East of Eden (and far from sleep...)

It's a shame they didn't invent coffee while I was in university - I could have really used it during all-night-the-night-before-it's-due paper writing sessions. Whatever did I do back then? For it is now 6 am, and due to my weakness at 9 pm last evening (I gave in to the seductive smell of the cooking coffee) I have not slept yet. The java, combined with Part IV of East of Eden (page-turner!) have robbed me of sleep this fine January night. I am cursed (or blessed) with an extreme sensitivity to caffeine and an 8 pm coke can have me wide-eyed and contemplating a brisk walk at 4 am. Because of this, I normally only use coffee as a drug, when needed, but I do love the smell and the temptation was too much tonight. The good news is that I have finished East of Eden - one of those too rare books that seriously tempted me to forego all forms of social contact until it was finished. Wow - Steinbeck is truly amazing. (Duh...)

I love/hate finishing a good book, especially because of the dilemma it affords me - which book to read next. While I'm in the middle of one book, I constantly change my mind about which book I definitely must read next. So after careful thought I think I will read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, in honor of the film about the author (and his strangeness/obsession while writing this book) that is out right now. Normally this type of book wouldn't appeal to me (a true-crime/true-embelleshed account type novel) but supposedly it is a masterpiece which some say launched a new genre in literature ("literary journalism" or "nonfiction novel" - read an interesting article about this here) and I am curious to read it around the time that I see the film (double-bill at the Mayfair this month of Capote and David Cronenberg's History of Violence). I decided I'll start it and not feel guilty if I don't feel like finishing it.


ps. The coffee was sooooo worth it - yum.