I’ve had Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe on my nightstand for at least a month now, probably more like six weeks, and I’m still only about 150 pages in. I truly don’t know what to do—whether I should return it to the library and start something else or just keep pushing onward.
In theory, I subscribe to the school of thought that says if a book hasn’t grabbed you by page 100, you should drop it. But I also subscribe to the school of thought that says there are worthwhile rewards to be reaped by not just reading things that hook you easily. And the hardest part is that Wolfe hasn’t quite grabbed me—but I can feel myself warming to the book.
Thoughts? Does anyone have any particular philosophy or strategy for dealing with this? Or have you read the book and know I should hang on, because the part with the naughty-schoolgirl whipped-cream party is coming up? (I hate ending blog posts with questions because (1) it seems so “Here’s a tip to engage readers!” and (2) it’s extra embarrassing then when no one comments.*)
*That sentence will make it even more embarrassing when no one comments.
I read part of Look Homeward Angel while traveling, but never finished it. As a North Carolinian, I feel like I’ve got to do it someday, and I think I’d enjoy it… but maybe it’s a funny thing about this particular book, that some readers enjoy the prose but don’t feel pushed onward by it. (That part with the train going up the mountains is one of my favorite passages ever, but to love that sort of thing it’s not necessary that one finishes the book.)
Library due dates are kind of nice this way: if you find yourself hitting the due date without a great reason (like the book is just really long or life has gotten extra busy), might as well take it back and find something more fun.
How warm are we talking at this point? I mean, a hundred pages, you’ve given it some time and space to say something intriguing or thought-provoking. I’d want to be like, cat on my chest plus three blankets warm. Not tiny space heater in the basement warm.
@William: Yeah, you really do have to read nearly every word to get the most out of Wolfe’s prose, and it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t exactly compel you. It’s also hard because I know the book is somewhat autobiographical, and though I don’t know how much that’s the case, it’s hard to shake the sense that Wolfe’s agenda is much more writer-oriented (“I want to get this off my chest”) than reader-oriented.
I’ve got about a week and a half left before it’s due. So we shall see.
@Wife: It’s more like “my wife has just brought me a cup of hot chocolate” warm. Eh? Eh? :-D
(I do not really need any hot chocolate.)
I think the fact that you’re asking yourself if you should continue means that deep down, you really do want to read it. So you should probably continue.
That said, PERSONALLY, if I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading it, I wouldn’t bother reading on in hopes of an eventual subtle reward. I might invest that kind of effort into, say, Moby Dick [Moby-Dick? I think it officially has a hyphen, but is it pretentious to spell it that way?] given its cultural importance, but maybe not for Look Homeward, Angel.
Also, when I clicked on your link above, I was like WOW, 1929, TOM WOLFE IS REALLY OLD, but then I eventually realized he was not the same person as Thomas Wolfe. It took me a long time to figure that out. I was going to say I got a free copy of I Am Charlotte Simmons from the downtown library a couple of weeks ago when it was closing and giving away tons of free stuff, but I guess that’s not actually relevant, so I won’t.
P.S. That was a pretty incoherent comment, but I swear I’m not drunk right now.
@HH: Yeah, you might be right about the asking myself. Also, it is pretentious to put the hyphen in Moby-Dick, but I totally approve, just as I believe New York should always be written New-York. Also, you are not the first person to confuse Tom Wolfe and Thomas Wolfe in a recent conversation with me about this book. Also, sure, drunky, sure.
Life is short. There are more books than one can ever get to. Sometimes a book must be read at the “right time” in one’s life, and at another time its worth doesn’t shine through. I’ve never read that particular book – so can’t say whether at ANY time it will be worth it, but I’m pretty sure that if it hasn’t hooked you yet, then this is not its “right time”. I’m guessing that there are, oh, maybe at least a hundred other books that are sitting in the library, whispering your name right now. Poor, lonely, desperate little tomes, crying for a reader, hoping for that thrill that comes when someone hungry pulls them off the shelf and flips open their cover and reads that first sentence and says, “Aahh!”; books with resonance for this time of your life. Go for it.
“This is not the droid you are looking for.” At least right now.
Come back to it sometime down the road. Speaking of Moby-Dick, I started it for the first time last year and was totally repelled. Tried again a few weeks ago (after reading The Art of Fielding) and could not put it down, finished it in a few days, still can’t get it out of my head, etc.
@Sally & Brian: Hmmm. You know that because of my North Dakotan upbringing, I feel terribly guilty any time I give up on something, no matter how good the rationale. Hmmm.
On the other hand, now I want to read Moby-Dick!
They aren’t kidding. It’s one of the best books I have ever read. Helps if you already like whales.
Well there’s your problem. You’re looking at it the wrong way. You’re not “giving up” on anything – you’ve read some of it, you’ve evaluated it, you’ve _completed_ an assessment. If you go to a restaurant and order a full rack of ribs, but only eat 1/2 so that you’ll have 1/2 left for lunch tomorrow are you “giving up on it”, or are you managing your resources so that you’ll a) not get fat and b) have ribs tomorrow? Just so, this way you’ll not use precious time to “stuff yourself” with possibly less healthy literary calories, can continue “eating” with a bit of salad or even dessert, and you’ll have part of a book to read someday later.
As for Moby, you might try Nathaniel Philbrick’s “Why Read Moby-Dick?” It’s a slim 130 or so page volume, and the audio book version. I’m pretty sure Moby benefits from being read aloud.
Unclear writing there, sorry. Should have been …”and the audio book version of Moby Dick.”
uh…”Moby-Dick”. One can see why I’m not an editor.
@Sally (and Josh I GUESS) It’s funny, aside from THE ART OF FIELDING one of the reasons I finally decided to “get MOBY-DICK out of the way” (I would never say that now) is so that I could feel equipped to read Philip Hoare’s THE WHALE, from 2010, which I just finished. THE WHALE was lovely but not as cerebral as I anticipated, would be just as good an *intro* to the big guy. Really want to read the Philbrick now too.
Whales!!
I feel like now even if I give up on the Wolfe, I should start on the whale. And maybe also The Art of Fielding. This really has not shortened my reading list, you guys.
:-D
Pingback: What’s going on: 6 February 2012