Well, if only my stupid housemate hadn't broken the internet....
.....as it is, I'm sitting in a coffee shop on my lunch break, typing this up. I have nothing to say, and I'm letting you know that I have nothing to say [until I, yes, I, fix the internet].
Until then, read something non-virtual. Like, y'know, a proper book. January is a good month for big books, so brush off some Dickens. Do it.
A friend has said he's going to lend me the last Ulrich Haarburste novel. I think I will enjoy that more than even more than Dickens.
ReplyDeleteI believe the expression is ''wow, quick off the mark, boy''
ReplyDeleteI like Dickens the older I get. Bleak House was a revelation. Anyway, some sort of Big Fat Difficult book would be ideal at this time of year.
Fuck, it's sunny where you are!
I've only read Great Expectations, but I've read it lots of times. I still couldn't remember what happened when I watched the BBC one though. It's too long, and difficult.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty is in the difficulty, darling. His plots are phenomenal (and that's a compliment and a whinge in one word) but worth it. A bit like Henry James. Worth it when it's finished.
ReplyDeleteplus pip is a twat, but that's something else.
Ugh, ok fine will attempt some Dickens. I have managed to avoid him like the plague thus far (apart from TV adaptations of Bleak House & Great Expectations :P)
ReplyDeleteAny in particular you recommend? Preferably that won't make me totally lose the will to live on my commute.
Great Expectations is hilarious in its ridiculousness. It almost encouraged me to read more Dickens! I might, once I've read the plethora of other books I want to read first.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've always meant to get round to 'A tale of two cities' so you could read that on my behalf if you like. Otherwise, why not go for a something a little left-of-centre and try 'Nightwalks' which is about his ambles around London at night - lots of references to Holborn and so on which'll be exciting for you if you can spot streets/buildings he's referring to [and I don't mean this in a patronising way, it's so exciting when that happens!]. Or, try some of his shorter fiction and journalism, which is pretty funny. If you type 'Household worlds' into google, it'll bring up some good responses: that was the magazine that he edited for many years. So yeah, shorter fiction for the commute. Plus it's possibly free on your new spangly reading device.
ReplyDeleteTeam Essex Tomorrow! x