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16 July 2009 9:00 AM
Our Collective Bookshelf
Noah Millman names the books he'd eliminate from the canon:
Under the Volcano, by Malcolm Lowry. I had to spend three weeks marinated in this humorless, self-pitying rant as part of a survey of modern English fiction. We spent only a week on Ulysses. Why? As the professor said, "this is my favorite book." It appears to be a lot of other people's favorite books as well; it's on Time's list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. Someone needs to save these people from themselves.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Yes, it's historically significant. Yes, you can "study" it until the cows come home. The big intro lit crit class when I was an undergrad read only one primary text before diving into a dozen different literary theoretical approaches thereto, and the one text was Frankenstein. But it's boring! Boring with boring on top! And it has no style! Read Dracula instead - now there's a novel!
The Watchmen, by Alan Moore. I should probably put this in the same category as Kundera, and just say this is a phase some boys have to go through, and leave it at that. And I'll admit, it holds your attention. When the movie came out recently, instead of going to see it, I re-read the graphic novel. And I was certainly able to read through it - it was a breeze. I wasn't bored. But trash isn't generally boring. And that's the problem: this is trash dressed up as something more. And the sensibility behind the book is not actually one that you want anybody taking seriously.
Your own suggestions?
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