The kid read books like he was engaged in some kind of scavenger procedure, scowling in concentration, turning pages at improbable speed while he flayed away inessential flesh of prose and inspected the skeleton of story, the bare facts or crucial nonsense. Dylan Ebdus didn't read, he filleted.
-- The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. What a terrific description of how a kid reads a book!
My other books for the week is the polar opposite of Lethem's funkadelic anthem to 1970's Brooklyn:
As I sipped my cold tea I thought with a tired bitter feeling of dispair that I would be content to live in one corner of Manderley and Maxim in the other as long as the outside world should never know. If he had no more tenderness for me, never kissed me again, did not speak to me except on matters of necessity, I believed I could bear it if I were certain that nobody knew of this but our two selves.-- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.Oh, the melodrama! It is still painful for me to watch this ninny feel sorry for herself and be afraid of her own shadow, but I am sucked hard into the story.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.
I haven't read Lethem forever...the teaser makes me think I should put him back on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI love Rebecca...even if it is melodramatic.
Those are both wonderful teasers! I've read Rebecca, but not that Lathem novel (I read some of his short stories and he's such a terrific writer). I'll have to check that out.
ReplyDeleteThe Lathem reminds me of this Giant Fort of Books, which you might like also: http://design-fetish.blogspot.com/2010/08/giant-fort-of-books.html
Finally, my teaser is here.
I sure wouldn't want Dylan Ebdus as a reader. I want my words savored.
ReplyDeleteMy teaser is here.
I remember loving Rebecca.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, that is a perfect description of a kid reading.
I adore Rebecca. Great teasers. My TT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/09/teaser-tuesdays-what-alice-knew-a-most-curious-tale-of-henry-james-and-jack-the-ripper.html
ReplyDeleteI love the first teaser! "Inessential flesh of prose"--I also love the description of how he "fillets" what he reads.
ReplyDeleteMy sentences are from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov.
Bev -- I loved Motherless Brooklyn. This one swept me away, but the ending was a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteLKT -- Thanks for the tip. I'll visit the link.
Alice -- True! Authors don't want their books to be filleted! Thanks for leaving your teaser link.
Carol -- I remember reading that way as a kid. Just ripping through, looking for the meat of the story.
Jennifer -- Rebecca grew on me. Thanks for leaving your link.
Golden Eagle -- Yes, that description of the kid reading stopped me in my tracks. It was perfect. Thanks for the link.
Not my type of books. But interesting teasers. I hope that you enjoy them. Here's my Teaser for Tuesday.
ReplyDelete