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The Unreadability Logjam
Jul. 20th, 2009 10:30 pmI love to read. I'm an inveterate reader from way way back, as far back as I can recall: iow, since from the time I learned to read I've loved the experience of reading, which is both relaxing and pleasurable for me (as opposed to work). I love fiction in that low-brow escapist way which I suppose is looked down upon by some, but I don't care about that.
Anyway, every once in a while I hit a dry spell where I just cannot read fiction. It normally doesn't last long, perhaps a month or two, but it's wearying because I tend to use fiction to (see above) relax. What's worse is when I have some novels I've been waiting to read, or been asked to read for potential quotes, and I am just all unaware plunging into one of those bouts. That really sucks.
At some point I will realize what is going on. Often I will just set aside books for a later day; unfortunately, a few get caught in the whirlpool of unreadability and become therefore unreadable for me ever after, no fault of theirs.
I've been going through one of these fiction unreadability eras recently--much of this year, actually--so almost all of my reading has been non fiction of which a significant percentage is for research so I read it in digestible chunks in my attempt to absorb 10% of the information therein.
The last 3 weeks have been really crazy (not serious worrisome crazy, but schedule and disruptive to normal routine crazy) such that I have pretty much stopped reading entirely, a state which makes me restless.
Therefore, with life sliding back toward normal (one is ever hopeful), I searched around, knowing I needed a book to break the logjam. A novel perhaps? No, there are none (except my own) at the new house as of yet (long story, which I won't elaborate on; they'll migrate here later); browsing at the bookstore is impeded by the unreadability bog in which I am still mired, which means nothing hooks me. And I'm tired of not being able to read novels (plus have some stuff coming in which I desperately want to be able to read).
My solution, then as now? It had to be something else, something with a high readability and pleasure quotient which would kickstart my idling readability motor.
As it happened, I discovered a book which will be useful in terms of research but which I am, more importantly, enjoying as a pleasurable read:
Princess Nest of Wales: Seductress of the English, by Dr. Kari Maund. (Tempus Publications)
First of all: good story.
Second of all: clearly and engagingly written.
Third of all: history the way I like it, kind of old school in that it introduces subject, time period, setting, what we know, what we don't know, and doesn't go into long exegesis on post processuralistic interpretations that are about our response to history rather than, you know, history.
I just started it today and, between errands and chores and various, have already read two fifths. My thanks to the author for breaking my unreadability logjam. After I finish Nest, I might try a novel!
Also, as an aside, Princess Nest of Wales reminds me once again of how very excellent the world building is in Katharine Kerr's Deverry series, which perfectly encapsulates a fantasy world not unlike medieval Wales.
Anyway, every once in a while I hit a dry spell where I just cannot read fiction. It normally doesn't last long, perhaps a month or two, but it's wearying because I tend to use fiction to (see above) relax. What's worse is when I have some novels I've been waiting to read, or been asked to read for potential quotes, and I am just all unaware plunging into one of those bouts. That really sucks.
At some point I will realize what is going on. Often I will just set aside books for a later day; unfortunately, a few get caught in the whirlpool of unreadability and become therefore unreadable for me ever after, no fault of theirs.
I've been going through one of these fiction unreadability eras recently--much of this year, actually--so almost all of my reading has been non fiction of which a significant percentage is for research so I read it in digestible chunks in my attempt to absorb 10% of the information therein.
The last 3 weeks have been really crazy (not serious worrisome crazy, but schedule and disruptive to normal routine crazy) such that I have pretty much stopped reading entirely, a state which makes me restless.
Therefore, with life sliding back toward normal (one is ever hopeful), I searched around, knowing I needed a book to break the logjam. A novel perhaps? No, there are none (except my own) at the new house as of yet (long story, which I won't elaborate on; they'll migrate here later); browsing at the bookstore is impeded by the unreadability bog in which I am still mired, which means nothing hooks me. And I'm tired of not being able to read novels (plus have some stuff coming in which I desperately want to be able to read).
My solution, then as now? It had to be something else, something with a high readability and pleasure quotient which would kickstart my idling readability motor.
As it happened, I discovered a book which will be useful in terms of research but which I am, more importantly, enjoying as a pleasurable read:
Princess Nest of Wales: Seductress of the English, by Dr. Kari Maund. (Tempus Publications)
First of all: good story.
Second of all: clearly and engagingly written.
Third of all: history the way I like it, kind of old school in that it introduces subject, time period, setting, what we know, what we don't know, and doesn't go into long exegesis on post processuralistic interpretations that are about our response to history rather than, you know, history.
I just started it today and, between errands and chores and various, have already read two fifths. My thanks to the author for breaking my unreadability logjam. After I finish Nest, I might try a novel!
Also, as an aside, Princess Nest of Wales reminds me once again of how very excellent the world building is in Katharine Kerr's Deverry series, which perfectly encapsulates a fantasy world not unlike medieval Wales.