By Jake Weatherill from Lewisham Branch
Happy New Lockdown Year! What a twelve months that was. Don’t worry I am not planning on a blow by blow account, to be honest I think that if anything 2020 should be left alone for the rest of eternity. I not going to do one of those ‘New Year, New You’ blogs because, well, I don’t want to.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
In all seriousness though I have been waiting for 2021 with dread, and not just because the last few years have been the equivalent to being repeatedly kicked when you’re down. No, no, no. My dread is because come July I will be 30. The big old 3-0. Now existential crisis aside it’s a big age. A big age that needs marking, so I thought I would take a journey through the pages of 30 books I have never read before.
These aren’t necessarily going to be classics or the great reads, more a selection of books/authors I have always meant to read, but never quite got round to. So for the next six months it’s me, you and 30 books!
A quick note before I start, this isn’t a ranking, just a list, so the numbers are not a comment on anything beyond they are one of 30 books I have read for this.
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30) A Clock Work Orange by Anthony Burgess
Now given what I have said I appreciate this choice might seem cliché, but the film has always been a favourite of mine so this actually was always going to make the cut. Burgess’ dystopian near future novel follows Alex, leader of a juvenile street gang, who enjoys nothing more than Milk, Beethoven and a little bit of the Ultraviolence. We follow our protagonist on a path of destruction and debauchery that leads to his own downfall.
The use of fictitious slang by Burgess creates an edgy atmosphere, and a sense of achievement as you unpick the meaning of the words, allowing you to follow the story on a deeper level.
The key thing about this book however is the deeper moral questions this book asks. At the heart of it A Clock Work Orange is a commentary on free will. Alex’s choices may be repugnant, but they are ultimately his choices. So what happens if you hinder or take away someone’s ability to make decisions based on their own free will? Can they still truly be human, or are they nothing more than a programed automaton? Within these pages Burgess explores this question while taking us on one of the most iconic rides of all time.
29) One-Punch Man by ONE
For those who have been following my blog posts it probably won’t surprise you that something to do with Superheroes made it into the 30, and I will give you a heads up, it ain’t the only one. However rather than being a comic, One Punch Man is a Manga. And what a manga it is! Originally debuting as a web comic in 2009 before transitioning to print in 2012. Since then we have had 23 volumes, an exceptional anime and a loyal fanbase.
One-Punch Man is the ultimate pastiche of the Superhero genre.
Our lead is Saitama, the eponymous One-Punch Man. Why is he called that? Because one punch from Saitama is all it takes to end the fight. In fact the argument can be made that Saitama isn’t exactly a great hero any way, mainly because now he is just bored and looking for someone who can withstand more than, well, one punch from him. What makes this comic is the ridiculous lengths opponents go to in an attempt to take him down, but the sheer surrealness of it. In a world where it can be difficult to find something to chuckle at One-Punch Man offers superhero escapism combined with Monty Python levels of comedic irreverence.
28) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Set in the US during the Great Depression this novella follow George Milton and Lennie Small as they journey across California looking for work as ranch hands. The two are looking to make some money, buy a plot of land, and build a new life.
A simple dream in a bleak and unpredictable time. Steinbeck uses the relationships of his characters to show a darker side to American life, and the reality of the American Dream at the time. Equal parts heartfelt and stark, it’s unflinching in both emotion and it’s depictions of reality.
27) Hound of The Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Up until a few weeks ago I had never actually read a Sherlock Holmes book. Sure I watched Sherlock, and various other adaptations (anyone else remember Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century?) but never actually got round to reading any, so this list felt like a good place to start.
Arguably the world’s greatest Detective’s most famous case, Holmes and erstwhile companion Watson are roped into a seemingly impossible crime.
What does the death of a local noble have to do with a demon hound on the Moors? Is this an unescapable curse, or the hand of man at play? While the investigative side of this is impressive (truly, watching the lateral working of Holmes mind, even as a reader, is somewhere between disconcerting and mesmerising). Doyle’s real work is in his descriptive work the confines of Baskerville Hall feel endless, while the Moors with their mist and ancient homes of primeval man have an endlessly claustrophobic atmosphere. While there are horror elements this is undoubtedly one of the finest pieces of crime literature ever, which give it an ageless quality.
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26) The Horologicon by Mark Forsyth
Words are brilliant, aren’t they? There’s a word for everything! Well most things, although if you know where to look then you might just find a litany of words and phrases that are a fit for every occasion. Or maybe like me you just like to be pretentious and ostentatious, in which case allow me to introduce you to the Horrorlogicon.
Do you find that you tend to experience uthceare, or maybe you’re a tad more matutnial?
Do you tend to suffer with hum durgeon? Perhaps you’re not a fan of scamblers, or after all this (you know what I am talking about) you’re planning on a small go before trilling off? Well whether you’re reading this while taking a journey to the Spice Islands or your favourite chair this is a fun little ditty. You don’t know what I am talking about do you? Oh well, I just guess you’ll have to read the book if you want to decipher my meaning.
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