My year in reading, part two ...
Hamlet by William Shakespeare. One could easily make the case that Shakespeare was the greatest writer (in any language) who ever lived, and Hamlet is probably the most enduring of all his works, not simply because it was the play in which he finally mastered the soliloquy, but because it's the most puzzling. It's a work that is literally timeless: generations of writers, directors, and actors, from dozens of countries, have interpreted Hamlet's themes for their own time. (Indeed, dictator Josef Stalin thought the play was too dangerous to be performed in the Soviet Union.) Murder, corruption, incest, tyranny, madness, suicide, and a bizarre, unexplained haunting make Hamlet's world; no one--not even Hamlet himself--can be trusted. On the surface, Hamlet is a revenge tragedy, and one that is so intricately plotted that it can be easy to get lost amidst all the drama and intrigue. But the way in which Shakespeare delves so deeply into Hamlet's mind is what makes the play so disturbing. In the end, Hamlet isn't a particularly likeable character--he echoes the ancient Greeks' idea of what a hero is supposed to be--and the play itself leaves almost all of its questions unanswered, but its true power comes from its ability to make us very uneasy.
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. Mein Kampf is easily the worst book I've ever read, not simply because of its incessant racism and disturbing vision, but because of Hitler's browbeating tone and bombastic writing style. Sure, Hitler may have been paranoid to the point of delusion, but after reading Mein Kampf, I'm convinced that he was quite sane (which isn't to say that he was ever right). This book offers nothing by way of value--the autobiographical sections are almost devoid of imagery and, at best, questionable--but I'd still argue that it's an important book. Hitler altered the twentieth century in ways that are still incomprehensible, and Mein Kampf strips away the veneer of "the greatest generation" to give us an undiluted look at pure evil. Hitler's ideal state--a fascist prototype based on eugenics, propaganda, and a brainwashed race of Aryan superhumans--was so radical that it's easy to see why the book was dismissed upon publication. Yes, it's a book that many people would rather ignore, but it still remains a frightening document on the dangers of intolerance.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. The world's first modern novel still stands one of the best. The adventures of Don Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panza, are hilarious and unforgettable. Cervantes' intention was to write a book that would amuse the masses--thereby making Don Quixote the world's first pop fiction novel--but it's also surprisingly touching. Sancho is well aware of his master's foolishness, but as he says in the second part of the novel, "I can't help it. I must follow him, we are from the same village, I've eaten his bread, I love him well, he is grateful ... and above all, I'm faithful; therefore, it's quite impossible for anything to separate us except the man with the pickaxe and shovel." If there's a better novel about the bonds of friendship, I haven't read it.
