I've just read my third book by Haven Kimmel. I really like her writing. The first two I read were memoirs (my favorite genre of late). The last one I read The Solace of Leaving Early was her first novel. It was really good. The book was very "heady". She quotes lots of literature. It made me very aware that my brain doesn't hold that type of information. All of the literary references were completely lost on me and kinda hurt my brain. The characters were all reminiscent of Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) and her quick wit except the things they were saying was all the stuff you might hear a triple PhD spouting instead of movie or music references. The way the story was written really intrigued me. It was predictable and simple but reminded me of a really good dream or walking through a spider web. I understood what was going on but there was an odd ethereal feeling to it. It didn't fall within "my usual" for reading material. The departure was refreshing.I really wish I could relate to the world for just one day with a really intelligent sponge-type brain that remembers everything. I hear, see, and read so much really good stuff. But.... it just slides off my brain never to be recovered. Nothing sticks! I'm no idiot. My teflon brain just won't hold onto anything. In reading the aformentioned book I began to wonder if there really are people who know all that stuff. I'm certain there are. It creeps me out. I quite enjoy being able to skim along the surface of intellect. I'm a long way from drooling-in-the-corner but I'm also a long way from erudite. I'm in intellectual no man's land. I'm unsure of how I feel about that.
... or is it every man's land? It's like a bell curve. Most of us are in that big hump in the middle between egg-head and drooling in the corner.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to borrow a book or two by that author. Let me know when we might intersect briefly.