This blog has been taking shape in my head for several weeks now, ever since I read Elizabeth Berg’s The Year of Pleasures. I really enjoyed the book, but it ended too quickly.
The idea of savoring pleasures, however, was firmly implanted, and I couldn’t shake the desire to pay more attention to the small pleasures of life, nor the desire to share them with others. Thus, I’m bringing forth A Year of Pleasures. One year of savoring and sharing pleasures is all I’m committing to right now, but maybe this little seedling will take root and become firmly implanted and inextricable from the garden of myself.
Now, the last thing I need is another blog. My life is frustratingly full and joyfully busy. But I find myself at odd moments of the day enjoying little things, and slowing down to savor those moments makes them all the more special. These are the moments I want to share with you, my virtual friends and blog readers. And please, share your own moments with the rest of us! Leave comments and let us know what you found pleasure in today.
Just so you know what to expect, I’ll be sharing whatever strikes my fancy at the moment—anything from books to web sites to blogs to recipes to products to ideas—and causes me to pause during the course of a day (or over several days, depending on time constraints) and savor the pleasure. I don’t have any financial ties or interest in any of the products or web sites I mention in blog postings, with one exception: if you click a link to a book on Amazon.com and then buy a book, I get paid a few cents. Typically, it adds up to enough to buy a gourmet cup of coffee and a scone about once a quarter. In return, I’ll share the experience with you here and also send you warm thoughts of gratitude.
To kick off this blog, I think it’s only right to introduce you to Elizabeth Berg and this blog’s namesake, The Year of Pleasures. I recently discovered Berg, and I can’t get enough of her. She is not a literary genius; her work would never be considered “high art” (or maybe even “art” at all). For me, her books are like comfort food, or that lovely morsel of dark chocolate you savor in the afternoon. Not necessarily nutritious, and definitely lacking fiber, but good for the soul and so carefully wrought that you feel the love the author has for words. Occasional passages in Berg’s novels are more poetry than prose, and I slow down, savor them, let them roll around in my head for a while.
The Year of Pleasures revolves around a recently-widowed woman who is living out the dream she shared with her late husband of leaving the big city and moving to a quiet little town in search of a rhythm different from what they had known. Berg’s novels often incorporate themes of death, but not in a depressing or melodramatic way: sad, yes; regretful, maybe. But the thing I love about her work (aside from the smart, occasionally funny, and often lyrical writing) is the way she opens up her characters so fully and invites us into their frail, petty, noble, beautiful humanness. We’re right there with Berg’s characters as they open their eyes and pay attention to the world around them—including the uncomfortable parts, like death, alongside the pleasurable parts.
You can read the first chapter of The Year of Pleasures online at Amazon.com. If it’s not your cup of tea, maybe you’ll find another book that will pull you into its pleasurable depths for a few moments.
And what did you find pleasurable today?
1 comment:
I am a big fan of Elizabeth Berg and have read every book she has written. My favorite is "Talk Before Sleep."
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