Been reading again...

Recently read books:

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by JK Rowling fell into my hands purely by chance just after completing Year 4. Now, I am completely caught up, but still don't feel like a Harry addict. I am, however, anxious to see the movie of Year 3 that was recently released. Overall, there was a dark pallor which covered the year and didn't allow for any of the light, happy times seen in other years. As such, it was not my favo(u)rite (Year 4 remains the one to beat). It just doesn't provide the light, pleasurable reading I look for in Harry Potter when he's constantly on the run, looking over his shoulder and preparing for what seems like an inevitable early death. At almost 900 pages, I would only recommend it for die-hard fans and those with too much time to kill.

I figured it was time to return to 'serious' literature, so I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson. 'Cedars' was recommended to me years ago, shortly after it came out, by my good friend Ditas, but never took the time to read it until I found it in the Peace Corps Cameroon 'library'. Its too bad it took me so long. I know they made a movie out of this one too (I haven't seen it), and its a good thing. I like books like this one with multiple layers of meaning, stories within stories and so well written that you feel as though you can understand what multiple characters are going through. On one level a murder mystery; another level a man's search for meaning in his life; another, a morality tale of racial injustice and biggotry; and more, many more levels. Highly recommended and a must read.

"Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary" by Simon Winchester was next up. This one had been sitting on my shelf since I arrived, having been inherited from the previous volunteers in Edéa. Its intriguing title, and the fact that it was re-released and positively reviewed in 'Newsweek' (and its short length) caused me to breeze through it. Its a well-researched history of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary over the 70 years it took to complete told largely through the relationship of its most important editor and its largest contributor. With almost 500,000 entries in 21 volumes at its completion, WC Minor alone contributed somewhere around 14,000 of these. The story is fascinating and strictly adheres to facts (virtually no conjecture or fabricated conversations are included) and causes one to have a huge appreciation for the dictionary we now take for granted.

What better time in life to read, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, than in the middle of Peace Corps service? The ultimate tale of wandering American youth and their search for some direction in life. Somehow, I can relate, and its one of those books that I'm almost embarrassed it took me 31 years to finally read. I'm similarly embarrassed that I never really understood what the "beat generation" was before reading it. Ah to be footloose and fancy free, leaving women and children behind only to steal cars and find more women and make more children... Maybe the carefree nature of youth truly has left me with the cynicism of middle age setting in, but try as I did to relate to the characters -maybe just one- I found it difficult. Its still an 'important' book which provides an 'inside the mind' viewpoint of a lost generation of youth who returned from WWII with no jobs, no wives or children and no clue what to do next. You should probably read it at some point, if you haven't already.

Currently in progress: "Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel.