Grave Error

After a Y2008 reading list characterized by foreign novels and non-fiction, for 2009, I have decided to stack up on and read more books originally written in English. These include

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

The latter three all recommended by my friend Melissa. I have also included one Moroccan book — Year of the Elephant by Leila Abouzeid — and the French novelist Michel Houellebecq’s Elementary Particles. Finally, I have not been reading very many novels written in Spanish recently, but when I get back to Madrid, I will try to get a copy of something by Roberto Bolaño. Any recommendations?

In general, I prefer fiction over non fiction, but in 2008 — for no reason in particular, I read more non fiction that ever. These works were both interesting and informative:

• Origins, A Memoir
• Arabia Felix
• Morocco Since 1830
• The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
• The Travels of Ibn Battuta
• The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life

There were also a few very good, fast paced novels that I would recommend, such as

• Netherland
• Tea in the Harem
• Season of Migration to the North
• De Niro’s Game
• Unburnable

Overall, though, my top favorites for the year were (more…)

Earlier in the week, when we were still living in 2008, I finished Amin Maalouf’s Origins: A Memoir about his paternal grandfather and great uncle. The book alternated between being fascinating and downright boring, depending whether the author’s tales were of limited family or general interest. The best of the book were its tales of emigration (notice how we tend to romanticize our forefathers as Émigrés while today’s similarly situated migrants are the less stylized “immigrants”) and the following observation:

All too often we tend to equate the two attitudes, with the assumption that nationalism is an acute form of patriotism. In those days – and in other eras as well – this could not have been further from the truth: nationalism was the exact opposite of patriotism. Patriots dreamed of an empire where diverse groups could coexist – groups speaking different languages and professing different beliefs, but united by a common desire to build a large modern homeland. They hoped to instill a subtle Levantine wisdom into the principles advocated by the West. As for the nationalists, when they belonged to an ethnic majority they dreamed of total domination, and of separatism when they belonged to a minority. The wretch Orient of our day is the monster born of the two combined.

We still confuse the two today.

Last night I finished Thorkild Hansen’s Arabia Felix, about the fateful 1761-1767 Danish Expedition to Yemen. Although the book is very well-regarded in Denmark, Arabia Felix and his Slave Trilogy are all often out of print, difficult to find, or expensive in English. Nevertheless, I definitely recommend Arabia Felix. It is a fast-paced page turner (I finished it in three sittings) and reads more like a novel than non-fiction. Furthermore, the real life cast of characters is great with the rivaling personalities and heroic lone survivor.

Originally published in 1962, some of the terminology may appear out-dated, and Hansen also tends to embellish the story with his own interpretation of events. Nonetheless, Arabia Felix is such a good read that I am surprised it is almost unknown in the English reading public, especially at a time when the Middle East is very much on the radar.

After a two month hiatus, due in part to the presidential election and podcasts, I am finally back in the saddle again. Over the past few days, I finally finished Morocco Since 1830 and then Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Saleh. I am now about half way into Medhi Charef’s Tea in the Harem, the first “beur” novel in France. There is a rawness to Charef’s novel that reminds me of that of Ryu Murakami’s Almost Transparent Blue and Coin Locker Babies, though Charef’s main character is a bit more empathetic. Perhaps, though, any attempt that Charef might have had back when the story was first published in 1983 to shock French society no longer feels so shocking today. On the other hand, Saleh’s 1969 Season of Migration to the North is much fresher and more poignant today.

Amongst other things during the month of August, including replenishing my supplies, I read the following four books and have just started The Confederacy of Dunces:

• The Radiance of the King by Camara Laye;
• Netherland: A Novel by Joseph O’Neill;
• De Niro’s Game: A Novel by Rawi Hage;
• When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris.

Here is my very short and quick review of each: (more…)

On Friday, I took the train up to New York from DC to spend the weekend in Brooklyn with my brother and to also see my grandmother in the Bronx. On the train, I started Netherland by Joseph O’Neill about post 9/11 New York as seen from the viewpoint of a Dutchman who discovers the West Indian and South Asian cricket playing world. I thought the novel would serve as a good backdrop to visiting my brother’s very West Indian Brooklyn neighborhood on the south side of Prospect Park near Flatbush. As a matter of fact, it was — most of which though I finished on the train ride back to DC.

On Saturday, my bro and and I took the Q train to Coney Island to check out where both my grandmother and father had enjoyed spending summer days when they were children. I suppose I don’t have to mention that Coney Island is not what it used to be. Nevertheless, it (as well as the ride there) is definitely fascinating with its mix of cultures that outside of New York would never logically inhabit the same space. And that is pretty much what Netherland is about. O’Neill writes, (more…)

I just finished reading Philip Roth’s The Human Stain — kind of an American version of Milan Kundera’s The Joke. The story takes place during the summer of 1998 in the middle of the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky scandal.

After reading the first page, I was transported back to my own summer of 1998. Most of my memories of that time are blurry , for it was spent seven day a week, fourteen hours a day, for all of June and July preparing for and then taking the New York Bar Examination. August I spent in recovery with withdrawal pains. Yes, withdrawal pains. (more…)

I had already made my book and music online purchases for my trip back home when I realized that there were two other books that I had forgotten. One minor setback — that actually helps with my personal finance — is that I always travel obsessive-compulsively light. I do not check in luggage, and I take only one reasonable carry-on and a computer case.

Between the incredibly efficient (yet probably not environmentally friendly) American washer/dryer technology and already having a stockpile of underwear and toiletries back home, I really don’t need to pack much anyways. Thus when on the trip to the States, I basically just fill my suitcase with clothes that I no longer wear (I essentially retire or relegate them to my U.S. closet) and a few small gifts (if any). While in the States, I permit myself to purchase only a quantity of goods whose to volume is equal to the size of my reasonable carry-on.

Not only does this safeguard me against spending an absurd amount of time running errands to make random purchases for friends and co-workers in Europe, it also allows me to stay within a budget. The items that can accumulate and become costly are iPods and CDs. CDs don’t take up any space at all. Once I buy them, I reduce them to electronic format anyways and store them inside my computer. Ipods — much cheaper in the U.S. because of the weak dollar — are inevitably what everyone asks me for and also do not take up much suitcase space. I can also get iPods for a bunch of different people in just one trip to the Mall — for some reason, everyone I know thinks that there is an Apple store on every American street corner, and sending me out on an iPod and/or MAC shopping spree is like walking to the end of my driveway to pick up the mail.

Why am I telling you this? (more…)

My modus operandi prior to traveling to the States for the summer and Christmas is to replenish my garrison with books and music that I cannot otherwise readily find in Europe. Thus, a week or so before leaving, I always go on Amazon or Ebay and make a large purchase (to be shipped State side). The supply — supplemented throughout the year with local purchases — generally lasts me until the subsequent trip. As a matter of fact, I have only two books left on deck that should last me from now until the time I travel. That’s some pretty good timing! In any event, here is what I have ordered.

Books:

• Netherland: A Novel by Joseph O’Neill;
• De Niro’s Game: A Novel by Rawi Hage;
• Morocco since 1830: A History by C.R. Pennell;
• When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris; and
• Arabia Felix: The Danish Expedition of 1761-1767 by Thorkild Hansen.

Music:

• Max Roach: The Max Roach Trio, Featuring the Legendary Hasaan/Drums Unlimited
• Eric Dolphy: Conversations
• Sam Jones: The Soul Society
• Doug Watkins and Yusef Lateef: Soulnik
• Ernie Henry: Last Chorus
• Jaki Byard: The Jaki Byard Experience. (more…)