More Than A Fun Read

The 'dishy' novel that I referred to in an earlier blog is now done. I finished reading The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes on Friday and I have to say I loved it. It is a modern take on a Jane Austen novel with wit, women, relationships and social standing as key ingredients. The irony in this kind of book is the undercurrent of reality hidden beneath a seemingly unreal basic story. Here is an example:

Last night, for example, I found myself, against my own free will and better judgement, discussing how to deal with Hunter's laundry over dinner with him. Prior to marriage, the only reason to discuss the washer-dryer over dinner was if you were intending to have sex on it. Then, later on, just as we were falling asleep in bed, Hunter had said to me, "Darling, I love you very much. Where are those hiking socks I got in Telluride?"
Is this really the sort of thing that married couples discuss in bed, I'd thought miserably.....Hmmm, I thought to myself, this wasn't at all like an Eternity ad.

The amazing thing, besides how amusingly ridiculous this character sounds, is how she actually echoes many, if not all of us, at one time or another in our lives. Let's face it, if you have a TV or read magazines, you tend to imagine life as a visual image rather than a multi-sensory experience. I realized this when watching HGTV one day. I love watching that channel. It's so motivating. But, the reality, is that TV only shows one aspect of what is going on. We cannot smell the toxic fumes of paint, we don't feel the ache in the arms from hammering, sawing, etc..., and we don't feel the tiredness that the people experience. They look happy, they look good. They're on TV and they have makeup and nice clothes on. It's fake.

But, this is where quality writing can come in. A good writer can make you feel the reality and even though, you are just reading black symbols on a white page, you are transported, as much as can be, into a real universe.