Forever Delayed: 2012-13 Season Review

Regular readers of this blog may have asked themselves in recent months: “Where is the usual twelve-month end of season review?” The Worm himself has managed to avoid the vast number of petitions set up and sent to 10 Downing Street in order to bring about a decision on the “Missing End of Season Review” debate currently being waged throughout these islands. But even the Worm has come to a conclusion: enough is enough. It can be delayed no longer!

What is the reason for such a delay (coming around three to four months than per usual)? One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, once said: “You may delay, but time will not.” This is true. However, a rival founding father – Thomas Jefferson – also wrote that “delay is preferable to error.” Try to think of the Worm working away in his basement, surrounded by the books of the past year, his hair a mess and bags under eyes due to lack of sleep and worry: just who deserves to earn a slot in the Top Ten List?!!

Seasons past have been kinder to the Worm. There have been sure winners and losers, the good reads and the bad reads. And since the early days – the beginning of 2009 – the “Noddies” have attached such a large importance that the Oscars have attempted to copy certain elements (a court case is currently pending on this issue!). Just who was to win Read of the Year; which book was to come away with the high acclaim; and which book would find itself the unwilling bearer of the Shredder Award – all big questions. No wonder that Dave Cameron wanted to settle the matter once and for all.

In total 52 books were read from July 2012 to the end of June 2013. These ranged from the usual suspect genres of novels and history books, to also include political and language-based reads. The very first read of the year (reviewed in August 2012) was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tale, The Sign of Four; and the last was the recently reviewed short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Neither of these reads found themselves in the eagerly anticipated Top Ten reads of 2012-13:

 

1)      Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot (5 nods)

Previous winners of Read of the Year have included two autobiographies concentrated on the Second World War (by William Shirer and Primo Levi), sandwiched in-between William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. This time around, no book was stronger than this fantastic collection from T.S. Eliot. Contained are his early works (Prufrock), the mesmeric 'The Wasteland', and highlights of later collections.

 

2)      A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams (5 nods)

Also breaking the pattern of the three previous seasons is a play high up on the list (the previous highest ranked play came from Bill Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Season 2009-10). Williams creates believable and relatable characters in mid-twentieth century New Orleans. Following the unravelling of Blanche keeps the reader hooked, line and sinker.

3)      A Hero of Our Time – Mikhail Lermontov (5 nods)

One of the finest works of nineteenth century Russian literature (a time of great heavyweights). Lermontov died incredibly young – from an unfortunate duel when in his late twenties – but he has left this intriguing novel for later generations to admire. It follows a complicated character and his attempts to find his rightful place in the world.

4)      Richard III – William Shakespeare (5 nods)

Shakespeare is no stranger to these end of season lists; in both 2009-10 and 2010-11 he nabbed a slot with his word-playing trickery. Richard III is perhaps one of his best known plays; a myth being created against this son of York that has lasted centuries.

5)      The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde (5 nods)

The Worm – before assuming the alias of the Worm – once read Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray; he found it slightly dull and was put off Wilde for a couple of years. This play makes up for all the time lost. Funny and inventive, it shows Wilde’s wit at his best.

6)      V For Vendetta – Alan Moore (4 nods)

Forget the recent film and instead immerse yourself in the 1980s comic run of V For Vendetta. It shows a writer during the rise of his powers, with scripts and artwork that is captivating and entertaining.

7)      The Spanish Civil War – Hugh Thomas (4 nods)

The Worm thoroughly enjoyed reading this during the summer of 2012. Around 1,000 pages of historical thriller; it is incredible how Thomas manages to explain the complexities of the war and yet maintain a narrative of one of the central clashes of recent history.

8)      The Dark Knight Returns – Frank Miller (4 nods)

A second entry for graphic novels. This particular one has shaped the character and world of Batman since it hit the shelves in the mid-1980s. It’s legacy may well be dampened with regretful news of a possible Superman v Batman film on the horizon; return to the original source material and see an epic fight of fisticuffs between the Dark Knight and Man of Steel.

9)      How I Escaped My Certain Fate – Stewart Lee (4 nods)

Stewart Lee is one of the cleverest and perceptive voices in the media today. This book – a collection of transcripts (and general musings) is a delight to read. If you wish to escape the drudgery of the bog-standard comedy slopped out on TV today, start looking up Mr Lee right away.

10)  In Cold Blood – Truman Capote (4 nods)

A haunting and – at times – frustrating read. Capote’s book, based on real life events, turns right and left throughout; but its importance and lasting legacy cannot be denied. An interesting thriller that attempts to delve into the human psyche.

 

And what of the category awards:

Read of the Year: Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot

Novel: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

Short Story: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Play: A Streetcar Named Desire – Tennessee Williams

Poetry: Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot

History: The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas

Thinker: Guns by Stephen King

Political: Eichmann and the Holocaust by Hannah Arendt

Autobiographical: How I Escaped My Certain Fate by Stewart Lee

Graphic Novel: V For Vendetta by Alan Moore

Longest Read: The Spanish Civil War – 1,000 pages

Shortest Read: Guns – 25 pages

Oldest Read: Richard III – 1591

Bizarre Title: The Darwin Wars

Shredder Award: Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude

Out of the 52 reads only five gained the full 5 nods! In terms of reading formats, the Kindle showed a notable rise (a total of 12 reads), becoming tied with the tried and trusted method of second hand books. In terms of the Genre Wars, History won the season’s title with a total of 11 reads, just 1 ahead of novels. The only other rival to this was the graphic novel, gaining a total of 9 reads.

The Worm could go on with such stats, but he is quite aware that they are meaningless and rather pointless. Furthermore, Prime Minister Cameron is now at the door: he demands closure on this review and its wonderful revelations. Hath no fear, fellow dear readers, the Worm will continue forward into the fifth season; already 25 books have been consumed. Their reviews will be posted shortly!