work of art
I drove Karl to the dentist to have his wisdom teeth removed, and as I sat in the waiting room reading The Kite Runner, I wondered what really made a good book a good book.In truth, a book like Shopaholic affects me more than Catcher in the Rye. However, it's always hard to admit that you like a fluffy book more than one of the great American classics. No offense to J.D. Salinger, but to me (not the wannabe literati me), Shopaholic is the better book. There, I said it. It just relates to me more, and the other one feels like vicarious living.
And often, when people ask you what your favorite book is, how often do we really choose one that's truly our favorite? How often do we drill the possibilities and wonder what other people would think about our choice? Sometimes, I opt for Salinger or Kerouac when I want to seem less uptight. Sometimes I choose a really obscure book so that the other person wouldn't know what to think. And other times, when I'm lazy, I'll just say 1984, and the other person will nod and say, "good book," and I'm off the hook.
So are we really a reflection of what we read? Or more specificially, what we like reading? See, I don't even like novels in general because I have the attention span of an ADHD 2 yr old on speed. I prefer short stories like What we talk about when we talk about love or books of modern American poetry. I also don't like anything heavy or obviously set out to make a statement (like "Garden State," even though thats a movie).
Whenever I go over to someone's house for a party, I always notice the books kept on the coffee table in the living room. Sometimes I see James Joyce and Dickens; now, I know these busy people don't use for light reading. What I love even more than that are those people who keep self-help and motivational books out for their guests (message: we're sorry your life is crappier than ours, but we'll let you skim through these as long as you don't bend the edges). Other people strive for more casual things: a Vanity Fair, Times magazine, Us Weekly. As I'm flipping through the books or magazines to avoid awkward conversation, I'd catch their eye, and for a second, I feel like I'm 10 and trying to get into the Adults Only section of a movie rental place. Is this two-way judgment? Them fearing what I think about their choice of reading, me fearing what they think about my choice out of their choices?
I know the three things I'll keep on my coffee table:
1. Latest copy of EF magazine: it's not even written in English. The message I want to send out is: "Oooh...look at the pretty pictures. OMG, is that the newest Cartier watch??"
2. Da Vinci Code: a mere distraction to throw people off-scent. I want my guests to think: "Ooh, she's just like the rest of us. We can relax now. But geez, how cliche."
3. Anne Sexton's "Transformations": everyone likes a good fairy tale and some healthy psychosis. Messageto guests: "If you overstay your welcome, I'll have to bake you."
**Oh, and just as an afterthought, Wasim's comment about my high school is actually true. I've been seeing a lot more girls from our high school carrying around their babies in the mall and at ShopRite. I bet they'd make Bush proud.
posted by Tiffany @ 12:33 AM
2 Comments:
the thing that always got me about catcher and the rye is that it's very...angsty. it doesn't really feel emotionally complex at all. it's like something a particularly talented drama student who listens to my chemical romance would write. it's pratically my favorite book, but i don't think as far as complexity goes, it's any more subtle than say...shopaholic (though i've never read it). i think there's just so much myth surrounding it, and it appeals to a certain age group that tends towards mythologizing things (ppl in their late teens, early 20s). i hope this makes sense.
I don't know how far you are in The Kite Runner, but you should keep a box of tissues nearby. It was water works for me...literally. I had to take breaks in between to regain my composure. What would've taken me a few days to read took me a week because I just kept crying about it! I think pms is also to blame because right after I finished it, I got my period. (Sorry if that grosses anyone out).
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