Friday, September 26, 2008

A Long Week; Plus Some Thoughts

This has seemed like a very long week. I have done a ton of driving, for various reasons, and that's sort of wearing me out. Last night was the first night all week where I could just come home and rest, but I spent most of it in the kitchen making dinner and apple pie. Baking has seemed like a good thing to do lately. Apple pie seemed appropriate to ring in the fall. I have a big list of Autumn To-Dos and now I can scratch "Make Apple Pie" off the list.

I'm reading Lost Boy Lost Girl, and I'm puzzled about something. I wonder if I am getting too cynical and jaded in my old age for scary books to be effective. This book seems like it should be scary, but I'm just not getting spooked. I've had this experience with some other "scary" books lately. I had a few moments of creepiness last night, but they were short-lived and not very deep-seated. It was more intellectual: "Oh, that seems like that would be scary if it were me..."

This is very disappointing. The book itself is actually quite good and interestingly constructed -- I actually wonder if that's part of why I'm not finding it very scary; it's told from various points of view, sometimes in first person, something in third -- it's done well, but maybe it's not building that growing sense of dread needed for a truly scary book.

I have another book -- Ghost Story -- by this author (Peter Straub), and it is supposed to be very spooky. I've wanted to read it for quite awhile and Terri gave it to me for my birthday. I hope it is effective; I find it very disheartening when a book is supposed to be quite scary and it isn't. I will also have to check out the R.I.P. review list and see what others have read that sounds good.

I think I'm just feeling quite tired. I need a weekend of baking, exercise, reading, and resting. I think I have one like that coming right up...

1 comment:

Ana S. said...

I have the same problem. It's like I've become immune to horror. The best I can hope for is being unsettled or disturbed. Sigh. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Lost Boy Lost Girl regardless, though. I'm really looking forward to reading that one.

I hope you have a nice and relaxing weekend!