3 October 2012 and the 57th Page

It was a clear, starry sky tonight when we met at the Mushroom House, amidst choruses of harmonic frog lullabies, in the cooling evening, unusually clear (for usually by this time we are shrouded in blinding, but innocuous, mist). Such was the right atmosphere to discuss the weeks past and the books at hand, but not quite grave enough to be an engaging, intellectual exchange of ideas. Foremost, as usual, were presented what had been read and then titles put forward to be recorded as recommendations.

Caitlin put forward Shakespeare by Bill Bryson, unanimously an object of interest to all as lovers (and students) of English. She grudgingly (and quite rightly) has succumbed to the prescribed journal readings before further leisure reading can become priority, although has hopeful plans for future purchases, including novels which centre on cups of tea between friends—a core value shared in our little society.

Tracy’s books, The Comedians (Graham Greene) and The Collected Plays of Oscar Wilde, were dismissed by her as reads for when there was nothing else of interest. Although, judging by the amount of laughter elicited by any reading she gave from the latter throughout the evening, we all seemed to be in agreement that it was more likely a piece of light-hearted fun for whenever that mood of casual hilarity called for it. Which in Tracy’s case, seems happily frequent. We all agreed on the aptness of Rupert Everett’s casting for the film renditions (An Ideal Husband and in The Importance of Being Earnest), and of Colin Firth’s general magnificence (also in The Importance of Being Earnest).

However, recently having reread The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), she was mostly impressed by the humour in it, mostly inspired by the behaviour of the drunken party guests.

All inspired with the upcoming release of the 2012 film (which I must say, sporting Tobey Macguire in a seemingly perfect Nick, and Carey Mulligan in a flawless Daisy, seems too exciting to allow anticipation), Tracy was the first of us to finish the imperative task of refreshing one’s memory before viewing the film.

I, in swarms of university work, I was surprised I had anything to offer, but was still more surprised by recommending as brilliant reading a setwork I had just studied, Red Dust by Gillian Slovo, a roundly characterised, criminal investigation staged in a TRC lawsuit. In preparation for the upcoming TRILOGY (much annoyance on that score, but is here irrelevant) of J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit, I had also reread that, and while enjoying the lighter mood (in comparison to Lord of the Rings) I confess the group of protagonists less captivating. (However, let no one underestimate our enthusiasm for Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson and co.). A growing advocate of Terry Prachett’s fantastic humour, I also contributed Thud! to the discussion as a funny, and still brilliant, imaginative fantasy (now being my fifth Prachett).

Both Kerri and I were adamant that Mister God, It’s Anna (Fynn) was an unmissable contribution to the world of reading. A darling tale of a queer, intelligent, solemn, little child told from the awed perspective of the youth who becomes like her older brother, the Fynn whose monosyllable claims authorship. Kerri as usual single-handedly topped all of our contributions put together in the amount of material she’d recently accumulated and read since last time although was most talkative about The Other Half of Me (Margaret McCarthy) and especially her current book Tender is the Night, a new acquisition from F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The evening’s activity and hilarity was sparked in a quest for the second sentence on the 57^th page of each book in the near vicinity (and some that weren’t). The rules were slightly bent to favour some better phrasing, or to accommodate some of the larger works for which page 57 was barely weaned from its introduction. (There is much to be said on the subject of favourite first lines of a book, but that is for another occasion). So here are some of the favourite finds:

“She looked down at her suit of mud and stated the obvious,”

Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“Algernon Montcrieff? OH!”

Oscar Wilde, Collected Works (more specifically, The Importance of Being Earnest)

“He looked at her triumphantly; she had no idea what he was talking about.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night

“I beg your pardon.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

“‘You never did wish, did you?’ I asked.”

Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

“Now that life has become so much more exciting, I think of this journal as a story I am telling.”

Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

“Mother calls out for me to put my shoes back on, threatening ringworm, mosquito encephalitis, the inevitability of death by no shoes.”

Katherine Stockett, The Help.

Until next time,
God bless.