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October 01, 2004

74: I read pretty good.

I am ANTI all things Harry Potter, maybe for no reason other than "I just feel like it." Don't be so surprised -- isn't that my reason for a lot of things?
Sure, I also make claims like "I don't read" but you know that I do read and that, furthermore, I read more than you do.

The quest to read all of Mishima's books/stories/plays continues, but it's on pause until I can physically locate another book. Sure, I could purchase them online but I seem to have already read everything of his currently in print. Additionally, I hate buying books online unless they're gifts. Even if a big box, clearly from Amazon, arrives for me it's still more subtle than dragging my gifts for you home in my bag. When I buy for myself, unless it's impossible to do otherwise, I prefer to go to the store in person. I do 90% of all of my shopping in person and not online -- how will I know if I really want to wear or read something unless I've held it in my hands? It may be time to visit the highly annoying Strand and finish what I've started with Mishima.

Here's what I've read recently, in roughly chronological order, excluding a couple of totally unacceptable, barely in English, trash novels about... uh... vampires. Shut up, because if you know what I'm talking about then you've certainly read one yourself.

Becoming Madame Mao, Anchee Min.
This Boy's Life, Tobias Wolf.
Rabbit, Run, John Updike.
Rabbit Redux, John Updike.
Rabbit is Rich, John Updike.
Rabbit at Rest, John Updike.
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden.
Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki.
Autobiography of a Geisha, Sayo Masuda.
A Civil Action, Jonathan Harr.
84, Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff.
Budding Prospects, T. Coraghessan Boyle.
Municipal Bondage, Henry Alford.
Autobiography, Helmut Newton.
Artist of the Floating World, Kazuo Ishiguro.
Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro.
When We were Orphans, Kazuo Ishiguro.
Pale View of the Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro.
The Unconsoled, Kazuo Ishiguro.
Confessions of a Mask, Yukio Mishima.
Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Yukio Mishima.
Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima.
Spring Snow, Yukio Mishima.
Runaway Horses, Yukio Mishima.
The Temple of Dawn, Yukio Mishima.
The Decay of the Angel, Yukio Mishima.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, Yukio Mishima.
Death in Midsummer, Yukio Mishima.
Forbidden Colors, Yukio Mishima.
Thirst for Love, Yukio Mishima.
Acts of Worship: Seven Stories, Yukio Mishima.
Under the Black Flag, David Cordingly.
A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O'Connor.

Why did I start off with hating Harry Potter? Because I have just read the first book in my next reading series which will tide me over until I can get more Mishima. I overheard someone refer to my choice as being the "new Harry Potter." Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Ugh.

It's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Yes, I know these have been out FOR-ever but I've been busy with all that nihilism and all those samurais. And yes, I know they're making a movie about it. And no, I am not suddenly reading them on account of this movie coming out. Gosh... IDIOT! I have temporarily given up hope on Mishima, and until I find the next book of his, I'll have to move onto other things.

And until Harry Potter leads a group of Japanese schoolboys to their death in an attempt to cleanse a culture dirtied by capitalism... I will not list him among these "things."

So shut up.

Posted by ashley at October 1, 2004 01:00 PM

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