I'm trying to be better about writing at least a little blurb about each book I read. Trying being the operative word here. The blurb, if and when I do get around to writing it, will of course happen after the book has been finished. So, in the beginning, what may show up here is just the book's basic information, title, author, date I began reading it. But feel free to comment on the book even if I haven't yet written anything about it. I always like talking about books!
For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain, crying aloud for mercy, and let there be no surcease to this agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails…and when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him forever. --Curse for book thieves by Edmund Lester Pearson (1880-1937)
The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
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2 c
God’s Debris, Scott Adams
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I finally set up an RSS feed just in case anyone is interested in keeping up with what I'm reading through a news reader. RSS 2.0
Loved the book. Will probably find ways to bring it up in conversations and insist that people read it.
Liked it well enough. Would probably say that it's a good read, except for [fill in the blank].
Liked it well enough to finish the book but I wouldn't recommend that someone else read it.
So bad I couldn't finish the book. If someone mentioned the book title to me I'd probably shake my head and tell him not to waste his time or money.
Reading is Fundamental
So many books, so little time
Book: The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler
Start Date: 06/23
End Date: 06/26
Comments: 2
Permalink: link
Print: 
I’m always a little wary of books that tackle Austen. I can’t help but compare them to the real thing. Which is decidedly unfair of course, as they almost always fall short. But this was a gift from Sam so I’m happily making my way through it. Just a few pages into it so it’s too soon to say much about it.
Updated [6/26]
The best part about this book is trying to figure out which moments and characters are inspired by Austen books. There were some that were unbelivably easy to pick out, like the ex-husband who might as well have been named Wickham. But as fun as it was, it wasn’t easy. Mostly because, though I’ve read every Austen book, finished and unfinished, it’s been a while since I’ve reread them. With the exception of Pride and Prejudice of course. That I reread constnantly.
There’s a moment in the book when one of the bookclub members admits to never having read P&P. The rest of the club is stunned. I can relate to that feeling. I love this book so it’s hard for me to comprehend that a)some people have never read it and b)that some people actually don’t like it. Unlike the characters in the book, who, I think, would choose to not socialize with someone who dislikes any Austen book, but especially Pride and Prejudice, I still talk to someone who tells me they don’t care for it, but I do feel a little confused by it. What’s not to like? The writing is fantastic, the characters well thought out and the ending, quite happy. I never tire of reading it, each time I find something new to ponder about.
The ladies in the book club are much for ardent fans of Austen than I ever could be I fear. They actually found good things to say about Mansfield Park, which is my least favorite Austen. I find Fanny Price to be insuffarable and if it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d fallen in love with Austen and wanted to read everything and anything written by her, I never, ever would have tortured myself with this book. The writing is still good, don’t get me wrong, but the heroine inspires no sympathy from me and it galls me that she ends up happy. I’d rather she’d contracted a long, slow and painfull disease.
<aside>
A few months back I walked into the kitchen at work just as someone was saying, “Don’t let Patricia hear you say that.” I natuarlly asked what I wasn’t supposed to hear. “S. just read Mansfield Park and she didn’t like it.” --Neither do I, I said. The coworker blinked, surprised that I would speak ill of an Austen book. But I redeemed myself somewhat it seems. After I ticked off everything I didn’t like the book I finished with, “it may be my least favorite Austen, but even a bad Austen book is better than most of what qualifies as literature nowadays.”
</aside>
All in all, I liked The Jane Austen Book Club. It’s inspired me to reread the Austen books (in the order they were written this time). Any book that accomplishes that is a good book in my eyes.
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