Reading List 2009
Hola compadres, its that time again where I list in chronological order everyfink what I’ve read in the year like. So sit back, relax, and let the books commence! [ahem..]
The Making of the English Working Class - E.P. Thompson
Not in My Name - Julie Burchill and Chas Newkey-Burden
Pies and Prejudice - Stuart Maconie
Wyndham Lewis - Richard Humphreys
Watchmen - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Notes from Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Book of Imaginary Beings - Jorge Luis Borges
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Uncollected - Essays Old and New - Michael Foot
Pirates of the Carribean - Tariq Ali
V For Vendetta - Alan Moore and David Lloyd
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
No Time To Think - Howard Rosenberg and Charles S Feldman
Enemy of the Stars (BLAST) - Wyndham Lewis
News from Nowhere and other writings - William Morris
A Spy in the House of Love - Anais Nin
Indissoluble Matrinomy (BLAST) - Rebecca West
Michael Foot: A Life - Kenneth O Morgan
Styles of Radical Will - Susan Sontag
A fulfilling list once more. Did I, boringly, enjoy them all once more? Yes, boringly, I did. Let me caveat that actually. The worst read was probably No Time To Think, which had interesting things to say about the debilitating effect of the “speed culture” of internet on the news cycle, but was repetitive and had an annoying folksy style. Nick Davies’ Flat Earth News about the sorry state of British journalism was vastly superior. Meanwhile - Anais Nin - while I can certainly see the appeal in the flashed beauty of her prose style, in its entirety it’s a vision which doesn’t quite hold me, I am too far removed.
As I wrote elsewhere the ridiculously belated discovery of Alan Moore has been an absolute revelation. Dostoyevsky contains to enthrall on every level, while Dickens, perhaps Fyodor’s opposite, delights in a way more minor, if warmer.
At a time when “the books of the decade” are being looked back at, The Corrections is getting a fair few mentions. At the time there was some controversy as to whether this book represented high or middlebrow literature, or some-such. Having read it this year, all I will say is that I did find it an immensely enjoyable experience, engaging and affecting, and that sometimes the masses get it right!
I won’t retread the reviews I’ve already done for Spike this year, except to say reading and reviewing Michael Foot’s essay led to me reading Kenneth O Morgan’s biography of the man, which increased my admiration of him still further. Didn’t read many new-new books this year, and the one non Spike review I did this year was Celebrity by Marina Hyde for Bookmunch, which was entertaining, but not quite as good as it thinks it is.
William Morris’ pastoral vision of socialism was a little on the sedentary side, but beautiful and inspirational nonetheless, while the weird and spikier Jean Genet and Wyndham Lewis continue to unnerve and excite. And Susan Sontag remains the commentator to aspire to.
I’ve resisted the urge to include Ulysses, as I’m only a quarter way through! Am loving it so far I must say.
My fave read of the year? I really don’t think I could pick one this time, but probably a close run between Notes from Underground, Watchmen and Super Cannes.
Have a wonderful new year, and remember, as spaketh Moz, there’s more to life than books you know but not much more.
loved v for vendetta!