Hassan's Book of 2011

As 2011 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the fifty five books that I have read... through fifteen thousand, six hundred and fifty eight (15,658) pages.  The longest book was The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, by Steig Larsson (743 pages) and the shortest was Not a Star, by Nick Hornby (69 pages).  My most productive month was February (9 books), and my least was September (no books at all).

I have encountered three books that absolutely sucked (that I didn’t finish),

Two books that were quite simply “Not Good” (one of which I didn’t finish),

Ten books that were just “Meh” (another one not finished here),

Twenty one books that I considered as “Good,”

Seventeen books that were “Very Good,” and

Seven books that I would recommend as REQUIRED READING:

• True Notebooks, by Mark Salzman
• Little Princes, by Conor Grennan
• Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland
• Finnie Walsh, by Steven Galloway
• One Day, by David Nichols
• The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawicz
• The Myth of You and Me, by Leah Stewart

Microserfs, Finnie Walsh, and One Day are all great books, but were all re-reads from previous years.  I highly recommend all of them for having characters that you will carry with you... but none of them can fairly qualify for Hassan’s Book of 2011.

• True Notebooks is stories and writing of children in the LA prison system, by Mark Slazman (a writer, and their instructor).
• Little Princes shares the experiences of Conor Grennan in his quest to free children and return them to their families in Nepal.
• The Long Walk is the tale of Slavomir Rawicz who escaped the Russian Gulags ... on foot.
• The Myth of You and Me is the story of a friendship.

If I were going to recommend just one of these, I would have to say that the amazing experience of Mark Salzman and the writing of these children who have made mistakes and find a system more focused on retribution than rehabilitation sucks you in and doesn’t let you go.  The Hassan Book of 2011 is True Notebooks.

A LOOK BACK

• Hassan’s Book of 2010 was Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden
• Hassan’s Book of 2009 was The Help, by Kathryn Sockett
• Hassan’s Book of 2008 (and of the decade) was Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2011-55 - My Other Life, by Paul Theroux

55 - My Other Life, by Paul Theroux, 456 pages, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996
WHY I PICKED IT:  Recommended by my friend Tony
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days
RATING: Very Good

This is the (admittedly fake) autobiography of Paul Theroux... this tale follows the 35 years of Paul's life, from 15 to 50.  Rather than telling us just what's going on, he tells the story through the major influences in his life at different stages, his uncle, his boss, his benefactor, his best friend, etc.  It's a great read (if not a bit long in the middle), but a bit too melancholic for my tastes.

Minor spoiler alert (consider not reading): If I were going to fabricate my autobiography, I'd make it just a bit more upbeat at the end... rather than conveying all kinds of contentment in the middle and discontent at the end, wouldn't you?

2011-54 - The Myth of You and Me, by Leah Stewart

54 - The Myth of You and Me, by Leah Stewart, 276 pages, Three Rivers Press, 2005
WHY I PICKED IT:  Picked it up in Powell's Books in Portland
ELAPSED TIME: 2 days
RATING: REQUIRED READING

Cameron meets Sonia when she was 15, and they became best friends... from high school, college, and starting their lives.  Now, 8 or 9 years later, they've not spoken since just after college ... this is that story.  The friendship between two women, the reasons they broke up, and the paths that their lives took.

A brilliant tale that sucks you in and reminds you of your own faded friendships... so much so that the author has a place on her website for just such stories (some of which she includes in an appendix to the book).

(as an aside, how much of enjoying a book is being in the right frame of mind to enjoy it?  how many "bad" books were simply because I was a "bad audience" when I tackled it?  how many brilliant books are simply the right message at the right time?)

2011-53 - The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawicz

53 - The Long Walk, by Slavomir Rawicz, 273 pages, Globe Pequot,1956
WHY I PICKED IT:  Picked it up in Powell's Books in Portland
ELAPSED TIME: 4 days
RATING: REQUIRED READING

The gripping tale of Rawicz' experience in the Siberian Gulags... from being arrested (for being middle class and Polish before WWII) through his torture, transport to the prisons, time there... and most gripping of all, the harrowing escape.  There are portions of the story that are a little unbelievable, but mostly we fall in love with the people with whom he encounters and escapes.

Looking back on it - Given when it was initially published, I would not be surprised if the story was funded by a US Government intent on sharing stories of the evils of "Communist Russia."  This doesn't take away from the gripping story that sucks you in and doesn't let go until they clear the Gobi Desert and Himalayan Mountains into India.

SPOILER ALERT (don't scroll down if you may read this book).
























That he never saw his fellow escapees again, after release from the hospital in Calcutta is a bit heartbreaking.  But I guess that's just life.

2011-52 - The Perfect King, by Ian Mortimer

52 - The Perfect King, by Ian Mortimer, 402 pages, Random House, 2006
WHY I PICKED IT:  Recommended by my friend Monika C.
ELAPSED TIME: 3-weeks
RATING: Good

This biography of Edward III of England is an intense read... but easily 200 pages too long.  The first 150 pages, describing his family, his childhood, and his upbringing were painful... I was worried it would be another Alexander of Macedon (looong boring look at what should be an interesting character); but like Peter Green's work, Mortimer writes the wars extremely well.

Edward's strategic view of war and his expansion into France was gripping.  Edward was courageous, leading his men into battle rather than directing them into it... his tactical view was phenomenal, but it was his strength and confidence is what inspired his men and enabled them to successfully take on armies many times their size.

That he outlived almost all of his friends and most of his family is really sad and an end un-befitting ... and reaffirmed my view that a long life is not to be desired.  Better to burn out than to fade away... right?