It's been a long time since I've talked about actually reading something. It's a little bit of a hit or miss right now, so I try to soak it up when I'm in the mood for it.
Currently Reading...I've spent the better part of last two weeks reading The Underground Girls of Kabul, and nothing else. It's a well-written book, mind you, but also littered with generalizations and a tone of something I can't put a word to yet. It's not condescension exactly (the author's tone is way too neutral for that) but there is a sense that the women in the West are better than Afghan women (better, not just better off). I'll need to think through that more. I know for sure that if I were Afghan and reading it, I would be .. maybe annoyed? frustrated? But how much of it is because of that sense of being looked down upon versus the subject of the book, is not clear yet. Hopefully after a few days of absent pondering, I'll have gotten to my point.
Just before I star…
Currently Reading...I've spent the better part of last two weeks reading The Underground Girls of Kabul, and nothing else. It's a well-written book, mind you, but also littered with generalizations and a tone of something I can't put a word to yet. It's not condescension exactly (the author's tone is way too neutral for that) but there is a sense that the women in the West are better than Afghan women (better, not just better off). I'll need to think through that more. I know for sure that if I were Afghan and reading it, I would be .. maybe annoyed? frustrated? But how much of it is because of that sense of being looked down upon versus the subject of the book, is not clear yet. Hopefully after a few days of absent pondering, I'll have gotten to my point.
Just before I star…
Comments
Good luck with your two read-alongs. As they are both on my 1001 list I have requested them fron the library and will try to get them read also. I have read The Color Purple before and really enjoyed it, but Joyce is scary to me; oh well, what does not kill us makes us stronger...right?
I'll probably be doing the July readalong at A Literary Odyssey depending what the poll choice is.
Helen, I love readalongs! I've done quite a few of them, and they make for interesting discussion. I'm not sure how I will find Ulysses either, but ever since I had an English lesson on it (around the part where Cyclops assaults the ship party), I've wanted to find something out about this book.
Roseann, I feel I am not reading any of the challenge books, and I really really have to get cracking! I hope you will join us for the readalong too. No issues if you read fast, we can read at our own pace.
Cat, I need to look at what the readalong choice is, at A Literary Odyssey.
Alyce, thanks for reminding me about the Ulysses guide. I will definitely need one!
Juju, you should!! It's a great experience!