i had so much fun doing this last year, so this is another (very long) review of what I read this year! this is moreso just for myself, but if anyone else has read these books, I'd be interested in what you think!
before we begin, i completed my masters degree this year (woo hoo!) and for my dissertation alone I had a bibliography of 172 books, journal articles, newspaper reports, ect. so my fiction reading was short and sweet this year, and there was a stronger focus on novellas I could finish in one or two sittings, and novels I could put down and pick back up again easily.
Lapvona - Ottessa Moshfegh: I enjoyed this book, it was very different from what I usually read, but I liked the world building and the very unique setting. It's dark and sexual, and you're thrown into the story in ways that make you feel both disgusted and enthralled, but with these moments of really powerful imagery and description that leaves you reeling and makes you feel really present in this story as it unfolds. It's not like anything else I've read before, and it was an exciting way to start off my year (best read at 6pm in January, when it's completely dark, and you keep wanting to look over your shoulder).
Beast in the Shadows - Edogawa Ranpo: This book doesn't feel like a typical mystery novel, the premise is disarmingly simple, but unravels in a way that left me second-guessing myself. I understand why it's such a staple in Japanese literature, and it takes on a lot of complex themes in such a short novel. I read this book as a mini 'book club' challenge and I think the ambiguity in it makes discussing it with others so much more fun, its one I'd like to re-read, and I think the second read will be much more revealing.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie: My first Christie read, and while not my favourite read of the year, it was probably my most enjoyable. The story was fast paced and the plot was interesting, I had so much fun following the mystery, and I'm not too proud to admit I fell for all the red herrings sprinkled throughout. The ending surprised me, and it's one I did have to sit with for a while to really absorb, but after discussing it (it was the second part of my mini 'book club'), I understood and enjoyed the ending more. I'm excited to read more Christie next year!
If We Were Villains - M. L. Rio: This book has mixed reviews to say the least, but I enjoyed it. It suffers the most from being too similar to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, and I found myself just wanting to reread TSH instead. Taking away those comparisons, I enjoyed the setting, an old, gothic university, and the character dynamics were simple, but still interesting, especially the moments between the protagonist, Oliver, and his best friend, James. I listened to this book while walking (I did a LOT of walking this summer) and I think that improved the experience. Not one I'd recommend to the general public, but if you like the 'dark academia' vibe, and want an easy reading book with an gripping story, I think you'd enjoy this.
White Nights - Fyodor Dostoevsky: I could not put this book down once I'd started it, it was wonderful, and surprisingly light in comparison to other Dostoyevsky books I've read, with quite a bittersweet ending. I'm always struck by how timeless Dostoevsky's writings are, especially his novellas, and this story of two 'dreamers' meeting, forging a friendship, and sharing their loneliness is something I think everyone can relate to. I felt so sympathetic towards the two characters, and saw myself in both of them. This is a book I'd recommend to everyone, and it's one I think everyone can take something different from.
The Clock House Murders - Yukito Ayatsuji: Book four in the Bizarre House Murders series, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the first two, but book three was such a let down that I had reserved expectations about this one, but it brought back the excitement and mystery of the first two in a great way. Trying to solve the mystery alongside the characters was fun, and Ayatsuji planted the clues in a way that left enough to keep a fun twist at the end!
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man - Fyodor Dostoevsky: Another short story by Dostoevsky, and one that really impacted me. The plot was very unique, almost sci-fi, and different to any other other work of his I've read, but kept the cores of humanity, religion and morality that underpin so much of his writings. I enjoyed this, and one of the reasons I love reading is because I love looking into the perspectives and world views of others, and this story offered me something I hadn't ever thought of before. It was very short, I think the recording I had was under an hour, and it was beyond trippy. I think listening to it gave me a different experience, I could genuinely close my eyes and picture what he was describing so vividly, and took time to reflect on my surroundings as I absorbed the story.
Mathilda - Mary Shelley: This book was so raw and tortured, and truly woesome from start to finish. Mathilda was such a sympathetic protagonist, and Shelly wrote her so beautifully I couldn't help but cry while reading it. This is a short novel, but a heavy one, and although I think it was a stand-out read, it was so devastating I don't think I could ever read it again. I went into this completely blind, and every plot point hit me like a well-timed punch, and it was so tense at points I had to hold myself back from just skimming ahead.
Carmilla - Sheridan Le Fanu: It was truly wonderful to discover this, and it is the vampire novella, and truly groundbreaking. The character dynamics were wonderful, the themes of gender and lesbian identity were artfully taken on, especially considering it's time, and the story felt exciting and ironically fresh. I loved this read, and it's one I know I'll revisit again, and recommend to anyone who even breathes the words "gothic fiction".
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James: I'd sworn off James after 'The Princess Casamassima', but I have had this book on my shelf for a couple of years now, and it felt only natural to try it this year. It turned my mind into a psychological and gothic horror mush, and I left the book with more questions than answers. So much of the plot is left to interpretation, and I couldn't trust a single word on any of pages. While I think this is often makes for an exciting experience while reading, in this case it was more frustrating than atmospheric. Starting from the point of not being able to discern the governess' (the narrator) true feelings or motivations made it difficult to navigate a story with such few characters, especially when it called into question every single interaction she had or witnessed. I did love the guessing game of 'are the ghosts are real or not', but calling into judgment of the children' characters on top of that just left me feeling like all three points of the story were in disarray, without anything to grasp onto. The interactions between all the characters felt loaded, like there was subtext missing due to the unreliable narration, but it is a horror story after all, and succeeded in making me feel anxious and off balance.
Oblomov - Ivan Goncharov: Oblomov. This was my big book, since I had finished uni, and my entire life has became about Oblomov for the last few months of the year. I can't even begin to describe the whirlwind of conflicting emotions this impacted me with, and I felt sympathy, frustration, affection, disgust and hope for Ilya IlyichĀ Oblomov (the eponymous protagonist). To get this all out of the way first, I think it's an enduringly pertinent story, I think it's important for everyone to read this book, at least once, as a cautionary tale. It is exceedingly unique, exceedingly so because I can't think of a single other story I've read wherein the main character undergoes basically zero character development! The first 100 pages or so were funny, and I found Oblomov a sympathetic character, and the exchanges between him and his hopeless servant reminded me of a Vaudeville movie, then I found it dragged out, and I began to get bored. Then Part 2 came out with such excitement in the form of Stoltz and Olga, and I found myself so hopeful that Oblomov had changed his lazy and selfish ways. But from the middle of Part 2 right the way through until the end of the novel he avoided every opportunity to change himself for the better, and I felt trapped behind glass watching him ruin not only his own life, but the lives of the vibrant and kind characters that surrounded him. He drained everyone he touched like an energy vampire. At first I felt, "Everyone has a level of 'Oblomovschina' in them. I feel like an Oblomov at this time in my life." But I now feel dead wrong. He goes beyond laziness, he reaches a level of pure aversion to life that, while not unheard of, is beyond the behaviour of any kind or rational person. Every second spent reading this book I felt like I should be out walking, learning a new skill, working 3 jobs. Anything that kept me off my metaphorical divan. It really is one of the best stories I've ever read, and every page made me so introspective. Still, by the last page, I couldn't help but pity poor lazy Oblomov as he lay on his divan in his tattered dressing gown, and it is clear that every character in the book felt so deeply for him, and your heart can't help but feel pity towards him.
(DNF) Gaglow - Esther Freud: The great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud wrote a book about family relationships that read as icy, unrelatable, and borderline incestuous? More likely than you think. That description is quite unfair (but pretty funny), and if my workload this year was lighter, I might've had the time and energy to finish Gaglow, but it was easily forgettable and too unbalanced to hook me. The historical plot in the book had great potential, and I am usually drawn to those narratives, but the constant switching between WWI Germany and the modern day was jarring, and I couldn't connect to any of the characters, their motivations or their reasoning. I got about halfway through and ended up devoting my time to more interesting reads, and while I might pick it back up again, I don't think the issues I have with it are likely to be remedied in the second half.
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