I love that new, wee tray.Today's Bliss Formula: Today I will cut back on my reading list and my to do list and my project list. I have to focus on the essentials and doing this cutting back feels a lot like a very necessary cleaning.
I am a huge fan of the writing of Joanne Harris -- all of it. When I teach creative writing, she is always at the top of my "suggested reading" list for her ability to write sensuously, never forgetting that we don't just see and hear but smell, taste, and touch.
The problem with her books is that they tend to make me hungry! For things like cheese and chocolate and wine...
Which is fine. Her books don't just make me hungry; they also make me notice the cheese and the chocolate and the wine on a heightened level.
Her books are an exercise in awareness and mindfulness. Who needs Eckhart Tolle when we have Joanne Harris? (I also read Tolle -- my larger point is that fiction is so often seen as a luxury and it's not. Everyone needs story, just like we need our vegetables.)
And that really is the point of great literature, isn't it? It makes us more aware of our lives in a way that all the nonfiction and self-help in the world can't -- on a basic, essential level. It opens our eyes; it helps us to ask the right questions, the big questions; it gives us a glimpse into others' hearts.
Joanne Harris' writing goes one step further: it turns you into a believer.
You suddenly can believe that the world is indeed a magical and mystical place. You suddenly can believe that right wins out, that evil is defeated, that love always gets first place. You suddenly believe that beauty and joy are things worth fighting for. You suddenly believe that this life is more than evening news and fear and disasters.
You believe that you make your own life.
And you are right to believe this.
Just yesterday, I finished reading her sequel to Chocolat, called (in the U.S.) The Girl with No Shadow. I will henceforth, in writing and in conversation, refer to it by its British title, The Lollipop Shoes. (Even Joanne Harris does not know why her U.S. publisher changed the name, and I think they were grossly wrong to do so.)
I love this book (no surprise)! I love the three distinct voices in it; I love learning more about Vianne's past and why she is the way she is; I love the sense of closure it supplies for the characters. And I won't say any more.
If you get a chance, also read Sleep, Pale Sister. This was one of Joanne Harris' first books, published in her 20's. It is Gothic and creepy and floats along a trail of laudanum and insanity. Her very first book, The Evil Seed, is also going to be reissued. I can't wait!
When I am reading her books, I not only gain weight and insight but also a renewed vigor for my own creativity. She is truly inspiring (so we can forgive her for the calorie thing).
What books and authors are important to you?
2 comments:
Thank you for your wonderful blog. There is so much negativity on the internet (and in the world) that I love coming here and being uplifted.
My favorite author is Alice Hoffman. The quality of her writing is so dreamlike and beautiful, with lots of references to the natural world and everyday magic. I love it!
Thank you. I'm glad the point of my blog is coming across so clearly -- to add something uplifting to the world. We make our world, and the more of us who really know this, the closer we will get to fulfilling our potential overall.
Post a Comment