Wanting -- Book 7

Wanting

By Richard Flanigan

Atlantic Monthly Press

By the time I had finished the biography of Louis Armstrong, Pops, I was ready for Wanting -- a book with Charles Dickens at the center.

But, ugh, it is so full of ugliness I can't bear it. Already this year I've seen plenty of ugliness -- even poor Pops had his share of sadness, ugliness, violence. But this -- a story of everything from disappointment to cannibalism -- no, I can't. I don't really know how Charles Dickens figures in this dreary tale yet -- but even he is miserable. He's successful, surrounded by family -- and he's disappointed by his wife, bereaved by the death of his youngest child -- and I can't bear it.

It is so miserable after reading Pops. I had no real opinion of Satchmo before I read this biography and there were plenty of times I grew bored with the tedious explanations of his music -- not a trained musician, it meant nothing without a soundtrack. But he was an interesting character, not a saint, but an interesting character with a lot of passion. Now I want to listen to his music.

But I can tell I won't want to reach for David Copperfield after reading Wanting. I may never want to reach for a Dickens book again if I keep reading this awful tale.

I tried. It's the second one I've put down. I gave The Museum of Innocence back to the library rather than finish it. Too many other books, aren't there? How I Became a Famous Novelist, by Steve Hely, is waiting.