50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2020, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it's not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The first thread of the year is here, the second one here, the third one here, the fourth one here and the fifth one here.

So, we're now almost half way through the year - how's the first half of the year gone for you, reading-wise?

Slow month this month. Only 3 books read. Work has been crazy and somehow seem to be needed much more by the kids!

Anyway, a couple of updates, enjoyed both of these:

Book 35
The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain

Picked this up after enjoying Restoration so much. I enjoyed this too. Awkward but friendly 5 yr old Gustav finds a companion in fragile classmate, Anton and the two boys grow up with parallel lives that occasionally meet. Set in Switzerland emerging from the Second World War. The story hovers between two generations as Gustav attempts to learn what happened to his dead father, and support his lifelong friend as Anton finds his feet as a musician.
Completely different to Restoration but actually I found similar themes of love, loss and a strong sense of pathos in both.

Book 36, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Kindle purchase after seeing reviews on here. Two families from different worlds meet in the immaculate and polished residential area of Shaker Heights. Nomadic artist Mia and daughter Pearl move in as tenants and find themselves entangled with the wealthy and well established Richardsons. Some complex themes around adoption and surrogacy are woven into the story. Enjoyed and would recommend.

I tend to have more than one book on the go, usually per room - an upstairs book, a downstairs book, a kitchen book etc. I can keep track of the story by a kind of association- I don't set the book in the room I'm in, but the story somehow 'lives' in those surroundings and is more accessible that way. But less in recent years as I'm more likely to have my phone...

Generally I have three on the go - one Kindle, one Audible and one paperback.
I try to keep the genres quite separate to keep things separate in my mind. Non-fiction I generally prefer a paperback, esp if there are photos to look at.

Three is about right for me, but sometimes it creeps up. I was on the David Copperfield read- a-thon, and was listening to a different Audible book with DD while we were redecorating, which made it 5.

27. Reading Chekhov: a Critical Journey, Janet Malcolm – Janet Malcolm travels across Russia visiting places where Chekhov lived and worked. Her thoughts on the substance of his writing intermingle with her own experiences with a succession of travel guides – some more irritating than others – her hotel rooms, lost luggage, trains, and restaurants. Although I like Chekhov’s stories, and she focuses more on these than the plays that often overshadow them, I wasn’t expecting to be so wrapped up in a sustained consideration of their meanings and style. I think that’s entirely down to Malcolm’s skill as a writer, intelligent, insightful, with a touch of acidity which I always enjoy but has sometimes added to her reputation as controversial or “the queen of not-nice.” I don’t think it’s necessary to have read all, or even any Chekhov to follow Malcolm’s discussion, although it made me want to return to his fiction and reconsider it in the light of Malcolm’s perceptions. It was so obvious that she has a strong affection both for him and his narratives that it made me want to know him and them better. A satisfying, moving read.

Alas and alack, I must bid farewell to the Club of 44 because:

45: Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Book club re-re-and-probably-re-read, although I haven't opened it for years, so it was interesting to find new things in it.

When I first read it I was a paralysingly shy, awkward pre-teen so the narrator's agonies of gaucherie were what I probably identified with most. Now I just feel amazed at how unrelentingly bloody awful her life was, living in the equivalent of an upmarket country hotel with nothing to do and nobody to talk to, with a husband who behaved like a distant, if not actually absent father, in a marriage that appeared to be sexless. And they eventually end up like some ancient retired couple pottering aimlessly through their days, when she's still a young woman, at a guess somewhere in her 20s.

My Virago edition had an interesting Afterword by Sally Beauman drawing attention to some of these points and to aspects of du Maurier's own life that she was working through in writing the book - on the strength of which I've felt compelled to buy Margaret Forster's biography

Popping on to say I'd love an OMF read along. I've never read a Dickens I didn't like, including Great Expectations.

Terpsichore - I read rebecca for the first time in my 30s and thought the same, what a sad life she ended with watching her much older husband peeling oranges in various hotel rooms.

Rebecca was my grandmothers favourite book, she sadly died before i read it but I would have loved to have discussed it with her.

The Forster biography of Du Maurier is good. Two of my favourite writers. Rebecca is one of my favourite books but yes, what a sad life.

I love Rebecca, recently listened to the Anna Massey narration on Audible, which was fabulous.
I do think it has dated slightly, with the passivity of the narrator more than anything. Even a timid protagonist today would have a little bit of feistiness in her head, even if she didn't show it outwardly

Still one of my favourites though

Terpsichore identified with your comments on Rebecca, I reread it for the umpteenth time not long ago, and it’s striking how the heroine’s life is almost circular, she starts out as the companion to a demanding older, richer person trailing through hotels, and ends up in an almost identical place. Still find it a wonderful novel though, so many layers, the issues about gender, the obsession with Rebecca, and also quite disturbing when it comes to Rebecca as the transgressive female who’s doubly punished for her supposed sins.

28. Two Lives, Gertrude and Alice, Janet Malcolm – A prime example of how going back for more doesn’t always work out. This was the most disappointing of the Malcolm I’ve read, not because it’s a bad book but because her approach, almost forensic, doesn’t quite mesh with the topic, and raised as many questions for me as it answered. This centres on Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, prompted by Malcolm’s question, “How had the pair of elderly Jewish lesbians survived the Nazis?” Stein and Toklas made the risky decision to remain in France after war was declared, continuing to live there during the occupation despite advice to return to their home country America. It’s an intriguing question, and Malcolm explores it in some detail, meeting with Stein scholars to discuss the biographical material that may or may not shed light on the matter. Inevitably part of that discussion hinges on the couples’ relationship with their Jewish identities, but in some ways, I felt that the consideration of identity here wasn’t fully opened up, perhaps because I’ve read a lot of books that focus on identity in greater depth. Part of the issue is the whole notion of ‘passing’ which again is touched on but I felt needed more attention than it’s given. Interestingly Malcolm removes herself from the work, and I wondered why that was, particularly after reading the more personal account of Chekhov’s life and work. That removal sometimes made me uncomfortable, the text contains a number of generalisations relating to Jewishness and it wasn’t always clear what these were based on, I assume some were drawn from Malcolm’s own experiences as a Jewish-American, yet she chooses here not to probe or declare her own relationship to the area she’s exploring, so sometimes comments seemed oddly pointed and/or verging on the stereotypical. It’s also a fairly dry book, maybe because Malcolm doesn’t have the affection for Stein and her writing as she does for Checkhov. Malcolm’s waspish comments about Stein were probably the aspect of this I most enjoyed, and tbf this is a far wittier book, some great lines/passages, than the previous one. So mixed feelings about this one, although still an absorbing read.

Good to hear others enjoy Rebecca (I did enjoy it, btw!). BookWitch, I'm old enough to remember the 1979 BBC adaptation with Anna Massey as a superb Mrs Danvers, Jeremy Brett (wonderfully handsome/tortured) as Maxim and Joanna David as the narrator - a bit old for the part but very well cast in terms of being gauchely self-effacing. It was faithful to the heady, oppressive atmosphere of the book and even the music was very atmospheric - great use of Debussy's Jardins sous la pluie, which seemed exactly right.

I've just found the whole thing on YouTube and I'm highly tempted to binge-watch the lot.

ElliotBliss that's such an interesting point about the circularity of the narrators life in Rebecca, and so true.
However I am very shallow and couldn't help feeling how happy I'd be with the beautiful grounds of Mandalay to wander round in and potter in the gardens of, not to mention the indulgent life style, once I'd pushed Mrs Danvers out the top floor window obvs.

I remember the BBC dramatisation, but best of all is the 1940s film with Judith Anderson as a particularly creepy Mrs Danvers and the marvellous George Saunders as Jack Favell. Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier were pretty good as the leads too. I'm afraid I haven't actually read the book so can't say whether it was a faithful adaptation but it's a great film.

Hitchcock did change the ending in the film, though.....so ultimately it isn't faithful to the book. I agree it does look great, though.

Hello everyone, I've been on and off this thread for ages but have continued my 50 book a year challenge! My list is as follows but I'm going to be really fussy and only highlight in bold my absolute favourites. On the whole I have enjoyed all the books on my list so far - there have been no duds!

Finally got round to reading TTOD and it was fabulous. I felt a real loss when I finished it. Anyone who has it on their TBR pile, get stuck in!!

1. Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver
2. Swansong - Kalleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
3. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
4. The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
5. A Good Man is hard to find - Flannery O'Connor
6. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher
7. Three Queens Three Sisters - Philippa Gregory
8. The Last Tudor - P Gregory
9. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott (read to my kids)

10. Lady in Waiting - Anne Glenconner 11. Moon Tiger - Penelope Lively 12. The Sealwoman's Gift - Sally Magnusson 13. L'Ogre dans le jardin - Leila Slimani (Adèle - in English) 14. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett 15. The Tsar of Love and Techno - Antony Marra 16. The Summer of the Bear - Sally Pollen 17. An American Marriage - Tayari Jones 18. Family Life - Akhil Sharma 19. City of Friends - Joanna Trollope 20. The Queen of the Night - Alexander Chee 21. The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See 22. Life: An exploded Diagram - Mal Peet 23. Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor 24. Malory Towers - Enid Blyton 25. One Night in Winter - Simon Sebag Montefiore 26. Everything I know about - Dolly Alderton 27. The World's Worst Teachers - David Walliams 28. This Thing of Darkness - Harry Thompson 29. Me, Me - Elton John 30. Heatwave - Kate O'Riordan 31. Stoner - John Williams 32. Two Steps Forward - Graeme Simsion + Anne Buist 33. Then she found me - Eleanor Lipman 34. The Untold story of the Five - Haille Rubenhold 35 - 38. Flambards - KM Peyton 39. The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead 40. The Forgotten Time - Sharon Guskin 41. What She Ate - Laura Shapiro 42. On the shores of Silver Lake - Laura Ingalls Wilder 43. Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell

I read Rebecca as a teenager but never since, I did love it though, I very rarely do reread, some exceptions, so many books so little time!

Normal service should resume for me now because I had to suspend all activities to watch the last series of Dark (hence username)

I loved the 1979 adaptation- I remember being gripped by it. I hadn’t read the book at that point. I might go back and watch it again. Thanks for the tip off.

I believe Hitchcock had to change the ending because Hollywood laws at the time could not portray simone doing an evil act and get away with it

29. Whole of a morning sky by grace nichols - set in Guyana in 1960 and a family moves from their rural home to the capital Georgetown just when the country is struggling for independence from the british.

I was completely ignorant about the events in the book so a learning curve for me. The author is a poet so as expected, parts are beautifully written and alot is packed into only 150 pages.

30. Giovanni's room by James Baldwin - the first book ive given 5 stars on goodreads, loved this

31. Under major domo minor by Patrick DeWitt- sort of fairytale ish, a man goes to work in a mysterious castle with an even mysterious baron.

Not as enjoyable as the sisters brothers but I do enjoy DeWitts weirdness and his writing, someone earlier up the thread just reviewed one if his others (sorry couldn't find it) and I'll be seeing that out

Welcome to the TTOD club, EmGee.

Love that film too Boiledegg must have seen it ten times at least!

The main difference between the book and the film is presumably how Rebecca dies in the film? It’s an accidental death and the main crime is the cover-up, so the couple are essentially innocent; in the book Max actually murders Rebecca and so the couple are complicit in covering up a murder…So in one the fire at the end is the final act of madness and revenge – much more gothic and presumably picks up on the echoes of Jane Eyre in the novel – and in the book the exile is the price paid for getting away with the crime. And the murder is pretty heinous really as Max thinks he’s killing a pregnant woman. Hitchcock apparently worried that he couldn’t make the hero/heroine sympathetic and so made Rebecca's an accidental death…Also in the book the second Mrs De Winter goes to London with Max but being at home at the end of the film and not with Max also adds to the tension in the film, and ups the whole lovers-being-permanently parted stakes…The issues around gender and sexuality and possible queer subtext are played down in the film too.

Just finished these two:

46. A Shadow Above: the fall and rise of the raven - Joe Shute

Nature writing by a Telegraph journalist, covering the historical persecution, current recovery, symbolism and intelligence of ravens, and their conflicts with livestock farmers. I think this sort of thing just doesn't suit me. Joe travels round watching ravens in various places, has chats with people who have opinions about ravens, and throws in odd facts on raven history, mythology and natural history. I did enjoy learning more about these topics, but would have much preferred a more structured book with separate chapters on the history of ravens' interactions with people, their recovery, their intelligence as revealed in scientific studies, etc. Had a very awkward turn of phrase in parts: a overly-humanised raven was described as 'no longer associating with himself as a bird', which presumably means no longer perceiving himself to be a bird. Also, definitely do not read if you are sentimental about newborn lambs, as ravens certainly aren't.

47. I Thought It Was Just Me - Brene Brown (Audible)

This is a very perceptive, well-researched self-help book which aims to build resilience to feelings of shame, defined as an "intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging." According to Brown, this can be countered by recognising the triggers that cause us shame, challenging cultural expectations especially around women's roles, developing empathy for ourselves and others, and being assertive in the face of efforts to shame us. It meshes well with other work I have read on developing self-compassion, e.g. by Paul Gilbert. I think this was bear re-reading in hard copy, so that I could go slower and really work through the issues she addresses. Only slight issue was that the narrator on Audible sounded a bit like a robot's impression of a calm, soothing, and compassionate human.

67 Beyond Measure The Big Impact of Small Changes, by Margaret Heffernan
This one was a quick & easy read, based I think on a TED talk or talks, & looking at the ways in which company culture can be improved by small changes. I picked it up in the 99p monthly deals in the hope of getting some interesting ideas for ways to do things better as a small business owner / employer. Not particularly earth shattering, and I wouldn't say there was anything really new to me, but I find it's always useful to read books like this just to make me stop & think about how we do things.

87. The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Recommended by someone on here, can't remember who.

Had to read this very slowly as the typeface is tiny, and it is very sciencey and quite dense.

It is about how we need to better understand that most mental illness lies in trauma, and that drugs whilst they manage the symptoms won't solve the issues alone.

It details lots of different approaches to trauma and how trauma can manifest physically.

This was a heavy book but an invaluable one that I will probably return to. So thanks, whichever of you it was!

29. Quicksand, Nella Larsen

30. Passing, Nella Larsen

I heard the tail-end of an interview with Brit Bennett which raised the links between her recent work and Harlem Renaissance writer Nella Larsen’s classic Passing, I probably should have been inspired to read Bennett’s book but actually the reference stirred me to re-read Larsen’s classic 1920s novels; something I’ve been meaning to do for a while.

Quicksand is the story of Helga Crane, a young teacher at a school exclusively for black students, she feels stifled by the school’s rigidity, and judged for not fitting in – even her clothes are considered too bright and too stylish, not sober enough for an educator in America’s deep South. Helga is mixed-race and this makes her an even greater outsider, despised by her white relatives and regarded with suspicion by the black, middle-class community where she’s ‘tolerated’ but never fully accepted. One day Helga wakes up and decides she’s had enough, she leaves her job, and boards a train to Chicago in search of a new life…

Partly based on Larsen’s own experiences, I think it possibly suffers a little from being her first novel. But the work explores important themes around identity and belonging, as well as telling a compelling, psychologically complex story; it also provides a vivid picture of black middle-class culture in 1920s Chicago.

Passing is one of my favourite novels, beautifully written, moving and fascinating. It deals with Irene and Clare childhood friends who lose touch for years then unexpectedly meet. Told from Irene’s perspective, we learn that Clare has been living her life passing as white, cut off from her past it’s a decision made even more fraught by her marriage to a man who clearly hates and despises black people. Irene has stayed within black, middle-class culture, successful and settled but like Clare also light enough to be able to pass when she wants or needs to…The friends’ reunion exposes the fault-lines in both their lives and changes everything for both of them.

Book 37. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

English translation of a book that was written by Higashida when he was 13 years old. Answering individual questions about his experience of autism, the non-verbal author used a modified alphabet and word chart to write his responses.
An interesting glimpse into the lived experience of a neuro-non-typical young person, in their own words. For me though, I think it left more and further unanswered questions than offering insight. Perhaps because the questions put to him were quite limited.