Have you ever read a book that rocked your world? A book so rich and perfect that all of the inky pages come to life, swallow you up, and spit you back up like a newborn baby? I have. I just finished it. It's this book right here...
I have a history with unfinished books. Something always gets in the way of me getting to that final chapter/volume/page. It's almost like I'm allergic to the last half of any story.
I have wrestled with this brick of a book for years. In high school I did a (not to toot my own horn but toot! toot!) stellar group presentation on it after reading maybe 30 percent of the text, and I never missed a beat (it was more an acting lesson than a literary exercise. I believe the acronym is BS).
In college I picked a copy up again while in Monterey, while feeling sentimental about my California roots. I had fallen in love with Steinbeck over Pastures of Heaven, one of my all time favorites, and I knew that sometime I'd have to dive into what the man himself considered his great masterpiece-to-be. Still... life, and school, and hectic hectic everything kept me from sitting down and digging in.
Well this year I took it by the horns. It's a thick one, but once I started I couldn't stop. I stayed up late at night to find out what my new group of people were up to... How all of the characters big and small were dealing with the everyday. I laughed with them, marveled with them, hated them, loved them, wanted to shake them, and finally cried with them. I was absolutely starving for the next page. It was beyond brilliant. Every line was heart and soul and the writing so well crafted and cared for. Annnnd I'm gushing.
Best of all it's reopened that part of me that was locked shut by the business of life. I love to read and I see things with just a little bit of new eyes. That's what a good book should do to you I guess. Make you just a step better and a leap smarter.
Now to force everyone else to read it. Starting with PG.
And as for me I've been assigned 100 Years of Solitude...Another book I've failed at completing...but this time I. mean. business.
9 comments:
What a great review! Good to know, I have always wanted to read that book and now I have to!
I guess I'll have to give this book a try!
It is my sister's favorite book!
my mom has told me to read this for years...and played the californian author guilt card too. i'll have to finally give it a shot. i haven't felt THAT feeling about a book since high school. something about college straps you of the ability to lose yourself into anything other than text books.
can't wait :)
Thanks for the summer inspiration bobs I need something to do when I get home :)
You might first need to teach phil how to read. ;-)
Honestly...I just want to keep reading what you thought about it. Gush all you want! I think it's beautiful.....
Perhaps I may read it...although, I usually only read books with pretty covers..or books about vampires!
Got your beautiful announcement today. Carson has been walking around with it all afternoon and looking at it. I think someone has a crush on someone. Sorry we we will miss your reception. But hope to see pics from Celia. Good luck and have a fun last week of single ladyness.
p.s. yes awesome book. read it in h.s.
so weird! Me too! I literally read all of 100 years of solitude except the last 20 pages.... why? who knows. i guess I'll have to tackle this one
p.s. just looked through all your wedding pictures.... so gorgeous aubs - will now go post on your wall :)
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