Among the resolutions I made before stopping full time work in 2010, getting immediately involved with book clubs was my smartest. Four of the six charter members of my own book club - started in 2017 - are folks I met in earlier clubs sometime between 2010-2015. All four have enriched my life.
Today's post began taking shape when some book sorcery occurred with one of these folks. She'd read Richard Powers's novel Playground before me and recommended it here in a comment late in 2024. Because I value the opinion of this reading soulmate, it took a place in my unmanageable queue.
Reflections From The Bell Curve: The Line of Beauty
The post above was published June 8. Soon after, this faithful reader made another comment on my blog saying she planned to read The Line of Beauty soon, mostly based on a comparison I made therein between Alan Hollinghurst and Richard Powers, who both of us have adored since being transformed by The Overstory. Her comment spurred me to move Playground to the top of that nasty queue of mine. Fair is fair, right?
OK, now the book sorcery. I finish Playground early on June 29. My mind is blown. I go to the gym buzzing, trying to fully process what I just experienced. While working out, I resolve to write an e-mail the minute I get home; I've got to talk to her about this book. I get home. An e-mail from who do you suppose is at the top of my in-box? And what book was she writing to me about? The Line of Beauty, naturally. (BTW, she didn't like it as much as I did.) I insist we meet for coffee right away so we can further commune about our shared adoration of Powers and Playground and I can further extol the craft Hollinghurst brought to The Line of Beauty. I know she'll listen carefully and remain open to my evangelism.
It gets better as the story ends. Over coffee, I mention to her how we each had - very close in time - finished books we'd recommended to the other. Then, we'd written - or were getting to write - e-mails to each other about those different books. And this occurred even though her recommendation to me was several months old; mine, just a few weeks. Crazy coincidence, no? She says - "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous". How lucky am I to have friends who remind me of Albert Einstein's wisdom? And all because I joined a book club in Bradley Beach ten years ago.
Reflections From The Bell Curve: Help Me Keep This Buzz, Please
Nothing like a little book magic to conjure up Einstein! I I like this quote from reddit: Reading a book is hallucinating while staring at a dead piece of wood. You have found like minded readers, or as Nabokov calls them--gifted readers. That's a good crew to have.
ReplyDeleteRegina; Thanks for the comment. Having a reading crew like mine is so energizing.
DeleteI am smiling:). IA
ReplyDelete"Anonymous"; Glad I got you smiling.
DeleteWhat an optimistic post! Can feel the joy in through reading this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; You're welcome. Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm pleased my genuine and heartfelt joy came through to you in this post.
DeleteI love that quote: Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. Some attribute it to Einstein, but no one knows for sure. I have a friend who is writing an entire book of essays about coincidences. She was the person who talked me into taking my memoir out of a drawer and trying once again to get it published. Perhaps just a coincidence that her encouragement led to my wonderful book contract, but I'll leave that up to the gods to decide. Meanwhile, I'll move the Hollinghurst and Powers books to the top of my own pile.
ReplyDeleteJim; Thanks for the comment. I'll be looking forward to discussing either novel when you finish.
Delete