Thursday, July 25, 2013

Reading Notes and a Question . . .

I recently came across a battered old copy of Anna Karenina at a book sale and almost bought it just to have it and hold it and love it all over again, even though I've already read it and have a perfectly good copy of my own. Tolstoy's writing is like that. Captivating. And I'm a little bit silly about books, so. But I mustered some restraint and didn't bring it home on account of my limited shelf space and a high-minded notion of leaving it for someone else to discover. I'm not making any promises, though. If it's still there tomorrow I might just . . .

When I read Anna K last December I thought I would just get it started and then leave the bulk of it for the quiet early days of the new year. Ha! No. Once I read the first couple pages I became so engrossed I carried it with me everywhere reading while I vacuumed, wrapped presents, shopped, cooked, etc etc etc. It worked out okay that time but I wish I had been more prepared for my FEELINGS about that book. If I were a more disciplined person I'd have jolly well put the book down until such a time that I could fully appreciate its words and nuances and images. I didn't, though. And it seemed to work out okay. I'm just not a big fan of 'snack' reading, although that seems to be the only way to get books read nowadays.


So here's my question. Will War and Peace conjure the same kind of feelings? Is it as excellent and readable as Anna K? It keeps calling to me from my TBR shelf but I'm afraid to commit to something so esteemed and imposing without first clearing my calendar and taking the phone off the hook. Can one snack-read W&P? Or is it really only worth reading when one can devote an entire week (or three) to the reading of it?

Please advise.

4 comments:

Heidi’sbooks said...

Truly I have the same question. I loved Anna K. It took me a while to read it! I'm currently reading David Copperfield, another chunkster that I've been meaning to read forever.

JoAnn said...

This is so interesting.

I love the term "snack reading" and have attempted to read Clarissa, Middlemarch, The Way We Live Now, and several other very long books that way. I fail every time.

On the other hand, when my schedule is cleared and I read nothing other than the big fat book in question, the experience has been excellent. The Count of Monte Cristo, A Suitable Boy...

When it's finally time for me to read W&P, guess I'll have to gulp it down!

Trish said...

Heidi - Dickens has always been a challenge for me. I just can't seem to get into them! Good luck with Copperfield - I've heard it's one of his better ones.

JoAnn - I know, right? Big chunky classics just seem to taste better without interruptions. I don't know when I'll have the time to devote to W&P but I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

If you loved Anna, I bet you will love W&P. I tried to read it too fast and without a support group (I do best when I have a support group for big books). There is also something in there about rereading a good book.