Day One
The Life of Samuel Johnson Page: 216
I need to average 216 pages per day to get through my list and I have read exactly that many today. Of course I stopped at exactly 216 because we were at my in-laws for dinner tonight and I didn’t want to be rude any longer than absolutely necessary. I started reading at 2am when Luc woke me up the first time. I got through a half-dozen pages or so and tried to read again when he got me up two hours later but my eyes wouldn’t focus so I waited till 6:30 when he ate for the third time. I was so distracted (and groggy) that I’m not sure how much I actually absorbed but I have been surprised all day at how much I’ve enjoyed reading Boswell. I was struck in that in the first 30 pages Johnson disparaged my entire reading scheme by saying that one should read as ones taste prompts and not from a required list…oops. At the very least I think that since I chose the list I’m reading from he shan’t despise me too much.
The Life of Samuel Johnson is one of those books I’ve intended to read for so long that it has assumed a sort of intimidating character in my mind. So far I’ve been pleased to find it engaging and absorbing rather than dry and tedious as I expected. I suppose it is really just my own ignorance that expected the celebrated biography of the celebrated man to be dull but 1200+ pages is intimidating no matter how clever and witty the author and the subject may be supposed to be. Now I’m rather excited to get and read his dictionary as the few excerpts I’ve been treated to in the bio are so amusing and instructive. I guess that is getting put off till 2009 too.
Anyway I might get a few more pages in before I fall asleep but I think 216 on the first day in the thickest book I have to read this year isn’t too bad.
January 7th, 2008 at 4:01 am
For next year, you might want to read The Professor and the Madman, which is an interesting look at the orgins of the Oxford English Dictionary. It also talks (briefly) about Johnson’s Dictionary.
I’m an English Lit grad student (with kids) and I’ve found that when I HAVE to get reading done, it actually works to read whatever it is to the kids and/or spouse. A lot of it’s Victorian stuff, but it can actually be quite entertaining to read it aloud in a British accent. I once was reading some Dickens out loud in front of my 11 year old son. He was playing with some legos and I figured he wasn’t really paying attention. I stopped five minutes later and to my surprise he asked me to keep reading! Also, in reading it out loud I found my comprehension level increased as well. It does make for slower reading (and the voice sometimes gives out), but for those times when you can’t break away from the kids, it’s instant entertainment for them.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I have a feeling that as Luc and Alex continue to grow faster than weeds, they will definitely begin to enjoy a daily story hour. How could they not? They are growing up in a used bookstore! And Mandi will be doing all the aloud reading, since that is a skill that I do not posses.
Oh, by the way, this is Mandi’s husband.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I fully expect to be invited over for any story hour that involves reading in a British accent. PLEASE!!!!