I consider myself a reader. I love to read. But I have a problem finishing books; sometimes I think I enjoy reading just for reading's sake. I usually have a large stack(s) of books next to my bed. I read a quarter to a half of a book and then get a craving for a new book and forget the old one. I have finished many books, but I've started and never completed many many more. Some think this is crazy, but my mood constantly changes with respect to books. Some books are better read in the summer, some in the winter, some when its raining, and some when its sunny.
But not so in Kathmandu! There are a few books that I have always wanted to read, but in the back of my mind I knew I never would because they are loooong (at least I think so). Two of those books I brought with me. East of Eden by John Steinbeck and War and Peace by Count Leo Tolstoy. I've always had a "thing" for Russian literature. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekov, and Gogol to name a few. I highly recommend "Dead Souls" by Gogol because its my kind of book. Nobody has ever finished it because Gogol never finished it!
Steinbeck has also always been one of my favorites. For those that have never read anything by him, read something! Anything! You won't regret it.
I finished East of Eden not long after arriving in KTM. It was excellent. It was a retelling of the story and Adam and Even and Cain and Abel. Good stuff.
War and Peace, however, will take me considerably longer to finish. Nearly 1200 pages and its not exactly a "fast read." On the contrary. With over 500 characters, half the time is spent looking back to remember who is who. Most people would find this annoying, but somehow I enjoy it. The character development is amazing, you can truly identify with the character, feel for them, and hope for them. I think that is rare in modern literature. I'm going to begin my War and Peace watch...currently I'm on page 233/1136. And I figured if I can finish War and Peace I never have an excuse not to finish a book again. So enough rambling...
What are you reading right now?
1 comment:
"Heyday" by Kurt Andersen. It's 622 pages long. I'm on 53. After teaching all day and then spending time with Annie, I try to read in bed. I usually get about 3-4 pages in and my eyelids become extremely heavy. It is slow to start, but I'm still interested. I'm hoping to make some "hey" on the book during my time off.
Adam
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