Finished Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying," and God, what a tease. It's so, so good and it leaves you absolutely lurching at the end. The novels follows the (truly and brutally) dysfunctional Bundren family as they go and bury their mother Addie. Just think of all the shit that can go down when you are are carrying around your deceased mother in a wooden casket by wagon. For eight days. Imagine the smell. But beyond that, imagine Faulkner's crazy dialogue and writing style becoming logical and a second skin and it'll feel like your mind was blown.
"Jewel's mother is a horse," Darl said.
"Then mine can be a fish, cant it, Darl?" I said.
Jewel is my brother.
"Then mine wil have to be a horse, too," I said.
"Why?" Darl said. "If pa is your pa, why does your ma have to be a horse just because Jewel's is?"
"Why does it?" I said. "Why does it, Darl?"
Darl is my brother.
"Then what is your ma, Darl?" I said.
"I haven't got ere one," Darl said. "Because if I had one, it is was. And if it is was, it cant be is. Can it?" -- As I Lay Dying
"Then mine can be a fish, cant it, Darl?" I said.
Jewel is my brother.
"Then mine wil have to be a horse, too," I said.
"Why?" Darl said. "If pa is your pa, why does your ma have to be a horse just because Jewel's is?"
"Why does it?" I said. "Why does it, Darl?"
Darl is my brother.
"Then what is your ma, Darl?" I said.
"I haven't got ere one," Darl said. "Because if I had one, it is was. And if it is was, it cant be is. Can it?" -- As I Lay Dying
----
Since Claire raved about "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," I am going to read that next. I have high hopes for this one because my little sister also recommended it to me some time ago. Claire and I rarely go out and pick up the same books but now that we're living together it's easy to share what the other has (along with clothing...). I always seem to forget we tend to gravitate towards really different types of literature until I'm forced to look at our messy bookshelf. Recently, I read her recommendation "The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food" but unfortunately found it boring and uninspired. Actually, I remember thinking that Judith Jones was kind of bitchy in the novel, but I'm not quite sure why. Something about the tone and self-importance she had. But, if you'll recall, C loved it. Anyway, hopefully next on C's reading list is my recommended Carol Shields' "The Stone Diaries" --one of my all-time favorites. If C doesn't like it, I'll be sad. But then again, she did threaten to like "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," which I hated. Maybe we just weren't destined to be friends. Just kidding. I hope.
currently listening to:
Wavin' Flag
K'Naan
with sniffles (I have a sinus infection), t
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