Well, I feel as though I should write a little bit about what I am reading these days. I am obsessing a little over Orhan Pamuk, especially excited that he is a professor of comparative literature at Columbia University. I know, I know, that’s exciting stuff. I am reading an earlier novel called The New Life. It’s a bit strange, but in that way that every word is beautifully strange. I swear, last night my heart rate went up just from the words I was reading. My reaction was interesting, but not uncommon while reading those Pamuk words. Probably even better in Turkish. Let me try to find an excerpt that will show you what I mean.
“That night I read the book once more, submitting to it, pleading to be swept away. I read it with reverence. New realms, new beings, new images appeared before me. I envisioned clouds of fire, oceans of darkness, purple trees, crimson breakers.”
And also this:
“My whole life was changed after reading the book,” I said. “The room, the house, the world where I lived ceased to be mine, making me feel as through I have no domicile. I first saw the book in your hand; so you too must have read it. Tell me about the world you traveled to and back. Tell me what I must do to set foot in that world. Give me an explanation as to why we are still here. Tell me how the new world can be as familiar as my home and yet my home as strange as the new world.”
You see, the narrator saw a young woman with a book, saw it at a sidewalk book seller on the way home, and bought it out of curiosity. Well, he reads this book (we never really know what is in it, which is starting to be exasperating) and is now searching for the world, and people are out to kill him for another unknown reason. The interesting thing is that the one person who has actually made it into the book-world warns the narrator that it is hell, that people beat you up and try to kill you and, above all, that the world does not even exist. It is only a book. I’m not even halfway done with this book. See? Isn’t Pamuk wondrous?
Well, I have applied to Simmons and Pratt. More news as it becomes available. I have also ordered a moleskine to take more book notes in. I will also post up my end of year assessment of books read, probably Wednesday. I haven’t had a chance to look it over. Meanwhile, I have alphabatized my bookshelves and written them all up on the computer. It took almost 8 hours, but it looks alright.
All for now,
Jessica
December 31, 2007 at 2:30 am |
jessie, this is wonderful! I must read this book…
maybe if you come up here i can take you to columbia to meet mr. pamuk!
January 7, 2008 at 1:35 pm |
very interesting.
i’m adding in RSS Reader