The Best Books I Read in 2023

A brief summary and recommendation of my favorite six books I read this year

The blessing and curse that inhabits my reading interests of western philosophy and classic literature is that nearly every author I read is dead — and often has been for a while. That means no new releases or special podcast appearances. However, the bright side of living in the 21st century is that we’ve inherited the gift of over two millennia of written material — more than one could ever hope to digest within a single lifetime.

With that in mind, I’ve spent the last year making a microscopic dent in this expansive, ever-growing catalog of literature and these are the six books that stood out to me most (in no particular order).

1. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

“Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different from everyone else.”

How does one attempt to summarize or discuss a 1,000+ page book into just a few sentences? Nevertheless, I will do my best. Reading Infinite Jest is a long-term relationship. There will be trying times, hysterically amusing passages, and verbose rambles that seem to be superfluous to both the plot and any character development. This is one of Wallace’s idiosyncrasies that leads some to love his style and others to hate it. Despite the daunting task of finishing such a doorstopper, it’s a worthy and rewarding endeavor that will leave you wanting to return to the beginning as soon as you flip the last page. The plot follows three main story lines that converge towards the end: the Incandenza family, Don Gately, and two covert operatives Hugh Steeply and Remy Marathe. In this fictional twist upon our modern world, the United States and Canadian governments have merged to create the Organization of North American Nations (O.N.A.N.). In addition, we have the Assassins Fateuils Rolents (A.F.R.), an anti-O.N.A.N. terrorist organization, which is compromised of wheelchair Quebecois who are attempting to disseminate a film cartridge titled ‘Infinite Jest’. This cartridge is so pleasurable to view that once an individual does so, they no longer want to do anything else — becoming a de facto vegetable. Without expanding too deep into the political plot, the most enjoyable and striking parts of the novel occur between character interactions and development. Through these psychologically complex characters, Wallace articulates many of his own personal struggles with substance addiction, depression, and suicide. There are contrasting characters arcs of Don Gately redeeming himself through heroics and sobriety, while at the same time Hal Incandenza recedes into marijuana use as a coping mechanism for his apathetic or hopeless emotional state. Perhaps one of the greatest takeaways from this book is the satirical overtones when discussing our societal addiction to consumerism and entertainment — an insatiable desire to eliminate boredom or discomfort from our lives. Between the sorrow I felt and laughs I enjoyed while reading this novel, I was finished the work with a feeling of optimistic melancholy. It’s not for everyone, but for those who it is for, it’s a real treat.

2. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time, it’s no surprise to find one of Dostoevsky’s works amongst my list. This year I managed to read three novels and one novella (#5 on my list) from his works, but The Brothers Karamazov gripped my soul with a bit more fervor than the others. The novel follows a family of three brothers: Dimitri, Ivan, and Alexei, and their deplorable father Fyodor. The dynamism between character relationships and the adrenaline injected into the final two parts of the book is what cemented it onto my list. Each son possesses a diverse psychological perspective: Dimitri is a passionate, profligate man who is easily carried away by his emotions and desires, Ivan is rooted in rationality and logic to a fault, and Alexei is an optimistic, faith-driven individual who attempts to reconcile the tempestuous nature of their family. There’s a mysterious murder, a love triangle, philosophical debate between Ivan and Alexei concerning suffering, and more going on throughout this masterpiece. Anyone who reads it will find a deep connection to one or more of the characters.

3. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.”

Is life worth living? Why do we suffer? Can we find meaning in a meaningless, indifferent world? Those are just a few of the questions explored by french philosopher Albert Camus in this work. Through the age of enlightenment and the advance of the sciences, belief in a divine purpose or meaning ordained by providence has become dubious. Yet even Nietzsche foresaw that such a claim as ‘God is dead’ does not come with unrelenting glee or optimism. Rather it pushes society to the precipice of chaos and nihilism. Within the 20th century, the search for secular meaning in the face of existential dread became paramount. Through The Myth of Sisyphus and his other fictional works, Camus sought to establish a solution through embracing the absurd. The absurd for Camus is the notion that human beings are rational animals thrust into an irrational world. Leveraging the greek mythological story of Sisyphus, who was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity, Camus expresses how we should not desire to find a meaning in a life, but live in defiance or revolt of our absurd existence. Rather than slipping into nihilism, we are able to find happiness and peace in life itself and not in a higher meaning or future existence.

4. The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche

“Either we have no dreams or our dreams are interesting. We should learn to arrange our waking life the same way: nothing or interesting.”

Nietzsche is one of the most influential philosophers in history and this work is one of the reasons why. Within The Gay Science, Nietzsche makes his scandalous claim that ‘God is dead’ and also lays the framework for his notion of Will To Power. Split into 383 sections, a wide variety of topics are explored beyond his religious grievances, but it’s his iconoclastic remarks that shine the strongest. The consequences of a secularized society not only lead to a chaotic search for meaning, but also melt away the rigidity of moral prejudices. How are we to decipher between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity without providence? Where does this dogmatic shift towards science and reason leave us? These are questions that become explored further in his subsequent works. Overall, The Gay Science is intellectually dense without the tedium or convoluted nature of most philosophical writing, as well as being a crucial read for understanding Nietzschean philosophy.

5. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”

Notes from Underground was a pivotal work for Dostoevsky as it was the launching point for his greatest novels including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov. We follow this ‘underground man’ who is cynical and bitter towards the world. He criticizes rationality and the social movements of the 19th century that attempt to reach a utopian society through reason. Through his monologue we get a glimpse into the state of the human condition, one that desires irrationality and suffering despite the ‘crystal palace’ we envisage. Dostoevsky beautifully explores existentialist themes, the presence of anxiety as a result of freedom, alienation of the hyperconscious man, and more. For anyone looking to get into Dostoevsky, this is the best starting point.

6. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

“These are my Confessions, and if in them I say nothing, it’s because I have nothing to say.”

This is easily the most odd and unique book on my shelf. Pessoa is a Portuguese poet and writer from the early 20th century who, like many unfortunately, never gained fame or notoriety in his lifetime. The collection of notes that are compiled within this book were actually discovered decades later in a trunk along with a myriad of poems, prose, plays, and other writings. This book is hard to recommend primarily because the melancholy and pessimism that coat the overall reading experience. For the introverts, the lonely, and the melancholic minds like me, Pessoa will speak to you like a friend you never knew existed. His words will wrap you in your arms and prove that you are not as alone in your feelings as you think. His aphorisms and poems discussing life are beautiful yet somber. He accurately transcribes the experience of not belonging, lack of importance, and strife with one’s own existence. Along with deeply emotional passages, we also get an overarching theme of the invaluable notion of dreaming. More than dreams within a sleep state, Pessoa extends our capacity of imagination and dreaming into our subjective experience of the world. He describes how the dreamer is able to transcend their own banal life and reach impossibilities. It’s not a light read nor the happiest, but a literary companion for the right person.

Recap

I was able to read 40 books this year (most likely 42-43 before the year full ends), but it’s imperative for me to mention that reading quantity is worthless if reading quality is neglected. I’m proud to read large dense novels, like Infinite Jest, and abstruse philosophical works such as Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. But it means little if I can’t explain it to others or leverage what I’ve read in a meaningful way. This year, I was grateful to re-read a few of Nietzsche’s works and realized how much I didn’t absorb on the first pass last year. In 2024, I plan to do the same with Spinoza, Descartes, and others who are worthy over a deeper, analytical second read.

If you have any questions or thoughts, you can always message me on Instagram or email me at covington24@gmail.com