girlsdontcry's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- reading books So, I was just reading about what Half Sorry has been reading, and I'd been going to mention what I'd been reading anyway, as it happens, but she sort of said what I've been thinking about how when you read something really great it makes you think twice about writing. Anyway. I'm still reading "The Corrections", and it's just so so so great. Having said that, I took a little break to read Jeffrey Eugenides "The Virgin Suicides", because I'd read a review of his new book "Middlesex", and the review was saying how great his first novel was and how long it had taken him to write the second one, but that it was worth waiting for. And then comparing him to Donna Tartt, whose second novel is due out this month. And I can't wait to read it, because "The Secret History" is one of my favourite novels, although I've only read it once, but I remember I just was so gripped by it. "The Virgin Suicides" was a great novel, I'd seen the movie, which I don't remember much. It took me ages to sort of notice that this whole story, these heroines (another fabulously named heroine to add to my list, Lux Lisbon), well, we never know what's going on in their heads. Which is pretty much the point of the book, and just goes to show that I'm really not a subtle person at all. Anyway. This scene I just read in "The Corrections", oh oh oh, it's just unbelievably brilliant. I mean, it has such great lines, and then there's this whole thing where you can totally relate. It goes on and on -- a simple family dinner. I was loving it from so many angles, it was reminding me of being a child. This child sits at the table for five hours not eating his dinner. I remember doing that. But that's not what's so great about it, the whole thing is just brilliant writing. Oh, but I'm feeling a sort of dread, that this book will suddenly turn on me and make me cry. .......... Having said what I said about agreeing with Half Sorry, I was, I guess, disappointed with "Fear of Flying". I read it last year after a year of picking up books and failing to get even three pages in, so I had a sort of determined "yes I will finish this" feeling. It's because I'm lazy maybe that I was disappointed, she goes through all of this struggle and I wanted a grand solution in the end, and there wasn't one. A grand solution to the "problem" of being a woman in our times. (I guess I also thought it was going to be really dirty, and it sort of wasn't as much as I expected. She does say "cunt" a lot, from recollection. Actually, I'm not sure how much I remember. I should read it again, most likely.) .......... Anyway, I'm practically crippled from lying and reading in a funny position and I if I don't go out and walk around today, I might never be able to again. 10:51 a.m. - 2002-10-12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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