So I finished the book on Valentine's. It's a great book and it just gets better as you go along. I have to admit I was a little disappointed after reading the first ten chapters or so, but the end of the book tells a great truth - one that I can share now without ruining the book. It's sort of like what Nick was saying in his post about the real life as a kid. To sum it up, life is really about all the little things we do in between the big steps we take. The major life events that we have are great, but so are all the mundane details we don't think are important along the way. Things that wouldn't particularly matter to other people. Things that you don't tell other people because they are simple and you don't feel like it's worth your time to explain why, of all the things you could remember about your childhood, you remember the exact details of one time you played catch with your dad in the middle of the street. You threw catch with your old man a billion times, but that is the one that you remember, the snapshot you hold in your head.
Of all the things I looked forward to as a kid, as slow as time seemed to move and progress towards high school, then baseball season, or my first real girlfriend, driving, graduation, mission, homecoming, marriage, school, kids... I feel like my whole life has been in some way built on preparing for or recovering from all of those things. Most of the memories I have, even of those major goals, are the weird, banal happenings surrounding them.
Obviously this book was pretty big and filled with lots of details the same way our lives are. It's really interesting to see what sticks with Dylan at the end of the book. I'm glad I read it. In case you haven't happened upon them yet, be fore warned that there are some of the filthiest things I have ever read or imagined in this book! That aside, good call Cam!
2 comments:
Frank-
Loved the comments, dude. That is exactly what I've been thinking throughout the book. Take a look at some of the characters. Though not written about as much as Dylan, their lives are much the same. That is, everyone seems to be constantly yearning for some future greatness, some wonderful thing to happen. And yet, they miss recognizing the significance of everything they are doing RIGHT NOW. I'm about halfway through, but the book has really taught me to take a look at what is happening in my life, and to not lose the significance of the little things of every day.
I agree with your comments about the book containing "dirty" things. There's nothing quite like a midafternoon handjob from your buddy. Joking aside, I appreciated how REAL the book was. Nothing was sugar-coated or skipped over. Brooklyn was Brooklyn. Lethem is an incredible writer, making it real from 6 yearls old all the way to adulthood.
Who is choosing the next book? Any ideas?
That was the second thing I've been dying to talk with someone about. First, flying (and the fact that it's so ordinary in the book. Second, rubbing one out for your buddy. And just to give you a heads up, that happens here and there throughout the book (until one graduates to oral on another dude). I'm starting to wonder if I had a normal childhood. I mean, I never had magical flying powers or a man fetish! Did you or anyone we know? I'm going to be really bugged if Ben and Cameron were handing out hand love and Smurf had a magic flying rign this whole time... At first I thought the flying part was going to be metaphorical or a dream from their consistent drug experiments. It's not though. It never is. They really fly.
I'm not sure what is going on for the next book. I think Smurf was aching to suggest something. Most of the things I read are suggested to me by someone else, so I'm not down to choose!
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