I read with sadness about the passing of Carlos Fuentes. When I was in grad school, he gave a talk on campus in which he said something along the lines of, "When scientists invent a machine for time travel, they will have caught up with writers." He further elaborated that literature need not follow a linear time line. A story can sometimes be more effectively told with time looping back upon itself. Even though I .still. haven't read any of his novels yet, his observation about time stuck with me through the years.
This week, I read Graham Swift's fantastic new novel, Wish You Were Here. Nonlinear time is a hallmark of Swift's work. Time runs every which way, much like water in the (below sea level) Fenland setting of his tour de force, Waterland.
I found the crazy turn of events at the end of Wish You Were Here confounding, until I realized that Swift had telegraphed it right there on page 57.
I major part of my enjoyment of unemployment stems from the fact that I now have time to read. There have been a string of winners, too. Wish You Were Here. The Sense of an Ending. The Hunger Games trilogy.
What are you reading? Leave a comment. If you are also on Goodreads, friend me and share your recommendations.
I'm rereading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Just finished The Fellowship of the Ring.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books of the year are The Tiger's Wife, and Rules of Civility.
ReplyDeleteMy book club just chose The Sense of An Ending. I hope I enjoy it, too!
ReplyDeleteI added you as a friend in GoodReads, which is a social network I should pay more attention to. I will show up as Anita when you get the friend request.
ReplyDelete