Monday, March 09, 2009

Bits and Bobs again

My posts on Friday and Saturday came courtesy of Blogger scheduling. What was really happening was that the children and I were off, straight from school, to Singapore for Daughter’s gymnastic competition. Husband has been away for almost a week - partly on a corporate jolly (Thailand Open) and partly on a personally jolly (to take his Padi Advanced Scuba diving course.)

Today, we are back to normal. Children are in school and I am back at work on the novel: next stop 50,000. I have a quiet week and I am a bit behind so my head is down, although I have just put the wordmeter up by a further thousand. Ya hoo.

The apartment is strewn with clothes from the mountains of washing that comes from travelling. Clothes are hanging up to dry in every available space. It’s like having lots of very quiet people hanging around, waiting for a party to start. Husband’s wet suit is hanging up in the bath room, and every time I go in there, I think the Milk Tray man has broken in to the apartment. I consider wrestling the chocolate from him before giving him a good shove off the balcony and then I realise it’s just the suit.

I am struggling a bit with Owen Meany. It’s beautiful and the characterisation is wonderful … but I’m waiting for something to grip me and make me desperate to read on. I reckon I’m not quite a third of the way through. I take it you all think I should persevere?

12 comments:

Queenie said...

Yep, keep going with Owen Meany. I read The Cider House Rules recently and realised that John Irving's gentle discursive style seems dated now, but it does bring rewards if you stick with it. His descriptions are masterful. And well done on the wordmeter, keep that up and you'll be close to your 50k by the end of the week. BTW did Daughter win?

Jenny Beattie said...

Queenie, thank you. I'm not a quitter of books so I do intend to stick with it. Maybe understanding that it's a dated style will help. Owen as a character is incredible and very real for me. I can see why Husband remembers him so clearly still after reading it some years ago.

It was a huge competition, run by a very professional club. Daughter was 'unmedalled' as she called it but it was a great experience and gave us time for some shopping!

Lane Mathias said...

You've been busy!
Are you sure that Milk Tray Wetsuit Man isn't harbouring some chocolate?:-)

HelenMWalters said...

No idea about Owen Meany as I haven't read it. But I love the idea of all the 'quiet people' haging around in your apartment waiting for the party to start. Brill!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I've not read it, so am not sure if it's worth perservering or not. I do generally hang in there till the end, but if I find a book utterly dull, I will give in and skim a bit.

Too many books to get through, too little time to do it, without having to read something you're not enjoying.

Chris Stovell said...

Whoop, whoop on the wordmeter! Well done. Haven't read any John Irving - on my 'ought to' list of reads, I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Flowerpot said...

cant help you with owen meany as I haven't read it. I used to stick with everybook till I went to a literary festival and the agent there said that there were too many books in theworld for her to waste on ones she wasn't enjoying. Since then I've adopted that attitude!! Might mean I miss some good ones but there you go...

Anonymous said...

i agree with queenie. stick with it. i loved owen meany!

Jenny Beattie said...

Oh Lane, wouldn't that be perfect? A silent man appearing with chocolates?

Helen, thank you. They are very eery.

Debs, I'm more likely these days to put a book down, but it's not easy.

Chris, thank you. The characterisation is lovely. It might be enough to just know that the style is slightly dated. I might be able to 'go with the gentle flow!'

Flowerpot, I had an art lecturer who said if a painter doesn't make you stop and look at his picture/sculpture then he's failed. It's brutal but I do put things aside more often that I used to. Some of the stuff I've trawled through! Pah.

Monica, I shall try very hard to. Thank you.

Femin Susan said...

no I have haven't read that.

Angie said...

I'll be interested to hear if you like Owen Meany. It's on my list of 'someday reads' but has yet to make the actually tbr pile.
Well done on those words. Sounds like you earned a quiet week.
Oh, and I love the description of your hanging clothes. :)

Jenny Beattie said...

Hello Femin Susan, welcome here.

Angie, when I read it, I love it, but it doesn't have that calling to me. You know the little voice, that says 'don't do that ... come and read me...'? Owen Meany as a character is so fantastic though.