tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post4401951320684772153..comments2023-10-22T14:27:21.241+01:00Comments on From the Desk of Bee Drunken: It's terrible to be between booksBeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02375981493145612394noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-83614866230311349932011-02-17T00:27:00.329+00:002011-02-17T00:27:00.329+00:00Regarding the reasons of reading fiction:
Books gi...Regarding the reasons of reading fiction:<br />Books give us the power to live more than one life.<br /><br />Maybe Mr. Jacobson meant we are seekers?<br />Only the self complacent think they already know all the answers.Merisihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16781937797213521146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-89581820250770989762011-02-17T00:20:09.725+00:002011-02-17T00:20:09.725+00:00Oh, that is such a touching post, for more than on...Oh, that is such a touching post, for more than one reason! <br /><br />"It's terrible to be between books" says so much more than just the stated fact. When somebody expresses a feeling that one has felt with ever having done so consciously, and suddenly there it is, put into words, what better proof of a relationship that goes beyond the ordinary, be it love or be it friendship, or both? I have to read Cathleen Schine's book!<br /><br />And you read "The Group", one of my favorite books ever! Would you believe that one of my daughters is reading - and loving it! - right now? It is one of my most precious experience as a reader when my children read the books I read when I was their age. My youngest went through my library shelves a few days ago and we chose together a stack of books she plans on reading. For some strange reason, I never thought that one day I would go through my books with my children. I collected them for my own pleasure, to have them at my disposal whenever the desire struck to go back and read a passage again (I am known for having read many of my books more than once). <br /><br />Thank you for this wonderful post, I shall come back to it! I have to think about Howard Jacobson's remark, it is so intriguing. <br /><br />Btw. when I am a bit down in the dumps, I am unable to read fiction. only poetry and non-fiction books.Merisihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16781937797213521146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-44364135789372508702011-02-14T20:00:19.336+00:002011-02-14T20:00:19.336+00:00I love Goodreads. It is one of the few sites that...I love Goodreads. It is one of the few sites that I open up every single morning. I store all of my book history and recommendations there and I think it is a brilliant site.<br /><br />That is quite a strange thing for an author to say but I've not been able to disprove it by looking at my own reading habits. Certainly, I like to read a lot of historical non-fiction and that is based on understanding the past so that I influence the future. But in the event that I ever was of any influence, I would see that as my gratest achievement, not failure!Mandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11931248631361366673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-48049161580898770562011-02-09T16:27:48.060+00:002011-02-09T16:27:48.060+00:00I keep a journal of books I read and have begun, b...I keep a journal of books I read and have begun, besides writing down the title and author, writing a short synopsis as I find my aging gray matter can't remember a thing about the book soon after I finish them.<br /><br />Thanks for the list here...I've read a couple but many are new to me. I'm reading a fascinating book right now...On Gold Mountain by Lisa See, autobiographical work of her Chinese/American family.<br /><br />HAPPY to see signs of spring here!!<br /><br />x..xStephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08163848048048193138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-48361301058843114792011-02-06T07:30:53.902+00:002011-02-06T07:30:53.902+00:00Bee, I haven't forgotten your 'image reque...Bee, I haven't forgotten your 'image request'. It will be up after the present post!herhimnbrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01182397064631016552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-30774610448633483812011-02-04T07:31:21.704+00:002011-02-04T07:31:21.704+00:00I'm still in only partial recovery from A.S. B...I'm still in only partial recovery from A.S. Byatt's 'The Children's Book'. Nothing has managed to top it during the past year. I too always have a book on the go - generally several - but 'TCB' has cast a long shadow!Dickhttp://patteran.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-7505670066355742452011-02-02T03:38:58.035+00:002011-02-02T03:38:58.035+00:00It's an interesting idea that readers are fail...It's an interesting idea that readers are failures who want to live in a more ideal world -- or at least a different world. Perhaps a more simplified world. After all, no writers world could be as complex as the one that faces us each day when we wake up. I do think when I write (I write about myself or my world) that I have idealized it and streamlined it for the reader. I have eliminated all the boring and extraneous details and omitted the really ugly or embarrassing bits or the ones that might offend friends and family. So in that sense I guess I am hiding the failure of reality.20th Century Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11432147267959308192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-20630394939658619562011-01-31T17:05:27.868+00:002011-01-31T17:05:27.868+00:00I recently read The Help for the second time and e...I recently read The Help for the second time and enjoyed it all over again. And like you, I read so much that I forget plots a short time after putting the book down and diving into another. I always try to time completion of a book club selection no more that a day or two prior to the meeting.Merihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07024443046207501650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-46003981217121637972011-01-27T13:53:59.691+00:002011-01-27T13:53:59.691+00:00book is a broad picture of the world, if people kn...book is a broad picture of the world, if people know the book so familiar he is the person who has held the world. and the need to remember that inspiration sometimes comes from a book that is old. which although is old but very useful largeyumanthttp://www.yumantoko.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-19540037404683652022011-01-26T13:34:01.162+00:002011-01-26T13:34:01.162+00:00Hello - came by from Pamela and Edward's blog....Hello - came by from Pamela and Edward's blog. :)<br /><br />Failures at life - that's a bit harsh, isn't it?! I think books, like art and music, have the power to make you live a rich life, filled with soaring emotion, that help you know how it is to be human, to live as humans.Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11309191526500602452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-7421435327770295872011-01-25T22:53:48.887+00:002011-01-25T22:53:48.887+00:00Have we ever said before how much we adore (I do!)...Have we ever said before how much we adore (I do!) Cathleen Schine? Rameau's Niece... sigh of love. I was so sad when someone told me she and David Denby of the New Yorker had divorced.Kristen In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03812033421757298431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-56382364271684956892011-01-25T03:09:31.529+00:002011-01-25T03:09:31.529+00:00i wish i was a resident of the uk. i would come an...i wish i was a resident of the uk. i would come and see you, all of the time. and bring cookies. : )<br />XOchristinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15541888793748453425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-52855998135079196522011-01-24T12:51:18.858+00:002011-01-24T12:51:18.858+00:00Oh yes I meant to say that there's no problem ...Oh yes I meant to say that there's no problem with listening to BBC radio abroad, it's only the telly that doesn't work, same as you don't need a licence for radio!Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-8667906409627535242011-01-23T17:54:26.402+00:002011-01-23T17:54:26.402+00:00It's funny you just posted about missing books...It's funny you just posted about missing books as if you had left a place... I've just posted about Riven, a computer game which I also feel homesick for when I finish it.Marchelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11201825708442679157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-87522531041344488962011-01-22T22:22:13.060+00:002011-01-22T22:22:13.060+00:00Hi Bee,
Just for your info. You don't have to ...Hi Bee,<br />Just for your info. You don't have to be a uk resident or pay the fee to hear any bbc radio! I listen to radio3, 4 and 7 here in Australia. I also download free podcasts of programmes from these sites too.<br /><br />I have started this year to keep track of my reading. I seem to read more in the hot months, when I can't cope with the heat!<br /><br />I am on the 3rd book of the Millenium trilogy now, 'The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's nest'. This is NOT the sort of tale I would normally read( quite gruesome, in places and somewhat confronting). However, I cannot put the book down and read 200 pages in the first day.herhimnbrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01182397064631016552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-8091359243062846572011-01-22T21:17:34.678+00:002011-01-22T21:17:34.678+00:00howard jacobson's comment about writers being ...howard jacobson's comment about writers being failures at life is provocative indeed. he got the audience's attention, that's for sure!<br /><br />oh such good questions........do i read more when i'm depressed ---- do i prefer books to real life? much food for thought here, bee. <br /><br />must give this goodreads a look-see~Amanda Summerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00942636545948440422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-57175221275470980882011-01-22T20:05:24.138+00:002011-01-22T20:05:24.138+00:00Bee, you write so beautifully :)
I love visiting y...Bee, you write so beautifully :)<br />I love visiting you.<br /><br />I dove into my kindle immediately on reading the quote from the Love Letter... but sadly it doesn't exist in kindle form. But The Three Weissmanns of Westport does, also by Schine :)<br /><br />The SAD poem is spot on too... why oh why do the clouds gather for us, year upon year? But Dad always reminds me that Jan is for snowdrops and aconites too...Shaistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00259344471712162333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-74095104084121297762011-01-22T15:03:58.689+00:002011-01-22T15:03:58.689+00:00I like ArtSparker's comment.
Howard Jacobson ...I like ArtSparker's comment.<br /><br />Howard Jacobson is most certainly not daft, and it's a very characteristic thing of him to say, to shock people a little, and make them look again at why and how they read (with quite a big element of performative utterance involved too, I think!). Evidently it's worked if the response provoked here is anything to go by.<br /><br />But if we who read are the failures, who are the successes, if there are any, and would we want to be among them?<br /><br />I wish I could be between books more often, like I wish I could be bored with nothing to do; mostly books and life are piling up waiting to be attended to (like the e-mail I owe you, which I haven't forgotten about but I want to do it justice!). But that feeling of bereavement is to be treasured, I think, and sat with for a time, as it means one really has been possessed by a good book.<br /><br />I too find I am reading less fiction. It's partly because much I seem to be sticking on suspension of disbelief more and more; even well-written novels I love often annoy a bit these days because I find myself taking issue with the premises on which their narratives are built. But also I think I'm not sure I want to get caught up with stories when there's so much in the way of poetry and history and ideas and suchlike which I need to find out about; there's still so much to learn...<br /><br />I will check out goodreads, but I too fear another internet habit.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-10859168452449620212011-01-20T21:34:40.067+00:002011-01-20T21:34:40.067+00:00Wow, what an interesting remark ... I liked Sarah ...Wow, what an interesting remark ... I liked Sarah Laurence's take on it! :-)<br />I always feel a sense of loss when I finish a book .... unless there is a sequel! :-)Kelly H-Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07324529762031928328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-52059356547908813072011-01-20T19:41:37.266+00:002011-01-20T19:41:37.266+00:00One of the things I'm really enjoying about Go...One of the things I'm really enjoying about Goodreads is the ability to "talk" with my friends about the books we're reading.lisahgoldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11158660223296807317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-48336502082097267802011-01-20T18:23:17.221+00:002011-01-20T18:23:17.221+00:00Great quote Bee!
I always listen to Bookclub and ...Great quote Bee!<br /><br />I always listen to Bookclub and remember the Howard Jacobson interview. It does seem a very strange thing for an author to say, alienating his audience and in doing so, biting the hand that feeds him! <br /><br />I often have two or even three books on the go but this year I'm limiting myself to one at a time in order to immerse myself fully. Does that make me a failure? I think not!<br /><br />A thought-provoking post. I'm talking about books over at mine at the moment too.<br /><br />I loved The Priory.<br /><br />Jeanne<br />xReading Tea Leaveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16928999793157507134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-18479126120392690402011-01-20T18:15:06.082+00:002011-01-20T18:15:06.082+00:00Nothing wrong with escaping to or exlporing anothe...Nothing wrong with escaping to or exlporing another world provided you don't entirely opt out of this one. I think it is utterly daft to suggest that readers are failing at life and so seeking refuge. Mind you, I freely admit to seeking refuge in a good book and the way it can transport you to another time, another place, introduce you to new people. Its better than resorting to excessive drink. But I return, refreshed, sometimes even inspired, to "real" life. Read on, I say! I will save your list because rather wonderfully I haven't read any of them!Janet/Plantaliscioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605580157193047780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-13058219232604283122011-01-20T16:32:13.256+00:002011-01-20T16:32:13.256+00:00Hmmmmm . . . as a reader and a writer, I think my ...Hmmmmm . . . as a reader and a writer, I think my motivations to read are quite different from my motivations to write. None involve failure, really, so i find Jacobson's comment interesting. I certainly have times when I feel like I'm failing at life, but sitting down to write (or read) doesn't improve or change that feeling one bit! :)<br /><br />When I ask a classroom of students why people read, the first answer is nearly always, "to escape." That strikes me as odd, for reading has never felt like an escape to me. It is a part of my imaginative reality, which is very much a part of my everyday life. Perhaps I am just mad! <br /><br />Like you, I read even more in the winter. I think it has something to do with everyday realities like being inside more and fewer hours of sunlight. <br /><br />I love your observation about books beginning with "The." I haven't joined goodreads yet because I fear another internet habit, but now I think I must make a list of recent favorites and see how many begin with "The"!<br /><br />Thank you for this post, Bee. It's just what I needed today. xo GigiGigi Thibodeauhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-16115852603205043562011-01-20T14:44:07.349+00:002011-01-20T14:44:07.349+00:00Bee, fabulous, fabulous post!
I'm often very...Bee, fabulous, fabulous post! <br /><br />I'm often very briefly between books. It's self-imposed. I feel that "divorced" feeling for a short time after a book ends, and I'm not yet ready to let go of the characters' lives I've just been such a part of. I felt it most keenly recently with The Help and Little Bee. So I give myself a day or two for the dust to settle before beginning another adventure.Peggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16989657639921973211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484915268092812945.post-58183327238757960092011-01-20T01:47:19.244+00:002011-01-20T01:47:19.244+00:00Hello Bee
I will have to give Good Reads a look. ...Hello Bee<br /><br />I will have to give Good Reads a look. I like your book list and thank you for sharing with your readers.<br /><br />I love books and I have them in everyroom in my home--my family thinks I am crazy!<br /><br />Take-Care<br /><br />Best<br />Tracy :)Tracy Golightly-Garciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07409307445856582227noreply@blogger.com