The Best in Bedtime Reading - Image Journal

A therapist I once went to for help with insomnia advised me: “Stop reading a novel at bedtime; it stimulates the mind.”. Skiptocontent Issue19   NextArchives CurrentIssue LoginSubscribe Menu Staff AtherapistIoncewenttoforhelpwithinsomniaadvisedme:“Stopreadinganovelatbedtime;itstimulatesthemind.” WhenIrecountedthistomywisesisterwhoknowsmewell,sheprotested:“No!Anoveltakesyououtofyourself;that’sjustwhatyouwantbeforetryingtogotosleep.” Mysisterhaditright.Idroppedthattherapist(saving,bytheway,hundredsofdollars)andpickedupmybedtimenovel.LikepoetGarretKeizerin“IfIKnewWhatPain”(Image#52),Iresumed permittingmyselftosink intotheworldofthisfat,yeastynovel asintothefoldsofawarmfeatherbed— Ofcoursemybedtimenovelcan’tbejustanyfatyeastyone.I’mveryparticularaboutwhatItakeintobedwithme.Violence,whetherphysicalorpsychological,willnotletmesleep.Sentimentalitywon’tkeepmyinterestenoughtotakemeoutofmyself.Mysteryistootense,sciencefictiontooweird. So,whatamIleftwith?Lotsandlotsofnovels,fortunately. TakeJoBaker’s2013novelLongbourn—herimaginingofthelivesoftheservantsintheBennethouseholdofJaneAusten’sPrideandPrejudice.Bakercreateslivesthatshemakesmecareabout,andwritesincidentsthatareengaging,moving,andjustsuspensefulenoughtokeepmeontheedgeofmyseat(no,Iguessitwouldbetheedgeofmyproppeduppillow)withoutkeepingmeawake.Andthenthere’sthetreatofwatchingthedramaofPrideandPrejudicethroughtheeyesoftheBennets’servants. TaraConklin’s2013novelTheHouseGirlworkedformethesameway.IreallycaredaboutthetwowomenwhoselivesConklincleverlyinterweaves:theslaveJosephinelivingin1852VirginiaandthecontemporaryyounglawyerLena.Theirdramastimulatedmyinterestjustenoughtotakemefarfrommyselfwithoutlandingmeinatensesleep-preventingditch. TheHelp,KathrynStocktett’s2011novel,alsodrewmeintothedramaofracerelations,thistimeintheMississippiof1962.Iseemtobeattractedbyhistoricalfiction:itsunderlayofrealitygroundingthecharacters’stories.AllthreeofthebooksI’vementionedsofarhaveadimensionofhistoricalfiction. Butfancifulfunisfinetoo.MajorPettigrew’sLastStand,byHelenSimonson(2010),hadmesmilingasI’dleanbackintomypillow,delightedbytheMajor’squirks.Surelyhappinessisagoodwaytogotosleep. WhenIrunoutofcontemporarybedtimenovels,IknowIcanalwaysreturn(fortheumpteenthtime)toJaneAusten’sEmmaorPersuasion.Ortothatfattestofyeastynovels,VikramSeth’s1500-pageASuitableBoy. Theparadoxofgoodfiction,I’dsay,isthatwhileittakesusoutofourselvesitalsoshowsusourselvesinanewlight.Alargerlight.Animmensefloodlightthatilluminesallofhumankind:allourmuddles,ourmishaps,ourfalsestepsandourtrueones. GregWolfeelaboratedthispointinhispostaboutRichardRodriguez’sbookBrown.HequotesBrownonliterature’sabhorrenceofgeneralities: Literatureflowstotheparticular,themundane,thegreasinessofpaper,thetasteofwarmbeer,thesmellofonionorquince.Audenhasaline:“Portshavenamestheycallthesea.”Justsowillliteraturedescribelifefamiliarly,regionally,intermslifeisaccustomedtouse—highorlowmattersnot.Literaturecannotbythisimpulsebetraythegrandeurofitssubject—thereisonlyonesubject:Whatitfeelsliketobealive.Nothingisirrelevant.Nothingistypical. “Whatitfeelsliketobealive.”That’stheaffirmationIneedatbedtime.(Atanytime,really.)Atnight,whenIclosemynovelbeforeturningoutthelight,Ioftensaytomyself:“yes,theseotherlives…theyareeveryone’s…theyaremine.Thisislife.” SoIlikethemetaphorwithwhichGregfollowsupthisquotefromRodriguez:“Literatureholdsupamirrortothecomplex,messyworldwelivein,remindinguswithdeviceslikeambiguity,paradox,andirony,justhowambiguous,paradoxical,andironiclifecanbe.” Thatmirror.Yes.Whatadelightfulparadoxthatthenovelsthattakemeoutofmyselfareatthesametimeshowingmeamirrorofmyself.Andnotjustmyself:theentire“complex,messyworld”Ilivein. MaybewhatIseekatbedtime—andwhatIfindinfinenovels—isnotsomuchtobetakenoutofmyselfasbeingplacedinthelargerworld. Imagedependsonitssubscribersandsupporters.Jointheconversationandmakeacontributiontoday. +Clickheretomakeadonation. +ClickheretosubscribetoImage. TheImagearchiveissupportedinpartbyanawardfromtheNationalEndowmentfortheArts. Tags:novelsPeggyRosenthalreadingreflectionsleep Writtenby:PeggyRosenthalPeggyRosenthalwriteswidelyonpoetryasaspiritualresource.HerbooksincludePrayingthroughPoetry:HopeforViolentTimes(FranciscanMedia),andThePoets’Jesus(Oxford).SeeAmazonforafulllist.Shealsoteachesanonlinecourse,“PoetryasaSpiritualPractice,”throughImage’sGlenOnlineprogram. IfyoulikeImage,you’llloveImageUpdate. Subscribetoourfreenewsletterhere: