Books I Read November 29th, 2020

Happy belated Thanksgiving. I cooked a lot, which is a thing I do now because I have the capacity for self-growth. Also, I read some. I actually read a little bit more than the below would indicate, because I read one book I didn't like so much that I figured there was no point in putting it up. In any event, the books that I will admit to having read this week follow.

Take Me Apart by Sara Slisar – A noir in the Gone Girl mode. Not for me.

Fathers and Sons by Turgenev – These kids today, with their rock and roll music, and their efforts to educate the serfs. They don't care about nothing, not the Tzar, not the Russian Orthodox Church, nothing but Germanic nihilism and tight pants! Back in my day...

The Looking Glass War by John Le Carre – An out of date army intelligence unit sends a spy into east Germany. Like Graham Green, Le Carre (Carre? How do you do that one?) is fascinated not so much by spycraft per se than on its effects on the men who practice it, their false loyalties and self-destructive patriotism—less, that is, the lies they tell others than the lies they tell themselves. This one in particular is very strong, sharp and sad, worth your time.

The Anti-Death League by Kingsley Amis – The sexual, psychological and philosophical shenanigans of a group of soldiers involved in a secret atomic experiment. Part spy novel, part cold war farce, part theological discourse, with each component realized skillfully. Amis is a delight, as always.