1) I finished the 'Jest over the holiday weekend. Feel solidly entrenched in noodling the entire book, its literary meaning, its greater relational and psychological implications, all the loose ends my mind needs to tie up, attach meaning to, come to terms with. But I will say it is perhaps my new favorite book. Certainly the best piece of modern American literature I've read to-date.
Jana was right when she said that finishing the book -- and not having it to read anymore -- is like a breakup. Dave was sage in advising I take a little reading break for a couple of weeks, just to get this book out of my system.
If you have any interest in psychology, addiction, relationships, family, nature v. nuture, post-modern commentary on America... I think I need to say, you must read this book.
2) Dave sends me a wonderful Wallace speech today, and I feel utterly compelled to preserve this nugget of wisdom from it:
The capital-T Truth is about life BEFORE death.
It is about the real value of a real education,
which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over:
"This is water."
"This is water."
Yes. Yes, yes, yes.
2 comments:
can you send that book to your favorite housewife?! don't get me wrong, i love squishy turtle but . . .
You're second in the queue, after Diana.
(and may I say, a brave woman to want to tackle infant-rearing and such a weighty novel all at once? Heh, if anyone can do it, you can.)
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