When offered a review copy of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch I couldn’t say no. I figured a book by anyone who read a book a day for a year would be full of bookish goodness. It was. Sort of. I enjoyed the book, I read to the end after all, but it wasn’t as bookish as I expected. It was more grief memoir than year of reading fun. If you go into it knowing this, then you are much more likely to enjoy it more than I did.
When Sankovitch was 43 her 46-year-old sister, Anne-Marie, died of cancer. Grief stricken and filled with survivor’s guilt, Sankovitch spent the next three years trying to live for herself and her sister in an attempt to make up for her sister’s death. It made her and her family exhausted. Approaching her 46th birthday, Sankovitch decided she would read a book a day for an entire year in an attempt to overcome her grief, to slow down, and to honor the memory of her sister who loved reading and with whom she often talked books. She would read her first book on her birthday and the next day she would write a review about the book for a book website that she had started previously. The rules for her year were:
no author could be read more than once; I couldn’t reread any books I’d already read; I had to write about every book I read. I would read new books and new authors, and read old books by favorite writers. I wouldn’t read War and Peace, but I could read Tolstoy’s last noel, The Forged Coupon. The books would be ones I would have shared with Anne-Marie if I could have, ones we would have talked about, argued over, and some we would have agreed upon.
The year gets off to a rocky start as she tries to find a workable schedule that allowed her to read and write and take care of her four boys and husband. But soon enough she settles into a rhythm that works for everyone.
Sankovitch writes extensively on her grief over her sister’s death, about her childhood, about her own children. She ruminates about loss and memory and reading and what it means to her and occasionally she writes about the books she is reading and what in them has struck a chord for her. She definitely knows what it is to be a reader and sometimes had me nodding my head in agreement like when she writes:
People share books they love. They want to spread to a friend and family member the goodness they felt when reading the book or the ideas they found in the pages. In sharing a loved book, a reader is trying to share the same excitement, pleasure, chills and thrills of reading that they themselves experienced. …But it is also a tricky maneuver for both sides. …We are what we love to read, and when we admit to loving a book, we admit that the book represents some aspect of ourselves truly….
On the other side of the offered book is the taker. If she is at all a sensitive being, she knows that the soul of the offering friend has been laid wide-open and that she, the taker, had better not spit on her friend’s soul.
How many of us have been on both sides when the book ended up not being liked? Uncomfortable!
Sankovitch’s year of reading allowed her the time and space to deal with her grief and figure out how to live with her loss. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair isn’t an especially philosophical or insightful book. It is, however, honest. And there is a list at the back of the book of the 365 books Sankovitch read during her year. But, as I said earlier, the book isn’t particularly about books. Approach it as a memoir by someone who likes to read and your expectations will not be disappointed.
Thanks for that, Stefanie. I have this on hold at the library and was expecting cover to cover book-love but I’m also interested in bibliotherapy so I think I’ll find something in it.
Actually I like the sound of the book, but I think it’s good to know what it’s about coming into it–dealing with grief through reading and a book about reading a book every day are definitely different things. I’m amazed that she could read a book a day and write about it and take care of a family. I’m happy to read a book a week and write about it, but I could never keep up the pace like she did! I’d be curious to see her list of books and may have to add this one to my ever growing list of library requests!
I put this on my wishlist, but not sure I’d like it???
I recently found out about this book and Sankovich’s blog (extremely impressed that someone could read a book a day) and am very interested in reading it. And, yes, I definitely know what it’s like to be on both sides when a book ends up not being liked. I’m always so humbled when someone thinks I might love a book that he or she did, and I so hate to disappoint. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to accept that others might not love the same books I do, so when I give friends something to read, I tend to say, “I liked it and think you will, but you may not.” (How’s that for being wishy washy).
I’ve seen this book at the store and felt dubious about it. Your review, while being a terrific review, still makes me feel as though it is not a book I would grab with gusto. I cannot even imagine reading 365…. or even 100 books in a year. In my situation, I would have to be completely unemployed and ever morseo — unbusy after my non-work.
I don’t know how anyone can read a book a day for a year.
Thanks for the inside view.
This is such a good, honest review. When I first heard about this I thought, oo, interesting. But then I wasn’t so sure when I realised how much it was about grief. I mean, it doesn’t seem to me to be the first thing to spring to mind when mourning someone, to read a book a day FOR them – how would that work? So I was concerned that it was a bit…. well, written with a publishing hook in mind. I’m still undecided about whether I want to read this or not – I guess I’ll wait and see if it comes my way – you know, let the universe decide.
This sounds pretty good, actually. I end up reading a lot of grief memoirs for no apparent reason, but I think I’d like this one in any case.
While I wouldn’t necessarily choose a memoir about grieving, I know that reading is the Great Escape and feel that it could be a way of coping, re-directing the mind and spirit, and finding comfort in the pages that take you away from your thoughts. I find myself interested in this memoir.
I followed her blog for part of the year she read a book a day, and that was fun. But I’m not sure this book is for me. I would want it to be about books too and would find it disappointing. Still, I’m amazed that she read a book a day and wrote about them all. What discipline!
I’ve been following Nina’s blog Read All Day dot org for some time now, and have been impressed by her determination and stamina. I remember she mentioned about reading 5 to 6 hours a day. As a fast reader, she can finish a book that way. Alas, for someone like me, a slow, slow reader, it’ll take me a couple of weeks to finish a book! Anyway, I’ve appreciated your review and preparing us for what’s in Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. My copy from the library has just arrived, and I’ll be picking it up tomorrow. But I’m feeling a bit disappointed since I’m really in no mood to read a grief memoir. Makes me think of Joan Didion’s A Year of Magical Thinking… while the writing is good, the feeling is heavy. And, it’s summer after all. Having said all that, I just might read it or else I don’t know when my turn will come again with these library holds.
I have a hold for this at the library! I think the line is long….I’ve heard so much good about it, I can’t wait to read it. But thanks for sharing the reservations — I won’t expect something too cerebral. Just bookish love as a means of coping.
Sylvia, nope, it isn’t cover-to-cover book love, but if you are interested in bibliotherapy you will probably find the book interesting.
Danielle, a book a day is a hard pace to keep up. The books she chose though we usually no longer than 300 or 305 pages so that makes it easier to read a book in a day, but still. The list is interesting and has quite a lot of variety.
Diane, I don’t know. I liked it even though it wasn’t quite what I expected. There is some bookish goodness in it. it isn’t a bad book and it is a quick read.
Emily, yeah, reading a book a day is impressive. I mean she did it on Thanksgiving and Christmas and birthdays and weekends and vacations. It takes a lot of stamina even for someone who loves books. I like your wishy-washy way of offering a book. I know I wouldn’t feel as bad should I happen to not like it. but you are so good at picking books that I couldn’t imagine that I wouldn’t love it.
Cipriano, while there are elements of the book I think you would like, overall I think for you it would just be a so-so read. And I know what you mean about all that reading. I’m happy to read between 50-60 books a year. Reading a book a day is hard to get my head around.
Litlove, I don’t think it was originally written with a publishing hook in mind since she wrote for her already established website. But Ii do have to say that in terms of an examination of grief it isn’t the most profound or interesting thing I’ve read. It is the book twist that makes it interesting. Without that it would be pretty meh.
Daphne, I could see you liking this. Not loving it but definitely liking it.
Jenclair, from your comment, I think you would definitely find this book interesting.
Dorothy, I agree, her discipline to read a book a day and then write about it is amazing. I think you’d find the book moderately enjoyable but probably not worth your time.
Arti, the feeling in this book isn’t all that heavy in spite of its subject. But since you probably have the book by now and have begun reading it, you figure that out pretty fast
Rebecca, yes, bookish love as a way of coping and you will enjoy the book for sure.
This one is on my list already and I was really looking forward to reading it. I still am but appreciate that you have reset my expectations going in so I understand the whole grief memoir aspect of things.