Lotsa starties...

...not so many finishies.

In between Book Menaging it up last week (are we ready to use that as a verb yet? Sure, why not?) I started a lot of books that I never really ended up finishing. This happens periodically, and always leaves me feeling a bit cranky, especially when they're okay books. These aren't the type of books I hate or anything; they make me cranky because, if I had infinite time, I probably would have finished them. But I am learning that there are just too many books out there, fiction and nonfiction, to put in time with a book that I'm not particualarly loving. So here they are, last week's losers, in no particular order:

1. At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream: Misadventures in Search of the Simple Life, by Wade Rouse. This is another one of those "I want to live like Thoreau and get back to nature," "city slicker in Rural America" memoirs, and it's not completely unfunny, but I have always found Rouse's writing a little blocky. (Although the part where he and his partner Gary go shopping at Wal-mart, where Rouse admits the locals have probably never before seen a man wearing he-capris "featuring a giant flower on the ass" did get me to giggle at their sheer chutzpah, if nothing else.) I tried to read his earlier memoir, Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler, and found that had a similar three-page chapter, somewhat graceless expository style. Consider: "I wanted to live simply, like Thoreau. I wanted peace and serenity. But I think I got rabies instead." Meh.

2. I Drink for a Reason, by David Cross. This is a collection of humorous pieces that, once again, I'm not really smart enough to find all that funny. I don't even know where to start quoting on this one, so I'm picking at random: in the chapter titled "Involuntary Random Thoughts I've Had Not Always When I was Pooing But Certainly Sometimes When I Was Pooing," you find this bon mot: "Whoever owns clean air is going to be fucking crazy rich soon!" (p. 129.) I guess I'm not really woman enough to start picking on books I don't really even understand, but this one had an initial print run of 100,000? Wow. I'll be interested to hear if 100,000 readers find this funny, or if 99,999 fans of Cross's from his role on the TV show Arrested Development are going to be very disappointed, and one person is going to find this book hilarious.

3. Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. I'll admit it, I just don't have the heart to read this one all the way through, primarily because I think I really only enjoy Dave Eggers when he's writing about Dave Eggers. Also, this is a heartbreaking work about a man who stayed in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and actually helped many people in the city during its aftermath by paddling around in his own canoe, offering supplies and aid. What did he get for his trouble? Thrown into prison, that's what, as he was arrested by the few authorities doing anything in New Orleans on suspicion of looting, and mired in the post-Katrina prison mess. For some reason I was so completely disturbed by the arc of this story and the complete and utter breakdown in the post-Katrina situation that I literally didn't have the stomach to read it. It's actually probably a very good book for anyone to read to get a real feel for the FUBAR mess that was (still is?) post-Katrina New Orleans.

Comments

[Jessica]

Zeitoun ranked third in a stack of books you couldn't make yourself read? Ouch!

I couldn't put it down - first off, I didn't know when I started the book that he was going to wind up in prison, and it came as a giant shock. I had to know what happened to him. I agree with you, though, that it was haunting and depressing.

[Rachael]

Oooh, Dave Eggers. I really enjoyed his memoir (mostly because we're almost the same age and my home town is not far from his, and also the tragedy...). But I've yet to enjoy his other works--most end up either skipped over entirely or begun then put aside with every intention of coming back to them.

I read both of the Wade Rouse books you mention, and found them cute and mildly amusing but in need of a very good editor. The old fashioned kind who would tell an author to rewrite it a few more times.

The story itself is not the problem--I think his life is interesting, and I like both him and his partner. The writing, though... It's repetitive, and it never quite reaches compelling, it just hovers around "hmm, interesting." You can tell he's going for charming, thoughtful and insightful "fish out of water" sagas, but not quite reaching it. But I found them interesting enough to finish, if not force on other people. (Yeah, I'm bad that way.)

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica,
I know! When people tell me there's nothing good out there to read anymore I always have to refrain from smacking them. I find so many great things and so many things I want to read that I'm finding I just have to stop on the ones I'm only mediocre about.

I agree that "Zeitoun" was gripping. But something about Eggers's style bugged me too; "stilted" isn't quite the right word, and maybe it was just the story arc, but I found the beginning almost too laden with foreboding and the ending too depressing for words. I do like Eggers, though, and I think proceeds from this book are going to Katrina-related charities, so I have to give him credit for that.

[Donna]

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to discipline myself to put down books I really don't love, even if it makes me cranky. Life is short and there are too many really good books out there. Thanks for giving the reminder that it's OK to do this.

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael,
I couldn't agree with you more about Rouse and his need for an editor. That's exactly the problem with his books, which can be quite funny in parts, but which need to be both tightened up and toned down.

I've also never been able to read Eggers's fiction or stories, either. I may just call it a draw and re-read "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"--which I really loved--one of these days.

Donna,
Go for it. Life is indeed too short for even mediocre books. I found that when I don't want to finish a book and never intend to go back to it, it gives me closure just to read the last chapter and call it a day. This habit drives Mr. CR absolutely bonkers, especially when I pester him to tell me the endings of books he's read so I can save the time on reading them. :)

[katharine]

I have never just read the ending of a book! I am giving myself permission to do so starting today because if CR is doing it then I can too. I'll try not to reveal endings to those that have not read the book though, that just seems wrong. Shame on you for driving Mr. CR bonkers, he's a nice fella :)

[Citizen Reader]

Katharine,
I can't help it. One of my few natural talents is driving Mr. CR bonkers.

You've never read just the ends of books? How on earth did you get through college, my dear? That was my MO: first chapter, last chapter, opening sentences of chapters in between. Evidently that's where I developed that bad habit. But really? If a book is boring you and you're never going to read it again or (most likely) talk to anyone about it? I don't see any problem them with getting the end of the story and then moving on.

[Robert Brown]

I had to stop reading Eggers' "What Is the What" because it was just too painful. A made up story where awful things happen is hard enough for me to finish, but one based on reality where horrible things happen-- it's just too much for me.

I was just thinking before I came here about how many books there are, and how even you can't exhaust them. Even if you stuck with just the ones you're enjoying, there are so many. What an embarassment of riches!

[pop tart]

CR I too will skip to the end to see what happened when I'm not going to finish a book. Sometimes I will find myself reading the latter half in reverse via this method. I skip to the last chapter/section only to find something interesting enough to investigate, then I read the section right before the last section and find something that has grabbed my attention there. Soon I find I've read the whole darn book. First half from front to back and second half from back to front. Doesn't happen that often but when it does I find it's an interesting experience.

Btw, as someone who can't bear to read Zeitoun because of the false imprisonment (a personal horror of mine) can you tell me what happens at the very end? Does he get out, have a happy life? I'm assuming you did at least read the last chapter?

[Citizen Reader]

Bert,
I couldn't read "What is the What" either. For some reason with those horrible stories I just do better with NF than fictionalized versions--books like Jean Hatzfeld's Machete Season (about Rwanda) and Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone were terrible, but I could read them more easily than I could ever read fiction based on the stories.

It is pretty shocking how much good stuff is out there. I tend to forget, especially since the crap (I'm looking at you, Thomas Friedman) is what sells.

Pop Tart,
Glad to hear it! I love your back to front reading tales; I've done that too (but not very often--with NF I usually just have to find out what happens). I'll email you about Zeitoun in case anyone else is still looking to read it.

[Beth]

Zeitoun is on my "to read" list, while At Least In the City... is actually on my stack at home. I finished the Suicide Index and really very much liked it and have recently been picking books up and putting them down. There are just too many good ones out there to waste time on something I don't really love.

For those of you who like fiction graphic novels, I'm reading "I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets!" by Fletcher Hanks right now, a collection of bizarre comics from the late 30s and early 40s. You have to love comics for this one, but if you do, it's pretty amazing.

[Tripp]

I think I may have gotten a little too aggressive about dropping books lately. But as you say, there are too many good ones, so it is the right thing to do many times. Like you I will also skip to the end. In certain nonfiction, the last chapter wraps it all up and tells you what you need to know anyway.

[Citizen Reader]

Beth,
I'm glad you enjoyed "The Suicide Index," although enjoyed isn't quite the right word. I had to give the author credit for sharing the tough story and combining it with an innovative format to boot. Sometimes when you finish a book like that it's hard to find one that measures up to it right away. And thanks for the GN suggestions! Always helpful, as I don't come across those as naturally as I do NF titles.

Tripp,
Well, you go through stages. The important thing to remember is that there's tons of other good books back there, and if any of the books you drop really end up having staying power, you'll probably come across them or hear of them again. And I love the last chapter rule--it does usually finish up the story. Another reason to love NF.