Books

I have in the last week read roughly six and fifty hundred pages from novels. The first being the last three hundred of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon the second being all of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. That easily illustrates what sort of time I have on my hands. Kavalier and Clay was a grand novel in both scope and execution. Chabon really brought to life the climate of the era (the forties and early fifties), and he made the world of early superhero comic books deeply interesting in what felt like a universal way. Which is a feat daring only a truly skilled writer could pull off. I do imagine, however, it's slightly more fun/interesting if you're already familiar (even just a little) with the history of the medium. It's a book of wonder, romance, and possibility. And I highly recommend reading it, unless you hate happiness. The Bell Jar being the other book this week I have sunk my time into was just as engrossing. I wouldn't already have finished it otherwise. I'm ashamed it's taken me this long to read it. I quite liked the way Esther viewed the world around her, and was floored by Plath's descriptions of mental illness. I was surprised at how humors parts of the book happened to be. I obviously mean parts in the first half or so of the novel when she's in New York. I would rank it up next to Ask The Dust by John Fante and for me to do so says how much I really enjoyed the book. And I do wish I could use Elly Higginbottom as a fake name now. Hm. Maybe I will some day. I'm grateful that this novel was suggested to me. Or chances are I would of continued to put off reading it.

Next on the reading agenda is Shopgirl by Steve Martin, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer. Not all to be read at the same time. I guess I could try, but I don't think I'd get as much enjoyment out of each novel. After this I should probably move on to books I've already bought and paid for.


Yippy for interesting blog posts.