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Robert Holdstock
Nov. 29th, 2009 08:06 amI didn't know Robert Holdstock, but I am nevertheless shocked and saddened to hear of his passing from a wholly unexpected and unpredictable infection.
As a teenager, I read books that re-tuned my brain; this is, I think, part of the reading experience as a teenager. As an adult, I read books, even great books, that I genuinely appreciated, loved, was moved by, etc etc, but the re-tuning thing just didn't really happen as an adult because as an adult I knew more about the world so it was harder for a novel to reach deep into my brain architecture and shift those foundations.
But Holdstock did. I loved Mythago Wood because it is a brilliant novel, but its follow-up, Lavondyss, actually did manage to get into the deep structures of my brain and somehow--of course I don't even understand how--make me look at the world differently.
It's always terrible news to hear of losing someone, but in this way, even worse. My condolences to his family and friends. To all of us, too, those who love to read.
As a teenager, I read books that re-tuned my brain; this is, I think, part of the reading experience as a teenager. As an adult, I read books, even great books, that I genuinely appreciated, loved, was moved by, etc etc, but the re-tuning thing just didn't really happen as an adult because as an adult I knew more about the world so it was harder for a novel to reach deep into my brain architecture and shift those foundations.
But Holdstock did. I loved Mythago Wood because it is a brilliant novel, but its follow-up, Lavondyss, actually did manage to get into the deep structures of my brain and somehow--of course I don't even understand how--make me look at the world differently.
It's always terrible news to hear of losing someone, but in this way, even worse. My condolences to his family and friends. To all of us, too, those who love to read.