dianareads

I picked up this book because people keep raving about Wittgenstein’s Mistress and I can’t find a copy in any library.

I’m still thinking about Going Down a week after finishing it — always a sign of a highly compelling book, since I don’t make a point of actively contemplating books when I’m done with them (I’m not in school anymore, guys!). But the best books keep sailing around my consciousness of their own volition. This, for me, is one of those books.

I like this Goodreads review of the book:

“I am really glad I didn’t read a book description or sum-up before reading the actual book. Even the GoodReads synopsis I think gives too much away. One of the coolest things for me about Going Down was how it leads you to discover things piece-by-piece – relationships between different characters, details about their pasts, how distinct events fit together – everything is revealed in dribs and drabs. And not in that annoying way where you feel like the writer is just trying to keep you confused to make up for the lack of original ideas or entertaining story. Here, the book’s structure reflects the intricacies of the story: people interpret events differently, with profound effects; relationships that you thought were one way turn out to be another; people that you didn’t think were important turn out to have large contributions, and vice versa. ”

Just now I found this tumblr:

http://readingmarksonreading.tumblr.com/

Apparently Markson requested that his entire book collection be donated to The Strand when he died, and then “it became a sort of underground NYC literature-lover exercise to scour the stacks of The Strand for books the man once owned.” Damn. So cool.

half-pint replied to your post: Thanks also to lobsterhug and thepointedword for…

I think you’ll be surprised at how many people will ask you what you are reading. That is what happens to me at bars.

Ooh, good point! I’ll choose my books wisely…

Thanks also to lobsterhug and thepointedword for telling me to just do it! I will be sure to let you know when I go hang out in a bar by myself. I’ll bring a book for moral support.

Two weeks ago my boyfriend flew to San Francisco for a job interview. I drove him to JFK before dawn, kissed him goodbye, and continued on to work, expecting to pick him up four days later. Then he got the job and decided to stay out there.

Until now we’d only had about three weeks apart in three and a half years of living together, so this is an adjustment. My new job is keeping me busy and tired, though, so I haven’t been feeling lonely. (What I have been doing is eating way too much ice cream and way too many cookies.)

I’m very good at being alone — I love being alone — but I’m no good at being alone in public. I tense up; I am suspicious of every person I pass on the street; I feel awkward entering rooms, ordering meals, waiting for a friend at a bar. This is silly and I want to get over it. I want to do things alone and not feel like I have to apologize for being alone. Sometimes I WANT to be alone! Why should I invite friends every time I’m craving Thai food or a cocktail? Why can’t I sit in a bar and read a book? Tumblr says: “Let people answer this.” Okay, then. People, please answer this: why can’t I sit in a bar alone and read a book?