Monday, September 29, 2008

Booking Through Thursday Reply

What was the most unusual (for you) book you ever read? Either because the book itself was completely from out in left field somewhere, or was a genre you never read, or was the only book available on a long flight… whatever? What (not counting school textbooks, though literature read for classes counts) was furthest outside your usual comfort zone/familiar territory?

And, did you like it? Did it stretch your boundaries? Did you shut it with a shudder the instant you were done? Did it make you think? Have nightmares? Kick off a new obsession?

The most unusual book I've ever read was A Suitable Boy:Novel by Vikram Seth. This was a selection for our book club and I happenned to be the host/facilitator. Now, the size of a book doesn't usually throw me, but if it did, this one would! Not being familiar with the Indian culture, I found this book very long and difficult to read - I literally used a glossary so that I could understand what was going on in the story, the foods, the clothing, the greetings, the traditions. I could have gotten through the book much easier if it had not been so long, at least 1500 pages. I did enjoy learning more about India but instead of completing the book, I got on the computer and found music, recipes and clothing to use for our book club meeting. It was terrific - the food and music!

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