Never mind how I managed to have this on the shelf in the first place, upon learning of its significance to Susan Orleans The White Hotel immediately jumped rank and became The Next Read.

It was not a contentious promotion. I had long been intrigued by the artwork that adorned the pages inside the front cover:

To Susan Orleans, veritable author of The Orchid Thief, The White Hotel is one of 40 books that changed her world.

To me, veritable scribe of hope and vengeance, The White Hotel is one of the better books I’ve read in a while.

I’m not done with it yet and am not holding out much hope for it to change my world. No worries, however. Books are personal treasures and like good drugs, do different things for different people at different times.

But at least for now, I am absolutely enjoying the hell out of The White Hotel. Thanks probably to low expectations and ignorance. I spread these pages knowing nothing of D.M. Thomas nor the concerns of his novel in question, other than that which could be gleamed from the picture above. I have since been surprised, humored, intrigued, entertained and a myriad of emotions I hope we all occasionally encounter upon interacting with a work.

Do yourself a favor, read this book. Visit Mr. Thomas’s website and blog. Do your very best to track down the delightful paperback that I found:

Haha!

These book thingies are fun!!

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