Books 2008

[bagheera_san]

1. The Time-Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Gregorius by Hartman v. Aue
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
4. The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes
5. The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud
6. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
7. Der Verdacht by F. Dürrenmatt
8. Doktor Faustus by Thomas Mann
9. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
10. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
11. England, England by Julian Barnes
12. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
13. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
14. Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
15. The Idiot by Dostoevsky

16. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
There were bits and pieces in this book (mostly in terms of style and language) that were beautiful and breathtaking, but for a lot of it I was very annoyed. This is a book that hasn't aged well, not because it is old, but because it's clichéd now. (After the second part I just thought "I get it, man, I get it!!!") Also, Kerouac should have written poetry rather than prose.

17. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
This might be my favourite contemporary novel. I read it on the trip to Ireland, and it often saved my sanity when the company got a little unbearable. It's also the best book about the Holocaust that I've ever read (and that is an incredibly strange thing to write.) You see, most books with that topic that I've read were children's literature or things we read in school and I haven't read any since. Two things struck me in which this novel is different: it's a novel from the point of view of my generation, and it's a very, very different portrayal of Jewish culture. I was used to portrayals that took great care to educate their readers against anti-semitism and thus glossed over a lot of the cultures differences. This novel isn't didactic, and that makes it miles better - and more heartbreaking. (It's also a very strange book to read in German, but I couldn't get it anywhere in English on short notice.)
Aside from that it's also damn hilarious and sweet and very fresh. It's the first time I can remember that I reached the last page of a book and was absolutely baffled - I was so caught up in it that I didn't notice it was reaching its end. Which, if you have read the end, is a bit cruel, because that can't/shouldn't be it!

Now I'm wondering if I should watch the movie.

Comments

[fiercynn.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I don't think the movie lives up to the book well at all. All the scenes of the book about Trachimbrod are cut out, and Safran Foer's character itself was made somewhat weird and unsympathetic. The best part was Alex's character and the music (Gogol Bordello!), but otherwise I was a bit disappointed, especially because I was so blown over by the novel.

[bagheera-san.livejournal.com]

They cut Trachimbrod? What. I understand that it would be hard to do, but that is a bit like gutting and crippling the novel.