Reading fiction once again. Continued on Substack @outofpos
It is hard for me to accept what a giant piece of shit Nick turns out to be after being given his reprieve through Frances’ love. When I had a similar relationship, I was not granted such happiness or fulfillment. I let her go when I overstepped. Yet perhaps I am focusing too directly on…
As I go deeper and get a better understanding of the characters, the cast of Conversations with Friends becomes both more loveable and exhausting. Bobbi is a narcissistic pain in the ass, a character who would have fit in at Teddy Wayne’s Harvard. Nick is ridiculous but I like how Rooney seems to be setting…
After the trauma of Loner I need something light. With the hard-core Tampa by Alissa Nutting also on the starter menu, Conversations with Friends seems like the choice. Sally Rooney is a popular writer. I got this recommendation from a YouTuber. While the influencer didn’t describe its negative qualities very well, the positives she promised…
One strange thought from Loner’s protagonist (if that is the word) completely befuddles me. Daniel is envious of female friendships and their depth. I can’t quite tell if this is one of the moments of character speaking or the author. It has never struck me that female friendships are any deeper than male ones. It’s…
The familiarity and relevance of the books I choose continues to shock me. This time, it’s a well-regarded but creepy tale of a long-suffering nerd going to university. He gets into some trouble, although I don’t know the details. This character is not me, but I sense relevant themes under themes. Things didn’t end well…
Everything is an education; I’m just surprised as how literally my return to heavy reading is one. The Secret History of Las Vegas was too close for comfort to something I might want to write. My next choice, Lionel Lancet and the Right Vibe is teaching me that my daydreams of a breezy, politics-influenced satire…
The end of Chris Abani’s The Secret History of Las Vegas is both harsh and sentimental. I liked it, in spite of myself. Sunil escapes Eskia’s justice, yet he will go back to South Africa to face reconciliation and a possible punishment there. Asia disappears into a fancy sex camp. This is humorous, so I…
A theme I have not been able to let go of, probably because it is true, is that if you do not do what you are supposed to do, someone else will do it. I see this in many of the projects I have abandoned both outside and inside poker; I even hear it essentially…