Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Reads Of Summer

For days and days it seemed as though it would never stop storming; but now, the summer seems interminably hot and still.  Either way, one feels justified in spending weekends inside the cool, conditioned air of the house and fixing cold suppers, heavy on summer produce, with as little kitchen work as possible.  I use the reasoning that one must not "heat up the house" with even the smallest flame.  Of course, the house is a cool 72 degrees, but I do not like to cook in the summer.  There are beverage changes as well:  red wine gives way to tall, cool drinks they used to call "libations" down South, made with mint and simple syrup and a stiffener of some sort - juniper laden, floral-filled gin being my favorite stiffener at this time of year - and a splash or two of fizzy water or a tart juice.  There are also long ago memories of summer being the best time for reading - on the front porch, or under a tree on the grass, memories of getting lost in Oz or carrying mugs of ale to a black-hearted pirate, or hanging on for dear life in the jump seat of a blue roadster as Nancy Drew raced into danger with me in tow.

There was a pattern to my summer reading then, and so there is now.  I would like to think that the pattern evolved as I got older and grew more sophisticated in my tastes.  But to be honest, during this season I still love a swashbuckling tale of gold doubloons and pieces of eight, or a trip to a fanciful kingdom found only in the imagination.  

The atmosphere of Savannah is just right for such tales, dripping as it is with Spanish Moss and marsh smells and the sudden startling shriek of sea birds.  Later in the year, as fall descends upon the North, the whippoorwill will migrate to the southeast and add their haunting music at dusk; that will be the perfect season for ghost stories and Charles Dickens.  But for now, it is summer in the South, and in Savannah the summer reading palate usually includes Flannery O'Connor, or Carson McCullers, or Pat Conroy.   Reading them at this time of the year just seems a perfect fit.

I pulled down my Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor last Sunday.  It's missing its lovely dust jacket that I still remember so well, which bore the image of a peacock.  The binding, however, is a sturdy green fabric that I think might be referred to as "library binding," but I am not quite sure.  Mine is a first edition, purchased when I was 23.  The fact that the dust cover is missing bothers me - not because it devalues its monetary worth - but because I liked it so much.  I am hoping that somewhere, in a trunk or stuck in a cardboard box of keepsakes, I will find it one day.  I find it hard to imagine that I would throw it away, even if tattered.  Flannery O'Connor was from Savannah, and she, like the lyricist Johnny Mercer, is revered in this part of the world.   The pages show the browned edges of age, but surprisingly they are not at all brittle.  The spine is in fine shape, and the front and back covers are uncracked.

The air was heavy on Sunday, even at that early hour of the morning, but it was just cool enough to tolerate sitting in the shade of the oak trees and tall pines.  When I remember summer reading as a child, I always remember myself outside.  And so, outside I read "Everything That Rises Must Converge."  It is difficult to read more than one O'Connor story at a time...at least for me.  They are too magnificent.  Rich and dense as, I imagine, the literary equivalent of eating duck liver (never having actually eaten duck liver).  Foie gras, that is, not just plain ordinary duck liver, but the really serious stuff.   They must be read and then thought about...and then thought about again.  You must give them a "slow think."  Too rich to fill up on all at once, you risk becoming dizzy and unsteady on your feet if you do not to approach with moderation.  "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" will chill the soul.  I don't think I could face it on a dark or brooding winter's night.  To do so might even be dangerous.  But I feel quite safe to read it on a early summer morning, in dappled sun, with morning birds singing.

I had a list of books I wanted to read this summer.  They all reflected my taste and made me comfortable.  But the thought suddenly occurred that it would be wise to shake things up a bit.  Expanding horizons is what books are all about, after all and I was far too set in my ways, which can be lethal in a person of a certain age.  And so I went to the library and walked the stacks looking for something as far off my standard reading radar, and as totally alien to my taste in books, as possible.  I passed quickly by Jasper Fforde, and Agatha Christie, and would not let myself get distracted by Dashiell Hammett or Robert Louis Stevenson.  All easy summer reading.  All authors I love.  My library is small by library standards.  And although it has interesting material, there is not a huge selection.  Rarely will it have more than one copy of a book, and there are often waiting lists.  In addition, not knowing what one is looking for makes it difficult to find it.  So I wandered around a bit, looking puzzled.  But...wait...Voila! I found two:  Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey.  A Western!  I have never read a western novel - ever.  And The Boleyn Inheritance, by Phillipa Gregory, an historical novel.  I love history.  I have a degree in history; but, I am not a particular fan of the historical novel.  "Historical Novel" is, to me, an oxymoron.  To my way of thinking, there is historical fact and then there is  fiction.  I borrowed each on audio book and couldn't wait to put one of them into the CD player as soon as I jumped in the car.  I started with the historical novel, which I am enjoying a great deal,  and will ease myself into the western.  I am surprised at how anxious I am for The Boleyn Inheritance to be finished so I can start Zane Grey.  It hadn't occurred to me before, but reading a western novel seems quite fitting for summer.  Although, to be quite honest, I am already feeling a certain nostalgia for buccaneers and buried gold, and miss hiding in the apple-barrel with Jim Hawkins aboard the Hispanola listening to the pirates talk mutiny.  "Haaar".  There she goes, disappearing over the horizon...sails full blown.


14 comments:

  1. Completely agree with you about O'Connor, except for the duck liver part. I'll say rich as the darkest chocolate, smooth and creamy yet with a hint of bitterness. And you never know, when you get to Riders of the Purple Sage you may find that you like riding off into the sunset as enjoyable as sailing towards the horizon :)

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  2. Stefanie, I like the dark chocolate analogy much better. Although, to be honest, I've always wanted to try foie gras - well, I did until I read that they force corn down the poor goose's throat to make it unhealthy and obese. So, that changed my mind substantially. I am very tentative about Riders of the Purple Sage. I hope I like it. It will open up an entirely new genre for me.

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  3. L and I were just looking at an audio copy of The Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory the other day (but we were distracted by pie-girl so we didn't borrow it). I'm quite curious to hear how you enjoy the Western. By the way, your mention of Jim Hawkins reminds me that I should recommend the recent sequel to Treasure Island called Silver by Andrew Motion. Could be good for those lazy, hot Savannah afternoons. Happy reading!

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  4. Oooo! A sequel to Treasure Island? Sounds like a plan, Pete. I am really enjoying The Boleyn Inheritance. Really, really am. It is perfect for audio because there are three separate readers for each of the three separate characters. It is told in diary form and works particularly well in audio format. Can hardly wait for Purple Sage to start, though. My foray into the
    Western.

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  5. For a little while last year I delved into Flannery O'Connor. And I too have that peacock-feather designed cover Complete Stories, but a later edition and in paperback. Funny I stumbled upon her (albeit already knew about her, who doesn't) when I was looking into films. As a book and movie blogger, I'm most interested in the transposition of them from one form to the other. If you're interested, here's part one of two posts I've written, inspired by Flannery O'Connor's short stories. Thanks for stopping by Ripple Effects.

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  6. Oh I am so annoyed with myself. Earlier this year I bought a cheap copy of Ann Napolitano's novel about Flannery O'Connor and it came with a perfect pristine peacock cover. But I'm horribly superstitious about peacock-related things and think they are bad luck. I tried to put the superstition from my mind but of course things started to go wrong instantly, and so in the end I asked my husband to take the jacket off and throw it away. If only I'd known you wanted it, I'd have sent it to you! Still, good for you for shaking up your summer reading a bit. I know all about how easy it is to fall into ruts. Hope the Zane Grey is good (I have read Phillipa Gregory before and enjoyed her very much!).

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  7. Arti, I will definitely check your posts inspired by O'Connor. Have they made any films based on her stories? Perhaps your posts will answer that question for me. I'm not a huge movie fan, but I am an old movie fan(or a fan of old movies...although I am probably considered old too.)

    Oh, Litlove, you are a dear. Well, hopefully I have it tucked away somewhere. But I am intrigued, why are peacocks supposed to be bad luck? I hadn't heard that before. I'm trying to think if I am superstitious. Hmmm. Nope. I don't think so. And as I've always said, if I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all and on top of that, how can Friday the 13th be bad luck, I wonder. It's FRIDAY! What could be luckier than that?

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    Replies
    1. Grad,

      Her novel Wise Blood was made into film (1979) directed by the legendary John Huston (Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, The Treasure of the Sierra Maidre). These are relatively old movies. ;)

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  8. Arti, really? Wise Blood? Wow. (I'm a big fan of John Huston films, including all the ones listed. I loved reading The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett even more than the movie - although the movie is perfection). I'll have to see about renting Wise Blood. I imagine its on DVD. I checked the book out several months ago but had to return it unread. But it is still on my list.

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  9. I'm a bit lost here, I came by to check out your Its Monday What Are You Reading post and can't fine it.

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  10. Elisha, I'm sorry. I never got around to it...too busy reading (or watching Project Runway) But I'll try to do it next week. What are you reading?

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  11. I too now wish to know why our esteemed Litlove believes peacocks to be bad luck.

    And I applaud your efforts to get out of your readerly comfort zone, Graddikins. It's a good idea and I will try to follow your lead!

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  12. I love to "listen" to you write about O'Connor ... and I can't wait to hear what you think of Zane Grey. I didn't know he was still in libraries!

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  13. Tinky, if its old, my library probably has it. It's the new stuff that's hard to come by. Riders of The Purple Sage...The writing was very good and there were two scenes I almost drove off the road listening to. One was a cattle stampede and the other was a horse chase - the good guy chasing after the horse thieves. I could literally see the dust and hear the hooves and feel the shaking terra firma. I liked those bits. But I don't think the book will make me a Western genre fan. This may sound odd, but it made me thirsty of all things! Does that make any sense?

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