I want to begin a somewhat regular series, reporting on what I am reading or what is piquing my interests - that being said - here's the latest literary dish:
Over the past year I read first two of the Stieg Larsson's books:
I was given the last one as a Christmas present. I will tell you the same thing many people have said - yes they are good books. I was not really convinced after the 1st one but by the second one I was hooked. I am hesitant to begin the third book because - well frankly I feel like I will simply lock myself into a room and mumble monosyllabic grunt-like noises and eat more Haagen-Daz (LOL I don't eat ice-cream in winter) and totally ignore my family, hygiene, etc....but hey it may be well worth it.
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Speaking of eating...the follow up to Eat, Love, Pray - Elizabeth Gilbert's take on the institution and whether to be institutionalized for contemplating another marriage: "
Committed: A Love Story" was read while I was on my holiday.
This book made me go through all myriad of emotions. A lot of anger bubbled up inside of me. Directed at men, at society, at the church, at the government, and finally in the end at Ms. Gilbert herself. I devoured this well-researched, easy-to-read tome and tirade AGAINST marriage - all written from the perspective of a woman madly in love with her man but being forced against her will to get married if she wanted to stay in the US with her beloved. I would truly recommend that anyone thinking about getting married (men AND women alike) read this book (gay and straight too). Ms. Gilbert does not make men out to be the bad guys per se (she doesn't need to, history and science do the job for her), but she does condemn the institution in a lot of ways that I totally agree with. HOWEVER and this is a big but, I was a bit upset because to me what seemed to be happening in someways was her trying to find her way to make peace with this at any cost. I found it to be to trite and neat of an ending if you will. As if after all the 'downside' she manages to find some obscure piece of information in a study that makes 'it all OK' to suddenly get hitched. And don't get me wrong I WANTED HER TO MARRY HER MAN. We all seem to want the happily ever after crap we are sold - but I wanted her to want it more than she seemed to be wanting it....if that makes any sense.
Like Ms. Gilbert, like a lot of modern-day women, I struggle with all of the choices I have ahead of me - love and relationship being among the hardest to try to make peace with. How do you juggle it all? Love, family, kids, job, YOU....all of it seems like so much and yet we all seem to want it all somehow....but I think what the most important part of all of this is to find someone who feels like you do and put all those cards on the table and get brutally honest with each other....and even then it's no guarantee. I would also never allow (if I ran the universe - seriously) ANYONE under 25 (and possibly 30) to get married. I just don't think we are mature enough yet. And like Ms. Gilbert - I would recommend you do your homework, even get counseling...no one should be allowed to just tie the knot without serious consideration - it simply leaves too much horror in it's wake when you have to go through a divorce and potentially drag innocent children through that as well.
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And now for the folly:
Don't ask me why I am subjecting myself to this - (ducks as the English major in the audience throw books), but I never read Mr. Melville's masterpiece. I went through all sorts of English Lit and I was never made to read this book. So this is my undertaking (penance?) - and while I will not say that I 'can't put it down' - I will say that I do very much like this and I have an old version of this book that I am reading so the print is small and I have to take my time reading it...and (God help me) I seem to need to be 'in the mood' to pick it up...but I think it is a work of genius and I will report back later.
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So kids - that's it for this edition of 'On the book-shelf' brought to you by Amazon and libraries everywhere and remember it's still way more romantic to curl up with a book in your hand than an electronic device (at least if we are taking my opinion into account ^_^).
A bientot mes amis
C~
