So this is supposed to be about the how, and when, and why, and what of reading -- about the way that, when reading is going well, one book leads to another and to another, a paper trail of theme and meaning; and how when it's going badly, when books don't stick or take, when your mood and the mood of the book are fighting like cats, you'd rather do anything bu attempt the next paragraph, or reread the last one for the tenth time.
-- The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
Now, that's an opening sentence! Part of me (the Junior High English class dork part) wants to diagram it.
This is a collection of essays -- the first of three volumes -- that Hornby wrote for The Believer magazine, described on the cover as, "A hilarious and true account of one man's struggle with the monthly tide is the books he's bought and the books he's been meaning to read." It's the famous person's version of a book blog.
This was a good read - enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sentence period! I had to laugh. I'll have to look this up!
ReplyDeleteJoAnn -- Did you read all three of them? I am enjoying this one tremendously, but I wonder if he can keep it up for three volumes.
ReplyDeleteSharon -- Hornby is funny. And he makes a good case for the value of humor in literature. Good stuff.
I will have to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Mysteries of Pittsburgh, I wanted to go through and make all the sentences shorter. :)
The Polysyllabic Spree is the only one I've read, but I'd really like to take a look a the others.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one. I liked his chatty style that wandered from topic to topic, book to book. I have the other two here, and I may even get to them this year. :-)
ReplyDeleteLezlie
Wow. just, wow. Love it. Mood and the mood of the book fighting like cats- great!
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