Books I Read April 25th, 2021

I know, I know no one here to say hello
I know they keep the way clear
And I am lonely in London without fear
I'm wondering round and round here nowhere to go

The Conformist by Albert Moravia – A man sublimates his homosexual yearnings, neglectful upbringing, and desire for normality by marrying a woman he doesn't love and becoming a fascist spy. Perceptive and discomfiting.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie – A murder in a charming English village uncovers all sorts of immoral shenanigans. As a rule I dislike locked door mysteries and despise 'cozies', which is why I've never gotten around to reading anything by Ms. Christie. But this (which I gather is considered her best) is quite good, breezy and smart with a lot of good dialogue and a mean sting.

A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov – Byron ruins Russian society in this episodic depiction of a louche, perverse anti-hero. Like if you mixed the shooting in Tolstoy with the existential angst of Dostoevsky. I thought it was pretty OK. For those playing at home, my list of classic Russians goes: Dostoevsky = Tolstoy > Gogol > Lermontov > Turgenev.

The Emperor of Portugalia by Selma Lagerlof – How come you've never head of the first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature? Probably because she won it during those early periods were the selection committee was basically only giving it out to Scandinavians. Which is too bad, because this is actually pretty fabulous, a strange, melancholy fable about a simple farmer whose devoted love to his beautiful daughter turns to a sort of magical madness when she leaves the countryside for the city. I really liked it, Lagerlof seems ripe for rediscovery.

The Parrots by Filippo Bologna – Three writers at various stages in their career pursue a literary prize. I thought it was insightful and laugh out loud funny, although being a writer I'm a sucker for books shit talking writers. Writers fucking suck, man. Bunch of assholes.