Watership Down – Richard Adams

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Boone had this book in Australia, but Sawyer found it and is seen reading it in a few scenes. (“It’s about bunnies.”) Also, the book has a big bunny motif, largely thanks to Ben and DHARMA.

Thematically, the novel has the ongoing idea of home, which is important to all the various rabbit communities. Some of the rabbits are lead to find this home through one rabbit’s prophecies.

One group of rabbits is reminiscent of the Others, as a military state from which no one is allowed to leave. They practice kidnapping and murder (and at one point, they even have some of the protagonists captive). This group also has difficulties with childbirth.

As in Lost, Watership Down has some Smoke Monsters. One is a train, and the other is the legendary Black Rabbit of Inlé who brings fear and sickness, lives in a cave (where no time exists), and plays a game with stones.

Thoughts:

When I was a kid, Tales From Watership Down was one of my favorite books. I had a thing for rabbits, and this book seemed a little edgier than other bunny books. Some parts of the book even genuinely freaked me out, like the White Blindness (which, incidentally, is a real rabbit disease known as Myxomatosis and is used by humans to control their population). The rabbit characters were more fleshed out here than in other rabbit books. They have a very complete culture of their own, and I loved the side stories about their folk hero, El-ahrairah.

Looking back years later, I have no reason to change my opinion. The original novel, Watership Down, has the same charm and originality, so it was a pleasant foray into children’s literature.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Juliet pretends to play the movie of this book for Jack, though her tape really contains a secret message. Also, there’s an Other named Harper.

Thoughts:

It’s a tale of morality, like Lost. Also like Lost, it’s particularly well-told. One could argue that both are from the perspective of a naïve narrator. Scout in Mockingbird is a child, and while the Losties only have one child amongst them, they fumble about just as much as Scout while trying to understand the strange world around them.

Fun Fact: I share a birthday with Harper Lee.

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

This book shares a title with a Jack episode. The title, according to a podcast by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, refers to the two main Island settlements – of the Losties and the Others. Also, Desmond’s read it.

Thoughts:

Unrequited, sacrificial love and mindless, bloody hatred. This novel touches on some pretty big themes and does so with dignity and style.

The Mark of Zorro – Johnston McCulley

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Saywer calls Paulo “Zorro.”

Thoughts:

This novella, first serialized in a pulp fiction magazine as The Curse of Capistrano, was the first work to feature the character Zorro. There are a couple differences from today’s iconic image – his mask covers his whole face, he wears a purple cloak, and he’s smart enough to use a gun when it’s called for. Most notably, though, he unmasks himself at the end to family, friends, and enemies, which doesn’t leave much room for all these sequels and spinoff works. This is all just food for thought – not necessarily good or bad. It’s remarkably similar in most ways, right down to the Z’s he enjoys carving.

I found the story a fine adventure, even though the unmasking wasn’t a huge twist or surprise. Everyone knows Don Diego is Zorro, just like everyone knows Bruce Wayne is Batman and Sir Percy Blakeney is the Scarlet Pimpernel. If you are not part of “everyone” and I just spoiled something for you, my apologies. These three characters are all classic clueless rich guys by day and roguish vigilantes by night. Regardless, the story was the usual swashbuckling fun that embodies Zorro.

Above: Left is an illustration from The Curse of Capistrano, and right is a still shot of Antonio Banderas as Zorro (a sucessor of Don Diego’s).

Left Behind – Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

This is the title of one of the show’s Kate-centric episodes. Also, some of the passengers on the Ajira flight disappear like the passengers in Left Behind.

Thoughts:

I actually read all but the last book in the series. The first bunch were excellent, with an interesting cast that just kept growing (kind of like Lost, or the other way around, because I read Left Behind before seeing Lost). Unfortunately, at some point about halfway through, the authors seemed to lose inspiration and creativity. But they kept pumping them out, milking the concept for all it was worth. (Probably the authors got greedy.) So, I’d say it’s worth sticking around for a while, but you definitely won’t get much out of the last handful unless you just have to find out what happens to your favorite characters. Or the related books, for that matter. I tried the teen spinoff, and I have to say that idea was just not happening.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

 One of the numbers of Lost is 42, which could very well be related to Hitchhiker’s. In this book, the number 42 is the meaning of “life, the universe, and everything.” (Sawyer also mentions the book in The Lost Experience.)

 Thoughts:

 If you like your scifi but can’t stand how serious it usually is, DON’T PANIC! Hitchhiker’s is the book for you. I haven’t gotten around to the rest of the series yet, but I have definite plans to pick up the rest of the Douglas Adams ones, at least. (Other authors have kept the series going, but I don’t think it’d be the same.) Anywho, Douglas Adams is just amazing. Clever, hilarious, brilliant.

And if you’ve already read this one and love it, I’d recommend Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. He also did some Doctor Who, which made me quite happy.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories – Salman Rushdie

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Desmond reads this book in one of his flash-sideways visions. There are also some plot similarities, which Entertainment Weekly summarizes in this article. They mention, for example, the Black Rock/the Dark Ship (dark ship in jungle) and the Man in Black/Khattam-Shud (shape-shifting evil guy).

Thoughts:

This book has been marketed as a children’s novel, but like the Chronicles of Narnia, it’s one that can be appreciated by almost any age. I admit, I was surprised at how short and how clear this book was… The only Rushdie book I’d read previously was the doorstopper novel Midnight’s Children. But this book, there’s so much to say, I don’t want to say anything. I want you all to read it and appreciate it yourselves.

I also recommend the sequel, Luka and the Fire of Life, an adventure for Haroun’s younger brother. (I was especially happy with its own not-so-subtle media references, such as one to Doctor Who in the time mess.)

Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Hurley, seeing Sawyer in his new glasses, says, “Dude, looks like someone steamrolled Harry Potter.” Book Three, The Prisoner of Azkaban, is also on Jack’s shelf (the one with time travel).

Thoughts:

Since the final movie just came out earlier this month, it’ll be difficult to avoid comparing books to movies. Except the last one. I’m going to see Deathly Hallows Part Two later this week. As far as the books go… they cover a wide scale of quality and a hefty amount of plot, come to that. I guess that means I’ll be dealing in broad strokes.

One through Three were amazing. These three books make up some of the best literature I have ever read, with Prisoner of Azkaban at the peak of excellence. (Oddly, I find this one the worst of the movies, thanks to poor CGI, directing, and acting. Gary Oldman was a great choice for Sirius, being an incredible character actor, but even he couldn’t save this flick.) Then the books started going downhill. Four and five were readable, but they started the trend of door-stopper novels that abandoned concise storytelling and indiscriminately included extraneous scenes and information. Six was pretty bad. I want to forget Seven ever happened. Plot-wise, it lacks creativity (which is disappointing, since creativity was one of Rowling’s strong suits previously. Essentially, the characters, in the middle of their Book-Six-introduced quest to find a bunch of magical artifacts find out that they have to… find more magical artifacts. The resolution was poor, too. Half the cast died random, weightless deaths. Everyone who survived married each other and had kids named for all the dead people.

But even this blight of a book can not make the first three any less wonderful. The mix of serious plots and lighthearted moments, the originality, the flawless pacing, the fact that children in trouble at least consulted adults, the unique characters, and just the writing, all make these three novels worth the reading. In fact, it’s practically worth reading the whole series to find out what happens. Even if you’re disappointed in the end.

Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Sawyer says “You too, Brutus,” to Locke, a translation of Caesar’s famous “Et tu, Brute” to Brutus. And the sentiment is echoed throughout Lost as everyone double-crosses each other. For one, a character named Caesar is killed by someone he thinks is a friend.

Thoughts:

I wonder why this play’s listed with the tragedies and not the histories. Yes, it’s tragic, but it’s based on real people and events, and I think that trumps it. I understand the man did his research by reading Brutus’s section in Plutarch’s Lives. Having read PL, I can at least confirm that they’re pretty similar, and to my mind, both enjoyable. But of course, Shakespeare’s play has more life and much, much more dialogue. That’s what plays are: mostly dialogue. Anyway, I have to say, I loved this play. Shakespeare does what he does best, and that’s characters. He fleshes out people and their motivations and manages to keep the plot going. If there’s one thing I have to say against the play, the beginning of Act IV does lag a bit. Just after Caesar dies and before everyone gets into the battles, the characters have some down time. Other than that: brilliant. Also, the best interpretation of a Shakespeare character I’ve ever seen is James Mason’s Brutus in the 1953 film of this play.

Our Mutual Friend – Charles Dickens

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Desmond plans to read this book before he dies. Penny leaves a letter for him in the back. Later, the two of them own a boat of the same name. It works since a major life event for Desmond is Charlie’s drowning, and in the book, the main character’s major life event is his own supposed drowning.

Thoughts:

Dickens is, in short, a genius. He has an amazing way of weaving a huge cast of fascinating characters and several subplots into one coherent story. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Our Mutual Friend. Not as well known of some of his books, it’s the best of them I’ve read so far. The history of a miser’s death and the dispersing of his fortune is not only a savvy dissection of human character, but it also makes a surprisingly fun story.

Side note… Desmond wants to read this book just before he dies. If his death is imminent, what makes him think he can get all the way through it? It’s pretty thick.