde, Charlotte Holmes and her partner John Watson are trying to solve a truly bizarre series of murders. This novel has a compelling and intriguing plot, amusing characters, and a highly plausible view of the future of genetic engineering. If you enjoy classic 19th century authors like Doyle, Hawthorne and Wilde, you will laugh out loud at every new twist and jest.
Idoru, William Gibson
Gibson has the presence of a poet and the sight of a shaman, and his vision is so rich and detailed that you always have the feeling that you can see around the corners. Though his Neuromancer (1984) single-handedly launched the world of cyberpunk and rejuvenated science fiction, Idoru is Gibson at the top of his game and includes several of his most fascinating concepts and characters, hinting at a dark, mysterious, yet fascinationg future for nanotechnology. (Neal Stephenson, in The Diamond Age, spells it out in more intricate detail.) 14-year-old Chia Pet McKenzie travels to Tokyo as an emissary of her fan club, tracking the famous singer Rez of Lo/Rez. Rei Toei is a virtual media star idolized by all Japan - and Rez wants to marry her. Will this forever alter the realm of the possible?
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
Snow Crash (1992) is a wild ride set in the near future featuring the brilliantly named Hiro Protagonist. Cryptonomicon, however, is Stephenson's magnum opus (thus far), dividing its expansive plot between the W.W.II cryptographic arms race between Allies and Axis and a comtemporary effort to set up a data haven in the Philippines. There are historical figures like Alan Turing and Winston Churchill as well as fictional heroes like renegade Marine Bobby Shaftoe; Nazi submarines and buried Japanese gold; good old-fashioned spying and modern industrial espionage. A highly insightful and deeply satisfying tome. If you want to have your sensibilities challenged to the core, flip the pages of Zodiac: The Eco-Thriller. Like Cryptonomicon, it will leave you convinced that Stephenson lives what he writes.
Schismatrix series, Bruce Sterling
The future is a far-flung battle between the revolutionary Shapers and the fossilized and aristocratic Mechanists, both of which have disturbingly plausible methods for altering their human nature and indefinitely prolonging their lives. Sterling explored this world in a number of short stories, collected together under one cover in Schismatrix Plus. Sterling is a genuine craftsman of his genre, well respected by other sci-fi writers, and often what he has to say about his writing is as interesting as what he has written.
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
This is the first great novel of ideas in the realm of science fiction (well, allowing Jules Verne's unbelievable and tiresome Paris in the Twentieth Century, 1863), a book that is not a tad timid in expounding Heinlein's libertarian philosophy. Out of the mouth of Jubal Harshaw come such refreshingly crotchety pearls of wisdom that you will laugh even if you are infuriated by what he says (and you certainly will be if you are not disposed to be open-minded and - in the true sense of the word - liberal). Michael Valentine Smith is Heinlein's embodiment of the next stage of human evolution: a man raised by Martians who seeks to raise the consciousness of Earthlings. When Stranger was published in 1961 it was bowdlerized by some 60,000 words. Read this as Heinlein wrote it: the book is now available in the original, uncensored format.
City of Truth, James Morrow
The citizens of Veritas are unable to tell a lie - the capacity has been literally shocked out of them. These painfully truthful souls are surrounded by truth in advertising: Jack Sperry drives a Plymouth Adequate and lunches on a Murdered Cow Sandwich. A typical birthday card reads: "Roses drop dead, Violets do too, With each day life gets shorter, Happy Birthday to you." But what truth can Jack tell his only son Toby when the boy contracts fatal Xavier's plague? A brilliant and bitter satire. Best of all: Jack's a "deconstructionist" - in the truest sense of the word.
New: YA Fiction
Fresh from the ALAN workshop in Atlanta, I offer the following incredible works, soon to be reviewed in greater detail. Pick these up and read: I think you'll be intrigued, inspired, and enlightened – as I was these last few days.
Feed, M.T. Anderson
Burger Wuss, M.T. Anderson
Orson Scott Card aside, Tobin Anderson was by far the most articulate and fascinating speaker at the workshop; what's more, his books challenge and aggravate. His thesis is that consumer culture leads to a vicious spiral downward to the loss of complexity in thinking: it creates simpler and simpler narratives in which we are simply what we buy. This is the theme that emerges from his two compelling novels, and as an avowed capitalist I was prompted to examine my principles. It's not quite the facile ken that I would have expected, nor is it merely a screed against the market. If his goal in writing is to reintroduce complexity of thought, it succeeds. Here is not the place for a rebuttal - who can rebut literature, after all - but I would highly recommend Feed to anyone who can stand Sci-fi that hits close to home.
The House of the Scorpion, Nancy Farmer
Speaking of engrossing Sci-fi, I was unable to put down this National Book Award Winner. As her talk revealed, Nancy Farmer has an unending imagination and the gift of a story-teller. With every chapter, Matteo Alacrán's world expands, and the reader is drawn into a compelling and at times frightening vision of the future. What's more, he's a protagonist we can pull for: he enlists our interest and our empathy. I had the chance to discuss this work with the author, at which point I had just made it through a particularly trying chapter. She observed that, when writing for children (and adults, I would add), you cannot disappoint their expectations - you will lose them as a reader. I'm pleased to report that she has created a deeply gratifying experience. I would recommend reading this after you have taken on Feed, because you'll probably need it.
Tribes, Arthur Slade
I read this book on the plane upon the recommendation of a student. Percival Montmount, Jr. observes the world around him with his father's anthropological eyes (literally), and therefore classifies the behavior of his peers in those terms, which puts him both closer and, tragically, more distant from their lives. As he observes, "So much passes through us without our ever noticing." In the spare 134 pages, Slade has created a Bildungsroman that reads true.
Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli
I think this will remain one of my favorite books. 'Nuf said? This is sheer magic. I don't think, however, that this is really a YA selection: I'm convinced that Jerry Spinelli must either have known a "Stargirl" in his life or is a bit like her himself. It is poignant with a capital P. Read this one along with Jane Eyre for its authenticity and affirmation.
Ender's Shadow, Orson Scott Card
Mr. Card's thesis is that authors of Sci-fi and fantasy must pay much greater attention to the facts. Too many writers simply assume that, since they're writing about the world we all inhabit, they already understand it. (This resonates with me: aren't we all speakers of English; why should we study it?) If you're creating an entire world from scratch, however, you must have a comprehensive grasp of that world's history, philosophy, psychology. That Card does is, I think, evident from his works reviewed elsewhere (Pastwatch, Ender's Game).