Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (#6, Classic)

If I had to compare this novel to any other book I would say Tender is the Night is the G-rated version of Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. Both stories intertwine the lives of various American expatriates bouncing around Europe living a perpetual vacation.

The novel bounces between narrators, beginning with Rosemary, the young American who is the impetus or excuse for the downward spiral of Dick Diver. Nicole Diver, another narrator, Dick's wife and originally his mental patient, goes through life depending on Dick, until the very end when their marriage has completely unhinged.

Because the introduction and everything I have heard about the book claims that it is loosely based on Fitzgerald's dark life with his wife Zelda I expected a more tragic ending. I won't give away how it ends, but I was definitely surprised at the lack of "fireworks".

I didn't love the book. I get sort of bored seeing characters continue to make the same mistakes over and over, but I suppose Fitzgerald was trying to be realistic, hence its autobiographical nature.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (#5, Contemporary Literature)

In the long line of terrible books I read during the summer there was one saving grace: Interpreter of Maladies. In this collection of short stories Jhumpa Lahiri created numerous scenes and characters that have stuck with me since. Normally I don't like short stories, I need more than twenty pages to become attached to what I am reading, but that was not the case with Interpreter of Maladies. Each night I read a new story and was taken on a brief, but memorable journey.

When I saw that her new novel, The Namesake, had won The Pulitzer Prize, I did not need any more encouragement to add it to my book list. Somehow, I am deeply disappointed by it. Even though she had an extra 250 pages to create her characters, I found them less real than those she put to life on twenty pages. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe if I were to reread Interpreter of Maladies I would realize I had built it up in my head. I keep going over the book, trying to find something about it I find special, but everything that her themes have been praised for, "the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation" I found lacking in The Namesake. All the themes were present, but they seemed trite and unfinished.

I am not claiming it was a bad book, or that I wouldn't recommend it to friends and family. Unfortunately, for me, it fell below my expectations from an author I probably expected too much from.

Sanditon by Jane Austen and finished by Another Lady, (#4 Reader's Choice)

I love Jane Austen. I have read all her novels, seen each movie adaptation (Clueless is based on Emma and The Bridget Jones's Diary is based on Pride and Prejudice for those not aware), and watched various documentaries about her life. I would describe her books as the perfect blend of romantic comedy and fabulous writing. I find it refreshing to read a book that is funny, romantic, satirical, and has a happy ending, which is also good literature. I also like girl power, and Jane Austen found a way to create very strong and smart women who the reader cannot help but adore.

All that said, what about this "Another Lady" business? Jane Austen began writing Sanditon in 1817, just months before she died, and only made it through eleven chapters. The other author took everything exactly as Jane Austen had it and then finished the novel trying to stay as true to her style as possible. All in all, Jane Austen's original work accounts for just under one-third of the whole book. But, all the characters had already been introduced, and the scene set, so the final product is finished according to the traditional Jane Austen formula: a heroine, a hero, a false hero, another beautiful lady, a blubbering adult female, a well-meaning but imperceptive husband, a silly mix up, etc.

Being that there were only six completed novels before she died, I was excited at the prospect of diving into a seventh, even if it was only started by Austen. I think this "Lady" did a fine job at mimicking her style. Compared with the other Austen works it was definitely not my favorite, and most likely my least favorite, but I still enjoyed reading it. Now I want to read her other books again, but alas, on to book #5 of 2007.