Sunday, November 16, 2008

What I'm Reading

Ok, so I'm nearing the end of the semester which means I need to read and study even more for class and so my free reading time has been cut very short. Instead of waiting until I've finished my current pick, I'm going to give you impressions so far of a book I'm about half done with.




There was really no question whether or not I'd like this book. Sarah Vowell is one of my favorite writers and I knew that this book would probably join her others in my 'favorites' pile. While I like the topics of her books - Presidential assassinations, American History, vacation stories - the thing I love about her writing is how she tells the stories. She is someone who obviously loves history, but at the same time, she isn't afraid or ashamed to poke fun at it or fearlessly compare it to pop culture. I feel like she's someone who would join in with sarcastic under your breath remarks that I frequently make at zoos and dead Presidents' houses.

This book is about Puritans in Massachusetts in the 1600's. It's really about people that helped found our nation and have been given characterization that is completely wrong: they were incredibly intelligent people who encouraged reading and learning and founded Harvard. They were not silly but gutsy and they referred to the Pope as the Whore of Babylon.
Like her other books, this one is hilarious, informative, and does not disappoint.

I was going to include a little funny excerpt, but there's one I keep thinking about that is not funny, but is rather appropriate, I think, given recent political happenings. It's from a sermon delivered by John Winthrop during the voyage to America. Read it a couple times.


"We must delight in each other, make other's conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our community as members of the same body."

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Classics to Puke On

I, like my darling little spud of a sister, have also been reading a lot of the "Top 10 Books of the last 5 minutes" lists and the like. One of the lists I came across was "30 books to read before you turn 30" (seeing as how, after 30, you default to Danielle Steele and Nicholas Sparks). After scanning the list and realizing I had read maybe 5 of the books listed, I decided maybe I should do something about that. I've got a solid 4 years to read 25 books or so. No problem.

The first one down was "Catcher in the Rye." I have always avoided this book because I thought it was akin to "Of Mice and Men" and "Moby Dick" (which I know, I KNOW are nothing a like, other than old and classic and therefore not my cup of tea...). I also avoided it because most high schoolers have to read it, which by virtue of 'required reading' I lump into the same category as "The Power of One" and being basic craptastic reads (as in books publishers couldn't sell on the general public as decent literature and therefore pawned off on poor public school teachers who couldn't afford good books, but I digress. Also, I drink wine. Probably not the best combo when ranting about a book review. Again, regression. Lemme take another sip and I'll get right back on topic.)

4 days of metro reading later, I'm done. And all together, rather unimpressed. Given that my expectations were low, this is not a good sign. Most of the reviews I read after the fact were very split - either they loved the book or they hated it because of the cursing/sex/bad behavior/disrespect for authority/prep school hating/pick your excuse. For me, my two main issues were 1) the complete and utter lack of character growth and 2) wasting 4 days of my reading life.

I don't expect rainbows, puppies and sunshine at the end of every book; I don't even expect a positive growth in characters, but I don't think it's too much to ask for something to change someone, somewhere. We've got about 15 characters to work with and the only real change is in an 8 year old girl, who appears for about 10 pages in the whole book. The plot felt like it was building to something looming, something pressing. Instead it pulled a Palin and built a bridge to nowhere.

More disturbing now is I find this article on Wikipedia. This is what I'm afraid of. All the teenagers filled with angst, frustration with unbelievable struggles (like being a pampered white boy at a prep school, having things handed to you, etc), and general distaste for life, take this book to mean these feelings are not only valid but should be celebrated. And now murders committed with the perps citing the book as reasons or justifications for actions. This is all crazy shades of wrong.

There is much discussion about whether this will ever become a movie. I certainly hope not. I've known too many "Holdens" in my life, who thankfully, don't have the patience to read a book (i.e. this one) -- can you imagine what would happen if this made it as a book on screen? Can you imagine the non-conformist-yet-identical mobs that would herald this as the movie of their time? Punching out windows, getting all sexy, necking with girls then tossing them aside, causing general havoc? No thank you. Maybe that's why Salinger hasn't sold the rights. Or maybe he's just holding out for more money. Or maybe he's threatening to hold his breath until you give back My Foolish Heart. Whatever the reason, I'll be glad to see it never made as written.

I don't always understand why classics are classics and this is no exception. The book puts this more eloquently than I could - "don't [read] it if you don't want to puke all over yourself."