Well, the title gives it all away, so I won't be constructing any clever, albeit derivative, openings such as "Hi! My name is G. W. and I'm a book addict..." or "Perhaps I'm in need of an intervention..." or "It's not my fault; no, really, it's not my fault..." (okay, so they're not clever; so sod off); I'll just come out and say I returned to Barnes & Noble Sunday and bought a bunch of books.
*sigh*
Let the rationalizing begin.
My original intent was to buy only three books: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, and 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Richmond by Nathan Lott. Some explanation:
During my last Book Buying Orgy I actually picked up The Wasp Factory but somehow managed to misplace it between the "Fiction" section and the checkout counter. When you're lugging around a huge-ass pile of books this can happen and when you're a leeetle obsessive this is annoying. Majorly annoying. My sense of...completeness...was disrupted and, sheesh, well, we can't have that, so Sunday's task was to remedy my neurotic discomfort. And to grab a copy of 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Richmond, inspired as I was by my recent rambles through Forest Hill Park and the alleys of the Carytown/Museum District (remember, if you will, that when faced with any drive beyond an hour I'm more than likely going to stay at home. Remember, too, that even though I've lived here over 16 years I barely know anything at all about this place which, yes, I know, is sad). Oh, and The Crossing because friend Kevin (the quintessential Cormac McCarthy fan: "Blood Meridian is the only book where I finished the last page and immediately started over with the first").said "youhavetoreadityouhavenochoice" since I just finished All the Pretty Horses.
Three books. One, two, three. That's all. But B&N didn't have a copy of The Crossing and I figured since I was expecting to buy three and I had budgeted for three, I may as well find a third because... because... well, just because.
Long story short--I bought six.
I have a problem.
I don't care.
I did find 60 Hikes and The Wasp Factory; I also found:
Men And Cartoons by Jonathan Lethem (see the Bookslut entry here), a collection of short stories by the author of Gun, With Occasional Music, which I enjoyed for its out-and-out quirky-assedness. The Bookslut review promises more of the same so I'm all a-twitter.
Uncommon Carriers by John McPhee
To which I can only say Dudes! It's JOHN 'EFFIN' MCPHEE! I cannot imagine the subject he couldn't make interesting (and, believe me, I've tried), but TRUCKS and TRAINS and OCEAN TANKERS? Oh, sweet Jeebus, my inner 10-yr. old is having conniptions!
Capote: A Biography by Gerald Clarke
So I like Truman Capote's writing, so I think "A Christmas Memory" is one of the greatest short stories of all time, so I find the man with all his quirks and foibles and contradictions utterly, completely fascinating, so that doesn't make me gay (not that there's anything wrong with that!). No track lighting, Audrey Hepburn posters, or Tom of Finland collections in my apartment (okay, yeah, I've got a... few... musicals on CD and know the words to an awful lot of show tunes, still...). No, seriously, to me there's something about Capote, some strange... disparity... between the man and his work I'm hoping this biography will explain.
Consider the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace
The darling little twenty-something Gothy/Emo female cashier with the nasal piercing, the all-black clothing, and the black-rimmed Nerd Glasses was dutifully scanning my books when she came to Consider the Lobster and said, "What do you think of David Foster Wallace? He intrigues me."
And, you know? For a moment I was at a complete loss for words. I mean, how do you sum up Infinite Jest? Or The Broom of the System? Or the stories in Oblivion? Especially when what I'm thinking is No, honey; you intrigue me! I want to marry you, to rob banks and knock over 7-11s so as to support you in a style to which you're unaccustomed, sell crack and run whores whereby to shower you with expensive hipster gifts from the profits, buy you Mark Ryden originals, gaze at you longingly by moonlight in Hollywood Cemetery, to...
Never mind.
What I said was "How do you feel about... footnotes? Because DFW's footnotes can run as long, if not longer, than his novels."
"I love footnotes. I love it when things take me all sorts of directions I don't expect."
And, oh, people, the... things... that were flitting through my mind... but I was good; I merely took my bag o' books, looked over my shoulder, and said:
"Infinite Jest. Grab a copy. You're going to have a great time!"
See that big ol' "L" on my forehead?
Yeah.
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3 comments:
Jeff just finished Men and Cartoons last week--he tells me it is a must read. I'm sure I'll get around to it, oh, about Christmas when I finish the Beatles bio. An update on that: Paul and John are starting to write songs together, George has joined the Quarry Men, who are now down to a very sparse line up: John, Paul, George, and Colin (yes, Colin), and one Richard Starkey has been mentioned in passing as belonging to one of a host of other rock & roll bands that are cropping up on the Merseyside... yep... I don't think Christmas is an exaggerated estimate of finish time. Sigh! Good book, though!
I was eye-ing the new David Foster Wallace the other day... honestly, though, I have SUCH a pile of "to reads." And see above... Sigh, sigh, sigh.
See, now you're FORCING me to consider ANOTHER trip to the bookstore (or, at least, a foray into Amazon.com) to nab the Beatles bio, in which case I will blame my financial ruin on YOU as opposed to my own, personal lack of self-discipline because...well, because I don' wanna take responsibility for my own actions.
By the way, have you read The Lives of John Lennon? Is it worth wading through the smear campaign?
You know, I have never read it... but Goldman is a hoot if you like tabloid trash (and I say that in all honesty--as someone who, upon occasion if the mood strikes, simply adores tabloid trash.
In fact, I may have to seek it out. My guess is that it might be best to find a used copy...
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