reading challenge #5

Next up, Richard Wright's October. I almost never pick up a hardcover, as though I foolishly think they might take longer to read, but so far in this challenge the hardcovers are winning out.

I'm glad the story in this novel travelled somewhere different from where it started; the topic of cancer striking a family member is still a little too fresh for me. But a seventy-ish man running into a boyhood acquaintance who then asks him to be at his side for his final breath, well, that is a pretty intriguing turn of events. The storytelling is solid, the characters rounded and overall it was a completely satisfying read. The main character, who we get to know as both a 15 year old and as an elderly man, is incredibly self aware. In his own words:

There is a furtive side to me. I enjoy listening to the secrets of others, and over the years people have opened their hearts to me. This trait has made me seem more trustworthy than I really am.

As for my knitting comparison: October is most certainly a toque, a wholeheartedly Canadian garment and a steady, simple knit. You don't have to labour too hard, the time invested is rewarding and most of all, everyone knows how important it is to keep your noggin warm.