Sobriquet 44.16

The following post was originally published on 7/17/08.

Well, I did it again. I found the prospect of reading more criticism so unappealing that I waited until I was practically asleep to finally accept the fact that I wouldn't be reading any. Instead, I opted to begin reading Youth, having provided myself with that escape hatch in yesterday's post. The thing is, the essay I struggled to get into yesterday is actually one of the best pieces of literary criticism that I have read in recent months. The only conclusion that I can draw is that, having read a few dozen essays on Disgrace, I really need a change of pace.

The problem, however, is that the critical discussion surrounding Disgrace is quite a bit larger than that surrounding most novels. And so I toil, impatiently putting off starting the chapter on Disgrace until I dutifully read each and every article that I can find pertaining to the novel.

As I have said before, I have reached a point in my reading where very few essays present information or readings that I haven't already encountered elsewhere while, at the same time, I continue to feel intense obligation to ensure that I familiarize myself with all the existent critical writing on Disgrace, and that's where the root of my frustration lies: I am impatient to get going on my next chapter. This moment, then, is yet another period of time during which I must practice the opposite behavior of that to which I am most inclined. In other words, this is another step towards mastering what may be the most valuable lesson in dissertation-writing: success relies on a combination of hard work, dedication, faith, confidence and, above all, the ability to accept the strain of dream deferral.

At any rate, I love what I have read of Youth so far.

For tomorrow: Same story, different day (read another essay or continue reading Youth).