Finishing out today on page 42. Reading this was a lovely way to spend my lunch hour.
Assorted thoughts:
- Forget the footnotes. I can’t read this book unless I’m in the presence of a dictionary! Not that I’m complaining. This will be the most work I’ve done to expand my vocabulary since I stopped being a student.
- “I’m an O.E.D. man, Doctor. If that’s what you are.” – I’m totally an O.E.D. woman. I hope to be able to use this line someday in conversation.
- “Praying for just one conversation, amateur or no, that does not end in terror? That does not end like all others: you staring, me swallowing?” – I feel like an unfortunate number of my conversations end this way. I pray that I get one, sooner or later, that does not end in terror.
- I’m not a big fan of the medical attache. Interesting that 47 pages into a very long novel, I’ve found two characters that I don’t like, and I’m still inclined to keep reading.
- “Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar” broke my heart.
And I loved Kevin Guilfoile’s introduction, “Fiction’s Dirty Little Secret.” I’ve had similar responses to some of my literary stories – people reading things that I didn’t potentially put in there, but that really worked. It was always a thrilling experience for me to make people have those reactions.
Anyway, I’m still too early in the novel to have substantive comments. And I’m definitely looking forward to responding to what the Guides have to say!