Is it just me, or does everyone read a book in what we imagine is the voice of the character? When I’m reading a novel, I find myself speaking not only in the voice of the characters, but also in their dialect, even in the pace of the characters. Often I’ll catch myself adopting their language when I’m in the middle of a meeting at work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “shake myself awake” and talk like my own self. It can be embarrassing! But I suppose that’s what I get for having my nose in a book every moment of my spare time. It’s a fair assessment to say I’m addicted to reading.
Always reading is not a bad thing; in fact I recommend it for everyone. However, I do advise reading only one book at a time. Recently I read three books at once – I’d read a few chapters of one, set it aside and pick up another, set it aside and pick up another, and back and forth and back and forth. When not only the subject matter but also – especially – the voice of the books are as different as conversing with a 17-year-old and conversing with a 2-year-old….well, I advise setting one of the two or three aside until the first is finished. That said, here are my thoughts on those three books I recently read: The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill, The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman, and Book of Dreams, by Jack Kerouac.
The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill ~ Rated 5 (click here to go to my bookshelf where you’ll find the definition of my rating system)
Not only is The Woman in Black a good ghost story, but it’s also one of the best written books ever, and the last line is classic, undoubtedly the most memorable, and effective, ending of any book I’ve ever read. I read this one in what I imagined was a British voice, or at least European, because that is the style of language it was written in. The best aspect of this book is the suspense. Susan Hill is a master at keeping her readers turning the page. (Writers would do themselves a great favor by studying this story.)
The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman ~ Rated 4.5
I imagine Alice Hoffman to be the student who could sit through an all-day lecture without blinking. So it is with her new novel, The Dovekeepers. The description of the story itself begins “…a tour de force of imagination and research…” And that it is. If you’re interested in the history of the Bible, specifically the fall of Zion, you’re in for a treat. That is, if you commit yourself to the time it takes to read the book. Although The Dovekeepers does turn out to be a fascinating story, I did have difficulty staying with it throughout the first part, where one of the four women we learn about patiently tells the story of her family’s trek through the dessert after their village is flushed out by the Romans. That trek is long and filled with strife. Upon their arrival at what was once King Herod’s palace we soon hear the next part of the story from the perspective of the baker’s wife, another woman who’s family was forced from their village, and the pace begins to pick up, if only a bit. But The Dovekeepers is not one you’d want to rush through, so the pacing, though at times irritatingly slow, is exactly as it should be. This is one you’ll definitely want to read – just make sure you set aside a couple of weeks to do so, (and don’t try to read something else at the same time). Considering the story took Alice Hoffman five years to write, the least we can offer is to take two weeks to read it as it should be read, with affection and thoughtfully.
Book of Dreams, by Jack Kerouac ~ Rated 5
Trying to read Jack Kerouac at the same time as Alice Hoffman is like trying to stop to smell the coffee when you’re already late for work. As I mentioned, I’ve always read at the pace the characters’ voices take on in my head (at least well-written books). Whereas Alice Hoffman feels like a relaxed person, soothing even, Kerouac feels to me like he was a man of great urgency, like he was always twitching a pencil in his fingers, bouncing his feet around, moving, moving, moving, like maybe he had ADHD or something. Such is the feeling when reading his Book of Dreams. Every writer needs to read this treasure of art! The book is exactly what it claims – Kerouac’s journal of dreams – and you can’t help but read it quickly, at the pace he sets in all his work, but then there are moments when a “bright revelation” is recorded and you automatically stop yourself and realize that sentence was to be read thoughtfully. So you read it again, and again, and again; if you’re like me, you’ll write that sentence down in your Quotes Journal, and maybe even tack it to your Inspiration Wall. Kerouac’s Book of Dreams is a must read for all writers, the perfect tool of inspiration to stop worrying about what you’re writing and…just write.
How about you? Do you tend to read in the voice of the character? Do you read at the pace the writer has exuded, or do you read every book in the same manner, at the same speed, in your own voice, or in a voice you’ve subconsciously deemed as your reading voice?
P.S. While gathering links for this post I came upon a great piece of news – the movie, Kill Your Darlings, about the roots of the beat generation is in pre-production, expected to be released next year. This is one movie I’ll definitely go see without book in hand! 
Click here to browse my bookshelf where you’ll find reviews of most books I’ve read this year, as well as links to 2011’s and 2010’s reads).
