THE GLASS ROOM by Simon Mawer (Man Booker short-listed) was a fine novel. I highly recommend it. It's about the various inhabitants of an architecturally significant hous
e in Czechoslovakia from 1929 until quite a while after the war.But what I want to talk about here is the wonder of finding a book that you can read effortlessly. A book where the writing or story or characters--something-- just keeps you turning the page. I am not even sure whether it was the subject, the prose, the time of day-who knows. But this book boosted me out of a reading funk. It certainly wasn't the traditional page-turner.
Do you ever find yourself enjoying a book without knowing quite why? A book that isn't your usual thing? Maybe that's it. I needed to read a book about evil Nazis yet again. They never get old.
17 comments:
I know the kind of book you're talking about, Patti. I've encountered hundreds (which might be slight hyperbole, though I've encountered thousands of books over the years), but one recent book fits in perfectly with your description: effortless and compelling and unforgettable. That book is Jerry Gabriel's DROWNED BOY, a collection of connected short stories (a bit like WINESBURG, OHIO but with much more grit and importance).
Postscript: You can read my review of DROWNED BOY, which appeared in Foreword Magazine, by visiting my blog, Novels, Stories, and More.
That's just the way I felt when I read my first Rumpole collection by John Mortimer. Effortless reading with plenty of satisfaction.
One reason I am so multifarious in my artistic choices is that I don't enjoy ruts (enough of those in other aspects of life, to be sure!)...so as to not have too many Usual Things...part of why I don't quite sympathize with those who can only read crime fiction, much less only noirish or hb cf...
I expect books (and other art) to be good...hence particularly my borderline rage when something not only isn't good, but is actually slipshod and trite but is wildly praised by those who are ignoring the good work that the the trite, slipshod thing is Mooning as it passes through its audiences...but the most compellingly readable surprise of late was probably WAITING FOR NOTHING, particularly given how utterly bleak it is.
I will look for DROWNED BOY. (I thought you took the blog down, RT-I'll look there).
I still have to read that, George. Perhaps I can find a copy at a used bookstore soon.
That is quite a good point, Todd. If you skip around between types of books, they are more fun. Too much salt spoils the broth.
WAITING FOR NOTHING, I'll check it out.
I have added some summer picks to your CRIMESPREE list...suprisingly, or unruttingly not, little crime drama (LAST SUMMER certainly qualifies and so does DO THE RIGHT THING and SON OF SAM). I seem to recall THE STING is a summer-setting film...
("unruttingly" a particularly irrelevant term for LAST SUMMER, SUMMER OF '42, GOODBYE COLUMBUS...)
High recommendation. I'll have to see if I can find it. I'm in a bit of funk myself at the moment. I think reading The night Land really took it out of me.
Reading NEXT, which I read afterward, really took it out of me. YIKES.
For me, so much depends on my mood, which can be influenced by the weather, the non-reading activities in my life, my health, stresses and pressures even pending events. A few times I have nearly given up on a book yet for some reason kept it around, and later picked it up and wondered why I didn't love it the first time. Other books, though they might not be that great, really hit the spot.
I'm currently reading a short story collection by Graham Greene. It's taking me a while, because though each story is a pleasure and goes quickly, afterward I want to think about it, savor it, before moving to the next one.
I always experience what you describe when I read Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novels.
NEXT rather hits close to home in its initial set up, at least jobwise, eh?
Greene always worth the time, Rick, eh? I shall have to try Dexter some time. Certainly have seen several of the adaptations.
A very curious book and yet one I am not sorry to have read. NEXT. I did find the Ann Arbor references excessive until it began to seem like the point--which I guess it was in some strange way.
I liked NEXT except for the ending.
We will definitely need to talk about this.
Czechs and architecture -- sound spretty cool. Though if I *never* read about Nazis again, would not shed tears.
Patti - I know just what you mean about liking a book very much, and not exactly being sure why. That's happened to me, too. Likewise, I've also found myself disliking a book and not really being able to explain why. I really sometimes wonder if there is a certain chemistry about a book that goes beyond plot, characters and so on, just like there is a certain chemistry about a person that either puts one off or on.... You've got me thinking...
Thanks Patti - I had never heard of this but it sounds excellent
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