[at-l] Reading was: I managed to get a short hike in

[medusaj at aol.com (medusaj@aol.com)]

Let me guess:  book (1) is by Dorothy Sayers?  The only person I know who would write a murder mystery based around church bells in England.  A great book.  I've read the entire Lord Peter canon, which I think contains one of the best love stories in literature.
 
Now to bring this slightly back on-topic:  I'm reading a great book right now called The Razor's Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham--picked up at a used-book sale in Hanover, when I was there on a beautiful September zero-day.  They had bags of books for three dollars, and I couldn't resist!  County and I split a bag with the friends we were staying with, and ended up with eleven books:  one I read that weekend (yes, I was going through sever book withdrawal), one he carried, the rest mailed home only to be read now. 
 
Anyway, The Razor's Edge, picked up completely at random, is helping me a ton with my decision to hike the PCT.  The main character rejects worldly achievement (including any sort of job) in order to go on a spiritual quest, which includes tramping across Europe:
 
"We didn't do more than ten or twelve miles a day.  When we liked the look of a village we stopped there.  There was always some kind of an inn where we could get beds and an alehouse where we could get something to eat and beer to drink.  On the whole we had fine weather.  It was grand to be out in the open air after all those months in the mine.  I don't think I've ever realized before how good a green meadow is to look at and how lovely a tree is when the leaves aren't out yet, but when the branches are veiled in a green mist."
 
Isn't it great when hiking shows up where you least expect it?  The greatest thing about the book is how he goes against public opinion (he's from a relatively wealthy background), eventually breaking up with his intended fiancee, in order to follow his own completely atypical way.  It's definitely reaffirming my life choices, even if it means that I need to go against public opinion, or that of my family.
 
That was meant to be a short happy Dorothy Sayers post--oh well.
 
Marzipan
AT04
 
 
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 07:36:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kent Gardam <kent_gardam@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [at-l] Reading was: I managed to get a short hike in this
    weekend.
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Message-ID: <20050411143648.24807.qmail@web52610.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

This is a major problem.  There are always way too many books to read and not 
enough time to do so.  After last week's discussion of exporation at the South 
Pole, I stopped at the library at lunch time to browse the section on the 
Antarctic and picked up a book on Scott, Amundson and Shackleton.  I'm part way 
through it, but also part way through books on (1) a murder mystery centered 
around church bells in England, (2) the underground railroad during the Civil 
War, (3) a hike across America, (4) Jimmy Buffett's latest novel, (5) the 
2005-2008 revised rules of Sailboat Racing, and (6) that work of fiction called 
2004 1040 Forms and Instructions.  And having enjoyed the DaVinci Code, the 
Woman in the Wilderness sounds fascinating too.

Who has time to work or hike?

Kent Gardam


Bror8588@aol.com wrote:

Hi, I read your review and wanted to get the book immediately; however, I 
have a stack on my night table that comes within 3 inches from the lamp so I 
have some reading to do prior to getting The Woman in the Wilderness.