Mid-morning ponderings

Will Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom really live up to its expectations in being The Great American Novel? I’ve tried reading The Corrections twice and he usually loses me halfway seeing as his prose is too dense and his characters are simply bland and even boring. I understand that his ability to intertwines so many topics in a supposedly simple and human tale make a lot of people’s heads spin but I can help but wonder if we’re not just getting a tad ahead of ourselves. I’m slightly hesitant to give Freedom a try but somehow it’s already found its way to my to be read pile.


I love Stephen Frears’ work (Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity, Dirty Pretty Things, The Queen,…) and usually jump at the chance to see his next movie but Tamara Drewe? Please… The trailer is as convincing as Gemma Arterton’s acting so I can’t help but conclude that he’s lost touch with his former cinematic splendor. He used to be able to transform a straightforward plot into a real treat by relying on great actors, engaging characters and his sensational vision. It is a daring choice but I guess the best of formulas is bound to fail if Posy Simmonds so-so graphic novel is your basis.


And now the big one: will I ever finish my “novel”? I started in April, filled with enthusiasm, hope and (in my opinion) wonderful ideas but lately I can’t find the time or inspiration to proceed. Who am I kidding? I was on a roll until July and then all of a sudden the juices stopped flowing and reality kicked in. Don’t I have better things to do than delude myself in thinking I can actually become a writer? Enter the cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, looking after my physically and emotionally draining mother and grandmother (the joys of being an only child!), writing articles, blogging, reading and having some sort of a social life. I now also have a “real” job, as some people like to call it, so I can add another excuse to the list. The silly thing is I really want to do this, so what’s stopping me? Real writers just write, don’t they?