- in·ef·fa·ble
/inˈefəb(ə)l/
-
too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.“the ineffable natural beauty of the Everglades”synonyms: inexpressible, indescribable, beyond words, beyond description, beggaring description; not to be uttered.
Question: You know what it’s like to read a book, even an amazing book like Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, when you’re the walking dead due to lack of sleep?
Answer: You don’t get much reading accomplished, that’s what.
Looking forward to this coming-out-of-my-hiatus, June 1 blog post and also the May 31 premier streaming of the series on Amazon Prime, I set my sights on reading this Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett book beginning last Sunday. I gave myself most of a week to read this one book in anticipation of the premier. The idea was to read the book, then watch the show and then compare the two mediums for my viewers.
Unfortunately, I’ve been reading all week long and I’m only halfway through. Well, I’m a little more than halfway through. At the time of this writing, I’ve read through Page 226 out of 368 pages on my Nook. It’s not for lack of trying, though. I just kept dozing off this week, including today. I’d wake up to find that I read through several pages, but I didn’t have a clue as to what was on those pages (words, presumably); so then I had to backtrack and re-read. How exasperating.
I can’t tell you how many times this past week that I’ve physically dropped my Nook while in the middle of a sentence, eyes glazed over, my lids half covering my eyeballs in my stupor with drool dribbling down the side of my face. I looked positively possessed according to David. What would I have looked like negatively possessed?
I panicked by Page 203 around noon today and made a last ditch effort to read like the wind; otherwise, I wasn’t going to finish in time. I was going to read straight through to finish the damned thing whether I absorbed any of it or not because I had company coming at 7:00 PM to watch the premier on TV with me. By Page 226, I gave up. I mean, other things had to get done, and they weren’t going to get done on their own!
But for God’s sake, it’s not like I was reading a textbook full of dry material; it’s a distinctly British and humorous take on the fucking Apocalypse. How much more entertainment could one ask for from a book?
It’s also a good friend’s favorite book and she highly recommended it. If I weren’t so damned tired all the damned time, I know I’d genuinely appreciate it as well. It’s light and entertaining and incredibly witty — none of that is lost on me — it’s just that the chuckles in my mind are sleep-deprived and so they can’t fully manifest. They’re faded echoes of chuckles that never quite materialized. How does that even happen? I don’t think they’re even echoes because to be echoes, they would have to have something to actually echo. So maybe they’re meta-chuckles; the thought of chuckles thinking about becoming actual chuckles but not quite able to get there. I think. LOL.
I do have “Bohemian Rhapsody, ” “Under Pressure” and other Queen songs stuck in my head vying for attention, though. (When you read the book or watch the series, you’ll understand. 🙂)
At this late date, I failed this task. Pure and simple utter failure. I wasn’t able to finish reading the book within the deadline so I could compare it to the Amazon Prime broadcast for my coming-out-of-hiatus blog post. Dammit to hell!
Even so, I was terribly excited about seeing it on TV! I wasn’t initially clear whether this was going to be a one-off movie or a series with a bunch of episodes to get through; but now I know this series/season has six episodes. Just think of it: Frances McDormand as God and Benedict Cumberbatch as Satan! And then there’s Michael Sheen (good angel) and David Tennant (bad demon)! How irresistible!
My company and I binge-watched as much as she could get through before it got too late. She had to leave by 10 PM and made me promise not to watch any more episodes without her. She’s going to try and make it back tomorrow. I told her if she’s not back by 2 PM, all bets are off. So, as I write this, I haven’t actually watched episodes past where I’ve gotten in the book.
Three. I’ve watched three episodes.
Unfortunately, I’m still dragging my butt at 3:18 AM as I write this post. I doubt I’ll be any perkier in the morning than I’ve been at my awful best today or the day before that; I’m half-dead with sheer exhaustion, as I have been for most of this week. Even so, I think I’ve made it perfectly clear that I can function (maybe not very well, but function, nonetheless) on little or no sleep. However, I’m concerned that this state will not lend itself to my remembering very much of what I’ve watched so far; which is probably how I’ll end up comparing it with the book that I’m also having a difficult time remembering.
So to hell with it. I set out to write about Good Omens for this blog post and, trust me, I ain’t got nothing else set aside for a Plan B. So here’s my take: I don’t remember what happened in the book and I don’t remember what I saw on the screen; except that it was all good for an end-of-days’ tale. I still don’t know the ending as I write this though. Anyway, that’s my first impression of both the series and the book. So…yeah, the screen version was as good as the book in my humble opinion. Call it…ineffable. Or ineffability. Whatever you choose. Hopefully, though, none of us will remember this post by Sunday.
You should read the book and watch the series. Seriously good stuff even if I’m too tired to remember it very well.
I think I’ll go to bed now. Sleep beckons. The Apocalypse is gonna have to wait until I can get around to it; preferably when I’m fully awake.
TTFN,
Mona
PS ~ It’s good to be back!
PPS ~ RIP Grumpy Cat!
PPPS ~ Here’s a little music for Armageddon because, you know, it wouldn’t be one of my blog posts without a little music. Enjoy.
Dear, I’ve read it somethingteen times and I can promise you, it will wait for you and never go away. I have a vision of you crossing white marathon tape, barely able to hold yourself up on your legs, much less your head. YOU come first. Self-care comes first. Sometimes I think my most interesting dreams come from the last few pages of a Nook book that I “read” just before drifting off in a Lunesta haze. I hope you’re sleeping hard as I type this. *hugs*
Lille,
What you describe with the marathon tape sounds like me “negatively possessed.” I haven’t remembered any of my dreams of late, I wish that reading had created vivid dreams that I remembered. Ah, well. The lack of sleep has to do with a certain someone in our home having meltdowns and requiring attention during the middle of the night; three nights in a row; but he’s fine now! Anyway, I think I may have gotten to sleep a little after 5 AM, and I woke up a little before noon. So that was a nice chunk of non-interrupted sleep. I like it! Yeah, I can’t wait to actually read the book while truly awake! So are you going to find a way to actually watch the series? ~ M
I haven’t heard of this one, but I read and am totally addicted to the Starz series American Gods.
Now FFS… go back to bed!
River,
I wish we had Starz or HBO or what’s the other one? Can’t remember. Cina..somethingoranother, maybe? Maybe it’s something entirely different. If I don’t have access, I just pretend it’s not there. I’ll keep my eye out for American Gods if it ever makes it to Amazon Prime. It may have and it just hasn’t blipped on my radar yet. I think you’ll truly appreciate Good Omens. ~ M
Welcome back! I’m so glad you’re blogging again! Now get some sleep and enjoy books instead of forcing yourself to read them! ❤
Hello, Kay,
Thanks, it’s good to be back. Thankfully, I think I’ve finally caught up on my ZZZZZ’s. I’m buzzing all of a sudden (go figure.) I do enjoy books, but you know, this was a challenge because sometimes life doesn’t cooperate and I had a deadline. This is not usually the case, though. ~ M
I can’t believe I just renamed myself Kay. Maybe I need sleep too.
Kat,
It was good to meet your sleep-deprived alter ego! She’s lovely. Take a nap, my friend, if the weather is conducive to napping. Might want to wear a life preserver and nap in your safe place just in case! ~ M
Wow! Effing wow! I will be binging this series! Reading is hard. No- reading is easy, retention is hard! But this was a great post (to forget by Sunday!) haha, I won’t forget this one, Mona. Cheers to sleep because Crazy knocks at the door of the unrested! Crazy and I spend a few days together every month. Say hi to that bitch for me and tell her to stay away from me!!! Cool post, loved the preview and Def Leppard, oh the memories… 😉
Hey Kim!
So you’ve met “Crazy” too, eh? She’s an odd one that will surely keep you up.
Oh! That’s the word I was looking for — “retention.” Thanks, it was bugging the crap out of me. Glad you enjoyed the post! I look forward to catching up on your posts as well! I was hoping the Def Leppard song would drown out Queen (not that I don’t like Queen — it’s just that Queen has been in my head all week long now and I’m ready for something new); but now I have this weird mashup of “Armageddon It” and “Under Pressure” going on in my brain. That’s what happens when you mess with stuff you don’t understand. The mashup’s, surprisingly, not that bad, though. ~ M
Good to see you back. I’ve seen the trailer and want to watch the series. Looks fun.
I appreciate your take on reading and retention of information. Sometimes it’s just hard to sit still long enough to really focus and get into the material. Sheila
Sheila,
It’s good to be back, my friend! I can’t wait to get back to writer’s group either, starting this coming week! I’ve missed y’all! Well, and what you said about reading and retention during periods of severe lack of sleep, anyway. Ha. The sitting still wasn’t really a problem. It was the drifting off. Perhaps it’s all a part of some ineffable plan. ~ M
I’ve just started reading American Gods so that I can watch the series–it might be a year before I ever get to see it! Happy you’re back:-)
Suzanne,
Thanks so much. So you’re the second person to bring up American Gods and, so I had to check it out. It sounds strange, wonderful and complicated. You have quite a bit of patience to wait a full year to get through the book. Also, I saw on FB that you were appraising antiques. That is really cool! You are definitely full of surprises! I can’t wait until morning to check out your new post! ~ M
I lurv the book – I have it from Audible and listen to it on a regular basis. I loved the series, even if it did leave out the rain of fish and the “other four motorcyclists of the apoc-ra-lypse.” The book and the series will both be there when you are ready for them. Take the time to enjoy them if you like very dry British wit. This one is a good friend I visit often, in fact, I listen to the audiobook when I can’t sleep because it is comforting and relaxing to me.
Sharon,
I love the idea of an audiobook! I will definitely look into that. Thanks for the idea!
ah, how nice to find another Gaiman fan. I’ve read American Gods and Good Omens and loved them both, but for the life of me I couldn’t tell you what happens or happened, and now I can’t find Good Omens (not surprisingly), but they are the kind of books that do that. Best way is to just not try to play Marathon with either of them. Read them, what’s the push?
And of course if I had a TV I’d watch anything David Tennant was in…damn he’s gorgeous.
But books and movies rarely connect, since one is invariably longer than the other, and some things cannot be shown in a movie (ever see a person trying to portray “man thinking furiously”?)…
Judy,
I’m loving both Good Omens, the book, and I loved the series. Do you have a favorite moment…or as I like to call it, a favmo? I mean, if you can recall. I’m with you 100 percent on David Tennant. “Man thinking furiously?” Hmmm……I have a tiny sculpture, Rodin’s “The Thinker.” Does that count? Oh, also, I haven’t read or seen American Gods, but I keep hearing about it! It’s definitely on my list! Mona
If I hadn’t chosen to clean insanely this weekend, I would have rented Good Omens from the library and read it. Now I really have to do it! This will be fun. I can’t wait to not remember it with you!
Sarah,
Your plan sounds…ineffable! I think we may have to consider Tulsa our “mini-Vegas” with whatever goes on there… ~ M