004 Soul Mountain

Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian (New York: Harper Collins, 2000)

Ugh. This book is tough to dig unless you like passages akin to dream sequences and airy descriptions of misty landscape. It would be easier on you if you've seen some films set in China to help you picture the rundown hotels and littered train stations.

A man who finds out he doesn't have lung cancer gets a second chance at life and goes traveling in Sichuan China. Along the way he learns local legends and myths. He alo makes up a bunch himself.

I'm 141 pages in but the book doesn't grab me. I'm trying, really! I want to like it and some bits are interesting but this is not a page turner. Not much of a plot. More of a floating around dreamily. Maybe that is the desired effect? But it comes at the price of snoring.

The pungent scent of crazy

Well, I finished the book yesterday. It wasn't good. Sometimes it wasn't clear who said what. I'd re-read over passages to follow what was who and where was how. A bit annoying. Overall, it was a satisfactory quick read.

The main character, Willadene, has the "nose". She can pick apart any smell but most amazing is her ability to smell evil emanating from people. (What kind of logic governs that type of diagnosis? I guess her morals are physically linked to the membranes in her nose) It is suppose to be a horrible, gut wrenching stink. Nice ability but would you be able to handle it? You would know all of a sudden your co-worker sitting beside you is evil.

I'd like to read a book where someone can sniff out crazy. I wonder what that would smell like? Licorice and lard?

Scent of Magic by Andre Norton

I'm back!!! Went to the public library today and finally paid enough of my $68 fine from last century (1999) to take out books again. I asked the librarian if she could pardon some of it, she asked me sharply why, I told the truth ( I was a student and forgot to return the books) and she gave me a $12 discount. Hey $12 is $12 man!

Took out among other books, Gao Xingjian's Soul Mountain and One Man's Bible (He's a nobel prizer).

But on this glorious night I am going to start with some pure fantasy, Andre Norton's Scent of Magic. Yea!!!!! It's got two fiesty heroines that can smell evil or something. ooooooOOOOo!! This will be a delicious, non-philosophical, non-analytical fast read!

I am just so happy my library card works again. If I knew this I would have paid my fines sooner.

Later y'alligators!