a very young Margaret DrabbleThe book I was reading was Margaret Drabble's The Radiant Way. Having devoured this wonderfully rich story of life in Britain during the Thatcher years (shudder), I went on to read the other two in the trilogy - A Natural Curiosity and The Gates of Ivory. All of Drabble's books are brilliant. She has a Dickensian way about her and can write stream of consciousness (as he could) without it being the least bit irritating. And she describes women's friendships in an acceptable way to me. I think she actually has female friends and has had babies and struggles and poverty and all - it is real. This is Drabble in her middle years writing about that time. For those of you who haven't read Drabble, you might start with her earlier books - I particularly like The Waterfall and The Millstone but as I say - I haven't read any that I don't like. Wait, there is one - a more recent one called The Red Queen which didn't grab me. But 16 out of 17 is pretty good! I envy those of you who haven't read her as you'll have this rich resource of books and not need to be 'out of a book' for simply ages. These books are usually in libraries. Dive in, have fun and let me know what you think.
And tell me - do you re-read?
5 comments:
I do, or I did. Children's books - I've re-read every book we ever owned. When I grew older, however, there were more books to choose from, and suddenly I didn't have time to re-read. I could only read, to wolf down more, I had to get to it all.
Now I've realized that I won't get to it all. Perhaps I should also realize that I should allow myself the pleasure of re-reading a few favourites? These days I only pick up "The Secret Garden" once a year - other than that, they're all new.
Happy whizzing!
I re-read all the time. In fact, there aren't *many* books on my bookshelf that I haven't read at least three times. I always find something I missed before, plus I love the comfort that the familiarity brings.
I think that's a large part of why I have books -- to re-read any time I want. Even if it's just one particular passage. I've re-read nearly every book on our shelves, and will surely continue to do so. :)
When I was a kid, I re-read everything, because I read so fast I always finished the stack from the library before it was time to replenish and we didn't have the money to feed the addiction. ;-) Now I work at a bookstore... and there's always something new! I admit I've reread all my Harry Potters (most notably the day after release, when I read slower in case I missed anything in the mad midnight dash to find out what happened!), and a couple of word-nerd books, but in the past five years or so, not much else. Unless my income heads upward again soon though, there's a lot more rereading in my future!
Do I re-read? That's like asking me if I re-breathe! Of course I do. The first time you are driving down a scenic route, you take in the scenery, the next time, you start noticing the specifics, the third time you look at the exact position of the rocks..... of course you get the drift- you re-read too.
Even when I have two new books waiting to be read, I often pick up an old favourite, because I want to.
But, I must confess, I re-read a lot less now than I used to. There was a time when I read every book twice, the second time almost immediately after the first. Now, that is reserved only for the books I really really love.
And never read Margret Drabble. Must.
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