Reading Log

Surcharged with her emotion she turned to Brady with the intention of confiding in him, but at her first mention of Dick a hard-boiled sparkle in his eyes gave her to understand that he refused the fatherly office. In turn she was equally firm when he tried to monopolize her hand, so they talked shop or rather she listened while he talked shop, her polite eyes never leaving his face, but her mind was so definitely elsewhere that she felt he must guess the fact. Intermittently she caught the gist of his sentences and supplied the rest from her subconscious, as one picks up the striking of a clock in the middle with only the rhythm of the first uncounted strokes lingering in the mind.

F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tender Is the Night

Tender Is the Night I found to be simultaneously enjoyable and depressing. I enjoyed it because of its fine style and imaginative descriptions and storytelling. I found it depressing because of its realistic portrayal of the main character's self-destruction.

There are no villains here. The tragedy is free from exogenous factors and unlucky circumstances. This is a story about a successful man and his failure to cope with aging and his decreasing relevance. At least that's how I interpreted it.

I almost think Tender Is the Night is a little too good for its own good. If it had been a little less believable, a little less tragic, or a little more formulaic, then I probably would have found it easier to embrace. But the critics are made of sterner stuff and disagree with my assessment; this is #28 on Modern Library's list of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century.

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I don't have to tell you it goes without saying there are some things better left unsaid. I think that speaks for itself. The less said about it the better.

George Carlin
Brain Droppings

George Carlin is the Budweiser of comedy. He's crude yet passable and can give you a good buzz, and without fail he leaves a bad aftertaste.

Brain Droppings is entry-level cynicism. Like with that aluminum can of Bud, you're better off moving forward to something containing better flavor and more substance. Upgrade to a Philip Roth for a tangier bite and sharper edginess. Try a Kurt Vonnegut for a darker, richer cynicism. Or perhaps you're willing to pay the premium for an import, in which case you can't go wrong with a Douglas Adams or a Neil Gaiman.