That's pretty much what I got with Berg's charming and thoughtful novel, Durable Goods. It's a story told through the eyes of Katie, who is a young girl on the brink of adolescence. She lives on an army base with her physically abusive, emotionally distant father, her preoccupied older sister, and the constant memory of her deceased mother. I suppose that when I lay it out like that, it all sounds quite tragic and depressing, but Katie is a resilient girl who handles her circumstances with odd poise. The pity you might feel for her is replaced with fond affection.
You can read this book in a day. The prose is simple and straightforward in a dreamy sort of way, and there's this feeling of gently slipping into the story as if it were a melody, so that before you know what's happened, you've effortlessly floated through to the last page without hardly realizing it. The perfect refresher book, it's sure to gear you up for whatever you pull down from the bookshelf next.
Disclamer: When I say "fluff," I really don't mean it as an insult. There are some novels that just make for more deep, impacting, and laborious reads than others. I admire all writers, whether they write short "fluffy" stories, thousand-page sagas, sonnets dealing with life and love, or haikus dealing with the aromatic qualities of a banana peel. Perhaps I should find a kinder word than "fluff," but until I come up with one, it'll have to do. Just understand, I don't mean it rudely.
You can read this book in a day. The prose is simple and straightforward in a dreamy sort of way, and there's this feeling of gently slipping into the story as if it were a melody, so that before you know what's happened, you've effortlessly floated through to the last page without hardly realizing it. The perfect refresher book, it's sure to gear you up for whatever you pull down from the bookshelf next.
Disclamer: When I say "fluff," I really don't mean it as an insult. There are some novels that just make for more deep, impacting, and laborious reads than others. I admire all writers, whether they write short "fluffy" stories, thousand-page sagas, sonnets dealing with life and love, or haikus dealing with the aromatic qualities of a banana peel. Perhaps I should find a kinder word than "fluff," but until I come up with one, it'll have to do. Just understand, I don't mean it rudely.
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3 comments:
So...do you really recommend this one? It certainly doesn't sound like it from your description...
I certainly never said "I recommend this book." It's forgettable. But there's nothing that says one should only read UNforgettable books; one should read anything they can get their hands on, and then they should make up their own mind about it.
I don't necessarily disagree, but with school and two jobs I'm looking if I manage to squeeze in a book per month, so when I read something I want it to be something memorable, you know?
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