I think what we read is almost as important as when we read it. Sometimes knowing what to expect or having no expectations can alter the reading experience entirely! My aunt has often told me of a time when she has not been in the right mood to a certain book and the experience is completely ruined. On the other hand, sometimes we, as individual readers, are the wrong audience for a book. Other times, being given a book by someone special to us makes the book all the more desirable as a read. Dani mentioned in her review of Await Your Reply that many reviewers praised the book, yet she felt disappointed. Hype can ruin an okay book.
I picked up my first John Irving book my sophomore year in high school just browsing in the stacks and selected based on the cover art alone. I have loved many of his other books, but none quite so much as that first one. There is something about choosing a book on my own, for whatever criteria strikes me in the moment, that can make me fall instantly in love - with the writing and the characters. At the same time, I know I have selected books based on terrible criteria and been disappointed - like it fits in my bag or if other people see me reading it they are sure to think I am quite intelligent. I think it's really fascinating the way books can serve as wonder worlds in which to escape the hassles and stressors of our lives or make those moments profoundly worse - reading Penelope Ayers while dealing with a loss in one's own family has the power to be extremely helpful or exacerbate one's grief. Even attempting to read Bill Bryson's The Mother Tonue while overworked has the potential to be draining - there is just too much to digest. Immediately after I read Last Exit to Brooklyn I picked up The Nanny Diaries for a sharp contrast. I first read The Princess Bride at the age of 9, fell in love with the story and tried to convince my history buff of a father that Florin really did exist. I have reread William Goldman's wonderful on numerous occasions since then, including insisting that my high school book club read it and discovered my favorite passages over and over. I loved The Princess Bride so much when I was growing up that I would read it out loud to myself just to hear those passages. I also listened to the book on tape version, read by Rob Reiner. I have instructed numerous friends and acquaintances to read it and delighted every time I have found a fellow fan. At the same time, sharing my deep love for The Princess Bride has felt too personal or even, too feminine at times and the first book I ever recommended and lent to my betrothed was Cool Hand Luke, another powerful and fascinating novel. I choose it because it felt more "neutral" in that it did not have the word princess or bride in the title. After when you first start dating someone, mentioning brides may come on a little strong.
Even though recommendations and hype can occasionally ruin a book, I still hunger to share what I'm reading and am eager to find out what others have on the docket. I find myself peering over the shoulders of my fellow commuters to see what author caught their fancy or striking up conversations with coworkers with the sole purpose of determining what they are reading. It probably makes my conversational style a little aggressive, but I just have to know! As much as I shy away from certain genres, like fantasy, I love a strong recommendation from a friend, rather than making selections based on a bestseller list. Dani gave me Drawn from Life, which she held in high esteem, setting me up to enjoy it. My aunt gave me Katharine Graham's Personal History, which I am presently enjoying, albeit slowly. I remember reading Good in Bed during volunteer hours on a hotline in high school and it was the perfect antidote to the quiet office and the drudgery of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, yet my delight in the novel was completely circumstantial - it is unlikely I would choose to read it today.
Anyway - any good or bad stories about how your came to love or hate or think ambivalently about a particular book? I always think about my reaction to a book in relation to the circumstances of reading it and I'm curious to hear some of your stories!
- KER
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