On abandoning books
I’m reading Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. I picked it up at a used book sale because the title sounded familiar in the sense that I had heard good things about this book. (Don’t ask me when or from whom I heard these good reviews...something in my mind said, “Go for it. Get the book.” For two dollars, I had nothing to lose.) I’m about half way through it, and I love bits of the story, but I wonder if I want to finish the book.
The structure is really interesting, that’s one thing that keeps me reading. The author is himself in the story (or maybe a character of himself, I’m not sure) who goes to Ukraine to find his ancestors’ home village and thank the woman who helped his distant relatives escape the Nazis. Jonathan (the author) meets up with an interpreter/translator named Alex. Some of the chapters are Jonathan recounting parts of his relatives’ lives in Ukraine, passages of his family history. Other chapters are Alex’s translations into (broken/awkward) English about the trip he and Jonathan take to research the family, and the rest are letters that Alex writes to Jonathan about the progress of the book they’re working on together (aka the book I’m reading). The story is about writing the book, which reminds me of One Thousand Years of Solitude and that’s all well and good.
Jonathan’s writing is beautiful and touching at times, and it’s fun to read Alex’s translations...his word usage isn’t correct all the time but I still understand everything he’s saying. But I’m bored with the characters.
My favorite character in the book so far is Jonathan’s great-great-great-(great?)-grandfather, Yankel. But Yankel died (of old age, nothing surprising) and now I’m left with this handful of characters I mostly don’t care about and find interesting only some of the time.
And my question is, am I wasting my time if I read the rest of the story?
The thing about school and college was, we had to read novels through to the end (or Sparknote them, whatever. I felt bad shrugging off the work so I always read the novel). I had a reason, a necessity to read books through to the end, even if I didn’t like them. I don’t have to do that anymore. If I’m reading for myself, should I force myself to keep reading a story I don’t like?
With movies, I have a rule. If I’m watching a movie and I don’t like it after twenty minutes, it’s okay to turn it off. I give the film it’s fair chance and if it’s not something I want to watch, I don’t have to waste time watching the rest of it. Move on and it’s fine. I don’t have a rule like that with books that I stick to. I’ve said I’ll give a book one hundred pages to interest me. I think that’s fair. I was reading Dune by Frank Herbert, and that’s what I did, put it away after one hundred pages. I liked the story but it was going so slowly. I trudged through the first hundred or so pages and I didn’t feel like forcing myself to read hundreds more. I feel bad because it’s supposedly one of the greatest science fiction novels ever, but I was falling asleep in the middle of chapters, the way I used to fall asleep reading history textbooks. I don’t see the point in doing that if I don’t have to.
And then there’s C.S. Lewis. In Mere Christianity, he says, “It is a very silly idea that in reading a book you must never ‘skip.’ All sensible people skip freely when they come to a chapter which they find is going to be of no use to them.” (Yes, I bothered looking up the quote.) I understand what he means if he’s talking about non-fiction. If I’m reading a book about ancient Egyptians, I can skip the chapter on government structure if I’m interested in religious rituals. But I don’t see how I can skip around the same way in novels. Surely I’d miss things in the story that would relate to later chapters that I would be reading. I might skim over passages or skip halfway down a page. But whole chapters? I don’t see how I could do that and still know what’s happening in the story.
So then I’m stuck. Do I keep reading Everything Is Illuminated? The other difficulty is, I have a stack of books on my shelf, waiting to be read. I’m interested in some of those more than what I’m reading now, but I don’t like reading more than one book at a time. Invariably, I ignore the book I like less and it’s like I’m reading one book at a time anyway. I guess I will keep reading and hope that the second half is better than the first half. Maybe I’ll skip a passage here and there.
It’s times like these when I wish I had special alien powers like Allen Strange. (I wonder who else remembers that show.) He could flip through a book once and read it that fast, as he was flipping the pages. I could get through a hundred pages in a few seconds and be done with this book. It’s not about reading, it’s about time.
In another sense of abandoning books...I’ve been considering getting an e-book reader. I like the convenience of having access to so many books without needing the physical space to keep them. I like that on the Kindle you can borrow e-books from public libraries. But like I said, I have a stack of printed books that will keep me busy for a while. I don’t spend that much time reading and I do live close to the library, so having access to a lot of books isn’t an issue for me.And then there’s the Printed Word Pledge. I haven’t officially signed my name to it, but I do feel bad about making the switch to digital books, even if my reading habit would really be a hybrid of physical and digital books. I’m talking around in circles again, it happens.
The structure is really interesting, that’s one thing that keeps me reading. The author is himself in the story (or maybe a character of himself, I’m not sure) who goes to Ukraine to find his ancestors’ home village and thank the woman who helped his distant relatives escape the Nazis. Jonathan (the author) meets up with an interpreter/translator named Alex. Some of the chapters are Jonathan recounting parts of his relatives’ lives in Ukraine, passages of his family history. Other chapters are Alex’s translations into (broken/awkward) English about the trip he and Jonathan take to research the family, and the rest are letters that Alex writes to Jonathan about the progress of the book they’re working on together (aka the book I’m reading). The story is about writing the book, which reminds me of One Thousand Years of Solitude and that’s all well and good.
Jonathan’s writing is beautiful and touching at times, and it’s fun to read Alex’s translations...his word usage isn’t correct all the time but I still understand everything he’s saying. But I’m bored with the characters.
My favorite character in the book so far is Jonathan’s great-great-great-(great?)-grandfather, Yankel. But Yankel died (of old age, nothing surprising) and now I’m left with this handful of characters I mostly don’t care about and find interesting only some of the time.
And my question is, am I wasting my time if I read the rest of the story?
The thing about school and college was, we had to read novels through to the end (or Sparknote them, whatever. I felt bad shrugging off the work so I always read the novel). I had a reason, a necessity to read books through to the end, even if I didn’t like them. I don’t have to do that anymore. If I’m reading for myself, should I force myself to keep reading a story I don’t like?
With movies, I have a rule. If I’m watching a movie and I don’t like it after twenty minutes, it’s okay to turn it off. I give the film it’s fair chance and if it’s not something I want to watch, I don’t have to waste time watching the rest of it. Move on and it’s fine. I don’t have a rule like that with books that I stick to. I’ve said I’ll give a book one hundred pages to interest me. I think that’s fair. I was reading Dune by Frank Herbert, and that’s what I did, put it away after one hundred pages. I liked the story but it was going so slowly. I trudged through the first hundred or so pages and I didn’t feel like forcing myself to read hundreds more. I feel bad because it’s supposedly one of the greatest science fiction novels ever, but I was falling asleep in the middle of chapters, the way I used to fall asleep reading history textbooks. I don’t see the point in doing that if I don’t have to.
And then there’s C.S. Lewis. In Mere Christianity, he says, “It is a very silly idea that in reading a book you must never ‘skip.’ All sensible people skip freely when they come to a chapter which they find is going to be of no use to them.” (Yes, I bothered looking up the quote.) I understand what he means if he’s talking about non-fiction. If I’m reading a book about ancient Egyptians, I can skip the chapter on government structure if I’m interested in religious rituals. But I don’t see how I can skip around the same way in novels. Surely I’d miss things in the story that would relate to later chapters that I would be reading. I might skim over passages or skip halfway down a page. But whole chapters? I don’t see how I could do that and still know what’s happening in the story.
So then I’m stuck. Do I keep reading Everything Is Illuminated? The other difficulty is, I have a stack of books on my shelf, waiting to be read. I’m interested in some of those more than what I’m reading now, but I don’t like reading more than one book at a time. Invariably, I ignore the book I like less and it’s like I’m reading one book at a time anyway. I guess I will keep reading and hope that the second half is better than the first half. Maybe I’ll skip a passage here and there.
It’s times like these when I wish I had special alien powers like Allen Strange. (I wonder who else remembers that show.) He could flip through a book once and read it that fast, as he was flipping the pages. I could get through a hundred pages in a few seconds and be done with this book. It’s not about reading, it’s about time.
In another sense of abandoning books...I’ve been considering getting an e-book reader. I like the convenience of having access to so many books without needing the physical space to keep them. I like that on the Kindle you can borrow e-books from public libraries. But like I said, I have a stack of printed books that will keep me busy for a while. I don’t spend that much time reading and I do live close to the library, so having access to a lot of books isn’t an issue for me.And then there’s the Printed Word Pledge. I haven’t officially signed my name to it, but I do feel bad about making the switch to digital books, even if my reading habit would really be a hybrid of physical and digital books. I’m talking around in circles again, it happens.
Crossing over
Charlotte hadn’t spoken to Luke in five years, but there she was at his door. “Luke, we have to go. Now.”
Luke shook his head. “What do you mean? Where do you want to go?”
Charlotte stared at him. Luke could never read her facial expressions. She wore a blank stare most of the time, but something about her hinted at her mind working, always reeling.
“Luke, the monsters are coming.” She reached forward and grabbed his hand. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but you have to trust me.”
Then Charlotte looked at Luke, her brilliant eyes clear, and somehow he knew she meant what she said. He knew it was true. Do you know how sometimes you listen to a person, you agree with her automatically? Not because you know what she’s talking about but because somehow, you know the person is absolutely right. Luke didn’t know what monsters Charlotte was talking about, but he believed her. He grabbed his cell phone and wallet and stuffed them into his jacket pockets. He followed her out into the hallway, locking the door behind him. “Charlotte, what’s going on?” Luke asked. He pressed the down button on the elevator.
Charlotte shook her head. “It’s difficult to explain. Let’s get somewhere safe first.”
They went down to the street and Charlotte led Luke around the corner. They kept walking, out past the school, past the movie theater. The streets were full of rush-hour traffic and the sidewalks were crowded. They walked through Stevens Park and out to the old business sector beyond the park.
Luke looked up at the rusted fence and down to the twisted weeds where metal met pavement. The gate was unlocked and Charlotte led him into the compound.
“Charlotte--”
“Shhh.”
They walked to one of the abandoned buildings. The side door’s lock was busted and they walked inside. Charlotte pulled a flashlight out of her backpack and led the way down the stairs. Luke expected the cellar to be cold and maybe a little damp, but it felt comfortable instead. Lived in. Charlotte picked up a lighter on the table and lit the standing candles. A dim glow spread through the room. One side of the room had blankets down on the floor and some spare clothes piled on a chair. The walls were covered in paper, photos, and newspaper articles. Luke stared and squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what this place was.
“Charlotte, why did we come here?”
“We needed to get away from the city.” She moved two wooden chairs to the table and then motioned for Luke to sit down. “Away from all those people.” Charlotte sat down and pulled her legs up onto the chair seat, hugging her knees. “Remember, I said the monsters are coming. They come from here.” She tapped her forehead. “They’re going to come out and the ones who have to fight will be off guard. At least here, we put some space between us.”
Luke shook his head. He wanted to think that Charlotte was crazy, that this was one of the unhinged states she had as a child. But she sounded so level-headed. He played along. “What if a monster comes out of me?”
“I’d have to fight.” Charlotte’s eyes flicked to the corner behind Luke. “But I don’t think there are any monsters in you.”
Luke twisted around in his chair to see the corner where Charlotte was looking. The candle flames sent flickering shadows against the far wall, but he could make out a baseball bat, a crowbar, and something metal that glinted even in the dim light. “...Is that a gun on the floor?”
Charlotte’s voice was flat. “Like I said, we don’t need to worry about you.”
“Okay.” Luke took a deep breath, the heavy scent of candle wax filing his nostrils. “So why are these monsters coming now?”
Charlotte stood up and walked over to the newspaper-covered wall. “It’s time. I...I don’t know how to explain this to you. It’s the kind of thing that you know only if you know. Otherwise, you have no idea what’s going on.”
Luke stood up and walked over to Charlotte. “And how do you know?”
Charlotte tapped the side of her head. “Monsters in some of their heads, but there’s something different inside of me. Not just me. There are others.” She looked sideways at Luke. “There’s a world some of us enter when we sleep. It mirrors this one, but time moves differently there. Faster. It’s ahead of this world, and now’s the time when the monsters come out here.”
Luke rubbed a hand over his eyes. “You know this sounds crazy, right? I don’t mean to be rude, but Charlotte, come on.”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “Lots of people feel that something is wrong.” She pointed at the wall. “Political protests. Social movements.” Her fingers moved over the articles and photos, tapping each one. “Economic suffering. Cities are in a state of unrest. Something is shifting, moving. Rising.” She turned and looked at Luke. “Don’t you feel like something’s off in the world? That some sort of change is coming?”
“I don’t know Charlotte. Is this change supposed to happen tonight? I guess I don’t understand how something like this can happen and everything will be different tomorrow.”
“It isn’t sudden. Things have been progressing. We’ve been building up to this point.”
“If you say so.” Luke walked back to the chair and Charlotte sat back down too. “So why did you come get me?”
Charlotte lifted her eyes to meet Luke’s. “It’s something that I did not expect. I didn’t think I would have anyone with me to face the Rising, but then I saw you.”
“In the other world?”
Charlotte nodded. “You would say I had a dream about it, but that’s not it. We were traveling together, so I knew I had to find you in this world. I had to come back for you.”
“Not so much a dream as a vision.”
“What?”
“If the other world moves ahead of ours, then what happens there will be the future here, right? So you can see the future.”
Charlotte shook her head. “It’s no that straight-forward, but I see what you mean. Yes, that’s why I went to the apartment for you. But that won’t work anymore. When the monsters cross into our world, the timelines will be linked. Fixed together.”
“How much time do we have?”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but not much. I don’t have dreams about the future anymore.”
Luke shook his head. “What do you mean? Where do you want to go?”
Charlotte stared at him. Luke could never read her facial expressions. She wore a blank stare most of the time, but something about her hinted at her mind working, always reeling.
“Luke, the monsters are coming.” She reached forward and grabbed his hand. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but you have to trust me.”
Then Charlotte looked at Luke, her brilliant eyes clear, and somehow he knew she meant what she said. He knew it was true. Do you know how sometimes you listen to a person, you agree with her automatically? Not because you know what she’s talking about but because somehow, you know the person is absolutely right. Luke didn’t know what monsters Charlotte was talking about, but he believed her. He grabbed his cell phone and wallet and stuffed them into his jacket pockets. He followed her out into the hallway, locking the door behind him. “Charlotte, what’s going on?” Luke asked. He pressed the down button on the elevator.
Charlotte shook her head. “It’s difficult to explain. Let’s get somewhere safe first.”
They went down to the street and Charlotte led Luke around the corner. They kept walking, out past the school, past the movie theater. The streets were full of rush-hour traffic and the sidewalks were crowded. They walked through Stevens Park and out to the old business sector beyond the park.
Luke looked up at the rusted fence and down to the twisted weeds where metal met pavement. The gate was unlocked and Charlotte led him into the compound.
“Charlotte--”
“Shhh.”
They walked to one of the abandoned buildings. The side door’s lock was busted and they walked inside. Charlotte pulled a flashlight out of her backpack and led the way down the stairs. Luke expected the cellar to be cold and maybe a little damp, but it felt comfortable instead. Lived in. Charlotte picked up a lighter on the table and lit the standing candles. A dim glow spread through the room. One side of the room had blankets down on the floor and some spare clothes piled on a chair. The walls were covered in paper, photos, and newspaper articles. Luke stared and squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what this place was.
“Charlotte, why did we come here?”
“We needed to get away from the city.” She moved two wooden chairs to the table and then motioned for Luke to sit down. “Away from all those people.” Charlotte sat down and pulled her legs up onto the chair seat, hugging her knees. “Remember, I said the monsters are coming. They come from here.” She tapped her forehead. “They’re going to come out and the ones who have to fight will be off guard. At least here, we put some space between us.”
Luke shook his head. He wanted to think that Charlotte was crazy, that this was one of the unhinged states she had as a child. But she sounded so level-headed. He played along. “What if a monster comes out of me?”
“I’d have to fight.” Charlotte’s eyes flicked to the corner behind Luke. “But I don’t think there are any monsters in you.”
Luke twisted around in his chair to see the corner where Charlotte was looking. The candle flames sent flickering shadows against the far wall, but he could make out a baseball bat, a crowbar, and something metal that glinted even in the dim light. “...Is that a gun on the floor?”
Charlotte’s voice was flat. “Like I said, we don’t need to worry about you.”
“Okay.” Luke took a deep breath, the heavy scent of candle wax filing his nostrils. “So why are these monsters coming now?”
Charlotte stood up and walked over to the newspaper-covered wall. “It’s time. I...I don’t know how to explain this to you. It’s the kind of thing that you know only if you know. Otherwise, you have no idea what’s going on.”
Luke stood up and walked over to Charlotte. “And how do you know?”
Charlotte tapped the side of her head. “Monsters in some of their heads, but there’s something different inside of me. Not just me. There are others.” She looked sideways at Luke. “There’s a world some of us enter when we sleep. It mirrors this one, but time moves differently there. Faster. It’s ahead of this world, and now’s the time when the monsters come out here.”
Luke rubbed a hand over his eyes. “You know this sounds crazy, right? I don’t mean to be rude, but Charlotte, come on.”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “Lots of people feel that something is wrong.” She pointed at the wall. “Political protests. Social movements.” Her fingers moved over the articles and photos, tapping each one. “Economic suffering. Cities are in a state of unrest. Something is shifting, moving. Rising.” She turned and looked at Luke. “Don’t you feel like something’s off in the world? That some sort of change is coming?”
“I don’t know Charlotte. Is this change supposed to happen tonight? I guess I don’t understand how something like this can happen and everything will be different tomorrow.”
“It isn’t sudden. Things have been progressing. We’ve been building up to this point.”
“If you say so.” Luke walked back to the chair and Charlotte sat back down too. “So why did you come get me?”
Charlotte lifted her eyes to meet Luke’s. “It’s something that I did not expect. I didn’t think I would have anyone with me to face the Rising, but then I saw you.”
“In the other world?”
Charlotte nodded. “You would say I had a dream about it, but that’s not it. We were traveling together, so I knew I had to find you in this world. I had to come back for you.”
“Not so much a dream as a vision.”
“What?”
“If the other world moves ahead of ours, then what happens there will be the future here, right? So you can see the future.”
Charlotte shook her head. “It’s no that straight-forward, but I see what you mean. Yes, that’s why I went to the apartment for you. But that won’t work anymore. When the monsters cross into our world, the timelines will be linked. Fixed together.”
“How much time do we have?”
Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but not much. I don’t have dreams about the future anymore.”
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