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April272006

ca. 1985

Filed under: Personal   Tagged: ,

A recently discovered artifact from my book-reviewing past. I think there should be an entire publication in this format, with thematic shapes for every page, and bound in finger-knitting string.

4 comments

Comments

Aha, I thought I was the only one who saved my book reports!
I have my high school book report in which I somehow managed to prove that The Grapes of Wrath was an existentialist novel! (Teacher wrote in margin, “I didn’t think you could do it but you did.” A-)

I think the minus was just because I proved something that was totally untrue! Well worth the half point.
Now, if only I’d done it on a grape-skin…

carolitaApril 27, 2006

More details please, em!

David Marc FischerApril 28, 2006

Flattery will get you everywhere, D.M.F. Can you read the reviews? Under “Summary,” it says, “Of Mice and Men is the story of two wanderers who have a need to have a place of their own, their dream. A place where one can have a garden and tend and stroke the rabbits that live in his simple mind. A place where the other can cope with his overwhelming responsibility. But most of all, a home. Of Mice and Men is a story of dreams - and survival.”

Note that I have faithfully reproduced the hyphen in place of an em dash, although it pains me. Actually, scrutinizing the hyphen, it’s almost en dash length. I’m going to give it half a point after all, and myself the retroactive benefit of the doubt.

I’m far from alone in this reaction, no doubt, but Of Mice and Men has stayed with me palpably since that year (I don’t think I’ve read it since). I’m touched now by my 1985 review’s emphasis on home, since at the time I was commuting between parents, and I probably felt like a bit of a wanderer myself.

Also, I’ve often identified with George in that my enthusiasm can be a mite strong for some; not all rabbits are up to it. The question is what to do with the remorse. But I haven’t overwhelmed any bunnies to death that I know of; generally I stroke very gently, and they hop as buoyantly as ever.

EmdashesMay 03, 2006

i love this, em. makes me miss you.

alenaJune 11, 2006

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