Tag: review

“The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway (Review)

I love Hemingway’s writing style, as bold and fancy free as it is. This is a classic example of the genre. It probably helped that I read this novel after completing Dickens (Our Mutual Friend) so the style could not have been more different. Both are, of course, classic approaches to writing and it is wonderful to experience the differences.

Many of Hemingway’s passions are on display here, especially his abiding love of bull fighting. Many years ago I was enthralled (and appalled to be honest) with his non-fiction account of this sport in “Death in the Afternoon” and much of the same is on display here as this coterie of lovers/friends/rivals makes their way to the Pamplona festival in Spain.

The writing is, of course, matter of fact but nevertheless when dealing with the love/unrequited love/jealousy themes there is much depth here. In may ways the feelings and emotions are merely hinted at, leaving it to the reader to imagine how those must be played out. This is particularly true of Cohn who seems to suffer the most from the dalliances of Lady Brett, even more so than her intended husband Michael, who seems to be long suffering indeed. There is no doubt that the friendship (more than friendship) of Brett and Jake is central to this story, and again, the reader is certainly encouraged to imagine how this will play out finally.

I think it would have been fascinating to have met Hemingway, either in his Parisian years or later, although I think I would have found him incredibly boorish, sexist, homophobic and probably anti-semitic. He does, however, live large still, and his shadow in literature is long indeed. His writing reveals his passionate life and he is very unafraid to surprise the reader and generally take us on a journey with him.

This has been described as the quintessential novel of a lost generation, meaning those for whom WW1 was uppermost in their formative or early adult lives. I understand that. However the war, as in several of his novels, forms the background, or even the foundation to what follows rather than being front and center. That certainly seems to be the case here. Jakes wound is never discussed in detail, and it is easy to miss in the narrative itself although it shapes his entire relationship with Brett. It is rather melancholic in times I feel – there is a lot of drinking, partying, arguing, lovers flings, depression etc. Again, these all seem to reflect the character of the man and his life. He is perhaps one of the best equipped authors to explain these things to us through prose. There is clearly a lot of his personal experience here, a roman a clef indeed.

There are may themes of interest here but some things are troubling to me. There seems to be a streak of implied or actual anti-semitism in much of the canon of world literature. Those of the jewish faith often seem to be depicted in a distinctly unflattering like (Shylock, Fagin) herein represented by Cohn who is very much an outsider and subjected to anti-semitic taunting. This is unsettling to me as is Hemingway’s overtly masculine approach to seemingly everything.

Still, this is book I much enjoyed. This type of dialogue-heavy, minimalist writing that nevertheless has a lot of depth beneath the surface is very well worth reading. It’s a book that keeps you thinking throughout, and post-reading.

“Great Expectations” – Charles Dickens (Review)

This book was, as I’m sure it was for many, was assigned to me as a set text at school when I was perhaps 14 and altogether too young to appreciate it. In fact, it left me with a jaundiced view of Dickens that lasted several decades.

This is one of the most enjoyable of his novels that I have read as I work through his canon. The opening of the book is famous and rightly one of the better known scenes in all Dickens, if not the whole of literature. From there the plot develops with, for CD, quite some pace as we follow Pip’s life and development, via an unknown benefactor, from a blacksmith’s apprentice to the life of a “gentleman”.

Of course, this is a love story too, or at least a story of unrequited love as we are introduced to Miss Haversham and her adopted weapon against men; Estella. As ever when I read Dickens I am struck by the realism of his characterizations. Of course there are themes that run through all the plots, good versus evil perhaps uppermost among them as is the case here. As a result we are presented with some of the finest villains in all literature as well as, usually, flawed heroes. As we learn about the main characters though, we find aspects to dislike in the heroes, and elements of sympathy in many of the antagonists (although perhaps not Uriah Heep) and this is the case here.

Miss Haversham herself is an iconic literary villain. Her manipulation of Estella into vicariously acting out her vengeful plans resulting from being jilted are macabre and sinister. She, too, develops a compassionate side towards the end but the descriptions of her decaying, crumbling, shrine of a house are haunting and disturbing indeed. Dickens is so good at painting a picture with words, one can almost smell the decay and the malevolence that issues from the rooms where Miss Haversham dwells.

Pip is certainly flawed, although it is impossible not to like him. Told in the first person, we see the whole plot through his eyes and Dickens is extremely adept at this form of story telling although it must be very hard to outline plots in this way. Because of this, we know Pip very well by the end of the story and understand his thought patterns. Whilst overall a “good” character, there are elements of snobbery and disgust about him that are most unpleasant, especially in his dealings with his adoptive father, Joe. These are resolved eventually as the development of Pip’s character (and his “expectations”) is a central theme and this is beautifully written throughout.

We see changes in most other characters too (except Joe) as Pip discovers who is the source of his “Great Expectations”. There is much symbolism and social comment here as always. The narrative takes place exclusively in and around London and we learn about crime and punishment in Victorian England, the issues of wealth and status, social class and people “knowing their place” and also Dickens’ well known thoughts on these issues.

I am not a writer but it must be very hard to conclude a novel. I am disappointed in the published ending to Great Expectations. Fortunately this edition also provides the two or three paragraphs of the original ending. I much prefer the original that, apparently, Dickens was persuaded to change by some of his fellow authors and literary friends. It is well worth seeking this out as I find it by far the more convincing of the two. The published ending panders to the reader’s desire for a happy ending and I find it very incongruous with all that has gone before. Did we really need to close it out that way? I wish Dickens had left the original which, like Hemingway in “A Farewell to Arms” would have been bolder in my opinion.

So the ending rather spoiled it for me since I thought Dickens cared more for realism that pleasing those looking to feel good at the end of a great novel. He’s certainly never seemed reticent about doing so in other novels. Still, this is a great read and if, like me, you were put off by this book when first exposed to it, I strongly encourage you to become reacquainted with it. Dickens is a literary genius and not nearly as unapproachable as I thought for all those years.

Hamlet – William Shakespeare (Review)

Classic literature lists generally include a sprinkling of plays. Obviously any list of seminal works is going to include Hamlet, commonly regarded as Shakespeare’s greatest work. Now, I am always conflicted when I read plays. There is no doubt that one gets a lot from the text itself, but I always feel that the language is designed to be spoken and given life by actors on a stage, therefore reading those words loses something.

However, there is great enjoyment to be had reading this play. In addition to the unfolding plot, the edition I read came from my high school kids’ english class, therefore there were detailed notes including translations of the highly Shakespearian words from which the narrative is obviously compiled. This is often helpful for the most obscure and obsolete words although it tends to disrupt the rhythm of reading.

Obviously this tragedy is a well known story and, indeed, a theme that resonates throughout literature – revenge. In common with most such themes the reader is initially sympathetic to the main protagonist and shares some of the outrage that leads them to swear revenge on the perpetrators. However, as the quest continues, the character becomes more and more obsessive and, as a result, much less likable. Hamlet himself isn’t a particularly sympathetic character to me. His treatment of Ophelia is harsh and his determination to avenge his father (driven by the latter ghost) leads him to his own, and pretty much everyone else’s destruction.

Obviously this is a great play and the theme, whilst not original to Shakespeare of course, is extremely well developed here. One is familiar with the approach but since this is written before such other famous revenge driven plots such as “The Count of Monte Cristo”, it represents one of the earliest explorations of this damaging quest.

I haven’t seen Hamlet on stage for decades and would like to reacquaint myself with the live performance. There is so much in Shakespeare that has entered the English lexicon and one is not always aware of that until it becomes apparent in the text. I love coming across such phrases in their original context.

I am always glad to read plays and this is perhaps the all time classic of the theatre.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

I had never read Kafka before and wondered about the term “Kafkaesque” that appears in literary reviews and the general lexicon. I guess if you give rise to a word in the language, you have really achieved something. The Metamorphosis is perhaps Kafka’s most famous work and the opening line is famous and sets the tone for what follows: “As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin”.

Translations vary of course and it is never very satisfactory to read books in a different language to that in which they were penned but, not reading German, I have no real choice! The vermin in question is a hideous insect although Kafka is at pains to spare us too many details although, at one point, a character describes him as a huge dung beetle.

This is a surreal, disturbing and sad story. I finished it late into the evening which wasn’t a great idea – it kept my brain churning well into the night. I wonder about the symbolism here, which may be a fruitless exercise when it comes to Kafka. There is no reason for the transformation, and initially it is clear Gregor believes his situation to be temporary or indeed, simply a dream. Inexplicably, his family, although horrified by the change, keep him in his room and although treat him fairly badly, seem to go on as normal, if not slightly better.

Gregor tries to adapt and survive but his family are not uniformly interested in him as he stays in his metamorphosed state and he becomes depressed, injured and ultimately gives up. Some of the descriptions are very depressing as he basically becomes a big insect kept in his room with minimal interaction. His family, in contrast to his plight, seem to metamorphose themselves into better workers and in the case of his sister, a more comely individual altogether.

It is bleak. Kafka wasn’t happy with the ending it is said (indeed many of his works were unfinished, suggestive of a difficulty in rounding off his tales) but it seems fitting to me. Even if the family is basically seeking to rid themselves of what Gregor has become. Is his change a metaphor for death and decrepitude? There is a suggestion that he wants to remain in his state and initially he seems to think that he can more or less carry on as usual. I am not sure what we are to take from this as allegory but it is a fascinating story – Kafka must have had a somewhat dark mind indeed.

I read this translation from Barnes and Noble Classics (Link below) which also includes: The Judgement, The Stoker, The Penal Colony, A Country Doctor, An Old Leaf, A Hunger Artist, Josephine the Singer and Before the Law.

This is a version that only includes this story, but the translation will likely be a little different (sometimes “vermin” is replaced by “insect” for example in the opening sentence)