Hello, once again, and welcome. A lot has happened since my last post, not least of which is the disruption caused by the ongoing pandession; I hope everybody is coping and suffering only the tedium of lockdown.
Last time out I’d chosen to read what’s notoriously understood to be a modern-day classic ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. I use the term ‘notoriously’ as I’m damned if I can what all the fuss is about. At 230 pages, it’s not exactly an epic and should be breezed through in a handful of sittings. Not so. After 173 pages, I have set it aside for the time being, turning my attention instead to ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Ms. Agatha Christie, but at least I know who Holden Caulfield is and why the book is entitled so.
It is interesting to see how writing styles differ and indeed, how writing itself has changed in only a few decades. While TCITR has a modern (perhaps even timeless) feel to it, TMORA is filled with an array of dialogue tags, and enough adverbs to make Stephen King’s head spin! I’m closing in on the big reveal and can feel myself eagerly gazing at the rows of unread books on my shelves, wondering which to pluck next. I hear Dickens is good, lets’ see…
If you’re on the hunt for something to read, why not grab a copy of either (or if you’re a little more daring, both) of my novels to while away the pub-less nights.
Fanacht Sábháilte (Stay Safe)
Stephen Francis