It's All in the Blood

Being a college student, it makes it hard to keep up with reading. I do make it a point to read as often as I can though because I feel like a more rounded person when I do so. In previous posts, I reviewed some books that were sporadic across the Guardian's 1,000 best books of all time. Instead of rooting through all the topics, I'm starting from the top.

The first book on the list was Lucky Jim by Kinsley Amis. I liked the old nostalgia of the book, and there were some parts that made me laugh out loud. The personality if Jim (the lead) is pretty right-on in terms of how men think. I liked it, it has some political undertones about college and the different classes that it is composed of. I liked Jim because he was risky, flighty and pretty oblivious to everything going on around him. It was a bit hard to relate to as a woman, although I could see a lot of guys out there rooting for Jim as he burns bedsheets with cigarettes after blacking out and the ensuing scene where he has a rough time determining how to fix the problem (the bedsheets weren't on HIS bed) from the text, they sounded rather expensive.

The second book on the list was Money by Martin Amis. There is a lot to be said of this book. Genetically speaking, Martin is the above-mentioned author's son. Writing must run in the family. You can't put both works side-by-side and notice that it's a father-son relationship. They write like their from two different planets. Martin Amis is a dirty, but brilliant author. He gets down to the nasties and I felt like such a sinner reading this book. I wouldn't recommend it for light reading. Although entertaining, it's depressing. If you get into the book enough, it can bring you down. Is this book an accurate portrayal of the British entertainment industry? I hope not. One thing I will say about Martin's writing: It's really brilliantly witty. Can I say brilliantly witty> Yes, I can. He even brings himself, played as himself into the novel. I didn't like the storyline, it was too...... greasy. I like his writing, though because it's very blunt. I'll be looking forward to reading The Information by Martin Amis, which is next on my list.

-Coming up in new blogs: Flaubert's Parrot and The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapter by Julian Barnes & The Information by Martin Amis.

Lagging

I haven't been staying on top of my blog, but I have been staying on top of my reading. Although the reading process of going through the Guardians list is a grueling one and some of the books....I wish didn't exist, it's been an adventure. I'm able to scratch several books off the reading list.

The Three Musketeers was a beautifully written and exciting book and why all the movies can't just stick to the book is beyond me. Nothing bothers me like a drawn-out, money-burning BOOK BOTCHING. To squeeze all the glory out of this book, you have to really pay attention. There is no skipping. Alexander Dumas adds little bits of humor in some pretty interesting scenarios, but it makes the reading fun and unpredictable.

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell is good, but there are a couple of her books in the Kay Scarpetta series that are much more intriguing. If you like CSI, then you'll like her books. They definitely take a more left-wing view in terms of topics. So, conservative readers (like myself) should be prepared to be open-minded. If you want to get a taste of Patricia Cornwell, I would recommend Cruel and Unusual.

Catcher In the Rye describes an ADD personality type. I didn't learn much of anything. What did cross my mind during the book was....'this type of thinking sounds just like my husband...'. Too much hype for such a bore of a story.

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy makes me laugh only because of it's stupidity. I learned nothing from the story. It wasn't enjoyabe. It made no sense. I felt like my brain had gone into another galaxy...a galaxy where I didn't have to think at all. It was so bad that if I had heard it in the radio back in 1978, I probably would have flipped the station. Sorry, Douglas Adams. Even underground junkies are over this book. It may have been good for it's time, but it's not even classic anymore.

With that being said, I can move from my negative points of view to Cry, the Beloved Country where I am able to learn more about Apartheid from a simple storyline than I could from a well-written historical document. Getting into the minds of the people who had to experience it was much more interesting to read than just the plain facts. It was beautifully written and had my brain working full speed.

-Coming up on the list
The Little World of Don Camillo
& A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man