A Holy Grail of Novels

Who knew that beauty, love, comfort could be so acutely felt while merely sitting in bed? It is a simple combination that creates those feelings too, one comprised of a lyrically written novel and music that is so well orchestrated it makes a novel. Reading, you see, has in the past been a magical pastime for me. Give me a few impeccably written first sentences and I'm sold, lost in book land, and pity the person who tries to pull me out. Unfortunately my quest for such a magical, well-weaved story had been fruitless for much too long. I say 'had been' for the obvious reason that I was lately blessed with Holy Grail of novels. Others may read the same novel and find that statement a gross hyperbole, but I do not mean to insinuate that it is a universal Holy Grail, only the Holy Grail of my personal book expedition.

And how does one kn ow they have found their Holy Grail? There are a few tell-tale signs which I will now illustrate for you with my own experience.

After reading the first few lines I was already drifting between them, until I was surrounded by all of the eloquent phrases, floating above the characters and sometimes even inside their minds, watching, feeling, and hearing every aspect of their lives. It is wondrous what a single, beautifully constructed sentence has the power of doing. Of course I was helped into novel-land by the equally well-constructed song that was playing nonchalantly in the background. The lyrics took on a life of their own, reaching out a hand to me so I may step between the lines of the novel without tripping. It was then I really knew this book was the one. I loved the author for writing in a way that matches the swirling patterns that fly around in my mind. I loved my music for so perfectly accompanying my journey into a different world. Though I am not even half way through this jewel of a novel I can already imagine the sense of loss I will feel once the words run out. John's song Comfortable will be in perfect use to me then, perfectly painting a picture of my feelings. "Our love was comfortable and so broken in," I'll say, rather pathetically, as I put the book on my shelf, staring at it one last time before I turn to my quest of an equally love-beauty-comfort-creating novel.