Friday, March 9

Cures for Insomnia


It has been many a year since I held a book in my hand that consistently put me to sleep. Corporate training manuals aside, I can't honestly remember any work of fiction that actually had a somnambulant effect on me since junior high school. Sure, I have put dull books down and come back to them, but to have a book actually induce sleep? Repeatedly?

This is hard, as it is a title I am reviewing for publication and, though technically proficient, I just couldn't stay engaged long enough to stay awake. I tried reading it at different times of day, standing and sitting, even while walking to work in sub-zero degree wind chills. That last one is dangerous in sub-zero temperatures and only slightly exaggerated.

It could have been the subject (boxing) and it could have been that the plot and dialog felt lifted from a 1940's boxing movie even though it was set in present-day Texas. But no matter what it shouldn't have taken me nine days to get through 129 pages. That almost beats my 7th grade record for reading Of Mice and Men which took me eight days in between school, television and puberty.

Now I have to go three rounds with a review. I hope I don't take a dive just by thinking about it.

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