2010 has turned out to be a rather slack year in terms of reading for me. Only a month and a half to go and I've only managed to get through 140 books thus far. I'll be lucky to hit 160 by New Year's Eve. There have been some pretty good ones along the way - Elizabeth Catton's The Rehearsal, Dan Rhodes's Little Hands Clapping, Philip Roth's Nemesis, Tom McCarthy's C and Fernando Pessoa's Education of a Stoic spring to mind - but nothing has absolutely blown me away since I read Philippe Claudel's incredible Brodeck's Report in January.
Now it seems an end of year malaise has well and truly set in. The new Auster (nice character sketches, where was the novel?) and Krauss (same rabbit, different hat, less spectacular the second time round) left me feeling luke warm, and even Rebecca Hunt's much-hyped "magical realist" novel about depression, Mr. Chartwell failed to really deliver. So I need a new hit. Badly. I am cruising towards book 150 and I want to be absolutely bowled over. Are there any books left in this world that I have not yet read that are capable of giving me that literary jolt? Or have I inadvertently subjected myself to years of aversion therapy by reading so incessantly? Anyone out there got a suggestion? Please...
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7 comments:
Trying to think what I've read this year.
I think the thing that blew me away most was Murakami's Wind Up Bird Chronicle. But his Norwegian Wood was also very lovely. Eco's Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana was great too.
Hmmm interesting. I went through a Murakami phase. He is great but I've been there, done that. Eco is a good call - I generally love him. Haven't read Mysterious Flame though it is in a box somewhere from when I had to pack away my library. The premise is right up my alley (if a little close to home). Might just have to dig it up. Thanks!
What are your feelings toward Margaret Atwood? I read Oryx and Crake recently, a sci fi, and fell utterly in love with it.
Yeah I quite like her. Oryx and Crake and its companion novel Year of the Flood are pretty interesting works of speculative fiction. If you haven't already read it, I strongly recommend The Handmaiden's Tale. It is Atwood's masterpiece and, I think, right up your alley.
I have indeed - also was quite keen on Life Before Man and its intricate character portraits of unlikeable people.
Oh, are you aware of the Machine of Death short story anthology?
Other recommendation - anything by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xue_Xinran . I'm just rediscovering her now.
I only know Sky Burial. Worth dipping into more?
PS I realised I wrote the Handmaiden's Tale instead of Handmaid's. I'm so semi-literate... As for the rest of Atwood I find her very hit and miss, but when she's in form she is amazing. And it's nice to see a woman who writes science fiction and is regarded as a literary giant. A rare occurrence...
The one I'd recommend for Xinran is The Good Women of China - was reminded both because of Atwood and the fact that I just picked up China Witness. I read Miss Chopsticks on international flights so my recollections cannot be trusted.
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