Holiday Reading

Since we got back from Japan, I've stalled a bit in the reading. My bookclub title is Hanya Yanagihara's other book, and is very long (28 hours on Audible). The first 10 hours is like a slow dull retelling of Washington Square in my head, so I was about to give it away when it finally got interesting about race and Hawaii. Then the book picked up and I'm almost at the end. It's interesting but I don't feel it's worth it. When a book is this long, the story really needs to be riveting, not a long rambling yarn. I feel like we are humouring the author, rather than the author entertaining us. It has some good bits, and I guess if you love her other book, A little life, you'll like this.

This is my other bookclub title. It's a very bleak memoir but the simplicity of the writing makes very profound observations nailed down in a single sentence. Analysis of human behaviour and psychological truths are scattered throughout in a few words. The story is harsh and bleak. It's far form the comfortable middle class experience. I'm really enjoying it. I did feel almost guilty reading it on the beach - a polar opposite experience to the words and world I was immersed in. Tennessee Williams described it as "a true document of human desperation, shattering in its impact".

A few people had reviewed it around the link ups so I decided to give it a go. It's fun and it had a few clever surprises for me. I might try another in the 'series' down the track. It's an easy, old fashioned mystery with a new style update, so to speak.

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