I've Been Drunk for About a Week Now and I Thought it might Sober me Up to Sit In a Library

Don't worry, I haven't been drunk for that long, that's a quote from The Great Gatsby. So today, I'm gonna list you off the 6 best books written since 1900. And this will be completely accurate since I have read every single book written since then. The words on this page are irrefutable. Just ask the President of Truman State University, the school allows students to cite my blog as a credible source on anything and everything as pure truth. So....Alright then, let's have it.

DUN DUN DUN
Vanna, if you would please......

THE SIXTH MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL

Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
A wild portrait of a utopian future is a somewhat controversial novel, but the best ones usually are. The irony of the novel is what makes it so entertaining. People live in a utopia where everyone is always happy but in order to acheive this utopia, religion, family, art, literature, and culture are all taken away. The impact of this novel is so great because the sex and drug use, the only pleasures really enjoyed by the people in this novel, mirrors some of what society IS really all about. If we self-medicate and screw to make ourselves happy, while losing the core human values and curiosity, are we really living in a utopia? That's the great thing about this novel; it shows you that there really may be no such thing as a utopia, even if you think your living in one.

THE FIFTH MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL

Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
Set in World War II period Italy and following a bunch of American soldiers, this is the novel that coined the phrase. What makes Catch-22 an excellent read is that it points out how absurd the rules we live by are. It paints a bigger picture, showing how we've almost put more importance on trivial rules of life, rather than the ones affecting life and death. The immense amount of situations that the book describes as being a "catch-22" also gives us a look at how our lives border on absurdity by listening to governmental, religious, or even familial rules or laws. Is there really any honor in dying in war? Or surviving it, for that mattter? Heller's wartime experiences helped him write the novel and you can tell how much his wartime experiences affected him and so many others.

THE FOURTH MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL

The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A novel following the "Jazz Age" period of the 1920s, Fitzgerald's novel paints a somewhat dark portrait of the wealthy during this period. His novel shows that although being rich is ideal, immorality and loss of values also came with it. During a period of large economic boom, Gatsby is an intensly written novel that shows us how dangerous materialism is and what it can do to us. Although, even today, being rich is most people's goal, it can make you a completely different person.

THE THIRD MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL

Darkness at Noon
by Arthur Koestler
The tale of an old Russian soldier standing trial for treason is probably the least popular book on this list. The author, who himself spent time imprisoned by Spanish leader Fransisco Franco, does a great job of openly showing the seriousness of the Stalin-era purges in Russia, although Russia is never even named in the book. Why I think this book is so good is that you see the hypocricy in the Soviet Communist system by showing how everyone is supposed to be equal and work together for the state but those that created it or want to make it better are sent off to be killed or charged with treason. Stalin or Russia are never named in the novel, yet the powerful feeling you get from the vague refrences to them just gives you chills at how completely out of wack power can make some people. Plus, I really hate communism.

THE SECOND MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL

Lolita
by Vladimir Nabokov
A truly disturbing book that is hard to put down? Well, that's exactly how I would describe this book. The author is centered around a man obsessed with young girls (realllllly young, like 10 yrs old). The way it is consctructed and put together really make it a great read, regardless of the yucky subject matter. And although the plot is disgusting, it is full of refrences to American culture, humorous word play, puns, and numerous other entertaining plot devices that make the novel's dark subject more tolerable for the reader. It doesn't endorse pedofilia, as the character does suffer harsh consequences. It may be hard to believe, but this book is both funny and tragic at the same time, when you think with this subject it would be just the opposite.

THE MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL WRITTEN

My Autobiography
by Mike Dolan
Ok, just kidding. But I should write it, it would be a bestseller.

THE TRUE MOST EXCELLENT NOVEL WRITTEN

Ulysses
by James Joyce
James Joyce's best novel (the Irish dominate) is not great because of its subject matter, rather the way it the novel is presented. One of the first novels to use the "Stream-of-conciousness" technique, following the main characters thoughts, Joyce really displays a modern day "Odyssey", which can be seen from the title. Full of parody and complete change of writing style from chapter to chapter may make this novel very difficult to read but well worth it. Joyce shows no fear in breaking away from the norms of his colleagues and blends the most superb and masterful prose to a point of near perfection while following the characters journey.

So, how'd ya like that? I thought I'd give you a book list for the summer. I'm sure you'll all flock to the library immediately. If nothing else, at least now you know the titles of some of the greatest books written in the past century. If you are brave enough go read them to give you something to do before my next blogging comes up. Enjoy yourselves and see ya soon........