The year 2020 in Books — Part II
… continued summary of the books read last year
The previous post was about books that were relevant to me at a professional level or the ones that aided my personal growth. The other area of interest/ inquiry for me has been history, economics, fantasy and noir.
History/ Zeitgeist:
- Footnotes in Gaza — Joe Sacco
This was the 8th graphical documentary of Joe Sacco that I have read. He typically writes from the perspective of the vanquished. This magnum opus talks about the events in the Gaza strip. Excesses that set the course of the history, slashes that become full blown conflicts and raging fires that become difficult to douse. This is Sacco’s quest to document some incidents of violence by the Israeli side in that were macabre but have been left on the footnotes of history since there is only so much that can be told, read, seen or heard!
2. Stranger to history — Aatish Taseer
Aatish Taseer is the son of Salman Taseer (Pakistani politician) and Tavleen Singh (Indian Columnist). This is the story of his journey through the islamic world and his introduction to the varied levels of tolerance, intolerance, ritualism and the influence of contemprory history. It is also a personal story of a son trying to connect with the father. It is a well written book though at some times it felt like he had a point of view which was being substantiated through the narrative.
3. The art of flying — Antonio Altarriba / Kim
This is a immensely sad and intimate account of Antonio Sr (author’s father) living through the tumultuous 20th century Spain. I thought I had some idea because of the travels and reading Hemingway’s Spain novels and Orwell’s essays/ Homage to Catalonia. But it turned out I did not. Altarriba does a great job of telling the story of the Spanish people through the life story of his dad. Kim’s panels tell the story well. It is a story of hope getting nixed at different stages of life because of personal context and historical machinations. It did remind me of Maus and Persepolis.
4. Sabrina — Nick Drasno
Given the media circus and social media frenzy around the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, this seems like a very timely read. Sabrina was the first graphical novel to feature on the booker prize shortlist. It is a story of a murder and an investigation frenzy around that. How it impacts the family, friends and how certain actors use it to amplify their narratives. It is a tragic story of lives that come together and go their separate ways.
5. Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari
Don’t think I need to write anything about this one. Everyone and their grannies have already read it. You can argue with the story in which he weaves his history. But a lot of points he makes are valid. The world can be much better if we appreciate the journey of Sapiens and the mistakes that they have made and possibly continue making.
6. Don’t Panic — Neil Gaiman
This is a must read if you are/ have been under the influence of Hitchhiker’s / Douglas Adams. It is a great companion. It is in the style of Adams — funny, irreverent and full of unnecessary trivia. Introduces you the radio shows, Dirk Gently and other lesser known stuff that Adams was involved with. This prompted me into putting the radio shows on my wish-list on audible and I plan to polish them off in 2021!
7. Born a crime — Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s autobiogrpahy. Gives a good view into what life under apartheid was like. It is also an inspiring account of how Trevor was able to rise from those origins and become the celebrated comic/ host/ act that he is now. Drags in bits but is able to deliver the most serious content with levity that Noah seems to be a master of.
8. All quiet on western front — Erich Maria Remarque
One of the few war books with a german perspective. This is about the life of boy soldiers who are drafted into the german army in WW-I. It is like all good war books. Documents the futility of war, its impact on families and people and that pull of voilent conflict. It is a great account and tells it the way it is. It is a great book and I do not think it needs my endorsement. It was a fitting end to my World War I immersion that I started in 2014 (One books remains unread on the bookshelf — but after multiple books, movies, museum visits, graphic novels and reading on the internet — I think I need a break from WWI).
Pure pleasure:
The three authors who feature here along with Wodehouse have been my staple punctuations between other readings. I keep going back to them every few books. Over the last 5 years, we have lost Terry Pratchett (2015), Philip Kerr (2018) and John Le Carre (Dec 2020). With that I have slowed down on the pace at which I am reading these masters.
- A murder of quality — John Le Carte
This is the second George Smiley book. Written in the style of a thriller. Thankfully he did not stay on with this genre and moved on to the greater stuff. It is not a bad book but you expect much more when to go to one of the greats. For the fans. Others may skip.
2. Hogfather — Terry pratchett
There was a time when every third book for me was a Pratchett or Wodehouse. However, this year, I could get in only one Pratchett. This is a typical discworld book with all the oddballs, sarcasm and turn of the phrase that make Pratchett so magnetic. This will appeal to the fans and the newbies.
3. Call for the dead — John Le Carre
The first George Smiley book. It was ironical that I read this post the news of Le Carre’s passing away trickled in. It does give the reader a flavor of what Smiley would end up becoming. It is a quick but rewarding read. Smiley is the hero that the world needs today.
4. A man without breath — Philip Kerr
I had discovered Philip Kerr in early 2018 or should I say that I met, the great anti-hero, Bernie Gunther in 2018! Since Philip Kerr is not around to write beyond the body of 14 Bernie Gunther books, I have slowed down considerably. This is the 9th book in the series. Set in the historical backdrop of Smolensk massacre by the Red army. Gunther is deputed by Gobbels to go discover the evidence of the massacre. This is a great historical thriller that only Kerr could have written. Take it with a pinch of salt though, since I am a devout fan.
