2021: My year in books
Another pandemic year. This time, 16 of the 34 books I read were written by women, a much better ratio than the previous year. The first book I completed was also the oldest, from 1792, by Mary Wollstonecraft. The most recent was written in 2021, Jews Don't Count by David Baddiel.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman - Mary Wollstonecraft
This is a hugely influential work of philosophy and politics written at the death of the eighteenth century, and often cited as one of the most important forerunners of feminism. As a reader in the twenty-first century, it reads as a curious mixture of painfully relevant and wildly outdated. Wollstonecraft's call for equal treatment of women still rings true, yet her Christian motivations and what now seems the limited extent of her expectations can make some of this seem rather quaint. In truth, it is a difficult read, as much of the text is dedicated to discursive and at times rambling ripostes to male Enlightenment thinkers, in particular Rousseau. Nonetheless, I would certainly recommend reading at least abridged highlights, as well as learning about the extraordinary life of the writer.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner - James Hogg
This oddity from Scottish author Hogg reminded me of Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky, a groundbreaking work it that Private Memoirs precedes by forty years. The same narrative is played out twice: firstly in an ostensibly "unbiased" form - an investigation after the fact into a murder and the surrounding mysteries; secondly by the apparent murderer himself, in the form of a diary documenting his downfall under the influence of a mysterious and sometime supernatural figure with whom he discusses religious matters at great length. Part mystery, part treatise and part satire, the novel is in some ways an exploration of the danger in the notion of predestination (that some are saved and destined for heaven and others damned to hell from birth, regardless of their actions in life) that was prevalent in the writer's Scotland at the time.
The Story of China - Michael Wood
Michael Wood's attempt to cover the entirety of Chinese history in a single volume is understandably breathtaking in scope, while occasionally short in detail on specific periods. Structured in a way largely determined by the succession of dynasties whose reign has marked out the major part of Chinese history, and the various interregna dotted in between, one narrative that endures throughout is the sheer size and persistence of a single nation throughout a period in which Western empires rose, fell and were forgotten time and again. Such was my level of ignorance upon starting the book, at times I found myself a little lost between the various characters (politicians, writers, religious leaders, normal citizens and above all poets) through which Wood tells the human side of the story (admittedly compounded by listening as an audiobook). However, the overall story is told with panache and clarity, and I found the later sections (from the arrival of Europeans, through the opium wars, communist revolution and up to present day) particularly fascinating in their laudably Eastern view of Western events. Impossible to be comprehensive, it was nonetheless a hugely educational read.
The Gadfly - Ethel Lilian Voynich
A novel written originally in English, but substantially more popular in translation, The Gadfly is a romantic adventure story regarding the stirrings of revolution in Austrian-dominated Italy during the 1840s. Scanning the reviews on Goodreads will give a good idea of its global popularity - featuring many reviews in Russian, Persian and other languages native to countries that experienced revolutions during the 20th Century. As an English reader, I perhaps most enjoyed it as a rousing adventure story, reminiscent of Dumas, but with a political and historical sensitivity that examines notions of devotion, truth and disillusionment. A real page-turner.
The Limits of Vision - Robert Irwin
This short but memorable novel from Arabian Nighmare author Irwin follows Marcia, a housewife, during the course of a single, unremarkable day, as she wages war on household dirt, entertains at a coffee morning, and falls increasingly deeply into her surreal intellectual daydreams. Written in first person, with a brisk and easy literary style, she details the various aspects of her obsession with cleaning products, her conversations with intellectual figures from Da Vinci to Darwin, and her all-consuming war against the scornful god of filth, Mucor, who mocks her as her mind seemingly begins to unravel. A very strange book, which has little interest in providing the reader with an objective viewpoint. Not likely to appeal to all tastes, but I loved it.
The Mermaid of Black Conch - Monique Roffey
This unusual romance novel centres on the small island of Black Conch (a fictionalised Tobago) and the discovery of a mermaid in the nearby seas one summer in the nineteen-seventies. Alternating between three voices - a traditional third-person narration, the heavily-dialected diary of the man who finds, rescues and falls in love with her, and a freeform poem written by the mermaid herself as she rediscovers her lost humanity - the novel works as both an adventure story and a romance, while also allowing author Roffey (a British-Trinidadian writer) to explore themes of feminism, post-colonialism and neo-imperialism. Wonderfully unpredictable and quite unique.
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo
The winner of the 2019 Booker prize, this astonishing novel from Bernardine Evaristo has the scope and ambition of grand Victorian novel, the linguistic experimentation of the European modernists but the vision and relevance of contemporary twenty-first century Britain. Tracing an untold history of Britain through the voices of a series of loosely-connected characters, mostly black British women, the novel hits every note perfectly. It is eminently readable, laugh-out-loud funny in parts, devastating in others, and told with a clarity of purpose and drive that at times left me breathless. I could not recommend it more strongly.
Hope in the Dark - Rebecca Solnit
This short book by activist and writer Solnit is focused on the subject of hope, within the context of the global justice movement, exploring forgotten victories from the past and focusing on how the "unknown" and hope are, for all intents and purposes, the same thing. An encouraging and wise book, I thoroughly recommend it for any who fear that climate doom is inevitable, or that the slide towards nationalism cannot be reversed. Not only should you have hope - Solnit argues that you must.
Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman
A seminal text on the effect of television on national discourse, education and politics from the time of the Reagan administration, I have seen this book referenced several times as remaining surprisingly relevant in the Internet and social media age. For a book focused on the subject of epistemology, it is very readable and at times laugh-out-loud funny, with Postman's dry wit rarely missing its mark. Despite such humour, Postman is deadly serious in his intent, warning convincingly of slide into a Huxleyian dystopia as we increasingly view all things of importance within society - news, politics, history, education etc - first and foremost as entertainment.
Folk Devils and Moral Panics - Stanley Cohen
This in-depth, landmark case study on the "Mods and Rockers" phenomenon (a major news story in 1960s Britain, focused on apparently rival gangs rioting at seaside resorts in Southern England) is both a fascinating piece of first-hand sociological study and also a wider meditation on complexity, complicity and feedback loops within situations which are presented as simple and straightforward on the surface. Cohen makes a compelling argument that the crisis was in major part facilitated by the media (in their hysterical over-reporting of a relatively small number of incidents during a quiet news cycle), the government and the police (in their zealous over-response, prompted by the media coverage), and the public (in their complicity and fascination with watching a supposedly major event unfold), and ties it to the history of such moral panics, from witch trials to the present day. His first-hand testimonies are compelling, and his sympathies are clear, yet the entire book is written with an even-handed clarity that leaves little room for any accusations of unfair treatment of the subject.
The Devil - Leo Tolstoy
A relatively minor novella from late-era Tolstoy, which meditates on the corruption of the soul, in particular caused by adultery and promiscuity. Such Christian moralising seems typical of his later work, however it is still written with great humanistic depth and as such I did enjoy reading it. However, I would recommend some other such works as a better place to start with the great Russian master - perhaps Hadji Murat or The Death of Ivan Ilych if you are not yet ready to tackle the epic masterpieces of War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
Iron Council - China Miéville
This is the third of Mieville's Bas-Lag novels, set in a steampunk-infused fantasy world of magic, machinery and half-human hybrid species. As with Perdido Street Station and The Scar, the story here is essentially standalone - in this case set several decades after the events of those novels. This is certainly the most overtly political of the three novels, concerning as it does a disparate set of activists building towards a revolution against the brutal leadership of sprawling megapolis New Crobuzon. There are several plot strands here, which take a long time to come together, and I particularly enjoyed an extended interlude (novella in length) which detailed the back story of one of the main characters and the titular council. As ever with Miéville, the journey is perhaps more satisfying than the conclusion, but I thoroughly enjoyed that journey. I would be happy to read more novels set in this world, if Miéville ever decides to write one.
Becoming - Michelle Obama
The former First Lady of the United States, wife of Barack Obama, wrote and narrated this extensive memoir and autobiography, which I enjoyed as an audiobook. Tracing her life story from her early years in the South side of Chicago, her childhood and education, path to college and her law career, the first half of the book represents a terrific, bildungsroman-esque story about opportunity, privilege and chance. Writing with the folksy yet literary style that is also present in her public speaking, she writes with clarity, wit and compassion about her family and friends, as well as cleverly tracing a story about black politics, representation and empowerment in America over the course of her life. Inevitably, the second half of the book is dominated by the story of her husband's entry into politics, his rise through the ranks of the Democratic party apparatus, and eventually his presidency. Obama covers the years in the White House through the lens of her own activism and projects, particularly around support for veterans, equality in education and health and food education for the young.
Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
As inscrutably post-modern as any of Vonnegut's work that I have read, this is perhaps the most obviously comical of the American sort-of-sci-fi writer's ouevre that I have yet encountered. Musing on themes of free will, mental health and reality, the book could be a heady concoction, yet Vonnegut's sparkling humour (and hilarious hand-drawn sketches) cut through the bleakness of his message and present a wry view of the world. As ever with this author, the presence and spectre of death looms large, and yet the finiteness of life is presented as much as a positive as a negative, with the absurdity of a limited, unknowable existence seemingly seen by the author as the best possible punchline to the meandering, baffling joke of life.
Ten Drugs: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine - Thomas Hager
This fascinating history of ten drugs (or groups of drugs) and their impact on the world is at the same time a terrific exploration of the history of the pharmaceutical industry, an excellently written pop-science explanation of medicines and how they work, and at times a moving rumination on the symbiotic relationship between the political and economic machinery of society and our own bodies and internal systems. From opium to modern manufactured medicines, the story is laid out with humour and insight, approachable and yet not dumbed down (at least to my level of knowledge). The only thing missing, given the publication date of 2019, was anything related to the hunt for vaccines and treatments for Covid-19 - obviously feeling like a strange omission when reading in 2021. I hope that this is a subject that Hager will tackle in a future publication.
Hungry - Grace Dent
Dent is currently the food critic for the Guardian newspaper, and a well-known writer and cultural commentator that I first remember seeing on television on Screenwipe, the fantastic series that established Black Mirror author Charlie Brooker. Hungry is a moving and funny memoir that follows Dent's life from her working class origins in Cumbria to the glitz and glamour of a media lifestyle in London, but focusing particularly on themes of food, family and memory. This story centres around her relationship with her father, and the changes and constants of that relationship over the decades as personal revelations, tragedy and illness intervene. Wittily written, with an expert eye for detail and some laugh-out-loud turns of phrase, the most surprising thing I found about Hungry was how devastatingly moving its final chapters are, while never resorting to the clichéd Northern bleakness that could have easily characterised such writing. Excellent.
We All Should Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This short essay by the author of Half a Yellow Sun is adapted from a TEDx talk of the same name, but has a depth and wit that might not be expected from such a setting. Using her excellent storytelling capabilities to frame examples drawn from her personal life, this is a wonderfully easy read but in no way dilutes the strength or urgency of her message.
I'm a Joke and So Are You - Robin Ince
In 2011, at the Latitude Festival, I saw Robin Ince perform four different comedy sets in one weekend. In the same year, I went to a recording of his Radio 4 programme (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b011tzl3) and he read my joke about Gloria Hunniford out on air. And beyond that I've seen him many times either as a stand-up or compère, including a few times in small enough menus to thank or congratulate him afterwards. So, I guess I was predisposed to enjoy this funny yet serious book about comedy, mental health and philosophy. Nonetheless, I found it witty and insightful, with thoughtfully-considered passages exploring the reasons that comics end up in their chosen profession, and the psychological and neurological implications. The audiobook, which features lots of extra side remarks and commentary dotted throughout, is worth listening to if only to enjoy the introduction, which the author gamely delivers in an excellent Stewart Lee impression (who supplied the written text).
Trieste and The Meaning of Nowhere - Jan Morris
This is the final book of prolific writer Morris, who started her career as a journalist (present when Hillary first reached the summit of Everest) and then largely wrote works of travel literature, interspersed with forays into other subjects, including her 1974 memoir Conundrum, which detailed her gender transition. In Trieste, we ostensibly have a travel book describing the Italian city and its history. But in reality, this is an extended essay on the passage of time, how identities can change, on memory, and on the meaning of "nowhere" as a place that can be a refuge from the madness of nationalism and restrictive personal identity. Both moving and profound, I hugely enjoyed reading it.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John le Carré
After many years of uncertainty over how to approach his ouevre, I decided to take the plunge with this, le Carré's third novel. It was his breakthrough and it isn't hard to see why. A bleak, gritty and incredibly gripping story of British spies during the Cold War, it is an astounding work of fiction that transcends all trappings of the spy genre reads breathlessly, held together with masterful literary construction and plotted miraculously. To detail the story would only spoil it, so I shall merely say that any reader as trepidatious as me should feel encouraged to take the plunge here. Wonderful.
Novacene - James Lovelock
This short work of scientific philosophy by Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia theory (which states that our planet and its ecosystem can be viewed as a single living organism) is named after what he sees as the next geological age after our own. The current age is taken to be the Anthropocene - namely the one in which intelligent human life is the single biggest factor in determining the evolution of our planet, its ecosystem and chemical and geological state. The next one, Lovelock claims, will be the Novacene, in which hyperintelligent "cyborgs" will inherit the privilege of being the most intelligent beings in the universe from us, and continue the trajectory of turning the matter of the universe into information. Lovelock's understanding of advanced machine learning (he cites AlphaGo and AlphaZero several times) is a little shakey, but the big ideas are convincingly argued. Not bad for a book written in his 100th year.
Everyday Sexism - Laura Bates
Part campaign, part journalistic investigation, part social movement, Bates's book documents the first few years of the Everyday Sexism website and movement. At the same, both time a powerful work of fourth wave feminism and an extensive documentary of multitudinous forms and examples of misogyny. Impeccably researched, wittily written and at times horrifying in its content.
The Brain - David Eagleman
Informative and articulate pop science book about neurology. A subject about which I do not know a huge amount, but I found Eagleman's explanations simple and straightforward without being obviously dumbed down.
Stonehenge - Rosemary Hill
Very well researched history of Stonehenge, charting the history of the site itself, but focusing heavily on its social impact over hundreds of years of discovery, rediscovery and reinterpretation. Hill's writing is clear and easy to read, and she presents an interesting alternative history of England through the story of one its primary landmarks.
Jews Don't Count - David Baddiel
Comedian David Baddiel wrote this polemic in response to what he perceived as a watered-down response to antisemitism from the British left, particularly online, when in comparison to racism against other groups. Very articulately written and intelligent in its dissection of the issue, and a quick read. Recommended.
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
Named by some as the greatest work of English literature this century, the first volume of Mantel's historical trilogy charting the life of Thomas Cromwell, from humble beginnings to the height of power in the court of Henry VIII. Brilliant far beyond the confines of what I had thought possible in so-called "historical fiction", I was surprised quite how experimental much of the prose and structure of the novel is. I am hugely excited to read the follow two parts. Wonderful.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk
Wow. What is this novel? Is it an Agatha Christie-style whodunit, modernised, transplanted to Poland and narrated by the local weirdo? Is it a metaphysical treatise in the tradition of William Blake, a twisted vision paradise within purgatory? Is it a darkly comic satire about age? Or country life? Or is it all of these things? Whatever the answer, it is one of the finest and strangest novels I have ever read.
Women & Power - Mary Beard
A short but powerful manifesto about the overlooked role of women in history, how misogynistic traditions in academia continue to reinforce that, as well as a personal story of challenges Beard had to overcome in here career and a rallying cry for feminists to chart a new path forward to a world that recognises women as equals.
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay
Since I read this, it has been adapted as an excellent (if initially misunderstood) BBC drama series starring Ben Wishaw. The book is almost entirely constructed from Kay's diaries during his time working in the NHS as a junior doctor. Hilarious and heartbreaking, in unequal measure, and essential reading for anyone who wants to start to understand how difficult a career in our beloved NHS can be.
The Unwomanly Face of War - Svetlana Alexievich
This astonishing collection of hundreds of first-hand accounts of the second world war, from women who served in the Soviet army during it, was assembled over years of painstaking (and emotionally painful) research by Nobel prize-winning journalist Alexievich. While obviously notable for shining a light on the overlooked role of women in war, it is quite frankly also the single most vivid portrayal of wartime that I have ever read. In honesty, I found it a long and difficult read, rewarding but difficult to read in anything longer than short bursts, such is the intensity of the emotion in so many of the relayed stories.
Notes on Nationalism - George Orwell
An extended wartime essay by Orwell, it is clear to see the ideas forming here which would result in Nineteen Eighty-Four. A meditation on the nature of nationalism, national identity, patriotism and ignorance. All of Orwell's essays still manage to feel prophetic and relevant even seventy years later, but this one in particular still feels hugely relevant.
The Man Who Was Thursday - G.K. Chesterton
This strange and careening novel about spies, secret societies and identity feels like a strange artifact from an alternative timeline of twentieth century literature. A short and readable adventure story at heart, full of twists and excitement, it is also satirical and surreal. Quite curious for the modern reader.
Race - Toni Morrison
This slight book collects essays and extracts from Morrison's expansive oeuvre which touch on the subject of race. Morrison's writing is always precise and insightful, but in honesty I would not have bought the book had I realised much of it was much up of writings I had already read. I would recommend her fiction as a better starting point for newcomers.
Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes
Probably the most heartbreaking novel I have ever read. If anyone tells you that science fiction is an emotionally shallow genre, buy them a copy of this book. A masterpiece.