Ivan Doig

I am re-reading some of my collection of Ivan Doig novels. Nothing I like better than curling up with a good book after work.
And his works are better than just good books. Believe me I can tell the difference, having read several thousand books. Most popular books are like hotrods. A lot of flash and sound and motion that hold your attention as long as they are in your immediate view, then soon gone.
The wordsmanship in an Ivan Doig book is like a stained glass window, Each sentence is a little jewel, polished up and placed just to in the framework of the whole, each complimenting the next, but making the whole so much better than a bunch of words herded together in one place.
I can not only get lost in the stories themselves, but am always aware of the craftsmanship. These sentences did not get assembled in this inner and outer order by chance, but every bit by intent.
I think maybe they are better the second and third time around, because you know the shape and content of the book, so you can mentally step back at any point and look at what you have just read in relation to the whole. Studying on the one piece wile holding the shape of the whole in your mind gives you a greater appreciation for the hand and mind that guides you along on your way.