I finished "Plain Truth" a novel by Jodi Picoult about a week ago. Let me start by saying how much I enjoyed the theme: Amish living. I was drawn to the book due solely to my not so secret desire to live in a plain way. I of course do not dream to give up all my modern possessions in exchange of gas lamps and dairy farming, but I do yearn for a more simple existence. This book tapped into that little part of me and explained a bit about this faith and the people that live it. Sadly, that is where the enjoyment ends.
"Plain Truth" was positively painful to read. Ms. Picoult's writing is extremely elementary, lacks creativity and is absolutely obvious. I would have stopped after the first chapter had I not wanted to learn more about the Amish culture. Thinking back, I'm not sure that the trade of a bit of knowledge vs. the cringe factor in the author's writing was worth it. Had I been of right mind, I would have chucked the book in the bin and bought some other book about the Amish. Who knows what my thinking was... The ending really capped off the book in a way true to each of it's preceding pages - in outrageous disappointment which leads to self analyzing the reason why you had put yourself through the torture of 405 pages of this shiteous writing in the first place. Obviously I will not be running out to read the rest of Jodi Picoult's works.
Enough about that crappy book. Let's talk about the two I am currently reading in quite sporadic form: "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris and "Sacred Games" by Vikram Chandra. Both are lovely and I am enjoying them thus far. I am not sure if trying, that I could find two mored dis similar books, but in an odd way they compliment each other in my world. Why am I reading two? Troy and I are sharing the Sedaris book, and I have the other going so I may not ever be without a good read. I am not far into either book, so I have no opinion to really give at this time beyond the obvious of Sedaris being so funny that I often times find myself in fits of tears and that I have a lot more to learn about the gangs of India. More to come on these two.
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