Putting Books Down
Yesterday, I sat reading from two different books. Both of which I put down. Both of which I don't intend to pick up again. The first book was a mystery by Dorothy Sayers, a Harriet Vane mystery titled Gaudy Night . I made it through the first chapter and then was so overwhelmed by the cynical attitudes of the characters about each other that it made me want to cry. I think I have considered cynicism a modern invention of the last thirty years, but this book made me aware that cynicism has a much longer history than I had realized. This book was originally published in 1935. Harriet Vane's life mirrored Dorothy Sayers' own life in many respects, according to my husband. As I read the first chapter, I was struck by the wonderful and varied language Ms. Sayers used in her writing. I loved that aspect of the writing. In order to read the book, I had to think and consider the impact of the vocabulary she chose. Heaviness began to permeat...