Here are a few excellent novels from the 1930s that are in danger of being forgotten.
“Young Man with a Horn” by Dorothy Baker (1938) – This novel is a fictional biography of Rick Martin whose life is similar to the short life of the real-life jazz music sensation Bix Biederbecke who died of alcoholism in 1931 at age 28. This story is about the high price of public adulation for music heroes. Dorothy Baker was certainly not a one-hit wonder – she also had another excellent novel in 1962 called “Cassandra at the Wedding”. I’ve read both, and both are well worth reading. “Young Man with a Horn” was made into an excellent movie starring Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, and Doris Day in 1950.
“I, Claudius” by Robert Graves (1934) – This story of the early Roman emperors shows just how incompetent and flat out crazy even leaders of the most powerful country in the world can be. I see the story of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius, and Livia as a cautionary tale. “I, Claudius” was a wonderful read, but I still haven’t been able to read the sequel “Claudius the God” although I’ve tried. Supposedly they are planning to make a new movie of “I’ Claudius” possibly starring Leonardo DeCaprio.
- “If I were a girl, I’d despair. The supply of good women far exceeds that of the men who deserve them.” – Robert Graves
“Voyage in the Dark” by Jean Rhys (1934) – I suppose there is little chance of Jean Rhys being forgotten now, since there are many of us who consider her one of the supreme novelists of the Twentieth century. This is a novel that contrasts the Caribbean with England, and thus is a good place to start with Jean Rhys. It is based on Rhys’ own experiences as a chorus girl.
- “Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.” – Jean Rhys
“Obscure Destinies” by Willa Cather (1930) This book is probably my favorite of all of Cather’s many delightful books. It’s not really a novel, since it is three long stories all which take place in Nebraska; it is definitely one of her finest works. Cather herself insisted that these three stories are thematically related,
- “The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is.” – Willa Cather
“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (1936) Although this novel was written in the Thirties, because it was critical of Stalin it did not get officially published until 1966. The novel begins with Satan visiting Moscow in the 1930s, joining a conversation between a critic and a poet debating the existence of Jesus and the Devil. This is a humorous classic which has lasted and will continue to last long after Stalin is long gone.
Tony's Book World 
Posted by Frisbee on September 13, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Astonishingly I know all of these books. I’m very impressed that you know Dorothy Baker’s Young Man with a Horn.
I’m thinking about rereading The Master and Margarita.
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Posted by anokatony on September 13, 2010 at 10:34 PM
Hi Frisbee,
The old story of Bix Biederbecke always kind of interested me, because he was a tremendously popular musician who met an early bad end sort of like Buddy Holly, Jimmy Morrison, Janis Joplin, etal. About the only other musician I can think of who died of alcoholism in his twenties was Hank Williams, and he was 29.
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Posted by Kinna on September 17, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Yummy, I Claudius and Master and Margarita. Thanks for the list. I’ve read Rhys’ Sargasso Sea and loved it. Vowed to read more of her works but never followed through. Will do so now.
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Posted by anokatony on September 17, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Hi Kinna,
Happy you enjoyed the list. One thing about Jean Rhys’ novels, they are short quick reads. I think her Carribean Island perspective adds a lot to her books.
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Posted by Jenny H. on September 23, 2010 at 8:21 PM
Hi Tony,
This is your niece Jenny. I’ve been keeping up with your blog, and have been waiting to see you mention something I’ve actually read (I’m a very slow reader so I don’t get through a lot of volume). You made reference to “Obscure Destinies”, which contains Neighbour Rosicky. I read Neighbour Rosicky in high school in a sophomore English class, and it’s been my favorite short story ever since. I also love Paul’s Case. Nobody writes a short story like Willa Cather, in my opinion. I am reading Alice Munro’s “Runaway” currently, at your suggestion. Anyway, good luck with the blog and take care!
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Posted by anokatony on September 24, 2010 at 12:13 AM
Hi Jenny,
Great to hear from you! You may have noticed that Kelly leaves comments here every now and then. Willa Cather is an excellent writer. You might want to read one of her short novels like “A Lost Lady” or “The Professor’s House” or the entire “Obscure Destinies”. And Alice Munro always writes great long stories. It’s difficult to believe that you are a slow reader. Say “Hi” to Chris and Jon, and all.
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Posted by frandi on April 13, 2011 at 2:48 AM
I love Jean Rhys’ books – her depictions of the Caribbean are haunting.
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Posted by anokatony on April 13, 2011 at 12:12 PM
Hi frandi,
Yes, I agree, Jean Rhys is a magnificent writer. I want to return to her novels at some point.
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Posted by Alastair Savage on June 3, 2015 at 1:29 PM
It’s nice to see that in the five years since you wrote this post, the Master and Margarita has risen and risen in value in the West (it never went out of fashion in Russia). I would also recommend Bulgakov’s A Dog’s Heart as another comic masterpiece. Here are my thoughts on them both: https://alastairsavage.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/mikhail-bulgakov-when-the-devil-came-down-to-moscow/
You should definitely give Claudius The God another go though. It’s just as good as the first volume. I particularly like the conquest of Britain.
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Posted by Anokatony on June 3, 2015 at 2:19 PM
Hi Alastair,
You have convinced me that I must give ‘Claudius the God’ another try.
Another novel of Mikhail Bulgakov I really liked was ‘Black Snow – A Theatrical Novel’. Theatrical novels always appeal to me, and Bulgakov wrote a lot of plays so he knew the theatre.
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