Book babbling

I promise I'll babble about books some more, really really soon:

Song of Solomon, Twilight/New Moon.

Edit:

I lied. It's been too long, and frankly, Song of Solomon just didn't impress me that much. As for Twilight and New Moon, all I can say is that if you are female and enjoy YA fantasy, GO READ THEM NOW. The third installment comes out on August 7th, which just so happens to be the day before my birthday.

Now, I did just finish Steppenwolf, and so I can probably say a few things about that.

1. Siddhartha is better.
2. The titular Steppenwolf may have been a learned man, but ultimately, I don't think he got it.
3. It's interesting that, as dated in some ways as the novel is, it's still pretty resonant. There are still those of us who consider ourselves intellectual and therefore outside of the mundane (bourgeois to Mr. Hesse), and there's a lot we could learn from Harry Haller.
4. Good book. Not as beautifully poetic as Siddhartha, and much more earthly bound. Still, I'd recommend it. Pay attention to the introduction; it's important.

I am on to Shakespeare (A Winter's Tale, I can't wait) and Jane Austen's minor works, as soon as they come in at the library. Plus I'll need to re-read HBP and The Golden Compass at some point. I gave up on some heavily literary-referential sci-fi jaunt called Hyperion. I gave it a honest, Nancy Pearl-worthy try, but it was just too much for me. If you want theology + sci-fi, go read Mary Doria Russell instead.

WaH

Hey. Wanna read me whine? Oh, c'mon, you know you do.

I don't feel good.
I am bored with my life.
I hate my job.
I don't want to be a grownup.
I feel like my friends have all forgotten me. They never email, hardly ever message, unless they want something, of course.

I suppose I could be all verbose about this shit, but I don't really feel up to it right now, and since it's just me whining, what's the point anyway?

There now. Wasn't that fun?

No wait, I'll elaborate one some counts, lest you think me a selfish child. My friends are busy. I know that. School is ending, and most of them are probably pulling their hair out right now. And I guess, really, if I didn't have friends who were smart and good in school, I'd be somebody different. I'd rather have the smart friends. It's just that some of them still find time to log onto networking sites and blog and do things online, and it's after a few weeks that I feel ignored. I wrote a friend recently and said something along the lines of "You know, I think people could send me an empty envelope in the mail, and I would still feel loved based on the fact that they took the time to write my name and put a stamp on and put it in the mailbox."

I feel compelled to point out that the friend I wrote that to has not yet responded. Shocking, I know.

So I'm only slightly selfish. I know they're busy. I just don't think anyone understands how truly emotionally high-maintenance I am. And you know, I tend to think that I do a lot for my friends. I go out of my way to be there for them. I only ask for a little of that back, but I feel like I don't even get that much, most of the time.

Or maybe I'm just a jerk.

Now, are you sure you wanted me to elaborate?

How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster

From Amazon.com (unspecified otherwise)
In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

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Plus, he provides me with an awesome reading list! This book was recommended by my friend Lindsay, and was much enjoyed. The language is what really makes it great: one definitely gets the feeling that one is sitting in on a favorite kooky professor's lecture. Thought-provoking, too...I caught myself thinking back on past reads in attempts to decipher things I'd missed the first time. I actually ended up buying a copy of this, as I feel that it'll be more useful in the long run in terms of learning to read more sensitively. Still, it's a fun read, and if you enjoy reading literature I'd suggest it. And man, there's that reading list. He mentions a lot of stuff I've meant to read but never got 'round to, plus a few things I wouldn't ordinarily have considered, but that sound reasonably interesting. As a matter of fact, I've already gone through Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, which he raves about, and am currently chewing through T.S. Eliot and Joyce's Dubliners. So, stay tuned for those. Reading is fun, kids!

Hey.

I love you.

Go tell somebody else.

To continue: I'm becoming mildly obsessed with the news stories from Va Tech. On IU Fencing's Facebook group, we've discussed their fencers. Their website says that they're all ok, I guess as far as the webmaster knows. I don't really know any of them, but they were at College Nationals this year and last, so I thought of them quickly. I think about all the friends I have in college. I think about the fact that I and my husband work on a college campus... many, many people I know are somehow affiliated with colleges. Morbid, yes. But really, how can you help thinking about it when these things happen? I think that if this happened at IU or at Southern, I would just get on a plane and go. There would simply be no way that I could deal with the situation until I was there and could see my friends with my own eyes.

I read an article today that was discussing why people do things like this. It's not new; the article seemed to state the reasons why were different, though, based on the demands of society today. I think about anyone I know that's ever been termed a "loner", myself included. Could I ever do something like that? No. It makes me want to walk up to anyone sitting alone or looking sad and say "Hey. How are you today? Do you need to talk?"

I dunno. I think all we can do is love each other as much as possible. It's hard to say what else really matters.