I took this month’s Dark and Stormy Book Club selection, The Book Thief, with me to the beach last week. (Little light reading on WWII-era Germany for the beach, Bo? Well, yeah. I don’t have any need for reading levity on vacation. One of the best ones I ever took was a survivor’s account of her time in Jonestown.)
Anyway, despite copious intellectual respect for each of my esteemed co-hosts, I figured I’d eventually get pitched something that didn’t grab me. This was it. With the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and an appealingly-chilled Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as my companions, I was only managing ten pages at a sitting, and having to choke those down. I said “screw this,” put it back in my overnight bag, and didn’t pick it up again for the rest of the trip.
Now understand: I haven’t liked everything we’ve read, but I have found a consistently reasonable level of engagement. I thought there was plenty wrong with The Blind Assassin, but I could still turn the pages. I wasn’t getting there with this one.
So come last night, it’s 48 hours to the show, and I’m on page 33 (of 540). Worse, it’s been long enough since I read those 33 pages that I better read them again. So essentially, I started reading The Book Thief last night. Am I going to make it?
(Here—behind in my reading—I’ll confess that I find the fact that both of my co-hosts are attractive female professors equal parts titillating and terrifying.)
Sure, I’ll make it. No problem. I gritted my teeth and got a hook or two in the story, and as of this writing, I’m just past halfway through. On page 280-something, I do see what Mrs. Chili sees in this story, and I’m interested in how it ends. Initially I felt a little bad about not leaving myself much digesting room, but on the other hand, that’s part of what I can bring to the review and discussion of it as well.
“See” you tomorrow night at 8:00 CDT. Please join us.
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The main reason I have never signed on to be part of a book club sorta thing, I don’t have the dedication to read something I did not like. Take too much darn effort. More power to ya man.
Dude.
It took me a while to warm up to the book as well. After a bit, I couldn’t put it down. I think the literary “gimmick” of using Death as a sort of character/omniscient narrator put me off at first.
Buzzregog: Part of that is getting in with the right people (like US, heh). Like I said, this was the first one, and I’m not even going to include it on that list, now that I am into it. It just started badly for me. It’s acquitted itself nicely.
‘seester: Don’t “Dude” me yet! I said I was going to make it. It won’t even be close.
Gerry: That’s part of what we’ll be discussing tonight, I’m sure. I’ve made several notes in that vein.
I LOVED this story, both times I read it, and I’m really, REALLY eager to talk about it. I can’t wait!
More than two and a half hours to spare. I was never worried.
All my good intentions of participating evaporated when a friend needed a hand with something (which involved me going around with her taking some pictures for a Garden Club). It’s good for me interacting with a real live human now and again.