I love books, but I have been a lazy reader lately. I have been reading Augusten Burroughs' "Possible Side Effects" for three months now and still have about a third of the book to go. It's not a very long book, and it is quite funny and interesting, but I have ADD when it comes to focusing on anything lately. I am supposed to be doing a few drawings/paintings for my daughter for Xmas presents, but haven't started yet...BUT Mary, if you are reading this...I am starting on that today. I love to read so I am going to start getting back in the habit again I think the problem is that there are so many things I want to do that I don't know where to start, so don't start at all. When I went back to the university to get my B.A. and M.A. I had a reason to read, and people to discuss what I had read with. And people who had diverse opinions and open minds. But there isn't anyone to do that with now...except my daughter, Mary who also loves "intelligent' fiction. (I HATE Danielle Steel novels and similar types of "pop" fiction.)
I have tried to get into Russian writers like Dostoevsky, for instance and they are all so "hyper" and there is that thing they do by assigning multiple names for each character, and those names are used interchangeably throughout the story so it's difficult to keep up with who the hell is talking or who is being talked to or about. They are also very "hyper" with way too much activity going on and the dialogue is also very hyper and crazy. There is a scattering of humor throughout, but getting to those parts is very annoying, in my opinion anyway. My daughter loves Russian literature and even took a whole class in it at Yale...I think it was.
My favorite writer, as I mentioned back in the summer, is Doris Lessing. I did my Masters' thesis on her books Mara and Dann and African Stories. I also love anything by Ann Beatty, Margaret Atwood. Don Delillo, Cormic McCarthy, Edgar Allen Poe (who was a wonderful essay writer and too bad he is only known for his "horror" stuff.)
I can read several books at one time. Well, not exactly at the same time, but I like to read some of one book, some of another and just rotate books during the day like one watches several television programs. I am now reading Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much Is True". I have had that on my shelf for a few years now, along with about fifty other's I have bought but haven't read yet. I am finishing the Burroughs' book, as I mentioned above, and I am also reading a book on creative writing which is also a workbook with exercises to get going on that again. I have had writer's block, as far as my fiction goes. Blogging keeps me writing, but not the type of writing that is publishable.
I am going to re-read Orwell's "1984" soon, and I want to read Salinger's "Frannie and Zooey". "Catcher in the Rye" is one of my favorites, and so am expecting "Frannie and Zooey" to be good, also. I loved Holden's cynicism and dark humor in"Catcher in the Rye" and found myself laughing out loud at times.
Anyways...now I am off to do some reading.
1 comment:
Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books. I often as well found myself laughing out loud almost every time i would read it.
Another book you might have a laugh with is called Fables From The Mudd by Erik Quisling
It's like a children's book, but for adults. I loved it and laugh out loud every time I read it. Something to definately check out!!
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