Don't Judge a Book

So being somewhat of an obsessive compulsive reader (I locked myself out of my room in DG when I was 30 pages to finishing the DaVinci Code a few years back, and I nearly had an annurism. I had started the night before.), I of course travel with reading material in tow. This time it was Skinny Dip, which in itself was not half bad. Entertaining at least. But after one train ride, that was finished, retired and replaced by Trading Up, another entertaining few hours written by the author of Sex and the City...and trust me, it showed. And then I found myself in Nice without a single book in English. I only found my second book by chance in an art store across the street from the staute of david. Who knew they'd have such an intellectually stimulating read in an art history store? Hm.

Anyhow, I am stranded and bookless with no hope, when the hostel owner offers up one of his scant selection for my taking. Between travel books and the bible, I was left with one murder mystery of the sort my mom goes through like water and forgets upon finishing, or The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough), which sported a cover likened to those cheesy romance novels they sell in the grocery store (no offense to those of you--Cathy--who enjoy those). The latter sounded vaguely familiar, with the name of a seeming classic, so I decided to give it a go. I chock it up to fate, my friends.

What an entirely superb piece of work. Words don't describe the historical and emotional journey of love, spite and trauma one endures through reading this true masterpiece. Yes, it is verbose at times, but I am not one with a right to complain about such things. All in all, I felt wretched reading it, but would do it over and over again for the love of the story and the intricately developed characters. What a joy.

Set in the early 1900s in Australia/New Zealand, it traces a family through births and deaths, loves and losses. It points out the human being in everybody and the inescapable nature of the world. At few points does the story of the Cleary family make one want to smile. In fact, I felt most uneasy the whole time. But all of the unsettling emotions culminate in a feeling of peace, at realizing that life is hard for everyone, no matter what the circumstances, and no matter how things appear from the outside. Honestly, I found myself wanting to tear out the pages at times, just to attack certain characters and awaken them to the truths of their existence.

And the book was hardly enough. I am ordering the DVD set from the TV series (from 1983!), and I have not been so excited for anything in quite some time. Read it. It's long and strenuous, but a great experience.