Books

Reading Chris' blog today reminds me that if there's nothing much else to write about, there's always the book you're currently reading. Just finished Northern Lights which I've read after seeing the film. It's a strange experience, that. I usually read the book first, if there is one. In this case I approached the book thinking I knew what was going to happen, and that it would just be fleshed out a bit more, but of course things happen in the book that are avoided in the film for one reason or another. It's well written. Pullman has a much better command of the English language than Rowling, for example. The story flows along nicely and I never once stopped to groan about style, which tends to happen a lot with HP books. (Thank goodness I'll never have to read another one of those.)

So, I'd finished Lyra's story, and not having books 2 or 3 yet, I needed something else to read last night. Had a poke about in the pile of books I've never got around to reading, and found one I'd picked up for 10p at Eaglesfield Village Hall, where hall users bring in books which are bought by other hall users: 10p for each book is left in a jam jar. I gather the vast proceeds from these transactions go towards the hall fund or something. The last one from there that I read was called, intriguingly (if you're an arctophile anyway) The Bear Went over the Mountain by William Kotzwinkle, the chap who wrote the original story behind E.T. Very strange story, that was, about a bear who stole an author's manuscript, took it to New York and, posing as said author, became a celebrity, while the real author gradually started turning into a bear and spent the winter hibernating in a cave. So, anyway, this is how I come to be reading, for a change, a classic of English literature - Brideshead Revisted. And since I'm probably in a very small minority here - the group of people who never saw the TV adaptation - I shall be approaching it fresh and eager and with very little idea of what happens. I shall let you know how I get on.

What I really want is Iain Banks' latest opi. (That looks silly. What's the plural of opus, for heaven's sake? Can this be right?) I've had The Steep Approach to Garbadale on my wish list for ages, but I'm going to buy it for myself shortly, as soon as his newest SF book, Matter hits the shelves. Probably buy them both at once. Embarras de richesse!

And now, finding myself almost out of teabags, I think a quick trip to Tesco might be in order. Adieu.