OK, back to real life today -- even though I'm not sure I have much to tell you about the past few days. We'll return to the story of our Australia heroines when I post more of the pictures to Flickr, but for now, let's let them recuperate from their travels.
The day before yesterday I was walking to work when I saw a flash of bright color across Finchley Road -- a busy six-lane traffic artery that carries lots of cars and buses down into Marylebone and Westminster. I wanted to look more closely, but Finchley is not a road that anyone can readily cross because of all the congestion. So I walked to an underpass -- here known as a "subway," not to be confused with the subway in New York City, which is a train -- and used that to cross under the street.
And here's what I found, sitting on the windowsill of a closed shop. Dropped from a baby stroller, perhaps? Anyway it disappeared by the time I walked home so either its owner found it again or someone adopted it.
I have made virtually no headway in "The Old Curiosity Shop," which is so far rather plotless, and I'm about 250 pages in. I just haven't had the time to pick up a book and read. I used to read at my desk when I had downtime, which seemed especially justifiable if I was reading a library book, but my current supervisor has put a stop to that. So much for modeling the behavior we'd like to see in our students.
I should do it anyway. What are they going to do, fire me?
"Plotless" may be too strong a word -- "Curiosity Shop" has a plot, but directionless is a better way to describe it. It's just Little Nell and her gambling-addicted grandfather wandering, encountering various characters, pursued by the malevolent Quilp. I'm making it sound like there's more dramatic tension than there actually is, though I'd probably feel it more if I could read it more regularly. I think I'll have time this weekend.
I won't be reading these, that's for sure! I saw this book display in the window of a shop on Finchley Road. Three for £7.50! A bargain, if you don't mind the nightmares.
Another thing I haven't been able to read lately is The New Yorker. It's partly because of time, but I've also temporarily lost the will. Maybe it's because with Trump president, I find any political news so soul-sucking. I usually pass on my New Yorkers to a guy at work, and he asked me the other day why the flow had stopped. I confessed that they're all stacked up on my end table and I can't quite bring myself to pick them up. I took them all to him yesterday, unread by me.
I am secretly pleased that colourful creature didn't make it back home with you.!
ReplyDeleteI can't save everything, especially kiddie toys.
DeleteMaybe BBW doesn't really believe in reading. Perhaps she simply sees librarianship as an opportunity to attend conferences and other jollies. The idea of librarians reading during downtime is, as you suggest, a simple way of demonstrating to school pupils that reading matters and it is a fine pastime. I guess that the only book BBW enjoys is "The Librarian of Auschwitz".
ReplyDeleteNow now, let's not casually invoke the Holocaust! She very much believes in reading but is by her own admission a workaholic, and she expects everyone around her to be a workaholic too.
DeleteYou are only saying that to curry favour as she checks this blog out from time to time.
DeleteI feel guilty when not keeping up subscriptions of magazines, mostly because they are boring, How many journalists will end up on the scrap heap because of my meanness though. Luckily Charles Dickens is dead, because I never read him and guilt is only felt that somehow we should plough our way through classics.
ReplyDeleteWell, if they're boring, I'd say the journalists are letting you down, not the other way around!
DeleteI understand how you feel about The New Yorker or anything containing political news. I finally read “The Old Curiosity Shop” a few years ago and, for me, “directionless” is a perfect description. I read it in one or two sittings and was left disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed you plowed through this 500+ page book in two sittings! You're making me feel like a slacker!
DeleteThat’s one of my problems when I read. If it’s good, I can’t stop myself.
DeleteDickens was being paid by the installment, so he dragged it out! Mostly he's not very readable to this reader. Except I loved Bleak House because there was a driving thread to the plot.
ReplyDeleteAnd I got bored years ago with the New Yorker. Except the cartoons, and I can find them elsewhere.
I do enjoy Dickens' rambling style, but yeah, you can tell he was milking the length for all it's worth!
DeleteI have never enjoyed reading Dickens and only know his stories, apart from A Christmas Carol, through dramatisations.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy it but I have to put myself in the mood.
DeleteThose books would never find their way to my bookshelves. The fact that they're true stories is the stuff of nightmares!
ReplyDeleteExactly. I like true-crime but they're a little too enthusiastic.
DeleteWhat I’ve always wondered is how you manage to keep track of all the books you’ve ever read. Not every book is worth reading twice, and it would be a shame to waste time only to realize after 100 pages that you’ve already read it. From a social point of view, Dickens is definitely worth reading. But most of the time, I find him too long-winded.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about political news.
Ha! Well, I do keep a list of books I've read, but I can generally remember titles, if not plots or characters. (I'm sure I could pick up some books and re-read them and not remember a thing.)
DeleteThat stack-up is how I ended up quitting New Yorker. Great articles but so long and some of them are really depressing! It struck me oddly that your sup doesn't want you to read in downtime. I would think that would be great modeling. Well, at least you can count down the days!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. One of the things I always liked about this job is that I could read when we had a quiet spell in the library. No more!
DeleteAt a previous job, a group of us decided that if one of us every won the lottery, we would keep it quiet and then answer the age old question, exactly what can I get away with at work before we got fired. I always thought I would start by taking naps at my desk followed by bringing in a pillow and perhaps playing some white noise and go up from there.
ReplyDeleteThe political climate is really soul sucking these days. I trimmed my "facebook friends" and even a few blogs I read simply because they were constantly beating the drums of political war. I have been much happier since. I love the occasional political post and learning what others with different views feel and think but I just can't do it on a daily basis, at least using the blogger and facebook formats and stay sane.
Ha! My dad used to take naps under his desk in his office. But then, he had tenure.
DeleteI do find that I have to pick and choose what I read about politics. The New Yorker is usually on the approved list but lately I can't even face that!
Oh dear. You know, after our little chat about renewing the NY'er, I went ahead and did it and once again I'm wondering- why, why, why?
ReplyDeleteI gave my friend Terry three to take with her on her journey back to Denver. She could do the crosswords at least. And yes, they were unread.
You really are making The Old Curiosity Shop sound like a seat-gripping read.
I'd rather go to Goodwill than finish this book! LOL
DeleteI usually just read certain parts of the NYer - the letters to the editor, the opinion pages, the cartoons, and the page where people send in the captions for the cartoons. I skim past most of the other articles unless something really strikes my interest as many are so loooong. ;)
ReplyDeleteI usually read "The Talk of the Town" and one of the big articles, and maybe one or two of the critical pieces in the back, if they're on subjects that interest me.
DeleteI don't like Dickens, way too slow for me. Good on you for keeping going though. I would have read the last few pages and called it done:) I'm reading "The Briar Club) and would have given up, but it's for a book club. It's finally gotten interesting but I'm not the most patient person when it comes to books.
ReplyDeleteJust read at your desk, as you said, what is your boss going to do?
I don't know "The Briar Club" (and it sounds like I should be glad). If you'd only read the last pages of "The Old Curiosity Shop" you'd have missed the shop altogether. It's only in the very beginning!
DeleteYour new boss seems rather micro-managey to me. Very annoying!
ReplyDeleteYes and yes.
DeleteI can totally understand about the news. I've cut down on it quite a bit. Having a president who is so blatantly corrupt gets pretty tiresome. And then he calls everyone else corrupt. It gets pretty disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI won't be reading any of those books in your photo either. I can't imagine why anyone would want to.
Trump is a case study in accusing everyone else of what he himself is doing.
DeleteI'm not surprised the colorful little robot disappeared so quickly. I finding, or rather not finding, time to read myself. I checked out a book from the library last Monday and I don't think I've read even 30 pages so far. Your New Yorkers, my email inbox. I probably have 50 unread in there from the last few days and I will probably delete them all without reading.
ReplyDeleteWell, that makes me feel better. I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't keep up. :)
DeleteYou have lots of things on the go here. It's hard to finish some stories right away.
ReplyDeleteEspecially when the writer is deliberately trying to draw it out, as Boud says above!
DeleteI was forced to read Dickens in college. Did not like him at all. Life is short, why spend time on a book you don't like? I have the 50 page rule, if it's not good after 50 pages, out with it!
ReplyDeleteI'm complaining but I really DO like Dickens in some ways. It's a fascinating window back in time to a London I can barely imagine. But it is also work!
DeleteI've stopped reading anything I don't like (except a Book Club book) because there's so much out there I would enjoy. Why waste my precious time?
ReplyDeleteIf this were a modern novel I'd agree, but I recognize that with "classics" they sometimes take some effort.
DeleteI typically abandon reading books, newspapers, and magazines when they do nothing for me. I am still reading the "Economist" not that the news is uplifting but it is balanced, good coverage and well written. As for TV, I do watch "Bloomberg" news a couple times a week. The individuals presenting do a great job (usually). It is the analysis with backup that I enjoy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, "The Economist" is a good source. I still depend on the NYT for most of my news.
Deletesoul sucking is exactly what it is. I am careful what I read or tune into- finding dog videos the best remedy. Old curiosity shop, everyone dies so unless you enjoy the writing for writings sake , don't bother, the ending is the end.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome....
DeleteHa! SPOILER ALERT!
DeleteI say read at work regardless what your boss says. It's a library! I'm about a third of the way through Bleak House and enjoying it, so far.
ReplyDeleteI will when I have time, but yesterday turned out not to be the day for that!
DeleteA very colourful toy ... I think you were right when you said dropped from a baby stroller.
ReplyDeleteHope it was the owner who came back for it.
All the best Jan
I hope so too! Hopefully they walk the same route each day and found it when they passed again.
DeleteAfter 250 pages of near nothingness, I'd give up on that book and certainly won't be reading any of those "In The Mind Of..." ones. I love the cute bright toy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, who wants to be "in the mind" of any of those people? Heck no!
DeleteI hear you on the New Yorker. Despite the fact that I am retired, I'm behind by three issues. I cannot bring myself to read ANYTHING about the evil one or his administration.
ReplyDeleteclearly the population generally shares your views on reading about mass murderers otherwise the books would not be so cut-price (that or they are written by AI and published on toilet paper).
ReplyDelete