Comments on: The great thing about forgetting

By: Rozanne

Rozanne — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:18:37 +0000

I suffer somewhat from the same syndrome, but I can usually remember (or possibly misremember) little fragments. For example, I think my boyfriend of the time lent me his copy of The Magus about the same time you read it. He had told me it was a really good book. As I recall (and my memory may be very faulty), I was enjoying it until I got to a description about a bunch of guys who’d had their genitals cut off with pruning shears. What a horrifying image. That was it for me. And I never finished the book, but maybe it wasn’t The Magus but some other John Fowles book?

P.S. I am soooo far behind in my blog reading–you’ve been busy-busy posting. I am going to have to try to catch up piecemeal. I’ll be really interested to read your take on the Olympics.

By: alda

alda — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:29:38 +0000

Runa – ouch!

Valerie – yes, it’s that sort of book – the kind that keeps you enthralled (and kind of drives you crazy). I can’t remember how it ends (thankfully) but when I was looking up the Wikipedia link I accidentally took in something about the end being ‘somewhat ambiguous’ – and I seem to recall something like that being the case. Probably a bit like The French Lieutenant’s Woman. We shall see.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:10:02 +0000

Ooh, the Magus! I read it when I was about twenty, on holiday with my family and younger siblings, in a trailer park in North Wales in endless rain, when I really should have been somewhere else doing something much more exciting. It kept me sane! Or did it drive me crazy? Like you, I can’t remember anything about it now (except the Greek island bit), but I was enthralled from start to finish. I seem to remember feeling a bit disturbed and depressed by the end though. Hmmm. Can’t remember why. Let us know what you think!

By: Runa

Runa — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:24:24 +0000

It’s when you can’t remember where you parked the car that you really start to worry. Today, not only did I forget which area of the car park I had left the car, I even managed to return to the wrong car park!

By: alda

alda — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:43:17 +0000

Skúli – ah, so it’s a recognized condition!

maja – no question about that. At all.

Mark – hi, and thank you for that! Glad you’re getting settled in, hope you enjoy living here!

maggie – I agree, music is a major memory-trigger, more so than books. Maybe because music is so prevalent.

Kate – hi and welcome! Glad you’re enjoying the blog and thanks for the kind words. Great that you share my sentiments about The Magus, too.

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:08:22 +0000

Dear Alda, just to say The Magus happens to be my favorite piece of literature too, I first came across this book about 15 years ago… I have also truly fallen in love with Iceland and vistited the country three years ago…thers’s a kind of parallel between Iceland and the remote Phraxos. Oh I’m also sort of getting more familair with your blog these days and I must say you ‘re doing a good job!!! I LOVE IT!!!
take care,
Kate ( Polish form London)

By: maggie

maggie — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:41:50 +0000

I have had similar memories with books. How else could Jane Austen always remind me of the African savannah? Music though seems to trigger stronger memories with me.

p.s. I’ve been in hibernation so long. I like the “new” look of your blog.

By: Mark Patterson

Mark Patterson — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:28:38 +0000

Very funny essay Alda. My spouse, sister in Michigan, and now daughter Sarina (16) love reading your blog. We´re finally ensconced in 105 Reyk til Xmas, getting kids ready for school (MH og Sjálandsskóla). Kveðja, Mark

By: maja

maja — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:34:12 +0000

Wow, what awesome memories to have associated with a book. Lately I’ve been thinking about how characters in books and movies are the most interesting when they are facing adversity and bad situations, so even though you didn’t enjoy Spain all that much it probably still enriched your life to go there.

By: Skúli Pálsson

Skúli Pálsson — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:23:47 +0000

The German writer Patrick Süskind wrote an essay about forgetting the books he read. It’s called “Amnesia in Litteris”. It was very funny, although I can’t remember exactly why it was.