Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Thursday, 1 March 2012
8. 'The Assistant' by Bernard Malamud (1957)
8 books in, and the first truly memorable book. When finishing, this was a book I was deeply upset to have finished reading, with a conclusion that was fantastically fitting yet unexpected, true to the book and yet revealing deeper meanings within the seemingly simple writing style of it.
What makes me all the more euphoric about its charms is that it was near impossible to find. It's out of print and after searching at least 10 second hand bookshops, I finally managed to track down a copy in November at the Amnesty Book Fair in Blackheath. It was especially dramatic, having searched for books for well over an hour and doing a second search around, it was lying beneath a few other potential gems. I did a mini triumphant thrust and then felt suitably ashamed. The book cost £1. My wife still hasn't left me.
The book itself focuses on a Jewish Polish immigrant in 1950's Brooklyn, when the area represented poverty rather than hipsterdom, and his struggles running a store. A young west coast Italian holds up the store and in order to redeem himself becomes an assistant in the store, with seemingly positive results.
There's an incredible complexity and subtlety to the book, with revelations affecting one's attitude especially to Frankie Alpine, the Italian.
As with Another Country, I'm sure there was some relief that the writing was accessible with minimal style, and this is certainly the most accessible book. But it remains intelligent all the way through. The scenarios reminded me a little of Paul Auster, whose books I always enjoy (though I have not been able to keep up with).
Anyways, having seen a solid production of 'A View from the Bridge' I can without hesitation say that The Assistant should really be the story that captures the 1950's immigration story. If only Malamud had been married to Marilyn Monroe. Let's do this Hollywood, reclaim this story. It worked for Malamud's 'The Natural', which my friend Dan Fooks (worst segue way ever?) has watched more than 10 times.
Finished all the A's, 1/11th through this project. Let's do this!
What makes me all the more euphoric about its charms is that it was near impossible to find. It's out of print and after searching at least 10 second hand bookshops, I finally managed to track down a copy in November at the Amnesty Book Fair in Blackheath. It was especially dramatic, having searched for books for well over an hour and doing a second search around, it was lying beneath a few other potential gems. I did a mini triumphant thrust and then felt suitably ashamed. The book cost £1. My wife still hasn't left me.
The book itself focuses on a Jewish Polish immigrant in 1950's Brooklyn, when the area represented poverty rather than hipsterdom, and his struggles running a store. A young west coast Italian holds up the store and in order to redeem himself becomes an assistant in the store, with seemingly positive results.
There's an incredible complexity and subtlety to the book, with revelations affecting one's attitude especially to Frankie Alpine, the Italian.
As with Another Country, I'm sure there was some relief that the writing was accessible with minimal style, and this is certainly the most accessible book. But it remains intelligent all the way through. The scenarios reminded me a little of Paul Auster, whose books I always enjoy (though I have not been able to keep up with).
Anyways, having seen a solid production of 'A View from the Bridge' I can without hesitation say that The Assistant should really be the story that captures the 1950's immigration story. If only Malamud had been married to Marilyn Monroe. Let's do this Hollywood, reclaim this story. It worked for Malamud's 'The Natural', which my friend Dan Fooks (worst segue way ever?) has watched more than 10 times.
Finished all the A's, 1/11th through this project. Let's do this!
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
7. 'Ape and Essence' by Aldous Huxley (1948)
7th book in and the first repeat author. From a first look it doesn't seem like there are too many authors that have managed to get two books into the list, and Burgess has chosen another of Burgess' lesser known novels. Though beyond Brave New World and The Doors of Perception (are there really still people intrigued by Jim Morrison in 2012?) it appears that Huxley's books have little lasting power in book stores. This required another epic search, and was only found on a day of specific search round bookshops in west London, and the amazing Slightly Foxed bookshop on Gloucester Road, which is so fantastically organised and deeply cared for with friendly staff, had a well-conditioned hardcover copy for £6.
Anyways, I liked the book already in that it was less than 150 pages. After Durrell and Mailer's epics, it was nice to balance this with something more direct.
The book's structure is also unique, in that after the first 20 pages providing a context for the fictional deceased screenwriter, it presents his rejected screenplay over the next 100 or so pages without notes or additional context. I loved it, except I would say that Huxley has a very loose concept of a screenplay, with next to no dialogue and long passages with descriptive prose. It's a fascinating screenplay though, and hopefully some eccentric millionaire will finance it or at least some porn parodist will once visualise the mutant orgy season that part of the book focuses on.
I couldn't help but think that people responsible for Planet of the Apes read through this in some way, seeing as it covers some of the same concepts.
Anyways, it was an interesting premise and a satisfying read.
Anyways, I liked the book already in that it was less than 150 pages. After Durrell and Mailer's epics, it was nice to balance this with something more direct.
The book's structure is also unique, in that after the first 20 pages providing a context for the fictional deceased screenwriter, it presents his rejected screenplay over the next 100 or so pages without notes or additional context. I loved it, except I would say that Huxley has a very loose concept of a screenplay, with next to no dialogue and long passages with descriptive prose. It's a fascinating screenplay though, and hopefully some eccentric millionaire will finance it or at least some porn parodist will once visualise the mutant orgy season that part of the book focuses on.
I couldn't help but think that people responsible for Planet of the Apes read through this in some way, seeing as it covers some of the same concepts.
Anyways, it was an interesting premise and a satisfying read.
Ranking Burgess' 99 January 2012:
1. Another Country
2. Ancient Evenings
3. After Many A Swan
4. The Alexandria Quartet
5. Ape and Essence
6. The Anti-Death League
7. The Aerodrome
Sunday, 1 January 2012
6. 'The Anti-Death League' by Kingsley Amis (1968)
After hugely enjoying Another Country, this was a return to an exercise in style. No sense of historical time, multiple characters and somewhat unexplained threads of narrative are present within the book, which is often funny and has moments of interest but is seldom fulfilling.
Perhaps the slight disappointment of the book came from the fact that it once again required a crusade in order to get a copy. And I cheated a little, seeing through the web that the Ripping Yarns bookshop in North London had a copy. It's a really charming bookshop, finding a balance between organisation but with enough of a mess for one to feel like they could find a cheap gem. Unfortunately, I had to cough up £12.50 for the book, a fair price considering it's clearly quite rare and in great shape, but anything over £10 makes me feel like I'm a book collector, which is a territory I don't really want to enter. Anyways, go to Ripping Yarns!
The mention of the Anti-Death League itself is fantastic, a league with a crusade of looking at the poor points of death, but this is something brought into the book quite late on and is used more as a basis for spying on one another rather than explored. There is also quite a touching storyline between our main protagonist Churchill and his new girlfriend, but again this appears secondary to wider ideas.
I have to confess that I struggled to grasp these and this is the first time that Burgess' own review of the book was of assistance: the book essentially attacks the concept of religion, and in this sense it is a fantastic and admirable book. Just not the most enjoyable to read...
Perhaps the slight disappointment of the book came from the fact that it once again required a crusade in order to get a copy. And I cheated a little, seeing through the web that the Ripping Yarns bookshop in North London had a copy. It's a really charming bookshop, finding a balance between organisation but with enough of a mess for one to feel like they could find a cheap gem. Unfortunately, I had to cough up £12.50 for the book, a fair price considering it's clearly quite rare and in great shape, but anything over £10 makes me feel like I'm a book collector, which is a territory I don't really want to enter. Anyways, go to Ripping Yarns!
The mention of the Anti-Death League itself is fantastic, a league with a crusade of looking at the poor points of death, but this is something brought into the book quite late on and is used more as a basis for spying on one another rather than explored. There is also quite a touching storyline between our main protagonist Churchill and his new girlfriend, but again this appears secondary to wider ideas.
I have to confess that I struggled to grasp these and this is the first time that Burgess' own review of the book was of assistance: the book essentially attacks the concept of religion, and in this sense it is a fantastic and admirable book. Just not the most enjoyable to read...
Ranking Burgess' 99 January 2012:
1. Another Country
2. Ancient Evenings
3. After Many A Swan
4. The Alexandria Quartet
5. The Anti-Death League
6. The Aerodrome
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)