#35 - Read 3 Books from the Top 100 of the 20th Century List

I've been an avid reader since I can remember, and I am particularly drawn towards anything that one might place in the "literature" catetory... as well as popular series such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.  I put this item on the list every year and have yet to complete it, but after I posted about the 30 books I read last year and the lack of "literature," I made a concerted effort to read some literary works this year.

I don't remember when I first saw the Modern Library's Top 100 Novels list, but I remember wanting to read all of it.  I have no regrets from the 18 books from the list I had read prior to this year: there are books I'd call favorites (Slaughterhouse-Five, A Cather in the Rye, Brave New World, Catch-22, Invisible Man, Lord of the Flies) and books I'd call overrated (The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, A Farewell to Arms).  A few of the favorites I've read multiple times.  The less appreciated novels, I've at least been able to contribute my knowledge in trivia or literary conversations, where I can't hold my tongue about my issues with the story or the characters or the writing or the ending.

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#63 - Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
6/23/15

This year, when I was having a rough period, I reread A Catcher in the Rye for probably the fourth or fifth time.  While rereading novels from the list was not what I had in mind when I wrote the item, rereading as opposed to first-time reading still fits the description, and I certainly have some thoughts and feelings about the book that might be good for me to put into writing.

I tend to read A Catcher in the Rye when I'm feeling lonely and out of touch with my authentic self.  I suppose it's a strange choice for that as Holden Caulfield spends so much of the story alone, craving connection, missing it, and lamenting about all of the "phonies" in the world.  The few days of Caulfield's life that Salinger chooses to describe are sad, lonely, and fraught with uncertainty.  Yet, Caulfield, as a character, knows exactly what he connects to and what he does not, and he finds connection again with his younger sister, even if that connection is not easy nor permanent.

Caulfield's journey reminds me of my love of wandering, of the city, of all of the curious people there are in the world.  It reminds me that there are moments of real connection and moments of missing that connection.  It reminds me to wear what I want to wear, be nostalgic, be curious, explore, wander, connect, and to move on.

#24 - Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
12/26/15

I didn't get this book.  I still read through it quickly.  I found it interesting enough.  But I also just read a Wikipedia entry on it, and clearly, I missed the point.  I certainly understood that I was reading through short stories on various characters in a small town in Ohio and that some of the characters appeared in each other's stories, but I had no idea that time passed and I was watching at least one of the characters grow up.  Oops.  That's not a spoiler.  That's apparently something very obvious and important to the narrative that I missed.

Aren't books funny that way?  I usually need to read a book at least twice to really get the nuances because I'm not a visual learner.  Yet, I love to read.  And some books, even when I miss some of the nuance, are so beautiful and haunting that they affect me deeply.  And then some, even when highly regarded, I completely misunderstand.  Like this one.  How did I miss that there was a passage of time?  I even read it over a couple weeks, so it wasn't like I had taken months and forgotten everything.  I suppose it's one of those 20th century novels about white, small town, American life that seem so depressing and isolated yet generic, where I want to scream at every character to be brave and see the world outside their sad town.  Stories where the characters seem stuck in a sad situation are the scariest stories.

#80 - Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
12/27/15

This story is slow, haunting, and lovely.  It comes full circle in an unexpected and beautiful way.  Finding oneself unrelentingly tied to a beautiful place filled with smart, complicated, familiar people who could be family... it's a feeling I understand.  As I neared the end, I was sad, nostalgic, and felt as if Waugh gives us all permission to move on even when we can't let go.  That's all I really have to say about it only 24 hours after finishing it.

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I look forward to next year and reading more books off this list.  Suggestions welcome!