March books + films

Books

March has been incredibly restful, busy, and creative all at the same time. I was able to finish "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, which spans 880 pages in paperback and is 32 hours long on Audible. I got through it with a mix of physical and audio reading. My God, I love this book. Eliot is a genius in her ability to describe and analyze the human condition and present multiple characters vividly and wholly through intersecting stories. She also points out how our dreams, goals, marriages, relationships, and desires all disappoint us at some point. And how sad it is that we can’t truly see ourselves, how others experience us. In the same way, we can’t see our own noses, we can’t see our faults and how they impact others. Truth be told, I can’t do justice to a review of "Middlemarch," so take a look at this, this, and this.

I was equally fascinated by the author. "Middlemarch" was written in 1871 by Mary Ann Evans under the pen name George Eliot (of course, a male name because of misogyny). Evans/Eliot was also a journalist who wrote compulsively about the plight of the "lower class." She was adamant that their perspectives were missing from national dialogue. She sponsored abolitionists and made her views against slavery clear. I loved this tidbit: she was also against the idea of marriage and was in an open marriage in the 1800s, no less.

I also read "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, written in 1848. It explores themes of loneliness, dreaming, unrequited love, youth, poverty, and class against the backdrop of St. Petersburg, Russia. There are numerous internal monologues in the book written in the first person, which draw the reader into the inner world of the character, exploring his dreams, need for human touch/affection, and the weight of isolation and loneliness. Because it is a short read of just 90 pages, it’s a good addition if you are checking off some European classic books from your to-be-read (TBR) pile.

Films

I only watched one film in March. In fact, I didn’t spend much time on screens this month. I watched the documentary on Miles Davis - Birth of Cool. I enjoyed it. I’ve always been a fan of Miles, but I didn’t realize how prolific his work is and that he too traveled to Paris at its heyday of welcoming Black Americans such as James Baldwin, Nina Simone. Miles hobnobbed with Simone De Beauvoir and her partner Jean-Paul Sartre, which was an interesting tidbit to see how the French literary world intersected with Black American musicians and writers. It was disappointing to learn that Miles physically abused his wife and fell deeply into addiction. I recommend giving the documentary the time of day.

Not a film, but I found my nosy self getting sucked into the "Where is Kate?" online drama. No, I didn’t believe in any of the conspiracy theories. I did find the communications debacle of Kensington Palace and the doctored image interesting. So naturally, I am now listening to Prince Harry’s book "Spare" on Audible — out of sheer nosiness.

I’d love to hear your book and film recommendations. Do share!