Showing posts with label The Thirteenth Tale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Thirteenth Tale. Show all posts

Friday, February 14, 2014

Memorable passages



When I started reading e-books on my iPad, I noticed sentences and paragraphs underlined in dots. An e-reader feature that confused me when I first saw it, I learned those dots indicated passages that readers often highlighted. Passages that perhaps defined a character or touched on the book's theme (or both). But also, passages that spoke directly to me, the reader, provoking two words to flash across my mind. Yes, this.

So every once in a while, I’m going to share some of my favorites. Hope the words seep into your world as they have mine. And to start, what better than a passage about words?

"There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic."




Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Little Stranger

Have you read The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters?

Just shortlisted for the 2009 Man Booker Prize, it's a cross between two of my favorites, House at Riverton and The Thirteenth Tale. The Little Stranger started a bit slow, but soon I was caught in its grips, and I realized, that was the point. The story creeps slowly, luring the reader into a crumbling house and introducing an equally crumbling family. At the end, my unanswered questions drew me back to the beginning, and I tried to piece it together. Were my conclusions right? I won't spoil it here, but if anyone wants a good chat about it, let me know!

I'm not sure why I haven't read Sarah Waters before, but now I'm on a mission to catch up with her previous titles. Just started The Night Watch.