Wednesday Reading Meme

[osprey_archer]

What I’ve Just Finished Reading

John Steinbeck’s ill-named The Red Pony. I can only assume he picked that title because he realized that the more accurate The Dead Horses might put people off. Yes, multiple dead horses! First the red pony catches the strangles and chokes to death on its own mucus, and then the ranch hand bashes a mare to death in order to extract her baby by Caesarean section.

Yeah. I think that tells you everything you need to know about this book.

What I’m Reading Now

Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys. There’s a whole chapter in this book about “how to behave around an author,” presumably because Alcott had no other platform on which to castigate her over-invested fans. Jo has become a famous author, and is beset on all sides by rapacious reporters and mooncalf fans. One girl flings herself into Jo’s arms, crying, “Darling, love me!” Oh, fans. Behaving badly since 1886!

I’ve also started Garth Nix’s A Confusion of Princes, which is a little too action-adventure for my taste. There are only so many times the hero can escape assassination before it starts to get repetitive. But perhaps soon he’ll start doing something else.

I haven’t gotten much farther in The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp, because I forgot to take it along when I visited my parents over the weekend. Tara and her sister Lucy have arrived in London! Tara has been swept off on a shopping trip by a woman named Clover.

Also, I feel that this book was not very well copy-edited, because I keep stumbling over small continuity errors.

What I Plan to Read Next

Charles Finch’s The Last Enchantments.

Comments

[littlerhymes]

Ah, The Red Pony! I read that as a child with a fondness for horse books (the kind with gymkhanas and jolly girls called Jill) and was traumatised for days. Sweet memories!

[motetus.livejournal.com]

Oh god, The Red Pony. Some well-meaning relative gave me that book while I was going through my horse-mad phase as a child. It was quite the horrifying experience!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I laughed at your description of The Red Pony, which i haven't read, but have heard of. Yeah, I think that's all I need to know, too. And I laughed reading your update on A Confusion of Princes, too, thinking of possible alternatives for the hero--like maybe succumbing to the attempts! No, but seriously, it's a bad sign if you're getting bored by the action.

[silverusagi]

I can only assume he picked that title because he realized that the more accurate The Dead Horses might put people off.

THERE'S a book I won't be reading, lol.