This summer, I had the opportunity to spend three weeks in Great Barrington, Massachusetts at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. It was quite an eventful trip, and participating in the 41st Young Writers Workshop allowed me to explore many different types of writing and literature that I hadn’t been exposed to in quite a long time; for example, I started analyzing a series of short stories in the program’s anthology, which included a story by ZZ Packer and an interesting account concerning an interaction with an axolotl, among others. I also got the chance to write my own poetry and short stories, something I haven’t done in years.
In the final week of the program, we went to a book barn in the countryside of New York, virtually in the middle of nowhere. There must have been a million books in there, ranging from cheap and expensive, and I had the opportunity to buy several, including A Tale of Two Cities, A Collection of Walt Whitman’s Essays, The Glass Castle, A Collection of the Poems of Alexander Pushkin, and more. Although I did not read all of these stories, I read a few novels that I thought I would share.
So here’s a SHORT summary of three books that I started reading between June and September 2023. (Note that I haven’t finished any of these yet. I’m a simultaneous reader, and it’s simply enjoyable.)
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The Myth of Sisyphus, by Albert Camus, has recently gained popularity on the internet due to a meme. However, the book is way more complex than this. Built on the myth of Sisyphus, the person of Greek legend who cheated death and received the eternal punishment of rolling a stone up a hill, destined for it to always fall down before he reaches the top, the 130-page essay explores the fundamental truth of human existence in a meaningless and cruel world. Examining the ethics of suicide, and comparing it to the absurdity of living, Camus suggests that individuals can find a purpose in life through acts of rebellion. Camus explores the human condition and advocates for human beings to pursue meaning in these absurd lives that we live, these despicable journeys that we are forced to go through on a daily basis, and examines whether it is a question of free will or not.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
One of Toni Morrison’s most acclaimed pieces of writing, Beloved explores the haunting legacy of slavery and its impact on former slaves in the post-American Civil War era. The story takes place in Ohio in the late 19th century and follows our protagonist Sethe, a former slave who is haunted by the ghost of her baby daughter, whom she was forced to kill in order to protect her from the heinous injustices of slavery. The novel largely focuses on themes of trauma and the lingering effects of slavery on personal identity. Morrison eloquently examines the struggles of selfhood and the pursuit of freedom in the face of a brutal past.
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
I read this story already, and I have previously written about it in a BALM article, listing it in my top five favorite books of all time. I believe that this novel is responsible for changing my life; whether it be in a positive or a negative way, that is to be determined, but it surely had a profound effect on me. Osamu Dazai, in this classic novel, examines the life of the protagonist Yozo. Divided into three parts, the story reads as a journal, revealing Yozo’s struggle and sense of alienation and self-destruction that he has experienced throughout his entire life. Yozo ultimately attempts to succumb to his despair out of his tiredness with the human condition and his own identity crisis. This story is even more significant because Osamu Dazai ultimately committed suicide after its publication. This story speaks to me. This year, I was in a terrible place mentally. This is why I chose to reread this story. It’s just extremely hard to get through.
In the final week of the program, we went to a book barn in the countryside of New York, virtually in the middle of nowhere. There must have been a million books in there, ranging from cheap and expensive, and I had the opportunity to buy several, including A Tale of Two Cities, A Collection of Walt Whitman’s Essays, The Glass Castle, A Collection of the Poems of Alexander Pushkin, and more. Although I did not read all of these stories, I read a few novels that I thought I would share.
So here’s a SHORT summary of three books that I started reading between June and September 2023. (Note that I haven’t finished any of these yet. I’m a simultaneous reader, and it’s simply enjoyable.)
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The Myth of Sisyphus, by Albert Camus, has recently gained popularity on the internet due to a meme. However, the book is way more complex than this. Built on the myth of Sisyphus, the person of Greek legend who cheated death and received the eternal punishment of rolling a stone up a hill, destined for it to always fall down before he reaches the top, the 130-page essay explores the fundamental truth of human existence in a meaningless and cruel world. Examining the ethics of suicide, and comparing it to the absurdity of living, Camus suggests that individuals can find a purpose in life through acts of rebellion. Camus explores the human condition and advocates for human beings to pursue meaning in these absurd lives that we live, these despicable journeys that we are forced to go through on a daily basis, and examines whether it is a question of free will or not.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
One of Toni Morrison’s most acclaimed pieces of writing, Beloved explores the haunting legacy of slavery and its impact on former slaves in the post-American Civil War era. The story takes place in Ohio in the late 19th century and follows our protagonist Sethe, a former slave who is haunted by the ghost of her baby daughter, whom she was forced to kill in order to protect her from the heinous injustices of slavery. The novel largely focuses on themes of trauma and the lingering effects of slavery on personal identity. Morrison eloquently examines the struggles of selfhood and the pursuit of freedom in the face of a brutal past.
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
I read this story already, and I have previously written about it in a BALM article, listing it in my top five favorite books of all time. I believe that this novel is responsible for changing my life; whether it be in a positive or a negative way, that is to be determined, but it surely had a profound effect on me. Osamu Dazai, in this classic novel, examines the life of the protagonist Yozo. Divided into three parts, the story reads as a journal, revealing Yozo’s struggle and sense of alienation and self-destruction that he has experienced throughout his entire life. Yozo ultimately attempts to succumb to his despair out of his tiredness with the human condition and his own identity crisis. This story is even more significant because Osamu Dazai ultimately committed suicide after its publication. This story speaks to me. This year, I was in a terrible place mentally. This is why I chose to reread this story. It’s just extremely hard to get through.
