When Once is Enough: One-book Authors

If you’re like me, you’re hesitant to read Harper Lee’s second book, Go Set a Watchman. From what I’ve read about this much hyped book, the reader will leave with a tarnished view of the beloved character, Atticus Finch.

The discovery of this book so many years after To Kill a Mocking bird raised my curiosity about other one book authors, especially those whose one tome has become an iconic classic. I read a lot, but there's a limited number of books that continue to resonate with me, even after many years. I was surprised to find how many of my lifelong remembered reads were by one--book authors. These books influenced my life and affected my thinking immeasurably. 

Here’s my top five: 

                          

1.  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Born in 1820 to a devoutly Quaker family, Sewell 

was influenced by her mother who wrote children’s 

books. Following a childhood accident, she traveled mostly by horse drawn carriages and developed a deep love and concern for horses. Unlike her mother, she didn’t write for children but rather to influence those who cared for horses. I read the book when I was twelve and never viewed animals without thinking about how they should be treated.

2.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This classic needs no introduction! Is there anyone reading this post who hasn’t read this book or seen the movie? The classic lines throughout this masterpiece are still quoted today. The author was recognized in 1957 when she received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Like Harper Lee, she avoided the limelight, but unlike Lee, she died at the young age of 49. I read this book in my teens and it made me realize how much war affects so many individuals, no matter what their beliefs.

3.  An Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

This was another book that really affected my thinking in my teen years. In his book, published in 1952, he spoke to race in a way never done before. Consider these words by Ellison: “I am an invisible man…I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, simply because people refuse to see me.”

4.  Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Although this was his only book, Salinger wrote nearly two dozen short stories in many publications, including The New Yorker. Holden Caulfield, the main character, illustrates the importance of living an authentic life. I read this as a young adult and it helped reaffirm my own beliefs in following my own direction rather than to “go along to get along.”

5.  Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

 While this author is best remembered for his poetry, his novel, published in 1957, demonstrates the courage it can take to express your views even in fiction. Pasternak had to smuggle his manuscript out of Russia to be published abroad. In my early twenties, his story and what it took to publish it, served as inspiration to me in my early writings.

I’m still unsure whether I will read Harper Lee’s recently published work, Go Set a Watchman, because the characters within what seemed destined to be her one memorable work, speak so much to me. Perhaps, I will consider her the sixth of my one-book authors instead…

To learn more about one-book authors of these and other much loved books, visit Goodreads for a list of 100 well known titles.

       

You Can Go Home Again

 Do you remember the books of your childhood or those of your teen years? The books that inspired you, touched you exactly where you were at that time? If you’re like me, you never forget those special tomes. They’re part of your history, your angst, read at a vulnerable and intense time in your life. And just remembering their influence may be the best way to honor those books.

Rereading them could be like tasting a childhood favorite food, one you haven’t tasted for many years. For me, it was those cinnamon buns we were allowed to select from the Freihofer bread truck every Saturday morning. Do they still even make them? Cream donuts, too. Recently I tried one again and found my adult tastes just weren’t into them anymore. And so I hesitate to revisit those books that held a special place in my heart during my formative years.

At the very least, I fear going back and rereading those books could be disappointing. A book that resonated at age sixteen may now feel dated and worse yet, no longer relevant. So, a few months ago, when our book group selected “A Tree grows in Brooklyn,” I considered skipping that month’s discussion. After all, Betty Smith’s coming-of-age book was one of my most treasured teenage reads. Would I lose my fond memories with another perusal? Would her writing style seem dated this many years later?

After hesitating for a while, I decided to give it a try. After all, I never like to miss a book discussion! From page one I was drawn back into the story and found my life experience only enhanced my second reading and I identified from the very beginning with the protagonist, Francie. Returning to her 1912 Brooklyn tenement was like coming home, but different, too.

Now, my life experience lends a new dimension to my reading of this classic. I get it more now. All the nuances that I must have brushed over as a raw, untested teen now strike a new chord

As a writer, I now have a greater appreciation of character development, voice and definitely the use of metaphor. I found I had a deeper understanding of all the elements that go into writing and that brought a brand new appreciation for this classic. For writers, reading is like water and air—we need that constant infusion of other authors to inspire and teach us. For more about the value of reading, check out my blog posting, Five Reasons Why Writers Should Belong to Book Groups.

Here are a few other books that still move me:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

The Great Gatsby by Ernest Hemingway

Exodus by Leon Uris

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck