Despite having high hopes for the number of books I want to get around to reading this year, I’ve already created a lot of work for future me. Ideally, I would have read four books this month, but I’ve only managed to read three (well, two novels and a play). While the quality was incredibly high, and one of them had over 500 pages, I’m still a little bit annoyed with myself. However, it’s only the first month of the year and I have plenty of time to catch up.
Anyway, welcome to my first reading wrap-up of 2023, which I hope is indicative of how the rest of my reading will go for the year: finally getting to books that have been sitting on my TBR for a while and being glad I really enjoyed them.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Synopsis: When first published in 1899, The Awakening shocked readers with its honest treatment of female marital infidelity. Audiences accustomed to the pieties of late Victorian romantic fiction were taken aback by Chopin’s daring portrayal of a woman trapped in a stifling marriage, who seeks and finds passionate physical love outside the confines of her domestic situation.
Aside from its unusually frank treatment of a then-controversial subject, the novel is widely admired today for its literary qualities. Edmund Wilson characterized it as a work “quite uninhibited and beautifully written, which anticipates D. H. Lawrence in its treatment of infidelity.” Although the theme of marital infidelity no longer shocks, few novels have plumbed the psychology of a woman involved in an illicit relationship with the perception, artistry, and honesty that Kate Chopin brought to The Awakening. (Goodreads)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended for: classics, early feminism, romance.
The Awakening was the first book I managed to finish in 2023, and I was off to a great start. That was until I reached the short stories at the end of my edition, all of which were good, but getting into and out of them was a strange adjustment after the longer story.
But none of that matters in the context of the novel, which I found to be beautifully written and easy to follow. Edna’s struggles against first the backdrop of the coast and then in the more claustrophobic city were vividly related, so much so that I felt I could understand feelings I’ve never even had. Each character was wonderfully written, all with something to offer Edna as she endured her awakening.
I love that the novel was shocking when it was written, merely for associating a woman with the distracted, selfish, personal drive we usually associate with the stereotypical husband and/or father. Despite her husband often being away for work, it was incredibly shocking to family and friends alike that Edna might want to work on her own passions and maintain her own friends and way of living outside of her family and social life.
Finally, after getting over the initial blend of shock, disappointment, and sadness, I quite liked the ending, even if it did feel like a bit of a cop-out. It was probably the only way a novel like this could have ended at the time, but after the force of her independence, it made sense.
The Secret History by Donna Tart
Synopsis: Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last—inexorably—into evil. (Goodreads)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommended for: fiction, dark academia, academia, philosophy, mystery, thriller.
Wow. That was the only thought in my head multiple times while reading this book. Often, I go into popular or critically acclaimed books with my fingers and toes crossed. Just because something is considered good by many, it does not mean you’ll like it, but I really wanted to like this book. It promised a lot of things that I know I like in books: morally corrupt characters, misfits, and academia. Really, I would have been incredibly disappointed had the book failed to meet my expectations.
However, with its beautiful yet frank writing style, Donna Tart’s The Secret History grabbed my attention and refused to let it go. I’ve seen the first line being heralded as one of the best ever written, so it’s no surprise that I was hooked from page one. Each carefully revealed secret, each crumb the main character Richard offered as he told his story, I devoured, eagerly awaiting the next.
I think this book benefits from little being known about it beforehand, so I think I’ll leave it here, finishing with a strong suggestion that if you’re thinking of reading this book, you should.
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
Synopsis: When the kind of Sicilia, Leontes, hosts his childhood friend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia, he develops a sudden, unfounded jealousy of his old friend’s closeness with his pregnant wife, Hermione. Leontes orders Polixenes killed, but he escapes. The story resumes sixteen years later when Polixenes’ son falls in love with Hermione and Leontes’ missing daughter, Perdita.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended for: early modern, play, classics.
Though I am well aware that The Winter’s Tale is not a novel, but a play, I did read it and thought I would include it in what I read this month. I’m a big fan of early modern plays and read a lot while at university but since then, I have not picked up or even glanced at a single play. So, it was nice to be immersed in Shakespearean language once again. It was also nice to delve into one of Shakespeare’s late romances, which I’ve hardly read any of and now feel I might have to get around to.
The Winter’s Tale was packed with explorations of betrayal, transformation, love, loss, grief and forgiveness, and… it was hilarious. If you have the chance to see it or read it, I would highly recommend it. While it has quite sad, tragic moments, it’s definitely a play focused on redemption and love with many characters to enjoy, including my favourite, Paulina.
That concludes my wrap-up for this month, a trio of great reads that made a positive start to my year of reading.
How did your reading go this month?
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