After he passed this spring, I re-read (or in a couple cases, read for the first time) Cormac McCarthy’s entire catalog — finishing with my favorite novel, Blood Meridian.
It was my third time all the way through, and I love how challenging a read it remains — for the narrative style, for the prose, for the violence. I decided to continue pressing myself with famously significant but challenging novels — I’m on Moby-Dick now, and making headway for the first time after a couple failed starts.
Ultimately, my goal is to tackle Ulysses. I’ve read Portrait and Finnegan’s Wake, but even after several tries, Joyce seems impenetrable to me here. My goal is to work my way up to reading it through at the end of 2024.
In the meantime — what other dense, challenging novels should I read to build my confidence and skills on the way to this objective?
by CDanger85
1 Comment
Came here to suggest Joyce lol. He’s my Mount Everest I’m training for, too. What about some Dostoevsky or Tolstoy? Love your growth mindset approach to reading, btw!