Thursday, July 17th, 2008
So I’m reading this new book, Emily Giffin’s “Love the One You’re With,” and it makes me want to kick the main character, Ellen, in the head. For real.
It’s the kind of book one should be able to read with ease in three or four days given the time. It requires no thought whatsoever. And yet, I’ve been dragging my feet for weeks now and still am only about half way through it. Truth be told, I don’t particularly like Giffin’s writing style, but that’s not reason enough for me to put a novel down for good, especially when trying a new author.
Instead, each time I read a page (one page!) and Ellen mentions how she’s so happy with her husband, Andy, but can’t help thinking about the way that Leo’s hand brushed her own that day in the diner after bumping into one another, my first impulse is to fling the blasphemous diatribe at the door on the Metra, all the while shaking my head at her sheer stupidity.
In the moment, I can actually see myself throwing the book and everyone wondering what the hell is wrong with the crazy girl on the train. It’s like having Terrets of the mind. Of course, I don’t actually do any of this, just like I don’t actually stand up in church and ever-so-audibly assert “no” as I imagine in my own mind while everyone else is kneeling in prayer.
That said, I’ve really caught myself off guard with this one. I had no idea I’d have such a reaction to a plotline that circles around the premise that there’s always that one guy that holds a certain power over your heart. No matter how long it’s been or how happy you may be. I should have known better than to assume there’d be no repercussions to my reading such prose.
But there I sit, snapping the book shut with a groan every three or four pages as Ellen narrates her ill-advised love triangle. I can’t not read it, but neither can I seem to find any enjoyment in the opposite. What I have found, however, is that this story somehow has provided me the opportunity to realize I’m not susceptible to romanticizing what almost-but-never-was for me. So as much as I still want to kick that predictably nostalgic Ellen in her head, that’s reason enough for me to keep on reading.
Filed under: Just Another Day in Crazy, WTF, crash and burn, everyone should read more, write on by Nic
It’s funny the things that come into your life when you’re a little sensitive or just more aware. Two years ago or in two years time you may have found this book mildly entertaining, or just crap if the writing isn’t that great.
Ignore the bad signs, embrace the good ones and when in doubt, forget the book and grab a bottle of wine and a good movie! xoxo
Keep reading. I’ve finished the book and I think you might not want to kick her in the head in the end. It is quite a roller coaster though, so hang on.