Reading the 20th Century discussion

We've noticed that the better known the book/author the more participation and discussion we tend to get

With that in mind we're still trialling something new

Going forward we'll rotate between a wild card month (anything set or written in the twentieth century), a decade (anything set or written in a specific decade of the twentieth century), or a twentieth century classic (a classic book written in the twentieth century)

For our April 2024 group read we invite you to nominate a twentieth century classic

So please feel free to nominate a bok written in twentieth century that could be labelled a classic. There are no hard and fast rules around what defines a classic so interpret that how you see fit.

Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.

Happy nominating

I nominate a book published by Penguin in their Penguin Modern Classics series (so it must be a classic, right?)...



A Rage in Harlem (1957)

by

Chester Himes



I've never read any Chester Himes so can't personally vouch for his abilities but he often gets mentioned alongside Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett which is enough to have me very interested in giving him a go

A Rage in Harlem (1957) is the first in the Harlem Cycle series and features two Harlem detectives, the magnificently monikered Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones



More about A Rage in Harlem (1957)...


'The greatest find in American crime fiction since Raymond Chandler' Sunday Times

Jackson's woman has found him a foolproof way to make money - a technique for turning ten dollar bills into hundreds. But when the scheme somehow fails, Jackson is left broke, wanted by the police and desperately racing to get back both his money and his loving Imabelle.

The first of Chester Himes's novels featuring the hardboiled Harlem detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, A Rage in Harlem has swagger, brutal humour, lurid violence, a hearse loaded with gold and a conman dressed as a Sister of Mercy.

With an Introduction by Luc Sante

I'm going to nominate a book that I've wanted to read for a very long time. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. It may or may not be a literary classic (I'll have to see) but it is certainly a 20th Century Classic. I know Nigeyb has read it, but I don't know about our other members. And maybe he would join for another go.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.

Thanks Ben - a great nomination and qualifies as a classic I'd say


Yes, I've read it three times, most recently in 2017, so probably a tad soon for a reread but I could certainly participate in a discussion as my memory of it is quite clear

I'd like to read A Rage in Harlem too.

I thought of Jean Rhys, William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams but I'm going to nominate:

Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson

Subtly brilliant comedy of social rivalry between the wars. Emmeline Lucas (known universally to her friends as Lucia) is an arch-snob of the highest order. In Miss Elizabeth Mapp of Mallards Lucia meets her match. Ostensibly the most civil and genteel of society ladies, there is no plan too devious, no plot too cunning, no depths to which they would not sink, in order to win the battle for social supremacy. Using as their deadly weapons garden parties, bridge evenings and charming teas, the two combatants strive to outcharm each other - and the whole of Tilling society - as they vie for the position of doyenne of the town.

My nomination is The Hobbit By J R R Tolkien, of course.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

I'm not sure if you can get much more Classic 20th Century.

Thanks all


Nominations

A Rage in Harlem (1957) by Chester Himes (Nigeyb)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (Ben)
Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson (Roman Clodia)
The Hobbit By J R R Tolkien (Rosina)

Great nominations so far. Would Moon Tiger be a classic that would appeal to anyone?

I was just thinking I'd like to re-read The Hobbit. I haven't read it for years, Rosina.

We read Moon Tiger in September 2021, David, so probably too soon to reread: the thread is here if you're interested and we also had a spoiler thread:

www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21966088...

www.goodreads.com/topic/show/22042736...

But if anyone is interested in a buddy read, do post - I recall an interesting discussion with different readings of the book.

Anyone else nominating?

No, not this month. I have browsed but have not been inspired.

It’s getting more difficult to choose every month with such great nominations.

This is true, and I am grateful as I couldn't add anything this month.

Can i add Chronicle of the Murdered House?

Long considered one of the most important works of twentieth century Brazilian literature written by Lúcio Cardoso in 1959 and translated by Margaret Costa and Robin Pattersonin 2016. It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years. If you like Clarice Lispector you probably know Cardoso was her life long friend whom she admired tremendously . This novel is his masterpiece - think Faulkner with a camp twist - the tale of a decaying patriarchal family told with many POV and via letters, diaries memoirs and confessions . One to get your teeth stuck into .

Hester - Chronicle of the Murdered House sounds amazing.

David wrote: "Hester - Chronicle of the Murdered House sounds amazing."

It does, great choice!

Thanks Hester


I'll get the poll up later today

I agree Chronicles sounds wonderful but when I checked its availability it's not in the London Library system or in the Open Library and it's £15 on Amazon. 🙁

Can anyone find another source for it?

ouch . I must admit I was given my copy ...

Thanks for checking, Ben - even second hand it's over a tenner and there's no Kindle edition I could see.

Hester, it's up to you if you want to leave this as a nomination or swap in something else but it may not get many votes if it's not accessible ☹️

Happy to leave it as a possible buddy read , in case somone else is tempted? I

t made me think of another Faulkner type novel about the decay of " great" families and i wonder if Cardoso will have read Allen Tate? I nominate The Fathers simply because Ive just read most of Toni Morrison's work and wanted to continue my journey into the South and the Civil War . Its a Penguin Modern Classic so should be available . Published in 1939 and would make an interesting dish to serve with the "gentlemanly" conduct we are reading in Dance to the Music of Time and Wodehouse .

Oh I’m sorely tempted, Hester, to read it. I would want an opportunity to sample it however before forking out the £15!

Chronicle of the Murdered House does look interesting. Blackwells UK are selling it new for £12.99 but suggests there are only 3 copies available. Amazon has a couple of used copies for slightly less.

Ben wrote: "Oh I’m sorely tempted, Hester, to read it. I would want an opportunity to sample it however before forking out the £15!"

There's an extract here Ben, if that helps at all:

https://lithub.com/chronicle-of-the-m...

Thanks.

If its not too late to nominate, can I add Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys. The novel is the first of his Wessex novels and in some circles he was regarded as the twentieth-century successor to the great nineteenth-century novelist, Thomas Hardy

Some chunky books this month!

Time to vote….




https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...






Nominations

A Rage in Harlem (1957) by Chester Himes (Nigeyb)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (Ben)
Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson (Roman Clodia)
The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien (Rosina)
The Fathers by Allen Tate (Hester)
Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys (Stephen)

I want to read them all but alas will vote for 1. It’s not easy!

Poll Watch....



A Rage in Harlem (1957) by Chester Himes 3 votes, 27.3%

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - 2 votes, 18.2%
The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien - 2 votes, 18.2%
The Fathers by Allen Tate - 2 votes, 18.2%

Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson - 1 vote, 9.1%
Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys - 1 vote, 9.1%

I've changed my vote as my choice is going nowhere so it's looking even better for Chester Himes.

I must say I'm very keen to sample some Chester Himes - so thanks RC


I've already read Mapp & Lucia (great BTW), The Hobbit, and Fear and Loathing and not ready to reread just yet. The other two look tempting

Less than a day to go until voting closes


It looks as though Chester Hines has got this unless......

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

I plumped for Himes. But everything on this list looks good, the Tate sounds intriguing, the Thompson is a classic I've been wanting to read. I love Mapp and Lucia, always meant to tackle The Hobbit, and Wolf Solent is a fascinating novel that would be good to discuss.

Chester wins it


Thanks to everyone who participated. Holler if there's interest in buddy reads for any of the runners up



Poll results....

A Rage in Harlem (1957) by Chester Himes 6 votes, 40.0%

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - 3 votes, 20.0%
The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien - 3 votes, 20.0%
The Fathers by Allen Tate - 2 votes, 13.3%

Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys - 6.7, 9.1%

Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson

I would like to do Fear and Loathing as a Buddy Read in March or April. Any takers? (I hope Nigeyb will join with his impressions even if he doesn't reread it again.)

Hurrah, looking forward to Himes.

Also it reminded me I've been meaning to try Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series - I didn't read enough crime last year.

Ben wrote: "I would like to do Fear and Loathing as a Buddy Read in March or April. Any takers? (I hope Nigeyb will join with his impressions even if he doesn't reread it again.)"

I will indeed Ben, if you get any takers

Pleased about that, as I wanted to see if there was a comparison to Chandler, as the blurb says. I just have Chandler’s short stories left to read.

It has been decades since I read Chandler so I am very pleased to read this winner.
I have read one Walter Mosley book and it was back in the ‘80s, I think. Definitely an author I would enjoy.

This sounds great. I may try to read, even though I can only access it on audio through my library.

I need to read more Chandler and Mosley. I read the first in the Easy Rawlins series, and hope to read #2 soon.

Kathleen wrote:


"I need to read more Chandler"

We reread all the main Marlowe novels last year so please comment on the relevant discussion when you get round to it Kathleen


Roman Clodia wrote:

"Also it reminded me I've been meaning to try Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series - I didn't read enough crime last year."

I read all of the Easy Rawlins series in the dim and distant (pre-Goodreads) past. Loved them. I expect you will too RC, unless they've dated horribly 😬



Jill wrote:

"Pleased about that, as I wanted to see if there was a comparison to Chandler, as the blurb says. I just have Chandler’s short stories left to read."

Please report back about the short stories. I will most likely seek them out too now you've mentioned them

I'm not fond of Chandler or other noir crime, but I would definitely re-read The Hobbit if anyone is keen?

I would be up for a re-read of The Hobbit!

(And I agree about Chandler and hard-boiled crime ...)

Perfect. Let's go to the Shire. Nigeyb, could you add it please as an April buddy?

The excellent (if rather old) BBC dramatisation is available on Audible in the UK. Shorter than Peter Jackson's trilogy, and rather more faithful to the books.

I have Andy Serkis reading it, whoever he is? I must have got it as an Audible deal and I've definitely never listened to it.

Andy Serkis is a fab actor and film maker. He played Gollum in the films so perfect as a narrator

Would anyone be interested in a Wolf Solent buddy read?