“We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate”.
Henry Miller
I am finding myself in one of those peak times - where I seem to have a myriad of projects on the go: activities, teaching, festivals, commissions, renovations, garage sales, open studios and work-work; all of which need me to focus on them! None of them get a really good focus I must say and as result my head is full and feels a little bit like spinning.
These words leapt out at me today in the sense of how absolutely gorgeously they described that state of luxury - of having time to read, to soak in a book, and to just be entranced, bewitched and taken away by one.
Reading does indeed give our souls a chance to luxuriate and I can feel the tug towards a book...
Who wouldn't want to sit on the deck and read a good book here?
Last January, Bay of Islands, NZ. My soul was luxuriating...
Henry Miller
I am finding myself in one of those peak times - where I seem to have a myriad of projects on the go: activities, teaching, festivals, commissions, renovations, garage sales, open studios and work-work; all of which need me to focus on them! None of them get a really good focus I must say and as result my head is full and feels a little bit like spinning.
These words leapt out at me today in the sense of how absolutely gorgeously they described that state of luxury - of having time to read, to soak in a book, and to just be entranced, bewitched and taken away by one.
Reading does indeed give our souls a chance to luxuriate and I can feel the tug towards a book...
Who wouldn't want to sit on the deck and read a good book here?
Last January, Bay of Islands, NZ. My soul was luxuriating...
(((Fiona))) just finished reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver, a brilliant, deep and poignant book, recommended by a friend after being so disappointed by The Lacuna (great opening chapter the rest was so worthless I threw it against the wall in frustration at the halfway point and Flight Behaviour which also started out with a great opening chapter only to be ruined by a cast of conveniently contrived cardboard cutout characters to drive home her ecological message
ReplyDeleteOh yes Mo - that was my first Barbara Kingsolver and I truly loved it! Like you I couldn't get past the art of Lacuna; but did enjoy Flight Behaviour. Your comment made me think why did I because I agree the characters were fairly cardboardish; and I think it was that I got an education anyway about the moths and things I just didn't know. Have you read Prodigal Summer by her? I really loved that one and the characters were not of cardboard - some great dialogue too.
DeleteI confess, if I were sitting on deck looking at that view, I wouldn't bother with a book - I'd 'read' the view... Not many books could compete with that! :D
ReplyDeleteIt was a glorious time and place Claire - glass of wine, book, long chats into the night as the light faded...
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