The Instructions and I during happier times.
Dear The Instructions,
This is very hard. I’m usually very loyal, and I’m not normally like this. *deep breath* I’ve been reading other books on the side. You got a little too involved for me and I picked up one of my vampire books and read for a little while last night. I didn’t read it that long. It didn’t mean anything to me. It’s just he sparkles. Then later as I was reading you again, *looks down* I took a break and read the latest issue of The Believer. I know it’s put out by the same publisher and technically your sister but I can explain! Please don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. No, you definitely didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not you. It’s me. You are a great book. You’ve got a good great awesome looking cover, and I’m sure your contents are wonderful. No, I know they’re wonderful! We’re just not right for each other. At 1,024 pages your size and girth are overwhelming you’re asking me for a huge commitment that I’m just not ready for right now. I need to run free. Slay lots of 200-400 page books before I’m ready to come back and settle down with a kilopager. I know there are lots of girls and guys out there that would love to read you. Someday, I’ll probably say this was the biggest mistake I ever made. I hope you will still let me hold you and look at your cover. Maybe you’ll even let me open you up occasionally?
Please try to remember all the good times we had.
I’ll always love you,
Mandy
This letter was jotted down hastily during a brief period of separation from The Instructions. It was written late on a Saturday night, and she knows she’ll regret it in the morning. Mandy is currently trying to get back together with The Instructions by Adam Levin. She’s not sure why she’s suddenly writing about herself in the 3rd person either.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Mandy,
I UNDERSTAND. Last night through the haze of my head cold, I finished the first chapter. Put my bookmark in and as I hefted the thing over to my bedside table, I noticed where the bookmark was relative to the rest of the book. It is depressing. Then I laid in bed with the following succession of thoughts before the cold meds knocked me out….
If I can manage to read one chapter a day, will I be done before the chat?
If I continue to feel challenged (in various ways*) by half the books, will I want to rejoin this book club after the year I’ve committed to?
Wouldn’t it be nice to be reading a Jodi Piccoult book right about now?
You are not alone!
Suzy, Thanks for the comment!:)Definitely stick with the club!I don’t think book length is going to be a problem very often. This is my third book with the club. The first two were around 200 pages each. The selections have been pretty diverse. So, if you don’t like a selection, don’t despair. The next one may be completely different! Also, if you’re not already a member of the email group, make sure and sign up for it. It is a really fun experience.
But you can bet the next book I read after this one will be one of my “guilty pleasure” books!
Mandy, I’ve been lurking since the beginning. I didn’t like Citrus County, but I read it anyway. I hated Richard Yates so much I didn’t bother and can’t even think of a person to gift it to. I totally don’t understand why Freedom is such a big deal. Personally, I find Gurion’s writing being from a ten year old more plausible than the parts of Freedom that were supposed to be written by Patty. And, the thing that concerns me most about this one is that all the spoilers indicate that a great deal of violence is coming and I never choose to read anything with graphic descriptions of violence. On the other hand, I sure am looking forward to the Rumpus Women’s book! BTW, the asterisk in my first message was meant to be connected to explanations below about my challenges with the various book, which I’ve just summarized. I blame the cold meds that I left it hanging there!
: )
Mandy,
I would love to know if/when you have the time and inclination what you LOVED about Richard Yates- maybe I’ll revisit it at some point. I admit to having read very little before I gave it up.
Also, I want to say that my heart goes out to you and the other Instructions readers who are so frustrated by the need to look so much up. Because of my Jewish upbringing and the Jewishness of the majority of the books I had access to as a child, I am not having that difficulty. I almost can’t fathom enjoying this book without having some of my background. I give you all a lot of credit!! I hope it gets easier for you!
: )
suzy
I am the same way when it comes to violence (especially when it involves children). I am only on page 80 of The Instructions so far b/c I took a break to read another book that I have on my review schedule for this month. But I’m definitely going to pick it back up! I should finish the book I’m reading now tonight or tomorrow (it’s about 250 pages). Then I’m gonna keep on chugging along w/ The Instructions.
I still haven’t started Freedom. I just can’t get excited about it. I’m thinking I won’t get to it until late November or early December. I hope I’m finished w/ The Instructions by then!
I could go on and on about why I loved Richard Yates. But long story short the story just resonates with me. I can remember being a lot like the characters in that book at different points in my life. Also, I love the minimalist style of writing. I like the way he uses extreme concrete ideas or language to explain everything. But I remember that I was definitely in the minority during that one! And I can see why many people had issues with it.
I’m looking forward to The Rumpus Women too! I think it’ll be particularly nice b/c it’s going to showcase various styles of writing.
I hope you’re feeling better. I can definitely relate to the cold medicine haze. I just started a round of antibiotics for a cold that I’ve had for oh… a month!
I hope you’re feeling better and that you remember your pro-biotics with your antibiotics for the sake of your tummy. Thanks for the RY input, it truly does help me to want to try it again. You know, my “MacGuffin” for Freedom was simply the “great American novel” hype. Although I did not love it AT ALL and I disagree strenuously with that prediction I do LOVE being able to say so in conversation! Perhaps that’s just the contrarian in me.
Happy Reading and feel free to email me directly if you have an questions about the Jewish/yiddish stuff. I am no Torah/Talmud scholar, but most of this is just in my DNA.
Mandy, you have described my experience with The Instructions perfectly. I keep picking it up, reading 50 pages, and then putting it down while I go read a smaller book (usually at the pool, which is my favorite place to read, and not very conducive to reading a brick like The Instructions). I have so far read two books while I was supposed to be reading the Instructions. It’s not because the book’s not good…it’s just tiring me out, is all.
I just received The Instructions and am so intimidated by the size, I’m not sure I can even start it. It may be my large-book phobia – I was moderately injured (split lip) when I fell asleep while reading Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George, and that was a scant 880 pages!
This is genius. I gave up on the Instructions for about a week, but I am happy to report that I came back and finished it. It was my first TRBC book and I enjoyed it; it also seemed like the kind of book I wouldn’t have discovered or picked up on my own. However, I’m scared that I won’t like Rumpus Women. I’m basing this mostly off of the review Elissa Bassist posted about The Social Network, particularly when she said that she “lacks the penis required for social revolution,” which I completely disagree with. When I saw that movie, I didn’t think “Oh, I didn’t do that because I’m not a guy.” I thought, “Wow, I wonder what kind of opportunities I missed by not going to an Ivy League school.” I know this is a silly thing to base an entire book off of, especially one with 20 contributors…but I’m afraid.