The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - This book comes very highly recommended. It's a global best seller. Was turned into a movie. Is on a ton of 'best' lists. And I hated it. Hated, hated, hated. The entire story-telling style was incredibly gimmicky with tiny lists and definitions. It was as if the writer couldn't bear the thought that people could immerse themselves in the story without constantly looking at the writer. The story, itself, was interesting, but the awful writing torpedoed any quality. If you had People magazine have a go at 'Gone with the Wind', you'd have a similarly awful result. Yuck.
The rest of the month was spent a) reading 'Moby Dick', b) reading early American history books from American Heritage or c) nibbling around the edges of other past enjoyments.
The short stories were a mixed bag at best this month:
Competitors, Rosenfeld - good
A Distant Episode, - not good
Wants, Plaey - ok
Goodbye My Brother, Cheever - ok
My Sly Stops for a Cup of Joe, Bull - good
I'm somehow ahead of schedule, with only 11 short stories left for the last three months.
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