From Murder to Lit Crit

The Walter Mosley book, When the Thrill Is Gone, was very entertaining and philosophical (for a murder mystery), as all Mosley's books are. I always enjoy them--they are fast paced but somehow also deep. The characters are flawed but noble. He's a great writer. The only problem I have with his novels (and others of that genre) is his insistence on honoring the tradition among murder mystery writers of including detailed descriptions of characters' clothing. I don't know how this sartorial motif started, but it's puzzling--and a bit annoying--to me. Ah well, it's also amusing in a way, too.

Next I decided to return to the "T" books so I could get the complete set read. Having perused a free book by Time magazine called The Making of America containing some of the old traditional stories of American history, I decided the book would just make me irritated because by now most of the old historical accounts I learned in school have been thoroughly debunked or revised. So that one's going to the library.

I have two Studs Terkel books I'm saving for later, and one literary criticism book edited by Michelle Tokarczyk and Elizabeth Fay called Working Class Women in the Academy, a volume of essays that came out about 20 years ago. I've read one or two of the articles, but decided it was time I read the rest. So that's what I've been doing this week, and much to my surprise, I'm enjoying it immensely. I'm also remembering why I was studying the subject back in my graduate school days.

So I guess it'll be a while longer before I get to the "M" books.

I'll report on my progress next time.