The impetus for me to write on my blog is often one of my sisters complaining about my lack of changing it. Thank you, Jeanne, for pushing me. I really should have been writing more. I've been to Michigan and back, went wine tasting with Russ in Paso Robles (so much fun), went to Hanford all since my last post but for some reason I just didn't feel like writing about all of that. It may be because I have been more engrossed in one of the best books I have ever read than in what I am actually doing.
I had bought "The Brothers K" months ago, wanting to choose it for book club. But when I saw it was 645 pages long I figured it might be a little difficult to finish in the 5-6 weeks that we have in between meetings. I instead chose "The River Why", an earlier book written by David James Duncan. It was a fabulous read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I still had "The Brothers K" to get through. I picked it up a couple of times this summer but put it back down again. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the beginning, I just wasn't ready to read it.
And what I mean by ready to read it is this: You cannot snack on this book. It is a meaty, full meal that needs to be chewed on in order to swallow what it is all about. Every word, sentence, paragraph, chapter is necessary to the telling of this story of the Chance family. Frankly, it is an incredible, epic piece of work that I would recommend to everyone to read.
Now, if you are not in a stage of life where you can sit down and commit yourself to 645 pages of meat and potatoes, then don't bother. Someday, but not now, you will want to read it (I think I'm talking to all you new moms out there.)
However, if you have been looking for a book that you can lose yourself in, laugh out loud at, cry in other parts, relate to the characters and can admire each and every sentence for how perfectly it has been constructed then pick up this book and don't put it down.
If any of you read this book and you don't like it, I really don't want to hear about it. It just means you didn't get it. Sorry. But its true. You just don't get it.
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2 comments:
Don't know if I'll ever read it, Joyce, but you never know! But Desert Christian has it on their list for I believe our junior or senior English class. I'll have to get you in touch with Cathy Simon, one of our English teachers, who I'm sure would love (and agree with) what you said about The Brothers K.:-) Actually, check with Mark and Kara and see if they had to read it (I think Mark for sure did).
Happy reading!!
Jeanne
I'm currently reading The River Why and really enjoying it. But you're right... being a new mom again means I won't be starting that any time soon... I can hardly even finish The River Why, not because I'm not enjoying it, but I've lost all that extra time I used to have! Maybe next year. :0)
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