Arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggg….Something’s gone wrong
with me…even more so than usual. I
cannot account for a weather change in my reading. Ever since I was a child, I’ve read
everything that was printed. Not now.
I’d read and reread my childhood favorites repeatedly even
when there was nothing new to read. Remember
the cereal boxes with the cut out’s and games? I could hardly wait til the cereal was gone
and the box was mine. Slide tab B into
slot B. Now the tabs don’t fit into the
slots any more.
I’ve never been much of a prince, princess, and magical
kingdom kind of reader tho I’ve loved many of the Anne McCaffrey’s stories. I find that I still like space opera, and a
good mystery. But a good mystery doesn’t
mean it has to be all blood and gore or all negativity. It can mean an excellent play between
characters or a unique beauty in the setting that makes the story more.
I’ve always loved Kellerman, but right now I cannot read him. All the darkness and fear frightens me to
death. Something in this, I take to
heart. Box’s writing is superior, and
his characterizations are excellent. But
his books have more blood and gore dripping off the pages than any other
mysteries. I just cannot stand them. Something inside me is viscerally torn apart
by these books, and I am now making a new pile to go to the cancer society.
I noticed my tolerance for negativity, darkness, meanness,
plus blood and gore waning before surgery.
I gave all the Box volumes to the cancer society early on. I’d hate to give the Kellerman’s to them
too. I like the doctor as well as his
foil, the gay cop. They are well written
mysteries. Something in me has
changed. I cannot stand the blackness of
these old favorite books any longer.
I confess this was a shock.
What do I do with myself when I can’t find anything left to read? What are you reading?
Life is Really in the
Footnotes:
I'm finding that I can't watch anything on tv that has violence of any kind in it. Same for movies. Maybe it is a reaction on both our parts to the insanity in the world today - all the mean-spiritedness, anger and hatred that seems to be taking over. I'm reading more of what I call "fluff" books - light, sometimes briefly satisfying while reading but gone from my head as soon as I am done with them. Pure escapism.
ReplyDeleteI'm avoiding the blood and gore in books and TV too. I gave up on Nevada Barr's mysteries for that reason. This has come on over the last few years. I too wonder how much recognizing the violence in the "real" world has to do with it.
ReplyDeleteBlood and guts on film or TV? No, I'm gone. Psychological torture? I'm outa here. It's a little easier to read than to watch, because you can put it down for a while. (Or, you have control.)
ReplyDeleteThere's still plenty to read. Have you ever read any of Faye Kellerman's series?
Haven Kimmel, Celia Rivenbark, Bill Bryson, Leif Enger, David Sedaris, Lisa Lutz
ReplyDeleteI went through a period like this -- had to do the same with all of my Patricia Cornwell books. I just couldn't take the graphic-ness of it all.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is that my attention span has really deteriorated since the surgery -- this happened the last few times, too. So right now I'm SLOWLY reading 'lighter' books. Fluff, as it were. Dorothea Benton Frank's last book was pretty good. Had the main character's husband been mine, however, I would have killed him while he slept!
I love Elizabeth Berg, Harlan Coben, David Baldacci, and Sue Grafton. Have you ever read A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving? It's one of my favorites.
I go through periods like that. Our psychic knows what it needs.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading the first book about Charlie Chan written by Earl Der Biggers called The House Without a Key. It's set in Hawaii and a lot of fun to read of familiar places and language. I didn't like the fact that in the 1920s when they were worried about the "Yellow Peril" the term Jap was used. This is well before the war. However, the Chinese are treated as kindly and smart which is nice.
ReplyDeleteI started moving away from blood and gore a few years ago. I still love mysteries and murders, but found I could not get through the first of the series Girls with the Dragon Tattoo. All that morose thinking and sadistic crap, do not need it to move a plot or ID a character. I last read the recent Kingsolver, another one is a cheap murder mysteryone on my Kindle called the Nightwatcher and finally all dabbling in The Bluebird Effect. Always been an eclectic reader.
ReplyDeleteI went through a spell of not being able to get into any reading. Then I discovered history. Try it again. The past is still fascinating and its a good thing its in the past. Dianne
ReplyDeletePS This too shall pass. Probably the aftereffect of surgery.
PPS My favorite was the carboard separators in the Nabisco Shredded Wheat. Each one described how to make some Indian thing, like a teepee or travois. Also I liked the Nike missles in some boxes and the stones in others. I always like stones. One of my Tarot "decks" is a small bag of stones. As you might imagine it includes Obsidian, Jade, Rutilated Quartz, and many other beautiful examples. Get back into your Tarot reading, there are many good books on the topic.
Oooooo I forgot all about the shredded wheat separators!
ReplyDeleteMy mother read two or three mysteries a week, but beyond Nancy Drew, I read very few mysteries. Best book in a long time: cutting for stone. Recent good reads: The Interestings, And The Mountains Echoed, The Orchardist...and of course,Kingsolver's genius: Poisonwood Bible. Some darkness in all of these, but not abundantly blood and gutsy. Just good stories and lovely writing.
I recall being traumitized greatly and beyond what I expected with my surgery, the pain and the recovery. I felt attacked, assaulted, afraid. I remember being scared to death by the wind howling here, and other things as well. All of a sudden, for the first time I believe, I was VERY aware of life's fragility and the dangers in the world I had never considered. Maybe this is what is happening to you, subconsciously? Doesn't matter, you are on to other great books you hadn't considered exploring! It's a good thing overall... I am confused by the options below, so you know--this is seedys...
ReplyDeleteI too am no longer able to read anything gory or negative. I peruse the daily Amazon list of e-books and pass right on by the horror ones and even those too far out in left field (Sci-Fi gone bad).
ReplyDeleteI think back to my mother as she got older -- she reached a point where all she cared to see were Disney 'feel good' movies. I think by the time we reach our 60's we've seen more than our fair share of blood guts and gore and really can do with less of it in our minds. I much prefer lighter reading... a bit of paranormal is good--typically about kids with powers that come about as they move into their late teen years.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading a love story with an undertone of darkness It had better have a happy ending.
ReplyDelete'A Moment' by Marie Hall.