Want to Read a Good Novel?

Although it is my policy to write a review on each book I read, I very rarely write much about a book before I’ve finished it. In this post, I am going to make an exception. I am in the midst of reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and have decided to eschew my normal practice for the following reasons:

First of all, there is the distinct possibility that I might never finish it. You see, I read EXTREMELY slowly. Much to my current dismay, I did not read a lot during my high school and college days. I got good grades, but did so while putting forth a minimum amount of effort. I regret this today (pay attention kids) not only because of its contribution to my s…l…o…w reading, but also for the untold things I could have learned but didn’t.

About a decade after completing college I went to seminary and developed a love for reading. The problem is, the way you read theology books is vastly different from the way you read works of fiction. Unless you’re me, that is. You see, I am physically unable to read a book without a pencil or highlighter in my hand. Whenever I come across an interesting point or a well-written phrase, I have a compulsion to mark it so that I might be able to go back and find it. While this is a great way to study books, it is not a great way to breeze through them quickly.

On top of these facts, I am quintessentially American with my short attention span and “gotta have it now” mindset. I just can’t get my mind around the idea of reading the book when I could just watch the movie. Now I know, some of you (my wife included) are screaming at me through your computer screen about how much better books are than movies because of how they engage your imagination, etc. I’m right there with you…theoretically. I love a well-told story and books are a far better medium for developing a story than film.

If I were like my wife (she can get a book from the library on Friday and return it on Monday having read, digested, and told me about it in elaborate detail), then I’m sure I’d much rather read the book than watch the movie. But I just can’t do that. It takes me a long time to read a book. Take Gilead for instance. It is a book that I am thoroughly enjoying roughly 150 pages in. I started it in March. Or was it February? Either way, you get my point.

The other reason I thought I would write this introductory post on Gilead is that I would love to share with you some of the profound passages that ae so beautifully written. If I do this while I'm reading the book, I don't have to go back and search through the places I’ve highlighted!

Robinson is a wonderful author, having elicited such compliments as being called “the world’s best writer of prose.” Last March, John Piper shared his love for Gilead in a blog post, and Justin Taylor has compiled a nice overview of Robinson’s work, including a number of interviews. In the following weeks (months?) I will be posting snippets from this fabulous Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Be looking for them so that you too might be blessed by the beauty and wisdom found within its pages.