Week 2 - Reading
Friday, January 12, 2007
Tsk! Tsk! Only three books read this week. I am never going to get to my personal goal of trying to read (this includes my re-reads) of three hundred books this year. Why three hundred? Seems like a reasonable number. That, and it's divisible by the prime numbers 3 and 5.
Have I ever mentioned my weird obsession with numbers? I break phone numbers, birthdays, social insurance number, any type of series of numbers by making little math quizzes in my head. Once it's broken down, I never forget it. I think in my past life I was a wannabe mathematician.
Another obsession that I have is Jane Austen. I am not sure when this started but I always go back to Jane every year. It's weird but I just get lost in her world and yet many of her ideas about relationships, friendships, her love of family are so contemporary. So needless to say, many people who know about my love of reading Austen had highly recommended The Jane Austen Book Club. I was very excited when I got a phone call from the library to tell me the book was in.
I was really disappointed in the book.
From the reviews, it is meant to be a modern day comedy reflecting Austen's wit while reviewing her best works. Other than the clever references to Austen's actual work, I found the rest of the book barely readable. The characters were neither Austen-esque or likable and I found the plot really choppy. It attempted to break each chapter down by which Austen book the club was currently reading, and in turn would tell the individual stories of the main characters.
I just hate having to say that about any book because I can only imagine how much work it must take to write one. Obviously, there were many others who have loved the book so it can't be that bad. It just didn't jive with me.
On the other hand, Q&A: A Novel was a really wonderful unexpected read. Each chapter contained flashbacks that added to the depth and flavour of the novel. Some chapters read better than others but as a whole, the book was a wonderful journey illustrating the courage of the human spirit.
I am still digesting A Ship Made of Paper as I literally finished it last night. It deals with obsession, lust, infidelity and interracial relationships in a small town. There are some scenes that really struck me but I feel no real apathy for the characters. Also, I seem to be reading a lot of books with the same theme and am getting a little bored of it. I'm left wondering whether there was some writer's convention where everyone decided that this was going to be the next topic they would try to explain from their own perspectives?
Anyway, a book that I am enjoying thus far is A Taxonomy Of Barnacles. It's the book that we're currently reading for our online book club, Ship Of Fools. Pick up the book and come join the discussion, as it should be fun!