Hard work...

Well, I have decided to expand on my reading skills and embark on tackling some of the 'classics'. I used to hate reading as a small child, even as a young adult as I found it incredibly hard to sit still for five minutes; running round like a nutter!

Now I have slowed down (just a bit) I do enjoy reading, but purely as a way of increasing my knowledge, learning little snippets here and there; never been a book worm. I love reading a paper, especially at the weekend or on holiday. As papers are generally dirty (ink always comes off, even on the ones that say they use 'stay on' ink!) so reading the paper in bed is not an option - ruins the duvet! So, I opt for predictable, romantic stories (they always have a 'holiday' book section in Sainsbury's and I always pick one up with the shopping, sad I know) for bedtime reading.

I have ploughed through a few dozen of these crappy novels recently, which is fine, but not sure it is really helping my brain grow - if anything it is just pure escapism. So, as me and my mate Charlie are considering writing a book (Charlie writing and me helping, providing dodgy stories, random characters and basically doing as I am told!) I thought it was high time I read something of substance in an attempt to understand half the stuff she comes out with!?!?!?

Mrs Dalloway is my first one - I really liked the cover (that sounds terrible doesn't it, but it is true) and I have an interesting history with a lady who loved such books. The second is Persuasion and the third recent book purchase (Waterstone's buy two get one free) is a holiday romance - just in case Woolf and Austen blow my tiny mind!!!

Well, I have started and am 30 odd pages in - wow! The writing is amazing and of a style I have never seen before, well I have read Shakespeare, but nothing more recent done in such a style. The prose is like a poem and I have found that I need to develop a reading rhythm in order to absorb the words and the meaning. This is obviously new territory to me, especially as a non 'writer/English literature' type, but I find it exciting as it is a new experience and one I hope expands my mind.

I have already found a great line, which made so much sense, 'so strange is the power of sound at certain moments' - what a great line. I have always thought that sometimes the plainest of noises/sounds have such impact at given moments in time, but would never have thought of writing that down or even considering mentioning that to anyone...waffling, but hopefully you get what I mean?!?! Exciting times...God! if I had a brain I would be scary!!!