Ronni Bennett posted this excerpt on her blog
Time Goes By. I'm copying it and a comment from there, so I can remember to get these books. Based on this passage and Citizen K's recommendation, I definitely want to read them. Have any of you read either novel?
"She had learned, in her life, that time lives inside you. You are time, you breathe time. When she’d been young, she’d had an insatiable hunger for more of it, though she hadn’t understood why. Now she held inside her a cacophony of times and lately it drowned out the world. The apple tree was still nice to lie near. The peony, for its scent, also fine. When she walked through the woods (infrequently now) she picked her way along the path, making way for the boy inside to run along before her. It could be hard to choose the time outside over the time within."
- David Wroblewski, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
As the Boomer Generation ages, we'll see more and more elegiac novels about time and memory. Premium T. and I read a terrific one this summer -- The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry. Barry is an Irish novelist whose work is starting to be published in States. He writes like a dream. (comment by "Citizen K")
6 comments:
I haven't read either. I just got Tom Brokaw's book "Boom!" I love reading about different time periods from people that lived through them.
I've read several books about the 1960's which while I lived through most of, did so as an infant and toddler.
I'm currently near the end of the second book in the Twilight series. While the first one I thought was really good the second one is not great but does have some good moments. I don't know if I agree with the young adult grouping of the book, there is a bit too much sex talk in my opinion for that age bracket (though I don't actually know what that age bracket is).
Chris- thanks. Just last night we were trying to think of Brokaw's other book ( I'm doing his Long Way From Home now.) As a boomer, I am into my own elegaic thang either in blogs or email and probably driving our dear Auntie Flame nuts.
Auntie Flame:I was dismayed at the comment from second book that boomers will be writing more and more of the "elegaic" type. I always catch on to a trend after it has long started..lol. Not an original thought in my head.on the other hand, am enjoying the Brokaw stuff as it so closely reflects my early childhood experiences with kids in the neighborhood like Tom who were a tad more affluent than we were and that was.t that much better. But our daily activities were so similar.
ow you find this stuff, Joy! I am into your blog a few times a day lately. Love you-
-Charlie
A new blog???! Or an "old" new blog? ;)
You know how I am about books and reading....love it.
Beth: A new blog - I'm excited about the new templates and how easy they are to use compared with the antique other one from 2002, so I made a new one.
Chris: I haven't read the Twilight series, but they sound interesting. I have the Brokaw book on my list.
Charlie: You crack me up! Love you, too! xoxoxox
Joy...
I'm afraid the quotation I published from Wroblewski's book is a bit misleading in that I did not tell readers who is speaking.
I did that on purpose because I felt is was such a beautiful observation about an aspect of old age that didn't need context. But my decision may lead people to believe the novel is something it is not.
The quotation is from a musing by the dog Almondine in her old age.
That makes it even more interesting! I really do want to read that book. Thanks, Ronni!
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