Today I did nothing, but it was almost entirely worthwhile because I finished Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson. Easily my favourite book of the year* and quite probably one of my favourite pieces of fiction ever. The story isn’t exactly in the story, it’s a collection of beautiful truncated, disjointed parables that overlap and converge into this completely luminary piece of philosophy about life, love and death. Its amazing. You must buy it at once.
Winterson was awarded an MBE for services to literature on the New Years Honours list. I never held much regard for it, and i’m not altogether sure whether she accepted it due to her political stance, but in my book it was valid and appropriate recognition of her immense talent. Buy the book.
*Aaron’s fookin amazing christmas present was technically received on 01.01.06….
03-Jan-06 at 10:26 am | Permalink
I read Herr Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry and found it to be a pleasing tale completely spoiled by brutal, unrefined and completely unacceptable misandry.
03-Jan-06 at 11:42 am | Permalink
I haven’t read Sexing the Cherry, but i’m quite surprised by that. In Lighthousekeeping this certainly isn’t the case, two of the three central characters are male, one of whom occupies this almost theomorphic status. Excuse the pun, but don’t write her off. It’s infinately better than Oranges, too.
(I loved Oranges)