Friday, July 09, 2004
Sixpence House
Over the weekend, I read Sixpence House by Paul Collins. It's sort of a memoir-ish account of Collins' move from San Francisco, California to Hay-on-Wye, the famous "Town of Books" in Wales. I visited Hay-on-Wye in 2000, and found the place delightful. I have fond memories of browsing for books in the shadow of Hay Castle.
The book was great fun. Collins incorporates references to obscure books throughout his narrative, as well as observations on life in Britain. A favorite passage involves a meditation on water pressure in British showers. It will be quoted as soon as I can locate the book...currently it is somewhere in my future home in Palo Alto, packed in one of a myriad of book-filled boxes.
But for the time being, here is another of my favorite passages, helpfully quoted by one of the reviewers on Amazon.com.
You may be interested to note that Sixpence House has no raised lettering, metallic lettering, or raised metallic lettering on its cover.
The book was great fun. Collins incorporates references to obscure books throughout his narrative, as well as observations on life in Britain. A favorite passage involves a meditation on water pressure in British showers. It will be quoted as soon as I can locate the book...currently it is somewhere in my future home in Palo Alto, packed in one of a myriad of book-filled boxes.
But for the time being, here is another of my favorite passages, helpfully quoted by one of the reviewers on Amazon.com.
If a book cover has raised lettering, metallic lettering, or raised metallic lettering, then it is telling the reader: 'Hello. I am an easy-to-read work on espionage, romance, a celebrity, and/or murder.' To readers who do not care for such things, this lettering tells them: 'Hello. I am crap.'
You may be interested to note that Sixpence House has no raised lettering, metallic lettering, or raised metallic lettering on its cover.
| posted by Barbara | 2:04 AM