My lovely 27 yo daughter just got dumped by her new great bf (the classic "it's not you it's me, sadly). When she called to tell me she mentioned that her current book was so good that she was actually distracted from her heartache. Oh, what is it? "East of Eden"
One of my top 5 all-time books. Not sure what the other 4 are...too many to chose from, but EoE blew me away when I reread it a few years back. Lucky mom!
I'd read almost everything Steinbeck ever wrote, and always pushed out EoE because it held a somewhat snobby status. Then I read it.
My cousin grew up in Salinas, told me about Soledad Street (where Susan had a house). Right after finishing EoE, I was vacationing in Monterey, and needed to run to Salinas for shopping. And drove right past—surprisingly nice looking—Soledad Street. But the whole area is gentrified these days.
I just spoke to my daughter and asked how she liked EoE. She loved it and said her favorite character was Leo. The good news: she started reading with a broken heart and had met someone else by the time she finished it. So, I highly recommend EoE for broken hearts.
Since recently retiring I am re-reading many novels from my past ( I always knew there was a reason I kept the books). Currently reading Spangle by Gary Jennings, which is probably his least interesting work, and it is jarring reading some of the dialogue in a book taking place in 1865 at the tail end of the civil war. Still, reading for me has always been a private affair, especially fiction, so I guess I'll simply continue to enjoy my library which can't be banned or culled by the woke or the prudish. John Irving may be next since I've finished the Asian Saga books of James Clavell.
I really don't see why so many people struggle with retiring since books exist.
That was one of my goals when I retired. Be as useless as possible and read as many books as I could. And I don’t care what anyone says about my reading tastes, which are decidedly low-brow.
It didn't have the emotional impact on me that some of Irving's works had. I know many have called it his best book but I found Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, Garp, and Son Of The Circus more compelling. Part of this may simply be that I had higher expectations when I read Owen Meany, due to its reputation.
Great piece but it misses a central element to our collective experience that’s now gone.
By and large, we don’t know what people are reading anymore. It used to be one stroll up the aisle in an airplane or subway or bus and we knew what everyone was reading. Nowadays, if people are interacting with books at all, it’s often on their phones/tablets or being listened to.
We don’t get the communal sense of what’s being consumed even if we’re all somehow consuming the same thing.
I totally get this. However my mother for example, reads to avoid maintaining her life. I’m currently looking at about 10000 books of which she’s probably read 70%, some many times…while having moved her into an old lady apartment, cleaning up her house, fighting all the while with her that she realistically can only keep about 10% of them. She’s a hoarder of not just books either. 😖🤦♂️
God Bless You, you have a hard path to tread. I've been down that road with family members. We downsized 4 years ago and I still miss the books I had to give away during the pandemic for lack of space. Thankfully my kindle will hold a lot of books.
That is difficult for you. I used to have a lot more books but gave many of them away when I got married and moved in with my husband (combining two complete households is not easy). Now I just let the library keep books for me :) Both of my parents had Alzheimer's at the same time and were also hoarders. You do not have an easy path.
Thanks for your sympathies. Dealing and cleaning up with a hoarder parent is quite the trial for one’s sanity. But it must be done. It’s been a slog yet after 6-7 months it’s coming together and will be finished by the end of March.
I previously had a large book collection and a ridiculous LP and CD collection in the many thousands. However life happens and they all had to be let go. In the end while I do miss them, it has been freeing in away. It’s all just “stuff” after all. I appreciate your kind words. Thank you Tricia!
I sometimes wonder if hoarding is a genetic trait. My Dad died two years ago, and being a lifelong farmer, raised during the depression, he had amassed two large barns full of items. I've found that it's against my nature to even dispose of the many scraps and obscure articles (I might use that someday!). It now appears my progeny will face a, probably larger, "collection" at my demise. I could possibly make an excellent congressman. I feel I've mastered kicking the problem down the road!
I related to your comment and to Tricia's because I went through the same thing two years ago when I sold my house and moved in with my new wife. I was 65 at the time; I'm now 67 and I found the process of ridding myself of most of the contents of my adult life quite painful. A bit like a "small death." My 26-year old daughter -yes, I was the world's oldest parent! I also have a 22 year old son! - was able to use some of the furniture in the condo I purchased for her, thankfully. My old bookcases immediately became filled with her books instead of mine.
There is just something about holding a physical copy of a book that makes me happy. I have a Kindle but I haven't used it in years. I love turning the page and holding it close when I need to stop reading. I am the one who would gladly talk about what I am reading though and mention other books as the conversation moves along.
This isn't new. The phenomenon of a library full of beautifully bound books that the owner has never read has been around for two centuries. Displaying books has been performative for a long time.
Social media has made it possible to perform the display of books to thousands or millions instead of the dozens of people that you invite into your home or the hundreds who see you reading a book on public transit. It is a change of scale, not a change of behavior.
Well sure, but I will admit that I do have some books that I would call "aspirational reads" on my shelves. These are usually books that I saw at a shop or were recommended that just caught my attention and that I just bought thinking I will find the time for them at some point and then get distracted by another book.
Then, there are the books I bought that I thought or hoped would be good but after a few chapters I am just bored with.
There are not many of either type and I suppose someday when I have more time during the day to sit and read I may well pick up a few of the first type. I have no idea what to do with the ones that are just boring. Cannot bring myself to throw out any book, library's do not really take donations anymore, and I rarely get to a place to trade them in.
I've always suspected your point. Way back when I discovered CliffsNotes, I noticed that a lot of "readers" sure came away with the same interpretations. When I retired, I had grand plans to read more. I bought a Kindle and read about ten books. Then I fell victim to Joe Rogan. That gateway lead to many more podcasts and then to substack. Who the hell has time to read a book?!
I don't think it's that weird. Why did you even bother going to the gala? Who is even thinking about petticoats right now? What is this metric bolt even used for?
I usually do 90% of my reading on my phone, but I won't deny the power of a physical book (especially now that I know many of my favorite works are being rewritten by "sensitivity readers" -- eg future generations will never get to enjoy the original works of Agatha Christie and many others).
I used to like the idea of having most of my library be digital, which enabled me to downsize. But I have begun to fear that, since digital content can easily be overwritten, digital libraries are not really safe for preserving books in.
Totally agree. My kindle is for chick lit, political stuff, anything that likely won’t matter in 20 years, but if it’s a worthy book, it’ll be a hard copy.
I always get a book 'in the flesh' as opposed to downloading to Kindle if I have an emotional draw to the author or book. After decades of reading I always know which one to pick.
I was thinking the same thing after reading TGIF yesterday. Are historical texts safe from AI removing objectionable content? Could google go in and edit historical texts that were meticulously scanned?
I've tried reading on the phone, but it lacks the comfort of dead-tree. I got 1/3rd of the way through War and Peace, and Kindle lost my place. Unlike dead-tree where you can kinda gauge your place, I couldn't find it and stopped with the phone and bought a used hard cover. I'd prefer if the Kindle scrolled all books like a PDF instead of the animated page turn. Also the smaller screen size is an issue too.
So I've read through the Battle of Austerlitz twice, but its a long slog home from Moscva.
There are too many people worrying about what others are thinking of them. Letting go of these kinds of worries is liberating. There is a grand world of books to captivate the mind. All sorts of books. Why care what someone else thinks?
Sometimes I want to read a book that promotes horrible concepts and behaviors, I know better than attempting to read those in public due previous small minded assumptions/reactions of others.
A classic:
Jewish man on the subway is reading a Neo-Nazi newspaper. A friend of his, who happened to be riding in the same subway car, noticed this strange phenomenon. Very upset, he approached him. "Moshe, have you lost your mind? Why are you reading an Nazi newspaper?" Moshe replied, "I used to read the Jewish newspaper, but what did I find? Jews being persecuted, Israel being attacked, Jews disappearing through assimilation and intermarriage, Jews living in poverty. So I switched to the Nazi newspaper. Now what do I find? Jews own all the banks, Jews control the media, Jews are all rich and powerful, Jews rule the world. The news is so much better!"
If someone is “reading” a dense book in a noisy public environment its performative and don’t be impressed. If its Harry Potter they might actually be reading the book. This isn’t unique to books though. People do all sort of things for attention. That guy who goes jogging shirtless through a crowded area? Its to be seen. Running through a crowd is super annoying, one would only do it for attention.
I read dense books on the train to work…and I finish them. And I’m not alone. Still see plenty of people with actual paper books in their hands on the commute.
My idea of a good book has too often conflicted with what the mainstream says is a good book. The list of classics and popular works that I don't get grows longer. Some of my favorite books people have never heard of.
Heresy Press was founded precisely to provide a home for authors and stories that are not selected because of their politics, representation, or authorial identity but simply because of "the quality of the storytelling." It is a sign of our times, that this has become somewhat of a radical position.
If you look at the photo of MM "reading" Ulysses, you'll see that she isn't reading anything and just looking at the last page of the book, which is blank.
A 1985 Los Angeles Times ad for an Adirondack chair: "Wide, flat arms to hold Ramos gin fizz, binoculars, and volume III of Remembrance of Things Past."
Schools rarely have kids read whole books anymore, even in high schools (except for the college level courses, and even that is questionable), let alone classics. At least books can be used for social clout in a world of shallow and illiterate “words are hard” morons. Dystopia achieved!
A book as a prop. Not in a photoshoot but in real life. You just can’t trust anyone. I suppose, if they are reading from a Kindle, you can probably assume they are a reader? Or do people pose with Kindles just so someone will ask them what they are reading? Ugh. Old man shakes fist at clouds.
My lovely 27 yo daughter just got dumped by her new great bf (the classic "it's not you it's me, sadly). When she called to tell me she mentioned that her current book was so good that she was actually distracted from her heartache. Oh, what is it? "East of Eden"
I can die happy. One of my kids is a reader.
One of my top 5 all-time books. Not sure what the other 4 are...too many to chose from, but EoE blew me away when I reread it a few years back. Lucky mom!
Agreed! I haven't read anything that captured Americana so beautifully (and tragically). It's his best IMO.
I'd read almost everything Steinbeck ever wrote, and always pushed out EoE because it held a somewhat snobby status. Then I read it.
My cousin grew up in Salinas, told me about Soledad Street (where Susan had a house). Right after finishing EoE, I was vacationing in Monterey, and needed to run to Salinas for shopping. And drove right past—surprisingly nice looking—Soledad Street. But the whole area is gentrified these days.
Steinbeck is the best … Cannery Row for good cheer, under the circumstances.
Love your response!
I would love to hear how she feels about the ending. You should definitely be proud!
I just spoke to my daughter and asked how she liked EoE. She loved it and said her favorite character was Leo. The good news: she started reading with a broken heart and had met someone else by the time she finished it. So, I highly recommend EoE for broken hearts.
Since recently retiring I am re-reading many novels from my past ( I always knew there was a reason I kept the books). Currently reading Spangle by Gary Jennings, which is probably his least interesting work, and it is jarring reading some of the dialogue in a book taking place in 1865 at the tail end of the civil war. Still, reading for me has always been a private affair, especially fiction, so I guess I'll simply continue to enjoy my library which can't be banned or culled by the woke or the prudish. John Irving may be next since I've finished the Asian Saga books of James Clavell.
I really don't see why so many people struggle with retiring since books exist.
That was one of my goals when I retired. Be as useless as possible and read as many books as I could. And I don’t care what anyone says about my reading tastes, which are decidedly low-brow.
That’s definitely my retirement goal right there
Randy, I understand reading for you is a private affair, but I would love to hear your thoughts on, "a prayer for Owen Meany".
It didn't have the emotional impact on me that some of Irving's works had. I know many have called it his best book but I found Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, Garp, and Son Of The Circus more compelling. Part of this may simply be that I had higher expectations when I read Owen Meany, due to its reputation.
Great piece but it misses a central element to our collective experience that’s now gone.
By and large, we don’t know what people are reading anymore. It used to be one stroll up the aisle in an airplane or subway or bus and we knew what everyone was reading. Nowadays, if people are interacting with books at all, it’s often on their phones/tablets or being listened to.
We don’t get the communal sense of what’s being consumed even if we’re all somehow consuming the same thing.
But perhaps when I’m reading I don’t want you to know what I’m reading and enjoying? Why can’t I read without interruption when in a public place?
I hate it when someone bothers me when I am read because I’m “not doing anything.”
That has caused more than a few relationships to go sour.
I totally get this. However my mother for example, reads to avoid maintaining her life. I’m currently looking at about 10000 books of which she’s probably read 70%, some many times…while having moved her into an old lady apartment, cleaning up her house, fighting all the while with her that she realistically can only keep about 10% of them. She’s a hoarder of not just books either. 😖🤦♂️
God Bless You, you have a hard path to tread. I've been down that road with family members. We downsized 4 years ago and I still miss the books I had to give away during the pandemic for lack of space. Thankfully my kindle will hold a lot of books.
Thank you Cynthia!
That is difficult for you. I used to have a lot more books but gave many of them away when I got married and moved in with my husband (combining two complete households is not easy). Now I just let the library keep books for me :) Both of my parents had Alzheimer's at the same time and were also hoarders. You do not have an easy path.
Thanks for your sympathies. Dealing and cleaning up with a hoarder parent is quite the trial for one’s sanity. But it must be done. It’s been a slog yet after 6-7 months it’s coming together and will be finished by the end of March.
I previously had a large book collection and a ridiculous LP and CD collection in the many thousands. However life happens and they all had to be let go. In the end while I do miss them, it has been freeing in away. It’s all just “stuff” after all. I appreciate your kind words. Thank you Tricia!
I sometimes wonder if hoarding is a genetic trait. My Dad died two years ago, and being a lifelong farmer, raised during the depression, he had amassed two large barns full of items. I've found that it's against my nature to even dispose of the many scraps and obscure articles (I might use that someday!). It now appears my progeny will face a, probably larger, "collection" at my demise. I could possibly make an excellent congressman. I feel I've mastered kicking the problem down the road!
I related to your comment and to Tricia's because I went through the same thing two years ago when I sold my house and moved in with my new wife. I was 65 at the time; I'm now 67 and I found the process of ridding myself of most of the contents of my adult life quite painful. A bit like a "small death." My 26-year old daughter -yes, I was the world's oldest parent! I also have a 22 year old son! - was able to use some of the furniture in the condo I purchased for her, thankfully. My old bookcases immediately became filled with her books instead of mine.
There is just something about holding a physical copy of a book that makes me happy. I have a Kindle but I haven't used it in years. I love turning the page and holding it close when I need to stop reading. I am the one who would gladly talk about what I am reading though and mention other books as the conversation moves along.
This isn't new. The phenomenon of a library full of beautifully bound books that the owner has never read has been around for two centuries. Displaying books has been performative for a long time.
Social media has made it possible to perform the display of books to thousands or millions instead of the dozens of people that you invite into your home or the hundreds who see you reading a book on public transit. It is a change of scale, not a change of behavior.
As someone raised by academics I can vouch for that.
Well sure, but I will admit that I do have some books that I would call "aspirational reads" on my shelves. These are usually books that I saw at a shop or were recommended that just caught my attention and that I just bought thinking I will find the time for them at some point and then get distracted by another book.
Then, there are the books I bought that I thought or hoped would be good but after a few chapters I am just bored with.
There are not many of either type and I suppose someday when I have more time during the day to sit and read I may well pick up a few of the first type. I have no idea what to do with the ones that are just boring. Cannot bring myself to throw out any book, library's do not really take donations anymore, and I rarely get to a place to trade them in.
Attacking my piles of books is something I look forward to in retirement.
I've always suspected your point. Way back when I discovered CliffsNotes, I noticed that a lot of "readers" sure came away with the same interpretations. When I retired, I had grand plans to read more. I bought a Kindle and read about ten books. Then I fell victim to Joe Rogan. That gateway lead to many more podcasts and then to substack. Who the hell has time to read a book?!
Ladies, don’t be afraid of a man reading JBP.
That's the kind of guy who'd be a great catch (ironically).
Or, “That’s the kind of guy who would be a great catch.” (IMHO)
Who Is Reading Even for Anymore?
I don't understand the grammar / word usage in the title of this essay. It makes me think, who is writing anymore?
Agreed. I found it rather off putting myself. Cumbersome. Also, reading is for everyone and that’s something I’ve never doubted.
I agree. Doesn't make sense. It should be, "who is even reading anymore"? 🤔
I don't think it's that weird. Why did you even bother going to the gala? Who is even thinking about petticoats right now? What is this metric bolt even used for?
"Who is Reading ...Evermore." Better? Seems to describe a lot of folks posting on this.
I usually do 90% of my reading on my phone, but I won't deny the power of a physical book (especially now that I know many of my favorite works are being rewritten by "sensitivity readers" -- eg future generations will never get to enjoy the original works of Agatha Christie and many others).
I used to like the idea of having most of my library be digital, which enabled me to downsize. But I have begun to fear that, since digital content can easily be overwritten, digital libraries are not really safe for preserving books in.
Totally agree. My kindle is for chick lit, political stuff, anything that likely won’t matter in 20 years, but if it’s a worthy book, it’ll be a hard copy.
Nice to I'm not the only one who does this.
I always get a book 'in the flesh' as opposed to downloading to Kindle if I have an emotional draw to the author or book. After decades of reading I always know which one to pick.
I was thinking the same thing after reading TGIF yesterday. Are historical texts safe from AI removing objectionable content? Could google go in and edit historical texts that were meticulously scanned?
I’m certain that’s already happening.
Great point Celia!
I’ve mentioned this before, but Sonny Bunch* pounds the table about buying physical media just for this very reason.
*Former movie critic for Wash Post, now unfortunately with The Bulwark, but I still love reading his stuff.
🎯
I've tried reading on the phone, but it lacks the comfort of dead-tree. I got 1/3rd of the way through War and Peace, and Kindle lost my place. Unlike dead-tree where you can kinda gauge your place, I couldn't find it and stopped with the phone and bought a used hard cover. I'd prefer if the Kindle scrolled all books like a PDF instead of the animated page turn. Also the smaller screen size is an issue too.
So I've read through the Battle of Austerlitz twice, but its a long slog home from Moscva.
There are too many people worrying about what others are thinking of them. Letting go of these kinds of worries is liberating. There is a grand world of books to captivate the mind. All sorts of books. Why care what someone else thinks?
Sometimes I want to read a book that promotes horrible concepts and behaviors, I know better than attempting to read those in public due previous small minded assumptions/reactions of others.
A classic:
Jewish man on the subway is reading a Neo-Nazi newspaper. A friend of his, who happened to be riding in the same subway car, noticed this strange phenomenon. Very upset, he approached him. "Moshe, have you lost your mind? Why are you reading an Nazi newspaper?" Moshe replied, "I used to read the Jewish newspaper, but what did I find? Jews being persecuted, Israel being attacked, Jews disappearing through assimilation and intermarriage, Jews living in poverty. So I switched to the Nazi newspaper. Now what do I find? Jews own all the banks, Jews control the media, Jews are all rich and powerful, Jews rule the world. The news is so much better!"
🥸
If someone is “reading” a dense book in a noisy public environment its performative and don’t be impressed. If its Harry Potter they might actually be reading the book. This isn’t unique to books though. People do all sort of things for attention. That guy who goes jogging shirtless through a crowded area? Its to be seen. Running through a crowd is super annoying, one would only do it for attention.
I read dense books on the train to work…and I finish them. And I’m not alone. Still see plenty of people with actual paper books in their hands on the commute.
Remember when famous people would wear glasses to make them look smart?
My idea of a good book has too often conflicted with what the mainstream says is a good book. The list of classics and popular works that I don't get grows longer. Some of my favorite books people have never heard of.
In Search of Captain Zero?
Heresy Press was founded precisely to provide a home for authors and stories that are not selected because of their politics, representation, or authorial identity but simply because of "the quality of the storytelling." It is a sign of our times, that this has become somewhat of a radical position.
Not sure how I missed Heresy Press before but thanks for the tip.
If you look at the photo of MM "reading" Ulysses, you'll see that she isn't reading anything and just looking at the last page of the book, which is blank.
Are you sure? It looks like the “Penelope Chapter,” which is nicely risqué
If it is, she doesn't look affected by it.
A 1985 Los Angeles Times ad for an Adirondack chair: "Wide, flat arms to hold Ramos gin fizz, binoculars, and volume III of Remembrance of Things Past."
Schools rarely have kids read whole books anymore, even in high schools (except for the college level courses, and even that is questionable), let alone classics. At least books can be used for social clout in a world of shallow and illiterate “words are hard” morons. Dystopia achieved!
A book as a prop. Not in a photoshoot but in real life. You just can’t trust anyone. I suppose, if they are reading from a Kindle, you can probably assume they are a reader? Or do people pose with Kindles just so someone will ask them what they are reading? Ugh. Old man shakes fist at clouds.