I've watched the stars fall silent from your eyes

[raybear]

I awoke standing up.
I was sleeping, then my eyes were open and I was standing with no idea what was going on. I figured I must have gotten up to turn off the alarm since I was standing by a dresser, though I don't remember any of the steps between. I crawled back into bed to sleep off and on until dommeyourass left for court. I swear I had enough dreams last night and this morning that I feel like several weeks have passed since yesterday.

I had an unexpected morning train ride with louche which was almost like having a lunch date before the day began, especially since I'll be spending my real lunch hour running errands and eating canned soup.

I have to confess a prejudice I have. For absolutely no real reason, I loathe the book The DaVinci Code. I have no idea why. I haven't read the book, I haven't read anything by the author, I haven't even read any reviews of the book. You know how sometimes you get a strange unsettling vibe from a person and you don't trust them? I swear, I get that from this book. It seems utterly ridiculous which is why I haven't given it much thought, but last night my Denver friend mentioned having read it and suddenly it just came out of my mouth. Then of course I saw the book at the bookstore after dinner and I couldn't even finish reading the index card recommendation a store employee made. I'm not sure what would be worse -- to read the book and be proven wrong or be proven right. So I'm just going to go back to pretending my random visceral reaction isn't happening. I wouldn't even make note of it if I wasn't seeing the damn book everywhere.

Another literary reference currently haunting me is Henry James. He's come up numerous times from numerous sources and I have an opposite reaction to hearing his name. Since as I've never read anything by him, I think it's time. Any folks out there who know, please suggest a book or a preferred edition for me to start.

Comments

[crafting-change.livejournal.com]

the DaVinci code seems to be the Courtney Love of the book world. Some folks love it, some hate it, some refuse to touch it. I'm going to borrow it thinking that if I don't spend $$ on it, I won't be too let down if I don't like it.

[thebrownhornet.livejournal.com]

Divorced Lesbian swears by it (and no, I'm not saying that makes it good...), but she let/made me borrow it when we hung out a couple weeks ago. She called last night saying "Did you read it yet?" I was like "No... but I finished two other books last week!" I told her I'd get to it by Neverwary 22nd. Okay, not really.

[limenal.livejournal.com]

Henry James is also haunting me - weird! Because I was really into the James family for about 3 weeks in college and I just found an article about his sister Alice that I read back then, plus I've seen several other references lately that have jumped out at me.

The only Henry James I have in my possession is The Turn of the Screw - a short mystery-type story. I can loan it to you if you like.

davinci code/henry james/morning train rides

[louche.livejournal.com]

i feel the exact same way about the davinci code. i won't read it, nor do i know anything about it aside from the fact that everyone in the world is apparently reading it. it's kind of the same reaction i get from the harry potter books/movies and lord of the rings. i know, i know, you like lord of the rings.

i had to read a lot of james in college. i really, really liked The Portrait of a Lady, The Turn of a Screw, and a short story "Daisy Miller." maybe start with the short story...

i'm sorry that smoking was all i could talk about on our train ride. i hope that you and everyone else will forgive my obsession for a while since that's all i think about and therefore can talk about right now. oy. but it was lovely seeing you. and as you may or may not know, i don't usually like seeing people on the train in the mornings. all disruptin my ipod journey. ha. but seriously, i do love disruptions from the right people in my morning rituals since the fact that i indeed have rituals freaks me out.

Re: davinci code/henry james/morning train rides

[milosh.livejournal.com]

i shared that sentiment about harry potter and lord of the rings... but then i succumbed to the books and the movies, and now i'm obsessed.

that is all.

Re: davinci code/henry james/morning train rides

[raybear.livejournal.com]

i used to feel that way about the harry potter books, in part because i was working in bookstores when the mania first hit. but now i'm neutral about them. still haven't read them, might possibly in the future, but don't really feel either compelled or turned off by them now.

i don't usually like seeing people on the train in the mornings

i'm the same way. actually, as soon as i saw you on the platform, i was thinking "hey! cool! it's [louche]!.....oh god, i hope i don't get all weird." i think it helped that for the past two days i've shared part of my commute with dommeyourass, so i was used to being a little social in the morning.

[gotmce99.livejournal.com]

Interesting that I have the *same* poor opinion of the DaVinci Code, even though I've never read it. I suppose I should, but in the meantime, here's an interesting article/review about it. I think it supports my problematic feeling about a book I've never read. haha...except for the fact that I've never read it. :)

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/7800579.htm

[misanthropegirl.livejournal.com]

I JUST finished Portrait of a Lady, and really enjoyed it. You should read that one so that you can then watch the movie with villanious John Malkovich.

Oh, and picture Colin Firth in your head as Lord Warburton. That really did it for me.

[vfc.livejournal.com]

I feel the same about the DaVinci code. Of course, my feeling is mostly based on my reading a small, absolutely tedious (in that it was apparently written for people at a 4th-grade reading level) excerpt of another of that guy's books.

[clockwatcher.livejournal.com]

i read the davinci code and didn't like it. it was just another mystery novel in my opinion, and only got esclated cuz it was about God. Good beach reading but nothing deep or brilliant.

[freakysparks.livejournal.com]

Portrait of a Lady!

[magdalene1.livejournal.com]

Start with The Turn of The Screw.

I have that same reaction to the Da Vinci Code. I think the world will go on if I somehow fail to read it. Rowling, on the other hand, had better get on with the next one. I grow impatient.

Lunch soon?

Re:

[raybear.livejournal.com]

Lunch next week? What day do you prefer?