Wednesday, April 7, 2010

What Have I Been Doing?

Like the Alice's White Rabbit, I am always running late these days. "No time to say, 'hello,' 'goodbye,' I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" And I am also buried in time sensitive projects. But, dear Curious Reader, I really did want to drop you a line to let you know that (a) I am not trapped under a heavy object, (b) I am not in jail, (c) I have been reading.

I couldn't bear to continue with the last chapter of House of Mirth via the audio book because I trusted the reader would screw it up. Instead, I went to the library, pulled a copy off the shelf, and sat in a quiet corner to finish it. And as I always do when I come to the last sentence of a well-loved book, I closed the cover and sat holding it for a while. I wanted to cry; I was also quite angry at Edit Wharton.

After I finished The Glass Palace, I jumped right into In The Woods by Tana French. I avoid stories that involve child rape or murder. My reasoning along those lines is that I sadly cannot avoid learning of these events in the stark reality of life; but, I can certainly avoid rubbing elbows with the subject matter in a novel. Nevertheless, so many people were raving about it I decided to give it a try and concur with my friends that it was a good and suspenseful read. I look forward to reading more by this author. In the library copy I had, someone has drawn a "?" below the last paragraph. I think I know what he or she meant. Not all mysteries had been solved, and I am speculating we will see Adam Ryan again someday.

I began Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu and settled in comfortably - enjoying it more and more with each page. But then...a package came!! From half-way around the world. I couldn't wait to get into the house to open it; so, I sat on the front steps and carefully pulled the "to open" tab. There was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel sent to me by the lovely Fugitive Pieces. I get excited every time I get a new book. Especially when it's a gift. But a gift from someone I've never met - how kind and thoughtful was that? I mean, really. (Pssst. Come closer. She may slip into the room without me noticing. I don't want to spoil the surprise. But I thought and thought about what I could do to say "thank you." It had to be something unique. Something she can't come by where she lives. I came up with "a something"...not much...but it will take an afternoon. A sunny one. I might slip out this Friday to do it. I can't say anymore. Just in case there are spies. But...I can't wait.) Ahem. So, there was Wolf Hall and there was Uncle Silas. Thankfully, Uncle Silas is so good and so worth savoring that I will not be tempted to storm through it just to start Wolf Hall. But it gives me a warm and satisfying feeling to know that something good awaits, and that my immediate reading future looks bright.

I tried listening to An American Wife on audio, but returned it to the library after a couple of discs. I really didn't care for it very much. I guess I felt that if one is going to write fiction, then write fiction...not an unauthorized biography masquerading as fiction. There was something about it which gave me the feeling I was wasting precious time. The same feeling I got as a kid eating too many marshmallow Peeps. But the bottom line is I wasn't finding it very interesting. (The reader was very good, however.) At present, my commute is taken up with listening to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - which is hilarious, and touching, and sad, and very very good. So good in fact, I bought the paperback edition of Everything Is Illuminated.

Well, that's about it folks. O! One last thought. I shredded the poxy list! Why? The new 1001 Books To Read blah-blah-blah came out and The Plot Against America by Philip Roth has been removed! As far as I can discern it was the only one removed. Wouldn't you know it had to be the only book on the list I read which post-dated I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. I guess it makes some bit of sense. After all, books are published every day and when one of them makes the list, another has to be lost if the list is to be limited to 1001.

On the horizon - April 10 - another Big Book Sale at the library. Before I became anti-list, I would have definitely carried it with me. God forbid I should rely upon my own sense of taste! So I will NOT be tempted to print off another copy, and the author of the list can "Succotash my Balzac, dipshiitake!" as Oskar Schell, the nine-year old narrator of Extremely Loud would say. (Gosh, that felt good.)

13 comments:

  1. I am glad you are not trapped or in jail! And yay that you liked In the Woods! The next book is about Cassie apparently. I've not read Foer but I want to. I hope you have fun at the impending books sale. You must post about all the details and photos of your finds!

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  2. Stefanie, AND I'm not trapped under something heavy while IN jail, which I guess would be the worst thing ever. I truly thought In The Woods was splendid. The book sale is at a branch about 45 minutes away from the island, but it's on a Saturday, so there won't be a problem - I'll have all day. There will definitely be pix of "my lovlies" after I get them home.

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  3. (Editor: I'm not sure lovelies is a word, so I guess I can spell it however I please.)

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  4. The part about you not being in jail made me laugh. And Edith Wharton... I really enjoyed the last book I read of her's (The Age of Innocence), but it was bittersweet. I think that's her trademark.

    Thanks for the recommendations. I just added Uncle Silas to my to-read list.

    I'm going to post my 2010 Quarter 1 list of books tomorrow!

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  5. Janell, Oh, good. I'll have to stop by Spare Pages tomorrow!! I finished Age of Innocense earlier this year and thought it was wonderful. I had read Ethan Frome when I was in high school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), but had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

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  6. Grinning like a loon reading this, Graddikins. You do make me laugh! I can't *wait* to hear what your thank you entails... the whole exchange warms my heart like you would not believe - and I hope you love Wolf Hall! Well, good to know the book binge is really transcontinental - everyone's hard at it. I think reports of the death of the novel are grossly exaggerated.

    (part of me wishes some hilarious misadventure had landed you in the clink overnight... the thought of the resulting post is just too delicious...)

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  7. Doctordi: I know I will love Wolf Hall, the story, but I will treasure the book itself as well since it came from our dear Fugitive Pieces. I do wish she had a blog. Or perhaps she does and I just don't know. I am happy to say I do not have a criminal record. Perhaps I just haven't lived an interesting enough life. But, there's still time! :>

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  8. You are ABSOLUTELY my favorite reader. Great to hear you're still at it and haven't lost your sense of humor, Grad......

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  9. You're not the only one far behind, dear Grad! I am at the stage of wondering if I'll ever catch up, or whether I should cut my losses... Still, I am delighted to catch up with all your reading, which sounds splendid. I remember being achingly furious with Edith Wharton at the end of The House of Mirth. It does that to you. And In the Woods I enjoyed, sort of despite the content, although I had a wobble about a third in and wasn't sure I could continue (but I did). And I have Wolf Hall on my list too. I am a big fan of the Fugitive, who has actually stayed at my house. Jealous, eh? I'll bet! She is every bit as delightful as you might imagine. You'll have to drop by next time and we'll have a good ladies' night together....

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  10. Tinky, that is praise indeed. When I read your posts I feel as though I'm sitting at your kitchen table watching you cook and having a great time.

    Litlove, I agree with you 100% on House of Mirth and In The Woods (which I wanted to finish but wasn't sure I could considering the subject matter). How wonderful that you and Fugitive got to spend time together!! I would have had a blast at that get-together, I am sure. TOTALLY jealous am I!

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  11. I wonder if we listened to the same reader read An American Wife. Probably we did. I agree that the reader was great -- I really enjoyed her company for so long! I loved the book, but if you don't like blurring fiction and nonfiction in that way, I can see that it might not be your book.

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  12. Dorothy, I probably should not have panned An American Wife. Everyone else who has read it has enjoyed it, and I always feel guilty when I don't agree. Book-love is so highly personal. Sometimes a book just isn't the right one and the right time. But I agree with you about the reader. She was very good (and a bad reader can totally ruin a book!)

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  13. *jumps out from behind a sofa, and in the manner of my favourite two-year-old, joyously declares "Ta-daaaa! I'm here! And I'm TALL!" *

    This is the best late-to-the-party ever - I dashed over here to catch up on some overdue Grad-news, and it turns out people were saying lovely things about me. Hi Di! Hallo darling Litlove! Why don't my dreams turn out this way? And why can't we all live just a leetle bit closer?
    I am now hopelessly intrigued as to what gift involves a sunny afternoon and can't be found in Australia. Are you trapping me a salamander? Please don't get arrested - although the thought of you in jail is indeed very funny; I picture you reading improving texts to your bewildered fellow inmates.
    (Oh yes, Edith Wharton. When I worked in a bookshop, I had a customer who came through the door saying "I want a nice, fun, light, HAPPY book!" and promptly seized The House of Mirth. Apparently she liked the cover. And the author's name. She'd had an aunt called Edith. I eventually prised it from her grasp, pointed her towards the fat pretty books with sparkles on them, and said as firmly as I dared, "Edith Wharton NEVER ENDS WELL." She was still a little sulky when she left, but not nearly as much as she would have been if she'd read House of Mirth... Poor Lily. I'm eternally outraged with Wharton on her behalf.

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