Hello, fellow readers!
Welcome to my final post of Literature Month. After posting my "Top 10 books" lists from three great authors, I am now closing with the Big One: my favorite books of all time, across all genres.
Here are my honorable mentions: Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), Andy Weir - The Martian (2011), Jack London - The Call of the Wild (1903), Michelle Obama - Becoming (2018), Paul Auster - The Brooklyn Follies (2005).
10. Väinö Linna - Tuntematon Sotilas (1954)
The best-known book from my native Finland, which is also the source material for my favorite Finnish movie, makes the cut. Väinö Linna's classic work tells the fictional (yet extremely real-feeling) story of a machine gun company in the Continuation War, one of the two major conflicts between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II. Anti-war epics are all the rage in today's world, but back in the mid-fifties, the memory of the war was so fresh and the nationalist movement so strong that it was a bold and controversial move to publish a book that doesn't romanticize the war but paints a harsh and true picture.
The main characters are an iconic bunch of relatable everyday men thrust into an impossible situation, and many of them have become staples of modern Finnish culture. The moments of warmth, humor and levity in between the horrifying and gripping depictions of war make for a perfect balance, and a testament to the gritty endurance that us Finns call "Sisu".
9. Duff McKagan - It's So Easy (And Other Lies) (2011)
Hands-down the best biography I've read. My love for rock band Guns 'N' Roses runs so deep that I've read all four biographies that their original members have released, which made for quite a fascinating "He said / He said / He said / He said" scenario concerning the band's various instances of drama and conflict. But the autobiography of bass player Duff McKagan towers above its counterparts, for various reasons.
For starters, McKagan is the easily most skilful author from the bunch, as his well-thought-out use of words makes for very decent literature. Furthermore, he has the most incredible story, as the escalation of his drug addictions and mental health struggles to the point of a near-death experience, as well as the miraculous path to recovery that followed, is a gripping and ultimately inspiring journey to follow. Between the bassist's steady penmanship and the book's deep look at his soul, not to mention the several entertaining anecdotes that go with any rock star biography, It's So Easy (And Other Lies) makes for a fantastic read.
8. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are the most important literature from my upbringing. I fondly remember reading the first book in just two days immediately after reaching the age that my mom deemed appropriate (seven, I think?), after which I read it again but in English, after which I watched the movie that fulfilled all of my expectations.
It is hard to choose a favorite Harry Potter book because the franchise works so well as a whole (and because they're all so damn great), but I have to be a bit cliché and go with the final one. Avid readers of my blog will know that I'm a sucker for good endings above all else, but that's far from the only reason for The Deathly Hallows being ranked so high: before we reach that amazing and bittersweet ending, there's a whole lot to enjoy. The stakes are higher than ever before, the whole book feels like a gargantuan chain of chaotic events that become increasingly dramatic and emotional, and the franchise's gradual shift from light children's literature to mature coming-of-age literature is completed.
7. Stephen King - It (1986)
Who knew that the horror and coming-of-age genres (combined with a large dose of psychedelic fantasy) would make for a match made in heaven? It is an over-1200-page-epic where the amount of text isn't the only thing ridiculously large in scope. As a distinguished horror author, King creates the book's scary atmosphere with brilliance - up until reading this book I had the strong opinion that horror books can't possibly be as creepy as horror movies, but oh boy, did that change. As a fantasy mastermind, King manages to build lore that makes everything in the book feel otherwordly, epic and meaningful. And the coming-of-age element is the icing on the cake, as the lovable group of main characters are an absolute joy to follow and their journey is an emotional one.
I also have a lot of love for the story's structure, as it shifts between its two timelines brilliantly, with touches like the interlude chapters adding a lot of depth. The book gets better and better towards the end, as King unleashes his full norm-defying creativity (the few chapters written from the point-of-view of "It" are some of the very best literary chapters I have ever come across).
6. Nathan Hill - The Nix (2016)
For the second time across Literature Month, I have to give a shout-out to my high school homeroom teacher Maarit, who has had a large impact on my understanding of (and love for) literature. I received this book from her as a graduation present, and it immediately became one of my favorites. The Nix is the debut work of author Nathan Hill, and it tells a large-scale story of a family descended from Norwegian immigrants in the United States. We follow two generations of the family, as the story jumps between three timelines: the family's descendant Samuel Andresen-Anderson in present day, his rough childhood decades earlier, and his mother's own youth in the 1960's.
The Nix blends an impressive amount of themes together, as the different milieus of the story deal with various issues: from political divides to family abandonment issues, from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, from fad diets to online gaming addiction, the book sure has a lot to say about various topics. Reading The Nix will likely make you think, and make you very emotionally invested in its gripping story. I'm eager to see what Hill comes up with next, as a follow-up to this magnificent debut.
5. George Orwell - 1984 (1949)
I can honestly say that I just shivered when thinking about this book and what I should write about it - that's how much of an impact 1984 leaves. The crown jewel of dystopian literature, George Orwell's masterpiece is probably the most frightening and depressing book you'll ever come across, but one very much worth reading. There is a lot to learn from the bleak world he paints, because it is one that feels scarily realistic. Sure, one may argue that it's a bit over-the-top how people trying to sound smart throw in the phrase "WE'RE LIVING ORWELL'S 1984" every time something in society doesn't go their way, but honestly, there is often some truth to such claims.
The most heartbreaking part of my reading experience was the realization that some of the dark aspects of its nightmarish fictional society had already come true in my second native country - not all of it, thankfully, but scarily many things. And unless the human race gets its shit together, the direction is only further on. I'm sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but that's the only way to write about the impact of this prophetic-feeling-but-hopefully-not-actually-prophetic work of art.
4. William Shakespeare - Hamlet (First published between 1599 and 1601)
As I mentioned in last week's post, I see Shakespeare's Hamlet as one of the defining art works of humankind. It is a profound story about vengeance, love and deception, brought to life through an atmospheric and larger-than-life setting that only the Bard's words could muster. Between the dramatic power dynamics, complex characters and philosophical monologues, there are many reasons for this masterful play being considered Shakespeare's very best work.
Moments such as Hamlet's iconic "To be or not to be" monologue, the eerie graveyard sequence, and the scene of Claudius's prayer that I delved into more specifically in last week's post, are likely etched into my mind forever as they leave such a powerful impact. O to see this play on stage some day!
3. Frank Herbert - Dune (1965)
Avid readers of my blog will know that I'm as hyped for Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Dune adaptation as a movie buff can possibly be. There are many reasons for this, one of them being that it is based on one hell of a book - often referred to as "the Lord of the Rings of science fiction", Dune is a true gem of the genre. In addition to being enough of a large-scale epic with adventurous locations and deep lore to justify the Lord of the Rings comparison, Dune is a lot more than that; the book has a lot to say about the world, with its themes of colonialism and humanity's abuse of the environment, just to name a few.
The milieu of the planet Arrakis is one of the most unique and atmospheric fictional locations ever created, and the journey that Herbert's writing takes the reader on is fascinating. The traditional tropes of heroism are played with, as the plot questions the culture of hero worship by constantly bringing up dark implications to the morally upstanding actions of protagonist Paul Atreides. It is a complex and majestic story, and I can't wait to see it play out on the big screen towards the end of the year.
2. J.R.R. Tolkien - The Children of Húrin (2007)
If you read my first post of Literature Month, you won't be surprised that my favorite Tolkien book made it onto this list. The Children of Húrin has an interesting tale of origin, as Tolkien was inspired by none other than the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and the story of the tragic hero Kullervo in particular. He wanted to write his own take on Kullervo's journey, which eventually evolved into the story of Turin Turambar, taking place in Tolkien's own fantasy universe. This story became a chapter in his epic Silmarillion, and the author also worked on a full-scale book that told Turin's story in more detail - it was one of many projects that was unfinished when the author passed away, but that his son Christopher later edited and published.
The Children of Húrin is a gripping and heartbreaking story about a tragic hero. Turin's story is a poetic and dark one, and Tolkien's beautiful language really brings it to life - already when reading the Silmarillion, the chapter about Turin was my favorite part of the book, but reading this expanded version of the story really broadened my horizons on just how grim and masterful the story really was. It is a bold statement to claim that anything by Tolkien is better than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I'm standing by this one.
1. Mark Manson - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life) (2016)
The popular genre of 'Self-help' books is a polarizing one. My original attitude was that I have nothing against the genre (I've noticed that a lot people do, in a weirdly aggressive manner), and I'm glad if it works for someone, but I personally didn't see any interest in reading such books myself. However, when my mother bought this book for me, everything changed. The title of the book is a provocative one, as it immediately draws some assumptions - "Does this guy think we shouldn't care about anything? What a stupid thing to say" was among my first thoughts. But then I read the book. And, cliché and corny as this might sound, I honestly consider that I'm a better person because of this book, and that my quality of life has been better ever since I read it.
Manson's style of writing is blunt, wise, excessively filled with profanity, and absolutely hilarious. He draws anecdotes from his own travels across the world and the wisdoms of Buddhism all the way to stories about Dave Mustaine and Malala Yousafzai as examples of the various topics the book covers. I think pretty much everyone could benefit from reading this book, as it tackles so many problems that many of us have, from not knowing how to live a happy and fulfilling life to various ways of toxic thinking that are present in today's society.
And, take it from someone who was extremely skeptical of the book's title (not to mention chapter titles such as "Happiness is a problem", "You are wrong about everything (And so am I)" and "And then you die") - the more reservations you have about such a book, the more it might end up benefitting you. Manson's guide to living a good life is full of surprises, as there are some profound nuggets of wisdom to be found in the midst of all the humor and cursing. Give this book a chance - you have nothing to lose, and you might come out of the experience with some brilliant new viewpoints on life.
Thank you for reading! This was the last post of Literature Month, so next week I'll be returning to business as usual with a list of my top 10 unpopular movie opinions. Maybe someday I'll return to the idea of "Theme months" - maybe a music month or a theater month?
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