The Known World

Tiny picture, not sure why, sigh...

Anyway, The Known World.......... pullitzer prize winner, and I'm sure has stellar writing. To be honest, it reminded me of the type of book that would be perfect for an English class, there were many clever literary techniques, foreshadowing and symbolism, etc...

Interesting story, about a freed slave who becomes a slave owner. His father buys his own freedom, then his mother's then the son. The son however, becomes more influenced by his white "master" who helps him become a landowner and slaveowner. He is actually recently departed in the opening of the story, so it unfolds from many other viewpoints.

Frankly, though, for me, it just didn't work, too much back and forth (and I usually enjoy that)... the foreshadowing drove me crazy, and the people I most wanted to know about (the parents) were brushed aside, in my humble opinion. And I never really figured out how and why the former slave would choose to turn around and own slaves, in my mind that character development was vacant. I actually disliked most of the characters, perhaps that is good, I have no idea, but at any rate, the book just doesn't rate "up there" in my opinion.

But what do I know? It did win a Pullitzer!

Everyman by Philip Roth

This is the one of the 'books about books" I mentioned, the one where the writer decides to read a book a week, then write about it. To be honest, the book isn't very organized, though I'm sure it is quite prosaic.

At any rate, at several points throughout this book, Sara Nelsen says "anything by Philip Roth" or how much she loves Philip Roth, with a seeming assumption that the reader must indeed be familiar with this Mr. Roth. Well, I was not.

A few weeks ago, my aunt, Peggy, came over with a few "extra" books that had arrived from her bookclub, the unsolicited type, and lo and behold, one of these was Philip Roth's latest Everyman. (2006)

So, that's what I read for this week. It was actually a story of illness and decline, then death of an "everyman" kind of guy, a man who lived his life, made mistakes, did not resolve issues with his loved ones and eventually ended his days lonely and scared, and mad about his declining health. So, of course, there are parts in here that resonated for me, even though I could not relate in the slightest to the protagonist, whom I found irritating.

If you read it, I'd say borrow it from the library (or from Peggy). And I'm not sure I'll seek out another Philip Roth book, even though I guess he is a famous guy.... http://orgs.tamu-commerce.edu/rothsoc/bio.htm.

At any rate, I did take one memorable passage from this book, which is wisdom from this man's father: "There's no remaking reality. Just take it as it comes. Hold your ground and take it as it comes. There's no other way" I think I will remember that one.

Cheers all....

Here is an example

One of the "books about books" is called "The Reading Group" and it is really a story about the women in a book club, more than the books..... anyway, my mom set about to read the books that were featured in the story, and she has done better than me!

However, here is a book I never would have read otherwise: "I capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith. It was written in the thirties, was virtually out of print until brought back to life by something (I'm not sure what, maybe Oprah?). At any rate it is enjoyable to read, and easy too. The narrator is a young girl, she reminds me of Anne of Green Gables.....

It is a book I would definitely suggest giving a try!

Cheers fellow readers....

So........... I was lying in bed..........

And I was thinking about this book that I read a few years ago. It was my mom's and it was about a woman who read a book a week, and then wrote a book about it.

Got me thinking about the "books about books" which I enjoy very much, and the lists of author's favourite books. Some of these books I've read recently include "Reading Lolita in Tehran" and "How Reading Changed my Life" (pictured above) and also "The Reading Group". Sadly I have often not read these books (especially in the Reading Lolita in Tehran one) and I feel like a doorknob, since I consider myself a reader.

I'm reading a lot these days, so I thought - gee whiz, I could read a book a week, and I would try to read some of those books that are mentioned in the "books about books"..... and then I will post my opinion, and if you choose, you might also post yours, a bit of a virtual book club, of sorts.

We'll see....

Also, frankly, it is a good time for me to have goals that span a year, so that's another good thing for me.