Just to make note of it....

Without question the genre of books I have read the least in my life are Biographies. Put simply, I don't trust them. Autobiographies I can tolerate somewhat because I think the "BS" eventually becomes clear... even if the 'truth' remains elusive.

No, I didn't know Zooey was teaching about Eco's novel when that topic came up.... yes, I knew he was/is a teacher.

Foucault's Pendulum was one of the most fascinating reads of my life. NOT one of my top favorite reads, (a favorite yes)... but fascinating yes. I don't think there was a single page in the entire novel in which I got through without picking up my dictionary. But it wasn't his use of 'big' words as much as it was the 'need' for them. There was NOTHING pretentious about his vocabulary.

My reading habits have gone to hell... to put it bluntly. Recently I got feeling nostalgic and wanted to return to my 'western' era.... read a LOT of Louis L'Amour in those days. So I went to Walmart... saw some western novels all with the same author... HAD to be good, right? (I forget his name, btw). I can look it up if you'd like. I couldn't get 50 pages into it.... 'corny' doesn't begin to describe it. My point is:

I'm terrified to go back and 'reread' some of my favorites from those days now. Were they all 'corny'? Have I lost my élan?

Today that happens to me with movies as well. I'll rematch a movie I loved, then, only to finish my viewing wondering what in the hell I ever saw in it.

But there is good as well... those that DO stand the test of time impress me all the more. I can watch Citizen Kane daily... Casablanca, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World... many others, and appreciate them even MORE today than I did then. - JamesJM