JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I memorized at least the first stanza when I was just a wee kid, and I remember belting it out while running around my house in my Underroos, thinking I was somebody. I had no idea what the poem was about, and probably mistook the nonsense words as being words I simply wasn't familiar with at that age.
Where was my vorpal sword?
Yeah, Underroos were awesome.
Which leads me into today's thought for the day. Lewis Carroll did it, as countless others have done: suspending the readers' disbelief. Lewis Carroll did it so well that readers can imagine exactly how that terrifying Jabberwock looks. Smells. Sounds.
I began an account at Goodreads dot com, where I started rating books I've read. I noticed, across 90 books, my average rating is 4.19 out of 5 stars. Logic tells me there are not that many great books out there statistically. How did I get so lucky with my reading choices? I'll tell you. Because if a book doesn't grab me out of my chair and pull me into the pages within the first five minutes, I'm done. And, of course, those that I simply walked away from, I don't have the heart to give a permanent one-star review. Maybe that particular book or author just didn't resonate well with me, a mere one person out of a planet of 6 billion.
What is your strategy for making it through a book that doesn't grab you within the first few pages? And writers, when building your novel, how close to the action do you begin in order to set that hook?
Thanks for reading! Put on your Underroos and let's write. Together.
Those photos are FANTASTIC! I was in love with Wonder Woman as a kid. It is so burned into my brain that I still view her thin waist and wide hips as the ideal woman. LOL Unhealthy...but it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteI used to finish a book out of duty. I have since decided my time is too precious. I'll usually give it a day (however much reading that might amount to) and if I'm not feeling it I put it away. The question I ask myself is "do I even care?" If I don't care, I'm done. I still feel a little bad for the author when I do it.
Thank you, Nicole! You know, the last book I put down because I couldn't get into it (and I feel horribly embarrassed saying this) was the first of the Stieg Larsson trilogy. I bought all three, but gave them to my mother.
DeleteThe movie trailer looked fantastic, and my mom really enjoyed the books. I will try to give them one more shot, pushing through that first one if I have to, just to see what all the hype is about!
Thanks for posting!
I've only recently been able to put down a book that wasn't grabbing me, but if it's non-fic, and it's awful. like a certain ancient aliens "authority', I can't voice an opinion on the first 40 pages without giving it a fair shake. It did not improve.
ReplyDeletePS Yay Underoos Party! By gar, it's been awhile. *erf. oof* They must have been washed with the cold load, 'cause they seem to gave shrunk.
ReplyDeleteRelax, Spiderman. You still look super-cool! :)
DeleteOh, love Lewis Carrol. Alice in Wonderland is definitely one of those books that permanently inspired my own style of writing. I re-read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass once a year, haha.
ReplyDeleteI have a difficult time getting through certain books that want to press a message into your skull - over and over. I have to say, I'm onto book 4 in the Shifters series (Rachel Vincent) and I never would have gotten past book 1 if I hadn't promised to read it for a friend that really wanted me to give the series a shot. Luckily, each book has gotten tremendously better than the last, so I'm actually interested in many of the character now. Otherwise, like other books that are just not for me, I probably would have put it aside after realizing the first five chapters weren't doing it for me.
That's about how long I give a book - the first five chapters. Maybe a little more, if it's a lazy day and I'm not hurrying to work on my own stuff.
Those pics are adorable! I was more a pink power ranger type of kid.
Thank you, K.S.! What you've said is incredibly important to me. I have tried to start my novel as close to the initial action as is possible, but hadn't introduced the actual protagonist in person until Chapter Five. After finding that to be your "take it or leave it" chapter, I may shift things around a bit and see how that works.
DeleteHooray for Pink Power Ranger! I'm thinking an adult Underroos party might be in order. Etsy, anyone??! ;)
Thanks for your post! It's great to know that people are listening, and I'm so appreciative of feedback.
Write on!
What an awesome poem! I think I might just copy that one down and read it to my son, I think we both would get a kick out of it.. Well once he is older he would, but in the mean time I'm sure I'll get a good chuckle out.
ReplyDeleteLove the outfit!
As for my way of getting through a book that doesn't catch my attention.. sometimes I'll skip ahead a chapter and if that doesn't work I'll either trudge through anyway or put it down.