Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - North River

"The textbooks were filled with the medical ignorance of the day, now worthless rubbish that could not even be sold to the dealers on Fourth Avenue. And yet he could not throw them out. Once he loved them and learned from them. They were like aging teachers whose time had passed." page 33

by Pete Hamill

Hamill will be the next speaker for the Rosamond Gifford Lecture series. I plan to read this and one of his nonfiction titles within the next month.

The rest of the above paragraph (just because I love it):

"Then his eyes fell to the lower shelves, full of treasures. Dickens and Stevenson and Mark Twain. Conrad and Galsworthy, Henry James and Edith Wharton. On one shelf, Theodore Dreiser leaned against Dostoyevsky, and he remembered how sure he once was that they were snarling at each other, each filled with certainty. To their left, unable to soothe them was the good Dr. Chekhov. With any luck these books will be the patrimony of the boy. And who will teach him how to read?"

and finally...

"...he would read novels to know more about human beings, who were, after all, his basic subject, and still were. The medical books didn't tell such stories. Only novels did."

Thanks for letting me indulge in this (very) extended teaser. Find more teasers at MizB's blog, Should Be Reading.


30 comments:

  1. I should comment, but I'm swooning! Encore!

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  2. Just makes me sigh! Great teaser(s).

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  3. I am so glad you added the following paragraphs...definitely got my attention:)

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  4. I love the style of the writing. Nice Teaser and additions ;-)

    Here is mine.
    http://teawithmarce.blogspot.com/2009/11/teaser-tuesday-weight-of-silence.html

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  5. I love the part about "aging teachers whose time had passed."

    Beautiful language throughout!

    Mine is here:

    http://laurel-rain-snow.blogspot.com/2009/11/teaser-tuesdays_17.html

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  6. Yes! Great quotes. Just the reasons I can't part with my books. Thanks for sharing the extended paragraph.

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  7. That is very beautiful. Great teaser.
    Here's mine.

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  8. Hey, it is your blog so you can tease us all you want! Mission accomplished!

    (Sort of like my Wordless Wednesdays that aren't wordless...)

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  9. Excellent extended teaser! My TT: http://www.rundpinne.com/2009/11/joy-teaser-tuesdays.html

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  10. A lovely description of all books in general. Nice teaser. Here's my link: http://thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/teaser-tuesday-double-or-nothin.

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  11. Oh I just loved that! Thanks for sharing more than just the teaser. This book sounds fascinating and I love the cover as well. I'm writing this one down so I don't forget it!

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  12. This is a wonderful teaser. I have only read Pete Hamill's Snow in August but I loved it. This is definitely getting listed high up on my TBR list!

    Thank you for a great teaser!
    ~ Amy

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  13. I enjoyed your indulgence!!! lovely writing!

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  14. Fleurfisher - Isn't that great?

    Nise' - I think I'm going to like this book.

    Book Psmith - They are all from the same page, and I just couldn't choose.

    MarceJ - Hamill is a new author for me.

    Laurel-Rain Snow - That's the passage that first caught my attention, and I knew I had to share it.

    CeeCee - I just got rid of the rest of my textbooks, and it's been quite some time since I've been in college!

    Andrea - I though it was very beautiful, too.

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  15. Sandy - The words add so much to your Wordless Wednesdays! Can't wait to see what you'll have tomorrow...

    Margot - Thanks. I've never done more than one, but just couldn't help myself today!

    Gautami - absolutely

    Book Bird Dog - Just a few chapters in, but the book is very good so far.

    Jennifer - An 'extended teaser' for sure.

    Alayne - I figured the 'book people' would appreciate this one.

    Lisa - I'm also excited about hearing the author speak and will post about it in mid-December.

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  16. Nan - Thank you.

    Beth - thanks

    Darlene - Glad you liked it, too.

    Amy - Snow in August seems to be his most popular book. This one is his latest, so I'm hoping he's going to talk a lot about it next month.

    Staci - Thanks. I just couldn't help myself today and had to include it all!

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  17. What a great description. Thanks for sharing all of those!

    Here's my Teaser.

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  18. Great teasers! I read one of his books for my book club and remember enjoying it a lot.

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  19. Alitareads - I'm glad you liked those! I thought they were beautiful.

    Reviewsbylola - Do you remember which one you read? Snow in August seems to be the most well known. If the rest of the book continues like this, I'll be reading more!

    E.L. Fay - I was in awe of that page, and couldn't pick just two sentences!

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. Hey JoAnn, Yes Kostova does have a 2nd book, but it's not released until January 12. I posted my spoiler-free review at http://thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com if you're interested.

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  22. Alayne - Thanks for getting back to me. I'll be over to read your review.

    Stacybuckeye - thanks!

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