As the Page Turns
I've always been an avid reader, and while I post my annual reading list at the end of each year, I rarely give thoughts about books I've read recently. As I've become attached to superb books over the past few years, I've been doing a lot of re-reading and found that my opinions change and grow considerably during the second reading of a book. I'd like to record some of my impressions, both initial and after rereading. So, onto...
1. Middlemarch by George Eliot
I'm a fan of long, detailed books about people. It's fascinating to get inside a character's head and feel like you know them by the end of the story. Middlemarch is regarded as being one of the books to do this brilliantly, so I had high expectations when I began reading it. While I enjoyed it, I'm not quite sure it lived up to what I expected to be. It's definitely detailed, but it jumped around a little too much at times. We'd meet one character, not hear from her for a couple hundred pages, and then suddenly be expected to recall all of her history and characteristics. It became a little jarring. But I did come to really like a few of the characters, there was a decent amount of plot, and it strikes me as the type of book that would be more enjoyable the second time around.
2. Crime and Punishment: A Graphic Novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, David Zane Mairowitz, and Alain Korkos
Obviously based upon the classic novel. It was one of those fun, quick reads. The storyline was thinned quite a bit, and it lacked what made the novel so special, but I expected that. The art was good - wonderfully gothic and creepy.
3. Hold Still by Nina Lacour
This is a young adult book that has been deemed poignant and thought-provoking by critics and readers. Honestly, while it was nice, I found it dry. I just couldn't care about Caitlin. I felt sorry for her, but she bored me. The tree house metaphor also felt stale. It wasn't bad, but it didn't do much for me.
4. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
I'd been wanting to read this and Sundown lent his copy to me. I was surprised that a graphic novel could contain so much depth, complexity, and detail. It was a little tough to get absorbed in, but I really came to love it. The chapter where Jon visits Mars was my favorite. It was thought-provoking, creative, and definitely worth reading.
5. The Road Not Taken and Other Poems by Robert Frost
I've never been good at trying to write about poetry. All I can say is that I absolutely adore Robert Frost. His poems are just beautiful. I've had this running through my head for quite some time:
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I've got promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
Stunning.
6. Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love by Andrew Shaffer
This looked intriguing, but I had no idea it would be so funny and informative. I was learning about philosophy and giggling while reading it, causing other patrons of the school cafeteria to give me the "that weird girl finds books amusing" stare. My favorite philosophers to read about were Ayn Rand, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It's a light, wonderfully witty book that makes "scary" subjects like history and philosophy a pleasure to read about.
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
My second time reading this. In some ways I enjoyed it more now, and in some ways it was a lot better when I plowed through it at sixteen. It's likely better now because I'm a more skilled reader, but it's the sort of book that a sixteen-year-old can find a special adoration for. The plot has its flaws, but I can't help but love Jane. The fire underneath her timid demeanor, her apt perceptions of those around her, her resilience and resolve... she's the perfect example of an amazing, well-written female character. Read her story.
8. This Boy's Life: A Memoir by Tobias Wolff
This looked like a charming telling of a fairly average kid from the 1950s and 60s. While his story was nice, what was advertised and promoted in the summary ended up feeling dry, exaggerated, and a little false. I enjoyed some of the author's stories, but some managed to be melodramatic and dull at the same time.
Whee, book love. <3