Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. Set in the 1950s, a young married couple with two children and a starter home lives "on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble."I really wanted to see this movie when it came out, but never got around to it. I think I'll read the book before watching it on DVD. Most of us, to varying degrees, live on the assumption, or least the hope, that greatness is just around the corner. I certainly do.
Greatness looks different for each of us though. For me, it would be marriage, a nice quiet home life spent with the woman I love and a writing career that brings in enough income.
Up in the Air by Walter Kirn. Ryan Bingham has one goal in life -- to reach the one million frequent-flyer miles club. He's a career transition counselor, which is just a fancy title for someone who is hired to fire people for companies that don't want to be involved in the dirty work.I saw this movie on New Year's Eve. Portions of it were filmed here in Omaha, which was neat to see. George Clooney plays the part of Bingham and he is quite convincing in the role. Bingham loves the routines of the road and he loves the fact that his job keeps him absent from family events. Why deal with the headaches? He eventually figures out the reason.
As an introverted person, my tendency is to prefer to disengage. I've had to work hard over the years to avoid this. So, I'll be interested to read this book. I imagine I'll see more of myself in Bingham than I care to.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The story is told through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old girl named Susie Salmon, who was murdered. She is able to see life on earth continue without her. She can hear what people say about her disappearance, she can see her killer as he tries to cover his tracks and she can see the way her family grieves her death.I wanted to read this novel when it first came quite a few years ago, but since it isn't my type of book, I never got around to it. This book seems pretty heavy and, generally speaking, I'm not into mysteries or books about crime -- probably because they are so heavy on plot. I prefer character-driven fiction. But this book seems to be both.
Deep inside, we want to believe that heaven exists and that our loved ones who are there are watching events as they occur hear on earth. I'm a Christian, and as such, I have no doubt about the existence of heaven. And I know from the Bible that on occasion -- including the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) -- people are allowed to see what is going on here. So, I'm intrigued by this book.
There you have it. Those are the three latest books I've added to my to-be read pile. How about you?
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