Nadia's Reading List Email for January 2021
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Exactly a year ago I sent out the first edition of Nadia’s Reading List Email. Initially, I saw the newsletter as a way to help people discover unknown books that were worth their time. Along the way, I realized that I wasn’t as well-read as I would have liked to believe and there were whole swathes of classical books that I’ve never even heard of, so it would probably be wise to read the famous great books before–or in parallel–to the unknown great books.
So the newsletter naturally followed the changes in my reading habits and became a mix of classical fiction and relatively unknown non-fiction books on topics that I was interested in. This year it will likely continue in this direction. I don’t plan to read 100 books in 2021, but I’ll still probably read a lot: I built up some pretty strong reading habits last year.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
This year I was lucky to spend two weeks of my winter holidays in Paris. Seeing how borders are all closing down again all over the world, it seems like a miracle that just a few weeks ago I was walking down the streets of one of my favorite places.
The thing about Paris is that when you have to leave it, you want to keep the memory of it alive for as long as possible, and these memories sustain you between your visits. This time I started binge-watching French movies and finally read “A Moveable Feast.”
It's hard to put in words just how much I loved this book, and if I could give more than five stars, I would. Every sentence, every passage of it was perfect, it was such a joy to savor each word. I've never been that impressed with Hemingway's writing before (he is obviously a great writer, but all the bullfighting and the violent imagery of some other books used to put me off). In this book, Hemingway's genius shines through in every line. It's undeniable.
And Paris, of course, is more than a perfect backdrop for the story, it's an integral part of it. A perfect city that is always worth it.
The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
I have only recently discovered Steinbeck as an author, but so far I’ve been impressed by his writing. This book examines the issues of morality, of right and wrong, and whether it is still worth being a good person when everyone around you is crooked. Can you steal or kill if nobody is looking and you are absolutely sure you won’t be caught?
Not a terribly original question, but with a good plot, vivid characters, clever references, “The Winter of Our Discontent” makes for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose, James A. Lindsay
A solid intro to the topic of postmodernism for those uninitiated.
They say you must know what your ideological opponents are thinking to defeat them, and this is definitely a must-read for anyone who thinks Western civilization and the ideas of classical liberalism are worth preserving. I would also recommend it to anyone who doesn't really care about politics but has been living with this nagging feeling that something is out of whack and the world has gone insane in recent years. For instance, this book will help if you are wondering why people are getting "canceled" and words are being purged. A lot will start to make sense after you read it.
How much I wish I could laugh all of it off as the self-perpetuating mumbo jumbo that it is... Sadly, the postmodern theory is so pervasive and so destructive that it shouldn't merely be laughed off. It should be studied, recognized, and challenged, i.e. treated just like any other idealogy should. This book is definitely a step in the right direction.
I also read “The Scarlett Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have mixed feelings about the book. I felt that it was too drawn out to be truly captivating, but it was still fairly interesting and I finished it in just three days. Readers also often complain about the old-fashioned writing style, but I had no trouble getting used to it, and thou won't hast problems either. I learned a lot about the reality of the Puritan way of life in 17th century Boston, so from a strictly historical and cultural point of view, the book is definitely a must-read, though I don’t see myself re-reading it.
February promises some great reads as well, I brought “The Lord of The Flies” from the library along with “Gone with the Wind”, so that’s got to be… interesting 🤔
What are you planning to read?
Happy reading,
Nadia.