Literary Obligation

[ladysprite]

I always used to feel that when I started reading a book, I somehow owed it to the book, or the author, or the universe, or something like that, to finish the book - that if I started it and didn't finish it, I had somehow committed a Great Wrongdoing, or unbalanced the scales of the world. No matter how lousy it was, or how utterly against my tastes, if I made it past the first page I'd persevere and slog my way through, come what may.

I'm not quite sure what has changed in the past year or so - maybe I've just become busy enough that I've had to rethink my priorities; maybe I've just become more discerning in my literary tastes, or maybe I've just finally encountered *truly* egregious writing for the first time - but I have finally exchanged that philosophy for another; namely, that there are too many interesting things to do with my life to waste time reading bad books. And there are too many things in the world that are unpleasant to spend my leisure time engaging in something that is also unpleasant.

This means, among other things, that I will never finish reading "Unnatural History," by Johnathan Green, a novel which looked like it should be deliciously turgid and hilarious on the shelf, but which just turned out to be, while turgid, neither delicious nor hilarious. Alas.

Right now, what I want more than anything is literary comfort food. My world is uncomfortable and unstable and scary, and I want safety and security and to know that what I read is going to give me what I want.

I want comfort food in everything, right now. I want safe, comfy Elizabeth Ann Scarborough and Charles DeLint novels, I want to eat macaroni and cheese, and fried egg sandwiches. I want to wear my old battered sandals and watch reruns and sit in my favorite spot on the sofa and listen to songs I know all the words to.

Someday I'll be experimental again. Once my world and my life are no longer in constant turmoil. I hope.

Comments

[auntiemame67.livejournal.com]

In a similar vein, I have gone back to re-reading Nero Wolfe mysteries and cozy mysteries about knitting ladies and the like.

[denimskater.livejournal.com]

I have the same old habit of yours of always trying to finish them.

I have, however, made the following exceptions:
The Winter King: A retelling of Arthurian legends, but 100 times as depressing.
Eragon: Realizing I didn't have to finish it was one of the high points of that year.
Generation S.L.U.T. - hands down the worst book I've read. I feel bad saying that, because someone might read it out of morbid curiosity now, and it's not worth it. I actually threw this one in the trash.
A Mango-shaped Space - I was warned to stop by someone who'd read it and is aware of what my emotional badness triggers are right now. I want to finish it eventually, though.

And in 32 years of reading, I think those are the only ones I've not finished (except a few I've lost mid-book when I was too poor to replace them, and have since forgotten. It wasn't their fault, though.)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

The only use I can think of for a copy of Eragon is smacking people who say that only women write Mary Sue-type characters. I hope you regain the hours of your life you lost to that book.

[denimskater.livejournal.com]

That is so not true about Eragon. It also makes a fine drink coaster or paperweight, and it's FULL of kindling!

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Coaster! I should have thought of that. And as a paperweight it's only improved by gluing the pages shut, which would improve it in general.

Unfortunately, if I burn a book I break out in hives, no matter how deserving the text.

[denimskater.livejournal.com]

Burning a book is a matter of intent... I submit that a knee-jerk "NO" is just as irrational a response as burning a book because you disagree with it. In the case of Eragon, I wouldn't be burning it from malice, but from a desire to start a fire using the most appropriate material at hand. If I had newspaper, I'd use that, but Eragon would be far preferable to any other bound paper I own.

Besides, I could just burn the last half a few pages at a time, and no one sensible would ever notice.

Also, book-burning isn't as big a deal as it used to be. Consider the relative scarcity of books when it WAS a big deal, as opposed to now when it would take a Herculean effort to burn even a fraction of the copies of Eragon that are out there.

For thought: Gluing the pages together is functionally identical to burning the book.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Globally I agree with you; this is just me and my irrational hives.

This discussion made me remember what I did with the copy of Eragon that plagued me briefly; I think I abandoned it on public transit and prayed for forgiveness from whatever poor soul picked it up and tried to read it. I was going to leave it in a doctor's waiting room, but I didn't want to kill anyone.

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

I rather enjoy the Inheritance books, actually, but I rather have to wonder what you were expecting from a book entitled Generation S.L.U.T. - I mean, that's a little like going to see a film entitled Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers and then being indignant that it's not a tender love story. :)

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I suspect that this may be a side effect of your self-work. You seem to be making significant progress in the area of not letting Other People's Shoulds rule your life, and this might well have started out as one of them.

[pagawne.livejournal.com]

When I am sick, or dealing with emotional upheaval, I go back to some old favorites, books with happy endings, books that are the emotional equivalent of pulling up a warm quilt on a cold day.

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

I'm hesitant to keep push-push-pushing it because it's not the sort of book that goes well with uber-hype, but since you bring it up.... If you want literary comfort food, I do recommend Ehrengard.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Hooray for comfort, and for joy. *wraps you in flannel*

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

I hear you on the "feeling compelled to finish" thing. I'm getting better, though...

Literary comfort food: "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart (if you can find it).

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I absolutely have certain books that I go back to in similar moods. I don't think it's unreasonable at all.