This is a post of gratitude.
A big overdue thank you to all for joining this trek. Grueling at times, for sure. But I feel like many of the folks on the thread do — weirdly proud to have this book under my belt thirty years after I never got around to reading it in college. And there’s no way I would have made it without the good times of your Meandership.
More than this one ride, I’m grateful for the fun and distraction we’ve had together on all three of this year’s group reads. Holy cow, this has been a year. I’m kind of shocked at the full-body relief I felt today (writing this Saturday, Nov 7), when the news broke.
It has been several years of teeth gritting, capped by eight months of sparks flying from all that molar grinding. And with all that, this weekly tradition and very mighty crew of smart, funny, and resilient groovies have brought some welcome extra focus and much needed brain-u-tainment. I hope it was a similarly sometimes grueling but worthwhile distraction for youse too!
As for Midnight’s Children, it turned out to be almost nothing like I’d imagined. Similar to thread-peeps, I felt like I was often getting about a third of what Rushdie was dishing up. But I dug it. And I thought it ended especially strong and satisfying. Downright tidy even, especially for a book that frequently felt like we were racing a wheelbarrow of chickens through the woods, something I’d really like to get around to doing one of these days. Heck, it was so tidy, even the extra pickle jar was accounted for. (Another full-body relief!)
And with all those prophecies, all those madcap-recaps, it landed very nicely in the here and now.
Which works for me today. After several years of living in the past and stressing about the future, I’m delighted to have read this book, and it’s lovely to be here now today, savoring the weirdness of it all, and looking forward to future reads.
And with that, I’ll end as I began: with gratitude.
What’s next: If folks are interested, I’ll likely aim to pick up these shenanigans on the other side of the new year — in February or March.
A few of us have also started meandering through the Five Books of Moses. Anyone looking for a distraction of that sort any time in the next year is encouraged to hop in for a stretch. We’ll be here, meandering away…
Um, magnets? Yep, you can bet there’s a Midnight’s Children magnet coming — I’ll post it as soon as it’s ready to roll. Also, non-US friends, we have some customs paperwork to fill out and overdue collectibles will be en route over the ocean soon!
And this? This is the place for any last thoughts on Midnight’s Children or perhaps sharing what you’ll be reading next….
Thanks excellent peeps and happy day!
-Cecil
Next up for me is The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro) — I read The Buried Giant a few months ago and loved it, so I’ve been saving TRofD for a bit as my Meander follow up…
-Cecil
I left my comments on last week. On to some elmore leonard for a big change of pace (also to decide if it’s still reading the psychoanalysis of Trump by his niece. maybe not worth the time anymore, thankfully)
Taking a breather from too much cogitation by reading something a little more predictable and contemporary–Tana French’s latest thriller, The Searcher. Nothing like an Irish thriller to get the blood boiling and produce dreams (or nightmares) that don’t involve pickles, spittoons, or mail-in ballots. And of course, catching up on all those Christmas catalogs piling up on my coffee table! Thank you, Sir Cecil, for your excellent curation. See you in the Bible and in the New Year!
Agreed on the relief experienced this weekend. Yesterday, it rained for the first time in (9?) months in Southern California – there followed some symbolic rays of light breaking through the clouds. If it had been in a movie, it would have been too on the nose, but felt about right in this year.
Also agreed on the richness of the past three meanders. Helped me carve some valuable analog time out of the news cycle 🙂
Currently reading a biography about James Beard, “The Man Who Ate Too Much.”
Thanks, Cecil, for rallying and leading. Until 2021!
Currently reading:
Non-fiction:
“Feminism is for everyone”, bell hooks
“I am still here. Black dignity in a world made for whiteness”, Austin Channing Brown.
Fiction:
“History of wolves”, Emily Fridlund
TBR:
Non-fiction:
“The fire this time”, Jesmyn Ward
“Hood feminism”, Mikki Kendall
Fiction:
“Alias Grace”, Margaret Atwood
“Cantoras”, Carolina de Robertis
If anyone ever wants to have a conversations about books, I’m all for it. 😉
And looking forward to the next meander – see you in 2021!
I’m in need a little brain rest, so up next is one of Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti mysteries, Death in a Strange Country. It will probably make me sad that I can’t just fly off to Venice. I’m also reading Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind.
See you on the next meander!
Gratitude to Cecil for the invitation! Finished MDC after some moments of despair in the middle chapters, but I am happy I finished it!
Currently reading:
The Bluest Eyes, by Toni Morrison
Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Perez
See you!
Left my comments such as they were in last week’s thread. Currently in progress or on deck: Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse & The Waves; a few things by Cesar Aira; Lucretius; Avoid the Day by Jay Kirk.
Finally finished! In the darkest moments I may have muttered something about how the ayatollah was right, bu the truth is I think I was mad at Rushdie for reminding me just how ignorant I am of world history. Life is probably not long enough to gain the knowledge necessary to fully process this book, but maybe the future holds an enlightening trip to India and Pakistan.
Thanks Cecil for the usual impeccable hosting.
I am currently most of the way through Gibby Haynes’ (yes the Gibby Haynes) psychedelic young adult novel “Me and Mr. Cigar” and continue trying to slog through the complete H.P. Lovecraft. David Mitchell’s “Utopia Avenue” and Chabon’s “Telegraph Avenue” await their day in the sun. After reading his obituary I bought Rudolfo Anaya’s “Bless Me, Ultima.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Better get to it.