#15: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

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100 books, book review, books, Cormac McCarthy, literature

There are a few books that you recognize as masterpieces the first time you read them.  They transcend the enjoyable and cross into the sublime.  All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy is one of those books.  It is also the first book in McCarthy’s Border Trilogy.  It’s sequel is The Crossing, which I finished two days ago.  I was pleased to discover that The Crossing lives up to the promise of its predecessor and is also highly deserving of the title of masterpiece.

The Crossing is set just prior to World War II in along the border between Old and New Mexico.  Billy Parham is a sixteen-year old cowboy working alongside his father and younger brother on their New Mexico homestead.  A she-wolf has been ravaging the local cattle and the Parhams set about trapping it.  Billy captures the wolf in a trap but is inspired to return it to the mountains in Mexico from whence it came rather than kill it for its pelt.  This journey begins a tragic cycle in Billy’s life.  Despite his best efforts, the wolf is killed before he is able to return it to the mountains.  Heartbroken but determined, Billy eventually buries the wolf in the mountains.

Billy returns home after his long journey to find that his parents have been murdered and their horses stolen.  He finds his younger brother Boyd staying with a foster family and the two set out on another journey to Mexico, this time in search of their lost horses.  Along the way they rescue a young girl, who forges a close bond with Boyd.  The brothers eventually find the horses, but Boyd is shot in the chest during their attempt to reclaim them.  Boyd miraculously survives his wound but runs off with the girl after his recovery.  Billy returns to America alone.

Billy returns to Mexico soon after in an effort to locate Boyd.  He learns that Boyd has been killed.  Billy sets out to find his brother’s grave and return his body to their homeland.  Despite band of highwaymen that molest Boyd’s remains and stab Billy’s horse in the chest, Billy makes it back to America and buries Boyd.  As the novel closes, Billy meets a wounded and disfigured dog seeking shelter and comfort.  Despite his previous attachment to the wolf and his history of helping the less fortunate, Billy chases away the dog.  Recognizing this change in himself, he tries and fails to find the distressed canine.  As he comes to understand how much he has lost in his various border crossings, Billy hangs his head and weeps.

This book is beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking.  Although similar to All the Pretty Horses in its coming-of-age theme, The Crossing is much more depressing.  Billy comes by his understanding of the real world in a brutal fashion, losing everyone dear to him through the course of the novel.  The third novel features Billy and John Grady Cole together, and I cannot wait to read it.

The Current Count

15 Read, 85 To Go

#14: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

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100 books, book review, books, Cormac McCarthy, literature

The world can be a rough place.  For all of the joy and beauty to be found there is an equal measure of darkness and depravity.  Few authors present the dark side of reality in as poetic a manner as Cormac McCarthy.  His novels imbue the tenebrous side of life with a haunting nobility that reiterates the value of every human life, no matter how squalid the conditions in which that life exists.  All the Pretty Horses is an excellent example of McCarthy’s remarkable talent for transforming the downtrodden into the admirable.

All the Pretty Horses is the story of John Grady Cole, a sixteen-year-old cowboy from San Angelo, Texas.  Following the death of his grandfather, Cole learns that his mother plans to sell the family ranch.  Unable to dissuade her, Cole decides to run away to Mexico.  He persuades his friend Lacey Rawlins to accompany him, and the two set off on horseback.  Along the way they encounter another runaway, Jimmy Blevins, who rides a magnificent bay horse that is almost certainly stolen.  Despite Rawlins’ misgivings, the two allow Blevins to accompany them into Mexico.  Shortly after crossing the border, Blevins loses his horse, his pistol, and his other possessions while hiding during a thunder-storm.  He persuades his companions to go into a nearby town in order to find his horse.  They locate his horse and steal it back.  A band of horsemen set out after them, and Blevins leads the pursuers off while John Grady and Rawlins escape in another direction.

John Grady and Rawlins find work on a large ranch, where Grady soon distinguishes himself for his skill with horses.  The ranch owner offers John Grady a more distinguished job helping him select wild mares for breeding with a thoroughbred champion stallion purchased in America.  John Grady also encounters Alejandra, the beautiful young daughter of the ranch owner.  The two begin a passionate affair.  This good fortune comes to an end when John Grady and Rawlins are arrested without warning.  They are brought back to the town where Blevins had retrieved his horse.  After being separated from John Grady and Rawlins, Blevins had returned to the town to reclaim his pistol.  In the process he shot three men, killing one.  Blevins is executed and John Grady and Rawlins are sent to a Mexican prison.

The two friends are brutally tested in prison, fighting for survival on a daily basis.  Rawlins is attacked with a knife and sent to the infirmary for his injuries.  While Rawlins is in the infirmary, John Grady is attacked by another prisoner wielding a knife.  Despite being seriously injured, John Grady kills his attacker.  He is also sent to the infirmary to heal.  During his convalescence, he and Rawlins are ransomed by Alejandra’s aunt, on the condition that she never see John Grady again.  Rawlins returns to Texas, while John Grady attempts to reconnect with Alejandra.  The two meet but Alejandra refuses John Grady’s proposal, despite being in love with him.  John Grady returns to the town where all of his troubles began and reclaims his horse, along with those belonging to Rawlins and Blevins.  He also takes the police captain who had executed Blevins as a hostage.  He again flees a group of riders, eventually losing them.  After the captain is taken from him by another group of Mexican riders, John Grady returns to Texas with an uncertain future and a wounded spirit.

This book is amazing.  I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friend Seth Daulton at Surf Waco for the recommendation.  McCarthy is the greatest American novelist I have read in recent memory, a worthy successor to Hemingway and Faulkner.  All the Pretty Horses is the first book in McCarthy’s Border Trilogy.  I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I immediately purchased the next two books when I finished reading this volume.  This book is as close to perfect as any I have ever read.

The Current Count

14 Read, 86 To Go

#13: Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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100 books, book review, books, classics, literature

My goal for Spring Break was to read five novels in the course of this week.  I met that target last night with Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Chronicle of a Death Foretold.  There are a lot of books out there that are very good but seem to be too long, as though the author and editor were both afraid to cut the fluff.  Marquez’ Chronicle is the perfect example of what can happen when the author is bold in his cuts.  This short novel clocks in at 143 pages, and not a word is wasted.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold reconstructs the brutal murder of Santiago Nasar at the hands of twin brothers Pedro and Pablo Vicario.  It is narrated by an anonymous character who was a friend of both Nasar and the Vicario brothers from childhood.  Decades have passed since the murder, and the narrator has decided to reconstruct the events based on evidence he has gathered in an effort to make sense of the tragic event.

Santiago Nasar is a young and wealthy man who has inherited a ranch from his father.  The novel opens with him preparing to greet the bishop, who is coming by boat to bless the marriage of a wealthy foreigner, Bayardo San Roman, and a beautiful young local woman, Angela Vicario.  Nasar is badly hungover from the wedding festivities of the previous night, which he enjoyed alongside the narrator, the Vicario twins, and a few other good friends.  Unbeknownst to this group, while they were partying Bayardo San Roman quietly returned his bride to the house of her parents after leaning that she was not a virgin.  Nasar parts with his friends to slowly return home, and the Vicarios are called home by their mother to deal with the looming family crisis.  The brothers insist that their sister reveal the man who took her virginity, and she names Santiago Nasar.  Honor demands that the brothers kill their friend.

The narrator includes an element of uncertainty, insisting that it was highly unlikely that Nasar ever had the opportunity to take Angela’s virginity, and that his friends would have known about it already.  This question is never clearly resolved.  The rumor was enough to require satisfaction, and the Vicario twins begin planning their revenge for the following morning.  They do not go about this planning in a quiet manner.  Instead, they tell everyone they meet about their intentions.  Nobody takes the necessary steps to prevent the murder, despite the apparent wish of the brothers to be prevented from completing this act.  Honor requires the murder, but the brothers do not desire it.  They even go so far as to wait outside of a door Nasar never uses to leave his home, and inform the mayor and other local notables prior to the murder.  Ultimately, nobody acts to stop them and Nasar is stabbed to death.

I loved this book.  It is concise and engaging, with a realistic quality that puts the reader on the streets of the town as the foretold death comes to pass.  I was reminded of the classic Gary Cooper film High Noon, in which a sheriff is unable to rouse any townspeople to help him confront a band of violent gunslingers.  Just like Cooper, the Vicario brothers appeal to the people of the town for help in preventing the murder they are required to commit.  No townspeople act to prevent the tragedy, making them all somewhat complicit in Nasar’s murder.  Some even urge the brothers on, living vicariously through the Vicarios (classic pun, I know).  This is only the second Marquez book I have read, but I look forward to reading many more in the future.

The Current Count

13 Read, 87 To Go

#12: Daisy Miller by Henry James

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100 books, book review, books, classics, literature

My string of short novels continues with Henry James’ Daisy Miller.  This slender volume tells the story of Daisy Miller and Frederick Winterbourne.  Daisy is a young and beautiful American heiress touring Europe with her mother and nine-year-old brother, Randolph.  In Vevey, Switzerland, Daisy and her brother become acquainted with Winterbourne, a young American who has lived in Geneva for most of his life.  He is immediately struck by Daisy’s beauty but is confused by her free and flirtatious manner.  She agrees to visit a local castle with him unescorted, an act very much in conflict with European standards of behavior.  Despite his aunt’s disapproval, Winterbourne continues his pursuit of Daisy.  He returns to Geneva after a few days but promises to visit the Millers in Rome during the winter.  When Winterbourne next encounters Daisy, she is the talk of Rome.  Her flirtatious manner has offended the conservative society of Rome, and her association with Mr. Giovanelli, an Italian of questionable repute, has made her the target of malicious gossip.  Winterbourne tries to warn her but is rebuffed.  Winterbourne gives up on Daisy and tries to enjoy Rome alone.  One night, while visiting the Colosseum, Winterbourne finds Daisy and Giovanelli in the center of the giant stadium.  Winterbourne is furious with Giovanelli, as the atmosphere of the Colosseum is known to be highly malarial.  Daisy falls ill and dies soon thereafter.

I found this novel to be an enjoyable but inconsequential read.  At the time it was written it would have been an excellent examination of prejudices between the old and the young, as well as between Americans and Europeans.  The mindsets of both continents have changed significantly since then, however, leaving this book as a charming reminder of the way things once were.

The Current Count

12 Read, 88 To Go

#11: The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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100 books, book review, books, classics, Goethe, literature

Remember that friend from college that always seemed to have girl problems to complain about? (I’m talking about you Lance.  Thank goodness Sabrina put an end to your relationship woes, they were getting old.)  German literary giant Johann Wolfgang von Goethe offers that friend multiplied by 1,000 in The Sorrows of Young Werther. 

Werther was the novel that established Goethe as an international celebrity, and with good reason.  It tells the story of Werther, a young artist spending time in a rural German village.  The book consists of a series of letters from Werther to his friend Wilhelm that detail his stay in the village.  Soon after arriving in the village Werther becomes acquainted with a beautiful young woman named Charlotte.  Despite being warned that she is engaged to a man who will return shortly, Werther begins to fall in love.  He befriends Charlotte and becomes more smitten every day.  Eventually her fiancée, Albert, returns.  Albert and Werther also become close friends.  The triangular friendship continues for several months with Werther increasingly tormented by his love.  His despair eventually becomes so great that he leaves the village and accepts an official position with an ambassador in Weimar.  Werther suffers a great social embarrassment in Weimar and returns to the village to discover that Charlotte and Albert have married during his absence.  Werther’s love is a greater torture than before and his relationship with Albert suffers as a result.  Eventually Charlotte asks Werther not to visit so often.  Filled with an unbearable despair, Werther visits Charlotte a final time and both are overcome with emotion after he recites a piece of a poem he has translated.  They embrace and kiss, but Charlotte realizes her mistake and asks Werther to leave.  Werther returns home, pens a farewell letter, and shoots himself.

In case the title and that summary weren’t clear, this is not a happy book.  It is, however, an excellent book.  The unbridled passions of Werther established this novel as a precursor and source of inspiration for the Romantic movement that would follow.  Goethe crafts a story in which we agonize alongside Werther, and his ultimate demise serves as a cautionary tale for all passionate young men.  The novel’s impact was so great that it inspired “Werther-Fieber” (Werther Fever), which saw young men across Europe dressing in the style described as Werther’s, and also led to a rash of copycat suicides by forlorn young lovers.  Even with the risk of Werther-Fieber, this novel is worth a read.

The Current Count

11 Read, 89 To Go

#10: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

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100 books, book review, books, classics, Kafka, literature

The week of the (short) novel continues, this time with The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.  The Metamorphosis is one of the most studied works of fiction from the past century and is widely regarded as a must-read.  It is also a very strange little book.

“When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.”  So begins Kafka’s unusual tale.  Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman supporting his mother, father, and younger sister.  His life is changed dramatically when he wakes up to find he has become a massive insect.  He is late for work, which alarms his family and causes his boss to drop by to check on him.  When he unlocks his bedroom door and reveals his new form, all are horrified.  Gregor is unable to work in his condition, forcing his family members to take jobs to support him.  He is a tremendous burden on them all, and even his formerly affection sister comes to resent his presence.  After months of neglect and abuse, Gregor is weak and depressed.  He eats little and has been seriously injured in a squabble with his father.  When he accidentally reveals himself to the boarders his parents have taken in order to make more money, his sister insists that his parents get rid of him.  Hearing this, Gregor scrambles back to his room.  The exertion proves too much in his weakened condition and he dies.  His family is relieved, and reexamining their situation realize that it is not as dire as they had believed.  They take a trolley to the countryside and consider their now hopeful future.

The Metamorphosis is remarkable for several reasons.  The detail that stood out to me the most was the fact that Gregor Samsa accepts his transformation without question.  He does not consider whether such a transformation has occurred, but simply accepts that it has.  One possible explanation is that the transformation has occurred only in his mind.  He has lived the life of an insect for years, toiling away for the good of the hive (his family) with no regard for personal pleasure.  As soon as he took on financial responsibility for the family, he stopped being an ordinary son and became instead a drone.  The only real transformation that has occurred is his realization that his life has been that of an insect.  This (mental) transformation leaves him unable to work, forcing the other family members to regain their independence.  They are angry at this turn of events and resent the loss of their drone.  Upon his death, however, they realize that they are now in a position to provide a better life for themselves than Gregor ever could have offered.

That is one very brief and underdeveloped interpretation of the story.  Many more are possible.  Despite its brevity, Kafka’s Metamorphosis offers a wealth of material to ponder.  For that reason, I offer my recommendation.

The Current Count:

10 Read, 90 To Go

#9: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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100 books, book review, books, Dostoevsky, literature, philosophy

I am on Spring Break this week and, in an effort to get back up to speed on my reading, have declared this the week of the (short) novel.  My goal is to knock out at least five books over the next seven days.  To that end, I will be reading only novels, mostly short ones at that.  The first such novel is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground.

Dostoevsky is another of the many great authors whose works I have never found the time to read.  Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov are both sitting on my shelves right now, slowly accumulating a layer of dust.  My experience with Russian literature is limited to War and Peace and a few Solzhenitsyn books.  I enjoyed each of those tremendously, and was especially struck by a certain inherent ‘Russian-ness’ they seem to possess, a way of connecting philosophical issues to real-world concerns without pretension or blatant intellectualizing.  Even with those positive experiences behind me and a reputation that includes praise from the likes of Nietzsche (not one to throw compliments around), I could never seem to work up the courage to tackle Dostoevsky.  That changed with Notes from Underground.

Notes is presented as the memoir of an unnamed narrator.  The first section is a monologue in which the narrator rails against the predominant Western philosophy taking over Russia at that time.  The narrator particularly takes aim at the notion that a man always seeks his own advantage, and that science can educate all of mankind into seeking what is advantageous as a whole.  The narrator insists that the opposite is true– man often knowingly seeks his own disadvantage.  His own life is an example, and he describes his character in an effort to prove his point.  This eventually leads to the second part of the book, in which the narrator recounts a series of events that show him consciously acting to his own detriment.  The ultimate message is that man is imperfect and imperfectable, an unpredictable creature who cannot be educated beyond this unpredictability.

Notes from Underground is an amazing book.  The narrator is a very unique figure who also somehow manages to represent mankind as a whole.  Dostoevsky’s wit and intellect are marvelous.  Very little actually happens in this book and yet it is impossible to put down.  Although written 150 years ago, the book is fresh and vibrant.  The rejection of philosophical systematizing marked the beginning of the existential movement and highlights one of the most important intellectual debates of the past century.  Whether you are interested in philosophy or just looking for a good read, you can’t go wrong with Notes from Underground.

The Current Count:

9 read, 91 To Go

#7: The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway

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100 books, book review, books, Hemingway, literature

Ernest Hemingway is the man. Some books are most enjoyable for their plots, some for their characters, and some for the author’s craft. A good Hemingway book is enjoyable for all three. His writing style changed the landscape of modern fiction and has inspired countless imitators. His characters capture the essence of what it is to be human in a way that is timeless. His landscapes make you ache for distant shores. Again, Hemingway is the man.

That said, I was skeptical of The Garden of Eden. It is one of several Hemingway works published and (more importantly) edited after the author’s tragic suicide in 1961. I am always suspicious of books that the author was unable to approve or disapprove. Questionable editing in an effort to generate revenue is not exactly a far-fetched idea. This skepticism was heightened by the controversy surrounding The Garden of Eden. Hemingway’s manuscript was supposedly more than 800 pages long. The published book is just under 250. I am sure that Hemingway would have pruned his manuscript considerably prior to publishing, but two-thirds of the book seems like somewhat less than conservative editing. Despite these misgivings, I was excited to dive into another book by my favorite author.

The Garden of Eden follows American writer David Bourne and his new wife Catherine on their honeymoon in the French Riviera and in Spain. Catherine is wealthy and happy to finance their adventures while David takes a break from his writing. Both seem happy until Catherine begins to display a desire to experience life (and especially sex) as a man. She cuts her hair short and refers to David as her girl when they are in bed together. David allows this to go on because it seems to make Catherine happy. They decide to extend their vacation and settle in at a hotel in the south ofFrance. David begins writing again, developing a narrative of his relationship with Catherine. They encounter a beautiful young woman, Marita, with whom they both fall in love. Initially Catherine agrees to share David with Marita, and Marita with David. Meanwhile, David puts aside his narrative and works on a few short stories he had been planning to write since boyhood. The stories deal with his father and have been difficult for him to face. As his work on the stories progresses his relationship with Catherine deteriorates. Catherine becomes jealous of Marita and of the stories that have distracted David from the narrative of their relationship. This jealousy leads her to burn his newly-finished stories. This effectively ends their relationship, and the Catherine leaves David and Marita. David fears he will never recapture the stories as perfectly as he had already written. After a few days relaxing with Marita, he tries again and discovers that not only can he remember how he had written them, he can improve upon them. The novel closes with David certain that his craft and his memory will never desert him.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Garden of Eden. The writing is classic Hemingway and the story shows Hemingway exploring new ideas of gender identity and relationships between men and women. There is a level of introspection evident in this novel that makes the reader wonder how much was inspired by Hemingway’s own relationships. The image of a writer at peace, confident that his gift will never leave him is an ironic conclusion given that Hemingway took his own life in part because he feared the loss of his talent and his memory. As enjoyable as this version of The Garden of Eden is, I can’t help hoping that the original 800-page behemoth might be published someday.

The Current Count:

7 Read, 93 To Go

#6: Rabbit, Run by John Updike

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100 books, book review, books, literature

Last night I finished my first book in more than a month.  Needless to say, Jeopardy has thrown off my pace a bit.  My most recent selection was John Updike’s Rabbit, Run.  The novel centers on Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom, a former high school basketball star turned young adult nobody.  He lives with his pregnant, semi-alcoholic wife Janice and toddler son Nelson in his hometown.  Feeling trapped in his mediocre life, Rabbit runs away.  He eventually settles down with Ruth, a former prostitute, and befriends a local minister.  This new situation lasts until Rabbit’s wife goes into labor.  Rabbit returns and moves back in following the birth of his daughter.  Things seem to have improved until Rabbit’s wife rebuffs his sexual advances soon after the birth and he leaves for a night.  While he is gone his wife gets drunk and accidentally drowns their baby.  The book ends with Rabbit running away again following the funeral of his infant daughter.

I did not like this book at first.  It is a tremendously depressing portrait of a young man who realizes his life peaked in adolescence and struggles desperately to recapture his former freedom and vigor.  The idea of a man walking out on his responsibilities as a husband and father with hardly a thought to the consequences infuriates me.  Rabbit is a man-child, unable to act like an adult and unwilling to leave behind the memory of his high school glory days. 

That was my initial impression.  As I read on, I began to sympathize with Rabbit.  His problem was not just an unwillingness to assume the responsibility of manhood.  Instead, it was a profound sense of not belonging that plagued him everywhere except on the basketball court.  The feeling follows him into his new life and only recedes following the birth of his daughter.  He then seems able to define himself in parenthood, reconnecting with his son and establishing a deep loving bond with his daughter.  Her tragic death severs these newborn connections and sets him adrift again.  I ultimately enjoyed the book, as Updike acknowledges the feeling of disconnectedness that haunts us all at some point while giving us an acutely painful picture of the consequences that come with allowing that feeling to dominate your life.  The events of Rabbit’s life are a tragic reminder that allowing selfish concerns to guide your actions can have extreme repercussions for everyone in your life.

The Current Count:

6 Read, 94 To Go

#4: The Mauritius Command by Patrick O’Brian

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100 books, book review, books, history, literature, Patrick O'Brian

Last night I finished my fourth book of the year, which also happens to be the fourth book of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series.  The Mauritius Command opens with Jack Aubrey ashore, beset by domestic cares at his cottage, where he lives with his wife, infant twin daughters, mother-in-law, and toddler niece.  Stephen Maturin arrives with news that Jack is to take command of the HMS Boadicea and lead a squadron in the attempted capture of French-held islands Mauritius and La Reunion in the Indian Ocean.  The French have recently added four large frigates to their forces on the islands, making the task extremely difficult.

Jack accepts the command with enthusiasm and sets sail in his new ship for the Cape.  With the full support of the Admiral of the Cape station, Jack hoists his pendant as a Commodore and proceeds to the islands.  His plans are successful (with the aid of Stephen’s intelligence work) and La Reunion is captured.  Unfortunately, various setbacks delay the attempt on Mauritius.  Just as the situation is again in hand, the Admiral arrives and supersedes Jack, claiming all of the glory after Jack’s hard work.  This tremendous blow is offset by the news that Jack’s wife has given birth to a son.

As with all of the Aubrey/Maturin books, The Mauritius Command is a highly entertaining read.  O’Brian’s use of the logs from real battles lends an authenticity to the narrative that heightens the excitement.  By the fourth book, the reader comes to see the cast of characters as old friends, but O’Brian manages to keep them vibrant and interesting.  Patrick O’Brian is perhaps the greatest author of historical fiction ever to put pen to paper.

The Current Count

4 Read, 96 To Go