i i i

T o l s T o y

a n d

T h e

P u r P l e

C h a i r

My Year of Magical Reading

n i n a

s a n k o v i T C h

C o m p l e t e l i s t o f B o o k s R e a d

f R o m o C t o B e R 2 8 , 2 0 0 8 ,

t o o C t o B e R 2 8 , 2 0 0 9

After so much had been taken,so much could still be received.

t a t j a n a s o l i ,The Lotus Eaters

The Abbot’s Ghost, by louisa may alcottAbout Schmidt, by louis BegleyAct of the Damned, by antónio lobo antunesAddress Unknown, by kathrine kressmann taylorThe African Queen, by C. s. foresterThe Age of Dreaming, by Nina RevoyrAlgren at Sea, by Nelson algrenAlice Fantastic, by maggie estepAll My Friends Are Superheroes, by andrew

kaufmanAll Souls, by Christine schuttAll That I Have, by Castle freeman Jr.American Born Chinese, by Gene luen YangAmphibian, by Carla GunnThe Ancient Shore, by shirley Hazzard and francis

steegmullerAnna In-Between, by elizabeth NunezAnnie John, by Jamaica kincaidAre You Somebody? by Nuala o’faolainThe Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth stein

1

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Assault, by Harry mulischAunt Dimity Slays the Dragon, by Nancy athertonBangkok Haunts, by John BurdettBeauty Salon, by mario BellatinThe Believers, by Zoë HellerBellwether, by Connie WillisThe Best Place to Be, by lesley dormenBetter, by John o’BrienBird by Bird, by anne lamottBlack Water, by Joyce Carol oatesBlank, by Noah tallThe Body Artist, by don delilloBombay Time, by thrity UmrigarThe Book of Chameleons, by José eduardo agualusaThe Book of Murder, by Guillermo martínezBoston Noir, edited by dennis lehaneBreath, Eyes, Memory, by edwidge danticatThe Bridge of San Luis Rey, by thornton WilderThe Bridges at Toko-Ri, by James a. michenerBrief Encounters with Che Guevara, by Ben fountainThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot díazBrooklyn, by Colm tóibínBy Chance, by martin CorrickBye, Bye Soccer, by edilberto CoutinhoThe Calling, by mary Gray HughesCall Me Ahab, by anne fingerCamera, by Jean-philippe toussaintCaptains Courageous, by Rudyard kiplingCastle Nowhere, by Constance fenimore WoolsonThe Castle of Otranto, by Horace WalpoleA Celibate Season, by Carol shields and Blanche

HowardCharles Dickens, by melisa klimaszewski and melissa

GregoryCheese, by Willem elsschotChristmas in Plains, by Jimmy Carter

2

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

Climate of Fear, by Wole soyinkaConjugal Love, by alberto moraviaConsider the Lobster, by david foster WallaceCooking and Screaming, by adrienne kaneThe Council of the Cursed, by peter tremayneThe Crofter and the Laird, by John mcpheeCrow Planet, by lyanda lynn HauptCrusader’s Cross, by James lee BurkeThe Crying of Lot 49, by thomas pynchonThe Curriculum Vitae of Aurora Ortiz, by almudena

solanaThe Curse of Eve, by liliana BlumA Curtain of Green, by eudora WeltyDangerous Games, by margaret macmillanDangerous Laughter, by steven millhauserThe Darts of Cupid, by edith templetonDead Giveaway, by simon BrettDead Horse, by Walter satterthwaitA Dead Man in Barcelona, by michael pearceDeaf Sentence, by david lodgeDeath Etc., by Harold pinterDeath of a Witch, by m. C. BeatonDeath Rites, by alicia Giménez-BartlettDeath with Interruptions, by José saramagoThe Deer Leap, by martha GrimesDeKok and Murder by Installment, by a. C. BaantjerDelhi Noir, edited by Hirsh sawhneyDesperate Characters, by paula foxThe Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by peter loveseyThe Devil’s Tickets, by Gary m. pomerantzThe Diamond Girls, by Jacqueline WilsonThe Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon

GrossmithDisquiet, by Julia leighDivisadero, by michael ondaatjeDogs, Dreams, and Men, by Joan kaufman

3

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Door to Bitterness, by martin limónDouble-Click for Trouble, by Chris WoodworthDreamers, by knut HamsunDrink to Yesterday, by manning ColesThe Duppy, by anthony C. WinklerThe Elegance of the Hedgehog, by muriel BarberyThe Emigrants, by W. G. sebaldEmma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love, by lauren tarshisThe Emperor’s Tomb, by Joseph RothEnder’s Game, by orson scott CardThe English Major, by Jim HarrisonEscape Under the Forever Sky, by eve YohalemEsther’s Inheritance, by sándor máraiEven Cat Sitters Get the Blues, by Blaize ClementEx Libris, by anne fadimanExplorers of the New Century, by magnus millsFacing the Bridge, by Yoko tawadaThe Fairacre Festival, by miss ReadThe Faithful Lover, by massimo BontempelliThe Fall, by albert CamusFalling Angels, by tracy ChevalierFamily Happiness, by laurie ColwinThe Famous Flower of Serving Men, by deborah

GrabienFemale Trouble, by antonya NelsonThe Ferguson Affair, by Ross macdonaldFiendish Deeds, by p. J. BracegirdleThe Fifth Child, by doris lessingFight Scenes, by Greg BottomsFine Just the Way It Is, by annie proulxThe First Person, by ali smithA Fisherman of the Inland Sea, by Ursula k. le GuinThe Forged Coupon, by leo tolstoyFor Grace Received, by Valeria parrellaForty Stories, by donald BarthelmeFrida’s Bed, by slavenka drakulic

4

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Garden Party, by katherine mansfieldGerard Keegan’s Famine Diary, by James J. manganThe German Mujahid, by Boualem sansalGirl Boy Girl, by savannah knoopThe Glass Castle, by Jeannette WallsGodlike, by Richard HellGold, by dan RhodesGood Behaviour, by molly keaneThe Good Life According to Hemingway, by a. e.

HotchnerThe Good Soldier, by ford madox fordThe Good Thief, by Hannah tintiThe Granny, by Brendan o’CarrollA Great Day for a Ballgame, by fielding dawsonGrief, by andrew HolleranThe Grotesque, by patrick mcGrathThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by

mary ann shaffer and annie BarrowsThe Gutter and the Grave, by ed mcBainHairstyles of the Damned, by Joe menoHalf in Love, by maile meloyHannah Coulter, by Wendell BerryHappens Every Day, by isabel GilliesA Happy Marriage, by Rafael YglesiasThe Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain, by Charles

dickensHer Deadly Mischief, by Beverle Graves myersThe History of Love, by Nicole kraussThe Hollow-Eyed Angel, by Janwillem van de

WeteringA Hope in the Unseen, by Ron suskindThe House Beautiful, by allison BurnettThe Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko ogawaHousekeeping vs. the Dirt, by Nick HornbyThe House on Eccles Road, by Judith kitchenHow I Became a Nun, by César aira

5

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Howling Miller, by arto paasilinnaHow to Paint a Dead Man, by sarah HallThe Hunt for Sonya Dufrette, by R. t. RaichevI Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora ephronI Love Dollars, by Zhu WenIndignation, by philip RothIn Her Absence, by antonio muñoz molinaInkheart, by Cornelia funkeThe Inner Game of Tennis, by W. timothy GallweyIn the Meantime, by Robin lippincottIn the Pond, by Ha JinIn the Woods, by tana frenchIn Time of Peace, by thomas BoydIron Balloons, edited by Colin ChannerI Was Dora Suarez, by derek RaymondJacob’s Hands, by aldous Huxley and Christopher

isherwoodJerusalem, by selma lagerlöfJohn Crow’s Devil, by marlon JamesThe Joys of Motherhood, by Buchi emechetaKindred, by octavia e. ButlerThe King and the Cowboy, by david fromkinKitchen, by Banana YoshimotoKrapp’s Last Cassette, by anne argulaLark and Termite, by Jayne anne phillipsThe Last Essays of Elia, by Charles lambLast Night at the Lobster, by stewart o’NanThe Laughter of Dead Kings, by elizabeth petersLaura Rider’s Masterpiece, by Jane HamiltonThe Law of Similars, by Chris BohjalianThe Laws of Evening, by mary Yukari WatersA Lesson Before Dying, by ernest J. GainesLetter to a Chris tian Nation, by sam HarrisLife on the Refrigerator Door, by alice kuipersLittle Bee, by Chris CleaveThe Little Disturbances of Man, by Grace paley

6

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, by alan sillitoe

The Lost Art of Gratitude, by alexander mcCall smithThe Lost Prophecies, by C. J. sansom, Bernard knight,

ian morson, michael Jecks, susanna Gregory, and philip Gooden

Love and Death, by forrest ChurchThe Loved One, by evelyn WaughThe Love of the Last Tycoon, by f. scott fitzgeraldThe Love Song of Monkey, by michael GrazianoLove Walked In, by marisa de los santosMadame de Staël, by francine du plessix GrayMake No Bones, by aaron elkinsMan in the Dark, by paul austerThe Man in the Picture, by susan HillThe Man of My Life, by manuel Vázquez montalbánThe Man Who Was Thursday, by G. k. ChestertonMarley and Me, by John GroganThe Master of Petersburg, by J. m. CoetzeeMasterpiece, by elise BroachMeat Eaters and Plant Eaters, by Jessica treatA Mercy, by toni morrisonThe Mercy Papers, by Robin RommMiss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael WestMiss Misery, by andy GreenwaldMister Pip, by lloyd JonesThe Moon Opera, by Bi feiyuMoon Tiger, by penelope livelyMurder in the Calais Coach, by agatha ChristieMurder Is My Racquet, edited by otto penzlerThe Musical Illusionist, by alex RoseMy House in Umbria, by William trevorNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by frederick

douglassNever Let Me Go, by kazuo ishiguroNewton, by peter ackroyd

7

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Nick Adams Stories, by ernest HemingwayNobody Move, by denis JohnsonThe Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, by Rainer

maria RilkeNothing to Be Frightened Of, by Julian BarnesOh Joe, by michael Z. lewinThe Old Man and Me, by elaine dundyOlive Kitteridge, by elizabeth stroutOn Chesil Beach, by ian mcewanOne Dog Happy, by molly mcNettOne Foot in Eden, by Ron RashOnitsha, by J. m. G. le ClézioOn Kindness, by adam phillips and Barbara taylorOn the Line, by serena Williams with daniel paisnerOn the Pleasure of Hating, by William HazlittThe Open Door, by elizabeth maguireThe Orchid Shroud, by michelle WanOut of Captivity, by marc Gonsalves, keith stansell,

and tom Howes with Gary BrozekThe Palestinian Lover, by sélim NassibPastoralia, by George saundersThe Patience of the Spider, by andrea CamilleriPayback, by margaret atwood People of the Book, by Geraldine BrooksThe Peregrine, by J. a. BakerThe Perfectionists, by Gail GodwinPetey & Pussy, by John kerschbaumThe Picts and the Martyrs, by arthur RansomePilate’s Wife, by H.d.The Pisstown Chaos, by david ohleThe Plated City, by Bliss perryPlease Kill Me, by legs mcNeil and Gillian mcCainPoisonville, by massimo Carlotto and marco VidettaPolaris, by fay WeldonThe Poorhouse Fair, by John UpdikePressure Is a Privilege, by Billie Jean king

8

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Private Patient, by p. d. JamesThe Provincial Lady in London, by e. m. delafieldThe Public Prosecutor, by Jef GeeraertsPulpy and Midge, by Jessica WestheadThe Pursuit of Love, by Nancy mitfordRage, by sergio BizzioRancho Weirdo, by laura ChesterRespected Sir, by Naguib mahfouzRevelation, by C. J. sansomRevolutionary Road, by Richard YatesRhino Ranch, by larry mcmurtryRimbaud, by edmund WhiteRiver of Darkness, by Rennie airthA Rogue’s Life, by Wilkie CollinsRome Noir, edited by Chiara stangalino and maxim

JakubowskiRonald Reagan, by andrew Helfer, illustrated by

steve Buccellato and Joe statonRoseanna, by maj sjöwall and per WahlööRuins, by achy obejasThe Rules of Engagement, by anita BrooknerRussian Journal, by andrea leeThe Salt-Box House, by Jane de forest sheltonSalvation and Other Disasters, by Josip NovakovichThe Samurai’s Garden, by Gail tsukiyamaSay You’re One of Them, by Uwem akpanScat, by Carl HiaasenSeize the Day, by saul BellowSelf ’s Murder, by Bernhard schlinkThe Servants’ Quarters, by lynn freedThe Session, by aaron petrovichThe Seven Deadly Sins, edited by angus WilsonSex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, by Chuck klostermanThe Shadow of the Sun, by Ryszard kapuscinskiA Short History of Women, by kate WalbertSilks, by dick francis and felix francis

9

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

Silverwing, by kenneth oppelThe Simulacra, by philip k. dickThe Sin Eater, by alice thomas ellisSix Early Stories, by thomas mannSix Kinds of Sky, by luis alberto UrreaThe Sixth Target, by James patterson and maxine

paetroThe Skating Rink, by Roberto BolañoThe Slippery Year, by melanie GideonSmile as They Bow, by Nu Nu YiA Smile of Fortune, by Joseph ConradSnakehead, by anthony HorowitzSomething Nasty in the Woodshed, by kyril BonfiglioliSomewhere Towards the End, by diana athillSongs My Mother Never Taught Me, by selçuk altunSon of Holmes, by John lescroartSpeak, by laurie Halse andersonThe Spoke, by friedrich GlauserSpooner, by pete dexterA Sport and a Pastime, by James salterStardust, by Neil GaimanStitches, by david smallStolen Children, by peg kehretThe Sun Field, by Heywood BrounA Sun for the Dying, by Jean-Claude izzoThe Swap, by antony mooreTamburlaine Must Die, by louise WelshThe Tempest Tales, by Walter mosleyTen Poems to Set You Free, by Roger HousdenA Terrible Splendor, by marshall Jon fisherThe Thanksgiving Visitor, by truman CapoteThey Who Do Not Grieve, by sia figielThe Thing Around Your Neck, by Chimamanda Ngozi

adichieThings Fall Apart, by Chinua achebeThe Third Angel, by alice Hoffman

10

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

The Thirty-Nine Steps, by John BuchanThe Three of Us, by Julia BlackburnA Toast to Tomorrow, by manning ColesThe Tomb in Seville, by Norman lewisTo Siberia, by per pettersonThe Touchstone, by edith WhartonTowards the End of the Morning, by michael fraynTwenty Boy Summer, by sarah ocklerTwice-Told Tales, by Nathaniel HawthorneTwilight, by stephenie meyerTwo Marriages, by phillip lopateUnder the Frangipani, by mia CoutoThe Unknown Masterpiece, by Honoré de BalzacVanessa and Virginia, by susan sellersThe Vengeance of the Witch-Finder, by John Bellairs,

completed by Brad stricklandThe Venice Train, by Georges simenonThe Vicar of Sorrows, by a. N. WilsonVictorian Tales of Terror, edited by Hugh lambWaiting in Vain, by Colin ChannerWake, by lisa mcmannWalk the Blue Fields, by Claire keeganWar Dances, by sherman alexieWatchmen, by alan moore and dave GibbonsWatership Down, by Richard adamsThe Weekend, by peter CameronWhat I’d Say to the Martians, by Jack HandeyWhat I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by

Haruki murakamiWhen You Are Engulfed in Flames, by david sedarisWhere Angels Fear to Tread, by e. m. forsterWhere the Money Went, by kevin CantyWhere Three Roads Meet, by John BarthWhere You Once Belonged, by kent HarufThe White Tiger, by aravind adigaThe Whore’s Child, by Richard Russo

11

c o m p l e t e l i s t o f b o o k s r e a d

Willful Behavior, by donna leonWill War Ever End? by paul k. ChappellWill Work for Drugs, by lydia lunchWinning Ugly, by Brad Gilbert and steve JamisonWizard’s Hall, by Jane YolenThe Wright 3, by Blue BalliettThe Writing Life, by annie dillardThe Yellow Leaves, by frederick BuechnerThe Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte perkins Gilman

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p e R m i s s i o N s

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following authors and works for excerpts used herein; it is only by reading the complete text of these books that their full beauty and importance can be appreciated:

The Book of Chameleons by José eduardo agualusa, translation by daniel Hahn, copyright © 2008, published by simon and schuster.

Man in the Dark by paul auster, copyright © 2008, published by Henry Holt and Co.

The Peregrine by J. a. Baker, copyright © 1967, published by HarperCollins publishers.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by muriel Barbery, translated by alison anderson, copyright © 2008, published by europa editions.

Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes, copyright © 2008, published by Vintage international, Random House, inc.

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry, copyright © 2004, published by Counterpoint press.

Fight Scenes by Greg Bottoms, illustrated by david powell, copyright © 2008, published by Counterpoint press.

Where the Money Went by kevin Canty, copyright © 2009, published by Nan a. talese, doubleday.

Little Bee: A Novel by Chris Cleave. Copyright © 2008 by Chris Cleave. Reprinted with the permission of simon & schuster, inc. originally published in Great Britain 2008 by sceptre, an imprint of Hodder & stoughton. all rights reserved.

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p e r m i s s i o n s

The Master of Petersburg by J. m. Coetzee, copyright © 1994 by J. m. Coetzee. Used by permission of Viking penguin, a division of penguin Group (Usa) inc.

Goodbye Without Leaving by laurie Colwin, copyright © 1990, published by poseidon press, simon and schuster, inc.

By Chance by martin Corrick, copyright © 2008, published by Random House, inc.

Under the Frangipani by mia Couto, translation by david Brookshaw, copyright © 2008, published by serpent’s tail.

The Provincial Lady in London by e. m. delafield, copyright © 1933, published by Harper and Brothers.

Spooner by pete dexter, copyright © 2009, published by Grand Central publishing.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot díaz, copyright © 2007 by Junot díaz. Used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of penguin Group (Usa) inc.

The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain by Charles dickens, published in 1848.

Alice Fantastic by maggie estep, copyright © 2009, published by akashic Books.

Harriet the Spy by louise fitzhugh, copyright © 1964, published by Harper & Row.

The Good Soldier by ford madox ford, the Bodley Head, london (1915).

A Lesson Before Dying by ernest J. Gaines, copyright © 1993, published by alfred a. knopf.

Burger’s Daughter by Nadine Gordimer, copyright © 1979 by Nadine Gordimer. Used by permission of Viking penguin, a division of penguin Group (Usa) inc.

Madame de Staël: The First Modern Woman by francine du plessix Gray, copyright © 2008, published by atlas & Co.

The Love Song of Monkey by michael Graziano, copyright © 2008, published by leapfrog press.

How to Paint a Dead Man by sarah Hall, copyright © 2009, published by HarperCollins publishers.

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p e r m i s s i o n s

Laura Rider’s Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton, copyright © 2009, published by Grand Central publishing.

Dreamers by knut Hamsun, published by alfred a. knopf (1921). The English Major by Jim Harrison, copyright © 2008, used by

permission of Grove/atlantic inc. Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne, lupton publishing (1890). Grief by andrew Holleran, copyright © 2006, published by Hyperion. Housekeeping vs. the Dirt © Nick Hornby, by permission of United

agents ltd. (www.unitedagents.co.uk) on behalf of the author.Walk the Blue Fields, by Claire keegan, copyright © 2007. Used by

permission of Grove/atlantic, inc.The History of Love by Nicole krauss, copyright © 2005, published by

W.W. Norton and Company, inc. Onitsha by J. m. G. le Clézio, translation by alison anderson,

copyright © 1997, published by University of Nebraska press. The Scarlet Ruse by John d. macdonald, copyright © 1973, published

by fawcett publications, inc.The Open Door by elizabeth maguire, copyright © 2008 by elizabeth

maguire. Used by permission of other press.The Books in My Life, by Henry miller, copyright © 1969, published

by New directions publishing Corp., by permission of New directions publishing Corp.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy mitford, copyright © 1945, published by Hamish Hamilton.

The Assault by Harry mulisch, translation by Claire Nicolas White, copyright © 1985, published by pantheon Books, Random House, inc.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki murakami, copyright © 2008 by alfred a. knopf.

Female Trouble by antonya Nelson, copyright © 2002, published by scribner, an imprint of simon and schuster, used by permission of the author.

Ruins by achy obejas, copyright © 2009, published by akashic Books.Better by John o’Brien, copyright © 2009 by the estate of John

o’Brien, published by akashic Books.

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n i n a s a n k o v i t c hp e r m i s s i o n s

To Siberia by per petterson, translated by anne Born, copyright © 1998, published by picador.

On Kindness by adam phillips and Barbara taylor, copyright © 2009, published by farrar, straus & Giroux.

The Picts and the Martyrs by arthur Ransome, copyright © 1943, published by macmillan.

My Mother Is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Becky Reyher, copyright © 1945, published by Howell, soskin, publishers.

Indignation by philip Roth, copyright © 2008, published by Houghton mifflin Company.

Pastoralia by George saunders, copyright © 2000, published by Riverhead, penguin Group (Usa) inc.

Self ’s Murder by Bernhard schlink, translation by peter Constantine, copyright © 2009, published by Random House, inc.

A Celibate Season by Carol shields and Blanche Howard, copyright © 1991, published by penguin Books.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by alan sillitoe, copyright © 1959, published by alfred a. knopf.

The Curriculum Vitae of Aurora Ortiz by almudena solana, translation by david frye, copyright © 2005, published by Harvill press, used by permission of the Random House Group ltd.

The Lotus Eaters by tatjana soli, copyright © 2010, published by st. martin’s press, used by permission of the author.

A Hope in the Unseen by Ron suskind, copyright © 1998, published by Broadway Books, Random House, inc.

The Forged Coupon by leo tolstoy, published by J. s. ogilvie (1912). My House in Umbria by William trevor, copyright © 1991, published

by penguin Books. Bombay Time by thrity Umrigar, copyright © 2002, published by

picador, used by permission of the author. The Laws of Evening by mary Yukari Waters, copyright © 2003,

published by scribner. The Touchstone by edith Wharton, published in scribner’s magazine,

1900. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, copyright © 1998, translation by megan

Backus, copyright © 1993, published by Washington square press.

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