The Great American Read: Part 1

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Recently I mentioned The Great American Read (TGAR), and how part of the Summer Reading Challenge my local library is hosting this year involves encouraging patrons to see how many of the list they can check off. When I downloaded the master list, I was pleased (and surprised) to find I’ve already read 35 of the selections. Some of the others I’ve heard of but not read, never heard of, have no intention of ever reading, or may attempt one day. But in the next few posts, we’re going to be focusing on the ones I have completed.

Books on the List I Have Read  (as well as approximately in which year, and for school or by personal choice) :

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (1988?, personal)

This was one of the few classics I remember hanging around in my childhood that I actually read. Or had read to me. Honestly, I’m a little fuzzy on the details. I do know it was finished at least twice, because I recall enough of the plot and characters to confirm certain things which would’ve only come from more than a quick bedtime read. Anyway, I’m truly not sure why I wanted to pick this one, as a child who was much more into fantasy than historical fiction. I didn’t even realize how important Mark Twain was to the country at that point. And there was a lot about the dialect and time period I didn’t understand, so it was hard to follow stuff like why Tom Sawyer got his friends to paint the fence for him. (Since I was living in a town/era when painting a fence was an utterly alien concept, or the fact it was actually an arduous chore.) I did get that Tom had a massive crush on Becky Thatcher, and that people felt she deserved better than that silly boy (but again, I never grasped why the townspeople all thought that of him).

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1987?, personal)

This I volunteered to read, and happily re-read several times. I loved the characters (especially Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, the March Hare, and Dinah). I’ve seen a few of the movie and TV adaptations, and enjoyed most of them. My favorite was the Syfy modern version; Alice and Hatter were adorable together.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2010?, personal)

This title came recommended by one of my Early Childhood professors. She thought it was a unique storytelling style, about a very important topic (WW II), from the unusual POV of a German citizen during the time period. I agreed. It was a bit hard to get into the author’s rambling, at times nearly neurotransmitter-misfiring style, but I found the story very precious, and cried so much at the end.

Charlotte’s Web by EB White (1989?, school)

First introduced to me in third or fourth grade, I believe, via whichever teacher was insistent we students read it, carrying on the tradition, Charlotte’s Web is a title that changed for me as I grew up. At first, I was so taken with poor Wilbur’s plight, and Charlotte’s doting, motherly ways — but I think that’s how the author sucks innocent children in, to destroy their hearts later. Yes, I am aware livestock on farms become food all the time — and since I’m not a vegetarian, I’m part of that, and I accept it. This isn’t a novel I’d recommend for children anymore. I really feel there are other works that humanize animal motivations and feelings in an engaging and entertaining way without deviously pushing an agenda.

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The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis (1990, 2007-08, personal)

I loved the old BBC movies of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kid, and really enjoyed the book the first time around. White Fang truly liked the whole series, but most of the books I just found dull and dragging. White Fang’s faves were Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker (2005, school)

I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. I’d seen the movie, and wasn’t that impressed, and slightly terrified. I knew the story covered the harsh realities of domestic violence, and the high rate of abuse against women in the post-Civil-War black community. (If I remember correctly, it’s set in the early 20th century.) But the novel has layers upon layers of deep insight, into not just the abuse, but also what it may mean to be a woman, at different times in society and different cultures, how women can change their circumstances, or how circumstances may fight against them, and how sisterhood (not necessarily blood) can bring an abused woman out of darkness. It’s quite an interesting, controversial, and important tale.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2009, personal)

I cried and raged by page 30 of this novel. I was SO upset by the obvious ignorance and prejudice shown against the autistic narrator. I skimmed a big chunk of the middle, and was so distraught by the end I honestly don’t even remember what happened in the resolution. I don’t recommend this title as an autism rep read. Not at all. It’s just so sad and agonizing.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2008?, personal)

I had to see what all the fuss was about. The novel itself is wordy, there are too many subplots, and I really prefer the movie version. If you do your research, you’ll find NONE of the conspiracy theory offered in the book is new; Dan Brown drew on old theories or legends that had been around for centuries. Is any of it true? Some of it, yes — for example, the Knights Templar were long believed to have found an artifact or relic from the Temple of Solomon that was considered lost to history, and that the Catholic Church at the time would have seen it as very threatening to their hold on world affairs. (Many Popes back in the Middle Ages were not nice fellows.) Is there absolute proof that Jesus of Nazareth was married to Mary Magdalene and they had children? Not a stitch. Does it make for an awesome story? Totally. Even as a Christian, I honestly thought the idea of there being living descendants of such an influential historical figure (not bringing  religious beliefs or discussions into it at all), that may actually have the ability to, say, perform miracles in a modern, secular world, was quite beautiful. Just for the record, though, I don’t think the Priory of Scion really exists, or ever did.

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Dune by Frank Herbert (2004?, personal)

I was kind of forced. I never made it through the entire tome. I’ve seen the whole movie (which took about 3 days to watch, and approximately 3 years off my life). Sorry, any fans, but this is not for me at all.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1995?, 2005?, school)

Yes, I’ve actually had to read this for English classes twice. I understood it more the second time around, but didn’t like it more. I feel SO bad for the “monster,” and Dr. Frankenstein needs to be sacrificed to medical science. Give me the Mel Brooks version any day.

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin (2017, personal)

I watched 3 or 4 episodes of the show and wanted to die. I could not stand the INTENSE profanity, violence, and explicit sexual content (especially the misogny). (And Boromir — ahem, Sean Bean — gets killed off in season 1! Is there no justice?!) But my social media feed kept picking up ravings (in a good way) about the series, so I checked book 1 out of the library. I was impressed. Martin is a true wordsmith in his early works — the story draws you in, setting and characters come alive, the danger feels too real, the emotions of Ned Stark and the Khaleesi Daenerys and Tyrion Lancaster are SO palpable. The last chapter literally brought me to tears. Martin’s world in text is compelling, perilous, and very unfair, but I understood the bloodshed and the mistreatment of women so much more as a historical/cultural reference, and not necessarily something the author agreed with or condoned. I’ve decided not to finish the series (at least not now), but I’m not ashamed of having read the original novel that launched an epic fantasy empire.

And there we have it for now! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3!

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