Putting It Down

I have a confession. I recently stopped reading a book, more than halfway through it. I really try not to do this very often. Of course, there are the occasional books that I struggle with from the start. But in general, I try to only read things that I feel will hold my interest.

My recent failure was 2666 by Roberto Bolano. I have seen this book so often touted by reviews and even on bookstore shelves as a "must read". I was bound to cave and try to read it eventually. I finally gave in when I found a copy that was divided into three trade paperback books. Until then I had been very reluctant to carry around such a weighty tome. In premise it seemed interesting. All these different characters drawn to a city in Mexico where hundreds of women have been murdered over a span of years (this part is real). It is divided into 5 parts and I made it through 3 1/2. Then I just had to put it down.

Even though I was well into it, I just couldn't stomach the thought of hundreds of more pages. The writing was a bit distant, and despite it being heralded a new era in Spanish literature, I just couldn't love it. I suppose I might admire the sheer heft of it, but not the book itself. Oh well. It happens.

How do you feel about stopping books halfway through? Do you feel like you might sometimes be missing out on something great? I worry about it sometimes, but apparently not enough to stop me from stopping.

You Gotta' Have a Gimmick (Adventures in Children's Lit)

When I was newly pregnant, before I even knew whether I was having a boy or a girl, I knew I was having a reader. Reading has been my greatest passion in life (obviously, other than family and friends) since I started reading when I was four . So, I naturally began having daydreams of the afternoons I would spend with my child in my lap, devouring book after book. And I still have those daydreams sometimes, while chasing my active beautiful boy around the house at full speed. This is also fun, but in a completely different way. He is teaching me on a daily basis a totally new type of fun, and he is the happiest child I've ever seen. So I don't worry too much about the reading.

I have learned two things about children and reading in the 16 months I have been raising my wonderful child. 1) Most children's books are mind-numbingly boring, and 2) if they don't light up or make noise, Finn is not interested! Apparently when it comes to children's books you really do have to have a gimmick. Now before you go thinking I'm getting cynical, I'm really not. I know that it is not reasonable to expect a 16 month old boy to sit and read for any length of time. I also suspect that he really does have a fondness for his books, so much so that he sometimes tries to eat them.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing him pick up a book and thumb through it, talking in his nonsensical way as if he understands the story. I love watching him run his chubby fingers over the pages to see if it's a "touch-and-feel". And I have also discovered, there are some kids books out there that are pretty hilarious. I highly recommend anything by Sandra Boynton (my personal faves are The Belly Button Book and But Not the Hippopotamous).

I have great hope that by reading to him often, even if it's in short bursts, that he will someday learn to love and appreciate literature like the rest of our family. He already loves going to the bookstore, although I sometimes suspect it's mostly for the sips of Frappuccino that his Gammy gives him. I try to remember that at one point in my life I was also fascinated by Dr. Suess and such; whatever he reads, it's mainly important to me that he is developing a healthy love for books. Plus, most children's books really are quite good and teach some important lessons. And if they do it with music and blinking lights, well that's all for the better!