I’ll start this by saying that when in a reading slump I can’t read classics, they always seem far too boring or too tedious to get through, must be in a reading flow to read a classic.
I study literature at college, I’m now studying modern literature (which is somewhat painful to get through), so I read a lot in general but I haven’t been able to read something I want to read for so long. I read Philip Larkin’s poetry and Giovanni’s Room (Baldwin is such an amazing writer, I love his writing style) but nothing much since the start of the year. I’ve been reading philosophy once a week as a little mental work out but that’s it. I can only really read “serious” books, so please recommend some books that fit into this category!!!
(P.S I tried to read Philip. K. Dick’s work but failed, he deserves more time than what I’ve got, and I’ve been heavily considering reading American Psycho)
by miserable_merlin
10 Comments
God American Psycho is v v gorey. I had to abandon it. Some books I read recently that I really enjoyed were:
The Fountain in the Forest by Tony White
Milkman by Anna Burns
The Collector by John Fowles
The End of Days by Jenny Erpenbeck
Cormac McCarthy perhaps?
John Irving
Try A Fan’s Notes by Frederick Exley or The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O’Connor.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
For fiction, Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
For non-fiction, From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun
*Orlando* by Woolf
*Passage to India* by Forster
I find reading outside my normal favorite genres tends to help me get out of slumps. Not sure what a “serious” book is and isn’t for you. I’ll just assume you don’t enjoy fluffy books that are fast reads but a week later you can’t really recall anything about it. I’ll give you a few of my favorites that I read years ago and still think of from time to time.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. It is about a woman trying to make her way in the male dominated field of Chemistry in the 1950s. It’s a bit quirky, but an enjoyable read from beginning to end.
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, a memoir by a biracial comedian who grew up in apartheid South Africa, where his very existence was proof of his parents crime. He’s a comedian so there’s some funny parts, but there’s a lot of hear wrenching and eye opening parts. I didn’t understand how apartheid was different from US segregation, so I learned a lot just from his experiences.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, a multigenerational family saga starting with two half sisters. One is sold to slavery and shipped off to America, the other marries a white slave trader. Each chapter is told from a new descendants’ perspective, so it’s almost like 14 short stories. She is a great story teller, definitely worth a read.
Seamus Heaney’s Burial at Thebes. Superb version of an ancient play but can also be read as an indictment of George Bush.
Umberto Eco’s books – intellectual but good to read
Look into Heinlein. His sci-fi is generally just futuristic stories as settings to discuss different philosophies. From what you’ve said, I would suggest The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Stranger in a Strange Land might also tick your box.