Let me repeat: thanks to you all for sending worries and good wishes while we endured our most recent storm. Once again we were--and are--lucky: we live in an old house built on high-ish ground (so no flooding); we had plenty of food; and we only lost power for 36 hours.
While I could have used my storm time to do something useful, mostly I read and dozed off. So did the other three people in my house: Mr FS, Frugal Son, and his friend Michael--the last two seeking refuge from New Orleans.
I did enjoy my reading. I finished Home by Marilynn Robinson. When I finished it, I realized I didn't remember the beginning very well, so I re-read the whole thing.
Home folds into Robinson's earlier Gilead in an interesting way. So I re-read Gilead too.
Then I decided to re-read Robinson's first novel Housekeeping, published more than 20 years before her second. Housekeeping is her most challenging--and overtly literary--novel, very allusive.
I needed some help with it. By that time, the power was on and I had the internet again. Believe it or not, you can watch a lecture by Yale professor Amy Hungerford on the novel. Wow! You too can experience an Ivy League education.
I learned a lot (and there are lectures on other works too). I was also comforted by the fact that the Yale students didn't seem any more prepared than mine do. Most hadn't read the book!
I hope everyone has a chance to take a look at these novels. They are wonderful.
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3 comments:
I may just go listen to the lecture. I've read Housekeeping and Gilead, but not Home.
Glad to hear you've come through the storm. Must admit I've never heard of these novels.
Robot Shelley
@terri-I think you will find it interesting. She also has lectures on other books--including 3 on The Human Stain, which I detested. Maybe I'll like it after I listen!
@Shelley--thanks! I hope you will give the books a try.
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