The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje

I will always associate Michael Ondaatje with L. and the fundraiser she worked on in the summer of 2004(?) with Ondaatje. I remember picking up The English Patient that summer, getting 50 or so pages into it, and then putting it down. It just wasn't doing it for me. I've kept it on my bookshelf ever since then, hoping that one day I will feel the motivation to pick it up, and low and behold, a couple of days ago I did.

I made it all the way through this time, and while I didn't love it, it was a still a good read. The best part about it was, honestly, was that I felt like I could relate to a lot of the setting and the characters. It is set in the hills above Tuscany, (where I have visited a few times), the main character is from Toronto and has spent much time canoeing in Georgian Bay, there is a kindhearted Sikh from Punjab who describes the Golden Temple in Amritsar just the way I remember it, and last but not least, the main love interest is named Katharine. Kathath- A -rine, just like me.

Since starting to work at a bakery here in town, I have to get used to waking up early. Like seriously early. Like being at work by 6am early. That means that although I had yesterday and today off, I still woke up at 7:15am. Oh well, the light here is beautiful in the morning. Ventured into the city yesterday to meet up with M. and snapped a couple shots, like the one above. Beautiful and sunny, but very chilly. Please oh please, let spring come soon!

Rebbecca, Daphne du Maurier

Last week we went to see the new Jane Eyre in theatres. I totally enjoyed it because I had no idea what the story line of Jane Eyre was, and it is definitely a great story. When we walked out of the theatre M. told me that I 'had to read Rebecca.' She's said something along the lines of - it's like Jane Eyre, but better. And so it was! I was totally hooked from the very beginning, and read it basically in 3 sittings... the longest one being from 11:00pm - 2:30am after a very delicious but sugary and caffeine loaded chocolate brownie tart. I was hoping for a good romance, and M. said I was going to be disappointed if that's what I was looking for, but I do think it is a fabulous romance. The parallels to Jane Eyre are easy enough to see, and really add another layer to Rebecca. I'm glad I saw Jane Eyre so that I could see what du Maurier was pulling on. I have to read Jane Eyre now, and just picked up a copy at Borders yesterday.

Just want to quickly say that this is one of the best suspense novels I have ever read. I was literally on the edge of my (bed), turning the pages as rapidly as I could so that I could get to the end. And let me just say, that it is not a satisfying ending! I've been thinking about Rebecca since I finished it early yesterday morning and I can easily say it is one of my favourite books I've read in the last year, if not one of my favourite books ever. I think I will give it a re-read after I've read Jane Eyre.

Great suggestion M.

Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac

"The night of the big party came. I could practically hear the hubbubs of preparation going on down the hill and felt depressed. 'Oh my God, sociability is just a big smile and a big smile is nothing but teeth, I wish I could just stay up here and rest and be kind.' But somebody brought up some wine and that started me off."
- Jack Kerouac, "The Dharma Bums"

It's been a while since I read On the Road. A. was reading On The Road when she was in NY a few weeks ago, and while we were browsing at the Strand she picked up a nice hard cover copy of Dharma Bums. I decided to try it out because I was preaching to A. about how much I love Kerouac, and then realized I have read a very limited amount of his work.

I really liked Dharma Bums, but there were a few lines that really stayed with me (like the above quote). It is kind of a beautiful, meandering tale that touches on some very large subjects. It makes you think. And, I like that. Am now reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter S. Thompson and Kerouac were supposedly buddies, and I have a book they co-authored on my bedside table right now. Dharma Bums and Fear and Loathing seem like total opposites stylistically, but they give you that same feeling that you are reading something that is a part of something bigger than just the book itself.