DBC|READS

Hi, all. How have your respective weeks and now weekends been? Long? Boring? Tiresome. The East Coast weather has been a drag, hasn’t it? I’m getting to that point in the fall season when I know winter is so close; that point when the fear of winter takes hold. You know, that irrational anxiety that makes you forget about all the good parts of winter? Peppermint, scones, fireplaces, wool socks, gifts, my birthday, etc. Right now, all I can think of is frozen/freezing rain, six hours of sunlight, a significantly higher utilities bill, and a drafty window I can’t seem to fix.

But, of course, these dark and mysterious times also call for nights spent inside, under a blanket, bathed in lamplight, drinking sidecars, reading good books. You know, white people stuff.

Those of us here at DBC pride ourselves on being busy people; thusly, we missed #fridayreads. But  you should read every day, really. Blogging every day is another matter.

Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot
Speaking of sidecars, white people, and good books, The Marriage Plot is about all three. I’m about halfway through with it, and I’ve realized something: Eugenides is no master of language. He’s obviously a very good writer, Pulitzer-worthy, etc. But there’s nothing transcendent going on in the content or execution of The Marriage Plot. He does, however, do two things very well: He develops characters and he tells stories. His craft and organization in The Marriage Plot are what make it something more than just a bestselling book overrun with obscure-outside-of-college lit references. Rather, it’s a book with a simple, compelling story arc (I’ll talk about that in the review this week) and conflict (this one is simple: love). Eugenides is great at steering through time, revealing just enough information and backstory to keep his reader invested. I can’t wait to finish.