Playing Catch Up

It's summer!!!!I have been absent from Avid Reader for a while because I have been thouroughly occupied finishing school, welcoming summer and preparing for my eldest sister's wedding! But I have, of course, kept up my reading :). To start up where I left off...


1- I finished Mann's Death in Venice!! Perhaps one of my favorite reads this past month, this novella/ short story was beyond impressive. The language was so rich, every sentence presented mouth-watering vocabulary words. I also loved the many Greek mythology references, used especially in connection with Tadzio, the protagonist's object of passion and desire. Passages on being an artist were especially moving; the reader sees a respectable writer let his true nature finally override his propriety that stems from world-wide fame. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Not only is it short and generally pretty easy to read (though a dictionary on hand [or built-in for fellow Kindle users!] wouldn't go amiss), it is one of those works of literature that leaves you feeling better off than before you read it. Finally, though I will not spoil it, the ending was honestly one of the best I can remember-- especially since lately the ending of books have seemed a bit anti-climactic. This leads me to...


2- I read The Magus by John Fowles! I really regret not having made posts as I read, because now I have to summarize a reading experience that was very complex. Plot-wise, The Magus tells its readers about Oxford graduate Nicholas who, after having a small but serious relationship with complicated, loving, sexy Allison, begins teaching on a Greek island. The setting allows him not only to experience strong emotions of isolation and depression, but it also leads him to meet an older, secluded millionaire. Eccentric from the beginning, the recluse soon shows himself to be controlling a "godgame." Beyond defining, this game includes recreating events (historical and mythological), introducing Nicholas to women whose identities are never a sure thing, hypnotics, etc. Is the game for the millionaire's benefit, some perverted enjoyment, or for Nicholas'?  The best thing about the novel, what left me beyond impressed and wholly enthralled, was the way in which Fowles brought the reader into the game. Nicolas may have his conceptions, formulas, ideas- his whole life and identity- constantly blown to the ground, but the reader is not exempt from the confusion and tumultuous chaos that progressively starts to dominate the novel. The end, though, brings no solace to the confusion, something that has stumped readers since first publication. I even read a revised version!!! (I regret that now and would like one day to read Fowles' original ending; I doubt it can be much more confusing.) I was extremely frustrated at the end, even angry; after playing with my head, I hoped to at least see the point of it all, but, alas! Many questions posed throughout the game/novel are indeed answered, but the purpose...sadly, I could find little. That's not to say I thought the book a waste of time, I would actually say the opposite, but the ending was just infuriating!!! I would highly recommend this novel, especially to readers who A) can enjoy a book slightly longer (~650 pages!) than usual and B) who enjoy psychological thrillers.


3- I also read Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. A beautifully written work of literature, I won't say much about this short novel. Inman, a deserter of the Civil War, makes his way back home to Cold Mountain in hopes of making his heart's love, Ada, his wife and together resigning from a world he has become disillusioned with. I not only loved the descriptions of the actual landscapes, which were excellent, but the ways in which these images reflected so well Inman's mood of disillusionment and, yet, of hope. Intercepting his tale is that of Ada, whose father has recently passed away, leaving her to manage a farm on her own when she had only been used to a life of leisure. The ending might not have been my favorite, but I enjoyed reading this touching tale and would highly recommend it, especially for a rainy, summer day! 


Now, I have been reading The Tale of Genji for a couple of weeks. I will write soon on it!