The book I’ve been devoted to this past week isn’t in the above photo. I finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy yesterday.
On Fathers Day.
Some might think this odd, but I found a deep sort of appropriateness in that coincidence, for it is a story based on devotion and love between a man and a son in the worst sort of conditions.
(Honestly, it was astounding. I didn’t think McCarthy could top Outer Dark. He did.)
Anyway, so these are the books I’m going to tackle next, starting I think with Atomised. I peeked into the Schlink and might leave it a while. I’m still reeling emotionally from The Road.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Cool, ‘Naked Lunch’ is fun. He’s one of those writers everyone knows the name, no-one reads the books anymore. Is that Richard Hammond from Topgear?
That Richard Hammond book is rivetting, and I don’t think you need to be a Top Gear fan to enjoy it. It’s written from his perspective up until he has the accident (big car crash, big head injury) and then his wife takes over for a few chapters (harrowing stuff) and then he writes the last part. Awesome.
I liked The Road too. I finished it about a fortnight ago and I’m still catching myself thinking about it.
Paul – yes, as Trish says it is and I got it as it talks about the time up to and around his near fatal accident. Plus, I’m a BIG top gear fan.
V – I think it will live with me for a long time. Puts into perspective a lot of things we take for granted in our lives – food especially.
Ooh, naked lunch. That book is simply crazy, a friend put me onto it a couple of years back and I have read it about a hundred times since. I still think some of it is lost on me, though.
Hammond’s book, on the other hand, is something else. Ever since I bought it, I haven’t managed to read it cover-to-cover again. It wasn’t even the hospital-y parts, just all those little bits, the details that break your heart. Keep a box of tissues handy!
Some great reading there! Personally I’m not a fan of Atomised or any of his other works… would be interested to hear what you think!