Books

Not because Oprah told me to . . . but just because it's been on my list for years and I fell upon an affordable second-hand copy at Rags of Time bookstore . . . I've started to read Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. I'm 63 pages in and unable to stop reading when I pick it up so I try to only pick it up at night when I'm in bed and hopefully tired enough that I won't read all night. This is no relaxing piece of mindless fluff. It's tough, a lot going on, very complicated. But what's interesting is that he's done exactly what I've been trying to do with my own novel . . . which is why I had to endure eyes glazing over and unbearable comments like, "I really like the boy, but where did he go? Is he going to be in the story again? Is he Callum's son?" It's complicated :-) Anyway, Faulkner uses repetition and some italics (though not a lot and not in every instance) to help readers slip in and out of time with him. When you add in phonetic spellings to capture the essence of the south and what seems to be a complicated plot purposely blurred so as to not let the cat out of the bag all at once . . . you don't come out the other end with an easy read. But why should reading be easy? Isn't it more entertaining and stimulating to be challenged by what we read? I think so. But still readers have to be able to follow you, you've got to leave some sort of trail of breadcrumbs no matter how faint. And they have to want to follow you, the characters and story have to be compelling. I may learn more from reading this book than I have all year in workshops . . . and it only cost me five bucks.

Another book I bought on Saturday at the used bookstore was The Lost and Found Stories of Morley Callaghan, 1985, hardcover, 1st edition, still in the Coles shrinkwrap. What a find! Very cool. Of course, I don't care about keeping it untouched, I intend to read it. But still, it's in mint condition and will be a nice addition to my bookcase (which I'm slowly but surely getting organised). Going through the books, I see that there are many I've brought with me that I have no idea why. I may do another purge and see if the secondhand bookstore wants to buy them from me or sell them on consignment. I also noticed at the video store that they do trade and save on dvds. I may purge some there as well. Going through my movies the other night to pick something to watch with Jenn and Jason I was surprised by how uninspired I was by many of the titles. I should just keep the really good stuff and get rid of the rest to make room for more really good stuff.