There’s being a nerd, and there’s being a nerd. This morning, Kitri and I held our own “Octavian Nothing Release Party.” Just like when a new volume of a bestselling series comes out, and bookstores host parties and kids line up in costumes to get the book at the stroke of midnight. Just like it. Except Powell’s wasn’t open at midnight, so we pre-ordered a couple copies and showed up at 9 am to pick them up. And then we had breakfast and chatted. It’s the grown-up nerd version of a release party, okay?
So far I haven’t let myself jump into it – there are a lot of other things I should read first. How long will I hold out? Maybe an hour. Already the title page delights me:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing
Traitor to the Nation
Taken from accounts by his own hand and other sundry sources
Collected by Mr. M. T. Anderson of Boston
Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves
I love holding a book in my hands that I know I will love. Actually, I’ve been surrounded by a lot of fantastic works of creativity lately. I inhaled Nancy Werlin’s Impossible on Saturday – and I’m still trying to digest it to give it justice in a review. My brother and I went to heard the Portland Baroque Orchestra do Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on Sunday – an absolute delight. I started reading Vikram Seth’s An Equal Music on Julia’s recommendation, and it’s made me put all kinds of music on hold at the library to compliment the reading.
And then, on Saturday we’re going to see Swan Lake. Can you believe I’ve never seen Swan Lake live? It’s an over-the-top confection and I adore it. Tragedy, romance, impersonation, evil magicians, flocks of swans, swoony music, and a really great party scene – classic Tchaikovsky. What more do you want from a ballet?
In addition to all that, I’m swimming through piles of children’s books for my classes feeling overwhelmed, not by how much I have to do, but by how many great things there are out there to choose from.
And in addition to my giant pile of library books, I’ve got Paper Towns and White House Autumn being shipped to me. If I neglect the blog, it’s because I’m too busy reading to come up for breath.
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October 14, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Julia
Swan Lake and the Four Seasons in one week! Sounds marvellous. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on An Equal Music (and maybe also what you think of the music he writes about!).
October 14, 2008 at 3:11 pm
suse
Are you loving An Equal Music? I adored it.
And then after that apparently you’re meant to read that Salman Rushdie one that’s also inspired by the Orpheus and Eurydice myth but whose title I have forgotten (I read it and didn’t like it).
October 14, 2008 at 3:12 pm
suse
‘The Ground Beneath her Feet’!
October 14, 2008 at 3:26 pm
jessmonster
I’m really really liking An Equal Music – once we learned what’s going on with Julia (not the commenter Julia, the one in the story!) I actually went back and reread all the scenes with her – I’d noticed something odd, but I’d completely missed what it meant. Now I just need the music to listen to while I read. The outsider in London feel is also making me miss living in London. Badly.
Now I need to go brush up on my mythology – I didn’t realize it was involved!
October 16, 2008 at 10:55 am
Kitri
I’m not letter myself jump in the Octavian yet either… just have a little bit left on ‘Disreputable History’ and then I just had two library books come in on hold (‘The Irregulars’ – I’ve been on a Roald Dahl biography kick – and ‘The Diamond of Darkhold’ – the 4th in the City of Ember series) that I’ll have to send back in a few weeks if they’re not read and then I’ll have to wait on hold all over again! Sigh.
Soon, Octavian, soon!