Monday, June 20, 2005
I Read Books
Yes, I do read books. Not as much as Huz, but I do read books!I've been tagged for a book-related meme, so here it is.
1. How many books have I ever owned?
Huz and I share our literature collection, but they are both of ours, so with my other books I own about 150-160.
2. Last book I bought?
Let's see. Oh yes, I wanted some fiction for the summer so I bought Postcards by Anne Proulx [she wrote The Shipping News which is both a good novel and movie (with Kevin Spacey)]. So far, it's quite good. It's about American farmers and the developing capitalism that slowly and painfully drives them off of their land. Not quite on the scale of Steinbeck, but still good.
3. Last book I read?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. I know it's not intellectual or anything, but I really love these books. I re-read it so that I can pick the story up when the next novel is released next month! Huz and I read all of these together so far and I really enjoy that.
Before that, I read Angela Carter's Several Perceptions. I took a class that introduced me to Carter and I'm sure I didn't get the subtle feminist issues she was trying to raise because it's not always clear with her. It was an interesting read nonetheless.
Before that, I read At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill for my Modern Love class. This is an excellent novel about gay identity, as well as national identity. It chronicles two boys who, as they become men, realize their love for each other and their love for Ireland. Very good and highly recommended.
4. Five books that mean a lot to me?
I'm not emotionally attached to books, but there have been a few that have challenged my viewpoints, which is always a good thing. At Swim, Two Boys did this for me because it showed me how beautiful love is, in all forms. Toni Morrison's Beloved will always be a favorite because it was the first Morrison book I read. She is a challenging, entertaining, heritage-seeking writer who continues to amaze me with her writing. Victor Hugo's Les Miserables is a wonderful story and, I have to admit it, I'm damn proud that I read all 1223 pages of it! Though not a pleasant story, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was an eye-opening book about the Chicago meat factories and all of the toil and hardship that immigrants in this country had to endure. Finally, Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea read after Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is a great way to see intertextuality at work. I think it's awesome that the mad woman in the attic was given a voice by Rhys - that is the feminist goal, is it not? To give women a voice that they were robbed of for so long.
So, that's it. Anyone else want to be tagged with this? It's interesting to know what people read, no? I think I'll tag Marian Evans and J.Henry, if they feel inclined to share! |
