Interview with Myself

This book just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Yet, for some reason, I really like it. In the middle of one chapter, Eggers describes how he auditioned for a part in a reality TV show in an attempt to gain enough fame to make the magazine him and his friends design more popular. In a round-about way, he manages to begin by describing the actual interview for the part, but end by conducting an interview with himself. In this format, he manages to include all sorts of information about his childhood that he had trouble fitting into the book earlier. He even addresses the motif in the the interview!

"So tell me something: This isn't really a transcript of the interview, is it?
No.

It’s not much like the actual interview at all, is it?
Not that much, no.

This is a device, this interview style. Manufactured and fake.
It is.

It's a good device though. Kind of a catchall for a bunch of anecdotes that would be too awkward to force together otherwise.
Yes."

Personally, I thought this was brilliant. A mixture of Cornell Notes and story time that somehow still manages to get the point across. So, here I go making connections again. I figured it would be interesting to make my own version of an interview. I won't pretend to have as fascinating a life as the author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (read the book if you're going for the entertaining version), so I will instead conduct an interview with myself about the book!! Not exactly staggering genius, but I thought it was a clever idea.

So, what exactly is your impression of the author?

He is insane. I really like him, but he's crazy. He takes this depressing story of his life but turns it into something funny, dark, and a bit inappropriate. I want to read more by him, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to need a break after this book. It’s great, but one can only take so much chaos.

Chaos? What do you mean by "chaos?"

I mean that the book makes very little sense. There is a basic theme - this guy's life. But the plot isn't exactly linear. Things jump around and it’s impossible to tell which parts are real. Sometimes, Eggers writes about his little brother having these philosophical conversations with him that go far beyond the persuasive capacity of a twelve year old. Conversations last for pages, but you have trouble telling who is talking and quite often, what they are even talking about.

If it’s so hard to understand, why bother reading the book?

Well first of all, I have to read something. It’s a requirement for this class. However, I'm glad I chose this book. It’s worth the time it takes to understand just because it makes you look at things differently. The regrets Eggers has make me take another look at how I treat my own family and his positive, sarcastic, and somehow morbid attitude towards his problems makes me reconsider how big my problems really are. It’s interesting and different. Great book.

You'd recommend it then?

Well, yes and no. On a personal level, I love it! I'm not so sure that I'd put it on a must read list for every high school student, however. You've got to be a particular type of person to enjoy it. Do you want the book you read to make sense? If so, don't read this book. Do you want a sappy and advice filled tale about death, along the lines of The Last Lecture or Tuesdays with Morrie? If so, don't read this book. Basically, I recommend A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius to those who want to read something different, hilarious, dark, angry, and just plain bizarre.

Friday

Okay, so I'm a bit late.  It took me a while to make my "Currently" post during my Etymology class, so now I'm making my "Friday" post on Saturday.  Anyway, my assignment  for Friday was to take a personality test and to decide if the results were accurate.  According to the Keirsey Temperament test, I can be described as a counselor.  The description provided says that I enjoy helping others and get along well with people, but also need time to be alone.  It says I am private, efficient, and imaginative, with surprising sides and a talent for language.  I believe that this description of me is fairly accurate since I like talking to people and have friends who confide in me.  I enjoy being with others, but I want my friends to be sincere.  I go for quality over quantity.  I am definitely an efficient person (even though this blog is late) since I keep myself busy but still manage to do well in school.  As for a talent with language - English classes are my favorite and I love to read.  Overall, I'd say that the results of my personality test fit me well!

Currently

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers

Pages Read this Week: 108

Sentences of the Week:

1. "Our house is the one being swept up in the tornado, the little train-set model house floating helplessly, pathetically around in the howling black funnel." A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

2. "I have no idea how people function without near-constant internal chaos." A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

3. "This is like making electricity from dirt; it is almost too good to be believed, that we can make beauty from this stuff." A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

These are my favorite sentences I've read this week, in the order they appeared.  I found the first sentence interesting because it describes how Eggers felt as he lost both his parents - like everything was being pulled out from under him.  I can only imagine the pain he must have felt, but I think this sentence did a good job of conveying some of it.  The second sentence is probably the best I have read in a while.  I'm pretty busy with my random activities, school, and friends, so  I think I understand the idea of chaos.  I usually have a lot of thoughts running through my head and I'm not sure if I would function well with calm.  Finally, I thought the third sentence was just "staggering genius."  Eggers was speaking of the strange, destructive world we live in and how, despite the turmoil, beauty can still be seen.  I found that, along with most of the book, interesting and insightful.

My Lattice

Today, as I was reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, I came across a passage about a person's "lattice."  It didn't make sense to me at first, but as I continued to read, Eggers explained it as the connections every person has.  The people you know, the people they know, and the people those people know are all included in your lattice.  Theoretically, each lattice encompassses the entire world and, if every part of it joined together, we could accomplish anything.  Naturally, this got me thinking about my own lattice (Here is where I cleverly connect my own life to my reading.  See how I did that?).  For me, the most important connections I have are my family and friends.  This summer was fantastic because I was able to spend a lot of time with these people.  I traveled to England and made new friends with Mr. Clough's class, reconnected with my friend from Spain who visited, and basically spent most of my summer at pool parties and bonfires with my friends.  I had a great time and I am very lucky to have my particular lattice.  My activities (including marching band, tap dancing, and fencing) have allowed me to meet people I really care about, and now, I truly believe my lattice could accomplish anything - if only we quit having fun and focused.

Angry, Sad, and Funny?

I've been reading Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and let me just say - I LOVE IT!  Its probably the strangest book I have ever read because it manages to make me laugh and feel sad at the same time.  It truly is heartbreaking because it is all about how the author watched his parents die of cancer, then had to raise his young brother. However, at the same time, it is hilarious.  Eggers uses humor in ways you wouldn't expect in this depressing story.  For example, when he describes how people tell him what a good brother he is, he includes the voice inflection by writing the phrase out with musical notes.  He also makes up strange names for the dismal meals he and his brother live on, describes how he would lie about how his parents died for the amusement he found in torturing the people who have the nerve to ask, and tells funny ancedotes about practically every aspect of his depressing life.  It is also a very angry book.  Eggers seems to be yelling at the world -  he is constantly upset and looking for change, all the while being funny about the things that have gone wrong.  Based on what I have read so far, I'd say the title is fitting, if conceited.  I really like the authors style and the way the book makes me think about my own situation.  I can't wait to keep reading!

Ready, Set, GO!

So here I go. Here is my first ever blog post. This is the start of what is sure to be an adventure. I'm not exactly technologically aware, so wish me luck. This semester, I am going to post about books I read for my etymology class. I've always loved reading, so that part shouldn't be too hard. The difficult part is that I must also include my own stories..... Personally I think the books would be more entertaining. But hey, who knows, maybe my boring life will inspire some poor person to turn off their computer and go read a book or run a mile instead. It’s worth a try. I will start planning my epic stories of adventure and intrigue at a later date, but for now, I believe my first post is sufficient.