A Must Read: The Shipping News
I love reading. Seriously love it, but don't buy me a book. Book ownership really doesn't hold any appeal for me. Contrary to what some say, books are not living beings nor are they a prudent financial investment or a great way to organize clutter. They do, however, collect dust and their calling voices never are sufficiently sweet enough to get me to reread them. That is why I lovelovelove the public library. The books are new. The books come home. The books get read. The books go away. Quick. Clean. Beautiful.
But once every twenty years or so, I meet a book which is beyond good or really, really good. It is brilliant almost to the point of leaving me speechless.
Meet that book: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. The Pulitizer prize-winning novel has it all. The plot is sweet and easy to follow. The ending is happy. Once that is processed, you can begin to peel away the layers. There is history (of Newfoundland, fishing, maritime lore, some aspects of the Canadian social system,) there is psychological study, there is culture, there is the sweetest story of love and the importance of self-worth you might ever imagine. And if that isn't enough, look for Proulx's phrasing. Look for her deceptively simple, beautifully articulated insights.
But once every twenty years or so, I meet a book which is beyond good or really, really good. It is brilliant almost to the point of leaving me speechless.
Meet that book: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. The Pulitizer prize-winning novel has it all. The plot is sweet and easy to follow. The ending is happy. Once that is processed, you can begin to peel away the layers. There is history (of Newfoundland, fishing, maritime lore, some aspects of the Canadian social system,) there is psychological study, there is culture, there is the sweetest story of love and the importance of self-worth you might ever imagine. And if that isn't enough, look for Proulx's phrasing. Look for her deceptively simple, beautifully articulated insights.
- "Petal Bear was crosshatched with longings, but not, after they were married, for Quoyle. Desire reversed to detestation like a rubber glove turned inside out."
- For if Jack Buggit could escape from the pickle jar, if a bird with a broken neck could fly away, what else might be possible? Water may be older than light, diamonds crack in hot goat's blood, mountaintops give off cold fire, forests appear in mid-ocean, it may happen that a crab is caught with the shadow of a hand on its back, and that the wind be imprisoned in a bit of knotted string. And it may be that love sometimes occurs without pain or misery.
This book begs a second read and maybe a third. Then it begs a trip to Newfoundland. And maybe, just maybe, it needs to be purchased and kept. It's that good.
I am a book fiend, there ar esome books that i simply have to read at least one time a year or my year is not complete...mike and I used to read the entire bible each year now we just read it when we want and I seem to go into suurts with it... but I have to read all of the earths children's series by Jean Auel each year and I have to read all of the left behind series each year and I have a set of books from childhood that i must read every few years like the little house series ... ok heck I have a closet full of books and I have read them all more than one time and I also go to the public library and when my closet hits a certian level ove over full ness I load up several bags of books and they become part of the public library too. ... Ohhhh books are one of my favorite subjects on the planet
and as for what have i gotten myself into... I am SCARED VERY SCARED but there are rules it has to be somethign her father wont freak out about! my hair is long all one lenght long to mid back... we will take and post a pic after i was the grease ball!
HUGSSS
laura
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I think I have that book, and have never read it. Thanks for the nudge!
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Okay; it's now on my list. That said, I've just started The Pillars of the Earth (which is a doosey!) I love to buy books and donate them to the library when I'm finished with them. Kendall and I bought two books on tape for our trip and will do the same with those. LOVE reading!
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I've wanted to go to Newfoundland for years. We made it to all the other Maritime provinces, never there (Well, not Labrador either but you know what I mean) I will put this on my list for sure. I have a feeling we may like similar types of books. I wish I could run out right now and buy it, I feel so cooped up. I may have to send the guys to the library for me to see if it's there. My friend is the librarian so I could give her a call and see if she could even order it in for me... but then since it's THAT good it may warrant a trip to B&N eh?!
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