Engulfed and Embraced by a Book

Magazines all too frequently lead to books and should be regarded by the prudent as the heavy petting of literature.                                              Fran Lebowitz

I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed-reading accident. I hit a bookmark.             Steven  Wright

I actually feel sorry for people who don't like to read. As my own sainted mother used to say, "I don't know what I'd do with out my books," and I quite agree. She loved a good book more than just about anything and when she read a book she particularly loved she often would start it all over again after she finished the first time. I know she did this with Charles Frazier's  Cold Mountain, so I forced myself to read the entire book even though it was grim, grimmer and grimmest. Happily my son gave me Charles Frazier's Nightwoods  and it was excellent. Dark but not grim. I hate unrelenting grim. I've been caught up in a good string of books lately. I know that with some in put this can continue. So, I want to know your four favorite books and why they are your favorites. OK, two favorites...

She is too fond of books, it has turned her brain.     Louisa May Alcott

I have this rule about books that I might have shared before: if I've read around 100 pages and believe if I lost the book that I wouldn't care, I won't finish it. I abhor being trapped between the pages of a book whose characters I can't admire in some way. Why have the thoughts of awful people in your head? For me, there has to be an element of love or respect, or again, why bother. These characters in my books may even have grotesque flaws-- like the ones in the last book I finished, Heft  by Liz Moore. One of the main characters was almost agoraphobic and grossly obese, the other was a teenager stuck with an alcoholic mother. I grew to loved them and Liz Moore's writing. I actually missed the characters when the book ended, gold standard for me of a good book.

Am I simplistic in my thinking that if everyone read good literature we'd have a smarter, more compassionate world? I know that there's lots of trash out there but at least people would be thinking if they were reading. At this point most households are viewing and not living their lives, or worse they're living other's lives. Isn't that the fascination with "reality TV?" What a marvellous scam! First of all they don't even pay the participants and then somehow they con huge numbers of people to view this nonsenses...

When all the while, hidden in the recesses of libraries [thank you, thank you Andrew Carnegie] and bookstores all over this land are treasures waiting to be discovered. Batteries not necessary, electricity need only after sunset. As Tex said, "sober, bored and thirsty, are three of my biggest fears," if he had the right books he would never suffer from boredom. One fear solved forever.

Speaking of never suffering from boredom, once when I was visiting Mom in Milwaukee, we went into a bookstore and there on display were books that had been marked down. Among the books was a trilogy by Mom's favorite author, Robertson Davies, the price slashed by two thirds. Mom said, "look at that! That marvellous author being marked down like that!" and she went over and raised a fuss with the owner---"how dare you do that, this is one of our best living authors today!" she said. I was laughing though somewhat embarrassed and hustled her out of there fast. But it still tickles me to think of Mom doing battle with a bookstore owner for Robertson Davies' honor. It's got to be what's bred in the bone...

In the Aerie, a favorite chair, a treasured book.

susansmagicfeather copyright 2012 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved