After MissPrism set the pace with her list Ten books you’re supposed to like but I didn’t several lists began popping up. I wrote mine here and “Reading at Naptime” linked to mine and added the suggestion that the next assignment for the overeducated blogosphere is a list of books we love that nobody else is reading.
This is an interesting challenge since it is not about being highbrow it is just a list of favorite books which few others seem to read or have heard of. Being difficult would be easy, these are books I return to on a regular basis (or in some cases certainly will return to).
Tales of Protection by Erik Fosnes Hansen. Norwegian writers are not often put in focus but there are several contemporary Norwegians writing some really good stuff. Superficially the book hinges on four unrelated stories which are seamlessly joined together and illustrates that seemingly random and unimportant events play an important part in creating meaning and movement in our lives.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. This work consists of a compilation of 10 letters written to a young admirer and budding poet. The letters both give a insight into the reason and method for writing as well as a growth of a postal correspondance. The letters are well written full of insightful advice and anecdotes.
Notebooks 1935-1942, Notebooks 1943-1951 & Notebooks 1951-1959 by Albert Camus. Yeah, so this is actually three books at once. The final notebooks have recently been translated and I have yet to read them. The earlier notebooks were fantastic not for Camus’ telling of the history through which he lived but rather the “notes to self” which he filled his notebooks with. Pointers on writing, ideas for future work, the need revise and revise. These are disjointed and offer wonderful advice.
The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo. The zen of tea and teaism have effected every aspect of Japanese society. This book is not about zen but it is about the how and why of tea and the tea ceremony. It is a beatiful book.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. Actually the three books spanning the whole of Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes are too big for easy reading. The adventures of Calvin and Hobbes are brilliant. Filled with a questioning curiousity of the world around. I know lots of people read the strip and maybe this would disqualify them from the list but I still feel that Calvin & Hobbes are an unappreciated classic.
The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind. An old man in Paris has created a very simple lonely life for himself. When a pigeon sits outside the door to his room his world is turned upside down. The world we organise is brittle and can be turned upside down when challenged by the simplest of things. A sad and tragic story of the day when the sedentary life of an old man is changed forever.
The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas Monsarrat. This is a bit of nostaligia since I grew up on Malta. This is a story of a humble priest serving the poor in Valetta. The bombings of the WWII force the people into catacombs. The story is about six days during this siege when the priest offers inspiration to enable the people to survive the challenges they face.
Silence by Shusaku Endo. A young Jesuit is sent to Japan in 1638 to succor the local Church and investigate reports that his mentor has committed apostasy. The Christian community is suppressed and those who are not killed for their faith are ashamed for their lack of faith. In the end the young Jesuit is betrayed…
What Am I Doing Here by Bruce Chatwin. A collection of essays, profiles and travel stories from the life of Bruce Chatwin.
The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. A wonderful mix of gossip and history as Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus writes the biographies of twelve caesars of the Roman Empire. The biographies go from Julius Caesar to Domitian and are perhaps not the most historically accurate but do make for interesting reading.
So that’s my list. The books among my favorites that don’t get enough attention generally. Can there be a better thing to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon? Mmm, I feel like reading a book…
Napoleon’s marshals who became king Charles XIV John of Sweden. During Oscar’s time as crown prince and heir to the Swedish throne he was very socially active. Among other things he wrote a series of articles on popular education, and (in 1841) an anonymous work, “Om Straff och straffanstalter”, advocating prison reforms. The latter was translated in many languages and in English was given the title On Punishments and Prisons. More info on Oscar and photo on wikipedia.