Friday, November 10, 2006

Reading, slowly

I've got book blahs again. I've picked up and put down three or four titles over the last couple of days. I finally settled on Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint. I guess I'm about 20% of the way through.

So far it revolves around a gifted painter who is mourning the death of a close friend. At the time of the friend's death (five years previous), the artist drastically changed the style and content of her work and has never explained why. Suddenly two things happen- a misdirected letter from the dead friend arrives in the artist's mailbox and a mutual acquaintance has a business proposition revolving around the dead friend's literary works.

The book switches both present and past tense by chapters. It helps promote an air of mystery, and induces (in this reader at least) a slight impatience. A desire to rush along pell mell to the end. So far I've managed to resist rushing along. I'm trying to concentrate on savoring every word every phrase every morsel.

4 comments:

CindyS said...

At least you have found a book that has pulled you in! I know what you mean by trying to take it slow. I'm a slow reader naturally but there are times when I feel like I'm inhaling a book!

CIndy

Marg said...

I have read one Charles de Lint book and found it impossible to read as quickly as I normally read!

Jenster said...

Sounds interesting.

Bob & Muffintop said...

Cindy- I'm glad I've found something too. It looked like it might have been quite a while until I found this one.

Marg- I'm glad I'm not the only one who found it slow going. It's not that I'm uninterested, but that his work seems to require slow & steady reading.