Managing my spontaneous fun
When I decided to give up salaried work for the freelance and non-profit life, one of my goals was to read more books. I’m doing fine on that. My favourite of late has been Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, which I loved and did not want to end. Sittenfeld is only a year older than me, which makes it even more scary that she has it within her to write such an involving story with such real characters. I was walking down the street soon after finishing the book, thinking, “I can’t believe Cross Sugarman is a work of fiction.” But of course he’s also real as real can be, as is Lee Fiora, which is why the book works so damn well.
One of my other goals was to balance things so that I was as comfortable with going to the cinema on a weekday afternoon as I am with working on a Sunday evening. I’m doing not so fine with that, but I did break down and go see Little Miss Sunshine on Thursday. I liked it so much that I dragged Antoine to see it last night, and he liked it, too. Has Steve Carell jumped the shark yet, or is it okay to say that I think he’s a stunning performer? Contrast his funny and moving performance as the gay, suicidal uncle in Little Miss Sunshine with this Daily Show turn (via Neil McIntosh). I guess I need to catch up with the rest of the western world and watch his other film and TV stuff.
Filed under: Life
I read Prep on holiday a couple of weeks ago - I loved it too.
Really, what’s the point of reading books? If you are like most people, by the time you turn the page you have already forgotten over half of what the previous page had to say, and by the time you have finished the book you have forgotten 95% of what you’ve just read. You are better off reading the review in the NY Times book section.
I guess I’m not like most people, Joe…But then I’ve been told that a time or two. (Nice schtick, btw.)
I was amazed at how “Prep” just kept you turning the pages, even though it was so essentially about…nothing…and after I finished it I felt extremely irritated with the author for taking up my time like that.
Love “Little Miss Sunshine” though.