In case anyone reads this and has something to say about the ones I've already read, here's a quick Allyson-take on them. Future books will have more depth :)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
I actually read this about a month before I got this crazy idea to read all the books ever so I decided it had been recent enough and I didn't need to re-read it. I love me some Hemingway, always have and always will, and I'm happy to say that my 2 favorites of his are on my list! A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical story of Hemingway's time fighting in World War 1 and his intense, yet ill-fated romance with Agnes von Kurowsky. The novel tells the story of Frederic Henry, a Lieutenant in the Italian Army, who falls in love with a British nurse, Catherine Barkley, while healing from an injury. I think part of the reason I love this story so much is because it is so very simple. There is no discussion of the past, the reader never learns anything about Frederic or Catherine before the novel starts. The other characters are mostly unnecessary. It is a tragic love story, as pure and as simple as they come. Because it is set during WWI, the intensity of the love story is amplified that much more. They have to say everything, mean everything, and feel everything between them because it could quite literally be their last day together. Also, I'm a sucker for both love stories and heartbreak stories, and A Farewell to Arms has both in spades. LOVE. THIS. NOVEL. If you have never read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. This is not the angry misogynist that some mistake Hemingway for. I promise you'll like it.
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
I got so excited when I saw this on the list! I've loved the Narnia Chronicles since I was a kid, but hadn't read any of them in SO long. While the first published (and most famous) of the Chronicles, it falls second in the series' chronology. I want to refrain from saying very much about this story because I think it is one that everyone should read; and because it is so short, I don't want to give away too much. It's a great series to read to children. Any adult can easily make it through LWW in one day. And watching any of the movie adaptations does not do it justice. Once I read LWW I went back and read the rest of the series for good measure. There are some stories that are timeless and can still get you even as an adult. This is one of them!
Darkness At Noon by Arthur Koestler
This is where I hit my first issue. The novel is about the trial of Rubashov, who had been a high-up Bolshevik revolutionary but is eventually imprisoned and tried for treason against the Communist government he was instrumental in creating. I read the entire novel fairly quickly, but am not sure I got anything out of it. Perhaps because I left all my knowledge of Russian history back in 9th grade. Or perhaps because, at least in my opinion, literature about the Russian Revolution begins and ends with Animal Farm. I'm looking forward to reading that one again. Anyway, I feel like I needed to be taught what was important in Darkness at Noon. What I can say is that if you like prison stories, personal ideological struggles, and people (not pigs) with Russian names, you will probably dig this one.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
A freebie!!!!! This has been my favorite book since my mom's best friend gave me my first (and, until recently, only English copy) when I was 15. I have read it more times than I can count and am always floored by it. This is THE novel that defined the Beat Generation. The story is completely autobiographical and revolves around Sal Paradise's (Kerouac) several trips across North America from 1947-1950. And that is all I'm going to say about that. But seriously, read it. Or better yet, I will lend you my copy. It's already got all the best stuff underlined.
Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
This is another semi-autobiographical novel. On the surface it is about John (somewhere between 12 and 14 I think) and his relationship to his preacher stepfather (and the Christian church in general) while he is growing up in Harlem in the 1930s. The story moves backward and forward through time to tell the histories of the several characters as they are important to the events of the present. The reader learns the personal stories of all of the adults in the novel, presumably so as to better understand their relationship to John (who both opens and closes the novel) as well as their relationship to each other. The novel also addresses racism, rape, abuse, and salvation. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I got everything out of this novel that I should. After finishing this one I realized that I probably could have simultaneously read Cliff's Notes online to get a better handle of what I was supposed to be taking from the story. Oh well. By the time I was finished I had already thought too hard. On to the next, I thought!
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Topping out at about 1500 pages, this was the second time I made it all the way through the monster novel. I doubt that many people would actually read it based on my recommendation, especially if they can't quite make it through the 4 hour film version. But it really is a phenomenal story. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, I recommend it even more. There is so much more plot and emotion in the novel. The novel conveys so much more of Rhett and Scarlet's tortured love story, and a great deal more of their hidden emotions for each other, than is possible to show on film. Truly one of the great American love stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This book could have fit perfectly in several of my college courses and I am disappointed that I hadn't read it until now. I did some research after finishing the novel and apparently it was NOT received very well when first published. However, it is now considered a cornerstone of both African American and women's literature. TEWWG is the life story of Janie Crawford, as told in a flashback that spans all but the very beginning and very end of the novel, set in Florida at the beginning of the 20th century. It is primarily a story of how drastically her life changed when she married each of her three husbands. It is an incredible story of the resilience of the human spirit. My only issue with the book is also one of my praises. Hurston used phonetic spelling when the characters speak (one example is using "Ah" instead of "I"). The cool thing about this is that you can actually HEAR the characters talking in your head. The drawback for me was that I am a very fast reader and I had to slow waaaaay down to make sure I knew what was going on. This one surprised me and I highly recommend it.
And finally...
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
This is a day in the life of middle-aged Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party she is throwing that evening. Intertwined with hers is the story of Septimus Smith, who suffers from severe PTSD from WWI. Clarissa and Septimus never meet, but the activities of their day are juxtaposed throughout the novel. I remember reading this in college and liking it...and for the life of me I can't figure out why. Maybe I thought I was supposed to cause I'm a chick. Either way, it is a LOT of work for an ending that I really don't like. I also tend to have a hard time with stream of consciousness writing, which this is. If that's your cup of tea, then go for it! I really don't have much to say in either direction about this novel. If you want to hear from someone that likes it, talk to my friend Jenny.
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