September is here at last, with its fresh binders and new classes and falling leaves. Although this month is defined by new academic beginnings, its anticipatory mood is tempered by a sense of loss: Summer is over, the birds are leaving and winter looms on the horizon.
To accompany this season, the perfect September book is one that can strike the balance between bittersweet nostalgia and the exhilaration of new beginnings. If you’re looking for something to read at Range Pond or on the sunny Quad before the real fall chill sets in, here are some books that you can check out from Ladd Library that capture September’s unique essence.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
If you feel like starting your year off on a literary foot, there’s no better inspiration than Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. This novel is famous for its moody academic setting and compulsive readability. Set at a small New England liberal arts college (okay Bates), The Secret History follows a group of misfit students whose academic studies lead them into the disturbing darkness of murder, obsession, paganism, and heathen ritual. Both a searing indictment of elitism and a gripping mystery novel, this book’s collegiate setting and literary aesthetic make it the perfect early fall read.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Márquez whisks readers to the Colombian town of Macondo, where magic is real and political violence casts a long shadow. It is also home to the Buendía family, who have become iconic since the book’s publication. The novel follows this family through many generations, chronicling their romances, losses, fights and reunions against the backdrop of Colombian political strife. As a reflection on cyclicality and memory, this book does a great job of capturing September’s bittersweet nostalgia. Read for its cultural impact, stay for the absurd magical realism.
Educated by Tara Westover
You probably saw Educated everywhere when it came out in 2018, but this memoir by Tara Westover is definitely worth a second read. The story of a girl who was raised by a survivalist family in the backwoods of Idaho and bootstrapped her way to Harvard shocked the nation upon its publication, and opened our eyes to the conditions of families that have fallen through the societal cracks. Propulsive and inspiring, this coming-of-age story reads more like a novel than a memoir. It’s also a good reminder for us, as students at Bates, to appreciate the education we’ve been given and work hard to make the most of our opportunities.
This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
This book is the perfect choice for those rainy fall afternoons when the leaves tremble and weather is just starting to grow cold. It’s the story of an Irish village in the 1950s which is on the brink of adopting electricity for the first time. Right around the same time as electricity is introduced, the rain— which was a condition of life in the village of Faha— miraculously stops falling. Recounted by an old man named Noel Crowe, who was seventeen at the time of the story, this novel is a beautiful reflection on tradition, loss, faith, and a dying way of life. Funny, poignant, and full of elegant turns-of-phrase that make you put down the book and sigh, This Is Happiness is a touching ode to a world that no longer exists.
