Incredible September Books

Despite another busy work month, I managed to read six books.  Here is the rating scale I use, followed by my reviews of each book listed in my order of preference.

*****        An extraordinary book: one of my Top 15 all-time favorites

****          An outstanding book: highly recommended

***            A good book: worth the read

**              An OK read, but you'd be better off finding something else

*                Not worth the read; avoid at all costs

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century, by Timothy Snyder (****)

This book is primarily geared toward Americans and provides 20 lessons from history, instructions on how individuals can fight against rising authoritarian tyranny in one's society.  The lessons are simple and clear and provide a guide on specific actions people can take to fight back against tyranny.  Many people I know are already trapped in nations ruled by tyrannical leaders--while there is less one can do in that situation, some of these lessons in this book can be applied to where tyranny is already in place. If I had the power to make one book required reading for progressive people all over the world, it might just be this one, because if every person opposed to fascism, tyranny, and authoritarian rule followed even five of Snyder's lessons, there might be hope for successful resistance. 

Don't fall into the trap of hopelessness as you view the world situation. Take concrete action and stand up to tyranny constructively, as Snyder recommends, and regain your hope.

The Island of Missing Trees, by Elif Shafak (****)

It would take about ten paragraphs to adequately describe The Island of Missing Trees, as this novel is filled like an overstuffed burrito with so many plot lines and important themes.  On the surface it's about the conflict in Cyprus between the Greeks and the Turks and how it destroyed the lives of so many people, including a young Greek boy and young Turkish girl who fell in love and had their lives torn apart in 1974 when the Cypriot Civil War blazed out of control.  

The novel is narrated (literally) in part, by a fig tree who stood in Cyprus overlooking the conflicts for over a century. It's a novel of love, memory, sorrow, tragedy, displacement, generational trauma, the beauty of trees and the destruction of the environment, just to mention a few.  Ultimately trees--and their roots and branches--serve as the crucial metaphor in the story, as we follow the young couple's fate over the course of four decades.

It is a therapeutic and humane book that is similar to some of Shafak's previous work, as it is a testament to the power of love and the necessity of healing.  

In the Shadow of Angkor, Contemporary Writing from Cambodia, Edited by Frank Stewart and Sharon May.  (*** 1/2)

One of the great pleasures of travel is learning about places you barely knew existed.  When I journeyed to Cambodia earlier this year, I discovered a fascinating nation with a tragic history.  I picked up this book in the Phnom Penh Airport bookstore as I was leaving the country.  It's an incredible collection of essays and fiction which places an especially bright spotlight on the Khmer Rouge era of genocide in the late 1970s. 

This work is powerful and illuminating, and the reader will gain extraordinary insight into Cambodian culture and history from this collection, not to mention exposure to some beautiful, poignant writing. 

(This book, though difficult to find, may be purchased from amazon.com, if you can stomach that.)

Lessons in Stoicism:  What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live, by John Sellars (*** 1/2)

Those precious few of you who have read most of my book reviews will know that the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism is something I've been exploring the past year or so.  Sellars's text is a very concise introduction to the philosophy, with emphasis being placed on the lessons for living we can gather from the writings of Stoic philosophers. It's a great introduction to a philosophy that has rich practical value as a guide to living. (I still prefer How to Be a Stoic, by Massimo Pigliucci, ****, as the best entrance into Stoicism, but this much briefer text works well too.)

The Hole, by Hiroko Oyamada (***)

Each month I try to read something Japanese.  This novella by Hiroko Oyamada is an incredible work of surrealistic fiction rivaling Kafka.  The story's protagonist, Asa, is forced to move with her husband to a part of rural Japan where he can obtain a better-paying job than in Tokyo.  Once they've arrived at their new home, Asa experiences a series of bizarre happenings, eventually falling into a hole near a river embankment, where she is trapped for a time in the hole, with a peculiar, small mammalian creature that only Asa seems able to see.

This weird version of Through the Looking Glass can be interpreted as a commentary on the hopeless/absurd nature of modern Japanese society, particularly for women.  The sacrifices women are forced to make and their appalling lack of fulfilling options loom large over Asa's life and the novella ends  with Asa disillusioned and disoriented in her new, strange world--trapped in a life as constricted as the mysterious hole she had fallen into.  

Personally, I enjoyed The Hole, but I think one must have a tolerance for surrealism and an understanding of Japan to fully appreciate this memorable novella.

A Lonely Death and Other Stories, by Cok Satiri (***)

The three stories in this collection, by Balinese Indonesian writer Cok Satiri, all examine the struggles and tensions faced by the Balinese as they try to reconcile their ancient traditions with the modern world. I found the title story particularly compelling as it is a vivid and ironic portrayal of the clash between old and new Indonesia.  

(I believe this book can only be obtained in Indonesia.  This work, and most of the excellent texts in the BTW Lontar Series, can be found at Books Kinokuniya Jakarta at Rp. 100,000)

At the risk of being redundant, I encourage all of you to read at least one book in October.  It doesn't have to be anything I've reviewed here.  Just read something!  Your mind will be expanded and your brain cells will be singing with joy.