Books I Can't Read

I'm not usually one to be daunted by books. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that I don't usually pick out books that daunt me. Or maybe I'm not so much daunted as lacking patience. Somehow in the last month I've managed to find not one, but two, books that I refuse to finish.

The first is Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, for the simple fact that three pages into it I realized that the book was written in a foreign language. Some ancient form of English, apparently, though the book was written in the second half of the 19th century. But verily, I hath not the gumption to readeth prose that doth not fall trippingly off yon tongue.

The second is Small Wonder, a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver. This one surprised me... well, not really. I guess the thing is that usually I can tolerate her ultra-politics-infused musings. For instance, Prodigal Summer bangs the reader over the head with its environmental theme, but the story's interesting enough that you don't feel like you're being talked down to.

Unlike Small Wonder. I had the same problem trying to read it that I do reading Ms. or Mother Jones. It's not that I disagree with the writers' beliefs or politics or values. But there's so much in the world to worry about, so much that I feel could be done if I had time, money, etc., that I don't feel inspired to act after reading about poverty or endangered species or racism; I just end up with a big guilt trip.

In this book of essays, Barbara Kingsolver comes off to me as the Martha Stewart of the liberal lifestyle. She's incensed by imperialism. She keeps television out of her house. She doesn't buy stuff made in sweat shops. She only buys organic food produced within two hours of her home. She cares all about the fuzzy and scaly animals of the rain forests. She helps Central American refugees. Etc. Etc. I'm waiting for her to say that she raises sheep in the Arizona desert for their wool, which she spins and weaves into clothing for her family.

Can what I do ever be enough? I watch one television show per week (none now that Everwood's season is over for the summer). I eat vegetarian, buying organic when it's affordable. But I don't own my own land, so I can't plant a nice big vegetable garden. Made-in-the-USA clothing is hard to find and harder to pay for. I take public transportation nearly everywhere I want to go, but not always, and my car still only gets 30 miles to the gallon.

I respect Kingsolver for putting her personal politics into writing, but here she's preaching to the choir. Unfortunately the choir is sick of hearing about it.

Posted by Lisa on June 9, 2003 06:35 PM