I've written before about how I enjoy reading more than one book at a time, and really have no problem with it. It's not unusual for me to sit down, read a chapter or two in a book, put the book down and grab a different book to read a chapter or two, or a short story.
But today something strange happened. Something that has never happened to me before in my multi-book reading. I read from three books today, and two of the three books featured a protagonist named Agnes, and the other was primarily about a character named Agatha. ...and I got them confused as I was reading them!
It was definitely a weird sense of "which one is this?" I'd be reading and thinking that this Agnes isn't acting the way I remembered, and then I'd recall this was Agnes, the dead Indian grandmother, and not Agatha, aged Catholic school teacher in Staggerford.
To complicate matters further, all three are older women, two of them in stories that take place in Minnesota (the other San Francisco).
I've vowed not to use the name Agatha or Agnes in any wwriting of mine as long as I remember this incident.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Stix's musing on everything from fine art to literature, drama and videos, and quite possibly way too much about his children.
7 comments:
Do you like Hassler?
Yes, and no. How's that for vague?
I enjoy the characters that Hassler creates. It's very similar to Garrison Keillor's LAKE WOBEGON, but with more of an edge, more realistic, rather than humorous.
Living in small Rushford, and I suspect, like Trempealeau, the Staggerford books sure ring true.
Unfortunately, I feel that the writing itself is a little uneven, a little "choppy" at times. Not enough to make me vow never to read Hassler again, but enough to prevent his work from elevating to "great" status.
Does that make sense?
I actually was thinking something similar. I first read Hassler while I was in Iraq, and not only did he make me feel like I was home, but he was entertaining and very honest.
At the same time, he didn't quite seem to have "the chops" as a writer to completely polish everything. He's certainly talented, but he's not a favorite.
I'd say we're definitely on the same page in regards to Hassler then. I'm curious enough to read more, but will be satisfied checking them out of a library, rather than owning them.
Stix, are you changing the name of the Agatha character in your last published play then?
Okay...perhaps I should have qualified that by adding "in the future," Kootch. Difficult to change a name in something that's already been printed.
Additionally, as you well know, that name is part of a jab at mystery author, Agatha Christie.
Sure, but you could name one "Sue" and one "Grafton..." Well, I guess that doesn't really work.
Post a Comment