The best ‘live’ reading
I love The New Yorker. The art deco font of the title is so originally visual
and the cartoons so witty.
My friend Amy even bought me several books (the only way to my heart)…
Almost as routine, I subscribed to their online articles and almost by chance came upon a short story by Ian McEwan.
I could hardly put his latest book THE CHILDREN ACT down (it’s currently being adapted as a movie actually).
I’ve never read anything longer than a couple of paragraphs online; I prefer paper / hard copies. But MY PURPLE SCENTED NOVEL is only available on the internet it seems, so readied myself to read and to hear; the website has a nice feature, which enables you to listen to the author reading the text himself, adding so much more meaning to the whole story.
Of course the tale is gripping. Maybe it’s because I place such high value on true friendships, or that I find refuge, comfort and intellectual stimlus in books; a short story combining both literature and friendship would be utter delight. I chuckled at phrases such as “pleasantly downtrodden literary circles”, “the sense of order and shine that only a daily cleaning lady can bestow” and yelped with surprise when it referred to my favorite book, Calvino’s IF ON A WINTER’S NGHT A TRAVELER.
Half way through the reading, I started getting a knot in my stomach and as the story progressed, I was just well… floored. I just couldn’t believe that such a dénouement could even be imagined. The story is so well-written that, at the end, I found myself starting to ponder on so many readily-accepted concepts like talent, success, family, loyalty.
Read the story for yourself on a rainy Sunday afternoon; a well-spent moment that will keep you thinking for hours.
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