The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

It's been thrity years since i read this - no, thirty-four. I haven't forgotten a bit of it - funny how the mind works. It's not my favorite Hemingway by a long shot. Too much drinking, none of the characters are sympathetic, and I really disliked Brett. Also, now that I know Jake's problem, it's not quite as interesting. In a way, it's too minimalist - I would certainly like a little more detail and less aimless wandering about, but I guess that's the whole point of the "lost generation".

Anyway, it was good to read it again - it's a fast read if you have read it before.

Enough reading?

I've been taking a break from writing, ever since I decided to take another class, and exposing myself to as much "different" writing as I could. I think I've done a pretty good job. The class should be starting Monday, except it has been postponed a week (what's up with that?). I still have a couple of Hemingway novels in the queue, and they are "easy" reads, so I'll probably finish those over the next week. I'm ready to get back to writing!

Joe by Larry Brown

A literary novel - don't look for any plot because there isn't any. The characters are about as Faulkneresque as you can get, moved forward into the modern times of the late twentieth century. Poor, white trash, low-down, dirty, nasty, men and women. You know it's going to be bad as soon as you start reading it, and it's worse. Yet you can't look away.

I also read Fay, some time ago. Fay makes an appearence in this book, before she runs off to ruin some lives in her own novel. The writing is great, even if the subject matter is dark and gritty. There is none of the obfuscation of Faulkner - everything is plainly written and easy to follow, even if you don't really want to know what is happening.

It's a shame Larry Brown died young. I get the feeling he was writing what he knew in these books, and I can't help but wonder if that didn't contribute to his early death.

Vacation Trip

I did another AT hike, which you can find on the new "pursuits" page. Short report: Rain, sleet, snow, lots of climbs, lots of fun.

Algonkian Class postponed

What's up with that? I sent an email this morning, since I had heard nothing from them, and got a response that it had been postponed a week - no real explanation. Of course, I planned my vacation around it. I would be pissed if I had planned my vacation for the week afterwards. I guess I will reserve judgement until I actually get into the class, but the delay does not inspire confidence.

The Third Secret by Steve Berry

I guess I am on a Steve Berry kick - this is the second of his thrillers that I have read. This is a strange one - not what I expected at all. Politics in the Vatican. Popes that commit crimes (even murder!). No, it's not the Renaisance, but modern times. Very strange and not entirely plausible, but it's a thriller.

The "secret" turned out to be political in nature - I won't spoil it for you, but it has to do with reform in the Catholic Church. I usually don't care for novels that have a political message. I don't like being preached too, but in this case it's still a page-turner, and I had a lot of fun reading it.

The Amber Room by Steve Berry

I attended a talk by Steve Berry at the GWA back in January '06. He was accepting the Georgia Author of the Year award. I was very impressed by his knowledge and dedication to his craft.

I think this is his first published novel. Sometimes it is difficult to figure the order of publication of novels out, but I believe that is what I heard him say. There are some errors, particularly the indefinite pronouns. I started out marking them, then lost interest - there are quite a few. In his favor though, I am now reading his second book (I think) "The Third Secret" and I have yet to find an error of any kind - he obviously corrected the problem.

It's an international thriller, about a group of art collectors willing to murder to acquire art treasures. A willing suspension of disbelief is required, by which I mean that the plot is a little far fetched. It moves along quickly, holds the interest, has villians that you love to hate - all the elements of a good thriller. It's meticulously researched.

I'm having great fun reading his books. After meeting him in person it's very inspiring to see him in action, so to speak. I feel like there is hope for me to get published, if I work as hard as he has.