Mix of genres makes for interesting reading

In the spirit of my commitment to read the first chapter of some of the world's greatest novels, I have this week begun to work my way through five books, at random. They include 39 Steps, by John Buchan; Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs; Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad; Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky; and a continuing engagement with Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.

Setting aside the fact they are all written by men, they seem disaparate novels, each with a different focus, a unique style and acclaimed for a variety of reasons. Heart of Darkness is the seminal novel on one person's encounter with evil; Crime and Punishment explores the search for redemption; and Huckleberry Finn is a complex book that belies the apparent simplicity with which the main protagonist, Huck Finn, approaches life and all it holds.

If the opening pages are any indication to go by, these are five books that I want to continue exploring. I am drawn to each plot, each character, each turn of phrase...it is a pleasure to share them with my son, Brodie, as we embark on this journey of reading together.

Baum's second novel highlights importance of characters we can love

Watching Conan the Barbarian, during a rare lull in my daily activities this afternoon, reminded me of the beauty of some of the books I am currently encountering. Today's first chapter came from the 'sequel' to L.Frank Baum's outstanding success, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 'The Marvelous Land of Oz'.

Not only is the author's note of great interest in this book, but the opening chapter introduces the reader to the charming characters of Tip, his 'creation' Jack Pumpkinhead' and the ominous Mombi (Tip's guardian and an apparent witch). It is a simple read, with Baum showing a natural gift for story-telling.

Which brings me to Conan. Known as a 'reboot' (in Hollywood parlance, that's a remake of an already popular movie, with a supposed new twist or interpretation), this film seemed more like a series of set pieces, with Conan getting to kill people in a lot of different and innovative ways. There were fights on sand, fights in the forest, fights with swords, fights without swords, fights in water, fights in caverns and tunnels...you get the idea.

What's the relevance of this to my latest foray into classic novels. Over the past three days, I have dipped into, and out of, the stories of Peter Pan and Wendy, Dorothy and Toto, and now Tip and Jack. They are all characters I have, no matter how briefly, come to know and love. I care about what happens to them and want to know that everything turns out all right for them. The ability of authors like Barrie and Baum to create this empathy for, and interest in, their characters is, I believe, largely responsible for the enduring success of their books.

In his note at the beginning of The Marvelous Land of Oz, Baum explains that it came into being after "a thousand little girls had written me a thousand little letters asking for the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman". While Conan enjoyed immense popularity as a comic book character, I will be surprised if he makes many more appearances on the big screen in the future. "A thousand little girls" are unlikely to write "a thousand little letters" asking for a reboot!

Chance to reconnect with childhood and my kids

And I was going so well...oh well, that's the beauty about blogging: until you develop a loyal audience, you are only accountable to yourself! But I have been diligent in my reading. Since my last post, the first chapters to Sense and Sensibility, Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.

Of these novels, I have encountered Austen's writing before (see previous post on Pride and Prejudice) and am familiar with the stories of Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz. Of course, my responses are coloured by the Disney interpretation of JM Barrie's creation about the boy who never grew up, and Judy Garland's Technicolour experiences in the movie-version of The Wizard of Oz. Still, it is refreshing to revisit these classic novels, especially as Barrie's and Baum's literary efforts keep me connected with my children, Amber and Brodie.

As for Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. I can offer no personal anecdotes or insights. The author, Edwin Abbott Abbott, is as unfamiliar to me as is his plot about the fictitious country of Flatland. It might be a book that I have to approach with a bit of help from Google (the modern day equivalent of 'cliff notes'!)

Pride cometh before my fall in prejudice

So, here's the thing: no sooner do I post my first entry to this blog, about my intentions to read the first chapter of a famous novel each day, for 365 days, but I discover that 2012 is the National Year of Reading in Australia. Well, what do you know! How cool is that...a year dedicated to the noble art of reading, and I have just begun a blog about such a past-time. (Check out the official website at this link

hthttp://www.love2read.org.au/tp:// )

Today's chapter contains one of the most famous opening sentences of any book. Seriously, it would rank up there with Dickens' "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." and "In the beginning..." As soon as I started reading Pride and Prejudice, my mind was cast back to Year 10 English, and Mrs Gamble's attempts to introduce us to the finer points of being a gentleman. No sooner had I escaped high school than I took a unit in English Literature at college and was again confronted with Austen's most famous novel.

I'm a bit older now, and hopefully a little more mature, that I can finally appreciate this book for its characterisations, its sense of time and place and, most significantly, the brooding, barely suppressed tension between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy. But for now, it's the first line, from the first chapter, that allows me to truly set aside my prejudice:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

"Oh man, not another blog!"

There is something about the experience of opening up a new book and diving into the world inside that strikes a chord with me. Put simply, I love reading! Usually, I have several books that I am consuming at the one time, as if my library were like a Sizzler's bar and I am determined not to miss out on anything on the menu...

But it's the opening pages that never fail to captivate. You can tell so much about a book - whether it is good or bad, whether it will strike or chord or leave you feelilng cold and indifferent - in those first few words, lines and paragraphs. And so I have decided to spend some of my reading time, over the next 365 days, reading the first chapter from some classic novels. And each day (or thereabouts), I will record my responses to these opening pages.

"What's the point?", you might very well ask. Perhaps it's the discipline that comes with the daily dose of chapter consumption and then briefly blogging about the experience. Or maybe, deep down, I just want to be able to say, when it comes to those dinner parties one occasionally attends on a Saturday night, "Oh yes, Austen's writing in Pride and Prejudice was so much better than when she wrote Persuasion."

And just as our reading of any book elicits certain reactions, so too this blog will hopefully prompt comments and criticisms, bouquets and brickbats, about either the books themselves, or my writings in response to them. It's likely that my reflections will be not just about the books but also about this entire blogging process!

(For the record, I have just read the first chapter in Persuasion but can make no comparison with it and Pride and Prejudice...that's tomorrow night's chapter and blog).

(PPS. The opening headline, and the post itself, is dedicated to my son Brodie, who had an immense love of books, and his cousins, Eli and Ethan, who are now discovering the joy of children's literature. Lately, they have kept us all amused with the expression: "Oh man..." as a sign of dismay and disappointment in a whole range of situations.)