{"id":8478,"date":"2008-10-09T16:10:45","date_gmt":"2008-10-09T20:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=8478"},"modified":"2015-06-19T07:17:38","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T11:17:38","slug":"book-questions-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=8478","title":{"rendered":"Book Questions:"},"content":{"rendered":"

I got this from my good friend Ted <\/a>. Naturally I had to go overboard and provide links (to my own blog), and I can never ever answer a question with only one choice. I refuse.<\/p>\n

What was the last book you bought?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably some out-of-print dusty book bought at a second-hand store having to do with the shenanigans of the paparazzi during the old studio system. I honestly don’t remember.<\/p>\n

Name a book you have read MORE than once<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are only a couple of books I go back to compulsively and read just for the sheer fun of it, of experiencing the book again:<\/p>\n

The Blue Castle<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by LM Montgomery (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nPossession: A Romance<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by A.S. Byatt (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nHopeful Monsters<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Nicholas Mosley (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nA Ring of Endless Light<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Madeleine L’Engle (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nLives of the Saints<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Nancy Lemann (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nA Tale of Two Cities<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Charles Dickens (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nMating<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Norman Rush (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nThe Pigman<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Paul Zindel (excerpt here<\/a>)
\nHarriet the Spy<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, by Louise Fitzhugh (excerpt here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Until I shuffle off my mortal coil, I just know that I will never say “That is the LAST time I read The Pigman<\/i> (or insert whatever title I just listed)…”<\/p>\n

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As ridiculous as this might sound, Baby Doll<\/a>\"\"<\/i>, Carroll Baker’s memoir – which I go into here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I also must mention Ballet Shoes<\/a>\"\"<\/i> by Noel Streatfield (excerpt here<\/a>) and Harriet the Spy<\/i>, by Louise Fitzhugh (I covered Harriet a bit here<\/a>). No turning back after reading those books. Writing … theatre … that would be my life … however it worked out, I didn’t know. I was 8, 9 years old. But those books changed my life.<\/p>\n

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of the above. I picked Hopeful Monsters<\/i> because I liked the cover – and that is so scary to me – because it’s one of my all-time favorite books – What if I hadn’t liked the cover?? I’m into impulse buys … and much of that has to do with the look and feel of a book. The typeface is also VERY important. There are off-setting typefaces … and welcoming typefaces. Important to me (especially because my eyes are so bad. I really can’t afford to strain or squint).<\/p>\n

I also love books that have to do with the intellect mixed with romance and sex. A rather rare combo – but essential for me. Hopeful Monsters<\/i>, Mating<\/i>, Possession<\/i>, Goldbug Variations<\/a>\"\"<\/i> (excerpt here<\/a>) … these are challenging books. With a lot of sex in them, but also a lot of ideas. Not separated out … but integrated. Such a turn-on for me (and quite rare).<\/p>\n

I am also a FAN of certain authors and will buy whatever they write, regardless. I will buy anything written by Margaret Atwood, AS Byatt, Jeanette Winterson, Nancy Lemann, Norman Rush (well, the man’s written 2 books and he’s gotta be 80 years now, so I’m letting that one go), John Irving, Michael Chabon, Joy Williams, Mary Gaitskill, Annie Proulx, John Banville (or Benjamin Black) … So. Sign me up for any of these peeps. Don’t like all their work and sometimes I go a decade (or two, right Margaret Atwood?) without liking one of their damn books. Doesn’t matter. That, to me, is the definition of a fan. I’m IN.<\/p>\n

I have sometimes bought books based on reviews – but that’s usually for non-fiction books.<\/p>\n

If any of my siblings tell me to read a book, I will do so. If Allison, Kate, David, or Mitchell tells me to read a book, I will do so. If Ted tells me to read a book, I will do so. I’m picky about who I take recommendations from.<\/p>\n

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No preference. I have moods and I go with the mood. 2006 was a non-fiction year<\/a>. Last year, I started reading more fiction than I had in years<\/a>. This year has been really all about the fiction – and I’ve been adventurous too – reading books recommended to me, or that I’ve read blog-posts about.<\/p>\n

What\u00e2\u0080\u0099s more important in a novel – beautiful writing or a gripping plot?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Gripping” plots don’t really do that much for me all by themselves. Without the beautiful writing of Jane Eyre<\/i> (excerpt here<\/a>), the “gripping plot” would be tedious and melodramatic. I’m not a big plot girl anyway. I mean – what exactly happens<\/i> in The Shipping News<\/em> (excerpt here<\/a>)? Sure, there are some events … but it’s the WRITING that hooks me, and it’s the writing that makes me ache. But I’ve never been a really either\/or girl, and I am sure I can find many exceptions to what I’ve just said. But if I had to say – I’d say give me beautiful writing. Or, hell, not even “beautiful” writing … the writing in Ulysses<\/i> (excerpt here<\/a>) is not necessarily beautiful but it knocks me on my ASS.<\/p>\n

Most loved\/memorable character (character\/book)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quoyle, The Shipping News<\/i>
\nSydney Carton, Tale of two Cities<\/i>
\nJohn and Lorraine, The Pigman<\/i>
\nNelson Denoon, Mating<\/i>
\nPhoebe Caulfield, Catcher in the Rye<\/i>
\nPretty much everyone in Adventures of Kavalier and Clay<\/i> – I was so so sad to put that book down<\/p>\n

And #1, no contest, none whatsoever:<\/p>\n

\"Harriet_Spy.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

War and Peace<\/a>\"\"<\/i> – over halfway through – A Tale of Two Utopias: The Political Journey of the Generation of 1968<\/a>\"\"<\/i> by Paul Berman (almost done – FANTASTIC) … a biography of Jimmy Stewart … and eventually I’ll move on with the Master & Commander series … but I just can’t really read right now. I’m having a hard time with it. I can only manage a couple pages a day.<\/p>\n

What was the last book you\u00e2\u0080\u0099ve read, and when was it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My cousin Mike (who – shameless O’Malley plug – is premiering in the new series starring Christian Slater My Own Worst Enemy<\/a><\/i> next week – tune in!!) sent me a box of books randomly last week – awesome books like Ingrid Bergman’s autobiography, and other things like that – bought at a second-hand bookstore … and one of the books was called Conversations with Joan Crawford<\/a>\"\"<\/i> – Joan Crawford blabbing about her life journey and the people she worked with … I think it was published in the late 70s, so Crawford was out of public life pretty much … but boy, did she divulge … I read it in an afternoon. FASCINATING. I will be doing some excerpts when I remember to breathe.<\/p>\n

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Silmarillion<\/a>\"\"<\/i>. 20 pages in and I had fallen into a coma.<\/p>\n

And I SHOULD have given up on Don DeLillo’s Underworld<\/a>\"\"<\/i> (excerpt here<\/a>), the most unnecessarily long book I think I have ever read. But based on the sheer BRILLIANCE of the first 50 pages … I stuck it out. I love Don DeLillo … but Underworld<\/i> bored me to death. However, by the time you reach 700 pages, you feel you’ve put in so much time you CAN’T give up! Frankly, I felt harassed by that book. Should have put it down. But God, if you want to read some of the best writing in the last 20 years? Read the first 50 pages. Amazing.<\/p>\n

But beyond that, I can’t really think of a book I’ve put down. I have a hard time with giving up once I’ve started, even if the book annoys me. You know, like the book I read about the fall of the Roman Empire <\/a>– where the author referred to things like the “military complex” and also how certain Emperors liked to “work out” (I’m not even kidding) … but dammit, I stuck it out.<\/p>\n

Dumb! But whatever. I’m stubborn. I recently read another book which was about the black plague, but within 2 pages I realized it would be Bubonic Plague for Dummies … and I was bummed to be treated as though I were a halfwit, but I still stuck it out. Boring, though. I thought I knew nothing about the Black Plague, outside of the Decameron and crap like that … but turns out, I know WAY more than that book assumed I did … There are a couple of new books out about the plague I do want to read.<\/p>\n

I recently had a hard time finishing The Yiddish Policemans Union<\/a>\"\"<\/i> – it was SO overwritten – and my brother and I were laughing about it – because Chabon kept saying that he was going for a Sam Spade Dashiell Hammett kind of hardboiled prose – but every sentence has 500 unnecessary curlicues on it – he is SO NOT doing what he set out to do – but since it’s Michael Chabon, I don’t care … I’ll read anything he writes. I’ll read all his genre crap, even if I don’t care for the genre. That’s how much I love his writing. And the last 100 pages of Policeman’s Union<\/i> were suddenly – absolutely heartbreaking<\/i> … so I’m glad I waited. Still: it was tough-going there for a while.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I got this from my good friend Ted . Naturally I had to go overboard and provide links (to my own blog), and I can never ever answer a question with only one choice. I refuse. What was the last … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[1001,805,1076,691,712,714,642,1017,709,747,1032,1005],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8478"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104029,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8478\/revisions\/104029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}