FULL REVIEW: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

  

Title:          A Moveable Feast
Author:      Ernest Hemingway
Book # :    125                       

Type:         Biography

Genre:       Memoirs                

Year:         1964

Publisher:   Collier                    

Country:     US        

Language:  English                      

Media:       Paperback
Pages:       211
Rating:         9  

  

What is impressive about ‘A Moveable Feast’ by Ernest Hemingway is that it lives up to the standard of ‘writing one true sentence’ (p.12),   In fact this quality would later distinguish Hemingway from other writers. 

‘A Moveable Feast’ is a fond, but unglamorous retrospective of early life as a struggling, poor but happy artist in Paris from 1921-26 completed much later in his life in 1960 (when much of his contemporaries had passed away).  

The biography opens with an explanation of the title in the title page:

“If you are lucky to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

  

Hemingway even explains in the Preface that this book may be regarded as fiction so that it may "throw some light on what has been written as fact."

The famous Paris 1920s expatriate literary / artistic circle are included; Gertrude Stein, Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Ezra Pound, James Joyce, and Ford Madox Ford.  Woody Allen’s recent movie ‘Midnight in Paris’ wonderfully captures this ‘golden age’ of artist expression.

The book is structured in 20 short chapters, utilizing the trademark concise journalist style, with his homage to Scott Fitzgerald being by far the longest (for good reason, to properly portray this complex legend).

But what stand out are the excellent descriptions of writing in Paris cafes, eating local food chased by wine or liquor. 

“I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture.” (p.6)

The passages regarding literature are a fascinating glimpse into the budding young writer/novelist:

“In those days there was no money to buy books.  I borrowed books from the rental library of Shakespeare and Company.” (p.35)

“To have come to all this new world of writing, with time to read in a city like Paris where was a way of living well and working, no matter how poor you were, was like having a great treasure given to you.”  (p.134)

“Tolstoi made the writing of Stephen Crane on the Civil War seem like the brilliant imagining of a sick boy who had never seen war but had only read the battles and chronicles.” (p.133)  

“War and Peace comes out as a hell of a novel, the greatest I suppose, and you can read it over and over…. But you can’t read Dostoyevsky over and over.” (p.137)

Some of the most poignant scenes address the out-of-work hungry artist.

“You got very hungry when you did not eat enough in Paris because all the bakery shops had such good things in the windows and people ate outside at tables on the sidewalk so that you saw and smelled the food." (p.69)

“All the paintings (at the Luxembourg museum) were sharpened and clearer and more beautiful if you were belly-empty, hollow-hungry.”(p.69)

Some passages are truly funny with unwavering brutal honesty,

“You shouldn't write if you can’t write. What do you have to cry about it for? Go home. Get a job. Hang yourself. Only don’t talk about it. You could never write.” (p. 94)

“Everyone is the same size in bed” (p.104)

“It is not basically a question of size in repose. It is the size that it becomes. It is also a question of angle.” (p.190)

The most poignant section concerns Scott Fitzgerald and his hypochondriac condition (I once again think of Woody Allen), over-domineering wife Zelda, and terrible insecurities.  Great artists are greatly tortured by internal demons.  Hemingway appears to be tolerant and genuinely concerned and loyal towards his friend, which is very different from the popular stereotype of him as the combative, intensely jealous rival. 

A fellow book-lover, Susan Berek, wonders if his early life was truly as happy as Hemingway would have us believe, or does it appear so with the passage of time.  One can never know so sure, but my vote is for YES! I feel that Hemingway near the end of life, as all of us do at times, reflected on the ‘best of times and worst of times’ and recognized that he was happiest when he was relatively unknown and not yet famous (think of ‘Rosebud’ from classic Citizen Kane film).

The final section makes as strong case, as Hemingway holds a mirror to his life, and acknowledges that the Paris period ended when he had an affair with the babysitter (how clichéd!!).  He loved his wife Hadley dearly in those austere years as they took on a unified and supportive front against Paris and the world.  Alas, everything good somehow comes to an end.  Everyone ultimately must take stock of his life (remember Socrates?), and Hemingway ends his reflection with fondness (and yearning perhaps?):

“Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it.  But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.” (p.211)

REVIEW: The Stranger by Albert Camus

Title:          The Stranger                                    

Author:       Albert Camus
Book # :     116                        

Type:          Novel

Genre:        Existentialism                    

Year:          1942

Publisher:    Penguin                     

Country:      French Algeria         

Language:   French                                

Translator:   Stuart Gilbert                    

Media:         Paperback

Pages:        120

Rating:         10 

I must admit that I was apprehensive re-reading this classic of existentialism, as I was profoundly affected (in a depressing manner) when I first read this novel in my 20's. Back then I found the protagonist STRANGE and his world view to be bleak and depressing.      

Perhaps it was the scary absurd notion and central theme of this book that life has no meaning. In a God-less universe, how does one live?  With no rules whatsoever.  Everything is permissible, including killing another human being for no justifiable reason. Blaming it on the sun just doesn't make any sense!

However, even though there are no 'rules' or guiding principles per say, and in such a world any behavior is seemingly allowable, one must be willing to pay the consequences for one's action.  In the 'Stranger,' the price paid is of the worst kind!  I was very very depressed after reading this book.  Existentialism to me did not offer a positive or even viable philosophy!  Nonetheless, I realized this novel was unique, one-of-a-kind, portraying life in a new albeit harsh light. 

This is the primary challenge with the novel.  The principle character Meursault is completely unlikable. He has no purpose in life, drifting from work to play on the beach.  He appears distant and displays very little emotion. In fact, he is on trial for this deficiency.  In the end, he is convicted NOT for killing an Arab repeatedly in cold blood (made famous by the Cure song), but for not crying at his mother's funeral. He is deemed a threat to society and punished accordingly.

That was then.  Today, more than 20 years later, I have a very different perspective. Camus was way ahead of his time.  He is writing about the new Modern Man who has lost his way.  In this era of fierce Individualism and Reality Show freaks, Meursault would hardly register.  He is accurately describing disaffected narcissist nihilistic hedonist Youth in our age of Internet, Twitter and Facebook.  Even though Camus was describing conditions following Nazi Germany's atrocities on humankind and the senselessness of life, today technology has made us all 'comfortably numb.'  Too many headlines abound today of young teenagers perpetrating heinous crimes or murder for no justifiable reason.  For me, it started with 'wilding' murders in New York city in the 80s.  What a shame! 

I understand Meursault much better today than I did more than 20 years ago. He found meaning for his existence in the purely physical world - his love of nature, cigarettes, sex. The sun is seen as a force that causes him great discomfort (mother's funeral,  blinding reflection off knife on the beach) and ultimately leads to his downfall.   I now feel pity towards him rather than revulsion.  A life without purpose is hollow and empty.  Despite all the modern distractions, people are very lonely and screaming for attention and love.   In the words of Socrates many many years ago, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

July & August Books Read

QUICK HITS (EXPANDED) - April - June 2012 Books Read

I was on track for the second quarter of 2012, until my distraction with The Fifty Shades rubbish in May.  Oh well, summer's here and I look forward to uninterrupted time to enjoy a number of great books.  The beginning of April 2012 also marked an important milestone, my first 100 Books Read.

April 2012

#100   Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov, 1955                          RATING:  10.0

Having viewed the two film adaptations of this controversial novel (my first 100 book milestone!), I was admittedly unprepared for the shock of the first person account of Humbert Humbert’s plot to seduce a 12 year old girl.  But not for the reasons you may think.  It is not pornographic; in fact Nabokov ensures that the most salacious thoughts/acts are masked in artistic prose.  Nonetheless, the novel takes one into the mind of a pedophile, and Humbert almost convinces the reader that his actions are justifiable. ALMOST, but we are not deceived by his erudition, social standing and command of language(s). Absolutely frightening even in light of the proliferation of graphic Criminal Minds/Law & Order SVU TV shows.  The ending is satisfying, but overall it is a sad tale about loss and no one immerges unscathed. Disturbing and complex.

#101   Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi, 2003         RATING:  6.0

Disappointing - more of an account of living in Tehran, Iran during Ayatollah Khomeini’s rule than a real literary discourse or book on books.  Even though the four chapters were titled Lolita, Gatsby, James and Austen, they were merely incidental to the depressing conditions of living under a backward religious dictatorship. We have heard this story a bit too often since the book’s publication.  The most provocative quote is a play on the opening line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Muslim man, regardless of his fortune, must be in want of a nine-year-old virgin wife.”  Enough said!!

#102   The Wanderer – Alain Fournier, 1912                   RATING:  8.0

A reference from ‘On the Road’ to this little known novel filled me with anticipation.  I was not disappointed.  The writing style is unique and the story moves along at a quick pace.  A page turner from a 26 year old French author recounting the time and adventures of a new boy (grand  Meaulnes) who becomes a lodger in their tiny town. The novel is subtitled ‘the End of Youth’ and deals with Meaulnes’ chance encounter with a stunning adolescent girl and the attempt to re-capture that magical moment.  In my opinion, the end of the story takes a turn into unnecessary melodrama, diminishing an intriguing and believable tale. Fournier died several years later during WWI while working on a second novel.

 

#103   A Hero of Our Time – Mihail Lermontov, 1840     RATING:  9.5

What an incredible gem of a discovery!  I had never heard of this Russian author, but a bright green used $2 paperback copy translated by non other than Vladimir Nabokov caught my attention.  What I learned is that ‘A Hero of Our Times’ is considered the first major novel in Russian literature, a chief source for the great masterpieces of later 19th century.  I did see themes & styles that clearly influenced Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Turgenev.  The story seems oddly modern, with the immoral, bored but headstrong “nihilist’ youth struggling to find meaning in life. The title is ironic since Pechorin is an anti-hero who destroys hearts and friendships at will with little remorse. The narrative style and five part structure (non chronological) is highly sophisticated.  Brilliant story-telling with passages and quotes that linger for a long time.  In the Preface, the author warns that the public’s reaction and disbelief to a man being so bad as Pechorin is perhaps “because there is more truth in this character than you would desire there to be?”  Too bad Lermontov lived as passionately as his character; he died in a duel at age of 26 resulting from a trivial quarrel with a fellow officer.

May 2012

#104  Eugene Onegin – Alexander Pushkin, 1833           RATING:   7.5

The only book read in May, due to my crazy work travel schedule and the misadventure of reading The Fifty Shades trashy horribly written nonsense. But before that I had read a third Russian in 40 days, playwright Pushkin's classic tale of the anti-hero Eugene Onegin. The intricate original 14-line stanza iambic tetrameter structure (aBaBccDDeFFeGG) is impressive, especially so in English translation, although this is not an easy read.  From a plot perspective, similar story as 'Princess Mary' from A Hero of Our Time (Lermontov obviously influenced by Pushkin), with a twist. Beautiful maiden Tatyana falls madly in love with Eugene, only to be rebuked. An innocent flirtation ensues with his best friend's girlfriend, leading to a duel and a senseless death. All too late Eugene, after a period of abandonment, realizes he in fact does have strong feelings for the then married Tatyana. No happy ending here, only missed opportunities. Oddly modern and realistic portrayal of unrequited love.  

June 2012

#105  Ruth – Elizabeth Gaskell, 1853                            RATING:   7.0
An interesting premise, a young orphaned girl who becomes a kept woman to a rich 'gentleman,' doesn’t quite maintain our interest for the full length of novel. Written by a female writer during a Victorian era when the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen were using pseudonyms. Sensitive portray of young woman led astray who confuses lavish attention with love and suffers society's wrath.  Story of redemption gets too heavy with religious sermonizing and melodrama. Selection #17 of 4C&J Bookclub that was rather poorly received, with overall low rating of 4.4. 

#106  Mister Pip – Lloyd Jones, 2006                          RATING:   6.0
What sounded like a noble idea, a white man stays behind on a tropical island during an escalating conflict to read Dicken's 'Great Expectations' to the children, shockingly becomes very graphic about the horrors and dehumanization of war. The adventures of orphaned Pip in Victorian London are a welcome reprieve from the chaos of island fighting, until through a bizarre misunderstanding/twist of fate 'Pip' becomes a 'real' rebel fighter who is ruthlessly hunted. Interesting writing from New Zealand author, but it is very depressing.  My last minute more modern (short listed for Man Booker prize) pick for the 4C&J Bookclub.  Wish I had stuck to my original classic novel selection of 'Tess of the d'Ubervilles'.  

#107  For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway, 1940     RATING:   9.0
I was just about ready to throw in the towel after investing 250 pages in Hemingway's longest major novel, but then all of a sudden, the action and intensity heated up without pause until the final of the next 200 pages!  The setting and theme chosen were grand in scope - the story of a motley crew of of guerrilla freedom fighters defending the Republic from the fascist forces during the Spanish war.  But nothing much happens in the first half of the story.  American Robert Jordan has a mission to blow a crucial bridge in support of the anti-fascists, but all they do is talk, talk, talk about it rather than taking any definitive action.  Hemingway's trademark short, terse prose appears missing in action here, as the dialogue is repetitive and rather boring.  But I realize at the end that it was all by design.  Even in actual warfare there is much time spent waiting, talking and worrying about the next strike and ultimate outcome.  Then the shit hits the fan, all hell breaks loose, and best laid plans run amok. Which is exactly what happens in the final 200 exhilarating pages of this masterful novel.  The ending packs an incredible punch.  I read the final 10 pages with tears streaming down my eyes in a window seat on a plane that was in a final descent for landing. What an vicarious reading experience!  I honestly felt transported to the mountainside of Spain.  If only Papa would have condensed the first part of the novel..........


#108  The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho, 1993                   RATING:   3.5
I decided to give the Alchemist another try after being learning from Lia, a receptionist at an accounting firm, that Coelho was Brazilian (I mistakenly thought he was Spanish due to setting of story), and I am currently interested in all things Brazilian due to my frequent work travels. Since it's initial publication in Portuguese in 1988, the book has been published in 71 languages in over 160 countries selling 65 million copies. So what is the appeal?   I honestly don't know!!  This book is simplistic and dangerous, in my opinion.  Is it a fable, allegory, self-help book, or comic strip.  Each reader will need to decide.  As for me, I really tried to keep an open mind the second time around.  Although I am not as repelled by the ending this time (simple message that your true treasure lies under your feet) I was very tired of the overused mantra, "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it." Where have we heard this before? 'The Secret,' right? Then why haven't I won the lottery.  Oh yeah, the book will have you believe I abandoned the idea just at the moment I was to receive my wish.   A very convenient argument, Mr. Coelho! But what really bothers me is the purely unbelievable passages - the boy outwits desert bandits by metaphysically turning himself into the wind, and carries on deep philosophical talks with the sun.  Really, I couldn't make up this New Age stuff!  I hate to admit it, but this book gets worse as one gains experience and common sense.  A further downgrade from my original rating.

FULL REVIEW: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Anonymous, 2000 BC (SPOILER ALERT)

SPOILER ALERT!

To celebrate the First 100 Books Read, I will occasionally select those masterpieces I have discovered earlier that have made a lasting impact.  The Epic of Gilgamesh is ranked #6 on my All-Time Top Books list.

Have you heard of the magnificent Epic of Gilgamesh? I have read the Penguins Classics version from 1960s and the recent modern Stephen Mitchell translation.  Both clearly capture the majesty of this 2000 BC poem that was discovered in 19^th century in clay tablets with cuneiform characters in the ancient Akkadian language.

The earliest surviving work of literature, predating Homer and the Hebrew Bible, this poem is unlike anything ever written.  The story is centered on this historical king who reigned in Mesopotamian in the great city of Uruk in 2750 BC.  It seems oddly very modern as it explores themes of friendship, quest for fame and quest for immortality, similar themes that appear in Homeric epics.

The narrative is sparse but evocative describing Gilgamesh as arrogant and insensitive leader.  Enkidu is created as a rival by the gods, but they instantly become friends and venture in search of fame by slaying a forest monster. Gilgamesh humiliates goddess Ishtar who punishes Enkidu with death.  Gilgamesh voices his grief at losing his best friend and his profound fear of death.  This leads him on a spiritual quest to search the one exception to the rule of mortality –Utnapishtim, whom Gilgamesh learns achieved immortality by building the Ark during the Great Flood at the request of the gods who decided to wipe out the race because humans had become too numerous and too noisy!!!   

In the end Gilgamesh achieves wisdom, reluctantly realizing that there is no way to overcome death and decides to focus his energy on restoring his great city (which ultimately becomes his enduring legacy, as ironically, its vast achievement is beautifully described in this remarkable poem).

For me personally, what most resonated was the astonishing description of Gilgamesh’s grief at losing his dear friend (soul mate) Enkidu and the disbelief / unwillingness to accept that the same fate (death) should apply to him: “Must I die too? Must I be as lifeless as Enkidu? How can I bear this sorrow that gnaws at my belly, this fear of death that relentlessly drives me onward?  This leads him on a personal quest / odyssey in search of eternal life on earth.

Most human beings ponder this existential question of what is the purpose of life, and what happens when one dies. For some, it seems inconceivable that death represents the end, but they lack the complete faith in God to comfort and guide them in this earthly life.  Ironically, Gilgamesh twice is given the opportunity by Utnapishtim for immortality and eternal youth (the test of staying awake seven days and capturing the Magic Plant), but Gilgamesh lets them both slip away.  Why this happens is a mystery – perhaps it was simply not meant to be!  After the quest comes to an end, Gilgamesh is left with only the conventional advice on how to live;

“love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace” and that “man’s life is short, at any moment it can be snapped”  

There are so many other thought provoking passages in this short epic that hint at deeper truths/mysteries:

• Gilgamesh introduced as a ruthless tyrant, with each virgin bride required to be first mated by Gilgamesh because “every girls’ hymen belonged to him”
• ‘wild man’ Enkidu being civilized/tamed by the temple love priestess Shamhat by opening offering him sex through seven days of non stop lovemaking!
• the fascinating role of the temple priestess (not a prostitute!) whose life is dedicated to initiating men to the sacred mystery of sexual union– a refreshing healthy view that is very different to the Judeo-Christian view of Adam and Eve after the Fall
• the flimsy rationale (fame!) to pursue the monster Humbaba of the Cedar Forest (they are not attacked directly by a monster like in Beowulf) and Enkidu’s insistence, despite pleas of mercy from Humbaba, that Gilgamesh kill the monster
• Goddess Ishtar being scorned by Gilgamesh, and her human-like response - fury by sending the Bull of Heaven to destroy his palace
• Enkidu’s ill-advised taunts and hubris (outrageous arrogance) at the Goddess Ishtar after killing the Bull of Heaven –“if only I could catch you, I would rip you apart” - who suffers the expected consequence; a slow agonizing death!
• Gilgamesh’s first challenge on his quest is through a dark tunnel, situated between twin mountains, as the suns sets and he must reach the end before the sun rises (running nonstop for twelve hours)!!?
• The elaborate Noah story with details of the Flood that are eerily similar to and pre-date the Bible – building the boat, selection of animals, the six days of the flood, and the loosing of birds on the seventh day.
• A snake (the same as in the Eden story?) slithering off with the Magic Plant and casting off its skin while Gilgamesh is bathing in a pool of water….

In summary, the Epic of Gilgamesh has power to move and astonish.  It is incredible that ‘the oldest story in the world’ is so relevant today and can speak directly to one on a deep, personal basis.  This is a remarkable feat of Great literature. 

This is a true Masterpiece that I will revisit often and savor each line similar to how the British discoverers must have experienced it, with the story slowly unfolding with each of the original thousands of clay tablets.

Rating -  10/10

The First 100 Books Read - LOOKING BACK

The road to complete 1001 literary books hit a critical milestone in April 2012, with my First 100 books read.  The journey began back in Sept 2009 with the completion of 'Don Quixote' after failing to finish it in two previous attempts. The First 100 milestone was reached with Vladimir Nabokov's still disturbing 'Lolita.'

The First 100 has taken me 32 months to complete.  At this rate I will be in my early my early 80s before I reach my target.  Thankfully, I have picked up the pace in the past year (a book a week) and should be done before I reach 70 years of age and still have my wits about me!

Looking at the distribution of ratings, excluding the the three '10' rating re-readings, the normalized curve is as strangely uniform in the following pattern:

%         Rating      Description
10%     10             Masterpiece
20%     9-9.5        Very Good
20%     8-8.5        Good
20%     7-7.5        Mixed
20%     6-6.5        Average
10%     5 or less    Poor

Therefore, only half the books read would qualify as worthy of recommendation!  Any book with a '10' rating in my opinion should be the first consideration in a choice of what to read, and I would personally draw from this list as a potential for re-reading in the future.

In addition, I have noted that fully 42 of the First 100 books were not written in English!  This speaks to the Global experience and enduring power of words, in whatever language.  But is does present the challenge of ensuring that the translation is modern, clear and relevant.
I have often been branded as a reader who focused exclusively on the 'classics.'  Well, a review of publication dates of the First 100 would deny that.  Fully 2/3 of all the books were from 1900 and later.  OK, many of these would be considered 'modern classics' but 1/5 are actually from the 2000s. Nonetheless, I do prefer the Russian, Victorian and early American masters.

I have been asked, how did Lit1001 come about?  The idea came to me after a chance meeting with Ben Cook in a work-related training session in the summer of 2009.  His background in Literature and subsequent encouragement was the impetus I needed to establish this current lofty goal of  reading 1001 literary works. At the same time, my wife Guylaine Plourde established the 4C&J Bookclub that created a disciplined approach to a diverse range of books. In addition, I  recently re-connected with a school buddy Santino Bellasario, now a Literature professor at a private school, who added a critical dimension that has been helpful.  It was only natural then that this blog should be created to communicate progress on a broad basis.  Thanks to my son Vincent for his technical computer capabilities in setting up this blog. 

Another interesting statistic is that fully 50% of  Lit1001 blog's pageviews (in the six months it has been established) are outside of Canada, providing exposure that I could not have imagined!  The pageview distribution is as follows:

50%   Canada

22%   US

12%   Russia

16%   UK/Germany/other

Finally, I want to thank all my personal friends and colleagues who have encouraged on this fantastic voyage!  You know who you all are!!!!

For a complete list of the First 100 Books Read by Date click on this link: The First 100 Books Read (by Date)
For a complete list of the First 100 Books Read by Rating click on this link: The First 100 Books Read (by Rating)

COMPLETE QUOTES - The Book Thief

The power of words is never more evident than in the masterful narrative by Death in the 'The Book Thief' ranked #18 on my All-Time Books list.

All quotes are by Death, unless in quotation marks to indicate other characters within the book.  The page number reference is from the 2006 'domino' Knopf cover design soft cover edition (550 pages).

For a capsule review of Book Thief, click link below and scroll down to Book #99
QUICK HITS - March 2012 (Book Read #99)

11   the graying light arm-wrestled the sky.
14   a septic truth bleeds toward clarity.
15   each story is an immense leap of an attempt - to prove that you, and your human existence, are worth it.
27   The day was gray, the color of Europe.
80   She was the book thief without the words.
107 Is there cowardice in being glad that you lived?
160 Mein Kampf. Of all the things to save him.
164 Proof again of the contradictory human being.  So much good, so much evil. Just add water.
178 Two war for two escapes... Not many men are lucky enough to cheat me twice.
189 “When death captures me, he will feel my fist on his face.”  Such stupid gallantry.
208 Living was living. The price was guilt and shame.
242 Even death has a heart.
309 So many humans. So many colors.
321 One ribbon, one pinecone. One button, one stone.
336 the sky was yellow, like burning newspaper.
350 I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks.
378 From a Himmel Street window, he wrote, the stars set fire to my eyes.
391 Their eyes were enormous in their starving skulls.
392 The suffering faces …reached across to them, pleading… for an explanation.
395 If nothing else, the old man would die like a human.
410 “They (fallen dominos) look like dead bodies.”
464 It kills me sometimes, how people die
473 It was with great sadness that she realized her brother would be six forever.
479 A broken leg was certainly something to celebrate.
482 “Stealing is what the army does. Taking your father, and mine.”
491 Still, they have one thing I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.
503 He killed himself for wanting to live.
506 The Fuhrer's pimply little knees were starting to shake.
512 “‘Is it really you? The young man asked,’” she said. “ ‘Is it from your cheek that I took the seed?’”
518 “‘Hair the color of lemons,’” Rudy read. “You told him about me?”
521 Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing.
531 He does something to me, that boy (Rudy). It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.
536 He tasted like regret in the shadow of trees
550 *** A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR***   I am haunted by humans

The First 100 Books Read (by Rating)

1001	Title	Author	Year	Rating	Read
# 100	Lolita	Nabokov	1955	10	Apr-12
# 99	The Book Thief	Zusak	2005	10	Mar-12
# 98	On the Road	Kerouac	1957	10	Mar-12
# 90	Mayor of Casterbridege	Hardy	1880	10	Dec-11
# 82	Farewell to Arms	Hemingway	1929	10	Nov-11
# 75	If on a Winter's Night a Traveller	Calvino	1979	10	Oct-11
# 68	Tale of Two Cities	Dickens	1859	10	Sep-11
# 63	Shepherds of the Night	Amado	1966	10	Aug-11
# 31	One Hundred Years of Solitude	Marquez	1967	10	Oct-10
# 17	Epic of Gilgamesh	Anon	-2000	10	Jul-10
# 20	Oedipus the King	Sophocles	-429	10	Jul-10
# 7	Ulysses	Joyce	1922	10	May-10
# 5	The Odyssey	Homer	-800	10	Mar-10
# 48	Cronicles of a Death Foretold	Marquez	1981	9.5	May-11
# 46	Of Human Bondage	Maugham	1915	9.5	Apr-11
# 40	Metamorphosis	Kafka	1915	9.5	Jan-11
# 34	Picture of Dorian Gray	Wilde	1891	9.5	Nov-10
# 29	Divine Comedy - Inferno	Dante	1308	9.5	Sep-10
# 30	Ripening Seed	Colette	1923	9.5	Sep-10
# 27	Kim	Kipling	1901	9.5	Aug-10
# 2	Wuthering Heights	Bronte	1847	9.5	Oct-09
# 96	The Castle	Kafka	1926	9	Jan-12
# 89	Clockwork Orange	Burgess	1962	9	Dec-11
# 87	Jane Eyre	Bronte	1847	9	Dec-11
# 74	Kamouraska	Hebert	1973	9	Oct-11
# 72	Maus I & II	Spiegelman	1986	9	Oct-11
# 67	Disgrace	Coetzee	1998	9	Aug-11
# 60	Julius Caesar	Shakespeare	1599	9	Jul-11
# 50	The Girl who Played with Fire	Larsson	2009	9	May-11
# 38	The Lover	Duras	1984	9	Dec-10
# 28	The Gargoyle	Davidson	2008	9	Aug-10
# 23	Dubliners	Joyce	1914	9	Aug-10
# 9	Steppenwolf	Hesse	1927	9	Jun-10
# 97	Ficciones	Borges	1962	8.5	Feb-12
# 71	The Forever War	Haldeman	1974	8.5	Sep-11
# 70	The Forged Coupon	Tolstoy	1910	8.5	Sep-11
# 66	Waiting for the Barbarians	Coetzee	1980	8.5	Aug-11
# 62	Merchant of Venice	Shakespeare	1590	8.5	Jul-11
# 51	Of Men and Mice	Steinbeck	1937	8.5	Jun-11
# 45	Book of Negroes	Hill	2007	8.5	Apr-11
# 47	Poor Folk	Dostoevsky	1846	8.5	Apr-11
# 32	The Immoralist	Gide	1902	8.5	Oct-10
# 14	Agamemnon	Aeschylus	-458	8.5	Jul-10
# 8	Portrait of Artist as a Young Man	Joyce	1916	8.5	Jun-10
# 3	The Illiad	Homer	-800	8.5	Dec-09
# 1	Don Quixote	Cervantes	1615	8.5	Sep-09
# 95	Giovanni's room	Baldwin	1956	8	Jan-12
# 92	Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close	Foer	2005	8	Dec-11
# 84	Moon & Sixpense	Maugham	1919	8	Nov-11
# 76	Shadow of the Wind	Zafon	2004	8	Oct-11
# 64	One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich	Solzhenitsyn	1963	8	Aug-11
# 57	Sentimentalists	Skibsrud	2009	8	Jul-11
# 41	Dracula	Stoker	1897	8	Feb-11
# 15	Beowulf	Anon	1010	8	Jul-10
# 19	Oedipus at Colonus	Sophocles	-406	8	Jul-10
# 85	Crying of Lot 49	Pynchon	1966	7.5	Nov-11
# 55	Divine Comedy - Paradiso	Dante	1308	7.5	Jul-11
# 49	Kreutzer Sonata	Tolstoy	1889	7.5	May-11
# 37	Pamela	Richardson	1740	7.5	Dec-10
# 25	Bhagavad Gita	Anon	-200	7.5	Aug-10
# 12	Bonjour Tristesse	Sagan	1954	7.5	Jun-10
# 6	Story of Edgar Sawtelle	Wroblewski	2008	7.5	Apr-10
# 88	Wide Sargasso Sea	Rhys	1966	7	Dec-11
# 86	By Grand Central Station	Smart	1945	7	Nov-11
# 81	As I Lay Dying	Faulkner	1930	7	Nov-11
# 77	The Sun Also Rises	Hemingway	1926	7	Oct-11
# 58	Romeo and Juliet	Shakespeare	1600	7	Jul-11
# 56	Beatrice and Virgil	Martel	2010	7	Jul-11
# 54	Sea of Poppies	Ghosh	2008	7	Jul-11
# 42	Historian	Kostova	2005	7	Feb-11
# 33	Adolphe	Constant	1816	7	Nov-10
# 21	Antigone	Sophocles	-442	7	Jul-10
# 16	Choephoroe	Aeschylus	-458	7	Jul-10
# 13	The Girl with Dragon Tattoo	Larsson	2008	7	Jun-10
# 93	The Help	Stockett	2009	6.5	Jan-12
# 78	Brideshead Revisted	Waugh	1945	6.5	Oct-11
# 73	Louis Riel	Brown	2003	6.5	Oct-11
# 69	Books: a memoir	McMurtry	2008	6.5	Sep-11
# 53	El Cid	Hamilton(trans)	1207	6.5	Jul-11
# 26	The Tempest	Shakespeare	1610	6.5	Aug-10
# 4	Stonehedge	Cromwell	2000	6.5	Jan-10
# 94	Heloise	Hebert	1980	6	Jan-12
# 91	Cakes & Ale	Maugham	1930	6	Dec-11
# 83	Rubaiyat	Khayyam	1100	6	Nov-11
# 79	So Many Books, So Little Time	Nelson	2003	6	Oct-11
# 65	Neuromancer	Gibson	1984	6	Aug-11
# 52	The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest	Larsson	2010	6	Jun-11
# 43	Pinocchio	Collodi	1883	6	Mar-11
# 44	Secret Daughter	Gowda	2010	6	Mar-11
# 35	The Internet Bride	Ward	2000	6	Nov-10
# 22	Ajax	Sophocles	-430	6	Jul-10
# 18	Eumenides	Aeschylus	-458	6	Jul-10
# 11	Ex-Libris	Fadiman	2000	6	Jun-10
# 61	Man Who Was Thursday	Chesterton	1908	5.5	Jul-11
# 59	Bridge of San Luis Rey	Wilder	1927	5.5	Jul-11
# 10	L’amante Anglaise	Duras	1967	5.5	Jun-10
# 39	Divine Comedy - Purgatorio	Dante	1308	4.5	Jan-11
# 80	Alice in Wonderland	Carroll	1875	3	Nov-11
# 36	Man in a Uniform	Taylor	2010	3	Dec-10
# 24	Turn of the Screw	James	1898	2.5	Aug-10