Tagged With: Reading

January’s Books

Photograph taken on Monday, January 27, 2020 by Henry
January's Books

January’s Books

I’ve been busy with my reading list lately, getting through some books that I’ve been meaning to read for a while now. I started reading Anna Karenin, by Leo Tolstoy, just before Christmas and finished it in early January. I enjoyed it quite a bit, although some of the characters were more likeable than others. After that I tackled The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It isn’t an easy book to read but I think it’s an important book, all the more so as we have politicians who clearly admire the Soviet Union at or near the top of a presidential race. This is only the first of three volumes and I have put off volume two for a little while, but it’s waiting for me when I can handle it. I took a little break by reading Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh, which is an enjoyable book and justly popular. I’m currently working my way into Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, which looks to be a bit harder and will certainly take me into February.

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My 2020 Reading

Photograph taken on Thursday, December 31, 2020 by Henry
My 2020 Reading

My 2020 Reading

This year was something of a landmark for me in terms of reading. For a while now I’ve been trying to read some of the books that I should have read in high school or college (or perhaps that I should have been supposed to read, if you follow me). Over the last dozen years or so, I’ve gotten through a significant number, including fiction by Austen, Bronte, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, Dufoe, Hardy, Melville, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Zola, to name but a few. I’ve read some of the classics, including Greek and Roman historians, playwrights, and philosophers and some significant modern non-fiction, as well. Late last year, though, I decided to step it up a notch. My goal was to read 26 books with some significant number of them being big, important or serious books. As it turns out—and no one is more surprised than I am—I aimed low.

All the books I read this year are pictured here. Some of them are short and very easy to read, but a few of them are what Dorothy and I have taken to calling “Lifetime Achievement Books.” Specifically, the three volumes of The Gulag Archipelago (weighing in at a combined 1,818 pages), Moby Dick (‘only’ 459 pages but seriously, get to the whale already!), The History of the Peloponnesian War (574 pages), The Tale of Genji (1,139 pages), and War and Peace (1,136 pages).

My 2020 Reading

My 2020 Reading

Here is the full list of books read in 2020 in the order I read them. Overall, I’ve enjoyed much of what I read. Some were not so much enjoyable as worthwhile. For instance, The Gulag Archipelago is not light or enjoyable, but it’s important. Personally I think it should be required reading, along with The Hiding Place. Obviously Jack London, the Narnia books by Lewis, and a few others are on the other end of the difficulty spectrum and provided a needed respite.

Order   
Read   		 Title Author Date    Notes
1 Anna Karenin Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1878 I actually started this on December 23, 2019, so only a third or so was read this year. My first book by Tolstoy and I have to say I really enjoyed it.
2 The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Volume 1 Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr Isayevich (December 11, 1918 – August 3, 2008) From 1958 and 1968, English translation by Thomas Whitney, 1974 I believe this should be required reading at some level (high school or college). Although the Soviet Union no longer exists as it was, what happened there can—and almost certainly will—happen again, although in a different guise.
3 Brideshead Revisited Waugh, Evelyn (October 28, 1903 – April 10, 1966) 1945 A miniseries was made in 1981 that is pretty faithful to the book. But the book is still better. Enjoyable and even a little thought provoking.
4 Moby Dick Melville, Herman (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) 1851 One of those books that everyone knows but few have actually read. You could make a much shorter, abridged version and not really detract from the story. I mean, seriously, get to the whale already.
5 Silas Marner Eliot, George (Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1864 A lovely short story. I really enjoyed it.
6 The Man With The Gash London, Jack (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916) 1901 Short Stories, set in the arctic.
7 In Parenthesis Jones, David (November 1, 1895 – October 28, 1974) 1937 A book length, modern poem about the First World War.
8 Tristram Shandy Sterne, Laurence (November 24, 1713 – March 18, 1768) between 1759 and 1767 I bought this because the title seemed familiar to me, bit I’m not sure if I’d classify it as a classic. Enjoyable but not great.
9 Beowulf: A New Verse Translation Unknown, translated in 1999 by Seamus Heaney (April 13, 1939 – August 30, 2013) 8th century I haven’t read Beowulf since collece and when I came across this new verse translation, I thought I’d give it a read. It has the Anglo-Saxon on the left and the modern English on the right.
10 The Republic Plato (circa 425 – circa 347 B.C.) 375 B. C. My goal is to read all of Plato’s dialogs.
11 Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Shelley, Mary (August 30, 1797 – February 1, 1851) 1818 Not really much like the movie, in case you are wondering. Much more nuanced.
12 Confessions Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430 AD) A. D. 397 I read an old translation years ago but wanted to read it again. I saw this new (2001) translation by Philip Burton and figured the time was right.
13 The Jugurthine War Sallust (Gaius Sallustius Crispus, 86 – circa 35 B.C.) 44 B. C. The Jugurthine War was fought between the Romans and the Numidian King Jugurtha from 112 through 105 B.C. This book also has a second work, The Conspiracy of Catiline, dealing with events in Rome in 63 B.C.
14 Macbeth Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) around 1606 You know the story, probably. Don’t do what he did.
15 The Tale of Genji Murasaki, Lady (circa A.D. 970 circa 1030) early 11th century This is a long novel (three pages longer than War and Peace), written about 1,000 years ago, set in imperial Japan. Quite fascinating to read, although a cheat sheet with names would be helpful.
16 Recovering Eden: The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes Eswine, Zack (born 1969) 2014 One of the few books written by a living author this year. I understood what he was saying and basically agreed, but I found his way of talking a little to hip for my teste.
17 The Hobbit Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) 1937 The classic (and much better than the movie).
18 The Lives of the Twelve Caesars Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, circa A.D. 69 – sometime after 122) A. D. 121 About (not too surprisingly): Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian
19 The Canterbury Tales Chaucer, Geoffrey (c. 1340s – October 25, 1400) between 1387 and 1400 Like the edition of Beowulf, this has the modern English along side the original, which I find interesting. I can’t say that I enjoyed this as much as I thought I might.
20 The Practice of the Presence of God Lawrence, Brother (c. 1614 – February 12, 1691) late 17th century Compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort around 1692. I love this little book and try to read it every couple years. I also try to put Brother Lawrence’s practice into practice, but without a huge amount of success.
21 The Death of Death in the Death of Christ Owen, John (1616 – August 24, 1683) 1647 The introduction by J. I. Packer is probably worth the price of the book. This is a fairly lone defense of the doctrine of limited atonement.
22 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Carroll, Lewis, (a.k.a. C. L. Dodgson, January 27, 1832 – January 14, 1898) 1865 This book contains Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), Through The Looking-Glass (1871), and The Hunting Of The Snark (1876).
23 The Consolation of Philosophy Boethius (Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, c. A.D. 477 – 524) A. D. 524, I found this quite interesting. How philosophy personified came to the aid of a man in desperate circumstances.
24 The History Tacitus (circa A.D. 56 – sometime after 117) between A. D. 100 and 110, More first century Roman history, written around the time of Hadrian.
25 The History of the Kings of Britain Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095 – c. 1155) 1136 Covering Britain from the earliest time, from its founding by Brutus, great-grandson of the Trojan Aeneas through King Cadwaladr in the latter half of the 7th century.
26 Five Dialogues Plato (circa 425 – circa 347 B.C.) 5th or 4th centuries, B. C. More Plato
27 The History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides (circa 460 – circa 400 B.C.) circa 400 B. C. Published as The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War War, 1996, by Robert B. Strassler. This was easier to get through than I expected. Athen’s really should have left Syracuse alone, though.
28 The Magician’s Nephew Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1955 I decided to read through the seven Narnia books in chronilogical rather than publication order. This one deals with the founding or creation of Narnia by Aslan.
29 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1950 The four Pevensie children find themselves in Narnia.
30 The Horse and His Boy Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1954 Set during the time of the Pevensie kingdom, this is the story of Shasta and a horse named Bree.
31 Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1951 The Pevensie children return and meet Prince Caspian and help him in his fight against his uncle Miraz.
32 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1952 The two younger Pevensies, Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia with their cousin, Eustace Scrubb, and travel with Prince Caspian.
33 The Silver Chair Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1953 Eustace escapes to Narnia with his classmate Jill Pole and they travel with Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle to rescue Prince Rilian
34 The Last Battle Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1956 The end of the old Narnia and the beginning of the true and better Narnia.
35 The Fire Next Time Baldwin, James (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) 1963 This is a very worthy book on race relations and rightly a classic. Baldwin sometimes paints with too broad a brush, but then, it’s hard not to, sometimes.
36 Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.) 4th century B. C. I think I’m more of a Neoplatonist than an Aristotelian. But we need to read people we don’t always agree with and this is a classic that should definitely be read.
37 The Hiding Place ten Boom, Corrie (April 15, 1892 – April 15, 1983) 1971 I was given this book last year and once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
38 Purgatory Alighieri, Dante (c. 1265 – 1321) 1308 Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers, (June 13, 1893 – December 17, 1957). I read the first portion of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Inferno, in late 2015. Of the three parts, I think I enjoyed Purgatory the most. Are we allowed to enjoy purgatory?
39 War and Peace Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1869 With the exception of a few sections, I enjoyed this book almost entirely. If you dropped out Tolstoy’s philosophy of war, there’s really be nothing to complain about. It’s long, but worth reading.
40 The House of The Seven Gables Hawthorne, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) 1851 I think I was biased against Hawthorne because we had to read him in school. But this story is really nice. Not necessarily happy, but nice.
41 The Epic of Gilgamesh Unknown possibly 18th century B. C. Probably the oldest thing I’ve read, from a time and a place we know little about.
42 Paradise Alighieri, Dante (c. 1265 – 1321) 1321 Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers, (June 13, 1893 – December 17, 1957). The third and final part of Dante’s Divine Comedy
43 Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece Fermor, Patrick Leigh (February 11, 1915 – June 10, 2011) 1966 Fermor writes beautifully and if you have any ethnographic interest in Greece, then this book is for you. His writing is like stepping into a time machine.
44 The Mill on the Floss Eliot, George (Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1860 Not as happy a book as Silas Marner, but a beautifully written, sad tale of life.
45 King John Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1595 The first of Shakespeare’s histories. My goal is to read through them all. This one, unsurprisingly, is about John, King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216.
46 Lord Jim Conrad, Joseph (December 3, 1857 – August 3, 1924) 1900 Dark and somewhat mysterious. I’m not sure whether or not I’m a fan.
47 Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese Fermor, Patrick Leigh (February 11, 1915 – June 10, 2011) 1959 This one wasn’t as interesting to me as Roumeli, but still worth a read if you’re interested in the area.
48 Beat to Quarters Forester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966) 1937 Originally published in England as The Happy Return. If I want something light to read, I often look to either Horatio Hornblower or Matthew Hervey. Chronologically, this is the eighth Hornblower novel.
49 The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Volume 2 Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr Isayevich (December 11, 1918 – August 3, 2008) From 1958 and 1968, English translation by Thomas Whitney, 1974 These three volumes are not easy to read. But, again, I believe they should be required reading.
50 Cybernetics Wiener, Norbert (November 26, 1894 – March 18, 1964) 1948 This was a book my dad had. It was written by a the famous mathematician and philosopher who was a professor when my dad was a grad student at MIT. I can’t say I understood all the math, but there was some interesting concepts that make the book worthwhile.
51 The Problem of Pain Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1940 One of the best by C. S. Lewis.
52 The Gulag Archipelago: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Volume 3 Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr Isayevich (December 11, 1918 – August 3, 2008) From 1958 and 1968, English translation by Thomas Whitney, 1974 It’s easy to find used copies of the first volume of this trilogy but I had to hunt to find one copy of volume 2. I never did find volume 3 so I had to buy it new.
53 Rumours of War Mallinson, Allan (Born February 6, 1949) 2004 I mentioned Matthew Hervey above. He’s sort of the Horatio Hornblower of the Light Dragoons.
54 The Early History of Rome Livy (59 B.C. – A.D. 17) 29 to 27 B. C. Books 1 through 5 of Livy’s 142 volume History of Rome, which cover the period from the founding of Rome to 386 B.C.
55 The Old Man And The Sea Hemingway, Ernest (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) 1952 This is the first book by Hemingway I’ve read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
56 Out of Africa Dinesen, Isak (a.k.a. Karen Blixen, April 17, 1885 – September 7, 1962) 1937 I sort of expected this to be a novel, but it’s really an autobiography. Still, interesting glimpse into a time and a place that’s changed since then.
57 Under The Greenwood Tree Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1872 I find that I really like Hardy’s novels. This is a short one and was written early in his career. Recommended.
58 Crime and Punishment Dostoevsky, Fyodor (November 11, 1821 – February 9, 1881) 1866 The third book by Dostoyevsky that I’ve read, after The Brothers Karamazov and Poor Folk and Other Tales. This is more of a psychological thriller. I liked Brothers K, for the most part. This is very different but also a great read.
59 A History of My Times, (Hellenica) Xenophon (circa 430 – 354 B.C.) 4th Century B. C. Covering Greek history in the years following the Peloponnesian War.
60 Smith of Wooton Manor and Farmer Giles of Ham Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) published in 1967 and 1949, respectively This is a short book with a pair of fun stories.

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My 2021 Reading

Photograph taken on Friday, December 31, 2021 by Henry
My 2021 Reading

My 2021 Reading

As the year started I had four fairly substantial books that I wanted to read this year. They were The Faerie Queene (1,043 pages), Don Quixote (957 pages), The City of God (1,142 pages), and The Bible. I’ve read the Bible straight through in its entirety a few times before but wanted to read in a different version, the relatively new English Standard Version (ESV), published in 2001 by Crossway. The copy I have, a study Bible, runs 2,091 pages of actual Biblical text, although to be fair, the pages probably average somewhere in the range of 40% to 50% notes. Nevertheless, even without notes it’s a fairly long book and I got through it in 25 days. Are these all ‘Lifetime Achievement Books’? I don’t know, but they are significant, anyway.

I had a few other books in my ‘to-read’ pile and of course we went to our two favorite used book stores a few times throughout the course of the year. As you can see from the photo and the list below, I got through quite a varied collection. I’ve put the information in a table that can be sorted by the order I read them (the default order), or by title, author, or date published. If you are interested in comparing this to last year, I’ve updated last year’s post, putting the list of books into a table similar to this one.

My 2021 Reading

My 2021 Reading

Note about dates: If the work was written over a period of years, sorting by date will use the latest date. The most notable example is the Bible, written over a period of about 1,500 years. It is listed as though it were published in A.D. 96 (the latest accepted date for the writing of the Book of Revelation). Also, I only label dates with B.C. or A.D. if they are earlier than A.D. 1000. All unlabeled dates are A.D.

I have a stack of 27 books waiting to be read starting in the new year (a.k.a. tomorrow). That includes a few larger works, such as General Sherman’s Memoirs, Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas, and a book of poetry and prose by John Milton (including Paradise Lost), and the other two volumes of Livy (The War with Hannibal and Rome and the Mediterranean. I also want to read six or so more plays by Shakespeare in my hopes to read all 39 of them (I’ve read 14 so far).

Order   
Read   		 Title Author Date    Notes
1 The Faerie Queene Spenser, Edmund (circa 1552 – January 13, 1599) written in 1590 and 1596 This is a longish book and the spellings are archaic, which made it fairly slow going. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
2 Mr. Midshipman Hornblower Forester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966) 1950 Chronologicaly, this is the first Hornblower novel. Start here.
3 How to Make Your Money Last Quinn, Jane Bryant (born February 5, 1939) 2016 As I near retirement, the questions answered by this book become more and more important. But I don’t think it’s ever too early to begin asking them.
4 Life’s Little Ironies Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1927 This collection of short stories was originally published in 1894, and republished in 1927 with a slightly different collection of stories. I have and read the 1927 version.
5 Don Quixote Cervantes, Miguel de (September 29, 1547 – April 22, 1616) 1605 and 1615 Parts of this were absolutely beautiful. Other parts dragged and I couldn’t wait to get through them. Overall, a difficult book for me to finish but one I’m glad to have read.
6 The Island of the Day Before Eco, Umberto (January 5, 1932 – February 19, 2016) 1994 Translated into English in 1995. This is a somewhat bizarre story by someone described on Wikipedia as an Italian medievalist, philosopher, semiotician, novelist, cultural critic and political and social commentator.
7 The Abolition of Man Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1947 If it’s by Lewis, I’m going to recommend it.
8 An Act of Courage Mallinson, Allan (born February 6, 1949) 2005 This is the seventh Matthew Hervey story, set mostly in the Iberian penensula.
9 The Mayor of Casterbridge Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1886 Subtitled The Life and Death of a Man of Character. As much a comedy of errors as anything. Very entertaining.
10 Escape from Camp 14 Dong-hyuk, Shin (born November 19, 1982 or 1980) and Journalist Blaine Harden (born 1952) 2012 Subtitled One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey From North Korea to Freedom in the West. From a literary standpoint, this is a weak book. However, from a cultural and historical perspective, it’s terrific. Read it and be amazed.
11 The Island of Doctor Moreau Wells, H. G. (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) 1896 I picked up a bunch of Wells’ book at the used book store and this is the first of them I’ve read. It’s not fabulous, to be honest. Clever, but not great.
12 Middlemarch Eliot, George (a.k.a. Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1871 and 1872 I liked this novel quite a bit. Eliot (Evans) is one of my top ten novelists.
13 The Time Machine Wells, H. G. (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) 1895 Like Dr. Moreau, I found this weak and not very believable. But it was a time.
14 The Bible English Standard Version (ESV) sometime before 1400 B.C. through somewhere around A.D. 96 Published in 2001 by Crossway.
15 Around The World In 80 Days Verne, Jules (February 8, 1828 – March 24, 1905) English translation published in 1873 The movies made based on this depart from it a bit, but you know what’s going to happen. I’m still not sure why he didn’t notice his mistake when leaving New York, but that’s alright, I suppose.
16 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Twain, Mark (a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) 1876 I know I should have read this at some point but I also know I never did. Twain is somewhat out of favor these days, among the politically correct. But he was a man of his time and this was a book of its time.
17 The Invisible Man Wells, H. G. (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) 1897 This is the third of my Wells books for the year. It was okay.
18 As I Lay Dying Faulkner, William (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) 1930 The first book by Faulkner I’ve ready. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. Not a light read.
19 Richard II Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) probably 1595 Following up from King John, we skip forward to Shakespeare’s second history, about Richard II, King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399.
20 Gorgias Plato (circa 425 – circa 347 B.C. ) circa 380 B.C. Another of Plato’s dialogues.
21 Jude the Obscure Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1896 A somewhat sad tale—although for Thomas Hardy, perhaps it’s only midling sad—about a young man with dreams.
22 The Tolkien Reader Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) 1966 This contains four works, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son, a short play first printed in an academic journal in 1953; Tree and Leaf, 1964, which contains an essay called On Fairy Stories and the short tale Leaf by Niggle; Farmer Giles of Ham, 1949, which I read last year; and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, 1962, a collection of 16 poems.
23 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Twain, Mark (a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) 1884 Like Tom Sawyer, this is a book I was supposed to have read. I liked it even more than I liked Sawyer.
24 A Farewell To Arms Hemingway, Ernest (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) 1929 This is a more complicated and detailed story than The Old Man And The Sea, which I read last year. I liked it well enough that I’ll be reading more Hemingway, if I get the chance.
25 How (Not) To Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor Smith, James K. A. (born October 9, 1970) 2014 This is a review and summarization of A Secular Age, 2007, by Charles Taylor (born November 5, 1931). Thought provoking and interesting, although I can’t say I always agree with either Smith or Taylor.
26 The Tempest Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1611 Another of Shakespeare’s plays. I saw this one at Cambridge University in 1972 (or possibly 71).
27 Master and Man and Other Stories Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1912 This book includes three stories: Father Sergius, written between 1890 and 1898 and published (posthumously) in 1911; Master and Man, 1895; and the novella Hadji Murat, written from 1896 to 1904 and published posthumously in 1912. These were really nice.
28 Troilus and Cressida Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1602 A somewhat lesser known play by Shakespeare.
29 Njal’s Saga Unknown circa 1280 This Icelandic saga relates events purported to have taken place between A.D. 960 and 1020. Very interesting.
30 The Sound and the Fury Faulkner, William (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) 1929 My second Faulkner and the one I liked better of the two.
31 City of God Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) A.D. 413–427 This has been on my reading list for years and I finally got around to it. Not an easy read, but worth the effort.
32 Lieutenant Hornblower Forester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966) 1952 The fourth volume in the Hornblower saga.
33 Cossacks, The / Happy Ever After / The Death of Ivan Ilyich Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1863, 1859, and 1886 Three novellas. Note that Happy Ever After was originally published as Family Happiness. Tolstoy has definitely moved into my top ten authors.
34 War In Heaven Williams, Charles (September 20, 1886 – May 15, 1945) 1930 Williams is “the other Inkling” and is hardly known today. Unlike the fiction of Tolkien or Lewis, Williams’ stories are set in the 20th century England. But he writes wonderfully and his stories are full of the supernatural.
35 The Prince Machiavelli, Niccolò (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) 1513 It’s worth reading authors with whom you disagree. So, I read this. I still disagree, I guess.
36 Best Plays by Chekhov Chekhov, Anton (January 29, 1860 – July 15, 1904) 1903 The four plays in this book are: The Sea Gull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1898), The Three Sisters (1900), and The Cherry Orchard (1903). I’m not sure what point is being made by these plays, other than a glimpse into life at the time.
37 Romola Eliot, George (a.k.a. Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1863 This is a very different novel to the others by Eliot (Evans) that I’ve read. Set in Florence, Italy in the 1490s.
38 Two Gentlemen of Verona Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1593
39 Are Women Human Sayers, Dorothy L. (June 13, 1893 – December 17, 1957) 1947 This book contains a address—Are Women Human?—given to a Women’s Society in 1938; and an essay—The Human-Not-Quite-Human—from 1947. Do I need to tell you her conclusion? This is a short book that makes an important point (or two).
40 The Nibelungenlied Unknown poet circa 1200 This epic is known today mostly through Richard Wagner’s operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, although his version differs in some ways from the original story. The setting is Germanic-speaking Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries.
41 A Handful of Dust Waugh, Evelyn (October 28, 1903 – April 10, 1966) 1934 I enjoyed this novel.
42 Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book Percy, Walker (May 28, 1916 – May 10, 1990) 1983 The early parts of this book ask some very interesting questions and I was expecting to recommend it fairly highly. As you go through it, though, the author seems to become more sure of himself and less sure of anyone else. So, meh.
43 Idylls of the King Tennyson, Alfred, Lord (August 6, 1809 – October 6, 1892) published between 1859 and 1885 I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It tells the story of King Arthur, his knights, Guinevere, etc.
44 Between Heaven and Hell Kreeft, Peter John (born March 16, 1937) 1982 The book is subtitled A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis, & Aldous Huxley. All three died on the same day, November 22, 1963, and this is a Socratic dialog on faith between the three of them when they meet in Purgatory. I have the expanded edition published in 2008. Highly recommended.
45 Henry IV, Part 1 Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1597 Following Richard II, we get the first of two plays about Henry IV, King of England from 1399 to 1413.
46 Civilization And Its Discontents Freud, Sigmund (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939) 1930 Following my policy of reading people with whom I disagree, this confirmed my disagreement with Freud.
47 On The Road Kerouac, Jack (March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) 1957 This was a very interesting read of a culture and time I’m fairly unfamiliar with. I can’t say I envy Kerouac, particularly, but I found him and his friends fascinating.
48 Seven Gothic Tales Dinesen, Isak (a.k.a. Karen Blixen, 17 April 1885 – 7 September 1962) 1934 The seven stories are: The Deluge at Norderney, The Old Chevalier, The Monkey, The Roads Round Pisa, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, and The Poet
49 Henry IV, Part 2 Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1599 And the second of Shakespeare’s plays about Henry IV.
50 A Grief Observed Lewis, C. S. (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963, as N. W. Clerk) 1961 This book really, really resonated with me. If you’ve lost someone close to you, read this book.
51 Metamorphoses Ovid (Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō, March 20, 43 B.C. – A.D. 17 or 18) A.D. 8 So many myth stories. Great stuff.
52 The Basic Works of Cicero Cicero, Marcus Tullius (January 3, 106 – December 7, 43 B.C.) between 63 and 43 B.C. The works included in this Modern Library edition are: On Moral Duty, book 1, circa 43 B.C.; Tusculan Disputations, book 1, circa 43 B.C.; On Old Age, 44 B.C.; Scipio’s Dream, from On The Republic, 51 B.C.; On The Character Of The Orator, book 1, 55, B.C.; First Oration Against Catiline, November 7, 63 B.C.; Second Oration Against Catiline, December 5, 63 B.C.; For Caelius, April 4, 56 B.C.; The Second Philippic, 44 B.C.; and selected Letters.
53 Dubliners Joyce, James (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) written 1905 but not published until 1914 I frankly don’t know what the fuss is all about. This was a good story and not, as far as I could tell, anything to get worked up about.
54 Natural History Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23/24 – August 24, 79) circa A.D. 79 Interesting stuff.
55 Rome and Italy Livy (Titus Livius, 59 B.C. – A.D. 17) circa 27 B.C. Livy’s History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita Libri) contained 142 books, of which 35 are extant. This volume contains books six through ten, picking up where the first volume (The Early History of Rome, which I read last year) left off after the Gallic occupation in 386 B.C. and runs up to about 293 B.C., part way through the Third Samnite War (298–290 B.C.).
56 A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man Joyce, James (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) originally published in serial form from February, 1914 through September, 1915 in The Egoist This was another good story. The two Joyce books I read this year were my introduction to his work. Probably won’t be the last.
57 The Jewish War Josephus, Titus Flavius (born Yosef ben Matityahu, A.D. 37 – circa 100) circa A.D. 75 Anyone who knows the Christmas story knows about King Herod. But reading this really put a lot into perspective. It may not be as historically accurate as we might want, but it’s worth reading.
58 Horologicon Mark Forsyth (born 2 April 1977) 2012 Subtitled “A Day’s Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language”. Interesting book on some interesting words.
59 Brave New World Huxley, Aldous Leonard (July 26, 1894 – November 22, 1963) written in 1931 and published in 1932 A dystopian future, although not as believable as some. But a good read.
60 Doctor Zhivago Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich (February 10, 1890 – May 30, 1960) 1957 Translated by Max Hayward and Manya Harari, 1958. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Not a happy story, really, but a good one.
61 Euripides I Euripides (circa 480 – circa 406 B.C.) 414 B.C. The first of three volumes of plays by Euripides and volume five in the Modern Library’s The Complete Greek Tragedies. The seven plays are: Alcestis (438 B.C.), The Medea (431 B.C.), The Heracleidae (430 B.C.), Hippolytus (428 B.C.), Cyclops (unknown), Heracles (416 B.C.), and Iphigenia in Tauris (414 B.C.).
62 Company of Spears Mallinson, Allan (born February 6, 1949) 2006 This is the eighth Matthew Hervey story, this time set in South Africa and fighting the Zulus.
63 The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) From 1931 to 1959 This is a collection of essays, published in 2006 by Christopher Tolkien. The parts are: Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1936), On Translating Beowulf (1940), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1953), On Fairy-Stories (1939), English and Welsh (1955), A Secret Vice (1931), Valedictory Address (1959).

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My 2022 Reading

Photograph taken on Saturday, December 31, 2022 by Henry
My 2022 Reading

My 2022 Reading

As I finished my reading last year, I had a fairly substantial stack of 27 books waiting for me to read in 2022. That included a few larger works, such as General Sherman’s Memoirs, Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas, and a book of poetry and prose by John Milton (including Paradise Lost), and the other two volumes of the extant works by Livy (The War with Hannibal and Rome and the Mediterranean. I also hoped to read six or so more plays by Shakespeare in the process of reading all 39 of them.

The year turned out differently to what I had hoped and there was a time I didn’t think I’d get through as many as 45 books. The middle of the year, in particular, was a difficult time and reading became much more difficult. Nevertheless, I managed to read at least some every day, averaging a little short of 48 pages a day. I got through the 27 books and ended up reading a total of 57 books in all. As usual, the list of books is below. This year’s reading only included four books by currently living authors, all written in this century. At the other end of the age spectrum, nine were written in the years B.C. The 19th century provided the largest number of books this year, at 16, followed by the 20th century (8 books) and 16th (7 books, all plays by Shakespeare). You can sort the table by the order read (the default), title, author, and date written by clicking on the headings.

The Books

The Books

As I finish writing this on January second, I have already begun my 2023 reading with the second volume—Their Finest Hour—of Winston Churchill’s six volume history of the Second World War. I read volume one—The Gathering Storm—in 2017 and I hope to get through all the rest this year, a total of more than 4,000 pages. Including the five by Churchill, there are 39 books on my to-read shelf, including a few long books, such as Plutarch’s Lives and Vanity Fair.

In case you are interested, here are links to my 2021 Reading and my 2020 Reading.


Order   
Read   		 Title Author Date    Notes
1 A Laodicean Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1881 Subtitled, “A Story of To-day.”
2 Aku-Aku Heyerdahl, Thor (October 6, 1914 – April 18, 2002) 1957 Subtitled, “The Secret of Easter Island.” This chronicles excavations and other archaelogy on Easter Island by the author and his team in the 1950s. Very interesting reading.
3 Evenor MacDonald, George (December 10, 1824 – September 18, 1905) 1867, 1871, and 1875 A collection of three short stories: The Wise Woman (1875); The Carasoyn (1871); and The Golden Key (1867); with an introduction by Lin Carter titled “The Dubious Land.”
4 Piers the Ploughman Langland, William (circa 1332 – circa 1386) circa 1370 An allegorical narrative poem written in a Middle English sometime in the late 14th century.
5 Memoirs Sherman, William Tecumseh (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) Second Edition, published 1886, (first edition was published in 1885) Not surprisingly, the bulk of this deals with the years 1861 through 1865 and Sherman’s campaigns of the U. S. Civil War. This includes—among others—Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta campaign and of course the March to the Sea.
6 The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning Magnusson, Margareta (born December 31, circa 1935) 2018 Subtitled, “How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter.” This book is not as depressing as the title may sound and considerably less depressing than dealing with someone elses ‘stuff’ (for lack of a better term).
7 The Comedy of Errors Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1594 A short farcical comedy. There are two sets of identical twins who are repeatedly mistaken, one for the other.
8 The War With Hannibal Livy (Titus Livius, 59 B.C. – A.D. 17) circa 27 B.C. Livy’s History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita Libri) contained 142 books, of which 35 are extant. This third volume contains books 21 through 30, covering the the Second Punic War, from 218 to 202 B.C.
9 Reflections On The Psalms Lewis, C. S. (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963) 1959 As the title suggests, these are reflections rather than any sort of thorough study of the Psalms. I found it wonderfully written and helped me to look at these poems in a new way. I highly recommend this short book to anyone interested in the subject.
10 Euripides II Euripides (circa 480 – circa 406 B.C.) 440 through 412 B.C. The second of three volumes of plays by Euripides and volume six in the Modern Library’s The Complete Greek Tragedies. The first four plays are set in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The fifth with the son of Xuthus by Apollo and the progenitor of the Ionian people. The sixth is an event during the Trojan War, and the last with war between descendants of Oedipus. The seven plays are:

  • Helen (412 B.C.)
  • Hecuba (424 B.C.)
  • Andromache (425 B.C.)
  • The Trojan Women (415 B.C.)
  • Ion (413 B.C.)
  • Rhesus (probably before 440 B.C.)
  • The Suppliant Women (423 B.C.).
11 The Possessed Dostoevsky, Fyodor (November 11, 1821 – February 9, 1881) 1872 Originally titled Demons (Бѣсы), this is a somewhat complicated story dealing with Dostoevsky’s views on nihilism and the social and political situation in 19th century Russia. It’s the fourth book by Dostoevsky I’ve read and is considered among his four masterworks. I need to read The Idiot to complete those four.
12 Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy Metaxas, Eric (born June 27, 1963) 2010 A wonderfully written biography of a most remarkable man, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906 – April 9, 1945). I’ve only read one of his works, The Cost of Discipleship, first published as Nachfolge (Discipleship) in 1937. I need to read that again and have also added two others to my ‘to read’ list: Life Together, completed in 1938 and Ethics, incomplete on his death and edited and published by his closest friend, Eberhard Bethge (August 28, 1909 – March 18, 2000).
13 Julius Caesar Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1599 One of the most well known of Shakespeare’s plays, giving us such lines as “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”, “those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me”, “Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war”, “This was the most unkindest cut of all,” and of course “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
14 Chronicles Of The Crusades Villehardouin, Geoffrey of (c. 1150 – c. 1213) and Joinville, Jean de (c. 1 May 1224 – 24 December 1317) early 14th century This volume is comprised of translations of two works: The Conquest of Constantinople, by Geoffrey of Villehardouin (c. 1150 – c. 1213) and The Life of Saint Louis, circa 1309, by Jean de Joinville.
15 Cheese & Dairy Lamb, Steven 2018 River Cottage Handbook No. 16, this deals with cheese making, although I didn’t learn as much from it as I might have liked. It’s a nice book but not really enough to feel confident actually trying make anything but the very simplest cheeses. It’s also geared towards the English market, where double cream is an actual thing.
16 Measure for Measure Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1604 Not one of Shakespeare’s better known plays, it deals with morality and power. I actually enjoyed it.
17 The Woodlanders Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1887 I made the mistake of reading the introduction to this book, which had spoilers in it. Particulary with Hardy, not knowing how the story will end is a big part of their appeal. Hardy doesn’t always end a story the way you might want. But they have considerable verisimilitude. I think I liked the ending much more than the author of the introduction.
18 Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth Gerstner, John H. (November 22, 1914 – March 24, 1996) 1991 (but third edition, 2009) This is a strongly worded polemic against dispensationalism. Although it touches briefly on eschatology, it is more focused on soteriology.
19 Timaeus and Critias Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 B.C.) circa 360 B.C. Timaeus is mostly a long monologue given by the Timaeus of Locri, speculating on the nature of the physical world, discussing the four elements and their shapes: earth (cube), fire (tetrahedron), air (octahedron), and water (icosahedron). Critias tells the story of Atlantis, its attempt to conquer Athens.
20 Henry V Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1599 A good story. The two most memorable parts or two monologues given by Henry. The first is in Act 3, Scene 1, beginning with “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.” The second in Act 4, Scene 3, the ‘Saint Crispin’s day’ speach, with that well known phrase, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
21 Euripides III Euripides (circa 480 – circa 406 B.C.) 413 through 406 B.C. The last of three volumes of plays by Euripides and volume seven in the Modern Library’s The Complete Greek Tragedies. The five plays in this volume are:

  • Orestes (408 B.C.)
  • Iphigenia In Aulis (406 B.C.)
  • Electra (413 B.C.)
  • The Phoenician Women (between 411 and 409 B.C.)
  • The Bacchae (406 B.C.)
22 The Westminster Confession of Faith Westminster Assembly, 1646 1646–7 This publication also includes the Westminster Larger Catechism and the Westminster Shorter Catechism and is published by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
23 Two On A Tower Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1882 Thomas Hardy’s categorized his novels into three groups: Novels of Character and Environment, Romances and Fantasies, and Novels of Ingenuity. I’ve read, eight of the ten in the first category and one of the three in the third. This book is the first I’ve read in the second (of which there are five). It definitely did not end the way I would have expected. But it’s a good read.
24 An Augustine Reader Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) A.D. 427 Edited by John J. O’Meara (18 February 1915 – 12 February 2003) and published in 1973. Included in this edition are:

  • Soliloquies, Book 1, A.D. 386–387
  • Letters (correspondence with St. Jerome), A.D. 394–418
  • Confessions, Books 7, 8 (Manichaeism and Neoplatonism) and 11 (Creation and Time), A.D. 397–400
  • On Baptism, Book 1 (against the Donatists), A.D. 401
  • Sermon on Psalm 22, A.D. 407
  • On the Trinity, Books 2 and 8, A.D. 399–419
  • City of God, Books 5 and 22, A.D. 413–427
  • The Grace of Christ and Original Sin, Book 2 (against the Pelagians), A.D> 418
  • Christian Instruction, Book 4, A.D. 396–426
25 The Pursuit of God Tozer, Aiden Wilson (April 21, 1897 – May 12, 1963) 1948 I was warned before reading this that Tozer would likely make me feel inadequate. I can see where that attitude comes from but I actually liked this little book quite a bit. It put me in mind of Brother Lawrence and I found it more an encouragement to be better than I am.
26 Protagoras Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 B.C.) circa 390 B.C. The book I have contains both Protagoras and Meno. However, because I read Meno as recently as 2020, I didn’t read it again this time. Protagoras deals with the question “Can virtue be taught?”
27 Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1595 This is definitely one of Shakespeare’s best know works so there were no surprises. Spoiler alert, it ends sadly.
28 Rome and the Mediterranean Livy (Titus Livius, 59 B.C. – A.D. 17) circa 27 B.C. This fourth and final volume of Livy’s History of Rome (Ab Urbe Condita Libri) contains books 31 through 45, covering the the Second Macedonian War, the War with Antiochus, and the Third Macedonian War. Books 46 through 142 are, sadly, lost.
29 The Birthmark and Other Stories Hawthorne, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) 1832–1852
  • Young Goodman Brown (1835)
  • The Minister’s Black Veil (1836)
  • Feathertop: A Moralized Legend (1852)
  • Wakefield (1835)
  • The Ambitious Guest (1835)
  • The Wives of the Dead (1832)
  • The Birthmark (1843)
  • Roger Malvin’s Burial (1832)
  • My Kinsman, Major Molineux (1832)
30 Second Treatise of Government Locke, John (August, 29 1632 – October, 28 1704) 1689 Locke writes about the state of nature, conquest and slavery, property, representative government, and the right of revolution.
31 Robinson Crusoe Dufoe, Daniel (circa 1660 – April 24, 1731) 1719 Another novel that everyone knows but not everyone has actually read. As usual, there’s quite a bit more to book than the simple story that everyone knows. Well written and very engaging.
32 The Erotic Poems Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso, March 20, 43 B.C. – A.D. 17 or 18) Between 16 B.C. and A.D. 8 The book contains The Amores, 16 B.C., The Art of Love, circa A.D. 2, Cures for Love, circa A.D. 2, and On Facial Treatment for Ladies, between 1 B.C. and A.D. 8.
33 The Celestial Railroad and Other Stories Hawthorn, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) 1834–1851 This book turns out to include all but one (Feathertop) of the short stories that were in The Birthmark and Other Stories with the addition of the following:

  • The Gray Champion (1835)
  • The Maypole of Merry Mount (1836)
  • The Great Carbuncle (1837)
  • Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment (1837)
  • Lady Eleanore’s Mantle (1838)
  • Egotism, or, The Bosom Serpent (1834)
  • The Celestial Railroad (1843)
  • Rappaccini’s Daughter (1844)
  • The Snow Image: A Childish Miracle (1851)
  • Ethan Brand (1851)
34 The Hand of Ethelberta Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1876 The fourth Hardy book this year. Not a well known work, I don’t think, but I found it wonderfull well written and a very good story.
35 Thus Spoke Zarathustra Nietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) 1883 This is a work of philosophical fiction, dealing with ideas about the Übermensch, the death of God, the will to power, and eternal recurrence.
36 The Ra Expiditions Heyerdahl, Thor (October 6, 1914 – April 18, 2002) 1972 Heyerdahl chronicles the planning, building, and sailing of two rafts made of papyrus from the west coast of Africa across the Atlantic Ocean.
37 Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton Milton, John (December 9, 1608 – November 8, 1674) 1673 This book includes the 300+ page Paradise Lost (1667) and the much shorter Paradise Regained (1671), which are the principle reasons I bought and read it. I found a few of the sonnets lovely, which was a nice bonus. The prose, for the most part, was quite dry and with a few exceptions, not something I’d recommend.
38 The Dhammapada Gautama, Siddhārtha (a.k.a. the Buddha, 6th or 5th century B.C.) 6th or 5th century B.C. A collection of 423 aphorisms grouped into 26 chapters, attributed to the Buddha. The title can be translated as The Path of Truth.
39 Ship of the Line Forester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966) 1938 This is the second book published in the Hornblower series but is the seventh in terms of the story timeline.
40 Pensées Pascal, Blaise (June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662) 1662 The Pensées (i.e. “Thoughts”) is a collection of fragments by the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer, and Catholic theologian.
41 The Blithedale Romance Hawthorne, Nathaniel (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) 1852 An interesting romance by Hawthorn.
42 The Histories Polybius (circa 200 – circa 118 B.C.) Mid to late 2nd century B.C. There were originally 40 volumes in this work. The translation by Robin Waterfield has the first five, which exist in their entirety, and the existing portions of volumes six and twelve. After a summary of the first war between Rome and Carthage (the First Punic War) and a corresponding summary of the situation in Illeria, Macedonia, and Greece, he begins his history proper. He discusses the causes and first three years of the Second Punic War (a.k.a. the ‘Hannibalic War’) and then the occurrences in Greece, Asia Minor, Persia, and Egypt during the same three years.
43 Desperate Remedies Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1871 One of Hardy’s so-called ‘Novels of Ingenuity’, this was his first published novel.
44a The Birth of Tragedy Nietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) 1872 This is the first of two works in a single book. Nietzsche discusses, as the title suggests, the development and subsequent changes to the art of tragedy. I can’t say I followed his argument well enough to explain it to anyone else, but I found it interesting.
44b The Genealogy of Morals Nietzsche, Friedrich (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) 1887 This is the second work by Nietzsche in this book. He traces “episodes in the evolution of moral concepts with a view to confronting ‘moral prejudices’, specifically those of Christianity and Judaism.“
45 Flying Colours Forester, C. S. (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966) 1938 This is the third book published in the Hornblower series but is the eighth in terms of the story timeline.
46 Faust Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (August 28, 1749 – March 22, 1832) 1829 in it’s final form This is a play, mostly written in rhymed verse, giving his version of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (circa 1480–1540).
47 The Trumpet-Major Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1880 Another romance by Hardy. He is among my favorite authors and I’m working on getting through all of his works.
48 If Ye Shall Ask… Chambers, Oswald (July 24, 1874 – November 15, 1917) 1915 A collection of talks on prayer given by Chambers between 1911 and 1915 at Bible Training College in Clapham Common, Greater London. It was published in 1938.
49 Beowolf Unknown author, translated by Tolkien, J. R. R. (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) 8th century This modern English prose translation of Beowulf was edited by his son Christopher Tolkien (November 21, 1924 – January 16, 2020) and published in 2014. In addition to the translation of Beowulf this volume contains Sellig Spell, Tolkien’s own retelling of the story of Beowulf, and two versions of Tolkien’s The Lay of Beowulf
50 On The Incarnation Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–298 – May 2, 373) before A.D. 319 This is a theological meditation on the divine Word made flesh. Athanasius aims to provide “an elementary instruction and an outline of the faith in Christ and his divine manifestation to us.”
51 The Rise of Silas Lapham Howells, William Dean (March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) 1885 This is a realist novel by William Dean Howells, nicknamed “The Dean of American Letters.” It tells the riches to rags story of Silas Lapham who nevertheless rises from moral ambiguity to clarity.
52 Gentle and Lowly Ortland, Dane This is a lovely book that provides a good reminder of who God is. I don’t often recommend what I sometimes refer to as “Christian Self-Help Books” but this is worth reading.
53 The Works of Virgil Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro, October 15, 70 B.C. – September 21, 19 B.C.) between 29 and 19 B.C. This book, with translations by J. W. Mackail, contains The Aeneid, Eclogues, and Georgics all in prose. I read them back in 2010, but thought it was time to go through them again.
54 Love’s Labor’s Lost Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1598 An early comedy by Shakespeare dealing with the relations between men and women.
55 Candide Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet, November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778) 1759 I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s a fairly easy read and moves quickly along, but everything is so exagerated that it’s hard to really take it seriously in terms of social or philosophical criticism.
56 A Midsomer Night’s Dream Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1595 or 1596 A classic by Shakespeare, this is a fun play and more fun for my having seen in performed a few years ago so I knew the story pretty well ahead of time.
57 As You Like It Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1599 A final Shakespeare play to finish out the year, this has some of the best “banter” of the Bard’s plays as well as a happy ending. Highly recommended.

Note about dates: Not all dates—either publication dates or birth/death dates for authors—are known with any certainty and some of them are not much more than educated guesses. If the work or collection of works was written over a period of years, sorting by date will use the latest relevant date. Also, I only label dates with B.C. or A.D. if they are earlier than A.D. 1000. All unlabeled dates are A.D.

Categories: Reading List | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on My 2022 Reading

My 2023 Reading

Photograph taken on Sunday, December 31, 2023 by Henry
My 2023 Reading

My 2023 Reading

My 2023 Reading

My 2023 Reading

I started the year with enough books waiting to be ready to last me the entire year, unless I really pushed myself. First up, I decided to read volumes two through six of Winston Churchill’s six volume series the Second World War. I read the first volume in 2017 and decided it was time I read the rest. At a combined 4,114 pages, I expected these five remaining books to take me quite a while and would probably have been satisfied if I did nothing else all year. As it turns out, I finished in the third week of February. In all I finished 57 books, the same number I read last year. The books this year, however, were about 30% longer, and I read a total of over 25,000 pages, far and away the most I’ve ever read in a year.

As usual, the list of books is below. This year’s reading included only 3 books by currently living authors (and two of those by the same author). In contrast to previous years, when I read a significant number of translations of ancient texts, the oldest books this year were plays by Shakespeare, written only as early as 1591. As always, you can sort the table by the order read (the default), title, author, and date written by clicking on the headings.

In case you are interested, here are links to my three previous year’s reading lists:


Order   
Read   		 Title Author Date    Notes
1 Their Finest Hour Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January, 24 1965) 1949 Churchill’s Second World War series, volume 2. This volume starts on May 10, 1940, the day Churchill became prime minister and the day Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It ends in the first week of January, 1941. This includes the story of Dunkirk (Operation ‘Dynamo’), the fall of Paris and French capitulation and—as the title implies—Churchill’s speach including the phrase, “this was their finest hour.”
2 The Grand Alliance Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January, 24 1965) 1950 Churchill’s Second World War series, volume 3. This volume covers 1941, from beginning to end, including the Blitz, the sinking of the Bismark, Germany’s opening of the eastern front with Russia, and of course Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into the war.
3 The Hinge of Fate Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January, 24 1965) 1950 Churchill’s Second World War series, volume 4. From mid-January, 1942 through May, 1943, including the fall of Singapore, the decisive battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the fall of Tabrok to the Germans, Guadalcanal, Operation ‘Torch’ and the liberation of North Africa.
4 Closing the Ring Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January, 24 1965) 1951 Churchill’s Second World War series, volume 5. From mid-May, 1943 to the beginning of June, 1944, including the fall of Mussolini, the liberation of Sicily, the Italian armistice and the liberation of Rome, taking us to the eve of Operation Overlord (a.k.a. D-Day).
5 Triumph and Tragedy Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 – January, 24 1965) 1953 Churchill’s Second World War series, volume 6. From June 6, 1944 through July, 1945, starting with D-Day (Operation ‘Overlord’) and including the Warsaw Uprising, the liberation of Paris, V-1 and V-2 attacks on England, the liberation of the Philippines, Iwo-Jima, the Yalta Conference, the suicide of Hitler, V.E. Day, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed by V.J. Day. This takes us to the end of Churchill’s second term as Prime Minister and the end of the war.
6 Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) 1600 A very enjoyable double love story. Highly recommended, even if you aren’t a fan of Shakespeare (which I am).
7 A Tale of Two Cities Dickens, Charles (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870) 1859 Ralph, I believe, hated this book, but in his defence, he was made to read it in the equivalent of eighth grade (in England). We all know the first and the last lines but I thought it time I should get to know everything in between. This is arguably Dickens’ best work, although I think David Copperfield, which is a very differetnt type of story, is also exceedingly wonderful.
8 Master and Commander O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000) 1969 The first of the Aubrey–Maturin novels. This is similar to the Horatio Hornblower novels, by C. S. Forester, which I enjoy. I will do what I can to buy and read the remaining 20 stories to read when I need a break from meatier fare.
9 Sebastopol Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1855 Three sketches based on Tolstoy’s experiences during the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimea. They are dated by him as being set in December 1854, May 1855, and August 1855. Interestingly, I had to keep reminding myself that this was in the decade before the U. S. Civil War, not the second decade of the twentieth century. It felt very much like the First World War.
10 Can You Forgive Her? Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1864 and 1865 This is the first of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels. This book chronicles the stories of three trios, each with two men competing for the affection of a single woman. No spoilers here. Very enjoyable.
11 Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ Bunyan, John (baptised November 30, 1628 – August 31, 1688) 1678 Bunyan is almost exclusively known for his allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress. Come and Welcome is a beautiful exposition of the verse found at John 6:37: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
12 Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth Tolstoy, Leo (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) 1852, 1854, and 1857 Three short, semi-autobiographical novels. One of Tolstoy’s earliest works, this is interesting for his portrayal of the view of life as seen by a child, boy, and youth. I found it interesting.
13 The Road to Serfdom Hayek, Friedrich August (May 8, 1899 – March 23, 1992) 1944 In his introduction Bruce Caldwell writes, “Reading (or perhaps rereading) The Road to Serfdom will be a pleasurable experience for some, and induce apoplexy in others.” I fall in the ‘pleasurable experience’ camp. I am a wholehearted believer in and supporter of liberalism, which I define (per Milton Friedman) “as Hayek does—in the original nineteenth-century sense of limited government and free markets, not in the corrupted sense it has acquired in the United States, in which it means almost the opposite.”
14 The Federalist Papers Madison, James (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 – July 12, 1804)John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) October 1787 through May 1788 These were written (under the pseudonym “Publius”) with the express intent to influence voters to ratify the Constitution. I am a strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution and am particularly thankful that the Bill of Rights—Amendments one through ten—were written and ratified. Sorry to say, as good as it is, it had not prevented some encroachment of rights and some deteriorization of federalist principles. I’d be in favor of strengthening the Bill of Rights and of repealing the 17th amendment.
15 Anecdotes of Destiny Dinesen, Isak (Karen Blixen, April 17, 1885 – September 7, 1962) 1958 Five stories, titled The Diver, Babette’s Feast, Tempests, The Immortal Story, and The Ring.
16 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Franklin, Benjamin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) 1793 This was written from 1771 to 1790 but was not published until 1793, after Franklin’s death. I enjoyed it but would have been happier if it had not ended where it did, before anything relating to the Revolutionary War had started.
17 The 99% Invisible City Mars, Roman (October 16, 1974 – ) and Kurt Kohlstedt 2020 The book is subtitled “A Field Guide to The Hidden World of Everyday Design,” this book was recommended by one of Dorothy’s art professors at Gordon. I have probably noticed more of the things mentioned than most, but I found the backstory behind them quite interesting.
18 Henry VI, Part 1 Shakespeare, William (circa 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) 1591 The play opens with the funeral for Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422). His nine-month-old son, Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) becomes king. The play centers around the battles that end the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), including the part played by Joan of Arc (c. 1412 – 30 May 1431). It ends with peace being declared between the English and Charles VII of France (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461). At the end of the play, Henry is engaged to Margaret of Anjou (23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482), whom he married in 1445 (see Henry VI, Part 2).
19 Henry VI, Part 2 Shakespeare, William (circa 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) 1591 The original play had the somewhat long, cumbersome, but fairly inclusive title (spoiler alert!), The First part of the Contention betwixt the two famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster, with the death of the good Duke Humphrey: And the banishment and death of the Duke of Suffolke, and the Tragicall end of the proud Cardinall of Winchester; with the notable Rebellion of Iacke Cade: and the Duke of Yorkes first claime vnto the Crowne. In short, the happenings between the marriage of Henry and Margaret and the beginning of the War of the Roses.
20 Henry VI, Part 3 Shakespeare, William (circa 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) circa 1599 This—the third of Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays—continues where Part 2 leaves off, chronicling the next stage in the Wars of the Roses with the houses of York and Lancaster fighting for the crown. These three plays are often grouped with Richard III, which concludes this period of history with the rise of Henry VII.
21 Phineas Finn Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1868 This is the second of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels. It centers around the title character, his aspirations, acheivements, and loves.
22 Vanity Fair Thackeray, William Makepeace (July 18, 1811 – December 24, 1863) 1848 This book chronicles the lives of Becky Sharp, Amelia Sedley and their friends and families during and after the Napoleonic Wars. It was published with the subtitle A Novel without a Hero, which I think is pretty fitting. I enjoyed it, although maybe not as much as Thomas Hardy’s or Anthony Trollope’s works.
23 Post Captain O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000) 1972 This is the second of 21 stories in O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin novels. I find them an easy to read break in what might otherwise be a heavy reading schedule.
24 Schlump Grimm, Hans Herbert (June 26, 1896 – July 7, 1950) 1928 This semi-autobiographical novel relates the experiences of its protagonist, Emil Schulz, known as “Schlump”, a military policeman in German-occupied France during World War I. The work was burnt by the Nazis in 1933 because of its satirical and anti-war tone.
25 The Pickwick Papers Dickens, Charles (February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870) 1836 Dickens was asked to supply descriptions to explain a series of comic “cockney sporting plates” and to connect them into a novel. This is the result and was his first novel.
26 The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1592 I’ve seen two things based on this, Kiss Me, Kate, 1948, by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and 10 Things I Hate About You, 1999, a modernization of the play, set in a late-1990s American high school setting. But I’ve never actually seen nor read the original, until now.
27 Ellis Island and Other Stories Helprin, Mark (June 28, 1947 – ) 1981 Helprin is one of my favorite modern authors and these short stories don’t disappoint. His characters are often larger than life and somewhat fantastical and the stories are often quite improbable, but they are often very poingnant and touching.
28 Leviathan Hobbes, Thomas (April 5/15, 1588 – December 4/14, 1679) 1651 This work concerns the structure of society and legitimate government, and is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory.
29 H.M.S. Surprise O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000) 1973 The third of the Aubrey–Maturin novels, in which the two heroes transport Mr Stanhope, an ambassador, to the Sultan of Kampong on the Malay Peninsula.
30 Common Sense Paine, Thomas (February 9, 1737 – June 8, 1809) 1776 This book or pamphlet, initially published anonymously on January 10, 1776, presented various moral and political arguments for the common people in the North American Colonies to fight for an egalitarian government.
31 The Eustace Diamonds Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1872 This is the third of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels. This book chronicles the exploits of Lady Lizzie Eustace, formerly Lizzie Greystock.
32 A Pair of Blue Eyes Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1873 I really enjoyed this book, as I do much of what Hardy wrote. He wasn’t afraid to give you a surprise ending and even with about ten pages to go, I had absolutely no idea how the story would end. It ended differently to all of the possibile endings that I had thought of. I made a point not to read the introduction, because I didn’t want to know how it would end until I got to the end.
33 The Complete Prose Tales of Alexandr Sergeyevitch Pushkin Pushkin, Alexander (June 6, 1799 – February 10, 1837) various dates through 1837 I really enjoyed these stories. A significant number of them were unfinished but even those were good, leaving us in the dark as to what happened, which is actually more like real life than most stories, where all the lose ends are tied up. I can see why he was an important author in general and recognize the significant contributions he made to Russian literature in particular.
34 Daniel Deronda Eliot, George (Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1876 This is the last novel by George Eliot. It centers around the journey of self-discovery of the title character, as well as the story of Gwendolen Harleth.
35 The Mauritius Command O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000) 1977 The fourth of the Aubrey–Maturin novels takes us, as the title implies, to the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion, about 500 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
36 Ulysses Joyce, James (February 2, 1882 – January 13, 1941) 1922 I cannot lie, this is not the easiest book to read. It is the sequel to A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1915). Leopold Bloom, the main character of this novel, interacts with Stephen Dedalus from that earlier work, who has returned to Ireland because of the illness and subsequent death of his mother. The book has many parallels and correspondences with the travels of Homer’s Odysseus (a.k.a. Ulysses) and is .
37 Desolation Island O’Brian, Patrick (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000) 1978 The fifth of the Aubrey–Maturin novels finds our heroes on Desolation Island, a.k.a. Grande Terre, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
38 Thomas Hardy Short Stories Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) from 1879 to 1897 This book has the following seven stories: The Three Strangers (1883), The Withered Arm (1888), The Distracted Preacher (1879), The Grave by the Handpost (1897), The Fiddler of the Reels (1893), An Imaginative Woman (1894), and Barbara of the House of Grebe (1890).
39 Phineas Redux Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1873 This is the fourth of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels. It is the sequel to book two, Phineas Finn.
40 The Gambler / Bobok / A Nasty Story Dostoevsky, Fyodor (November 11, 1821 – February 9, 1881) 1867, 1873, and 1862 Of the three stories in this book, I enjoyed the Bobok—which is also the shortest—the most, followed by The Gambler—the longest.
41 The Voyage of the Beagle Darwin Charles (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882) 1839 This was originally published as Journal and Remarks, this was the third volume of The Narrative of the Voyages of H.M. Ships Adventure and Beagle, the other volumes of which were written or edited by the commanders of the ships. It covers the second voyage of HMS Beagle, from December 27, 1831 to October 2, 1836, under captain Robert FitzRoy.
42 The Prime Minister Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1876 This is the fifth of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels. In addition to the obvious focus on the title role, this novel revolves around the life and loves of Emily Wharton.
43 Walden and Civil Disobedience Thoreau, Henry David (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) 1854 and 1849 In Walden, Thoreau chronicles his experiences living for 26 months in a cabin he built near Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. In his essay Civil Disobedience, Thoreau argues that individuals should obey their consciences rather than their government and that it is their duty to disobey the government rather than acquiesce and thereby participate in injustice.
44 The Oak And The Calf Solzhenitsyn, Alexander (December 11, 1918 – August 3, 2008) 1975 This is a memoir about Solzhenitsyn’s attempts to publish work in his own country, subtitled “Sketches of Literary Life in the Soviet Union”.
45 Go Down, Moses Faulkner, William (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) 1942 This is a collection of seven related pieces of short fiction whose most prominent character and unifying voice is that of Isaac McCaslin, “Uncle Ike”, who will live to be an old man; “uncle to half a county and father to no one.”
46 The Origin of Species Darwin, Charles (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882) 1859 This is another of those books that everyone knows but few have read. I can’t say that I find his argument compelling. That’s not so say I disagree with everything he says, mind you. He talks a lot about variations of animals and plants and it cannot really be argued that they do not vary over time. What I don’t necessarily buy is that they become new species or even new genera or even (eventually) tribe, family, or order. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, just that I don’t think it’s as obvious as he makes it out to be. I am impressed that he spends as much time as he does on what he admits are potentially serious difficulties with his theory. What I don’t necessarily agree with is that he deals with them adequately.
47 Twelfth Night Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1602 A romantic comedy set in Illyria (across the Adriatic from Italy), this play is the source of the quote, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.” It actually appears three times, very slightly each time.
48 The Duke’s Children Trollope, Anthony (April 24, 1815 – December 6, 1882) 1879 This is the sixth and final novel in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels.
49 Kon-Tiki Heyerdahl, Thor (October 6, 1914 – April 18, 2002) 1948 In 1947 Heyerdahl and five others sailed from Peru to French Polynesia in a balsa wood raft. This book documents the building and sailing of that raft and his theories of possible migrations of the past.
50 Adam Bede Eliot, George (Mary Ann Evans, November 22, 1819 – December 22, 1880) 1859 This is a love story with a bit of a twist. I certainly didn’t see it coming and really enjoyed this book.
51 The Well-Beloved Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) 1892 (Serialized) and 1897 (in book form) I have the 1897 version, which has some changes from the serialized version of 1892.
52 Dead Souls Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich (April 1, 1809 – March 4, 1852) 1842 Sadly, this story is not complete and doesn’t really have an ending. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting painting of early 19th century Russian life.
53 The Intrusions of Peggy Hope, Anthony (February 9, 1863 – July 8, 1933) 1902 While the plot focuses on the life of Trix Travella, Peggy is central in shaping the outcome of the story. Anthony Hope is mostly known for The Prizoner of Zenda but I liked this story just about as well.
54 Refiner’s Fire Helprin, Mark (born June 28, 1947) 1977 This isn’t my favorite of Helprin’s books (I think that distinction goes to Soldier of the Great War) but he paints such beautiful pictures with words, even when the subject isn’t necessarily pretty.
55 An Indiscretion In The Life Of An Heiress and Other Stories Hardy, Thomas (June 2, 1840 – January 11, 1928) from 1865 to 1929 How I Built Myself a House (1865), Destiny and a Blue Cloak (1874), The Thieves Who Couldn’t Stop Sneezing (1877), An Indiscretion In The Life of an Heiress (1878), Our Exploits At West Poley (1892–93), Old Mrs. Chundle (1929), The Doctor’s Legend (1891), The Spectre of the Real (1894), Blue Jimmy: The Horse Stealer (1911), The Unconquerable (written circa 1911, published posthumously).
56 Coriolanus Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) between 1605 and 1610 One of four plays by Shakespeare that drew heavily from Plutarch’s Lives. This isn’t a particularly well known play and I guess I can see why. An interesting story without many enviable people.
57 Richard III Shakespeare, William (circa April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) circa 1592–1594 Richard III could be classed as a tragedy rather than a history, such is the life of this English king. I don’t know if he was the most ruthless but he certainly is in the running for the title. The play opens with the familiar lines, “Now is the winter of our discontent, Made glorious summer by this sun of York.” and near the end we get the possibly more familiar, ”A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!” (twice, opening and closing the penultimate scene).


Books by Living Authors: 2

  • 99% Invisible City (2020), by Roman Mars (October 16, 1974 – )
  • Ellis Island (1981), by Mark Helprin (June 28, 1947 – )
  • Refiner’s Fire (1977) by Mark Helprin

Note about dates: Not all dates—either publication dates or birth/death dates for authors—are known with any certainty and some of them are not much more than educated guesses. If the work or collection of works was written over a period of years, sorting by date will use the latest relevant date.

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