Daily Thoughts 10/21/2009

Jacque, Charles Emile, 1813-1894 -- Etcher Title Liseur, From New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Daily Thoughts 10/21/2009

I am about to order some civil service tests for the library. We currently have people requestsing Accountant, Court Officer, and Police Offer tests. I sometimes think that some books weigh heavier in garnering good will from the people who come to the library. Books which get jobs are critical.

I also did some more weeding in the trade paperback fiction. I am also moving some of the books to storage. There are some older trade paperbacks by quality authors which are no longer available.

A list of the Top Independent Bookstores on Twitter. http://www.nfiresearch.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=305&Itemid=119

I finished reading Sunflowers A Novel of Vincent Van Gogh by Sheramy Bundrick. At the end of the novel in the afterword, she says she got the idea for the novel while visiting Vincent Van Gogh's grave. The novel posits the question who was Rachel, the prostitute who Vincent Van Gogh gave his ear to? It is at once a love story, a story about art, and a story about madness.

It is not a light easy story to read. There are many historical references throughout the novel that are directly borrowed from Vincent Van Gogh's life. Sheramy Bundrick even has a bibliography of the works she used to compose the novel. There is an authentic feeling to the writing which shows she has visited many of the places where the novel occurred.

It is a beautifully described novel as it draws from the paintings which Vincent Van Gogh painted with their vivid contrasting colors. It is a story that is very full of life. The author cites the paintings which she described in the back of the book. As the story includes both Sunflowers and The Starry Night, it is very pleasing to read. The Starry Night is one of my favorite paintings.

At the same time this novel is very human. It is a story which touches on some very dark subjects, prostitution and madness in addition to love which can never truly come to a good end because of the protagonists limitations. The story is a tragedy. But, it is a very poignant tragedy. I especially like the imaginary letters between Mlle. Rachel Courteau and Vincent Van Gogh, they can be quite touching.

This is worth reading. It is a reminder of how even the most tragic lives can produce great beauty.