January 23, 2007
The Third Age
I was interested to see Margaret Drabble cited in the recent Macleans article “The 27 Year Itch” regarding late-life divorce for having coined the phrase “The Third Age” in her The Seven Sisters. On the digitalization of reading. Jenny Diski on compacting the classics, which is horrifyingly awful.
I’m now reading The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches to put a little Canadienne in my CanLit. And it’s wonderful. I came home from the library this morn also bearing Things Fall Apart and Youth.
Things Fall Apart and Youth are two of my favourite books in the world. You will not be disappointed in either–Coetzee’s is the existential master of our time, I think; and Achebe’s novel changed my life. I read it while in university, and it started me on my post-colonial phase, which kept me going through two degrees. I am jealous of you reading them both for the first time. But also excited to hear your thoughts when you’re done.
I second that… let me know what you think of Achebe’s novel. I first read it when I was eighteen and a first-year student at uni. I re-read it last November after a long long time, and I’m happy to acknowledge that it’s still one of my favourite novels. Read Anthills of the Savannah and Arrow of God after you finish it also!
Wow– you’ve both raised my expectations high, and I can’t wait to find out what you’re talking about.