Nicole’s Book Nook: reading recommendations for the fall

No matter how distant they may seem, the blustery winds of autumn will soon sweep through the Helena Valley and into the Carroll campus, driving hapless students to seek refuge in their (hopefully) temperature-controlled dorm rooms. What better time than now to find a few choice books and curl up for a peaceful afternoon of reading?

For you to truly prepare for the incoming flurries, I’ve prepared a series of contemporary and classic fiction for you to enjoy at your leisure, in addition to a few short stories for those who may lack time to crack open a new book. 

Contemporary:

While you’re probably spending your time searching for the sun behind that veil of wildfire smog, you might as well enjoy Nobel prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest novel, Klara and the Sun. The story follows our titular character Klara, one of countless “artificial friends” designed to serve as robotic companions to children, as she observes the world around her to understand the human to whom she devotes herself.

I’ll try my best not to give any spoilers, but the novel is equal parts endearing and heart-wrenching, and each and every character is fully fleshed out. Ishiguro’s specific brand of prose allows the reader to engage and empathize with each of his narrators, and even though Klara may not be a flesh and blood person, she is just as soulful as any human you may meet.

While I cannot recommend Klara and the Sun to enough people (I guess that’s why I’m writing this for The Prospector), I’ll be the first to admit that it can be a bit of a confusing read. Many of the concepts and visuals are rather alien to the reader, and Ishiguro doesn’t do hand-holding. I wouldn’t consider this a flaw, so much as a side-effect of Ishiguro’s style, and I encourage readers to commit themselves to exploring the world that he builds, even if that means pausing and taking a few notes.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t recommend Remains of the Day to any new Ishiguro readers, as it’s considered one of, if not his best, works. If you decide to read both, I invite you to explore the connections between the two characters and to ask yourself what questions the author seems to dwell upon in his work. 

Classic:

If I were a proper English major, I would have dug out some obscure 17th-century text or begged you all to learn old English to truly appreciate the poetic techniques within Beowulf. Hwæt! Don’t leave yet; I’m not that committed to my major.

Instead, why don’t we explore a rather unappreciated text from the most famous English playwright of all time? Shakespeare’s Coriolanus isn’t one of his more popular works, and perhaps it’s time to rectify that. We can attribute some of the blame to the fact that our own Caius Martius Coriolanus is, to put it lightly, an unlikable protagonist. Especially to a modern audience, who might be opposed to the idea of stripping rights from the poor and conquering everything in sight. 

You might also find it hard to believe that there’s any excitement in a four-hundred-year-old text, but with the power of literary theory, anything’s possible. If I were to suggest some avenues of thought, I would invite the reader to carefully consider each of the character’s motivations, trying to glimpse into their psyche. Why is Coriolanus the way that he is, and what compels him to act the way he does? Maybe you want to examine the way that class is portrayed in the play, delving into the text itself and what the author’s motivations may be. Perhaps you want to explore Roman womanhood through Martius’ mother Volumnia or delve into the complicated relationship between Coriolanus and Aufidius.

My new favorite game is to imagine my own production of the play, picking my ideal cast or even imagining a modern adaptation. (John Cena as heavyweight boxing champion Coriolanus, anyone?) If reading Shakespeare isn’t your jam, why not give Ralph Fiennes’ 2011 film adaptation a shot? It’s free with commercials on Amazon prime, and if you turn on the captions, you can say that you read and watched it at the same time.

Short Story Collections: 

Okay, so maybe you don’t feel like reading a full novel or pondering Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter. You’re probably a busy person with a lot of homework. If you’re still interested in expanding your reading list beyond your chem textbooks and notes, I have a few short stories that might fulfill your need to read.

Although they might be on the longer side of short, they’re still very manageable. Plus, they’re all available for free on the internet, although I hope you might be tempted to pick up a copy of The Best American Short Stories 2020, which the last two stories are sourced from.

Sacred Window Exhale by Wynne Hungerford is an excellent character study and encourages the reader to consider the challenging questions the main character finds herself asking. If the reader is interested in fame, alternative wellness (best look up “trepanation” before diving into this story), and what compels people to devote themselves in service of others, then this story is for you. A fair warning, this story can be rather graphic and discusses self-harm and pedophilia, amongst other difficult topics.

Kennedy by Kevin Wilson tells the story of two high school friends who live through their worst nightmare in the form of a sadistic bully who attempts to befriend them. The hopelessness of the two main characters is truly heart-breaking, while their bully is so chillingly real he almost becomes sympathetic. Again, I must mention that this story contains many disturbing themes, including extreme violence and sexual assault.

Something Street by Carolyn Ferrell is an entire narrative told in disjointed segments, following the rise and fall of a once beloved comedian accused of sexual misconduct as told by the wife who stands by him through it all. It will become readily apparent to the reader exactly which disgraced comedy icon Craw Daddy is based on, and the story invites the reader to examine the ways that race, colorism, and gender intersect in this story and the role Parthenia plays in her husband’s crimes. As you may have assumed from my description, this story dwells heavily on sexual assault, so be advised. 

I realize that none of these short stories are particularly light-hearted, and I promise to find you all something a little less grim in the next edition. As for now, happy reading! Enjoy the fall weather while it lasts!