What I’m reading

A list of book recommendations

Hello everyone, it’s been a while since I posted a list of reading recommendations. Heres’s what I’ve been reading this week.

1: In Search of Lost Time, Volume 2, by Marcel Proust

The second volume of Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time” picks up where volume 1 left off. The young narrator falls in love with Gilbert, the daughter of the Swann family. The second part of the book chronicles his trips to the fictional seaside resort of Balbec, and the social climbing that takes place there.

But to reduce Proust to his plot is to miss what makes these books so remarkable. Open any random page of “In Search of Lost Time” and you’ll easily lose yourself in the beautifully winding sentences, the rich imagery, and the intensely relatable observations about human nature.

Start with “Swann’s Way” (volume 1), preferably the one translated by Lydia Davis. No matter what anybody tells you, it won’t compare with actually reading him in his own words. Every page contains new discoveries. It’s my all-time favorite book, and I revisit it all the time.

2: The Red and the Black, by Stendhal

“The Red and the Black” is another great French novel. It tells the story of a young bookish man (imagine a young Johnny Depo) who works up his way in life as a tutor to various wealthy families. Along the way he finds himself in various romantic entanglements with the wives of his employers. It’s a romantic, lighthearted, and yet deeply moving book about a young man with a dream. I won’t spoil it, but the ending is very shocking and dramatic. It will stay with you for a long time.

3: The Snake in Wolf’s Clothing, by Michael Maar

“The snake in wolf’s clothing” seeks to answer a seemingly simple question? What makes great style in literature? Taking the reader on a journey through the 19th and 20th century German literature, Michael Maar showcases the various literary devices, themes, and innovations that constitute literary style. The scope of his reading is truly breathtaking, and -it should be noted- he is a great stylist himself.

Please note: this book is in German, and I don’t believe an English translation exists yet. But several of Maar’s other books have been translated into English, including “Bluebeard’s chamber” (on Thomas Mann), and “The Two Lolitas” (on Nabokov).

4: Diary of a Madman, by Guy de Maupassant

“Diary of a Madman” is a short story written by the French author Guy de Maupassant in 1885. It concerns the discovery of a journal in which a young lawyer confesses to growing obsessed with killing and taking the lives of a young boy and a fisherman. The descent into madness was a recurring literary theme for Maupassant, and he himself suffered from mental illness caused by Syphilis (The edition above contains a selection if Maupassant stories on madness, but you can find English translations as well.).

5: Oscar Wilde, the Complete Shirt Stories

Oscar Wilde is not usually known for his short stories, but they’re really quite lovely.

Some of them are fables. There’s a heartbreaking story about a bird that befriends a talking statue. Some are funny: a ghost despairs after an American family move into his haunted house. Others are satirical: how best to kill a man? But above all they’re all unusually inventive, charming, witty, and completely unforgettable. Quite like Oscar Wilde himself.

That’s it for this week! If you’d like to receive more reading recommendations please let me know in the comments. As always, these posts are free to read, thanks to the generous support of a small group of paying subscribers. If you’d like to support my work, please consider becoming a paying member by clicking below. Thank you!