I don't like the taste of pumpkin and as such I don't like pumpkin soup (or any other pumpkin-based dishes). I am not saying pumpkin is intrinsically bad, or that people who like pumpkin are my inferiors; I'm just saying I don't like it.
This book is pumpkin. If you liked it, good on you. You are my equal (unlike people who liked The Kite Runner or Memoirs Of A Geisha: you are my inferior).
I didn't get past page 12. Others may love it though. She can certainly write, but I had no taste for her writing style or subject matter. It's a book of, umm, creative essays? Anecdotes? Vignettes? Observations?
I didn't get past page 12. Others may love it though. She can certainly write, but I had no taste for her writing style or subject matter. It's a book of, umm, creative essays? Anecdotes? Vignettes? Observations?
Here are three of my own observations of page 11 and 12 (which has something to do with salmon).
She verbed a noun: "..the music starts to dance the people passing by."
That was ominous.
She is adjective heavy: "...you are the music's toy, juggled into its furious torrents, jostled into its foamy jokes, assuming its sparklyblue or greenweedy or brownmuddy tinges, being driven down to the dirgy bottom where rumble-clacking stones are lit by waterlogged and melancholy sunlight..."
Allow me to re-write that extract: "...you are a musical toy juggled into torrents, assuming its muddy tinges, being driven down to the dirgy bottom where stones are lit by a melancholy sunlight..."
I prefer my version, but I didn't write the book, Amy Leach did, and she is free to write it how she sees fit.
I had no idea what she was talking about: "...even if you have built masterful Aspen castles in your mind, have toppled whole forests to throttle the writhing elements into a liveably serene personal pond; if you have longtime sculled your ingenious fins to withstand the tumble-crazy currents, there is music that will dissolve your anchors..."
Even if I what? I'm not a salmon anyway so maybe it doesn't apply to me. But even if I appropriate salmon-brain, I'm still not interested or happy with the adjectives and metaphors. It all reminds me of new poems by 19 year olds at a Creative Writing night course.
Still, many people love this, so, you know, I'm sorry I didn't finish it, but the thing is, I like stories.
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3 comments:
I just want to say I blame you because I am still reading The Sound and the Fury
Oh Pers, you are so highbrow... By contrast I just finished a bodice ripper (oh so bad..) and am currently reading "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" by David Sedaris. A lot of short stories, which if they were told about humans, would be true and on the mark, but about animals, makes them, quirky. And my head doesn't hurt trying to read them.
Squib: If we had our time again I would suggest reading other Faulkners before attempting his one and only weird one (great as it is). The rest of his stuff reads normally. Maybe try Wild Palms and the go back to S and F.
Cath: I sent you a friend request on Good Reads.. Join in! I need friends. Puss is also there. Have you read 'Whose Poo'?
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