Currently Reading

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
Catch 22
Till We Have Faces - C.S. Lewis

Anna Karenina

Well, it took a while, but I'm finally finished Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I'll admit that I remain a little confused about just how and why everyone in olden-days upper class Russia had to have 3 names--and I don't have an immense knowledge of Russia's political history....but it doesn't matter. I was drawn into this book by Tolstoy's amazing ability to portray humanity.

I still can't decide whether the author sounds masculine or feminine...

It's late, so I can't write much, but I must say that, if anyone were to tell me they were planning to read A.K., I would wholeheartedly encourage it, but couple my encouragement with the following cautions:
1. the beginning, until you get the hang of the whole name-change thing, is slow going
2. the only part more slow-going than the beginning is the ending. The infamous climax occurs at about page 700; 100 pages of only semi-related resolution follow...

Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing

I hit up the Rockliffe Book Fair last weekend and ended up with a handful of plays, purchased for about a dollar each. From that stack, I chose Thomson Highway's Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing to read on the train from Ottawa to Kingston.

Forewarned is forearmed: this is not a script for the faint of heart. That said, if you're a visual person, this is maybe not a play for you to see in person. The script may be as close as you want to get. And then again, maybe as close as you want to get is just to read this review of Dry Lips and its 'twin'(?) The Rez Sisters.

Graphic rape scene, issues of alcoholism, Christianity, etc. aside, if I can find one thing good to say about this book, it's that Highway does a good job expressing anger, confusion, helplessness, and frustration with concision.