I've finally been able to sit down and read this week, something I haven't really been able to do for quite some time. My editing job finished and the next one fell through, so I've got some space in which to think. It seems sometimes that I have the attention span for catalogue copy and brief perusal of magazine articles only. Does this have something to do with age, I wonder? Sustainability of focus is something that has eluded me of late . . .
However, this week I read Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach and Valerie Martin's Trespass. I don't really agree with the Times's review of On Chesil Beach; I found it devastatingly heartbreaking. The review for Trespass I do, to a certain extent; I wish the reviewer had brought up the theme of the book Wuthering Heights, for which one of the characters is doing a series of engravings, however. Valerie Martin is a great writer, and I'm going to search out her other books. One is Mary Reilly, which I guess was made into a not-too-good movie.
Next on my stack is School's Out, by Christophe Dufosse, which I hadn't heard of, but seems to be an international best-seller.
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8 comments:
I am so happy for you that you have got some well deserved reading time.
The books you mention are all unfamiliar to me.
I needed some book, when I was going to travel by train and somebody gave to me Dan Brown`s "Angels and demons". I have read his book Da Vinci code a few years ago.
I have been in Rome two times and knew those places, but the writer has a little bit too vivacious imagination :))
I saw your name in United Photos blog list! Good!!
Now you put some photo there, no need to be anything so special.
Have a happy weekend!
Let me know if you figure out how to sustain focus :)
That focus thing: I think that with age and maturity comes a lessened ability -- or desire -- to put up with things that are substandard or uninteresting to us. Certain books, for example.
Thanks for the McEwan title. He is one of my favorite writers. You know how you could be mesmerized watching certain actors read the telephone book just b/c they are so good? I feel that way about IMcE's writing.
kmkat:
I have to agree on McEwan wholeheartedly. I read him so quickly, but want to savor every word.
tt
I think Kmkat's comment is so true. I won't waste a minute on anything that's substandard.
And yes McEwan is a great writer. i'm so looking forward to seeing how Atonement looks on film.
Angela
i loved atonement, and mean to read Chesil Beach. My dad read it in the summer and said it was heartbreaking and excellent.
i've not come across Valerie Martin - one to add to my list.
I'm not sure that "focus" has anything to do with age. I think that we just don't take the time anymore to sit down and plunge into a book. Magazines are so much quicker to read...
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