This week I read six books. None of them was a standout, but as promised, I have selected one.
In the interest of honesty, I will admit that a seventh book was begun, but returned unfinished. It was Dickens' The Pickwick Papers. The amusement enjoyed by the reader of Pickwick's frolics is (for this reader at least) quickly overcome by disgust at the sheer stupidity of the characters. I do feel a bit guilty for not being able to select Mr. Dickens as my author of the week (since he's "classic" and all), but the Pickwickians were just too damn dumb. Or maybe it's not that they were too dumb, but rather dumb too many times. (I imagine each story individually would have been the way to read this, but that is difficult to achieve with a library book.)
Alternatively, the stupidity level in my choice of the week is just as high, but the characters at least learned from their mistakes. Really, Donna Andrews' Six Geese A-Slaying is filled with the most ridiculous people, circumstances and puns, but what put it over Pickwick was its brevity. Take that as you will.
p.s. Happy 1st day of spring!!
1 comment:
I clicked through on your Pickwick Papers link to Amazon.com and found their statistically improbable phrases (SIBs), which I didn't know about before. They have a computer program pick out phrases that are more common in a book than in other books. One of the phrases found in Pickwick more than elsewhere is "buxom female." So perhaps you are not the target audience for that particular classic.
On the other hand, another phrase found in Pickwick more than in other books is "scientific gentleman." I imagine there's a small but loyal niche audience for that.
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