Day 168: The Witch of Hebron

The Witch of Hebron by James Howard Kunstler.  ISBN: 9780802116912 (uncorrected proof - published September 7, 2010).

 Kunstler mentions the "soporific effects" of reading.  You would think that a book that puts you to sleep has no value as literature, but hey, some of us have trouble sleeping.  There were definitely moments in this book where I hit the snooze button, but then the switching back and forth between characters and very short chapter length probably led to some lack of inattention on my part.  It's hard to keep track of everyone or become invested early on in the book when you only read 5 pages for each POV.

When I was young I sometimes had trouble sleeping (and still do).  I would always go into my mom's room and whine at her.  She would tell me to just go to my room and read for awhile or lay in the dark with my eyes closed.  Neither of these really seemed to work, but reading especially didn't help.  I would get too wrapped up in the characters and find myself still awake at 2AM.  Nowadays reading does tend to help more often than not.  Maybe it's because I've read it all before.  There's not much new out there to keep my attention late into the night unless it's particularly well written.  Maybe adult literature is just more boring (the books I have stayed up for, even now, tend to be YA).

Or maybe I trained myself to fall asleep when I read.  There were hours I spent doing reading homework because I would take naps between chapters in college and high school.  Does anyone else out there read to help them sleep?  Are there specific books you use?  Was there a book that made you fall asleep so often that you couldn't finish it or it took you ages to finish it?

My review can be found on Goodreads.

Day 167: The Witch of Hebron

The Witch of Hebron by James Howard Kunstler.  ISBN: 9780802116912 (uncorrected proof - published September 7, 2010).

There would be quite a few benefits to living in a world without electricity or oil.  We would automatically lead healthier lives with the necessity of traveling by foot or horseback.  We would probably eat heartier, but all of the food would be natural, with no chemical additives.  I imagine butter and bacon grease isn't so bad for us if you take away the preservatives and the leisurely lifestyle.

We would once again be force to rely on each other in a cooperative manner rather than a server-and-served capacity.  It's hard to treat someone as subservient or disrespectfully when you will rely on them to doctor your animals or your children, when you might rely on them to grow poppies for your laudanum supply since there are no longer more reliable anesthesia methods available.  At the very least you rely on them to help watch your property and protect your family from wild animals and outsiders.

We could see the stars again.  Bright.  Luminous.  More awe-inspiring because we have no hopes of reaching them again.

I had the privilege and misfortune of living without electricity for four months.  It was not a complete lack, we did have solar panels, which were used sparingly, and of course there were battery powered flashlights for trips to the bathroom and to light the kerosene lamps.  We were in an isolated area, the nearest neighbor was about a mile and a half and there was no light pollution to speak of.

It was not an easy adjustment for me.  There were moments when I sought refuge in the comforts of electric lights and hot running water and central heat.  But there was also a pleasure in learning to build a fire in the wood stove.  There was a romance in writing letters to friends by kerosene lantern or reading the works of Dumas, who probably wrote his work in similarly dim and cold surroundings.

I don't know that I want to go back to a life without electricity or automobiles, but I think I would be prepared to see the good, to revert back to a life where knowing my neighbor is a necessity rather than a pleasantry.

My review can be found on Goodreads.