Classic Books 4 and 5

#4 The Lover by Marguerite Duras
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fictionalized first person account of a pubescent female french girl who takes an older Chinese lover.  Marguerite Duras said that this was semi-autobiographical.

I enjoyed it, it wasn't my favorite.  This book was released in 1984, but the story takes place in the 1920s.



#5
Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have one word for this book.  URGH!
What torture.  Almost as bad as James Joyce's Ulysses.  I had high hopes for this book, I enjoyed Siddhartha, but this was not as interesting.  It was said to be a self analytical look at Hesse's life as a middle aged divorced man.  I also read (online) that each character is an aspect of Hesse.  This is an existential novel that was way above my head. I also listened to this in audio format.  Peter Weller (actor) was the narrator, and although I like him and enjoy his voice, he read this monotone which led to monotony and me falling asleep while he droned on.