Wednesday, July 8, 2009

reading rainbow


i am reading the most delightful book right now, called "the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society." most of you have probably read it already, as i am traditionally behind the curve on things like this, but if you haven't read it i recommend that you stop whatever it is that you are doing right now (unless the thing you are doing is rewatching highlights of the michael jackson memorial) and go out and get the book and start reading it post haste.


i'll wait.


i'm not going to give you a book report, but i am going to tell you three things this book has made me think about.


1. i miss writing (and receiving) letters. the book is written as a series of correspondence and there is something really charming about it. i am going to start writing more letters. and i am going to make them charming. you might be lucky enough to get one.


2. sometimes, i really, really wish i was british.


3. when it comes to really good books, i can't resist skipping ahead. i don't have a clear memory of whether this has always been the case, but it is certainly the case now. i have already read the last 10 pages of "the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society" and i still have a third of the book to go. i am not sure from whence this compulsion comes, especially since i don't have it about anything else. in fact, i would say that i love surprises. like, really a lot. (unless they are surprises like, "oh, your car got towed!" or "oh, the person you love is getting married!" or "oh, did no one tell you it was the end of the world?" those are bad surprises.) but when it comes to good books (and "battlestar galactica") i just can't stand the suspense. i want to know what happens, or at least some of what happens, now.


knowing how (most) things come out in the end has not at all dampened my enjoyment of the book (in fact, it might have increased it, because i am not rushing to the end to find out what the end is), so i am choosing not to see this impatience as a serious character flaw.


but it might be.


what do you think?


5 comments:

Lacey said...

I think that the only word I can think of to describe Guernsey is lovely. And I'm glad to know that your knowing the end hasn't dampened your enjoyment of the book at all.

Naomi said...

Since reading the book, I have sincerely wished that the characters were my actual friends.

Natalie said...

i read the end of books a lot. if I don't, i'll race through the book and forget what i'm reading, just to get to the end. glad there are others like me!

Abby said...

I always have the urge to read the end but I never do. I should because I do tend to skim just to find out what will happen. I am going to try this in my next book.

Also, as I spent a week with my grandfather in the ICU this week, he received about two cards a day from his friends. I was very touched. I realized that I am more prone to write an email when I am thinking of someone. It is so much more meaningful to receive snail mail.

susan said...

i love skipping to the end too! I almost always do.