They say “April showers bring May flowers.” Today is another rainy day. The flowers are sure to be vibrant and robust this spring. The melodic tapping of raindrops on the skylight above me drowns out the familiar sounds of our home this morning. Even our dogs’ barking seems muted and distant. It’s a perfect day to curl up with a classic novel. Here’s a list of my top 3….
The Beautiful and The Damned
Many of you are familiar with “The Great Gatsby” which, truthfully, is my favorite book of all time. I revisit the famous novel every summer and frequently pick up a new meaning or discover a previously missed reference. Perhaps a less familiar piece by F.S. Fitzgerald is “The Beautiful and The Damned,” which focuses on the life of Anthony Patch, heir to an incredible fortune, and his chaotic marriage to Gloria. Maybe it’s because Fitzgerald’s own marriage was tumultuous, to say the least, that he can so beautifully depict the ebb and flow of relationship emotions. Power, social status, and fortune are the reoccurring themes woven throughout the pages of this book set in the early 1900s.
Old Man and the Sea
When I first met Chris, we immediately bonded over Earnest Hemingway, both claiming him as our most revered author. Given Chris’s love of the ocean, it was no surprise that “Old Man and the Sea” is his favorite novel. The book tells the story of Santiago, an unlucky fisherman, who battles to catch an enormous marlin while contending with the brutal yet majestic sea. Hemingway is known best for his simple, blunt, and sarcastic writing style. Pick up any of his works and you’ll be thoroughly entertained.
Chris with his favorite novel
Franny and ZooeyI would be surprised if you haven’t read “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. It’s an amazing novel that most of us finished before the age of 17 and give credit to for shaping our young lives. But have you read the tales of “Franny and Zooey?” Two different pieces published together, “Franny” is a short story about Zooey’s younger, college-age, sister who questions the significance of education. “Zooey,” a novella, centers on spirituality and love. The two works have overarching themes and symbolism, and both originally published in The New Yorker in 1955.
We all have our favorite rainy day books… if you choose to read any of mine, I hope you enjoy!
