I recently started reading The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michel Faber, in my attempt to read instead of browse the internet and social media on my devices. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so impressed by prose, if ever.
The story follows a young prostitute in 1870’s London–a subject I have close to zero interest in. But since I enjoyed his other books so much, I went so far as to read the preview on Amazon. The first pages were all it took to convince me to buy.
Have you ever read something so rich and potent that it makes your favorites seem pale and thin in comparison? I have no interest in this story’s subject matter, but the writing is so deliciously good that I can’t stop thinking about it, can’t stop popping it open for a few paragraphs whenever I can.
I keep making food metaphors because, it really is like food for my mind.
And it makes me want to be a better writer. It makes me want to stretch to my limits to make my writing so enjoyable that the subject doesn’t matter cause you love the words so much.
I feel the odds of getting as good as Faber are low, but it’s something to aspire to.
Jonas David 