ah august, the month that brings high temperatures & higher humidity, how do i loathe thee?
let me count the ways...
with apologies to shakespeare, i do detest the month of august. growing up, i generally remember it's hot & invariably muggy, and the forecast for this weekend is validating that memory.
as a former lit major, i remember in senior year we read faulkner's light in august, and the instructor asked us a very simple question: what does the title mean to you?
back in those days, i was shy and not comfortable sharing my opinion (o, how times have changed!) but i remember thinking to myself, "i have no idea but august sucks". but he went on to explain how because august is hot, the light tends to be...heavy, for lack of a better word. i can't recall his wording any longer b/c it's been a bunch of years now, and as most of you guys know, my memory is "full of fail", as a friend is fond of saying.
but in essence, the professor was explaining that faulkner was observing how in august, the light has a peculiar quality, streaming through moisture-laden air.
this of course got me thinking about faulkner, but then to faulkner's descriptions, and hence inexorably to the subject of his run-on sentences. i always wondered if perhaps among fans of 20th century american lit if there's a divide between faulkner fans, who no doubt love his rambling, sometimes paragraph-long sentences, and hemingway fans, devotees of his clipped, journalistic form.
my familiarity with the works of either writer is embarrassingly scanty: i can barely recall anything from light in august; of hemingway, i'm familiar only with his short fiction, specifically his nick adams stories, primarily.
in literary criticism (often abbreviated as lit crit) circles, there's been this concept of "the canon", these works that most people who consider themselves well-read should have read by now. it's sorta "old skool lit", as it were: shakespeare & milton of course, but also tolstoy & dostoyevsky, hugo & maupassaint, faulkner & hemingway...i could go on for paragraphs, but you get the idea.
the thinking behind the canon is simple: writers are very often inspired by other writers, among other things, so to understand more contemporary writers, it's fruitful to understand their inspirations.
(and of course because we're talking about critics, there's a contrasting view: that the canon is exclusionary, consisting of what's known as DWMs (pronounced "dwims"): dead white males. so literary critics have looking for minority and/or female writers in english. but this is a tangent and not the thrust of this blog entry.)
irrespective of your particular feelings about the canon, i think that the concept, that writers are inspired by other writers, is reasonable and valid.
all of which leads to the poll question (at long last): what books do you feel you should have read by now, yet haven't? why do you feel you should have read them?
i know i don't know them all off the top of my head so i'll start, and then i'll have to start adding to this in comments:
moby dick. i haven't read any melville so i need to know for myself what the big deal is.
catch 22. i have, sadly, not read any joseph heller but i have friends who really dig his work so again, i need to see what the big deal is.
how about you?
ed
silverwhisper posted on Aug 01, 2008
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Comments
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MissMimi said on Aug 01, 2008....
I have read Moby Dick, Ed, or at least attempted to. Make sure you fortify yourself with caffeine, is all I can say.
I keep feeling I should read some more Hemingway because I still don't understand why he is considered to be an American treasure. Maybe I'm missing something.
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Mamie said on Aug 01, 2008....
well kind of a tangent but I have been drawn to A Course in Miracles...yet when I pick it up, it makes no sense to me, so...I would like to read more by Dyer (the latest about the Tao), Marianne Williamson, abraham-Hicks...I guess it is just the mood I am in : searching....thx for asking! -
beyondtheveil said on Aug 01, 2008....
Ed- I wrote a post about how starved I was for great fiction and asked for people's favorites. Since then I've been stuck on Cormac McCarthy who fortunately isn't a DWM and lives in my city.
I've read most of Hemmingway and really don't consider him one of the greatest authors, but enjoyed those books in high school. My daughter's most beloved author is Faulkner. I've read a few of those you mentioned, but my background in great fiction is embarrassing. No need for me to name books, I could start anywhere.
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the_infernal_optimist said on Aug 01, 2008....
I have yet to slog through Paradise Lost. Also, something I actually would like to remedy: I haven't read Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy in its entirety.
(Fwiw, I didn't find Light in August particularly memorable either.)
~Infernal
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uniquely-ironic said on Aug 01, 2008....
I've been meaning to get around to David Copperfield since high school. Now I think I need to pick up some Faulkner too. I have read some of the dwims and a few females as well, but find that many do not hold my attention. One contemporary writer, David Sedaris, has intriqued me. I have read a couple of his books and find them entertaining if not profound. -
gingersoul said on Aug 01, 2008....
Ed...lovely post....oh, August and its magic lights..
I associate August to the ripe of the summer watermelons, dinners at midnight, sweaty love sessions, long swims, sailing....
My father's b-day was in August.....big event in the family..occasion for our annual two weeks sailing vacation along the Mediterranean islands......and my mom alone time at last.....she never joined us.....
I love August in Italy.
Here in Texas...howabout....NO!!!
Back to your question...
I like Faulkner's atmosphere but i prefer Hemingway's style. Not particularly fond of long sentences filled with heavy and too detailed descriptions.... they suffocate my imagination.
Said so....i probably would like to spend more time than i already did on Blake...he is an underestimated genius...
I probably would like to read more biographies, as i used to do in the past.......not sure who would i pick though.....
I can see myself reading the new book of an Italian writer i like a lot, Andrea De Carlo, and the second part of "Omero, Iliade" by Alessandro Barricco. The first book has been really good.
If i think of something else...i will be back...:-)
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Eilan said on Aug 01, 2008....
I have never read anything by Hemingway. I have read a bit of Faulkner--had to read The Sound and the Fury for my MA exam. I don't really care for either of them, but I tend to gravitate more American Lit from a few decades earlier. Realism.
Never read any James Joyce, either.
I know there are lots of other works/authors that I haven't read, but nothing's really standing out to me at the moment.
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day2day said on Aug 01, 2008....
Right now i don't have time to read a book. But, i can't stant to read a book that is so long winded. I lose interest too fast. My mind wanders. There are a few books that i wish i had read and i probably will eventually.
i didn't finish the 'left behind' series, The Bible, The Hobbit, today's newspaper, my crossword from last night at work. etc. Sounds trivial compared to Faulkner.
Oh well, 'tis me.
wow
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Fallyn said on Aug 01, 2008....
i have three books by hemingway sitting on a bookcase in my house and i still haven't read them.
um.....i know there is a whole list...but at the moment i'm having trouble remembering.
the works of homer i want to read at some point.
and dickens.
the grapes of wrath.
i know there are a ton of others.
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Lucytorial said on Aug 01, 2008....
Hemmingway and blake would be a good start for me however I still believe I need to read:Fools guide to the universe ~ LOL Just kidding. The only Lit as you call it I really got into was John Dunn, I adored his prose and poetry I really did like it, I remember being given the choice John Dunn or Shakespear to essay, I remember thinking to myself that if I could only understand how he does it I might make at least a reasonable attempt at an A. -
SeanRenaud said on Aug 01, 2008....
Bram Stokers Dracula. As a vampire fan it's a travesty that I haven't read the quintessential piece of vampire literature on the planet. -
wombat said on Aug 01, 2008....
The Bible from front to back instead of skipping around here and there all my life. (still would have to skip all the "begats") I think my deep reading of things like Shakespear etc....are over. I need to read my self-help books instead of my crime novels, though! -
Jenna said on Aug 01, 2008....
Ed....first...happy friday to you too.second, I love August.....another summer month and I love summer. As a child our family vacation was always in august. So august is a month dear to my heart.third, I do not consider myself a writer. But I am a reader. There are so many classics I think I should have read by now but have not. I cannot name one off the top of my head....but I know there are many.I do remember in english class in Jr high and high school and even college, others complaining about the required reading. I loved the required reading.Did not admit it though...lol.Wombats response struck a chord...I would love to read the bible front to back one day.Good luck with Moby Dick...that is one I have not read....let me know if I should. -
CreativeWoman said on Aug 01, 2008....
Ed,
I have no set list of books I want to read. I don't really find myself to be an intellectual reader. I read a variety of books, but simply as they call to me. I wander around the bookstore until I'm drawn to something. I do tend to lean toward self-help or health related topics as of late.
If I'm reading for the pure joy of it, I'm happiest with a mystery afoot with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I do have the complete collection waiting for me to dive into. Shame on me, but it's been collecting dust for a while.
CW
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wombat said on Aug 01, 2008....
(To Jenna: ) Just to make note that day2day also mentioned the Bible, and I felt like I was copy-catting in a way.....and I have read some of the "Left Behind" books, also, but not all. Anyway--- I go to the library and want to bring all the books home with me!I used to hate "required reading" but then was sometimes surprised and enjoyed it. I remember learing about Greek Mythology and having to read "Lord Of The Flies" in my short time in college. Maybe I need to be told what to read....... -
hotaka said on Aug 01, 2008....
August. For all the charms of summer the stiffling humidity of Saitama summer (and a Montreal or Toronto area summer for that matter) make it hard to appreciate anything except for the promise of October's cooler weather.
I never realized how "un-well read" I was until I began my visits to SoulCast. As I read blogs by university grads (and some uni profs even) I become embarrassingly aware that there are many classics (on the canon list even!) that I have never read. James Joyce? I read a short story of his in college because I had to. Chekov? Read a book. Vaguely remember it except for the line, "It is possible to be nationalistic and hate your government," or something to that effect. Melville? Nope. I read just the books I had to read for the school curriculum.
But I read. I read a lot though not as often as I would like to. I have several books on my shelf that await cracking open and one in my bag almost every day. It's just that I tend to read non-fiction. Non-fiction stimulates my imagination and gives me ideas to write about (someday). When I read fiction I enjoy it but often find an idea I got from non-fiction has already been used, and if I ever use that idea I don't want people saying, "Oh, you got that idea from so-and-so." In that case I would like to reply with, "Who? Never heard of him."
And now for my answer (at last!). I think I should have read the Bible by now. I started it and almost finished Genesis. But the writing style is so dull that even extraordinary events and exciting parts barely keep my eyes from glazing over. All that "And he... And she... And they... And then God said... And so they... And... And... And..." My English teacher would have given the writer a low grade indeed. But as my high school librarian said, "Everyone should read the Bible because it is an important source of our culture, history and literature."
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RollingC said on Aug 01, 2008....
Sadly....although I still love to get comfortable, hunker down and wrap my mind around a good book (old fashioned virtual entertainment)... I must admit that I haven't done that in a longer time than I care to admit.The daily chores and problem solving have pre-occupied my time and I must make room/find time to get back into that.Good books like Forrest Gump...which also made a terrific movie...are hard to come by and I'd make time for that no matter how busy I got, for the entertainment value is priceless. Don't know if you've read the book but if you like to laugh then I highly recommend that read.As for the rest I'm afraid I'd have to listen to suggestions for right now I feel like I'm starting all over new again in the reading planet.Rc -
Lucytorial said on Aug 01, 2008....
I've just remembered a novel I want to read, Leo Tolstoy's war and peace... I loved Anna Karenina but I haven't read War... I know its not quite up there with the literary magics but I still think it'd be a great read. -
tbs230 said on Aug 01, 2008....
You know what I want to read? All those summer reading list books that schoolchildren get ever year. The B&N by my job has a table where the books from this years generic list sits.
I have begun with those. So far...I've only read about 3 books on that table...there are over 30. I just bought Lord of the Flies. I had it once in high school started reading it...meaning I read the first page, then I proceeded to lose the book forever.
But yeah...I read some hemmingway, and is Faulkner the one who wrote "The Dollhouse"? What about the author of Hedda Gabler and Enemy of the State? That's him right? (I can never remember stuff like authors)
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silverwhisper said on Aug 02, 2008....
mimi: yeah, but you weren't an english major, were you? re: hemingway, he's a very masculine writer, and i can easily see many women responding poorly to his work and the intrinsic sexism of his period, which annoys me, too.
mamie: ah, very interesting indeed. of course you're searching--i mean, ultimately, aren't we all, in some measure or other? :>
beyond: hey, remember, i actually formally studied this stuff--don't worry about feeling embarrassed, i've not read a whole lot of stuff in the canon myself! :>
infernal: i'm glad you said that re: light in august! :D i actually have a copy of the divine comedy over in ye olde bookshelf, and i'm having trouble reading it myself!
u-i: i'm unfamiliar with david sedaris, can you tell me more about his work?
GS: heh...i knew you'd enjoy this one. :> and i agree, blake is highly underrated, esp these days, if you ask me. :> tell me more of the work of signor barricco, though: i'm intrigued at the prospect of an italian author taking these classic works and doing something new with them: ? as you now know, i too prefer hemingway's style over faulkner's, for some reason faulkner's style is just too inefficient to me, you know?
eilan: i've only ever read joyce's collection of short stories dubliners, myself--IIRC though, z's actually read finnegan's wake, although admittedly my crappy-assed memory could have me confused yet again...
day2day: hi, welcome to my blog & thanks for visiting! given what i've heard re: the left behind series, i don't really think you're likely to be missing anything there. :>
fallyn: ah, homer...i think most people should read homer: the power of rhythm & rhyme is not to be underestimated, IMHO. :> what hemingway do you have in your bookcase?
tobi-lee: donne can be quite compelling, no question. i think that's actually really cool, to be honest. do you have a favorite poem by him?
sean: get out--you've never read stoker's dracula? i'll admit, i'm really surprised by that! it's a little slow to start, i thought, but stay with it, i say. :>
wombat: ah, reading the bible, an excellent idea IMHO: the bible is IMHO the foundation of all western lit, really. :> please consider trying a different translation than the KJV: the KJV sounds great, but it isn't terribly comprehensible, you know?
jenna: thank you, and of course to you! truth be told, there are some good points to the month for me, i suppose, but for me it's overshadowed by the other stuff, i guess. ah well...re: moby dick, it's in the bookcase, i'll let you know how that goes. :>
CW: i'm shocked that you've got the complete tales of holmes but haven't yet devoured it, to be honest! hm...perhaps we should try encouraging one another to read stuff?
hotaka: take heart, i too have never read chekhov or melville, either, and remember, i used to study this stuff! :> out of curiosity, what biblical translation did you try? if it was the KJV, consider something else, perhaps either the NIV or NRSV translations--you might find the language easier going with those. :>
rollingc: i'll confess i wasn't a fan of forest gump and that's prejudiced me against reading the book, i'm afraid--i guess i should give it a shot all the same though, huh? as to what we read: ultimately, we read things because they interest us, no? i say don't worry about it!!
tobi-lee: honestly, war & peace intimidates me just b/c of its pagecount, you know? if you decide to give it a shot, let me know!
tbs: ah, the dollhouse was henrik ibsen. enemy of the state, i'll confess i don't recognize that one, though! that's really cool about the summer reading lists though, if you ask me!
ed -
Lucytorial said on Aug 02, 2008....
Well Ed, war's similar in page count to another book on psychology I've been reading for a few MONTHS! scary I know and as for Donne's work (I always spell shit sorry) there are a couple...* for whom the bell tolls... Pathos and life in death, the mere mention of what is beyond as always his spiritual measure... love it... its pure if that makes sense at all.*Aire and Angells purely because of an old love, and new love and its spiritual content.I think thats what I love about his poetry, its always spiritual as was the day in his time yet he florishes with rich phrases, very romantic... strong, masculine handsome and well if he were alive I dare say I'd have a crush on him. -
pusscat said on Aug 02, 2008....
There are so many books that I have sitting in my bookcase that I have still yet to open but won't part with them as i know I will read them at some point. I have never been drawn to those considered 'greatest writer' of whatever country or century. i think a writer is only a good a the person reading their works thinks they are. There is no point in reading a book by one of the 'world's greatests' if it bores the pants off you now is there? LOL!
Enemy of the State is one book I would LOVE to read - must get my hands on that - I can't remember who the hell wrote it either.
I love someone that grips you from the first page to the last and never lets up, or lets you guess for one moment how it's all going to end; John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Jeffery Archer are my ultimate favourites.
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hotaka said on Aug 02, 2008....
Thanks, silverW. Actually I wanted to read the Clive Barker version but it hasn't been written yet. -
gingersoul said on Aug 02, 2008....
Ed......don't be intimated by "War and peace".......it's beautiful.....i got immediately lost in it...
And "Anna Karenina" is superb as well....
I think i also would read what i left over from Marcel Proust.....i've read the most important books but there are still a lot of jewels there...
Barricco's work narrates the long battle for the conquest of Troy but letting talk the unknown soldiers or commanders that offer their personal take on the battle along with the primadonna like Achille, Elena or Priamo.
He descends in the mud and the suffering of the less glamorous and yet equally fundamental actors of that war. -
mysterious said on Aug 03, 2008....
I'm inclined to read the works of Nicholas Sparks. I've heard great reviews about it. I've seen a few of his novels that have been made into movies but I'd like to read up on it as well. Also, friends have been reading it and it's made me more interested in it. -
Eilan said on Aug 03, 2008....
I've never read anything by Toni Morrison. I need to correct that. -
CreativeWoman said on Aug 04, 2008....
I really should read more, Ed. I sort of got detoured last year after I got the collection and had those pesky health problems.
CW
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silverwhisper said on Aug 06, 2008....
tobi-lee: ah, well...i've always found it vastly easier to get through [x] pages of fiction than non-fiction, myself. and i do understand about having a crush on someone on the strength of nothing but their written work. :>
pusscat: see, now that's the right attitude, i've always felt, re: having a library--what's the point of having all of these books in your library when you've alread read them all?! :> i'm unfamiliar with the book enemy of the state, was that the source of the will smith film from a few years ago? what particularly draws you to that work?
hotaka: well, barker's pretty prolific, isn't he?
GS: barricco's work does sound quite interesting, thanks! i've never read any proust, and i suppose that as a francophile i ought to address that, huh? i dunno, russian novels tend to be painful reading to me: i guess i tend to find a lot of the text largely redundant/pointless, you know? i dunno, maybe that's just me?
mysterious: forgive me but i'm afraid i'm unfamiliar with nicholas sparks. is there a particular reason that you feel drawn to his work?
eilan: the only morrison i've read is the bluest eye, which incidentally has, from the perspective of a number of women whose opinions i respect in this regard, the best description ever of a woman's orgasm.
CW: is there anything particularly that you feel you should read?
ed -
CreativeWoman said on Aug 07, 2008....
Ed,
No, not really. There are authors I would like to read more of, but I feel no pressure to do so. I've never been what I would call an intellectual reader. I pick up books that seem to draw me because of writing style or the topic. Perhaps someday I might like to read some Hemingway. I find his life was intriguing so I'm curious about his books.
CW
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silverwhisper said on Aug 08, 2008....
i'm no expert on hemingway, but if you decide to read him, bear in mind that he's very much a product of his time. consider the short stories though: his style lends itself well to that form. :>
ed
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