This summer I had the chance to reunite with a long-lost friend: the novel. Since arriving in Hyde Park two years ago, I’ve found that free time has become a rare commodity. Any free time I do have is typically spent browsing Facebook or napping. Knowing that I would have a good amount of idle time during my travels this summer vacation, I packed some novels along with the rest of my luggage. They were titles I had heard of but never gotten to. Whenever I was on the subway or needed to rest my legs at a coffee shop, I pulled out a book from my purse and for twenty or so minutes, immersed myself in a different world, absorbed in the ink marked pages rather than my current setting.
These are some of the books that accompanied me this summer:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I knew The Help primarily as the movie starring Emma Stone, the publicity then leading me to learn that it was based on a national bestseller (guess I was out of the loop on that one). Having neither watched the movie nor read the book, I purchased a copy for myself after reading the first twenty pages of a copy crouched in a bookstore. Detailing the lives of black maids in ‘60s Mississippi, The Help is humorous, easy to read, and often times, touching.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Euginedes
As can be suspected from the title, Middlesex features an intersex protagonist, Calliope, who later develops into Cal. The plot does not revolve around her genetic mutation, however, and instead, focuses on her family history and the actions that caused to her genetic mutation to surface. Middlesex describes various historical settings including the Turkish invasion of Greece and the race riots in Detroit but does it seamlessly, and ties in various romantic (and incestual) stories.
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Freedom captivated me immediately. It became one of those books that I had difficulty putting down once I started it. Set in the 60s all the way to the 2000s, Freedom chronicles the relationship of husband and wife, Walter and Patty, describing the tribulations they endure concerning their children and the two of them as a couple. Freedom boasts a progressive plot and sneaks in themes of sex, drugs, and rock & roll all while remaining extremely smart.
So, if you’re left with a light load of work (haha) or would prefer to cuddle up with a good book on a rainy night like tonight, check out these novels and let your mind leave Hyde Park, even if it’s just for a half hour.