Friday, August 20, 2010

Walton's Wise Words


My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate and my spirits are often depressed.


--Robert Walton, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Nothing like stumbling upon a quote that's very fitting in this time of my life and finding a fantastic Chirico painting to post on one's blog.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Busy Buying Books

I like bookstores. Quite a bit actually. I think it's sad I've yet to come across one since I've been in Tennessee. They're oddly comforting...they inspire a sense of awe. So many words, so many ideas, so much knowledge kept in one place. I want to read them all (except for the youth fiction crap/contemporary novels and the random biographies on Angelina Jolie and other people who are still living. What makes you think I want to read about their life? They're not even dead yet.). Reading them all would be amazing, but you know what would be even cooler? Buying them all. I'm really worried that books in print will become obsolete in the dystopic future, hence I feel the need to purchase as many books as soon as possible. Plus--books just look cool. Sitting on a table, a chair, a bookshelf, my bed. They're so ubiquitous.
It's simply amazing how some authors can manipulate the English language. I think....that the most important part of being a writer is being able to write well. I've never cared much for plots. Sure, they're there, but I really love the way authors utilize language to convey more than just a storyline. I don't have to relate to the main character or understand what they're going through to love the novel. I need to appreciate and respect the way the author has written the story. For example, my favorite novel is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I can't relate a bit to the storyline (loveless marriages, murder, creepy house keepers, etc.) but I love the way du Maurier writes. Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Emmuska Orczy, and so many others simply captivate me with the way they employ this language.
And so a love for reading is nourished.