REVIEWS

‘The Adventures of Augie March’ by Saul Bellow

‘The Adventures of Augie March’ by Saul Bellow is one of the finest American novels written by one of the greatest American authors. A masterpiece, it follows the protagonist Augie March as he navigates questions of personal identity, ambition, philosophy and survival in a complex and cynical modern world. Set in Chicago during the Great Depression, Augie encounters an eclectic spread of characters and influences that impact his development as a youth into a man. The novel contains powerful (as in every Bellow novel) descriptions and portrayals of its characters, providing the reader with not just a presentation of the characters themselves but with the brilliance and intensity of the human condition through insights that few of Bellow’s contemporaries could rival. The swift and elegant prose that Bellow would go onto characterize as his signature style in this novel is extravagant and rhythmic, writing that is utterly captivating and revealing. This is a remarkable novel, brilliant in every avenue of thought and detail it embarks upon. Comparable to ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky in its vividness and influence, it is a novel that must be read in a lifetime and remembered it should be. For novels like these do not come along often, novels that offer an experience of an almost spiritual and ecstatic elevation, novels that show humans in all their strangeness, diversity and brilliance. ‘The Adventures of Augie March’ introduced the world to not just a mammoth literary mind but a great man. It is a novel that changed my perspective on many aspects of our world and highlighted the loss that we will suffer when the day comes that novels like these cease to exist. 10/10… 09/04/24

*Photograph of an eagle catching prey

‘The Brothers Karamazov’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Many people have heard of Fyodor Dostoevsky, many have heard of or read ‘Crime and Punishment’, but perhaps fewer have heard of or read ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. This should not be the case. While Crime and Punishment may be the most influential when it comes to psychological interpretation in fiction and how society deals with issues such as justice, morality and mental illness, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ should be seen as Dostoevsky’s ‘literary’ masterpiece. What does this mean?

*’Refusal of the Confession’ by Ilya Efimovich Repin, 1885 AD

‘The Brothers Karamazov’ tells the story of a sentimental and lustful father, Fyodor Pavlovic (a buffoon as he is frequently described as throughout the novel), and his three sons; Dmitri, a sensualist, a man governed by his impulses, much like his father. Ivan, an intellectual, very smart yet reserved. And finally, Aloysha, a young man who loves humankind, is selfless and mature for his age and religious practices. The novel follows the murder of Fyodor Pavlovic and the trial that ensues. I do not wish to go deep into the plot for I fear that if I do I may spoil it for anybody who has not yet read the book and wishes to forge his own interpretation of events. I will however discuss the quality of this novel and the power and force with which Dostoevsky conveys the many themes and messages weaved throughout the book. And the vitality with which he portrays the characters and events. I think it is important to note too that The Brothers Karamazov was written much later in Dostoevsky’s life and because of this his style had much more time to grow and mature. I digress, when discussing this novel it is impossible to overlook the many philosophies and the psychological connotations embedded in his wonderfully crafted characters. Themes such as the insufferable nature of man’s freedom and how truly absurd a human life is, the choices we make and the degree of governance we have over our own decisions. When it comes to understanding and making sense of characters and their inner workings Dostoevsky is the pinnacle, the undisputed master. One could spill gallons of ink talking about the many layers of this gem of a novel but I think the most rewarding conclusion you could reach is by simply reading it, and while doing so understand what he is trying to convey and emanate. I do not believe that the literary landscape of the past century would be the same were it not for Dostoevsky, especially (as discussed before) his influence on mental and philosophical issues. In summary, ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ is a novel so dense, so vehement and engaging multiple reads may be warranted! 10/10

11/04/24

‘The Sound and the Fury’ by William Faulkner

With its own unique stream of consciousness narrative style, used for the majority of the novel, ‘The Sound and the Fury’ deals with themes such as time, memory and decline.

*’In Memoriam Karl Liebknecht’ by Kathe Kollwitz, 1920 AD

It follows a once prominent Compson family and their struggle to stay relevant, in an attempt to prevent the dissolution of their reputation and significance. There is throughout a large part of the novel an ambiguity, the significance of which you only come to realize as the plot and events unfold. The message that Faulkner wishes to convey is not told through a single narrative thread, but multiple, shifting through individual members of the Compson family. Time shifts with the characters too, the consequences of which the reader is left to evaluate over the course of the novel. Perhaps the most interesting and essential narration is that of Benjy’s, a neurodivergent man who perceives the world around him in shapes and sounds, not understanding moral questions such as right or wrong nor concepts like time. As a result of this, unconventual uses of sentence structure and punctuation are present. This in my opinion only adds to the heart and substance of the book. Caddy, the only female descendant of the Compson family is another crucial character as she is the subject of obsession for all three of her brothers. Caddy is a loving and affectionate person with headstrong and mature qualities. She is one of the few that truly loves and cares for Benjy, serving as replacement mother for him in place of the self absorbed Mrs Compson. ‘The Sound and the Fury’ is a richly textured and deeply moving novel, received coldly upon publication but now seen as an essential for anyone interested in experiencing the absolute best of the large canon that is American fiction. 10/10 13/04/24

‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger

‘The Catcher in the Rye’ follows Holden Claufield over the course of two days in his life after the expulsion from his recently joined prep school for failing the majority of his classes. Holden is seeking for truth and meaning amongst all of the disorder around him. In this effort he is stripped of his innocence, frequently recalling Phoebe, his sister, the only person he feels understood him in the search for connection and solace in a world he is only starting to realize, the adult world (is now his world). Holden embodies the essential human need for connection and how one feels when those we once had connections with in childhood slip away. Over the course of these two days Holden explores New York and all of its complexities and contrasts, the excitement and glamour but also the ‘phoniness and evil’. Whilst exploring he sees and experiences many new things and sensations, some of which the moral aspects he has not yet fully realized. By the end of the book Holden feels disillusioned, disconnected, and sad. The novel has an almost ghostlike quality to it, an uneasy edge that never seems to waver. You are presented with the circumstance and the character, both of which you are charged with evaluating. It is clear from the outset of the book that Holden is a troubled and traumatized person. He has a poor relationship with his parents. We also learn that his younger brother died from leukemia. I felt as I was reading ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ an overwhelming and feeling of sadness and sorrow.

*artistic interpretation of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger

It is also interesting to examine the context of the book and how it relates to its author, J.D Salinger. Because after the publication of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ he became a recluse, refusing offers of adaptation. The novel has also inspired and obsessed many famous murderers and assassins such as Mark David Chapman and John W. Hinckley. In Summary, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is a novel that brings about in the reader a potent sense of atmosphere and intense contemplation. Through his vivid and singular prose Salinger wrote a book that has stayed relevant and impactful to this day, more so than he might have thought. 13/04/24 10/10

If one wishes to understand and experience Russian literature in the fullest one must not only read the novels, but the short stories. Throughout history, in particular the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an abundance of great Russian authors. Perhaps most notably Lev Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Bulgakov, Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vladimir Nabokov among many, many others. And whilst lots of these authors are widely recognised for some of their larger works, there is a copious quantity of extremely high quality novellas and short stories that should not be overlooked; from the extremely funny and humorous ‘The Nose’ by Nikolai Gogol to the sad and melancholy ‘Vanka’ by Anton Chekhov. Here I would like to take the opportunity to talk about some of my personal favourites of the short story format and discuss what in my view makes them so special.

‘The Nose’ by Nikolai Gogol

‘The Nose’ is a surreal and satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol. It follows an extremely humorous sequence of events in the life of Major Kovalyov, a St Petersburg official, who, upon waking, discovers that his nose has abandoned his face and embarked upon a life of its own, and that it has ascertained a rank and status superior to that of its owner. Quite understandably, Mr Kovalyov is in a state of severe irritation and disbelief that his nose has left him, so he decides to go on a mission to find and reacquaint himself and his face with his rogue nose and in the process determine why and under what circumstances it chose to desert him. The story follows this course as we are narrated the trials and tribulations that Mr Kovalyov must undergo to recover said nose. It is an articulate narrative which ends one morning when Mr Kovalyov wakes up to find his nose reattached to his face, whereupon he resumes his daily routine and normal habits.

‘The Nose’ represents Russia’s obsession with rank and status; a satire of Russian society in the 1800s. It would be a mistake to write a review of ‘The Nose’ whilst trying to make sense of the story literally, because any effort to do so would be altogether useless as it is a tale that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Instead, one should appreciate the themes and devices that Gogol employs to understand what the stories’ greater meaning is.

Mr Kovalyov, the general in question, represents a sect of people who are fastidious and supremely concerned over their appearance, cleanliness and status; he is a characters aligned with a popular cultural obsession of maintaining a high level of hygiene. In this sense the reader is made to feel that a certain irony exists. Mr Kovalyov is so distressed having lost his nose, the piece of his physiognomy with which he smells, which shows him that despite a deep personal awareness and vanity, a body part like the nose is still very important and altogether necessary for physical purposes and the execution of daily tasks. As well as highlighting this, another of the observations Gogol makes is that St Petersburg, and Russia in general, regards outward appearance as more necessary and essential than a faithful and true personality. I should also note (as hinted earlier) that when the general sees his nose dressed in an attire signalling a superiority in rank to himself, he cannot help feeling embarrassed, inferior, and jealous, despite the ridiculousness of the scenario. This is evidence of a lack of true personal awareness, despite extreme vanity. If one wishes to try and make sense of the situation, one must make a number of assumptions, such as what caused Mr Kovalyov’s nose to become reattached. Of course, there is no practical answer to such questions, adding to the air of implausibility. But one of the things about ‘The Nose’ is that its reality does not asked to be made sense of and that is quite simply because it does not need to be. The writing lends itself to this reality; the vigour and humour of Gogol’s writing is sufficient explanation in itself. Its quality lies in the fact that you may read and interpret the peculiarities of the story as you wish yet enjoy and appreciate its vitality all the same.

*’The Nose’ by Alberto Giacometti, 1947 AD

For all of these reasons, ‘The Nose’ by Nikolai Gogol makes for some of the funniest and entertaining writing you could wish to treat your two eyes to.

I would like to finish this piece by relaying to the reader two views of Gogol himself:

That the nose is the most essential element of a human’s anatomy, and that he viewed himself as having a very peculiarly shaped and abnormal one.

16/04/24 10/10

‘The Story of the Horse’ by Lev Tolstoy

‘Kholstomer’ or ‘The Story of the Horse’ by Leo Tolstoy is about the relationship of ownership and aristocracy with animals and living things. The tale is told not from a human’s perspective, but a horse’s and follows his decline from a once magnificent creature into an unwanted and ‘meagre’ one through the toils and hardships of servitude and enslavement. Strider sees and experiences not only his own diminishing state but also that of his owner. Through Strider’s eyes we experience prejudices (animal and human), and the effects of mortality and fortune. What Kholstomer represents is how humans, in our (his) strive for great wealth, prompted us to capture and manipulate natural things. This estranged him from the natural world, degrading him into the very thing he sought to sell, a commodity. Tolstoy draws this comparison of horse and human throughout the story, emanating the chain effect of decline. By telling the story through a horse’s perspective he not only eliminates the human elements and biases of narration but allows a being that has directly experienced these previously mentioned processes and the consequences of such actions to express them. Strider feels inferior now that he is old and scarred, he no longer is the centre of attention, far from it. No longer included in games or events he feels detached from the rest. The aristocrat is in a similar position. Once an ambitious, young man fuelled by his drive, now a wealthy and demoralized businessman, drained from years of toil and hardship. ‘Kholstomer’ is a short story that is more relevant today than ever before and embedded within it are many themes and notions that were in retrospect ahead of their time. These include moral questions with depth and intrigue that it seems Russian authors of this age were so good at capturing and expressing in writing full of meaning and profundity.

*painting by James Lynwood Palmer depicting ‘Gainsborough’, a famous racehorse, 1921 AD

15/04/24 10/10