What is it about having a tree in the house that makes me feel all happy and like I have this new, sparkly and comfortably silent friend in the house watching over me? Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me and my weird connection with trees.
Or maybe you guys all talk to trees too? No? Never mind then.
Over the weekend, friends of mine let me borrow their copy of Jonathan Strange & Dr. Norrell. Normally I'm trying to convince people not to loan me their books because when you tell me to read a book I morph into a grumpy old man who will do anything he can think of EXCEPT read that one particular book. However, this book has been recommended to be by several people. And so the exchange went like this:
ME: (scoping out their bookshelves) Hey, so is that Jonathan Strange & Dr. Norrell?
FRIENDS: Yes.
ME: Could I take that home with me?
FRIENDS: Ummm...okay.
Huzzah! Victory is mine! And so is this MASSIVE HOLY FREAKING GOODNESS book. And they say no one wants to publish long books anymore (unless they're for young adults and involve boy wizards and vampires). Apparently when agents/ editors tell writers that they want shorter books, what they mean is, "We want shorter books unless the book is really good and will sell lots and lots of copies, in which case make it as long as humanly possible."
I've pretty excited about this book, which means I will either love it eternally or, in several days time, I will be writing an impassioned review detailing just why it did not earn my affections. Will I fall in love or fly into a rage??
Only time will tell.
And now I think I've got a date with a book and a Christmas tree. If you'll excuse me...
YES OTHERS TALK TO TREES!!
ReplyDeleteor at least one "other"
and yeah, the whole "don't write long books" thing is a whole other meandering story. but sometimes long books are worth it.
Jonathan Strange might be considered "worth it," at least in my family, because it's one of about two books that everyone in the family likes. i mean everyone. the other such book is Yiddish Policemen's Union.
Hurray for other tree-talkers! I started the book last night and love it so far. Makes me wish I was British, because it's just SO British and an American writer cannot pull that off (or this one can't anyway).
ReplyDeleteOMG, it's like you climbed into my brain, laid eggs, waited for me to sneeze them out and then ate them. By consuming them you thereby gained all the love I have for Christmas tress and really long books. Oh, I'm sorry...really long GOOD books.
ReplyDeleteHannah, that is THE BEST comment I have ever gotten. I am humbled.
ReplyDelete