Holiday reading ideas

Christmas is almost upon us, and that (hopefully) means more time for reading. If the holiday means you’ll finally be able to curl up with a good book, why not check out some of the following titles…

The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera

This novel describes the Soviet occupation of Czechslovakia through the experiences of four intellectuals: Tomas, a skilled surgeon and relentless womaniser; his amateur photography wife Tereza; his mistress Sabina, a painter; and Sabina’s Austrian lover Franz. This novel is also interspersed with Kundera’s philosophical musings. Whilst I enjoyed the writing style and found the time period covered interesting, I had issues with some of the characters themselves. I found that Tomas in particular became at times too unlikeable for me to get fully invested in this novel.

The Secret History – Donna Tartt

Set at the New England college, this novel charts the descent of a student, Richard Papen, as he is drawn into helping commit a terrible crime. He attends exclusive Greek classes with a group of enigmatic students and together they explore different ways of thinking and living. This novel was intriguing in that it started with the crime, and afterwards discussed the events leading up to it and the aftermath. I highly enjoyed this novel, but my one criticism would be, having found about the crime so early on in the novel, that nearing the end it loses some of its impetus.

Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This novel is set in 1960s Nigeria and documents the civil war through two households that are affected. One contains: Odenigbo who is a radical university professor, his lover Olanna who was brought up in a high-status family, and their serving boy Ugwu; the other is Olanna’s sister Kainene and her English writer lover Richard. It covers a period of history and events I previously knew very little about in a way that felt intimate, human and compassionate. I found this novel beautifully written and characterised. I would definitely recommend it.

On Beauty – Zadie Smith

This novel follows the story of two middle-class families, the Belseys and the Kippses and their friendships, feuds and affairs in the academic bubble of a university just outside of Boston. The entanglements of their two warring families and the believable characterisation is the driving force of this novel – covering an episode of their lives rather than an obvious set of plot points – but the wit and descriptive power of Smith makes for compelling reading.

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson

I had heard a lot of hype surrounding this novel, which tells the story of the adventures of a hundred-year-old man who goes missing, but sadly, I had a hard time getting into it. I found that whilst entertaining, the novel’s plot seems increasingly far-fetched as the story goes on and a lot of it seems to be done out of convenience. Perhaps just not for me, as I know a lot of people who enjoyed this novel.

The Outsider – Albert Camus

Meursault learns of his mother’s death, travels to her funeral and expresses no grief. Later, when he is at the beach, he kills his friend’s girlfriend’s brother remorselessly and is arrested. He is later sentenced to death, and only finds happiness in his belief that life has no higher meaning. I enjoyed this novel and found the philosophical ideas presented interesting, even though the subject matter can be a bit difficult to get your head around.

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