I’m a normally a keen reader, but recently I’ve gone right off it. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you might be aware I’m six months into my 30 Before 30 challenge. One of the challenges I need to complete for this is to ‘read the top 5 books of all time’. I originally thought this would be one of the easier tasks to finish (compared to 'drive a tractor' and 'make fresh pasta'), but no; the books listed by The Guardian are so awfully dull and difficult due to the old English language used, that I am really struggling. I am losing the will to read faster than I can finish these slow-going classics.
The current tome I am tackling is “Tom Jones” by Henry Fielding. It’s over 400 pages long, but the sheer size didn’t put me off. I’ve read “Shantaram” and “The Book Thief” in the past, and enjoyed both immensely, despite them being wrist-achingly large in volume. “Tom Jones” is very different. Fielding introduces a lot of characters very quickly who I felt no empathy for, and I can barely tell apart (I'm thinking of the three old male friends of Mr Allworthy, plotting for power, land and family ties). The text is also hard-going, and even though I’m over 80 pages into the novel I really doubt I’m going to finish it. I hope I do, for the sake of The Challenge, but if it wasn’t for that, honestly, I would have quit on page ten, fifteen at best.
However, a book I recently won through a Twitter competition has brought me back into the light. This book is by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, who passed away in June of this year. It’s called “The Quarry” and I had been gazing at it perched on my windowsill (with several others on my ‘To Read’ list) with a sense of want for a few weeks. Needing a break from the dreaded “Tom Jones”, I finally caved in and started reading “The Quarry” this week. It’s given me the relief I’ve needed. Banks gives good voice to the characters in the (at times) humorous and realistic dialogue. I love the distinct and well-developed character profiles, and they are, as a result, incredibly easy to picture together as a group of friends. There’s a compelling premise to the story, and 'The Quarry' proved to be a page turner from the outset.
Iain Banks has reminded me I love to read. I’m not surprised there’s been an asteroid named after Iain Banks. His writing is ... ready?!... out of this world.
Lou x
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…and on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist
Images courtesy of List and Metro
However, a book I recently won through a Twitter competition has brought me back into the light. This book is by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, who passed away in June of this year. It’s called “The Quarry” and I had been gazing at it perched on my windowsill (with several others on my ‘To Read’ list) with a sense of want for a few weeks. Needing a break from the dreaded “Tom Jones”, I finally caved in and started reading “The Quarry” this week. It’s given me the relief I’ve needed. Banks gives good voice to the characters in the (at times) humorous and realistic dialogue. I love the distinct and well-developed character profiles, and they are, as a result, incredibly easy to picture together as a group of friends. There’s a compelling premise to the story, and 'The Quarry' proved to be a page turner from the outset.
Iain Banks has reminded me I love to read. I’m not surprised there’s been an asteroid named after Iain Banks. His writing is ... ready?!... out of this world.
Lou x
Find me on Facebook
…and on Twitter
Born To be A Tourist
Images courtesy of List and Metro
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