It's a good day for waiting. Waiting for spring which is so close that even the persistently cold New England temperatures cannot deny its incipience. And as always, waiting for a book that will startle me, rattle my preconceived notions, leave me just a little bit more alive than I was before I poked my nose between its covers. On that front, this was a day of good news! First I got word that Saturday, which I ordered as soon as I heard Ian McEwan had a title for his latest, is being held for me at the library. Then I heard about two new books that will keep me in joyful waiting until at least 2006.
I don't know the number of books that are published each year, but I do know that it's considered "too many" by those who feel that their masterpieces are being lost in the shuffle, and "one too few" by those desperate to see their own first novels in print. I also know that of all the "stunning debuts" that are offered each season, very few live up to the hype. And even those seasoned novelists who have delighted us in the past frequently disappoint with their third or fourth efforts.
In other words, it takes a lot to get a jaded and frequently disappointed reader like me excited about a new novel. But excited I am: first by Katharine Weber's forthcoming novel, Triangle, which is excerpted in the link below. For me, there are several categories of fiction: there is fiction to be enjoyed, fiction that educates and enlivens and challenges, and finally, there is fiction that haunts. I call it necessary fiction. Triangle is clearly in that category.
http//www.courant.com/news/local/northeast/ hc-ne-springq-sg,0,7404846.special?coll=hc-headlines-northeast -
21k - Mar 29, 2005 -
Another novel that has aroused my book lust is The Bitch Posse, a debut by Martha O'Connor. Not only is the flap copy scintillating, but the advance reviews have been incredible. I rarely pre-order books, but in this case I made an exception. How can you go wrong with a novel that is described as "stuck up middle finger punk fiction?"
Pre-order THE BITCH POSSE at Amazon
5 comments:
Great blog. I look forward to visiting here more often.
Patry, this is such a thoughtful and wonderful blog. I've really enjoyed reading it. I particularly enjoyed your thoughts and insights about Bellow. Also, about "Saturday" and the story about Robinson is so moving.
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