I–I swear, this has never happened with any of the other books I’ve been with. I’m not the kind of gal that does stuff like this! But I guess there’s a first time for everything.
Yiddish Policeman’s Union, I got to quit you.
It’s not your fault. I loved Kavalier and Clay. I was so excited to read you, but I guess I just wasn’t ready.
I’m at a weird time in my life right now! Lots of changes, lots of uncertainty. And I guess the hardboiled, nouveau-noir prose was just too much for my frazzled nerves. The deluge of Yiddish phrases that I couldn’t keep up with probably didn’t help. But I hate feeling like a quitter! I’ve stuck through more difficult books than this! But I was younger then, and my free time was less precious, and my brain could take the taxing.
Something similar happened a few weeks ago. I had invested almost 6 hours into the FX show Rescue Me, which I know is a good show and I know I should watch it. But watching it was just so hard. It made me sad, and I’d rather not feel sad on the weekend. Does this mean I’d rather feed my brain fluff? You bet your Ayn Rand it does.
Maybe this is just a phase and I’ll be back to tackling heavy books in a month or so. But maybe it’s not; maybe this is the reader I really am: impatient, whiny, easily hurt or confused, and given to massive headaches at the sight of lots of consonants all jumbled together. And as much as I hate to surrender, I’ll just have to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb.
Currently reading: The Runaways graphic novels
Don’t feel bad–I’ve quit far less. Though I did enjoy this one, it certainly doesn’t compare to Kavalier & Clay (but what does??). And don’t feel bad about the fluff–I watched two hours of The Hills and The City last night on MTV…sometimes you just need a break.
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I feel guilty sometimes because I don’t read mind-expanding literature very often, but then I remember that I read for the same reason I watch movies- to be entertained and to get away from the real world. There’s enough bad stuff going on in the world without me reading about it as well. If I want to read a drama, I’ll read the newspaper.
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