I had a nice Christmas -- my mom and dad visited and it was great to be able to dump Thing1 and Thing2 off with their grandparents so I could pursue a few fun activities. Like sleeping in...
My mom was trying to slog through a book that I remember being forced to read in college, The Dollmaker. This is an extremely depressing and mentally exhausting book. I hated it when I read it and asked my mom WHY IN GOD'S NAME was she putting herself through that awful book --especially during the joyful Christmas season when there were much more entertaining books to be had.
She said her book club had selected it, and now that she'd started the book, she felt obligated to finish. AAAAAUGH! Mom was IMMEDIATELY given a copy of Pennac's "Reader's Bill of Rights". They are as follows:
A reader has...
The right not to read.
The right to skip pages.
The right to not finish.
The right to reread.
The right to read anything.
The right to escapism.
The right to read anywhere.
The right to browse.
The right to read out loud.
The right to not defend our tastes
I especially like the RIGHT NOT TO FINISH right.
Why is it so hard for readers to follow any/all of these rules? Why do we feel that we must finish, must read "valid literature" and must defend our tastes? STRIKE A BLOW FOR READERS EVERYWHERE! Follow these rights, embrace them as your own. You'll be happier for it.
PS. My mom still finished The Dollmaker and was completely depressed at the end. She felt like she'd wasted a good read. It's a crappy book and if she'd stopped reading and moved on, she would have been much happier.
PSS. I re-read the Jacqueline Carey 'Kushiel' series for the 4th time over Christmas and LOVED it all over again. Ha!
10 comments:
Even as a person with an English degree, I say AMEN to the Reader's Rights! I wasted many an hour in college being forced to read things I hated--no one can force me now!
InfoMom is so sweet though, I would like to think in her case, her dedication was to her book group and not to the book itself. Just too bad she had to suffer for it.
Huzzah to the Reader's Rights!!
Years ago it was like I had signed a pact with the author. I had started it and now I must finish it. Now I know life is too short.
Sorry your mom had to slog through.
You're right, it's almost like once you start the book, you're duty bound to finish it. Like, who's going to know if you don't? It's some sort of geas... must...not...stop...reading...crappy...book...
InfoMom made her own decision to finish the darn thing. It was painful to watch! I'll have to admit, I did the same thing a while back. I picked up the book: 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell' by Susanna Clarke because it was the big award-winner in fantasy literature for this past year. AAAUGH! I slogged and dragged my way through chapter after chapter thinking: "Surely this gets better?" IT DIDN'T. The annoying thing about this book is that it has HUGE footnotes in the form of asides on almost every page. These footnotes are described as, "supplemented with deft footnotes to fill in the ignorant reader on incidents in magical history" NOT. Literally, half the page can be a footnote. It's annoying and difficult reading. HATED IT! Finally, I took a bit of my own advice and stopped.
I might give this book another shot at a later date--I know it is supposed to be great. But when a book is torture to read, it's time to put it down. Reader's Bill of Rights at work!
Do not feel bad. I tried Jonathan Strange and couldn't finish it either.
I don't mind long. I read Tad Williams, for heavens sake. I just couldn't get into Strange. It lacked anything to pull me in. I was waiting for that "Oh, this is why it won an award" moment and it never came.
Thank goodness I'm not alone. I just adore Tad Williams' Dragonbone Chair trillogy. I've reread it many times. I hope that one day he continues with a book that follows the fate of the twins... Oh well. When I'M queen of publishingland, it will happen...
XCircMan read Jonathan Strange, and told me not to bother, so I didn't even try reading it.
I LOVED the first Dragonbone Chair and was foaming at the mouth for the second one--and didn't like it. I never finished it and obviously didn't go for the third.
Try the Ring trilogy by Koji Suzuki. The third book just came out in English. Ring / Sprial / Loop. They are what all the movies are based on. The first one is like the movie, but then the story expands and ends up a real mind-bender, sort of Matrix-esque. Starts out being supernatural--you think--ends up being something else. Really cool. Try them!
Sorry TIL, I'm with Infomatrix on that one.
I wrote Williams years ago and got the best letter back. He said he was tickled to get a letter from a librarian as that was real praise. His PS said that letters from fans were what kept him from sitting on the couch eating cheetos with the dog and watching Godzilla movies.
I knew then he was my man right then. If I had only known he was between wives! LOL
I will check out Suzuki!
Sorry TIL, I'm with Infomatrix on that one.
I wrote Williams years ago and got the best letter back. He said he was tickled to get a letter from a librarian as that was real praise. His PS said that letters from fans were what kept him from sitting on the couch eating cheetos with the dog and watching Godzilla movies.
I knew then he was my man right then. If I had only known he was between wives! LOL
I will check out Suzuki!
Yes I did... I really enjoyed it although it sort of dragged in spots where the female protagonist is moping on about her strange and sad existance. It's interesting how exciting her father is through his journals/letters, but when she is actually with him he seems so washed up. Is it a case of perspective? A very enjoyable book!
There are a number of books that I have not finished for one reason or another. The most recent one was George Carlin's "Peanut Butter and Napalm". It was sort of like reading one of his stand-up routines. I was very non-plussed. I expected a book. What I got was a couple hundred pages of mindless drivel. I like George Carlin as a comedian. He should stick to it because he is a lousy author.
Post a Comment