I have gotten about halfway through Unaccustomed Earth. It's pretty deep stuff. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the short story format because when the story ends, I feel like I get jipped. A story is just long enough to make me forget about the characters from the previous story and right when I'm getting really interested and familiar with these characters, the story is over! A lot of times the endings are abrupt and leave me wondering what happens afterward. Things don't end neatly and the loose ends are anything but tied together. All of that being said, the stories have a haunting presence that really affect me in a sort of negative way. The themes that are present all have a negative aura that make me question and doubt people. The book as a whole seems to be a study of interactions between people: father and daughter, husband and wife, brother and sister. Lahiri is a gifted writer and the way she describes things, I feel as though I have either experienced them in my own family or I can imagine them happening. I do like the book but it's definitely not uplifting or encouraging. It's beautifully written and it really does haunt me and make me think. Well I have half a book to go, will probably finish it before the end of the week!
The weather has been beautiful today, in the 70s. The weekend weather will echo today's so I have a lot to look forward to. Definitely gonna try to get some tennis in! I watched the first episode of this season's House today. I'm gonna start catching up now that my schedule is a bit more manageable. I can't wait to catch up and knowing me, it won't be a long wait. I am so glad to have the free time I do now and I am taking advantage of it, doing the things that make me happy! Like I often do, I find 24 hours to be insufficient but for the first time in a while, I want more hours to squeeze in more fun, not more work.
Ah but back to the first episode of House...having this long absence from the show, I think I have become sensitized to how much of a jerk House really is. It's nuts! I really like the show but as far as his character, I'm gonna go ahead and take a leap away from the teenie-bopper House fanclub (not to be confused with the Mrs. Efrons alliance). House is extremely insecure and the way he projects his resentment onto his only friend Wilson is disheartening. I mean I really didn't like Amber but the way House was acting was completely out of line. Anyway, apart from all this House criticism, there was an idea in the episode that I liked. Thirteen was talking to a female patient that she felt she could relate to and the girl said "I would rather spend my time with the birds than spend it wishing I could have wings." I may have butchered the quote (all due apologies to House fanatics that have memorized the transcript) but I think the meaning is accessible. I thought it was interesting and maybe one of the best counterarguments for ambition I have heard, mainly because it doesn't imply laziness. I don't know..just something to think about!
Okay well now that I've procrastinated my lecture for quite some time, I am going to get to it so I can watch an episode of House AND read more Lahiri. A funny picture to leave off with..
No comments:
Post a Comment