As the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” I’m not partial to waiting, to be honest. I hate standing in lines or at a stop light when I’m in the car. But this week, I was rewarded by waiting — though I admit, the waiting wasn’t by intention.
Several years ago I read a novel by Elizabeth Kostova call The Historian. The large tome was a fascinating mixture of history and myth, centered around Dracula’s character. The author received much critical praise for her work and in 2006 she won two literary awards and received several bids for the screen rights.
Her second novel, The Swan Thieves came out in 2010 and while it garnered praise, the book had several detractors. Sadly, too, it wasn’t the great commercial success of The Historian. Nonetheless, I’d always intended to buy the book, but time and tide took my reading in other directions. I didn’t think about The Swan Thieves again until I found the paperback at the Dollar Store, a single copy, staring at me from amongst a smattering of other books I couldn’t be paid to take home.
Naturally, snatched it up, confident that Elizabeth Kostova, who showed an inventive mind in her first book, would not fail in her second. That I should find it now for $1 struck me as a special coup. My patience was rewarded. Or should I say, my neglect? Never mind. I am happy.
(Courtesy of amazon.com)
