It's so nice to feel validated. I've been saying for decades I have more books than I could ever read if I stopped buying them today, which I certainly will not. It's been true ever since I started saying it but it sure as hell is true at age 65. The biggest question remaining in my life is Infinite Jest, yea or nay?
" I could grab as many helpful books as I gather in my arms, and then wait to get eaten, probably because I couldn’t defend myself with an armload of books. Let’s face it, no matter what precautionary steps I take, I’m not the kind of guy who survives a civilizational collapse. But at least I’ll die with a good book."
I have my grandmother’s antique dining cabinet filled with my father’s leather bound books. My father had a study. He was a reader. When he passed, my mother started to gather his books to donate. I couldn’t let these ones go. I was surrounded by these books as a child. They were like a nanny watching over me, always there if I needed. Comforting. I may never crack a single one of those books, but they are with me if I ever need to.
I went to USC Film School a million years ago and majored in "Filmic Writing" - at some point they realized "filmic" isn't a word and changed it to "Cinematic Writing" - and one of my writing teachers kept recommending I read The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. He really felt that book held a lot of answers for me, and I really liked the title, and during hard times in my life I think about the title of that book and go, "Boy, that guy was right, that book sums it all up for me." Pretty sure I am going to die having never read it, but it's meant a lot to me all the same. (I never went on to write anything classy like that [I presume it's classy?], but I did write some trash!)
I also have bookshelves with tons of important literature, but when it's time to read before bed, I grab a trash book. Right now, it's the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
And here I thought I was the only one who read (and loved) War Day (well, me and the guy who interviewed Strieber and Kunetka on WBAI when the book came out).
"There’s about fifteen more [books] stacked on the bottom shelf of my night table, which I pick up and put down and then forget about until such a time arises that I remember they are there."
That is literally the description of my bedside tale's bottom shelf and my interaction with it.. Literally. (Is this proper use of the word "literally?")
Alicia! I meant to write bedside TABLE, not tale. And didn't want two full stops at the end of that sentence. See what I mean? I saw that when it was too late, but betcha most people didn't notice. 😉
"Reading a book is telepathy. It’s exactly reading somebody else’s mind, which is a startling idea to consider. We don’t think of the book as a supernatural object but that’s precisely what it is, a document of a person’s thoughts frozen in time."
oh yes indeed! Reminds me of this quote from Alan Bennett:
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”
I am a big fan of Obscure and have listened to every episode of every season. Listened to Jude the Obscure twice, in fact, and it’s still my all time favorite podcast. I’ve enjoyed them all including An American Tragedy and finally even became a Patreon subscriber so I could get each episode as soon as they’re available. Thank you!
If you can't get up the gumption to dive into "The Lowland", then add Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" short stories to your collection. They are nice, and kind of sad. But nice. It's always easier for me to tackle short stories. You don't have to commit to the entire collection, and you can read as few as one story every year or two. No pressure.
It's so nice to feel validated. I've been saying for decades I have more books than I could ever read if I stopped buying them today, which I certainly will not. It's been true ever since I started saying it but it sure as hell is true at age 65. The biggest question remaining in my life is Infinite Jest, yea or nay?
Nay
" I could grab as many helpful books as I gather in my arms, and then wait to get eaten, probably because I couldn’t defend myself with an armload of books. Let’s face it, no matter what precautionary steps I take, I’m not the kind of guy who survives a civilizational collapse. But at least I’ll die with a good book."
This is my plan too!
I have my grandmother’s antique dining cabinet filled with my father’s leather bound books. My father had a study. He was a reader. When he passed, my mother started to gather his books to donate. I couldn’t let these ones go. I was surrounded by these books as a child. They were like a nanny watching over me, always there if I needed. Comforting. I may never crack a single one of those books, but they are with me if I ever need to.
We saw your library ladder, behind a piano I think, during one of your Covid livestreams. The ladder added much panache to the occasion.
“A Wrinkle In Time” turned me into a lifelong reader at an early age.
I went to USC Film School a million years ago and majored in "Filmic Writing" - at some point they realized "filmic" isn't a word and changed it to "Cinematic Writing" - and one of my writing teachers kept recommending I read The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. He really felt that book held a lot of answers for me, and I really liked the title, and during hard times in my life I think about the title of that book and go, "Boy, that guy was right, that book sums it all up for me." Pretty sure I am going to die having never read it, but it's meant a lot to me all the same. (I never went on to write anything classy like that [I presume it's classy?], but I did write some trash!)
I *love* the Obscure podcast, especially American Tragedy this season (and for the foreseeable future).
I also have bookshelves with tons of important literature, but when it's time to read before bed, I grab a trash book. Right now, it's the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
War Day! Fantastic storytelling, framed as a journalistic report. How has this never been turned into a movie? Or series?
And here I thought I was the only one who read (and loved) War Day (well, me and the guy who interviewed Strieber and Kunetka on WBAI when the book came out).
Helluva ladder, Michael.
We ran out of space for more books awhile ago, so have piles stacked up in different rooms. So thank goodness for e-readers!
I was ready to buy a house at first sight on Redfin because it had a bookshelf ladder.
"There’s about fifteen more [books] stacked on the bottom shelf of my night table, which I pick up and put down and then forget about until such a time arises that I remember they are there."
That is literally the description of my bedside tale's bottom shelf and my interaction with it.. Literally. (Is this proper use of the word "literally?")
Alicia! I meant to write bedside TABLE, not tale. And didn't want two full stops at the end of that sentence. See what I mean? I saw that when it was too late, but betcha most people didn't notice. 😉
"Reading a book is telepathy. It’s exactly reading somebody else’s mind, which is a startling idea to consider. We don’t think of the book as a supernatural object but that’s precisely what it is, a document of a person’s thoughts frozen in time."
oh yes indeed! Reminds me of this quote from Alan Bennett:
“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”
I am a big fan of Obscure and have listened to every episode of every season. Listened to Jude the Obscure twice, in fact, and it’s still my all time favorite podcast. I’ve enjoyed them all including An American Tragedy and finally even became a Patreon subscriber so I could get each episode as soon as they’re available. Thank you!
Ive never listened but the boring book selections are right on the money.
That's so nice! Thank you!!!
If you can't get up the gumption to dive into "The Lowland", then add Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" short stories to your collection. They are nice, and kind of sad. But nice. It's always easier for me to tackle short stories. You don't have to commit to the entire collection, and you can read as few as one story every year or two. No pressure.