Wondrous

In February I'd mentioned Junot Diaz and his incredible book The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao. I said our book club chose to read it because he's a "hot" writer. He's gotten even hotter as the recent Pulitzer Prize Winner.

Funny thing is that I never finished the book, then I went to writer's conference and was blown away by him, and I said to my bookclub friends "Wow I have to finish reading that book. He's awesome!" Why didn't I finish the book in the first place? Partly because I didn't want to tie up the library's copy right before the conference but also because the characters and setting didn't quite "click" with me.

As an undergrad I studied in English Lit in a small private college. I was steeped in tales written by (white) men who lived in England hundreds of years ago. Even though I'd never circled London's stately parks in a horse and carriage, hiding my glances at eligible bachelors beneath a parasol, etc etc, I could certainly imagine it.

Thanks to my book club I've gotten a taste vastly different cultures -- India, China, Turkey, Afghanistan for example, but they've been portrayed by voices similar to my English Literature heroes. Not so with Diaz. Bam! Right from the start I'm steeped in the history and superstition of the Dominican Republic conveyed in a language and manner I don't quite recognize. He uses slang and Spanish words throughout--sometimes offering a translation in the footnotes and sometimes not.

Now my desire to finish the book is renewed because of the recent publicity. Check out the transcript of an interview with him on the CBS Sunday Morning Show and you'll get a taste for the book and why Diaz wrote it.

And please, make sure to venture out of your "comfort zone" from time to time -- you'll be glad you did!
Kristen