Bethany's Book Club

My sister bemoans the fact that I love sad books. What can I say? I love putting a book down after reading the last page and thinking "How tragic!". (If I was a Backstreet Boy I would say "How tragical!") So with great sadness (remember, that's a good thing) I recommend Possession by A. S. Byatt. You might remember that this was made into a movie a few years ago with Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart. Please do not let the movie (good but not great)deter you from reading the book. I will warn you ahead of time that it is not easy to read, but this is one of the things I found so fascinating about it. The story is of two modern day academics who are studying the secret lives of two Victorian poets. Not only does Ms. Byatt write the prose of the story, but she also writes poetry in the voices of the poets. Now some of these poems are long and flowery in their language, but the way they give insights into the history of their authors is really quite amazing. I have spent the last week reading way too late into the night and then waking up to read some more early in the morning. As I said, this is not an easy read so don't take it on vacation with you but if you have a yen for something that requires some investment give it a go. As my pile of books next to my bed is diminishing, I would love any suggestion on a good book to read. I am planning on starting Atonement by Ian Mcewan tonight and my goal is to not picture Kiera Knightly's razor sharp clavicles once. Wish me luck!