April '26 Reading Recap
Spoiler-Free Reviews
If you would like to learn more about the Men Read Fiction Too! Book Club, check out my page and consider being a subscriber!
April Book Club Pick
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
“Men start off good and then the world makes them mean. The world is mean from the start and gets meaner every day. It uses you up until you only dream of death.”
April’s Book Club pick was probably our most harrowing read yet. It is also one of our best yet. Though not my personal favorite of Whitehead’s works, or even my Pulitzer Prize winning book, OR my favorite book club book of this year, but I still really enjoyed this novel, as much as one can enjoy a novel of this topic.
The prose is simple yet powerful. Characters all feel real and it’s heartbreaking as character come in and out of the story. The antagonist Ridgeway is actually the best character and despite being reprehensible, there was incredible depth written in him that it’s hard not to be enthralled while reading. Whitehead said that he wanted to base his book in truth rather than facts and he succeeds in thanks to his incorporation of magical realism, where there is an actual train operation in the underground railroad. It’s magical realism makes the book feel ethereal at times, occupying a space that is not rooted in any specific year, with each state that we visit feeling distinct and again, while not rooted in facts, feels incredibly true.
And yet, my one gripe with this novel is that I wish Whitehead committed more to the magical realism. I believe the book could’ve been stronger had we had an additional 100 pages as we actually explore the machinations of the underground railroad while our main protagonist is in it by the end. I wanted a little more from this novel by the end, which isn’t really negative, it still has a powerful ending but I personally would’ve liked a bit of a bigger, weirder swing.
Overall, this is still a great book and one I would actually call: a hell of a book.
Personal Reads
The Iliad by Homer (Robert Fagles Translation)
“There are no binding oaths between men and lions - wolves and lambs can enjoy no meeting of the minds - they are all bent on hating each other to the death. So with you and me.”
This seminal work of Western canon was not what I was expecting. Instead of an action/adventure story encompassing the beginning and end of the Trojan War, I found a story that had a lot more to say on the introspection of heroism, the relationships we form through hardship, and the many fallacies that make us human. All while still being a very good action story.
Having this narrated to me through audiobook, whole following the text with a physical books, absolutely made this a great experience. It surprised me, in a good way, that this isn’t really a story about the Trojan War, but rather a story set at the tailend of the war. With so much talk of Achilles, I was shocked to see that he is barely present in the story until the latter half of the book. Other Greek heroes like Odysseus and Ajax take up more space than he does for most of the book. But the true heart of the book, in my opinion, is the Trojan prince Hector, who perfectly embodies heroism and vulnerability to a point that we should all aspire to be.
Fagles translation is the only one I’ve read and I found it to have the perfect balance of readability, while still having an epic rhythm to it. I’m no connoisseur in Ancient Greek texts, but enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It’ just gets me more excited for me to read The Odyssey, followed by The Aeneid.
Dune by Frank Herbert
“The concept of progress acts as a progressive mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future.”
Since 2021, when the first Dune movie was released, I’ve been telling myself I will read the book before watching the films. And while I’ve failed at that twice, third times the charm as I’ve finally read this seminal work of sci-fi and can happily confirm, it lives up to the hype. The prose itself is solid, Herbert tends to bounce around different character POV’s within one page and yet, it’s easy to follow along once you get into the rhythm of the book. There are several memorable lines that folks will always underline and annotate, but the true star of this book (if you ask me) is the iconic story. Despite it’s length, the book was a breeze to get through, thanks in part to the excellent pacing, engaging dialogue, and timeless story.
Filled with tropes we’re all familiar with now, the action is secondary to the politics of this world, which is heavily inspired by fiefdoms. It made way for countless other sci-fi stories, with Star Wars being the biggest one, but it still stands wholly on its own. It doesn’t feel dated in any way and this is a classic that I believe will continue to endure the test of time.
My one gripe with the novel is that I don’t believe readers of the first book misunderstood Paul. The way he is depicted in the second half of the book is that of a justified hero seeking retribution. Yes, messianic hero worship does have many problems, which he explores in later books, but that isn’t truly tackled here and instead, it’s hard for us not to root for Paul to take over and engage in war.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for me is that I now want to read the rest of the series Frank Herbert wrote, which is something I wasn’t planning on, but is a testament to the story and world-building he’s created.
Amulet by Roberto Bolaño
Roberto Bolaño is an author that’s been talked about a lot in the past few years in the LitBro spaces. Having wanted to explore more of Latin American literature, I knew I would find my way to his books, but instead of jumping into his large, popular books like 2666 and The Savage Detectives, I opted for this novella. And man, can this man write!
This is easily one of my favorite reading experiences of the year thus far. It’s paced incredibly well and reads like a hallucination that you slowly get sucked into. We follow a woman who is the ‘mother of poetry’ in 1970’s Mexico City and while stuck in a University’s bathroom during a military occupation, she travels to the future and past. Meeting famous literary figures from Latin America and bringing up new ones. There’s no plot, it’s all vibes, and I was totally enthralled by it.
Just a wild ride where the reader descends to madness alongside the narrator. And I can’t get over the superb pacing, the way rhythm is fantastic. This seems like a great primer for anyone who wants to get into Bolaño’s work but is hesitant to try out his larger novels.
Comics
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev Vol. 1-3
With the latest season of Daredevil Born Again, I decided to reread my favorite comic run on my favorite superhero and ooohhh boy was this a great time! I did most of my comic reading in bed and found myself falling asleep between 2-3am because I was so absorbed in the story and art.
Bendis and Maleev’s run on the character is really focused on the gritty crime aspects that made the initial Netflix series such a hit. This setting feels realistic enough, despite inhabiting a world where superheroes exist, and our main hero feels all the more palpable as his self-destructive tendencies push DD to his breaking point. Our hero, Matt Murdock, has to deal with the fallout of his secret identity getting outed thanks to the greed of one criminal underboss. Matt’s desperation to keep his life together pits him against a corner where he gradually becomes a depressed hypocrite.
The first story arc ‘Underboss’ feels like it could fit in the world of The Sopranos and each subsequent arc reinforces this idea that Matt has no real control of his life, not matter how hard he tries. He tries to play God within his own city, but there’s a bigger one that he adheres to and He has bigger plans for Matt. Matt’s Catholicism isn’t a huge aspect of this run, but his guilt and shame are core tenets of his characterization and his faith.
It’s grimy, brutal, and easily one of the most iconic runs on this character, who has endured for so long for a reason.
Currently Reading
Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fiedler
Howling Dark (The Sun Eater Book #2) by Christopher Ruocchio
What did YOU read in April? Have you read any of the books I read? Let’s talk about it!
You can read my other Monthly Recaps below and while all my articles will be free, I’d deeply appreciate if you became a paid subscriber. Writing is a luxury, but it is still a form of labor. Thank you!
A fun connection between DUNE and the Iliad. Atreides means of the House of Atreus. Atreus's son is Agamemnon. There is an allusion in one of the books that the Atreides/Harkonnen feud dates back to the Trojan War.
"Underground Railroad" was a letdown for me. I had expected an absolute banger, but it turned out to be my least favourite Whitehead. Well, that's life :)