The Sea

Intriguing and interesting; these are the most perfect words I can think of to describe The Sea by John Banville.  A national bestseller and winner of the Man Booker prize, this book was rich with amazing imagery, which was my favorite part about it.  I have always loved the ocean and the word pictures painted by Banville allowed me to travel to the sea without leaving my room. And honestly, while the story itself is quite interesting, it was the imagery and description in the book that made me unable to put it down.  I also really enjoyed the stream-of-consciousness writing of the story.  I have always loved this style but the way Banville utilized it in a way that truly illustrated how memory works and jumps around from past to present back to the even more distant past made the story more poignant in my mind.  Banville is able to perfectly capture the way a typical person thinks about things, jumping from topic to topic as memories begin to play in their mind; I have yet to find another book that does this the way he does.

The Sea is written as the reflective journal of a retired art historian, Max Morden, who just lost his wife and is coping with it through writing a sort-of memoir that illustrates his various memories of life at a summer home by the sea.  It was a tragic story but beautifully told. It jumps between his childhood, the months leading up to the death of his wife, Anna, and his present life in the seaside retreat. While the story is not heavy with an actual plot, the reader is still able to see his life mapped out in imagery.

  Also, I was realizing as I read the book, just how much stories like this make me want to write. There is something unbelievably enticing about reading about writing and the effect that writing has on the writer itself.  After reading stories like this, it is all I can do not to take an entire day to just sit and work on my novel or other stories I am in the midst of.  Maybe I will have the luxury to do that someday, but, as you may have gathered, my life is far too chaotic right now.  

Overall, I absolutely agree this book should be on the list to read before you die. While the plot itself is not incredibly inventive or unique, the way it is presented and how things are described make this a book you shouldn’t miss. It was one of those books that often made me just sit and reflect on my own life and left me wanting more afterwards. I wish I could find more ways to describe how beautiful this book was but you will just have to read it for yourself. And if you do read it, I would love to know what you think. Do you agree that it should be included on the list? 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Hello to all my readers out there filled with the same literary wanderlust that I have. It is time for my first adventure into literature. The book I chose for my first quest is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.  I had heard fantastic things about this book and was excited to read it for myself.  

Now, upon reading it, I have a few mixed feelings about it in terms of following the plot.  For those who have never read it, this book is about the adventures of a 15 year old boy, Christopher, who has Asperger’s Syndrome.  As Christopher struggles through the pressures of finding out his father’s secret and attempting to travel and find his mother, the reader discovers how this young child growing into adulthood perceives the world around him. This book gives a quite interesting insight into not only how children view the adult world around them but how, specifically, children with this syndrome view the events happening in their life.

It was definitely a very interesting book and actually gave great insight into the way that people with this syndrome think. People with Asperger’s are very logic minded and this was evident throughout the book and had trouble interacting socially with people. He stuck to a routine and when that routine was disrupted, it became a challenge he had to face, using the only methods he knew how.  

As an English major, I had a lot of trouble following along with the graphs, charts, and math examples that the narrator uses in the book. Perhaps, this is because I am not a visual learner and usually find charts and graphs to be distracting to the text. However, the narrative provided much explanation and, through a bit of study, I was able to follow along with the plot quite well. 

The book itself addresses very commonplace themes such as coming of age and dealing with loss. However, the form it is presented in is very unique and, in my opinion, a quite important addition to the literature already in existence on these subjects. When presented in the point of view of a child with a learning disability, this book provides insights that no other is capable of doing. Not only does it supplement the perspectives already given, but it provides readers with a whole new tale and point of view.

Overall, I loved this book and completely agree that it should be included on the list. Also, it is not a book I would have naturally grabbed off the shelf if I was just walking through a bookstore. But that is the point of this entire blog, to discover books I never would have considered. If the rest of my journey is as exciting and fulfilling as this one, I am eager to continue on this journey. And I hope you are too.

  And, if you do read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time…I would love to hear about your own literary adventures through it.  Now…I embark upon my next book into more worlds unknown…I can’t wait to tell you about them…

We're Going On An Adventure!

  Hello all my fellow literary wanderers and bibliophiles! If you are reading this, chances are you love books as much as I do. Or, if you don’t consider yourself a big reader, perhaps something on this blog will encourage you to give it a second chance!
  I admit that when I first stumbled upon the 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die, it seemed a bit daunting but exciting at the same time. That is a lot of books to tackle! But I was determined to at least attempt this literary challenge. And as I was reading my first book on the list, I realized I wanted to share these adventures with fellow readers, perhaps get their input on these books that are supposed to be can’t miss reads. 
I know it is a long and exciting journey ahead of us but I hope you’ll join me. And if you are anything like me, you will get a chance to read books you never would have thought to pick up. And you will love them! Or perhaps you will disagree with the list and find the books not worthy to read again. But whatever your experience, I would love to hear your thoughts. So, come on because we’re about to dive into our first journey, The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon.