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50 Novels for 50 States - Update #1 2016-12-11 03:38:29 Post No. 8826829
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50 Novels for 50 States - Update #1 2016-12-11 03:38:29 Post No. 8826829
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A little over a month ago I made a thread asking for suggestions for novels set in each US state. The purpose of the project being to gain a fuller understanding of America and Americans. I feel like I'm seeing more and more flaws in what was an initially flawed premise, but I'll crack on just the same. I'm 1/10th of the way through, so here are my thoughts so far:
>1. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck - Oklahoma
Started with this one because I was pretty sure I'd like it, having already read and enjoyed Cannery Row. I got more or less exactly what I expected. Loved the dialogue and the characters. The shorter chapters that spoke to the wider situation were hit and miss, though the one with the title drop is a corker. I can understand the criticisms others have for it, it is not subtle and it is repetitive, but it all chimed well with my faggy socialist sensibilities. As I was nearing the end of the book I couldn't think of a good way to leave things. Obviously there could be no happily ever after but despair on top of despair wouldn't have fit either. The final image is so perfect, hopeful in spite of everything.
>2. The Big Sleep, by Raymond Chandler - California
As Steinbeck took me to California I figured I may as well stay for a while. I thought this was shite. Hated just about everything. There's Marlowe himself, insufferably perfect in every way. He'll outtalk anyone, he'll best all comers in hand-to-hand combat and the poor chap can't even go to sleep without annoying women trying to have sex with him. The whole cynicism angle really doesn't work when your main character is a superhero. The plot is a bit of a mess, can't say I was surprised to learn it is the result of cobbling together several short stories. The writing is so full of smarmy witticisms that every other page earned an eye-roll. I can't give it much credit for being so influential when the genre it helped carve out seems so worthless. And it's a complete dud in terms of what it can teach me about California, but that's my fault, should have picked something else.
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>>8826829
>3. Sometimes a Great Notion, by Ken Kesey - Oregon
Up the West coast for what is actually a good companion piece to The Grapes of Wrath, and not just because they both have movie adaptations starring Henry Fonda. Unions and monopolies are back on the menu but this time our protagonists are a union-defying family of loggers keeping the rest of the town out of pocket. But it's the divisions within the family that kept me engrossed. The complexity of the characters was impressive, at times loathsome and relatable, admirable and pitiful. The way he uses italics and parentheses to differentiate between different narrative perspectives initially struck me as crude, but it became a strength and made for some intense sequences. A minor complaint is that we're treated to the perspectives of some characters who have almost no bearing on the plot and I can't see much in terms of their thematic relevance either. Also loses marks because it contains the word 'Kafkaesque'.
>4. Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson - Idaho
From the rivers and forests of Oregon to the mountains and lakes of Idaho, and a change of pace after 3 decidedly masculine entries. Although it only really got interesting about halfway through when the narrator and her sister started to develop as distinct characters, it ended up being a nice understated story about loneliness and alienation. Lots of small observations full of truth and some great imagery that stays with you. I think she's a very good writer, which is fortunate as she's one of only a few authors with more than one novel on my list. Looking forward to Gilead.
>5. The Virginian, by Owen Wister - Wyoming
To the plains of Wyoming for "the first true Western ever written". It's a genre I'm a fan of, but I have to say I found large parts of this very dull. Much of the novel is spent on a rather bland romance plot. It took me almost as long to get through this as it did the first four books put together. There are glimpses of the reality of the Old West, and glimpses of the myth of the Old West which is probably more important to my stated purpose. If this novel helped pave the way for others like Warlock, Lonesome Dove and Butcher's Crossing then I'm grateful for it, but it's just not all that interesting in its own right.
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>>8826829
I tried to get you to read East of Eden for California dude. You should have listened.
Are you Irish at all? If you are you should read East of Eden to make up for The Big Sleep.
Overall though, you're making good progress on the meme nation.
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>>8826840
I picked up a copy of East of Eden a couple of weeks ago after finishing The Grapes of Wrath, so I'll get to it at some point.
And yes I am Irish, psychic anon.
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>>8826833
> There are glimpses of the reality of the Old West, and glimpses of the myth of the Old West which is probably more important to my stated purpose
I think it's important to get a look at both for your purpose, for the sake of knowing what exactly has been romanticized in the popular American imagination.
And since I'm an Indianafag, I'm looking forward to see what you think of Tarkington, he isn't discussed here much anyway.
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