Our family will be wrapping up the yearly Manitoba visit in another day or so. These visits tend to reignite my ambitious side, but with regards to this blog much of what I've been mulling over is almost (*sigh*) "tweetable." To wit:
The Aspirational Qualities of Bookstores: As independents are sliding into the tar-pits, I'm noticing how the power of persuasion works at me when I enter a given shop. F'rinstance, a visit to Nerman's Books & Collectibles (to be blogged-upon) generates an armload of schmutz; a visit to McNally-Robinson prompts me to purchase copies of L'Etranger (A) and Man's Search For Meaning (A), to replace (or, more accurately, supplement) the well-thumbed copies at home.
Vacational Reading: The Best Of Intentions I know some people who get a lot of reading done during their vacations. Not me. I usually take a half-dozen books with me, but I'm lucky if I finish so much as a sidebar in Entertainment Weekly. Reading requires some privacy and downtime, while family vacations require attendance and socializing. This is why I will not be among the Infinite Summer participants, even though its siren song of instant-hipster status is difficult to resist.
More anon, when the aging eagle has landed.
3 comments:
Actually, you want to read IJ on your own timetable to really enjoy it. Some parts you really want to dwell on because of what's occurring. Unlike other big books, sometimes IJ sends you off on a flurry of research within the book follow up on a hunch about a story point.
When you finally tackle it, this is a good bit of advice, including the article he links to: http://kottke.org/09/07/how-to-read-infinite-jest
I myself am finally queuing up to "Little, Big" in the next couple months.
Part of my hesitance is also due to people I know and respect who think the world of IJ, and DFW. I'd hate to find myself underwhelmed, or simply out-of-step with the book's (and novelist's) sensibilities. But, hey: we're all adults. And if you're taking on Little, Big it probably behooves me to get on the bus and take on IJ. Besides, I usually enjoyed DFW's magazine pieces.
Oh, hey, you have at least my permission to hate hate hate IJ. But, it's something to at least wade into. Like that infinite summer "how to" article says, at least slog to pg. 200. If by then you're not amused, move on. Dear God, we have stuff to do, y'know.
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