What makes for a truly great book? It's the elements that resonate with us, the elements that stretch us, beautiful writing, a compelling story, the dysfunctional characters, the negativity .... Wait a minute, wait a minute.
As I read through the Time 100 list, I find book after book with highly neurotic characters. Think of Scarlett O'Hara, the narrator in Lolita, and John Self in Money. Now we are all neurotic to some degree, but so many authors on the list use negativity as a key element to attract their audience.
I don't like it and I don't get it. But that's just me ... and it's many of my friends. We still enjoy a great story. We just don't want to be dragged into the inner circuits of a dysfunctional person. Let their psychotherapist do that. I want to read books that have positive elements and characters with some amount of hope. I think of Frank Alpine in Malamud's The Assistant. He's a loser, but he has hope and he redeems himself. Now think of Lolita. The Narrator is a real loser, and has no hope. None whatsoever. Why did I read this? Just to get into the inner workings of a pedophile. Oh.
Anyway, I will continue to read the books on the Time 100 list. But I though I'd compile a list of books that do not rotate around negative people. Which is not to say that the characters do not live in a difficult world. I include The Painted Bird and Ender's Game, for example. Check out the list. It will grow and change with time.
If you'd like to share a list of great books with redeeming characteristics, pass it along!
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