Having finished the previous book, and considering that I'm still working on Self-Made Man (Fascinating, but depressing! Also, the cause of a mild disagreement with my friend J., who said "Well, I just don't think that men and women are that different!" and then I had to really bite my tongue so as not to say "WHAT A RIDICULOUS THING TO BELIEVE! ON THE ORDER OF THE MOON LANDING DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!!") and The Alchemist (which I'm actually enjoying a lot more than I thought I would, considering the terrible anxiety I have about new-age/magical realism novels.) I have moved on to The Religion by Tim Willocks. It's about Hospitallers in the 1560s. Or. Something. I haven't gotten very far yet. It's set on Malta.

The Amazon reviews worry me a little, as the user comments are split about 50/50 between "TERRIBLE!" and "BETTER THAN JAMES CLAVELL!"

And, you know, not being a huuuuuuuge Clavell fan, I worry that I may have made a poor choice. Hmmm.

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onelittlesleep
2007-08-20 12:31 am UTC (link)

Oh! The Alchemist was good for me when I was 16-17. You know? I still read it sometimes, but it felt very good for me when I was younger and idealistic and like "!!! Change the world, guys!"

Have you read any Peter Carey? Well, at least his Oscar and Lucinda? Forget the movie if you saw it, because ugh, Ralph Fiennes (who I REFUSE to call RAFE). But the book is rather good! It helped me realize that...it's OKAY to write a book that's not semi-autobiographical or ASTOUNDINGLY avant garde or RADICAL, you know? It's just a good story with language that I thought was really beautiful at the time. I'm not sure if I still agree, but I REALLY liked it 7 years ago or so and it was influential!

...ahahaha, and now you're going to probably be AWKWARD like "OH NO! She liked THAT book? ACK!"

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	meyerlemon 2007-08-20 04:26 am UTC (link)
	Oh! I have never read him! Or Oscar and Lucinda. I will have to add it to my list. (RAFE. Yes. What a TOOL.) (Reply to this)(Parent)