Hmn, I have not read either One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest or The Sound of Fury. There are a lot of classics and fundamental novels that I have not read.
I took Journalism as my english credit in 11th and 12th grades, so I missed out on a bunch of books that would have been required reading.
And since I have never had any college schoolin', I'm lacking the college reading list experience as well.
I should just start looking online at school reading lists and copy them down, and start reading all the stuff I'm lacking, one by one. So let it be written, so let it be done.
I will ask My Most Excellent Cindy to procure these two titles for me, as she manages a book store and the discount is a wonderful thing.
Yikes--don't read _Cookoo_ (sp--whatever); what you've written has already succeeded this dead guy's work. Didn't mean to suggest that you are not well read; in fact, you seem to know more titles than I and often make me blush at what I don't know. Now, Faulkner's _Sound_, yes, do read--there is no ignoring him, really.
ReplyDeleteBut you bring up an excellent point--there is no "cannon" of literary works, per se, anymore. Simply too many people write and publication (for instance, blogging) is instananeous--further, our system of "value" has been blown to shreds via identity politics.
For example, it is no longer acceptable to simply value the work of priveleged people (in terms of race/gender/class/ect.). Historically, this was true. Now that colleges have "open the gates" so to speak, letting the rift-raft, like me, in, those of us who have gained power in the system say:
Wait just one second! I have something important to say about this phenom we call life as well, d*mnit!
ect ect ect --ok, I stop.
Whew--not just anyone can make me rant like that. giggle giggle.
hope this all sounds ok, cause I'm going to hit publish w/o looking back--
No Cookoo? But, I already ordered it!
ReplyDelete(Not really).
Still, I've heard the play is very good, and I've seen the movie and it was very good, so why not read the book too? No?
Faulkner, yes I should and will read him, it'll probably be the next thing I read when I am done with The Portable Steinbeck.
Steinbeck seems to me very verbal. As if the stories are meant to be told in front of the fire, after dinner, while you enjoy your apple pie and milk.
That kind of homey, parable-like narrative very quickly gives the story a social credibility. It seems so easy, offhand, (Annoyingly so to my would-be writer's eye) born of a friendly, slightly inebriated suspension of disbelief.