Unemployment means lots of time on one's hands. Fretting time. Self-pity time. Good old fashioned panic time. But it also means loads of time to read and reread. One can only apply for so many jobs per day before one's fingers go numb and the temptation to chuck one's laptop out the window becomes overwhelming.
During a library lull (Books placed on hold had yet to arrive) I reread William Goldman's "Boys and Girls Together." Boys and Girls Together? I first read this novel when I was in high school. Susie Kappler told me it was a dirty book. It had a pretty racy cover and I used to hide it in my gym locker. Mr. Goldman was my first literary crush and I remember LOVING this book. So many characters. Peeks of Chicago and New York. Ethnicity. All very titillating for a small town catholic girl.
Last month? Not so much. The book no longer smells of sweat socks and the cover was shredded away long ago. Alas, I realized I hated almost every single character. They whine and kvetch and their dialog sounds the same. Too precious and contrived for me. I did still love one scene of a dinner party with plates of corned beef, cole slaw, fried chicken, pickles, and mashed potatoes balanced on a teeny table. And another where one of the dorkier characters discovers he can make people laugh is pretty good. Ultimately almost everyone dies and I just didn't care. I still love Mr. Goldman, but Boys and Girls is off my 'what books would you bring to a desert island' list.
"Salvage the Bones" was a trial first read for me. I should have been more discerning I admit. One of the main characters is a pit bull named China. The first scene is a close up of her giving birth to her first litter of puppies. Blood, mucus, growling, farting, slimy yellow stuff, dust. The rest of the pages are filled with a young girl coming to terms with her unplanned pregnancy. Stomach pooching out? Yup. Two pages later stomach rounded forward? Yup. Five more pages and she's still untucking her shirts to conceal her honeydew profile. Yee Gods! Three brothers and friends, a dead mom, drunken father, other dog fighting dogs and Hurricane Katrina comprise the remaining cast. Oh, and there is a bit of mythological imagery thrown in that will probably be emphasized in the movie version. Me no like-ee.
"Items are available for pick up" never looked so good. I'm a reader and I will ALWAYS give an author a chance to dazzle and intrigue me. Hope springs here. That is all.
During a library lull (Books placed on hold had yet to arrive) I reread William Goldman's "Boys and Girls Together." Boys and Girls Together? I first read this novel when I was in high school. Susie Kappler told me it was a dirty book. It had a pretty racy cover and I used to hide it in my gym locker. Mr. Goldman was my first literary crush and I remember LOVING this book. So many characters. Peeks of Chicago and New York. Ethnicity. All very titillating for a small town catholic girl.
Last month? Not so much. The book no longer smells of sweat socks and the cover was shredded away long ago. Alas, I realized I hated almost every single character. They whine and kvetch and their dialog sounds the same. Too precious and contrived for me. I did still love one scene of a dinner party with plates of corned beef, cole slaw, fried chicken, pickles, and mashed potatoes balanced on a teeny table. And another where one of the dorkier characters discovers he can make people laugh is pretty good. Ultimately almost everyone dies and I just didn't care. I still love Mr. Goldman, but Boys and Girls is off my 'what books would you bring to a desert island' list.
"Salvage the Bones" was a trial first read for me. I should have been more discerning I admit. One of the main characters is a pit bull named China. The first scene is a close up of her giving birth to her first litter of puppies. Blood, mucus, growling, farting, slimy yellow stuff, dust. The rest of the pages are filled with a young girl coming to terms with her unplanned pregnancy. Stomach pooching out? Yup. Two pages later stomach rounded forward? Yup. Five more pages and she's still untucking her shirts to conceal her honeydew profile. Yee Gods! Three brothers and friends, a dead mom, drunken father, other dog fighting dogs and Hurricane Katrina comprise the remaining cast. Oh, and there is a bit of mythological imagery thrown in that will probably be emphasized in the movie version. Me no like-ee.
"Items are available for pick up" never looked so good. I'm a reader and I will ALWAYS give an author a chance to dazzle and intrigue me. Hope springs here. That is all.
No comments:
Post a Comment