Oh goody. It always pleases me when things I love turn out to be healthy. Now I can lump yogurt and my favorite novels in the same category – yummy and good for me too. Makes me want to leave work early and start reading God of Small Things. Still gonna finish Nixonland first though.
Pardon the double post. Was just remembering that years ago I almost majored in American Studies because the program involved reading histories and period fiction at the same time. I stumbled on the method myself by accident when I read The Strange Career of Jim Crow and Light in August at the same time. Of course, we’re talking about Faulkner, but still – I would not have expected it, but that immersion that happens with powerful fiction does teach at a level that holds over time. It’s hard to remember much about the Jim Crow history by now, but certain characters from Light in August (or Sartoris) are with me to this day.
I have to agree that fiction and non-fiction provide valuable in sights into human behavior and lead to a better understanding of the human race.
I just finished “Unbroken” and “Parisians” and loved them both, but they didn’t have quite the impact that “The Poisonwood Bible” had.
Oh goody. It always pleases me when things I love turn out to be healthy. Now I can lump yogurt and my favorite novels in the same category – yummy and good for me too. Makes me want to leave work early and start reading God of Small Things. Still gonna finish Nixonland first though.
Pardon the double post. Was just remembering that years ago I almost majored in American Studies because the program involved reading histories and period fiction at the same time. I stumbled on the method myself by accident when I read The Strange Career of Jim Crow and Light in August at the same time. Of course, we’re talking about Faulkner, but still – I would not have expected it, but that immersion that happens with powerful fiction does teach at a level that holds over time. It’s hard to remember much about the Jim Crow history by now, but certain characters from Light in August (or Sartoris) are with me to this day.
I have to agree that fiction and non-fiction provide valuable in sights into human behavior and lead to a better understanding of the human race.
I just finished “Unbroken” and “Parisians” and loved them both, but they didn’t have quite the impact that “The Poisonwood Bible” had.
So many books, so little time.