Monday 7 September 2009

Summer Kittens: Part 1

I just discovered the website Infinite Summer. It's basically a project in which people try to read David Foster Wallace's epic novel, Infinite Jest, in one summer. At more than a thousand pages long, the book is apparently the ninth longest in the English language. It also has copious endnotes, and contains massively long sentences and words you've never heard of and have to look up if you're going to understand. Because of this, the 75 pages per week needed to get through the book over three months is pretty heavy going, even for those crazy people who can read entire novels in a weekend.

I would quite like to read Infinite Jest, but I've come in too late to really attempt to it before the end of summer. However, I do like the idea of blogging my findings as I go through a book, so I've decided to try another work instead.

Before the summer is out, I, the Imaginary Reviewer, hereby proclaim that I will have read The Little Kittens and the Gumdrop Garden by Norris Squee, before the end of summer. That's sixteen pages, all of which I have to have read before September 22, a rate of one page per day.

It's a big task, but I'm pretty sure I'm up to it. I'll post regular updates here if I can manage to fit that in between reading. Wish me luck!

10 comments:

Mr London Street said...

Are there any ocelots in it?

Soda and Candy said...

Are you sure you'll have time for that? Don't read yourself into an early grave!!!

Clippy Mat said...

16 pages! wow. get cracking. :-)

words...words...words... said...

I hope for your sake that there are many large pictures in this weighty volume.

BeckEye said...

I had a hard time sitting through Benjamin Button, so I probably won't be reading this book.

Brother Tobias said...

I love a good Norris Squee - Can't wait.

Red said...

Good Luck!

I'm on the fence about David Foster Wallace. On one hand, he's obviously very talented. On the other, I take issue with authors who seem pretentious for pretentiousness' sake. I mean, he has an entire essay about how great his family is because they use words no one else uses anymore. Congrats, dead guy (RIP!). You make everyone else feel like a jerk. Well done, you.

The Imaginary Reviewer said...

Mr LS: Possibly. I hope so!

S&C: I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. If I keep telling myself, I'll believe it eventually.

Clippy Mat: Yes indeed, I have a long fortnight ahead of me.

WWW: There are several. And they are full colour. Whether this will help or hinder my progress is yet to be seen.

Beckeye: I have a hard time sitting through many things. Commercials, films, tv shows, defecation...

Brother Tobias: I've heard it's one of his best. Let's hope so, for my sake.

Red: He sounds like Umberto Eco. "Hey, I'm Umberto Eco! I like to write sentences in other languages and not translate them because everyone in the world can speak French, English, German, Latin and that imaginary language I made up last week, right?"

Gwen said...

Have you checked to see if there is a Reader's Digest version? Or maybe some cliff notes? We don't want you going blind shortly after landing such a beautiful bride.

katrocket said...

I think I'll just wait for the movie.