Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Clockwork

I'm reading a fast YA novel titled Clockwork by Philip Pullman. A couple semesters ago, it was highly recommended to me by a fellow classmate. Not something I would typically choose on my own, I came across it at work yesterday, remembered the hearty read this it's awesome! pitch and brought it home. I have heard/read wonderful things about this author and was looking forward to sampling him - but I have to be honest - this book is definitely a lemon. But you know what I do, kids? I take my lemons and I make lemonade.

Lemonade = spooky coincidence worth sharing. In the introduction, which I admit sucked me in, the narrator tells me that:

In the old days, when this story took place, time used to run by clockwork. Real clockwork, I mean, springs and cogwheels and gears and pendulums and so on. When you took it apart you could see how it worked, and how to put it back together again. Nowadays time runs by electricity and vibrating crystals of quartz and goodness knows whatelse. ... Clocks and watches like that might as well work by witchcraft for all the sense I can make of them. *Shivers* (Not really).

So I was thinking, hmmmm, that's interesting; I never before thought of it like that. Then I read further, finished the book (fantasy + gore + nasty deaths + ye olde Germany = hell yeah), and concluded it was silly and stupid. I possibly rolled my eyes, too. Okay, for the spooky coincidence: this morning, when I woke up, my mini ATOMIC clock (you know, the ones you're supposed to point toward Boulder, CO or something like that) was ten minutes fast. Ten minutes exactly! I have no control over this clock - it supposedly "sets itself." Hmmmm....

This would have been totally awesome if I was 11 years old, because I was a little obsessed with the macabre back then. I had a general fear that appliances could in fact be used as murder weapons. It really would have scared the shit out of me. If I don't post in a few days, call the X-Files. I live in Florida. Thanks, guys.

7 comments:

Tits McGee said...

My atomic clock being exactly ten minutes fast would freak me the hell out.

When I was a kid, if I was at home alone and a few minutes passed by with no cars driving down the street and no people walking by and no phone ringing and no birds chirping, I would imagine that everyone in the world but me had suddenly disappeared (aliens? nuclear war?) and be immediately paralyzed by fear until a car drove by or some other sign of life appeared.

If I don't hear from you soon, I'll send Fox Mulder after you. He's so dreamy.

FRITZ said...

How does one get a hold of an atomic clock?

Did you know that if you discover a prime number over one hundred digits long, you can sell it to the CIA for 10,000 dollars? This is true.

I hate it when books let me down.
I didn't get "This Boy's Life" afterall, because I think it would remind me too much of Jack Kerouac, but younger. I don't like Jack all that much.

Sorry.

kimberlina said...

i don't like jack much, either. and that's a shame that philip let you down - i, too, have heard a lot of good things about him. hmmm.

Spinning Girl said...

OK now that is just plain spooky.

There are 3 possible explanations.

1. Casper (the Friendly Ghost), or Annabelle (the possessed Raggedy Ann doll), lives in your house.

2. Your house is built atop a Uranium mine.

3. Colorado is plummeting towards you at the speed of light. Brace for impact.

4. Books can hear.

OK, that's 4, but you gotta admit it's damn spooky.

Tits McGee said...

Okay, Madge. Do we need to get Duchovny on the phone?

madge said...

I'm alive!

...clock went back to normal time the day I turned it in back to the library...

eeeeeerie.

Tits McGee said...

Glad you're alive, but now I'm over here shaking in my boots. Thanks a lot.