Monday, 8 November 2010

Don't waste it

As children a large part of our play was with boxed games. As I remember it, we always had a new one at Christmas. Eldest brother would have the job of reading the instructions and then telling the rest of us how to play. There would often be a frantic search of the house for paper and pencils.
I could never bring myself to use the pads of paper that were provided with the game. My spirograph box still had all the paper that came with it when I retrieved it from my parents' house when we cleared it out! We have never used the Pictionary paper. Never written the answers on the Cluedo pads..................
I have noticed the same feeling today.
On Saturday we went to the twice yearly book fair. A sort of English Jumble Sale where every book is a euro. We took back the dregs of our last visit and some of the hospice shop trawl from England and brought home another 50.
I love the feeling of delving into the pile and sinking deep into a story. BUT I can't bear the feeling of 'oh no I'm halfway through and then it will be gone' Slow down, read more slowly, don't waste it. But I can't read slowly (or carefully, or remember it) just great gulps of words that transport me to wherever the author intends. And then it's gone and there is a huge feeling of regret that is bigger than satisfaction in the ending.
Still there are another 49 to go!
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7 comments:

  1. the fly in the web8 November 2010 at 15:21

    I know what you mean...a parcel of books arrive and I'm straight away into them....and then I see the 'unread' pile is diminishing at a rate of knots.....and I briefly contemplate doing the ironing and then think...no, I'm enjoying living in someone else's world for a while....
    At least most of them I'll read again.

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  2. Juniper8 November 2010 at 15:56

    I'm the same Rosie, if I start a good book then I just want to devour it!

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  3. Rosie8 November 2010 at 16:31

    There is a definite correlation between bok devourers and bloggers - discuss :-)

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  4. Rosie8 November 2010 at 16:50

    or book devourers even

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  5. The Pliers8 November 2010 at 17:58

    As I sit here moving between having completed sorting the bookshelves in the living room, organizing the paperback book racks in the hallway, reading a book in paper, checking on titles on my laptop, downloading a few ebooks onto the Kindle that I cannot find here in la belle France, I can say in all sincerity, "I can relate to your feelings about your voyages via stories!"

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  6. Rosie9 November 2010 at 10:10

    My mother always had an upstairs book and a downstairs book and another one. I can see her sitting on the bed reading 'just for a minute' while she was making it. Bless her.
    I just have one at a time................mostly

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  7. The Pliers9 November 2010 at 17:49

    That's a lovely memory of your mother, Rosie.

    I like that idea, "an upstairs book, a downstairs book, and another one."

    One at a time works, and is probably more engrossing, in some ways!

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