The History Book Club discussion
ARCHIVE
>
PRAGYA SINGH'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2017
date
newest »
newest »
JANUARY1.
by
Fyodor DostoyevskyFinish date: January 2017
Genre: Crime, Pyschology, Mystery
Rating: A
Review: This is my first Dostoyevsky and it reminded me just how very dependable a classic is! The title was a bit intimidating and I expected a lot of gloominess and philosophy- which is all there. But the book is more of a psychological thriller with mystery, romance and even feminism- all thrown together.
The story revolves around Raskolnikov, a student in St. Petersburg who has fallen on hard times. Theorizing about the superiority of ‘exceptional’ human beings, he is able to justify the murder of an old pawnbroker who often cheats her poor customers. However, a guilty conscience overpowers him from time to time and colors his view of the world and the words and actions of those around him, ultimately leading to his complete alienation from society. Raskolnikov is a troubled and complex character. He is capable of great empathy. Even in his impoverished state, he doesn’t hesitate to give away all his money to a pauper family. He also stands his ground on refusing to let his sister sacrifice herself to a man unworthy of her, only to improve their collective circumstances. It is his intellectual pride and Napolean-like delusions of grandeur that blur the distinction between ideas and reality leading him to commit the heinous crimes.
The book has several memorable secondary characters as well- Luzhin as the respectable but abominable and ill-fated fiancée who is ultimately rejected; Pofiry as the shrewd detective- like Raskolnikov, we are left wondering about his suspicions (does he know? does he not know?); and Svidrigailov as the womanizing rascal with a heart. The two main female protagonists show enormous strength of character- Duonia (Raskolnikov’s sister) is intelligent, decisive and brave; Sonya, though meek and forced into prostitution to support her family, is compassionate and upstanding.
Dostoyevsky vividly describes scenes of extreme poverty, rampant drunkenness and everyday brutality and violence in St. Petersburg along with the minutiae of social life (e.g. the satirization of the German- simply put, everything and everyone unsavory is German!). The dominant intellectual ideas prevalent in nineteenth century Russia are presented through spirited discussions between the characters. Dostoyevsky voices his criticism of the socialist doctrine *crime is a protest against the abnormality of the social organization* in how it fails to account for human nature through Razumihin. His dismissal of radical, new philosophies such as nihilism is evident in the mockery of Lebezyatnikov and his ideas. In fact, there is an undertone of ridicule towards overtly rational, utilitarian and scholarly ideas and values throughout the book and it manifests itself most clearly at the end, when love and compassion provide deliverance from the mess that excessive intellectualism had created.
Effortlessly Poignant. An enduring masterpiece.
2.
by
R.K. NarayanFinish date: January 2017
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: A+
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Malgudi Days. It is one of those books that I expected to be good but which actually turned out to be spectacular. In an eloquent introduction to the book, Jhumpa Lahiri talks about how a disciplined reader should commit to one story at a time. Normally, I would scoff at the idea of reading 5-10 pages everyday but in this case, it does seem appropriate. For these stories are meant to be relished! The characters and their predicaments stay with you long after you are finished reading about them. This anthology is also a true medley- some stories have an O. Henry kind of twist, others have the Chekhovian irony and still others follow the Joycean melancholy tradition. My favorites were: An Astrologer’s Day, God and the Cobbler, Gateman’s Gift, The Tiger’s Claw, Iswaran, Lawley Road, Cat Within…….way too many to list! The story God and the Cobbler has a description of a ‘hippie’ that I will likely remember as one of the best passages that I have come across in the English language.
No need to explain who the hippie was, the whole basis of hippieness being the shedding of identity and all geographical associations. He might be from Berkeley or Outer Mongolia or anywhere. If you developed an intractable hirsuteness, you acquired a successful mask; if you lived in the open, roasted by the sun all day, you attained a universal shade transcending classification or racial stamps and affording you unquestioned movement across all frontiers. In addition, if you draped yourself in a knee-length cotton dhoti and vest, and sat down with ease in the dust anywhere, your clothes acquired a spontaneous ochre tint worthy of a sanyasi. When you have acquired this degree of universality, it is not relevant to question who or what you are. You have to be taken as you are- a breathing entity, that’s all. That was how the wayside cobbler viewed the hippie when he stepped up before him to get the straps of his sandals fixed.
Mod
3.
by
Marjane SatrapiFinish date: January 2017
Genre: Graphic Novel, Iranian History
Rating: A
Review: The only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it.
The Complete Persepolis is the compelling autobiographical memoir of a young Iranian girl growing up during the Cultural Revolution. The story is told through the medium of the graphic novel. The first book pairs the innocence of childhood with the political upheaval of the time- the revolution, the imprisonment and execution of political prisoners, the war with Iraq. Little Marji is adorable and brilliant and through her eyes, we get an abridged version of the people’s history of Iran.
The second book deals with her adolescent struggles in Vienna away from her family and her return back home where the young woman’s dreams and aspirations clash with an oppressive regime determined to take away all her liberties. As serious as the issues involved are, both books are interspersed with the humor, wit and sarcasm that entertains, engages and moves.
I thought that the graphics were amazing whether they showed Marji as the precocious child who wants to be a prophet when she grows up (she has even made a draft of her own book!)
or as the observant young woman realizing her haplessness in a repressive society.
Funny and Profound. Honest and Insightful. This book deserves a place in every bookshelf.
P.S. Given the social context, it might be easy to forget (particularly for the first world reader) that this is the story of an elite, well-off Iranian family- one that can bail their daughter out of violation tickets and send her abroad to seek a different future. To her immense credit, Satrapi does not trivialize this privilege at all.
4.
by
Vikram SethFinish date: January 2017
Genre: Indian Historical Fiction, Comedy, Social Satire
Rating: A+
Review: I don’t usually count the number of hours I spend with a book but when it comes to one of the longest books written in the English language, who can resist the temptation? It took me 45 hours over the course of three weeks to finish Vikram Seth’s ‘A Suitable Boy’. 45 glorious hours! Well, for the most part.
The title of the book while being catchy, fails to capture its scope. This treatise could be more accurately called as ‘Lives and Times (of the upper middle classes) in the newly independent, post-partition India’. Its social commentary is extensive. Salient issues are covered (the status of women; the realities of the caste system; the Hindu-Muslim relations in the aftermath of the partition; the impoverishment of the landless agricultural labor class) as are the deeper nuances of the social fabric (the obsession with fair complexion or the pretensions of the English speaking elite). Newly elected legislators of the Party of Independence (Congress) engaged in the complex task of nation-building provides a rich political backdrop. Between inter-party clashes, the controversial Zamindari abolition bill and bureaucratic corruption, the search for a suitable boy for the very eligible Ms. Lata Mehra is a sub-topic at best.
So freakishly all-encompassing this book is that Vikram Seth has managed to make fun of himself and this book within the book itself! The character of the author Amit Chatterji (which is, without doubt, inspired by Seth) is questioned about the unusual length of his upcoming novel at a book club session. His response:
But I too hate long books: the better, the worse. If they're bad they merely make me pant with the effort of holding them up for a few minutes. But if they're good, I turn into a social moron for days, refusing to go out of my room, scowling and growling at interruptions, ignoring weddings and funerals, and making enemies out of friends. I still bear the scars of Middlemarch.
Well, take a bow, Mr. Seth! For yours is definitely the Middlemarch kind!
It is easy to discern the influence of Jane Austen in the novel. There is a marked resemblance between the Mehra and the Bennet sisters and when it comes to hunting for suitable son-in-laws, Mrs. Rupa Mehra is every bit as feisty as the iconic Mrs. Bennet. Lata’s acceptance of her suitor after receiving a disparaging letter about him from her brother is vividly reminiscent of the confrontation between Lizzy and Catherine De Bourgh. The general wit, irony and sarcasm employed in the satire of social norms, manners and prejudices is also very Austenesque. And finally, Jane Austen is mentioned explicitly multiple times in the book as the secret love interest of Mr. Amit Chatterji!
I was a little perplexed by Lata’s final choice among her suitors. I didn’t exactly disapprove of it. It was understandable at many levels but it came to happen rather abruptly. Another aspect of the book that I found a little disconcerting was the fictionalization of real-life characters like Nehru and events such as the legislative debates pertaining to the Zamindari Abolition Bill and land reforms. While I enjoyed these debates and the politics in general, I remained wary of taking my history lessons from, what is essentially, a work of fiction.
Vikram Seth is as much of a poet (if not more) as a novelist and this is reflected in the lyrical quality of the book. The Kakoli-couplets were super-cute and the poetry interspersed throughout the book (whether by the Urdu poet Mast or Shakespeare or Seth himself) is highly enjoyable. Even the contents and the acknowledgements of the book are written in rhyme!
Writers of the epic story have a unique and challenging task set in front of them- they need to make the reader forget about the plot and the climax, engrossing them, instead, in the details-of characters, of conversations, of simple every day events. This, Seth does, phenomenally well. I had to literally snatch myself away from the book after finishing my daily quota.
A Fascinating, Exhilarating and Highly Rewarding read. This is also a television series waiting to happen, IMO.
This times in at 135 hours to read the trilogy if the sequels are of even length. This calls for a telenovella rather than a seasonal TV series.
Hi Dimitri. Telenovella sounds right, especially since the book doesn't have a sequel, at least not at present. Vikram Seth has a contract for the next book 'A Suitable Girl'. It was supposed to be finished in 2016 but got delayed.
Hi Pragya! I am here to provide a little assistance with your format and citations. This is in regard to message 4 above.When there is an image of the book available you would use that instead of the link to the book title.
So, the citation would look like this:
by
Vikram SethPlease try to update your citation as I've described by selecting the small "edit" link at the bottom right of your message post. I do hope this helps!
Donna
Admin (T) - American History and Newbies
Mod
FEBRUARY 5.
by
Art SpiegelmanFinish date: February 2017
Genre: Memoir, Graphic Novel, Holocaust history
Rating: A
Review: It seems that 2017 will go down as the year I discovered the pleasures of the graphic novel! The Complete Maus is an intimate memoir of the author’s father, Vladek Spiegelman, who is a holocaust survivor. The book moves back and forth in time between the changes in Vladek’s fortunes- from the prosperous businessman in pre-Nazi Poland; to the prisoner in Auschwitz using all his wit and skills and determination to outlive WWII; to finally being the venerable survivor who feels no embarrassment in attempting to return a half-eaten box of cereal at ShopRite! The author paints a very candid picture of his father, often touching on their own complex and somewhat troubled relationship. I thought that the book gave insights into the attitudes and behavior of ordinary Germans with an admirable realism- some sympathize with the victims; others are intentionally cruel or betray their trust; but most of them simply respond to the usual incentives of money and gifts, weighing their risk and return.
The graphics were interesting and full of symbolism particularly the animal representation of people- Jews (mouse), Nazis (cat), Americans (dogs). But as a practical matter, at times, it became difficult to figure out the identities of the characters solely by their clothes.
Highly Compelling. Intelligent and Informative.
6.
by
Mitch AlbomFinish date: February 2017
Genre: Memoir
Rating: C
Review: This is a short, sweet, sentimental book but it confirmed my suspicion that I am not cut out to appreciate end-of-life, philosophical epiphanies. Professor Morrie Schwartz indeed led an admirable life devoted to his family and students. And Mitch Albom, his student, is a hard-working, ambitious sports journalist in the prime of his life who does not stop to smell the roses. I might have liked the book better if it did not pit them against each other. It’s not very surprising (or perceptive) that someone expecting to live another 40 years or so would plan their life differently than someone facing a much shorter life expectancy (work less, not care about deadlines, talk more to family, friends etc. etc.). To the extent that the book suggests that there is an easy-to-follow, one-size-fits all-path to happiness and a fulfilling life, its message is too simplistic.
7.
by
Edith WhartonFinish date: February 2017
Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: This is my first book set in New York (Old New York of the 1870s). It began quite well but ultimately did not live up to the potential of its first 100 pages. The humor, sarcasm and irony employed in the subtle criticism of New York’s high society was enjoyable and had a very Austenesque feel to it. I was a little surprised by the rigid class distinctions and societal resistance to the ‘nouveau riche’ (similar to England). Wasn’t America supposed to be the land of the free where birth did not matter? Wharton herself seems conscious of this when she writes ‘It seems stupid to have discovered America only to make it into a copy of another country.’
The Archer-May-Olenska love triangle failed to draw me in. Instead of invoking my empathy, it baffled me. That the bohemain Countess Olenska should pique the interest of the complicated and confused (and might I say, shallow?) Newland Archer was perhaps understandable but what did Archer have to recommend himself to Ellen? In some ways, it was reminiscent of the Stephen-Lucy-Maggie affair in The Mill on the Floss.
The shortcomings of the plot aside, the novel is very well written. Every now and then, you come across a sentence that is both impressive and memorable.
‘He plunged out into the winter night bursting with the belated eloquence of the inarticulate.’
“Only, I wonder- the thing one’s so certain of in advance: can it ever make one’s heart beat as wildly?”
I also enjoyed the clever, well-researched descriptions of the New York of the 1870s and it was most amusing to compare them with the city as it stands now. So, Mrs. Manson Mingott’s house cream-colored stone house located in an ‘inaccessible wilderness near the Central Park’ should be roughly somewhere in present-day Midtown Manhattan(!) and Archer’s reflections about that tunnel under the Hudson do turn out to prophetic!!
…he remembered that there were people who thought there would one day be a tunnel under the Hudson through which the trains of the Pennsylvania railway would run straight into New York. They were of the brotherhood of visionaries who likewise predicted the building of ships that would cross the Atlantic in five days, the invention of a flying machine, lighting by electricity, telephonic communication without wires, and other Arabian night marvels.
Mod
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Mill on the Floss (other topics)The Age of Innocence (other topics)
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson (other topics)
The Complete Maus (other topics)
A Suitable Boy (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Edith Wharton (other topics)Mitch Albom (other topics)
Art Spiegelman (other topics)
Vikram Seth (other topics)
Jane Austen (other topics)
More...
Please follow the standard required format below - I hope you enjoy your reading in 2017. Here is also a link for assistance with the required guidelines:
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Our Required Format:
JANUARY
1.
Finish date: January 2017
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.
IMPORTANT - THE REVIEW SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET - THERE ARE NO LINKS OF ANY KIND IN THE BODY OF THE REVIEW ALLOWED. NONE. DO NOT REFER TO ANY OTHER BOOK IN YOUR BRIEF REVIEW. THE ONLY BOOK CITED IN YOUR REVIEW IS THE ONE YOU ARE REVIEWING - NO OTHERS. ALL LINKS TO OTHER THREADS OR REVIEWS ARE DELETED IMMEDIATELY - THERE WILL BE NO WARNING. WE CONSIDER THIS SELF PROMOTION AND IT IS NOT ALLOWED AND IS IN VIOLATION OF OUR RULES AND GUIDELINES.