Reading Ghosts
A couple of weeks ago I was climbing the steps to Kerry Park, and there was a bubble around me, that had me climbing stairs or a street in Hong Kong. It had been a couple of weeks since I'd finished The Honourable Schoolboy, but nevertheless I recognised the bubble as that book and felt for a moment that Jerry Westerby was walking there just back over my shoulder. Probably back in lower Kerry Park where I'd read a few pages in the book. This ghost had previously or subsequently visited me in Rodgers Park as well. I remember Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was under my arm, and then there was Hong Kong. Or was it Laos, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia proper? Now it was Harry's turn.
I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix so much, it's just inexpressable. But as I said (somewhere) I felt like Batman Begins was a movie that you just wanted to go on when the lights came up, well, so was Harry. I understand the lights have to come up, but... So, I had to go right out and make sure I had reading material once page 869 turned... I went and got The Historian at Costco... Ghosts.... Undead... Well, there's something about the writing that rubs me the wrong way, too descriptive, sort of banal, but nevertheless, evocative of a certain gothic edge... Nevertheless, as I was leading the dog into Rodger's Park the other day, Historian under arm, there was Harry, his own spectral self, his own spectral bubble, at the edge of my vision.
I know from time to time I see a movie that will offer me a ghost for a day or two (they're always the best movies...). But I can't remember any that payoff like a re ading ghost though. Yeah, when I'm 54, I probably won't remember a hair of the Phoenix* or Jerry, but a reading ghost can still hang in there for a week, perhaps a month.... oh hell, I loved The Plague, the Cormac MaCarthy trilogy, even The Castle, even The Dark Frontier... a reading ghost will last years...
* Well maybe I'll remember this one, but I can barely remember the others (enjoyed mostly as much...) ...
I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix so much, it's just inexpressable. But as I said (somewhere) I felt like Batman Begins was a movie that you just wanted to go on when the lights came up, well, so was Harry. I understand the lights have to come up, but... So, I had to go right out and make sure I had reading material once page 869 turned... I went and got The Historian at Costco... Ghosts.... Undead... Well, there's something about the writing that rubs me the wrong way, too descriptive, sort of banal, but nevertheless, evocative of a certain gothic edge... Nevertheless, as I was leading the dog into Rodger's Park the other day, Historian under arm, there was Harry, his own spectral self, his own spectral bubble, at the edge of my vision.
I know from time to time I see a movie that will offer me a ghost for a day or two (they're always the best movies...). But I can't remember any that payoff like a re ading ghost though. Yeah, when I'm 54, I probably won't remember a hair of the Phoenix* or Jerry, but a reading ghost can still hang in there for a week, perhaps a month.... oh hell, I loved The Plague, the Cormac MaCarthy trilogy, even The Castle, even The Dark Frontier... a reading ghost will last years...
* Well maybe I'll remember this one, but I can barely remember the others (enjoyed mostly as much...) ...
posted by quantom qurkington at 6:52 PM
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I have deleted two comments that were merely advertisements--a rather disgusting phenomenon. If I were more vindictive, and more clever, I would innundate the sites advertised w/ similar garbage.
I have activated an image verification feature for comments that should keep out most spam while still allowing anonymous posting. If the spam continues, we might have to move to allowing comments only from registered users.
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