I've missed a few of your posts, I guess from when I was away. I'd love to know what you thought of Jonathan Franzen's 'how to be alone' -it's a book I always pick up and look at when in a store, but I haven't read it. I'm going to the library tomorrow and I'll look up Siri Hustvedt, as yo said, and start where you suggested to.
April 18, 2008 at 6:03 PM
i started this list of books i've read during 2008 back in february. since today is april 1, it seemed like a good day to update that list:
21. michael baigent & richard leigh, the dead sea scrolls deception 22. stephen hodge, the dead sea scrolls 23. paul auster, in the country of last things 24. siri hustvedt, blindfold 25. siri hustvedt, a plea for eros 26. siri hustvedt, the enchantment of lily dahl 27. siri hustvedt, the sorrows of an american 29. stephanie pearl-mcphee, knitting rules! 30. stephanie pearl-mcphee, casts off 31. jonathan franzen, how to be alone 32. jonathan franzen, the discomfort zone 33. brian singer, the 1000 journals project 34. danny gregory, the creative license 35. danny gregory, everyday matters 36. jennifer new, drawing from life: the journal as art
after running onto siri hustvedt's new novel, the sorrows of an american, i got a little carried away, getting all her earlier stuff and reading it. but, after just finishing the enchantment of lily dahl today, i feel i've had enough. in a way, her work is all the same. some of the same characters from what i loved actually turn up in sorrows of an american. i've come to think of it all as rather self-indulgent and self-referential and frankly, i'm a bit sick of it. in the early books, you see the characters from the later books in their earlier incarnations. the writing is better and i do a lot more underlining in the later books...what i loved and sorrows of an american, are solidly recommended reads, but i definitely don't feel that way about lily dahl. i don't know what it is, really, but maybe the madness of a small town in minnesota is just too close to home for me. or maybe i read it in this monday malaise from which i seem to be suffering (now well into tuesday) and i just didn't really like it.
however, i shall keep reading. maybe i'll dig out barbara kingsolver, perhaps she can help me out of this funk...
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Close this window Jump to comment formI've missed a few of your posts, I guess from when I was away.
I'd love to know what you thought of Jonathan Franzen's 'how to be alone'
-it's a book I always pick up and look at when in a store, but I haven't read it.
I'm going to the library tomorrow and I'll look up Siri Hustvedt, as yo said, and start where you suggested to.
April 18, 2008 at 6:03 PM