Waking Up on the Bayou

Last year, I downloaded the 1,001 Books You Should Read Before You Die. Now, I've read quite a few books in my life (I average between 75 and 100 per year; I'm on the northside of 30, you do the math), but there were a lot on the list that I haven't read. So, I decided that I need to read more of the "classics" (there's a notable lack of Brit Lit on my list; we can blame a certain teacher I had my junior year of high school). Somehow, The Awakening by Kate Chopin had slipped through the list (or it might not have; when you've read as much as I have, I frequently forget what I've read/haven't read).

The story centers around Edna in the late 1800s (what makes it even more surprising that I haven't read this is that it takes place in New Orleans). So, you should know what women were expected to be like. Edna, at 30, decides this is not the way she wants to live and falls in love with another, younger man. Even though she's madly in love with him, she sticks to society's rules and doesn't do anything too rash. But, nothing turns out the way she plans for it to.

In some respects, this is a lot like Their Eyes. You've got a female lead bucking society's rules. However, I enjoyed this one much more. That could be because Chopin was a precursor to Southern Gothic writing, which happens to be my favorite. Basically, I just connected to the story and characters more.

At the end, I started thinking about how far we've come in dealing with depression. It was obvious that Edna had some issues with that (and it was probably related to the fact that she felt that her life wasn't fulfilled - yet another thing we've come a long way in when referring to women's rights), but there was just no treatment for it yet. It wasn't even considered to be a real thing at this point. Still, even though there are many, many people who suffer from this disease, it's still looked down upon. Even though we've made great strides, there's still a long way to go. We, as a society, need to realize that suicide is caused by a sickness - a sickness that needs to be eradicated.

Time for a Classic

I've tried many times to read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, but it's not an easy read. The vernacular, while very accurate, makes it a little difficult to understand. I found myself rereading passages several times trying to figure out what some of the words were supposed to be. ("Kivver" was a particularly difficult one - it's cover, by the way.).

The novel follows Janie Crawford who is on a personal journey for independence, love, and self in the 1930s. As a black female, that was unheard of for that time, which is why this novel is important. However, it's not one of my favorites.

This book is more of a character study, which is typically not my cup of tea. This was no different. I know and understand why it was very groundbreaking and needs to be in the "Greats" canon. But, it just isn't for me.

Despite me not liking it, I still think it is something that needs to be read by everyone. It does a good job of showing what life was really like (which makes sense considering Hurston was also an anthropologist) and really is groundbreaking. It's just not one that I'll put on my have to reread list.