Okay, so I've given up on FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE. I know, I know, lots of you have read it and loved it and still wax nostalgic when people mention it, but I found a copy of KON-TIKI at Goodwill, and I'd rather read that right now.
I was reading TOMATOES to brush up on books that go back and forth in time (hence JOY LUCK CLUB a little while ago) because I have grand ideas about writing such a book to capture stories from my husband's family, but it has started to bug me that so many Southern novels have characters-who-were-all-about-civil-rights-before-civil-rights. In TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD it was fresh and moving, but now it's become run-of-the-mill. Cliche. Every book seems to have its Atticus Finch, which makes you wonder why there needed to be a Civil Rights Movement in the first place, if everyone was secretly already so stinking progressive.
One day I might try again, since trusted friends recommend it--THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV took me about five attempts to get through, after all--but for right now I think I'll go hang out with Thor Heyerdahl on his raft.
What's the latest book you've given up on, and why? Anything you later returned to and loved?
Wicked. I've never seen the production but my daughter and I enjoyed the soundtrack so I thought I would like the book. Blech. Too vulgar and didn't hold my attention anyway.
ReplyDeleteI just read Jan Karon's Return to Holly Springs (I think that's what it's called) and it was kind of fun to read a book that switched time periods! I'll look forward to yours.