[Friday Reads] Sick at Home - 2nd Edition: Reading is exhausting!

Yep, sick at home - again... might be because I didn't quite get over the flu the last time? Or: wtf is the problem with my immune system? Or: Why hasn't it been spring sooner?!

What I didn't read first: This Easter I didn't pick up "Krabat" by Otfried Preußler, a German
children's classic, which I usually like to read around Easter (because Easter features an important time in the book). I don't do this every single year, but probably every other year. At first I felt like doing it, then I kind of forgot and then I didn't feel like it anymore. Now I'm a bit sad, that I didn't get to read it this year, because it's just such an awesome book. Naturally, as there is no law that it has to be read only at Easter, I could just pick it up and read it, but that wouldn't feel right. So now I'll be preserving the book and hopefully enjoy it next year.

What I'm currently reading (or not really reading, because reading is really exhausting when you're sick, all the tiny letters, holding those heavy books, thinking all the thoughts...):

1984 as an audio book.

This is a re-read. I've read the German translation of it years ago. But I can hardly remember anything. So it's really interesting to finally actually read one of the most quoted and referenced books ever - again. I'm not too keen on the writing style. It's getting better now (about half way through), or maybe I'm just getting used to it. But it did feel rather clumsy in the beginning and also really dry. I'm also only getting used to the narrator of the audio version I'm listening to. He's not bad, but I'm am really annoyed by him not being able to breath as a narrator or actor should be able to. He draws a really sharp breath at the beginning of every other sentence and that is just wrong.

Getting Things Done: well, persuaded by the hype I started this one. Not very far into it yet, so I can't really say anything about it. It might also not quite be the right moment, me being sick and all...








Dvori od oraha by Miljenko Jergović

I stumbled upon this one totally by chance (the pleasures of working in a bookshop!), I had never heard about it before, which is weird, because I did have a look into Croatian and Yugoslavian lit last year. Maybe it just didn't stand out. And that is a shame, because it's a seriously good book! Took me about one page to be totally immersed in it. And that despite the the way it's told. I won't actually mention this, it's not a spoiler, but in retrospect I think it was great that I didn't know this before I started reading it (it might have even turned me off). But I'm gonna say it's style is beautiful and every now and then I stumble over things that I'm, well, not liking as much, it's all part of the narrative and has to be there. I love it and am so glad this customer ordered it - and then didn't want it! ;) Good for me. His loss. I'd say: Go read it, everybody! But I'm afraid there's only been German and French translations from the original Bosnian.



PS: Turns out you need to hit "publish" for your posts to go live... who would've thought? Anyway, this is why this is going up on a Sunday.