11.15.08
Literacy and Longing in L.A.
Halfway through this book, I had second thoughts about finishing it because primo, it is categorized as chick lit, secondly, the heroine’s being is morally flawed — but how could I resist the theme of literacy and longing? =P Eventually, I decided to follow bibliomaniac Dora (named after the writer Eudora Welty) until the conclusion.
What made this book so entertaining was the polybibliogamic (a term coined by MarieVic and I) truths that lonely-but-won’t-admit-it bibliophiles undergo and the witty manner that it is presented. Whenever Dora spoke of her bookish practices, I could not suppress the dozens of this-is-so-me giggles of acceptance.
Surprisingly, Attorney Karen Mack and multi award-winning journalist Jennifer Kaufman made this a delightful experience. It is light, but not shallow, brainy but not abysmal, and just what female bibliomaniacs would need as a breather in between physical, emotional, or intellectual challenges. In fact, some have disagreed on this book’s chick-lit status. Personally, I would place it a couple of notches above that genre.
“In any event, books still quell the longing one gets in this world and can tell a simple story that helps make sense of things.” ~ Literacy and Longing in L.A.
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mika lastrilla said,
November 15, 2008 at 4:22 pm
wow, polybibliogamic. what does that mean?
Miracle ♪♫ said,
November 15, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Polybibliogamy: The practice or condition of marrying/reading/sleeping with more than one book at one time. hahaha =P
jonathan hawk said,
November 15, 2008 at 9:51 pm
love that definition ‘polybibliogamic’. i guess that would be me too…blushes…lol.. sounds like an interesting read, the title is rather inviting. i’m not so chic lit savvy but who knows, maybe i’ll venture between those covers one day.
Miracle ♪♫ said,
November 15, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Haha =) I wouldn’t exactly refer this book to men, Jonathan - but! It does reveal ample information about women, so men might benefit from it as well. haha =D
sopraninigabi said,
November 15, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Haha, using your description, then that makes me downright promiscuous when it comes to sleeping with books ü
Miracle ♪♫ said,
November 16, 2008 at 10:01 am
I can’t blame you, Gabi. Can’t blame you at all. haha =)
sopraninigabi said,
May 18, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Read this book as a breather from Mann’s “Doktor Faustus” (which is taking me forever to finish, haha! Tama ka, “it defies every attempt at speed-reading” talaga!!).
I was rather disappointed with “Book Lover” (the alternative title of Literacy and Longing…). I disliked Dora so much, and only found her palatable when she’d describe her book binges.
Have you read any of the Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella? They’re classified as “chick lit” but they’re soooo funny, my sister and I love them and keep re-reading them whenever we feel blue. :)
Miracle ♪♫ said,
May 19, 2009 at 7:14 am
Doktor Faustus is really heavy. Whenever I picked it up, thunderclouds immediately gathered in the sky. haha
Uh huh. I didn’t like her either, Gabi… even though there was so much to relate to whenever she turned to books. haha Plus, I hated the love scenes… but appreciated the ending where everything seemed to be set aright - including Dora herself.
I haven’t read anything by Kinsella or other chick lit. After my attempt to approach that genre with Literacy and Longing, I’ve decided to distance myself and turned to the formidable Ishiguro right after that and never looked back.
Now that I think about it, saying that “I would place it [Literacy and Longing] a couple of notches above that genre” was unfounded since I had no other books to compare it with. Since I trust your taste, I thank you for telling me about Kinsella. “Junk Food”, Mama would tell me - but hey, I eat Piattos once in a while! haha ;-)