JOE PICKS A WINNER: 10 GREAT BIG BOOKS

I'm so glad Chicago has a wonderful public transportation system. Though I had a car, during the 1980s I rode the bus or the el to work, and boy, do I sure miss having that daily hour or so to escape to some fantasy world in a great big book.

At the time the Chicago Tribune printed a piece on the greatest books of all time, or something of that nature, and that list formed the basis of my reading selections during those years. You see, I was frustrated with contemporary best sellers, often wondering at the end of the book what all the hoopla was about. So, taking my cue from Shirley MacLaine's dreadfully boring "bestseller", I went Out on a Limb and chose my reading from a more classical source and bucked the current trends. I also went to the library, a lot, and photo-copied a list of past Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction to use as a guide.

Still, there were some good reads that originated in the 80s, or at least a new novel, movie release or television show inspired investigating a writer further.
Thus, here's the first installment, a short list of Joe Picks a Winner's great big books.



10. Job: A Comedy of Justice


I'm not a big science fiction or fantasy reader, but it's true, Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land was the only book I read in my high school years that wasn't assigned reading. And since I enjoyed being one of the cool kids who read Stranger, in the 80s, I thought I'd give Robert Heinlein another go. Already having a penchant for the classics, modern science fiction may not exactly be my cup of tea, but with comedy in the title, I'm an easy mark.

And pleasantly amused I was, reading Job: A Comedy of Justice. Already familiar with the biblical story of Job, having been raised a Catholic, it was great fun to read Heinlein's twist on the old story. Be forewarned, though, this offbeat telling of the Book of Job may be offensive to the extremely devout, and I'm sure some would consider outright blasphemous. The Job character in Heinlein's novel, doesn't just have horrible things happen to him at the hands of God in order to test his faith, but instead, he's repeatedly transported from one other-worldly existence to another, and in each of these worlds his faith gets tested. It's a quirky read, in parts very funny, yet highly thought provoking at the same time.










9. The Follies of the King (Plantagenet Saga)

After Masterpiece Theater debuted in the 70s with stories like The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R, I became somewhat obsessed with period pieces. Jean Plaidy, otherwise known as Victoria Holt, or Eleanor Hibbert, wrote a series of historical novels about European royalty through the ages. I read a few from the series, and while not really captivating with regard to character development, the subject matter is full of intrigue. I also found the writing to be somewhat repetitive, but maybe that's necessary in historical novels, just to keep the bloodlines and timelines straight.

Considering the current same-sex marriage issues in the public eye, The Follies of the King is especially poignant, if only to illustrate that this has been an issue for a very, very long time. It's the story of, though not stated explicitly, I'm going to say it, homosexual King Edward II. When one of the main duties of the king is to secure the royal bloodline by producing male heirs, the inherent conflict is immediately apparent, and much more problematic when you're married to a scheming, jealous Queen Isabella. While we still have a way to go when it comes to equality, when you find out what happens to gay King Edward, it's easier to see that we've made some progress over the years.








8. Light a Penny Candle

My Irish friend, Kathleen, suggested that I would enjoy Maeve Binchy. Kathleen told me nothing of the story, but the little more than a year old hard cover she handed me, had already inscribed on the inside jacket, the names of two previous owners of this Light a Penny Candle. Kathleen added her name to the list, and told me when I was finished reading, that I should likewise pass the book along to another.

I don't know if that's some sort of Irish custom, but it was a wonderfully charming way to be introduced to Maeve Binchy, and I have to wonder if the copy of Light a Penny Candle that me and Kathleen read and signed, is still making the rounds. And Light a Penny Candle is just that sort of book. A book for which you may have paid a lot of money. A nice shiny new hard cover. But when you've finished reading it, you are so impressed, that you get greater pleasure from giving the book away, just to be able to share the joy of reading Maeve Binchy, and to hell with your out-of-pocket costs.

Admittedly, considering it's now over 20 years since I read Light a Penny Candle, I don't remember much detail from the book. And after also reading Maeve Binchy's Circle of Friends, I'm afraid my mind's eye is combining and confusing the two stories. Both books have similar sets of characters, young adults, who were about my age group, somewhat coming of age, hence my interest. But what I do remember is that Light a Penny Candle and Circle of Friends are those engaging, can't put down type books, both for Irish girls, and those of us more likely to think of Bono when it comes to the Emerald Isle. As it was suggested to me as a good read, I suggest it here. You could pick up a copy for yourself, or, who knows, maybe somehow Light a Penny Candle will float your way. Look for for Kathleen and Joe on the inside cover!









7. Growing Up Catholic

Given to me as a gift from a fellow former Catholic school student who knew I could relate, Growing Up Catholic had my name all over it. We were altar boys together so our relationship with the church was even more ingrained than your average grammar school Catholic boy.

But if the truth be known, it wasn't my devotion that lead me to be an altar boy. My intentions were much more dishonorable I recognized early on that the altar boys were often excused from classes because funeral masses needed to be served during the week, and hanging around the church for an hour or so was much better than sitting in class in the much more watchful eyes of the teaching nuns. And there was even a chance to make some money, for the grieving family would often tip those who served. I exhibited the money-hungry tendencies of the Me Generation long before the 80s came along!

Meatless Fridays, Holy Days of Obligation, the new Sign of Peace, are all covered in this little guide. While not a book you curl up with for a great escape, it's a good conversation starter for the coffee table, or better still, its short sections are perfect for the bathroom, to be enjoyed by Catholics and those pagans from public schools, alike. If you're more an audiophile, you might enjoy Catholic Girls by the late great Frank Zappa.
Joe's Garage: Acts I, II & III














6. Men's Bodies, Men's Selves

Sadly this book is out of print, but you could find a used copy and get a lot of timeless, useful information on the cheap. What is it about men that publishers don't see the need to offer straightforward information on men's health issues? Did the machismo of Sylvester Stallone's blockbuster Rambo taint their vision? You'd think with the onset of AIDS at the time, there would be more of a need than ever for this type of book. I applauded this book's frank and non-judgmental approach to topics men, apparently, don't like to read about. It still holds a place in my bookcase as a worthwhile reference resource.

The good news is that the women's book Men's Bodies, Men's Selves was patterned after is still in print, still being updated, and still a valuable resource for anybody.
Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era















5. Mildred Pierce

I'm sure I fell asleep in the theater watching Mommie Dearest in 1981. After the "no wire hangers" line, there was little there left to hold my interest. However I'm grateful, for the movie introduced me to the writings of the wonderful James M. Cain and his novel, Mildred Pierce. Though Joan Crawford won the Oscar for Best Actress in the movie version, it's the book that brings you close to Mildred, and you're rooting for her, making pies, every crust of the way. While I did enjoy the movie, as is true of most books, it's to your advantage to get to know Cain's Mildred before you see the film. That way, you get to see the fodder that produces an Oscar winning role, and your mind's eye is less concentrated on Joan Crawford's lipstick and shoulder pads.

Not only did Mommie Dearest bring shades of James M. Cain to the silver screen of the 80s, but a remake of Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice, originally starring Lana Turner and John Garfield, was released, this time with Jessica Lange and Jack Nicholson. Surely a much racier version than the original movie, in keeping with the times, and for that reason I much prefer the Lana Turner version. To me it stays truer to the novel, and more in line with the film noir genre. The genius of James M. Cain writing is that he conveys passions, without having to resort to being explicit. The magical tension that keeps us reading is not in how much is shown, but rather, in how much is restrained.









4. The Yuppie Handbook

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe and Jay McInerney's Bright Lights, Big City were highly advertised bestsellers in the me decade, and subsequently both made into films. But the odd thing is, though I've read the books and seen the movies with Tom Hanks and Michael J. Fox, respectively, neither book nor film impressed me enough to care. You would think books written about characters of my own generation would be something I could easily relate to, and while there was some similarity to the life I was leading, reading about it was just a big snore. Perhaps it's true, familiarity breeds contempt. Or, put another way, why should I bother reading about the exploits of the young upwardly mobile, when I could just go outside and live it?

So The Yuppie Handbook is better suited (Armani, perhaps) to this list. This little tongue-in-cheek guide came on the heels of the best selling The Official Preppy Handbook, but, unlike the Preppy book, The Yuppie Handbook's humor is aimed at a much larger middle-class audience. More of us could relate, enough to spawn two more handbooks, the Guppie and Buppie, those gay and black upwardly mobile, respectively. We enjoyed poking fun at these labeled groups, but in the end the jokes were on us, for what we considered laughable idiosyncrasy, became the stats quo. Funny how that works.









3. The World According to Garp


Though written in 1976, it wasn't until the 80s, when I was finished with school and the drudgery of assigned reading, that I was able to read The World According to Garp. Truly this was the book that changed my life. It was great to be able to read what I wanted to read for my own enjoyment and not just because I would be tested on the material afterwards. Had it not been for Garp, I don't think I would have become much of a reader after my schooling was completed. But riding the bus to and from work gave me some time to do something other than look out the window or catch up on some lost sleep, and after reading just the first chapter, and the bizarre story of T. S. Garp's conception, I was hooked and you could label me an immediate fan.

I once read, on the art of storytelling, that the best stories always include tears, laughter, love and thrills. Without a doubt, The World According to Garp adheres to that rule of thumb. It makes you laugh and cry, and at the same time is full of tension and romance. Reading Garp was the first time I can recall ever uncontrollably laughing out loud with the book in hand, and under the inquisitive glances by others riding the bus. Embarrassed, I remember holding up the book jacket for others to see, as if to assure them that I was not a lunatic, but that I'm reading a funny book. Fortunately, one woman smiled, nodded, and lipped "oh... Garp". She knew and understood.

Needless to say I went on to read all the other John Irving offerings through the 80s decade: The Hotel New Hampshire, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Quite often Irving has been touted as one of the great living American authors. Saw the movie version of The World According to Garp, too. The movie version with Robin Williams as T. S. Garp generally is favorably reviewed, but personally, I was disappointed. As with any book to film adaptation, the film versions usually fall short of the richness of the novel, and this is especially true when it comes to Garp. One aspect of reading Garp that I enjoyed was the fact that T. S. Garp is a aspiring writer, and his short story efforts are part of the novel whole. It's like getting a story within a story, and that whole technique is largely missing in the movie version. And while some might call it a literary trick, if you've read the book, and without being a spoiler for those who haven't, could you ever forget the tension wondering what happened to Duncan? The movie just wasn't, nor could be, the same.






2. The Vampire Lestat

I'm a sucker for period pieces, both in literature and film. That's why I was at first a little put off when The Vampire Lestat, the second in Ann Rice's Vampire books, began with Lestat as a modern day rock star. I soon got over it, though, and think Lestat is a good read. However, nowhere as profoundly impacting as reading Interview with the Vampire. There were moments in Interview where I was truly frightened, and getting scared from reading is so much more memorable and everlasting, than the "sneak up from behind you" techniques used in film.

However, my fascination with the vampire culture ended with this episode, though the two other installments, The Queen of the Damned and The Tale of the Body Thief, remained extremely popular and well-loved, and much has been written about the series over the years. But often over-looked by vampire fans is the wonderful
Cry to Heaven, an earlier work by Ann Rice, a beautiful love story written about the 18th century Italian opera castrati. I didn't think I could ever regard so highly a story about man-boy love, but like I mentioned, I guess I'm a sucker for those period pieces.












1. Lonesome Dove

Now, I'm not one to get all romantic about those wild west days. Cowboys never really did much for me, not even in the movies or on television. Sure I watched Bonanza and Gunsmoke, but that was because someone older, and in charge, preferred Westerns to anything else on television at that hour. However, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry was on my Pulitzer prize winning list, so I gave the nearly 1000 page paperback a try, and I'm so glad I did. Within the first 50 pages I was hooked, and that usually doesn't happen for me in novels, even those that I think are great, featuring settings and subject matter that I care about.

But Larry McMurtry writes with such engaging description and characterization that I was instantly transported and felt comfortable in a different place and time, which is exactly where I want to go when reading for pleasure. It's one of those books that despite its length, I didn't want to end. Till this day, more than 20 years later, I can not take a dip in a lake or stream, without thinking about the water moccasin scene in Lonesome Dove. There was also a Lonesome Dove TV mini-series based on the novel, and it, too, was pretty good with many movie stars, or soon to be movie stars, but it's McMurtry's written Lonesome Dove that made those water moccasins most memorable.

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15 Favorite Classics

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Candide - Voltaire
My Antonia - Willa Cather
Brave New World
So Big - Edna Ferber
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
1984 - George Orwell
We the Living - Ayn Rand
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

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