http://hope-theroadlesstraveled.blogspot.com/
offered me a task this week which I gladly accept.
The task was as follows:
"Collect the book that you have most handy, turn to page 161, find the 5th complete sentence, and cite the sentence on your blog. Next (of course) is to pass it on to 5 others."
Now, the collecting the book itself was an interesting revealer of my reading habits. There were five closest (immediately behind me on the dining table). One was work-related, two were factual/history-ish and one was a cartoon book (or graphic novel, if one wants to maintain literary credibility). All books that are pick-up/put-downable. This is because my husband is currently in the middle of the "6 days on" part of his shift pattern, so I wouldn't usually have a novel to hand. Why? Once I start a novel I read it to the end with only minimal interruptions for sleep and ... well, sleep's about it actually, and if the book is good I'll forego that too. So to read a novel requires my husband to be on the "4 days off" part of his shift pattern, as if not the boys would only see the two black-ringed, red-rimmed gimlets that are my eyes poking over the top of a book whilst I distractedly suggest "marble-run" or "drawing" to them.
But by chance there was a novel amongst them - one I had read previously and am now re-reading. Which means the racing through is replaced by reflection on.
And before you ask, poetry books all live in another room, and that is where I read them. The other room is a tidy room, has no computer in it, has no children's drawings all over the walls and only the boys' wooden castles and railway track infiltrate its aura of adulthood. No other toys cross its threshold. It's also where a lot of books live, though that's true for the rest of my stuffed-full home. Just as there is matter and proposed anti-matter, so if a minimalist interior were to bump into our house, they would both disappear.
A corner of the "tidy" room.
"When is she ever going to tell us what the bloody book is?" you may be asking. Well, Then We Came to the End.
I'm re-reading it because I raced through it; I love narrative and incident and this multi-faceted cubic zircona of a book is all minute incident. And then not so minute incident. Set in an American advertising agency, it begins
"We were fractious and overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen. Most of us liked most everyone, a few of us hated specific individuals, one or two people loved everyone and everything. Those who loved everyone were unanimously reviled. .. "
which hints at the delights to come. It is very funny, and characters are revealed through their little actions and reactions in a densely woven story where threads are picked up, put down and picked up again with such ease you don't even notice. I loved the book, and the narrative technique, which is why I'm re-reading it.
So the fifth complete sentence on page 161 relates to the recurring tale of one of the office chairs, and is:
"When Dana made that leap, she brought along her own chair, which had once belonged to someone in Account Management and was a better chair than Bob's, which was really Marcia's. "
There are sad, indeed tragic, stories running through the book, so don't think it's just a laugh-a-minute picture-less "Dilbert". Plus one major shift which I couldn't figure out, and I like being surprised by an author too. My only disappointment was the very last page - I just didn't like the ending device. But it's a great book, so if you've got a day to spare and would like to laugh, then read it. I'd recommend it!
And I'd like to pass the task onto the following, if they want to accept:
Rachel, at Rambling with Rachel Fox
http://crowd-pleasers.blogspot.com/ , because she never writes a dull word;
Deemikay, at stars sliding
http://stars-sliding.blogspot.com/ , because he's mathematical;
Eryl, The Kitchen Bitch herself
http://thekitchenbitchponders.blogspot.com/ , because I need some more Nietzsche;
Sorlil, at Poetry in Progress
http://sorlily.blogspot.com/ , because I like her calm (realise this might not be possible - getting close to larger household time);
Tousled Raven,
http://flyingfulmar.blogspot.com/ because I just want to know! And I don't think she actively blogs, but could leave her answer in the comments if she would like ....
Apropos of the previous post.
Spent all the time after school messing about with burning candles, hot wax, plasticine sculpting tools, finger-paint and two six-year old boys. We might not have got there, but we know where we're going now! With thanks to Rachel and Eryl who made me think again.
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