Now that I finished the greatest book ever (aka “David Copperfield), I thought I’d add 5 more things that were great about this book and might encourage you to read it, if you were so inclined:

1. IT’S MODERN: You wouldn’t think that a book written over 150 years ago (or at least, I didn’t think) would be so “modern” and deal with what I had considered contemporary sociological and literary issues.  These include things like suicidal thoughts, “meta” narratives (the text commenting on itself), and man’s place in an industrialized society.  But DC does, and very movingly (of course, nothing in the book is addressed as boringly and college-textbook-papery as I’ve just layed this out, but hopefully you get the drift…)
2. SENSE OF HISTORY:  DC really gives you a sense of what life was life 150 years ago.  People are always warming themselves by the fire (because there was no central heat), getting dirty from carriage rides or walking, getting special clothes and shirt collars.  They are always unfailingly polite, even when they are very, very angry, and with good reason.  It’s a miniature history lesson in living life back then, and really interesting.
3. MORALITY:  This book really has a sense of what is right, and what is wrong, and the gray areas in between, and makes no bones about it.  There are “heroes” and “villains” and everyone makes mistakes, but there is no doubt a right way to life your life and a wrong way, and Dickens makes no secret which side he is on.  This is actually pretty refreshing (it also helps that I agree with him about 2000%).
4. WISDOM:  DC is plotted as an older man looking back on the events of his younger life, with all the wisdom he has gained in the meantime.  It is just amazing how he is able to capture his youthful feelings in all their vainglory, both good and bad, wise and capricious, and give them all their due.  It will also make you look back on your own life and the decisions you have made and the life events that have happened to you and give you a chance to do the same, for better or worse.
5. LOVE: This is a book about love, about falling in love, about staying in love, about love of family and obligation, about keeping your commitment and responsibilities in love whether it makes sense or not.  It is filled to the brim with romance and it can easily bring you to tears.  And as to the real Dicken’s feelings for his true love as they are unumerated again and again this book –  all I  can say is, after she read this book, he must have gotten so laid …

So what are you waiting for? Go read the book!

Being a modern 21st century guy, of course I use a razor and shave my face every day and most weekend days (and a lot more weekend days than I used to, seeing as how as I get older I look a lot less like Don Johnson and a lot more like Walter Brennan…)

And this has not gone unnoticed by corporate America, which offers ten one hundred jillion different razors for men these days, with one blade, two blades, three blades, sideburn blades, electric blades, “lubricating strip”, etc. etc. ad naseum.

Now I have tried using an electric razor without much satisfaction (where you are basically rather than shaving your beard you are perpetually grinding your stubble until your face aches), and have tried slicing my sensitive skin to ribbons with a single blade.   Unfortunately, I have settled on one of those ULtra/Supra/Omni 5-blade thingies with lubricating strip, at an average cost per shave of something like$1.75/day, which can, you know–add up. So, being aware of the tough times ahead, I picked up some Target-brand 3 bladers and..cut the cr*p out of my face.  But figuring my skin had just been wimped out by years of over-coddling, I continued the experiment for another week, where I continued to collect a nice collection of nicks, cuts, bruises, and other facial disfigurements.  So this week I finally bit the bullet and went back to the Ultra-Fey Optra Supreme Double-Lubricating Zaptor Rinse.

Maybe it’s time for the Grizzly Adams comeback…

For the last month or so, I have been spending every weekday morning and afternoon on the drive to and from work listening to an excellent unabridged reading of Charles Dicken’s DAVID COPPERFIELD.  Though I am not quite done with it yet, I can safely say it’s one the best books I’ve ever read, and even better than GREAT EXPECTATIONS.  Here is a short list of reasons why it’s so good:

1. CHARACTERS – This is said to be true of every Dickens book, but there are so many indelible characters in DAVID COPPERFIELD they could — well–they could fill a book!  There is David’s Aunt, who hates donkeys on her property, and Mr. Macawber, who is always in debt, and, worst of all, the agonizingly insincere, toadying, plotting, treacherous Uriah Heap.  There is a woman dwarf who makes an appearance that seems like a walk on, only to re-appear with an awesome, heart-rending speech about her position in life.  Every character is memorable and fully realized, and seem familiar to me today in 2008 as they were when the book was written in 1850.
2. PLOT  - Unlike GREAT EXPECTATIONS, which had a good plot and was full of observations on the past, COPPERFIELD has tons of plot twists and turns, challenges for our hero, surprises, and sad moments.  It really keeps you on your toes.  And it all feels “real” and not just heaped on there for the sake of keeping you reading.  No wonder it’s been made into a movie several times.
3. HUMOR – This is a very funny book, a laugh out loud funny book, with great funny stories, and clever bits of business, and it never detracts from the story.  Dickens was a funny guy!
4. HEART - DAVID COPPERFIELD is a story about love, and family, and committment, and mistakes, and serious lessons about life.  Parts of this book will bring you to tears.  The speeches are excellent and very natural and very true.

I recommend this book to everyone, and can’t wait until my daughter starts reading it in Middle School so we can can read it together.  It is really something special.  Let’s face–I’m hooked.