31. The Aunt's Story - Patrick White

I picked this up to read because in some sense I'm skittering after Scott and following some of the things he's interested in, and partly because I've always been interested in reading White, ever since, and before, I bought David Marr's biography of him for Mum as a Christmas present perhaps 10 years ago.

This is a fear inducing novel. White writes with such an overpowering insight and originality it's almost grotesque. He must have been some kind of monster. I had to put this book down several times whilst reading it because I feared for my sanity. His message is almost too much. In hindsight I don't know if I was ready for it. I can't imagine any single human being living through life with this kind of outlook and not being utterly mad or monstrous. I'm not even going to try and use words like 'depth' or 'nuance' or 'humanism' to describe it. I'll simply say the character portrayal and associated mental landscape is almost insane. Insane because it's so new for me, and because I've not plumbed anywhere near the depths that White has. I can't put a shape around it. It's difficult to describe. I think his books may be as dangerous and corrupting (ala life changing) as "The Picture of Dorian Grey" by Oscar Wilde was for me. Scott mentioned that you learn from White like you do from Brodkey. He's right, and I'd say White is even more powerful than Brodkey. Certainly there is an even greater fear (of the unknown) in reading him. My stomach feels like a cage of butterflies to even think of reading another of his works.

"The Aunt's Story" is devastating..

Update: I wrote this ages ago - not sure if I agree with it anymore.

30. Henry Miller on Writing - Henry Miller

Brilliant. Please read this.

29. A Little History of The World - E. H. Gombrich

Brilliant narrative whirlwind tour of the history of the "world". Has inspired me to start Europe: A History by Norman Davies. God knows how long it will take to finish this, but I have a feeling I'm going to learn a *lot* and remember perhaps 5% of it :D

Read Gombrich's "little history". Read it out loud in the bath. Read it to your girlfriend. You won't regret it!