WANTING * PREFONTAINE

Wanting by Richard Flanagan - For every shower, a rainbow.....by which I mean that the last book I read was not good, and this book is this:
Wanting is a beautifully written novel taking place in the mid 1800s in England and Tasmania, specifically Flinders Island, and Wybalena Island. It's actually two stories with common themes. The author says that the book is ultimately

"...a meditation on desire - the cost of its denial, the centrality and force of its power in human affairs." (p.256)

For me the book was about death, and love. Death

"....that every death of those you love is the death also of so many shared memories and understanding, of a now irretrievable part of your own life;...."(p.90)

and Love

"It occurred to her that perhaps one only exists in those who love you....Had she said no to love, that day she looked down into the courtyard?.....And if you turn away from love, did it mean you no longer existed?....." (p.240).

I knew I liked this book, but what I liked best was the sensation of falling in love with the story more and more as it progressed. Usually a story catches you somewhere in the first half, and you'll coast on that to the end. Even if it's a page-turner, it's a coast, your feelings don't really fall deeper, even if they intensify. With Wanting, I kept falling deeper into the stories and characters. It's a great sensation and it added a new dimension to the emotion and enjoyment that comes from reading.

If you're going to read Wanting, do a quick Google Map Search and a quick Wiki search about Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) Flinders Island, and Wybalena, so you'll know where you are on the earth and in history.
I wish this were the cover art, and if you read the book, you'll know why:
Prefontaine - This is a movie based on the true story of Steve Prefontaine, one America's best distance runners who ran for Oregon in the late 1960s/early 70s. Although actors play most of the major roles, real life footage is woven into the film. The visuals of Bill Bowerman making shoes are priceless, and Bowerman (Oregon's head track coach and also founder of Nike) plays a major role in this story. It's a good movie for runners and those who love them.