The Stones of Summer

So, in class today we watched a documentary about an avid reader who is searching for the author of his favorite book entitled The Stones of Summer, who disappeared after writing this one novel. The novel is essentially unheard of, so Mark, the narrator, is faced with the problem of having no good way to locate the author. Also, since the book was written in 1972 and only one review was written about it, this complicates things further.

Since Mark feels so connected to the story, he feels obligated to find the author and talk to him about the wonderful novel he wrote. The novel gives him a sense of nostalgia, bringing him back to the days of his youth and how books changed who he was as a person. As a younger man, Mark admits to not knowing much about who he was, but instead remembers more the books he read. I feel like this helps show how books thoroughly shaped who he has become as an adult.

I also really liked how he mentioned that nowadays people spend so much more time on the computer and the internet and less time reading books. I think this speaks volumes on the lack of imagination that has become more and more prevalent in today's society. As a child, Mark describes how he would sit in the paperback bookstore for long periods at a time, drinking in all the stories and letting his imagination run wild. In today's society, however, video games and television seem to be the normal activities of any kid.

Mark uses reading even in his present life to cope with reality. He seems to have a stressful job that takes up a lot of his time. He counters this stress with delving into a good story and releasing all of his anxieties he faces in his every day life. Some people crack open a beer and mindlessly watch television, but Mark does something that relaxes him and works his brain at the same time.

So the documentary segment for the Wednesday class ends with Mark still searching for the author of The Stones of Summer. I just wonder what Mark will do if and when he meets this author. Will he be so surprised at actually finding him that he won't know what to say? Or will he be prepared for the moment and have a great conversation with the man? Either way, it should make for a very interesting situation to see what kind of life lessons and emotional impact Mark can draw from the author of this mysterious book.