NORTH AMERICAN NOVELS WORTH READING AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE

As many of my blog readers know, I'm quite fond of reading classics. Today I decided to put together a list of  some of my favourite North American  novels. Most of the books on my list are classics but I also included a few modern North American novels. The location for the photographs is Vrboska (island Hvar, Croatia), more specifically the area near beach Soline. I won't talk much about this sporty & chic styling as I have already linked up all of these items in my previous posts. Nothing is new about this styling, just another example of me successfully shopping my closet. These photographs were taken back in March, but I haven't got around to posting them before. For some reason, I felt they might serve well to accompany one of my reading recommendation posts. 

NORTH AMERICAN NOVELS WORTH READING  (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

SISTER CARRIE BY THEODORE DREISER

Sister Carrie is hands down the most underappreciated American novels of all times. It's an absolute masterpiece of naturalism and yet for some reason it is not widely read. I cannot imagine why. Sister Carrie is extremely well written, plotted and executed. Even the pacing is well done. It is a lengthy novel, but one that is easy to read. The psychological portrayal of characters is exceptional. You really feel like you're in their head. It opens with a young and naive girl (nicknamed 'Sister Carrie' by her family) travelling to Chicago where she plans to stay with her sister and her husband. That's only the start of her story. Perhaps it could be said that is the original girl meets the city romance. 

I read this novel for literature course way back and I remember being absolutely mesmerized by it. The story drew me in and kept my interest to the very last page. It is a long novel, but I wouldn't cut out a single sentence. The writing is absolutely brilliant. The portrayal of sister Carries is masterfully done. You really feel for this girl every step of the way. Not only was Sister Carrie much better than I expected it to be, it turned out to be the kind of novel that stayed with me. You wouldn't believe how often I think about it on every day basis. It is such a profound novel, one that raises so many questions about human nature. It is one of the best novels of naturalism ever written, a masterpiece in its genre. Indeed, this classic is an excellent example of realism and naturalism- at least of what I consider to be the most valuable part of it. Besides that, it is a great novel, so effortlessly simple in portraying the complexities of human race. I found it to be intelligent, funny and trustworthy. I recommend it to everyone. You can read or download  it for free on project Gutenberg site.

THE GREAT GATSBY BY FRANCIS SCOTT FITZGERALD

I’ve heard complaints that The Great Gatsby is too short and that it ends abruptly. I disagree with both. I think its length is perfect. The narrative is easy to follow. The story is well constructed and well executed. As far as the depiction of the Jazz age goes, this novel is gold. It doesn’t toil at portraying the society, it doesn’t lose itself in long descriptions. The Great Gatsby shows the spirit of the time with ease and effortlessness. Sometimes less is more. Does it end abruptly? It ends the way it is supposed to end. Its ending carries a profound message. Is happiness really as approachable and as accessible as we make ourselves believe? The intelligence says no, but our heart deceives us. This novel speaks volumes about what it is to be a human being. The Great Gatsby remains my favourite work by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. 

THE AWAKENING BY KATE CHOPIN

Published in 1899, this novel was a forerunner in many ways. Chopin crafted one of the early works of feminism, when she wrote the story of Edna, a young woman experiencing ‘awakening’. By creating a literary heroine who is undergoing spiritual, psychological, emotional and sexual awakening, Chopin challenged not only the social views of her time, but social identity as such. Moreover, I do believe that The Awakening is neither reserved for one (female) gender, nor a strictly feminist book, for it can be read as an individual search for personal identity and freedom. It is a novel that has aged well and still holds many valuable lessons. I’m not disputing its rightful place in the early feminist cannon, I’m just saying that I think there is something quite timeless about it.

 THE CAT'S EYE BY MARGARET ATWOOD

Margaret's prose is beautiful and has a life of its own. She has a way of casually creating the atmosphere, catching vivid details and putting them in sentences like jewels on a string. What things smell like, what they taste like, she describes in detail, but she doesn't linger too long on descriptions, making the story flow easily. Nevertheless, just as you get settled, as you get pulled into a story, there is always a line that cuts deeper, reveals more, makes you see more than you were hoping for. Her cuts are always to the bone, she examines human psyche with the relentlessness of a biologist.You have a feeling she is always observing things from various angles, making all kinds of guesses, setting hypothesis, experiments while always remaining brutally honest. Nothing is taboo for her, not even making fun of feminists. Atwood manages to create a well rounded story, fascinating characters and to explore a number of issues, to question a number of truths and ideologies, both past and present.

The novel is told as a series of memories of Elaine, a painter in her fifties ( or sixties, I can't be quite sure). The narrative is not chronological yet you are not left to wonder what period you're flying in when you start the next chapter because her voice is so unique in every period of her life. She is a different person at different times, she remembers different things, she chooses which memories to ignore and which ones to hold on to. Elaine is as human as they get except the fact that most people are not as nearly as candid with themselves as she is. However, Elaine's wisdom sometimes feels more like a accident than an active decision. At times in her life, she just stumbles on truth and chooses to see it. In that sense she makes for a credible painter. Elaine is an excellent protagonist, both weak and strong, a survivor. Not that the other characters are any less interesting, you get to know their weakness but also their sorrows. You see them trough Elaine's eyes and still you have a feeling that you're seeing them from more than one perspective. Maybe because Elaine is not afraid to be hard on herself. She doesn't idolize herself or other people, but she knows when to let go of hate. The best part of the book for me is the one that describes Elaine's childhood. It is rarely that someone describes what growing up feels like so accurately. There are a lot of stories that talk of growing up or childhood but this one is something else and not just because it focuses quite strongly on bullying. Most stories about childhood focus on events in a way we look at old photos- safely from a distance, gathering memories like prizes, remembering the good old time. This one offers a more complete picture. I really cannot recommend this novel enough. 

THE ENGLISH PATIENT BY MICHAEL ONDAATJE

The English Patient (the novel) opens up with two characters, set in a specific time and place. A Canadian nurse nurses a patient that is presumably English (but nothing is certain) in an abandoned Italian villa as the Second World War is coming to its end. At the time of the novel, the Germans are retrieving from the Italy, the place is packed with bombs and all the typical post-war atrocities, such as robbery and murder. However, Hana believes that the fact that the ruined state of villa, an Italian monastery turned a war hospital, works in their advantage. Nobody will suspect there are actually people living in there. So Hana, the nurse, refuses to leave as the Allies are advancing. She can’t bear to leave the burned patient, who is no shape to be moved, but she is also deadly tired of war. The Allies army tells her that her act is equal to betrayal, and even cuts the water, but she is relentless. Perhaps the fact that Hana and the English patient lived in something that is basically a ruin, once magnificent work of architecture, but now nothing more than a ruin, is a good metaphor not only for the state of their spirit, but for the state of world at that moment. Second World War was an atrocity that nobody escaped from, and that the world is still recovering from. Little by little, we get more insight into the story of Hana. Not just the background information about her, but an insight into her feelings and present mental state. The English patient, however, proves to be more elusive. Paradoxically, despite the fact that he doesn’t stop talking, revealing an abundance of information about the desert and fragments from his past, the patient remains a complete mystery. Who is he really?

WHEN FOX IS A THOUSAND BY LARISSA LAY

 This novel follows three different narrations. Three voices (Artemis, the Fox and the Poetess) tell their story. The fox is the only narrator who seems to have insight into other women's mind. The fox is a she, I must stress. This is a novel only about women. The fox does seem to have an uncanny insight into the minds of the ladies whose stories parallel her narration. This mythological creature (that is able to take a shape of  women by reanimating their corpses) opens with her background story (that she will elaborate on many times) about why she is alone. In a way, this novel starts off with a tale of loneliness. I found it appropriate, because this novel is very honest in revealing what happens when we are searching for escape from reality in romantic relationships and that is often- more loneliness. This novel is novel about love in all its shape and forms. Sometimes that love is scarcely more than lust and sometimes it is a deep joining of souls and a profound friendship.I quite enjoyed reading this novel even if it seemed a bit predictable at times. The fox was my favourite character, the author really managed to make her come to life. I was a bit surprised how this one thousand years old creature seemed more three dimensional than the present day woman i.e. Artemis,  who is in many ways the protagonist of this book. However, the author may have had good reasons for it. I won't get into that now because I promised to you that I won't make this review a long one. My conclusion? This novel is more than deserving of a recommendation, both for the beauty of its writing and its satisfying ending. There is magic to be found in this book. Beware, you might fall under Lai's spell.

 INVISIBLE MAN BY RALPH ELLISON 

What can one say about masterpiece that hasn't been said before? That is the question I asked myself when I wanted to write this review but than I realized that there is always more to say, there is always something we can add. That is in fact one of the qualities that make a masterpiece what it is. Every time we read it, we can read something new from it. There is always a message within a message, a meaning within a meaning. In every masterpiece we will find a quality that is timeless and that makes it ever relevant. Furthermore, reading a book is often a personal experience, so that is another angle we can take when we are wondering what to say about a particular book that hasn't been said before.

From a personal perspective, I can say that I really found myself in this book. I think most of us try to discover who we really are and many of us end up in some wrong alleys at some point of our lives. It is life, always more complex than it seems and always open to new interpretations. It is easy to get lost in life, easy to forget who we really are…and perhaps the most important thing to remember is that we ourselves are ever changing just as the world itself. Moreover, most of us feel invisible at some point of our lives. Why it is so is an important question. Wouldn't you agree? This novel does such a wonderful job of following the inner life of its young protagonist but it does much more than that. It shows us how many of us are indeed invisible. There are many ways to be invisible.

I’m not sure have I mentioned it but this was my first novel by this author. I did read a fragment (infamous Battle Royal) of this novel back when I was at the University. I remember being moved by it back then. However, reading Battle Royal as a part of this novel was a completely different experience. From the very first opening paragraph, I connected with this novel.  From that point on, there were many instances when this novel left me feeling emotionally exhausted. Even on intellectual level, I sometimes struggled to follow it. I made sure my mind was fresh when I was reading it. I feel like a made a significant investment in terms of energy when it comes to reading this novel and it was a very good investment because I feel blessed (I really can’t think of another word) that I had the time to read it carefully.

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY BY HENRY JAMES

I often pick up this book and somehow I always find new things to underline. Curiously though, I wasn't crazy about this book the first time I read it. So I can understand anyone who disliked or was frustrated with this book. If you like Henry James, you'd probably heard about this one. This is his great classic. To be honest, I don't know how I would go about recommending this one. That's probably no wonder, since I found it difficult myself the first time around. If I remember well, when I read The Portrait of a Lady, I was already set on becoming a Henry James fan but still the book was a slow read. As I said, it really grew on me with time but that first read was mighty frustrating. I can certainly see how this book can irritate or even bore someone, it is quite long and there are definitely some slow parts. However, The Portrait of a Lady is a very important novel and a very popular one. As the title says it portrays a lady (Isabel) and a fascinating lady she is. The novel is not just about Isabel, but it portrays an entire society, American and European, with much success I might add. This social portrayal is present in other James' work but here due to the length of the novel perhaps, the author really goes about it.The Portrait of a Lady is really a lovely book, very intelligent, often infused with atmosphere of sophisticated sadness- or at least that was what I’ve sensed more often than not. Isabel's quest for freedom is something we can all identify with. After all, isn't the elusive freedom something we all dream about but perhaps also something that we also don't quite understand.

PARADISE BY TONI MORRISON 

Paradise was published in 1997 and it is often mentioned how it is the first novel Morrison published after winning the Nobel Prize for literature. According to the author itself, Paradise completes a trilogy that includes two of her other novels I was fortunate enough to read, Beloved and Jazz. As for the time period, Paradise is set in modern times (fifties and sixties of the last century) but when it explores different characters, it flashes back and forth in the past that is earlier than that. The story is set in imaginary city Ruby set by black people in an effort to protect themselves against racism and limitations existing for African American people in USA at the time. Ruby can be seen as an attempt of creating Eden, a new and untouched place that will be free from horrors of the past. A lot of interesting questions are being raised as a consequence of the mere act of establishing this town. Can we ever really escape the past? Should we at least try? What the past truly is? All the families and the individuals that make those families, all the people living in this isolated town are very fascinating, as is their community as a whole. Nevertheless, the novel is not only about them. Near the city there is an abandoned catholic convent where a ground of outcast women has found a place for themselves. The tension between the outside world represented by the convent and the enclosed city is the driving force between most of the conflicts taking place in this novel. However, author shows us that it is only the surface. As always in life, the inner conflicts are the true driving force between outside conflicts. Furthermore, the women in the convent are also refugees from the outside world and they have also sought isolation and established a community of their own. Their reasons for escaping the outside world are just as important as those of town’s people. Morrison does a great job of giving us a very personal view into a soul of every woman in that convent. Moreover, she is such a masterful story teller. The way she connects all the stories is perfect. I do recommend this one. 

THE JOY LUCK CLUB BY AMY TAN

The Joy Luck Club was my first novel by Amy Tan. Having in mind how much I had originally liked it, it is no surprise that it wasn’t my last. After this one, I went on to read The Kitchen’s God Wife and The Bone Setter’s Daughter. Having read more of Tan’s work, I can certainly see a pattern in her writing, but it is not a pattern I dislike. If you ask me, we don’t have nearly enough works that focus on the relationships between mothers and daughters. Moreover, there is no doubt that Tan has contributed to immigrant literature. Some might criticize her writing as being stereotypical (not that I would agree) yet there is no doubt she paved the way for many writers. As immigrant literature is something I’m interested in, I’m glad to have discovered her years ago. The Joy Luck Club focuses on four immigrant Chinese families living in USA, mainly on the relationships between mothers and daughters. The novel is narrated by both mothers (first generation immigrants) and daughters (second generation immigrants). The novel itself resembles a mahjong game, being divided into four parts and four sections to create sixteen chapters. The mothers and daughters tell stories about their lives and each story is preceded by a parable. Consequently, there are quite a few narrators in this one. Some found it confusing, but I personally enjoyed seeing and reliving the tales from different point of views.

PLAYER PIANO BY KURT VONNEGUT 

 Player Piano is a novel set in near future. It is a dystopian kind of future, set in USA. In this part of the word, most of the labour is done by machines, meaning that only a selected few get to have a real job. Others aren't exactly starving, the state feeds them but that's about it. They are depressed and lack a sense of purpose in their lives. The plot focused on a young engineer who is increasingly unhappy and frustrated in a society where the work force is composed primarily of managers and engineers. Why is he unhappy? He is young, successful and married. But not everything is as it seems. Our protagonist feels guilty and more than that, he is starting to realize something is terribly wrong with the society he lives in.

This novel is very relevant for today's world, especially if one takes a look at the number of unemployed young people. In the future, most work will be done by machines. Player Piano asks some really interesting questions, and it certainly got me thinking. Simply said, I was absolutely blown away by this book. I wrote a rather long review for it but unfortunately my laptop shot down in the middle of it and it was all lost. I don't have the time to rewrite that review, so a shorter one will do. Perhaps this little incident is a perfect metaphor for this novel. Technology influences our lives in ways we can't always predict.

 Thank you for reading and commenting. Have you read any of these novels?