Sunday, March 16, 2008

Books I’ve read in the last two weeks.

[Yes, a lame post but a week is a long time in blogland and I’ve forgotten how/am a lazy bitch who can’t be arsed writing anything better.]

To the Is-land/An Angel at my Table/The Envoy from Mirror City (omnibus form) – Janet Frame. I sat down to read the introduction and when I looked up I was halfway through To the Is-land. It was a reread.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood. Also a reread.

In-between I’ve nibbled at The Death of Napoleon by Simon Leys, some Anne book or another, and this month’s The Monthly. Yesterday I started on The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffeneger) and I suspect that I won’t like the ending but that I’ll get there all too soon. I also suspect that I’m avoiding something. I wonder what.

In related news, while my father was here he read Seven Poor Men of Sydney (Christina Stead) which I am having a break from and which was sitting on my table when he arrived. To my surprise he seemed as beguiled by her prose as I am. I know he used to read decent stuff once but it’s been a while since I saw it. Man, it’s good to know that your old man can still get into the good shit…

3 comments:

Alexis, Baron von Harlot said...

I love the Janet Frame autobiographies. Chocolate bar wrappers and menstrual rags and the beastie dress and that bloke in Ibeza - I normally forget the details of books within three days of reading 'em, but the images from these are permanently enbrained in my noggin.

I also love The Handmaid's Tale. I would volunteer to become Margaret Atwood's scullerymaid and shoe-shiner, if I thought she'd have me. What's that line? - something like "Date rapé, sounds like a dessert."

TimT said...

I only have The Time Traveller's Wife, but still haven't got around to reading it. People keep on telling me it's worth it.

Shelley said...

Tim, I read it very quickly and finished it early this afternoon. I am now annoyed with it and wish I hadn't picked it up at all. I did enjoy it while I read it though.

Alexis, I know what you mean about Janet Frame - she just pours over you and you get wrapped up in the moments and then it's all over and all you have are fragments.
I'm not a huge fan of Margaret Atwood but Handmaid and Oryx and Crake[?] get to me. I like her projections. It is very much that line - very amusing.