The Thirteenth Tale (and G's tongue)

I started writing about this book a few days ago and finished it just in time to include in my February count. It was good, but not great. Entertaining, but not entirely engaging. I'd say it's worth reading, but certainly not a "must-read." It's good beach or vacation read because it is well written but doesn't demand too much of its reader.

On another note, here's a picture of G's mouth. It's not the greatest picture, but it gives you some idea of what it looks like!

On the Go...

...another book. I'm not done Grapes of Wrath but I had to start another book.

I'd reserved The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ages ago. I think I was about 73rd on the waiting list. I finally got the book a week ago, and now I decided that I'd better read it before I start accumulating library fines.

It's an interesting book so far (and a little "lighter" than Steinbeck). The main character is an amateur biographer, Margaret, who is asked to write a biography for an elderly writer, Vida Winter. The problem is that over her entire career Vida Winter has been fabricating stories about her life, and Margaret is reluctant to be her next "victim." Margaret soon realizes that Vida Winter is dying and so is serious about telling the "truth" this time around--though what constitutes "truth" is somewhat negotiable. The story that she tells is mesmerizing.

The quote at the start of the book (what is the word for that?) is "taken" from one of Vida Winter's books:

All children mythologize their birth. It is a universal trait.
You want to know someone? Heart, mind and soul? Ask
him to tell you about when he was born. What you get
won't be the truth; it will be a story. And nothing is more
telling than a story.
Tales of Change and Desperation, Vida Winter

An interesting thought that intrigues me more each time I think about it. So often we tell a "story" when we have the best intentions of telling the "truth."

Currently Reading...

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

There are so many classics that I have never read. This book seemed like a good place to start. What should I read next?

Jane Austen

It used to be that if you were a Jane Austen fan you were a breed apart. There was something to set you above the average reader. Now, however, Austen enjoys a fairly high profile. With movie productions (both mainstream and otherwise) of her works and movies based on her works, Jane Austen is very much a current figure.

I take a bit of prideful pleasure is saying that my favourite Austen work is not one of the well-known pieces but is, instead, Persuasion. This short novel is one of two published posthumously (Northanger Abbey being the other). It is shorter and perhaps simpler than Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but I think Austen's ironic voice is most finely tuned in this story.

Emma and Pride and Prejudice remain my sentimental favourites (because my sister read them aloud to me so long ago), but Persuasion provides satisfaction for the critical reader in me.

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

rating: * * * * 1/2

This book was my choice for a recent book club reading. I came across this book rather randomly last year at the public library, and it very quickly became one of my favourites.

This book is a quick read. Even reading it a second time, I found it hard to put down and finished it in a matter of days. The narrative style is conversational, gentle, and deceptively simple. The story, however, is tragic and heartbreaking.

The ending seems like a let-down at first. The reader is left with a feeling of "Is that it?!" On further reflection, however, it becomes clear that no other conclusion is possible.

Instead of reflecting on the specifics of the novel right now, I think I'll wait to see what the book club has to say. Maybe I'll write about some things brought up afterwards.

One Book After Another

Well, here it is--my blog on books. Last year I made a resolution to record every book I read and give it a rating out of 5. I've kept that up quite consistently so now it's time to do something else.

I want to try to develop a more critical approach to my reading by way of occasionally formally reviewing the books. That might happen here. Check in sometimes and see what I'm reading.