Pickwick Papers (1836) By Charles Dickens

 

Like everyone educated in an English-speaking country, I have read or been exposed to multiple works by Charles Dickens, one of if not the most prolific writers of all time.  His body of work contains several literary classics, including Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol.

In 1970 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of his death, Heron Books published his complete works in green and gold faux leather bindings.  I subscribed to that centennial publication while still in high school, and still have all 36 volumes -- of course, they are a little worse for wear, I have been moving them around with me all these years. 

Many I have read at least once, but not all.  Yesterday I finished reading the first of the two volumes of Pickwick Papers, Dicken’s first novel.  It was printed in serialization before being collected in book form in 1836.  It was an immediate commercial success. It is also completely funny – even some 185 years later.

The Pickwick Papers are the records of The Pickwick Club, named after its founder and President, Mr. Samuel Pickwick.  The club is a fictional cross between garden variety literary clubs, and a spoof of the Royal Geographic Society.  Its members travel the English countryside and make their observations of the culture and livelihood of its residents, to further the knowledge of club members and for posterity. 

If you begin Pickwick Papers taking it seriously you will soon discover that is not the point. It is entertainment and it is very funny, with a touch of knife-between-the-ribs thrown in for social commentary. 

If I may be so bold, one could call Pickwick Papers a precursor of Laurel & Hardy, and Monty Python making its movie adaptation a natural.  The 1952 version is priceless.  

1952 Movie

Recommendation:  Yes, book and movie.

The Soong Sisters (1941) By Emily Hahn

 

It would be difficult to overstate the influence the Soong sisters had on Twentieth Century China. To their parents and family friends they were Ailing, Chingling, and Meiling. To the rest of the world they were: Madame Kung, wife of the Chinese banking tycoon H.H. Kung; Madame Sun, wife of Dr. Sun Yat-sen the “father” of the post-dynastic Chinese Republic; and Madame Chiang Kai-shek, wife of Generalisimo then President of Nationalist China.  All three stood at the side of their illustrious husbands, sometimes in front of them, not behind them.  While the book is definitely political reporting, it is also a fascinating personal family history.

Born in Shanghai during the final decades of the Manchu dynasty, China’s final imperial dynasty, the sisters were the daughters of Charlie Soong, a successful businessman and his wife.  There were also two brothers, one would eventually run the family business, the other would grow-up to be the first Finance Minister of the Republic.

While his wife confined her role to mother and homemaker in the traditional style of Chinese culture, Charlie who was educated in America, was adamant all of the children, including his daughters, would also be educated in America. He would send his daughters to Wesleyan University in Macon, Georgia.  It was founded by the Methodist Church in 1836 and was the first American university to convey degrees to women.  All of the Soong children would return to China after completing their educations.

At the time of their return China was going through massive rapidly changing political upheaval.  After overthrowing the dynasty, many factions were competing for power while Dr. Sun served for a period as a transitional figurehead.  The main factions were the Communist Party eventually headed by Mao Tse Tung; and what would become the Nationalist Party, headed by Chiang Kai-Shek, with a factional split between the north based in Beijing and the south based in Nanking. 

The Soong Sisters separately supported different factions, at times significantly stressing family relations.  Madame Sun, who was the keeper of Dr. Sun’s political legacy was an advocate of working with the Communists because they addressed the needs of the peasantry.  Madame Chiang Kai-Shek was ruthless in her support of the Nationalists, defined by her as her husband.  And Madame Kung, as oligarchs always do, supported whoever was in power. The sisters and their differing politics were well known to the Chinese public.

Detractors of the Soong sisters normally describe them this way: “one loved money, one loved power; and one loved her country.”  Clearly, Emily Hahn, the author of this book found that to be an unfair description.  All three loved China, in their own way, and it would be accurate to say they also loved each other. 

The concluding chapter of the book documents the importance of the three of them coming together to advocate for a national unity effort to counter Japan’s invasion of China, and to warn foreign interests (including the U.S.) they could help China rebuff Japan now, which they did not, or they could pay for it later, which they did on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor.

EmilyHahn was an American journalist, author, and regular contributor to the New Yorker Magazine.  She lived in Shanghai during much of the time period of the book and had social access to China’s merchant class, including the Soongs.  Her journalism claim-to-fame was her interviews with Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. Hahn is also one of the key characters in Taras Grescoe’s novel Shanghai Grand.

The Soong Sisters -- complete movie

As always, a movie was made of The Soong Sisters.  It is on YouTube with English subtitles and it is excellent.

Recommendation:  Yes, both book and movie.  Real history buffs should read The Soong Sisters and Edgar Snow’s Red Star Over China (biography of Mao Tse Tung).

Breakfast of Champions (1973) By Kurt Vonnegut

 

Once you have read a few of Kurt Vonnegut’s novels, you have learned to expect the bizarre.  Classify them as science fiction, or comedy, or biting social commentary, but expect dry humor, with no sacred cows. 

Expect too the reappearance of some familiar characters.  And in Breakfast of Champions, expect Vonnegut, as the book’s author (using the pseudonym Philboy Sludge) to have first person conversations with the characters he has created, including threatening to uncreate them.

Breakfast of Champions, published in 1973, and comically illustrated with juvenile line art, is a riot.

The lead character in the book is Dwayne Hoover, owner of the Pontiac dealership in Midland City, Ohio.  He is the town’s most prominent citizen.  As such he has been asked to spearhead the opening the new Arts Center.  In that role he will accept the recommendation of Eliot Rosewater of the Rosewater Foundation (and main character in Vonnegut’s God Bless You Mr. Rosewater) on who should be the honorary guest at the ceremony.  His recommendation is Kilgore Trout, Rosewater’s favorite author. Midland City is excited to have an oft published writer for its opening even though no one in town knows anything about him.

Trout, who appears in several Vonnegut novels, writes science fiction articles.  While they are widely published, they are almost never read. Trout sells his articles to porn magazines. His stories are used as filler between photo spreads. And we aren’t talking Playboy Magazine, the magazines that buy Trout’s stories are more along the lines of Hustler, hardcore pornography lawsuits waiting to happen.  Rosewater reads them “for the articles.” 

Trout will hitchhike from New York City to Midland City to accept the honor.  His travel escapades along the way are … well, memorable.

Once in Midland, Sludge (Vonnegut) will stop by the bar at the hotel where guests are staying.  There he will observe them, and then have a conversation with his characters, wrapping the story up.

There is an additional character in the book named Wayne Hoobler.  He is a Black man who has recently been released from a correctional facility.  He idolizes and works for Dwayne Hoover.  With intentionally similar names, Wayne is economically and socially the polar opposite of Dwayne.  This works perfectly as a social commentary, though distracting from its message is Vonnegut’s frequent use of the “N” work to reflect the "reality" of the times.

Recommendation:  Not for everyone, but if you like Vonnegut’s other works, you’ll love this.