I am populating the list of books that I have read during the past year, and I am doing it because I have a haunting feeling of guilt and dissatisfaction with my reading skills. I am also doing it for future reference, to see if I will get any better a year from today. The titles are arranged in no particular order except that of my pathetically feeble memory, and I will record my impressions of each book depending on the aforementioned memory:
1- The Transformation (Metamorphosis) and Other Stories, Franz Kafka: It’s hard to write about each and every story in the anthology, but Metamorphosis was exquisitely disgusting and provoking and beautiful. Equally disturbing was In The Penal Colony, my favorite in the collection. It’s unfair that it has gone largely unrecognized as compared to Metamorphosis, it is an excellent story about torture and grandiose.
2- When in Rome, Gemma Townley:This was, to me, the literary equivalent of a chick flick. I read this story during my stay in New York this summer and I enjoyed it because it was light and easy and fun. I did not want to read a book that would make me think, not during my vacation, thank you. Oddly enough, the men portrayed in the story were strikingly similar to several people I know/knew.
3- The Wise Women of Havana, Jose Raul Bernardo: I bought this book from some store in NY for no other reason than its cheap price. It was actually on sale. Crappy story about two Cuban families and their respective members (especially the women).
4- A Passage to India, E. M. Forster: This was a boring read up until page 150. Honestly, I was very close to abandoning the book several times because I was so unimpressed with the almost-abusive details in those first 150 pages. After that, things picked up and the plot finally started to take shape. Brilliant read after page 150, expect to have several questions by the end of the book.
5- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich: I read this real-life account on the living and working conditions of the American working class as an assignment. This book provides a realistic, touching insight into a class in American society which is never really given much attention in media or movies. Very revealing read and very enjoyable story. I had to write a paper about the book afterwards, not very fun.
6- Whitney, My Love, Judith McNaught: I got this novel as a present from a friend. I enjoyed reading it because it was different from the “heavy literature” I usually read. However, the story became too cheesy in the final chapters. Apparently, the author added those upon the request of readers. Big mistake, killed the story.
7- Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett: What can I say to give this play justice? It resonated with me and I loved it so much that I blogged about it! Beckett is an existential genius and a superb playwright who turned a massively complicated concept into simple scenes. Ridiculously fantastic!
8- Awlad Haretna (Children of Gebelawi), Naguib Mahfouz:This is Mahfouz’ tracing of the lives and philosophies of prophets (Moses, Jesus, Mohammad) and the relationship between god and man. He set the plot in a neighborhood where god is a supreme father figure and let events take place in the same location across various generations, each with their leader or prophet and his philosophy. This engaging and existential novel got Mahfouz stabbed in the neck in 1994 by religious fanatics. If only for that, it is a must-read, must-reflect account, but its relevance and fluid style already make it extremely enjoyable.
9- The Complete Works, Al Tayyeb Saleh: I have been in love with this Sudanese writer for what seems like centuries. I find his stories very enlightening, very simple, very poetic. I read this fat anthology in one go because I could not get enough of the wise Saleh.
10- Al Sarab, Mahfouz: This is a touching, twisting-and-turning account of an introvert’s life and the poisoning relationship he has with his mother. Typical of Mahfouz, the style is smooth, uncomplicated, and the plot is engaging.
11- The Harafish, Mahfouz: I didn’t realize I read so much for Mahfouz until now! I finished this long novel last week. Mahfouz employed a cross-generational examination of the characters in the story to build his content, just as he did in Awlad Haretna. Good read.
12- Fi Wadi Al Ghalaba, Ihsan Abdul Quddous: All I remember about this story is that it was short and simple.
13- Lan A3eesha Fi Jelbab Abi, Ihsan Abdul Quddous: Another short and simple story by the same author. I was surprised to discover candid descriptions of semi-sexual encounters in Abdul Quddous literature, I thought that was pretty progressive.
14- Shajarat Al Fuhood, Sameeha Khrais: A sophisticated portrayal of the reality of Jordanian life in the early-to-mid 20th century. I was very pleasantly surprised by this class-A novel by a Jordanian lady writer, and I learned a lot and related to much of the details in the novel since I had heard similar stories from the elderly in my family.
15- Between the Bridge and the River, Craig Ferguson: Honestly, I cannot give an unbiased opinion in a Ferguson-related issue. I am Ferguson’s biggest fan, but I will try to be impartial for the sake of I don’t know what. This novel was not critically acclaimed for nothing; it has bizarre incidents happening to dysfunctional but consistent characters in an intertwined plot that provokes a ton of questions on psychology, religion, and human nature. I enjoyed every single word on every single page, if only I can meet Ferguson to tell him that!
16- Small booklet on a religious issue I am uninterested in, thrust upon me by my father: Pure rubbish. I burned it, hope he never asks about it.
I think that’s about it. One book that I started reading but abandoned was Plato’s Republic, it was too argumentative in a complicated way and it gave me a headache. I will get to it in the future when my mental abilities have matured enough to contain it. I am currently reading Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jarred Diamond (another endless book), and Juvenal’s The Sixteen Satires. However, I remain unimpressed by my reading record for this year. I ought to have read more.
What did you read this year?
