Fiction

It is clear from Dubliners why James Joyce is so highly regarded.  The most impressive thing, for me, was his ability to capture so much emotion, so realistically, in so few pages.  Without feeling forced, or cliched, he would perfectly express anger, jealousy, fear, or love.  I also enjoyed how these short stories each had their own unique voice.  It wasn’t one narrator telling 15 different tales, but 15 different narrators, each telling their own story in a style perfectly suited for their respective themes, characters, and plot.

All of this becomes even more impressive when we consider Joyce was only 25 when these stories were first published.  If you enjoy short stories, I would definitely recommend this collection.  For the rest of us, though, I think there is still a lot to like about these tales.  Plus, what with them being so short, you don’t have to read them all at once and, taken individually, there’s no reason not to give each of these stories the mere 10 to 30 minutes that they require.

“He watched the scene and thought of life; and (as always happened when he thought of life) he became sad. A gentle melancholy took possession of him. He felt how useless it was to struggle against fortune, this being the burden of wisdom which the ages had bequeathed to him” (66).

Full database entry on Dubliners.  Beware spoilers.

The rest of this post is a more general discussion on short stories and reading for depth, so if all you were interested in was Dubliners, no need to keep reading.  Otherwise….

I’m not sure if I “get” short stories.  Granted, my experience with them is limited (all I can remember right now is a few Poe stories and Philip K. Dick’s The Minority Report and Other Classic Stories), but there is a certain rhythm to them that doesn’t come naturally to me.  I think this is a combination of not giving each story the same consideration I would a full novel (I will typically move on to the next story without meditating on the first) and the fact that many short stories end without the sense of resolution or satisfaction that you get from a full novel (and this doesn’t even consider the tendency many short stories have towards the “gotcha” ending).

In spite of all this, however, I chose to read Dubliners for two reasons:  I knew that, being written by Joyce, there was going to be a lot of depth to the writing, and I felt that short stories would offer a smaller, more manageable opportunity to put to use the tools I discovered in How to Read Literature.  On the whole, I think the endeavor was mildly successful.  I say only mildly because, while I was able to read in a slightly more professorial manner, I also find myself not always wanting to.

For me reading is a pleasurable hobby, and I don’t want that to change.  However, the more I considered the multiple layers of meaning that may be present within the text, the less I found myself enjoying the experience of reading.  With all that said I’ve decided that, going forward, my main concern will be enjoying what I’m reading, with or without the tools of professorial reading.  Then, if I loved what I read, I can take the time to meditate further upon the text and pursue essays and literary criticisms on specific subjects that interest me.   This combination, I think, will allow me to still enjoy reading, while also improving my ability to read at a deeper level.  In theory, at least.

An introduction to a book can be a double-edged sword.  Sometimes it can be extremely useful and informative – as is the case with Botchan.  Here we have an introduction that reveals some of the subtleties of the translation that would not have been evident from the text itself.  For example the word Botchan, which is the nickname of the main character and narrator, can mean any of the following:  “a younger son; inexperienced or naïve; easygoing in a way that can either be mildly endearing or distressingly irresponsible” (5).

Clearly this is important information that is necessary to approach the text in a more fulfilling, meaningful way.  This introduction continues such usefulness as it gives clarification to the nicknames Botchan gives to his fellow teachers as well as some insight into why the book is so popular among Japanese readers.  All of this was interesting, without spoiling the content of the book.

On the other hand, sometimes introductions go a little overboard.  My favorite book to recommend, I Am a Cat is a perfect example.  At first the introduction seems to just offer clarification on translation issues but suddenly it gives away the ending of the book, and offers an explanation for why it happened.  Why do this?  Why ruin an emotionally powerful moment of the book in the introduction without warning?  Does the translator assume only those who have read the book already will peruse the intro?

These days, I avoid introductions whenever possible, and in the case of a translated book, I read it (literally) out of the corner of my eye so I can turn away before anything gets spoiled.  Well, with my rant out of the way, let’s move on to Botchan proper.

Botchan is the tale of a young man who moves to rural Japan to become a teacher.  He encounters a wide array of characters, all of whom he brings to life through bizarre nicknames and colorful commentary.  Of all the characters, however, Botchan is by far the most interesting.  His unwavering commitment to honesty and upright behavior is both commendable and hilarious.  His discussions of those around him are unrestrained and riddled with sarcasm.  It is not a stretch to compare his accusations of weakness to Holden Caulfield’s outcries of “phoniness”.

I found Botchan to be funny and engaging.  The translation is excellent, and the work did not feel foreign or unapproachable.  Far from it.  In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction, but those who have a special place in their book-loving souls for The Catcher in the Rye will find it particularly enjoyable.

“Now that I thought about it, though, I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad. They seem to think that if you don’t you’ll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who’s honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he’s nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that’s the way it is, it would be better if they didn’t have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not to lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn’t their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?” (72).

Full Database entry on Botchan. Beware Spoilers.

It’s frightening to think about a book like The Hunger Games now that we are in year 2010 and officially in the future.  Normally when you read a book about a post-apocalyptic world in which an evil government forces children to fight other children to the death in order to show how much power they have, you can reassure yourself with the following: “Nothing to worry about!  That kind of thing only happens in the future.”  Well guess what?  The future is now and, if Suzanne Collins has it right, it’s brutal.

Well, maybe this future isn’t here quite yet, but it’s certainly something to think about.  Anyways, bleak children killing children future aside, The Hunger Games is quite captivating.  I received this book as a Christmas gift and finished it within just a few days.  It’s an easy read, clearly meant for the teen reader, but great for any adult who wants to engross themselves in a world that is just far fetched enough to be exotic, without being ridiculous.

With that said, however, don’t let my flippant attitude give you the wrong impression about this book.  It is brutal, with 20 plus children dying at the hands of other kids, and it deals with disturbing themes such as our cultures obsession over violence as entertainment, and the dangers of an oppressive government.  I recommend this book to anyone.

Full database entry on The Hunger Games. Beware spoilers

I knew nothing about Olive Kitteridge before reading it except that it was a Pulitzer Prize winner and that my sister-in-law enjoyed it when she read it for her book club.  I enjoy going into books blind this way, and try to do it whenever possible.  That’s part of the reason many of my descriptions and posts here will be pretty vague.  I don’t want to give away anymore than is absolutely necessary to get you interested in the book.

With that said, I’m not going to tell you anything about Olive Kitteridge except that it is a Pulitzer prize winning novel and both my sister-in-law and I liked it.

Okay, that’s not all I’m going to tell you, but I won’t give away the plot.  What I will say is that it is a refreshing novel that does interesting things with character development and narrative structure that make it worthy of all the praise it has received.  Give it a shot, especially if you love small town American fiction, and I doubt you will be disappointed.

“Nobody knows everything – they shouldn’t think they do” (74).

Full database entry on Olive Kitteridge.  Beware Spoilers.