It did not start out that way, let me tell you! First, summer just sort of LANDED!!!!!!!! Here we were, getting a Spring that really seemed more like Winter, with a few hit and miss warm days thrown in. Then the temperature goes up, and so do artistic temperaments, let me tell you!!!!!!!! So I picked up from my reading pile, the next item to be read, which was "Clockers" by Richard Price, which I think was made into a movie, but I never saw it. Anyway, I had loved his widely acclaimed novel, "Lush Life," so I thought, goody, more of Richard Price, a writer whose work I wanted to follow.
Well, after about two days, darlings, I hit a snag. I knew that this book was NOT doing it for me. After getting through one fifth of it, I realized it was more effort than pleasure--a red flag. Even though more difficult, Proust and Pynchon offer more pleasure. The structure of the book--the street cops of an inner city vs. the crack dealers was dull and repetitive--one chapter good guys, the other bad. No variations whatsoever. The language was so street scrip I needed a glossary, or a cop who had worked this beat to steer me through it. I had no idea where he was going with the story; it just seemed like two disjointed stories having been strung together. What a disappointment, Richard!!!!! Not only do I know you can do better, it does not make me want to tackle any more of your books. Maybe I will change my mind, but that is it for now, honey!!!!!!!!!
When this occasionally happens, as it does, I know now what to do. Cut your losses, because life is too short--and getting shorter. There are plenty of book out there. But which one? In this situation, I head for the nearest bookstore, and find something I have been meaning to read, but have not purchased yet. On Friday, when all this went down, that turned out to be "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett, which I am already halfway through. It has a compelling story, interesting characters, and while the writing style may not have the lyricism of the great Southern writers, its story is clear and distinctive, without being an insult to one's intelligence. That is when the idea hit me.
As all my girls know, two weeks from today, I take off to the Big Easy--New Orleans, Louisiana. Last trip down, I appropriately read "A Confederacy Of Dunces," John Kennedy Toole's posthumous work, which some feel (but I don't) is a masterpiece. Like "The Mists Of Avalon," I had tried three times over the years since it first appeared to get through it, but simply could not. I figured maybe reading it in its actual locale might help, and that turned out to be the charmer. Not only did I finish it, I could appreciate it for what it was, and mourn the loss of Toole, whose death cut short a promising future. 'Confederacy' now stands as his work, but he may have produced others that went beyond it. Like John Irving. While many may feel 'Garp' is his signature book, to me his BEST was and will always be, "A Prayer For Owen Meany."
So I knew, with this trip coming up, I needed to take something with me, and two titles, which I have read many times but are still old favorites, came to mind.
"The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice and "Gone With The Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.
The first begins the chronicle of the Mayfair Witches. It is not only the best of the trilogy (the other two works being "Lasher" and "Taltos,") it is, for my money, the best thing Anne Rice ever wrote. If she had gone on to write as many Mayfair books as she did the vampires, or even more, I would have been a lot happier, and Anne might still have the career she once had. So "The Witching Hour" it is. Fifteen years ago, my friend Tom read it, while I read 'Confederacy'. I am glad a tradition of sorts is being maintained.
As for "Gone With The Wind," what can I say???? The title alone evokes SO much. BUT June 30 of this year marks the Diamond (75 years) Anniversary of the novel's publication, which means it is sort of in the public eye again, what with parties and fests throughout the South, Atlanta especially, in its honor. Even if the NOLA trip were not pending, I still think I would be compelled to reread this at this time. It will be my 10th reading of it, since the first, back in 1968. That is over a period of 43 years, which averages out a reading every 4.3 years. Guess it is time again, for a visit to Tara.
So with all the hunger for Southern cuisine and ice tea that "The Help" and my upcoming trip is evoking, is it any wonder this will turn out to be a Southern summer????? It has been awhile, anyways!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, y'all hush yo' mouths, and get readin', heah?
No comments:
Post a Comment