I only read 4 books in October, which is probably my my average. Of course I had to read another David Mitchell book, or two actually, Number 9 Dream and Cloud Atlas (probably is most famous?). Anyway I loved them both, of course. One thing I really appreciate about David Mitchell's writing is how he can switch from being deeply moving to being pretty funny so seamlessly, without losing any depth. Eleanor & Park was something I picked up without knowing anything about it, only that a lot of people seemed to be reading it. I enjoyed it but by the middle the constant teenage over reacting to everything got a bit tiresome. I didn't find the end as devastating as some people seemed to, I actually thought it was a perfect way to end it. The Picture of Dorian Gray was what we read in my book club. The writing is witty and snappy, it was completely enjoyable to read, but the story left me feeling a sense of despair and emptiness, which I think was completely the point! I wasn't totally in the mood for it though, which I think made reading it slightly more of a chore than it normally would have been.
Did you read anything good in October?
I'm reading Tam Lin by Pamela Dean, and it's awesome! I also just finished the last book in the Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman. (I was on the fence about the first two books in that series, but liked the second better than the first and the third most of all.) Cloud Atlas is amazing! I haven't read Number 9 Dream yet.
ReplyDeleteHave you read any Eva Ibbotson? Her novels are so smart and well-written, and they always leave me with the feeling that no matter how bad things seem, there *are* things (friendship, love, art) that weigh in the balance against despair and evil. And while her endings are happy, they're never sentimental or cloying. Her characters have to deal with dark things (loss, abandonment, Nazis) and their happiness is hard-won.
I didn't realize The Magicians was a trilogy. I have to say, I didn't care for the first one. Interesting to know they get better as they go along! Maybe I'll try to get the others on audio.
DeleteI haven't read of Eva Ibbotson, I'll look into her books:)
Yeah, I also didn't like the first book. It felt very shallow, like it didn't go much beyond the marketing logline: "Harry Potter! With swearing! And sex!" Okay, but I still need characters that I can care about, and I didn't feel like I got that. In fact I kind of despised everyone, including the main character. But that changes in the second book, and that was enough to keep me going through the third book--I'm glad I stuck with it, b/c the whole thing comes together into something rich and strange. Anyway. If you look into Eva Ibbotson, maybe try "The Morning Gift" or "A Company of Swans" first. They're all wonderful, though. (Ignore the terrible covers! Her American publisher recently re-issued all of her adult books, which is cool, but the covers are truly awful.)
DeleteHa, that's exactly how I felt at the end of the first one! Okay, I'll definitely try to finish the series then.
DeleteI read more than I usually do in a month (I'm a fairly slow reader, for an English major (*yipe*) but I got through 3 books in October. The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes), which was beautiful and heartbreaking; Goodnight June, which was awful and trite; and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, which was a wonderful way to end October.
ReplyDeleteOh funny, I just finished yet another David Mitchell book (Black Swan Green) and he references Le Grand Meaulnes! I've never heard of it but it's on my "want to read" list now.
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