I Cannot Read Fast Enough
I just read an entire book in less than 36 hours. (Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld, if you're wondering.)
I haven't read a book that way in years. I stayed up late reading last night, got up early to read this morning before work, took my book to read on my lunch hour, was relieved when my Walking Buddy canceled this evening so I'd have more time to read.
Growing up I used to shove a book - opened to whatever page I was up to - into my desk at school. Once a teacher got into a groove with the class, I'd slide my book out halfway and read. The idea of paying attention during school seemed silly to me. A waste of time. Everything was always way beyond me, or behind me. I almost never did homework, or if I did it, I did it wrong. Once, when my sixth grade teacher was reviewing the prior night's homework with the class, she called on me. "I didn't do it." The whole class laughed, and I looked up from my book to figure out what was going on. "We're doing it NOW." I was up to a really good part in my book. "Oh. I don't know." And she just moved on. When I'd get sent to my room as a punishment I'd be mildly upset until I got up there. But then I'd just pick up one of my books, lose myself in it, and forget my world. I won't say I spent all my free time reading growing up. But I definitely spent a LOT of free time reading.
The part of this book Prep that is still rolling around my head is where the main character talks about both wanting to be noticed and being terrified of having attention on her. That's exactly how I feel almost all the time. Sometimes I get carried away and start talking passionately about something, forgetting myself, and where I try to place myself (on the side). In the middle of speaking, I realize everyone is looking at me, and I panic, and momentarily forget what I'm saying. How I ever acted in school plays (and actually did just fine) is beyond me.
On a recommendation from a friend, I took out two other books from the library yesterday. I must be getting old, because I don't feel like I have it in me to race through the remaining books the way I raced through Prep. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sorta kinda hoping for rain tomorrow, to give me an excuse to stay home after work and read.
I haven't read a book that way in years. I stayed up late reading last night, got up early to read this morning before work, took my book to read on my lunch hour, was relieved when my Walking Buddy canceled this evening so I'd have more time to read.
Growing up I used to shove a book - opened to whatever page I was up to - into my desk at school. Once a teacher got into a groove with the class, I'd slide my book out halfway and read. The idea of paying attention during school seemed silly to me. A waste of time. Everything was always way beyond me, or behind me. I almost never did homework, or if I did it, I did it wrong. Once, when my sixth grade teacher was reviewing the prior night's homework with the class, she called on me. "I didn't do it." The whole class laughed, and I looked up from my book to figure out what was going on. "We're doing it NOW." I was up to a really good part in my book. "Oh. I don't know." And she just moved on. When I'd get sent to my room as a punishment I'd be mildly upset until I got up there. But then I'd just pick up one of my books, lose myself in it, and forget my world. I won't say I spent all my free time reading growing up. But I definitely spent a LOT of free time reading.
The part of this book Prep that is still rolling around my head is where the main character talks about both wanting to be noticed and being terrified of having attention on her. That's exactly how I feel almost all the time. Sometimes I get carried away and start talking passionately about something, forgetting myself, and where I try to place myself (on the side). In the middle of speaking, I realize everyone is looking at me, and I panic, and momentarily forget what I'm saying. How I ever acted in school plays (and actually did just fine) is beyond me.
On a recommendation from a friend, I took out two other books from the library yesterday. I must be getting old, because I don't feel like I have it in me to race through the remaining books the way I raced through Prep. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sorta kinda hoping for rain tomorrow, to give me an excuse to stay home after work and read.
posted by Green at 3/20/2006 09:35:00 PM
5 Comments:
I confess, I'm a romance junkie. I alternate between them and mysteries/thrillers. I just spent $50 on ebay buying 180 cheap used books. I received my first box yesterday and even though I got home late, I finished all 190 pages of one I picked from the box at random before going to bed. Between that and the weather, it was hard to get out of bed this morning.
I sometimes read in class, too, but I didn't bother to hide it. I almost always got my homework done and made good grades, so the teachers let me get away with certain things. A couple didn't even have a problem with me taking naps. Kinda wishing I had a boss like that today....
I love it! It took forever for my parents to figure out that taking away my books was the only punishment that worked. I used to go grocery shopping w/ my mom and just hold on to the side of the cart so I could keep walking while reading...often walked into things too. :)
I liked "Prep" a lot, I thought it was well written and actually evocative of a real teenaged girl, which most books of this nature (I'm looking at YOU, I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe) are not quite.
My sister pointed out how realistic Lee's crush was, too. All the mixed feelings you feel when you like a boy were really spot-on.
I always did the same thing in school with the book under the desk thing and always felt like a dork. Glad to see I'm not the only one.
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