Day 9, Book 2! I'm on schedule and I'm loving the new book! In trying to continue chronologically, my next book is 'Troubles' by J.G. Farrell, the winner of the Lost Man Booker Prize for a book written in 1970 but awarded in 2010. This was due to a change in the awarding process that meant an entire years' worth of work was excluded for the prize in 1970. The whole affair is detailed on the Man Booker website, for which there is a link in my first post.
I started reading the book yesterday, and actually got so absorbed in it that I didn't put it down until after midnight! Farrell's prose is flowery and lyrical, funny and heart wrenching, and I really love it! I thought I might enjoy this book, simply because it is set in Ireland, and I love most things Irish. But I hadn't expected to be so swept up by the writing! I was even a little concerned when I noticed there were no chapter breaks, as I like having a structure for my reading. It stops me from reading until past midnight! Oh well.
'Troubles' is set in 1919, and starts out with Major Archer coming to Ireland to claim the fiancé he only vaguely remembers meeting some years ago while on leave. They have written to each other during the war, but their meeting is that of two strangers. It reminds me rather forcibly of a modern Internet couple meeting for the first time - the emotions one conjures up for the imagined person to whom you are writing have no basis in reality. No one is exactly how they portray themselves to be in writing, for better or for worse!
The Major is also recovering from "shell shock", and in an Ireland of 1919 I'm certain that will have repercussions. I think a certain level of familiarity with Irish history is probably necessary to fully understand this book, but there is enough supplementary information in the text that you can probably get along without it.
For now, enough writing! I have a book to read!!
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