It's tough to find a book you connect with deeply, and that usually doesn't happen browsing the bookshelves of Indigo. Most often, they're found in recommendations from good friends, shared in book lists, passed down from family libraries. And lately, I've been finding my reading mojo is back, and I've found it in books that aren't my cultural vegetables—books that are off the beaten track, or purely fun reads, or non-fiction. Here, a selection of the books that have been flying off my nightstand the past month.
Caste Marks: Style and Status in the USA – Paul Fussell
Easily one of the most entertaining and enlightening books I've ever read. Fussell critically eyes the the American class system, dissolving any notions of money as the sole difference between social strata. With chapters focused on how class is represented in dress, housing, cars and culture, certain themes emerge about each level of class—how the lowest of low and the out-of-sight uppers are more alike than any other, or how the middle class is defined by anxiety. And I found the tone of the work deliciously merciless, as Fussell has an incisive, gleeful, decidedly British way with words that dances circles around social cues usually left unsaid. After reading this, I am doubly excited to visit Disneyworld in the fall with my ride-or-die ho (and lender of this book), Gillian.
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This was a fun read, and I blasted through this series of short stories in two days. Fey's background in comedy is evident, her prose filled with quick asides and puns, not all of which succeed on their own but work towards crafting her charming persona. And I found this book REALLY charming—rather than write her idealized story, Fey presents herself flaws and all. I liked that she felt like a real person, a person who does selfish things sometimes, and whose teenage years were too dorky to have sex or take drugs, and who still gets scared in the same fundamental way everyone gets scared: am I good enough? She glazes over all the boring stuff, like having a baby and falling in love, and instead goes for the guts of what has made her so likable over the years—she's a self-depricating geek who loves what she does, and her success story feels like a win for the little guy.
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So I guess I lied about avoiding classics. This slim orange paperback was given to me by my friend Laura Jane, an extra copy of one of her favourite books that she'd been waiting to give to the right person. And I am too grateful that I was deemed worthy—this little novella really shows a true master at work. Finely realized in tightly tuned prose, Salinger wraps you up in Buddy's world, all summer heat and constricted ribs and strange passengers together enroute somewhere. It feels effortless and focused at the same time, and has the heft of a thorough backstory without overexposure. All of the characters feel so real, established in little asides and a very visual sense of telling. And boy, can Salinger turn a phrase, writing lines that tumble enticingly over and over in your brain. I have yet to read the second novella, Seymour: An Introduction, but I found Raise High to be so perfect on its own that I wanted to give it some space to breathe.
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On Writing – Stephen King
Wow, I like this guy. I mean, I've never been a huge fan of King's work, but the few novels I've read have always been the best types of thrilling, can't-put-it-down summer reads. But man, On Writing has changed that for me. His memoir on the craft serves as an autobiography and master class on writing well, complete with grammar lesson and his tricks of the trade. His voice is not that of an expert, but of a fan of the written word who is just sharing what's worked for him. He is encouraging, helpful and concise, cutting to the heart of what's bad and what works, and offering seeds of advice for finding your story, characters and audience.
Before all of that though, King writes about his life—his love of B movies, his humble beginnings with his brother's newspaper, his terrible jobs as a broke newlywed, his devotion to his wife. And about his demons, addictions that threatened to tear his family and his writing apart (when he mentioned how he didn't realize he had written The Shining about himself, or that Annie Wilkes was alcohol and drugs, keeping him as her "pet writer", I couldn't help but shiver). King approaches this with no kid gloves and thankfully, only the detail needed to make you feel how tenuous it is—the balance between life and work, and how fear can take root and poison what's good in your life. It's a highly inspiring read from a man at the top of his game, and I strongly urge all you writers (and other creatives) to give it a read.*
What next on my reading list? Well, I've got a copy of The Handmade Marketplace that I think will help with a little project I'm working on, and I've still got Seymour to read. The next two on my library list are Valley of the Dolls and I Don't Mean to be Rude, but..., Simon Cowell's autobiography. And I'd like to start working my way through King's novels, especially The Shining. But really, the best part has been having the pressure off, reading things that inspire me and delight me, and feeling the escapist power of the page again. It's a good feeling, and it's just in time for a long, hot summer.
*May I also recommend you read the edition of On Writing I've posted here, the tenth anniversary edition. It's such a treat to find a book that has been laid out with a comfortable reading experience in mind, and I've found this one to be really great—wide margins, generous line spacing and the perfect size for a purse.
I looooooved "The Shining." It was the first Stephen King book I actually read, and at the time, I was a) extremely skeptical that a book could be scary and b) convinced that Stephen King was probably an overrated hack. I was basically wrong (and a little judgmental, but that's nothing new). I read it primarily before bed while I was still living alone, and brother, let me tell you: That book is SCARY. Scary in parts that shouldn't be scary at all, like a kid imagining being chased by a shrub trimmed like a lion. I legitimately had to put it down some nights because I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep if I kept reading.
ReplyDeleteI think his biggest (and most bankable) strength, aside from being able to create some truly creepy scenarios, is being able to write kids that are actually relatable to adults. When I read the first part of "It," where a little boy has to go down to his basement, it totally brought back some early memories of being a small, very skiddish child.
I'd definitely recommend "Misery" and "Gerald's Game," (one of his only novels that's never been made into a movie, FACT) too.
Sorry for the long post... I just really enjoy Stephen King :)
I've never been happier to be called someone's ride or die ho. I will reread before the trip for optimal class goggles.
ReplyDeleteI've read Misery and thought it was awesome. I think the only other one I've read was Bag of Bones, which was also so good and creepy. Daniel has a copy of The Shining, and I'm SO starting it next.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you guys are my #bitches4life