*exhales*

[fahye]

Today I read, cover-to-cover, To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis.

I do not think I have enjoyed any other book that much in my entire life. I'M NOT KIDDING. My eyes have turned into blissful little stars of adoration. The girls I'm staying with kept glancing at me and the (admittedly thick) book and saying, Fahye, didn't you just start that this morning? Are you now two-thirds of the way through? Don't you have a Clinical Services assignment to be doing?

Me: IT'S A MYSTERY OKAY SHUT UP SHUT UP SOMETHING ELSE EXCITING AND HILARIOUS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN

Seriously. Stars. Comme ça: *_____________* Though I've now run out of books, which is of course a tragedy of epic proportions, but does mean my assignment might actually get done.

I also had a conversation with one of the girls about reading and writing and how important they are in my life, and she asked me, flat-out: Would you rather be a writer than a doctor? If money was meaningless?

And I said, yes.

(She said she'd be a baker. If she could.)

I don't go in for regrets; I think I'm doing the right thing with my life, at the moment.

But, you know. If I could.

Comments

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

OMG YAY I am so glad you loved it too! It's such a fabulous, warm, happy book. And you still have Blackout to come!

[ineptshieldmaid.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't she be a baker? A baking apprenticeship is no harder than med school, and you actually get PAID while doing it!

[fahye.livejournal.com]

And apparently All Clear is being released later in the year!

It is fabulous, yes, it's so absurd and giddy and Shakespearean. I was full of trepidation after Doomsday Book that my heart would at any moment be stomped to pieces, but no.

[glamaphonic]

I have owned that book for MANY YEARS and never read it.

I guess I will take this as an endorsement to do so!

[skygiants]

Hahahaha man, I read To Say Nothing of the Dog first. I loved it (and still love it!) to a ridiculous degree and was TOTALLY UNPREPARED for the heartwrenching sorrow that was Doomsday Book.

[sophistry]

How had you never read TSNotD before. It's the best book of all time, Fahye. OF ALL TIME.

(I am trying desperately to eke out the last hundred or so pages of Blackout even as we speak. NEWSFLASH: Connie Willis still has the ability to make me lol, make me want to hug all of humanity, and UTTERLY SHRED MY HEART WITH ANGUISH in the space of a page. Then again, it's Connie Willis writing about the prosaic indomitability of Londoners during the Blitz, so I don't know what else I expected dslfkjsdlkfjsdlkf.)

[deutscheami.livejournal.com]

Have you also read her novella Fire Watch (http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/firewatch.htm)? If not, it will probably be highly Relevant to Your Interests.

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

The thing is, so many medics are ridiculously multi-talented. (disclaimer: not me. I'm pretty good at medicine, but I'm not one of these all-singing, all-action, uber-talented types). Many of them have a second line at which they excel and can somehow be made to work with the sometime all-consuming beast that is the hospital.

And on the plus side? Medicine has this enormous privilege. You get to meet people in their best and worst moments. You get put in the middle of situations that are extreme, bizarre, hilarious, heartbreaking, all of the above. You yourself go through some pretty extreme situations too. If all that isn't fodder for a talented writer, then what is? *

* You have probably already thought about this, and I don't want to sound like I'm doctor-splaining, but I couldn't resist the urge to polyanna it up a bit ;)

[fahye.livejournal.com]

Heh, doctor-splaining. I have indeed thought of that, and it's a very good reason (among many) to be on this career track.

[fahye.livejournal.com]

YES PLEASE DO

[fahye.livejournal.com]

OUCH. I can imagine that would have been -- confusing. 'Where are the hijinks? Um? Hello?'

[fahye.livejournal.com]

I had never heard of Connie Willis before this year!

Mm, the uni library has Blackout. And the next two books in the Regeneration trilogy. And two books of essays by LeGuin that I want. And -- it is rather unfortunate how rapidly my exams are approaching :/

[fahye.livejournal.com]

No! Thank you.

[-leareth.livejournal.com]

Would you rather be a writer than a doctor? If money was meaningless?

And I said, yes.

I've said yes too, to that exact same question (obviously swapping out 'doctor' for 'lawyer'). Again with the no regrets bit, however I consider myself lucky in that what I do is practically very helpful for a writer. Publishing/writing contract, sure, hand it over and let me play =D

[fahye.livejournal.com]

Heh. You realise of course that if I am ever lucky enough to be published, I will be hiring YOU to peruse contracts and look imposing.