I like short essays. I own several collections, and have borrowed a number of collections from the library.
Today I went to the library to get out a collection of Dylan Thomas's poetry for a literary discussion group I'll be attending later this week. As I regularly do, I also checked the new acquisitions shelf. I spotted a recent collection of short essays. The blurbs on that back used such terms as "sunshine," "joy," "brilliant," and more gushing encomia.
Okay, I know blurbs are not always sincere - you tout my book and I'll tout yours - but I thought I'd give the collection a try given the types of essays they were and the interesting format the author used (one similar to what I am doing with Santa's Diary).
After finished some of my regular reading and writing, I decided to sample one of the essays.
Found out the author - 40-something - was living with his girlfriend. In his 40's? Didn't he grow up?
I also found out he was fond of using colorful language - including some f-bombs.
I skimmed some of the other essays to see if this was a pattern. Yep.
Oh, a few of the essays were interesting, and he is a skilled wordsmith. But I also found some of the essays kind of superficial or uninteresting.
And that vulgar language persisted.
The book provided no delight for me.
It gets returned to the library unfinished.
Back instead to Dickens and spiritual works.
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