The Clue in the Bookshelf

Books Read in 2011

2011-12-31T11:19:00.002-05:00

Books read in 2011:

Visions of Glory by William Manchester 885 pages
Shakedown by Ezra Levant 191 pages
One Point Safe by Andrew and Leslie Cockburn 282 pages
John A: The Man Who Made Us by Richard J. Gwyn 440 pages
The Abolition of Britain by Peter Hitchens 318 pages
Sahib: The British Soldier in India by Richard Holmes 506 pages
The Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens 163 pages
The River Runs Between Us by Richard Peck 158 pages
Uncrowned King by Stanley Weintraub 443 pages
The New World by Winston S. Churchill 317
The Young Politician by Donald Creighton 481 pages
The Age of Revolution by Winston S. Churchill
The Queen's Government by Sir Ivor Jennings 153 pages
The Great Democracies by Winston S. Churchill 299 pages
Alone by William Manchester 683 pages
Trade Secrets by Pat Carney = 357 pages
Criminal Justice in America 408 pages
Administrative Law 248 pages
Misconceiving Canada: The Struggle for National Unity by Kenneth McRoberts by 276 pages
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis 171 pages
Blood, Sweat & Tears by Winston S. Churchill 462 pages
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 1443 pages
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne 237 pages
Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert 959 pages
Against all Enemies by Richard A. Clarke 291 pages
Frontiers and Wars by Winston S. Churchill 567 pages 10738 pages SO FAR
Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward443 pages
The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek 240 pages
The Downing Street Years by Margaret Thatcher 862 pages
The Prime Ministers That Never Were 239 pages
Upwardly Mobile by Norman Tebbit 345 pages
North & South by Mrs. Gaskell 403 pages
The Wordsworth Book of Kings & Queens of Britain by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville 254 pages
The Reign of George the III by J. Steven Watson 573 pages
Hanover to Windsor by Roger Fulford 178 pages
Nancy Astor: A Life by Anthony Masters 227 pages
Queen Elizabeth: The Queen Mother by Dorothy Laird 365 pages
English Political Thought in the 19th Century by Crane Brinton 305 pages
America Alone by Mark Steyn 214 pages
Unfinished Business by Norman Tebbit 136 pages
Life of the Party by Eddie Goodman 308 pages
Yes, Prime Minister 240 pages
The Politics of Ambition by John Sawatsky 557 pages
One Canada by John Diefenbaker 282 pages
Officers and Gentlemen by Evelyn Waugh 335 pages
The Old Chieftain by Donald Creighton 576 pages
Leadership by Rudolph Giuliani 380 pages
Canada's First Century by Donald Crieghton 356 pages
In Search of Peace by Neville Chamberlain 309 pages
Before the Lamps Went Out by Geoffrey Marcus 321 page
The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope 223 pages
The Bully Boys by Eric Walters 224 pages
The New A-Z of the Empire by Dr. Brad Faught 240 pages
The English Constitution by Walter Bagehot 310 pages
The Case of the Lost Song by Carolyn Keene 145 pages
The Tragedy of the Korosko by Arthur Conan Doyle 117 pages
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis 206 pages
We Shall Not Fail: The Inspirational Leadership of Winston Churchill by Celia Sandys 263 pages
Sieze the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar by Adam Nicolson 317 pages
Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India by Lawrence James 647 pages
Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Royal Britain by Charles Phillips 495 pages
The Beverley Hillbillies by Stephen Cox 237 pages
High Survival by Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon 214 pages
The Battle of Britain by Ira Peck 125 pages
Gladstone by Peter Stansky 184 pages
The Confederation Debates 157 pages
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare 126 pages
The Prince of Wales by Jonathan Dimbleby 566 pages
London
A Model Crime by Carolyn Keene 154 pages
Another Nancy Drew 154 pages
Another Nancy Drew 146 pages
Kim by Rudyard Kipling 289 pages
Celsius 7/7 by Michael Gove 147 pages
Perelandra by C.S. Lewis 282 pages
The Cameron Delusion by Peter Hitchens 204 pages
Another Nancy Drew 149 pages
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Mexatas 281 pages
John Macnab by John Buchan 188 pages
England 1870-1914 by Robert Ensor 557 pages
My Years With Churchill by Norman Macgowan 143 pages
Raiders of the Mohawk 182 pages
Canada & Other Matters of Opinion by Rex Murphy 329 pages
A Spirit Undaunted: The Political Role of King George VI by Robert Rhodes James 346 pages

27,731 pages read

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis

2011-09-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

To be honest, I am in general not a huge fan of science fiction or fantasy, Narnia and probably (I say probably as it has been some time since I read the books) Lord of the Rings are the only ones I like well enough. However, I had heard some positive comments about C.S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet and following books, so when I had the chance to buy them, I did.

It took me just a bit of time to, shall I say, "get with" the fantasy/sci-fi (what exactly is the right classification for these books? I would say sci-fi...) feel of the book, but once I did I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it. To be sure, the book- I have not read the next two, but I have them- is for older or more mature readers, and it has a different feel than Narnia. It was hard for me to visualise different sorts of plants and creatures for which there is no reasonably corresponding earth counterpart, and as such I probably have now some very odd and wrong images of what the creatures of Malacandra are supposed to actually look like. I also have a very odd idea that most of the world is a magenta purple with a odd colour of blue... most likely not the colours that C.S. Lewis intended for his country.

Still though, the fault is entirely mine for not being able to envision it properly, it has been a very long time since I read anything by way of fantasy, and I have read very few novels this year, preferring to rather spend my time reading non fiction including history, political science, and foreign affairs.

I'm sorry that my thoughts, at this moment, are rather shallow. It has been some time since I read a book to evaluate it and review it on my blog.

Books Read in 2010

2010-12-31T15:33:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again! Here is a list of the books that I read in the year 2010. The list is notably shorter than the list of books I read in 2009, however.

January, 2010

1.Opal by Laurianne Snelling =315 pages
2. The Moorland Cottage by Mrs. Gaskell
3. Gene Autry and the Golden Stallion =282 pages
4. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy =1414 pages
5. A Wolf Story by James Byron Higgins =250 pages

February, 2010

6. Biblical Ethics, The Moral Foundations of Life, and
The Philosophy of Sin by Oswald Chambers =357 pages
7. Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens =914 pages

March, 2010
8. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen =341
9. Say Yes to Tomorrow and Our Values by Dale Evans Rogers =282 pages
10. The Gathering Storm by Sir Winston S. Churchill =596 pages
11. Vicki Finds the Answer =211 pages
12. Exiles From the War by Jean Little =219 pages
13. Their Finest Hour by Sir Winston S. Churchill =630 pages
14. Statecraft by Margaret Thatcher =471 pages
15. Cherry Ames: The Clue of the Faceless Criminal =182 pages

April, 2010
16. Collapse by Jared Diamond =525 pages
17. The Three Musketeers (abridged) by Alexandre Dumas =184 pages
18. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (?)= 241 pages
19. High Risk by Carolyn Keene =146 pages
20. The Stolen Relic by Carolyn Keene =148 pages
21. The Perilous Gard =280 pages
22. The Grand Alliance by Sir Winston S. Churchill =710 pages
23. Gus =124 pages
24. The Feathered Serpent Mystery by Carolyn Keene =120 pages
25. Why We Act Like Canadians by Pierre Berton =113 pages
26. The Lost Art of True Beauty by Leslie Ludy =169 pages

May, 2010
27. The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas =616 pages
28. The Hinge of Fate by Sir Winston S. Churchill =722 pages
29. Closing the Ring by Sir Winston S. Churchill =544 pages
30. Triumph and Tragedy by Sir Winston S. Churchill =578 pages
31. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett =276 pages
32. Annie Oakley in Double Trouble =282 pages

June, 2010
33. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen =262 pages
34. Shirley by Charlotte Bronte =482 pages
35. Clementine Churchill by Mary Soames =525 pages

July, 2010
36. Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens =865 pages
37. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson (I think?) =244 pages
38. The World Crisis by Sir Winston S. Churchill =841 pages
39. Start Here by the Harris brothers =137 pages
40. How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) by Ann Coulter =332 pages

August, 2010
41. Queen Victoria by Cecil Woodham-Smith =438 pages
42. Clues for Real Life =164 pages
43. Operation Titanic by Carolyn Keene =215 pages
44. The National Dream by Pierre Berton =389 pages
45. Impact Canada 100 =90 pages
46. The Hollow Tree by Janet Lunn =260 pages
47. The Tale of Despereaux by Kat DiCamillo =268 pages
48. Defending Identity by Natan Sharansky =232 pages
49. No Strings Attached by Carolyn Keene =137 pages
50. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens =629 pages
51. Blue Thunder: The Truth about Conservatives from MacDonald to Harper by Bob Plamondon =586 pages

September, 2010
52. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot =675 pages
53. Running on Fumes by Franklin W. Dixon =150 pages
54. Condi by Antonia Felix =255 pages
55. Going Rogue by Sarah Palin =408 pages
56. To Lose A Battle by Alistair Horne =683 pages
57. Conservative Victory by Sean Hannity =231 pages
58. The Path to Power by Margaret Thatcher =606 pages

October, 2010
59. The Red Wall by Jane Hall =351 pages
60. Preparing for Adolescence by James Dobson =186 pages
61. The Mystery of the Lost Dogs by Carolyn Keene =50 pages
62. Winston & Clementine by Mary Soames =647 pages
63. A Call to Honour by Gilbert Morris =224 pages
64. Let Freedom Ring by Sean Hannity =294 pages

November, 2010
65. To Rule the Waves =569 pages
66. The Quotable Politician =274 pages
67. The Persecution of Sarah Palin =226 pages
68. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte =189 pages
69. The Professor by Charlotte Bronte =207 pages
70. The Introvert Advantage =308 pages
71. The Return of Jeeves & Bertie Wooster Sees It Through by P.G. Wodehouse =280 pages
72. Ethical Oil: The Case for Canada's Oil Sands by Ezra Levant =234 pages
73. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett =294 pages
74. Criminal Justice Today =689 pages
75. Introduction to Canadian Law =575 pages
76. The Struggle for Democracy =560 pages

December, 2010
77. Statecraft by Margaret Thatcher =471 pages
78. Shine by The Newsboys =312 pages
79. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis =189 pages
80. The 39 Steps/The Power House by John Buchan =192 pages
81. Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters by William Austen-Leigh =320 pages
82. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie =228 pages
83. 436 pages of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
84. 230+ pages of The Last Lion: Visions of the Glory by William Manchester

Grand Total:
30, 671 pages

The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan and The Power House by the same author

2010-12-22T13:02:00.000-05:00

I was vaguely familiar with the plot line of The Thirty Nine Steps before I read the book, having seen the 2008 adaptation when it aired on PBS Masterpiece earlier this year. I knew, however, that the book would be somewhat different- or perhaps it would be more fair to say the movie was greatly changed from the book. Seeing as there were some things I didn't like about the film version, I didn't think I'd mind the changes. I didn't. I found The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan to be an excellent read- especially if you like the pre-World War I era, which I do. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was gripping- I've read books that gripped me more (such as The Woman in White), but it certainly was a book that was hard to put down. It was definitely better than the latest film version.

However, I enjoyed The Power-House even more than The Thirty Nine Steps. I especially liked the protagonist- you really can't ask for a much better one: a politician and a lawyer in pre-World War I England, a Conservative as well, a Member of the House of Commons, a logical, practical, ISTJ-ish, sort of chap who likes for the most part the routine and the "ordinary" of life, who finds himself solving a mystery in London itself. Sounds great, does it not? In fact, it was great. I think it would honestly make a great film adaptation, if done right. (Read: Close to the original story) The plot was good- I think the prose was written in a way that gives the reader somewhat of an understanding of what the hero- who was named Edward- was going through in the sense that while he was being watched, chased, and pursued, I felt on edge, and very much involved in what was happening. I think it helped that the story was written in first person- in the least case, it definitely helps the reader get into the mind of Edward and see what he's thinking. If it was written in third person, it would be harder for some people to get into the story, as the type of people of whom Edward is a member generally are the quiet ones on the outside. People would no doubt call them boring, simply because they don't wear their hearts on their sleeves. However, since we were able to see the story through Edward's point of view, readers who otherwise may have thought him boring will have a better chance at not thinking so.

Anyway- I apologise if this is a pitiful review. I can say, though, that I lent the book to my brother, I'm convinced he will enjoy it as well. We generally have the same tastes in literature and books.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

2010-11-05T10:34:00.001-04:00

I think it is quite possible that Agnes Grey will become one of my favourite novels by the Bronte sisters (that and Shirley, by Charlotte Bronte). While Agnes Grey is short and the prose is somewhat more on the simple side, the story is sweet, and the title character (Agnes) is likable. Since the novel is written in first person, the reader can even better understand what Agnes goes through, and how she responds and reacts to situations, thereby allowing the reader to understand and relate to her even more.

The storyline is straightforward: after Agnes' father loses the family savings on a speculation (which, let me add, he was only doing so that he may help his family even more), Agnes chooses the path of becoming a governess so she may support her family. The book then follows her as she governesses two different families. It is, in its entirety, not a long book- I read it in a day and a half. However, I enjoyed reading about the feelings and thoughts of a character relatively around my age and personality type as she goes through new circumstances, especially that of finding the one that she is to marry. Her thoughts and feelings on that matter were ones that were sensible and correct, and I would say God honouring, a very much contrast from what the world accepts today as good and honourable in the love-feelings department. Personally speaking, I much prefer the "old fashioned" way of doing things.

At times the writing is a touch rough, this is probably due to the fact that this novel was Anne Bronte's first novel, and once or twice I felt the chapters ended a bit unusually or abruptly, but other than that I didn't notice anything else, but instead very much enjoyed the depth and style of the prose, it is definitely something that is lacking from much of today's writing.

PS: I have finally gotten around to replying to comments left on my reviews of Dombey and Son and Mansfield Park. I am very, very, sorry for taking so long to reply, I hope you will forgive me, dear commenters!

To Lose A Battle by Alistair Horne

2010-09-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

In depth, To Lose A Battle by Alistair Horne (a British historian who specialises in French history), details the Battle of France- Hitler's campaign to invade and subdue France- during World War II. It starts out many years before the actual war takes place, in fact, it starts out with the narrative of the celebrations in France at the end of World War I. It enlightens the reader as to the political scene in France, which was troubled and turbulent, (to say the least), and in fact shows how the political trouble during the inter-war years made the French Army pay a heavy price. The book spends lengthy chapters on each day of the campaign once it starts, and then ends after France is subdued, and after Dunkirk.

For the most part I enjoyed this book, it was detailed (and I like that) but I didn't find that it dragged because of the depth of the work. I also liked how one got a glimpse at the slightly more personal side of the war- because the author spends quite a bit of time describing each day of the campaign, one can see the characters of German leaders such as Rommel, and of French leaders such as Weygand. It's definitely not an overview of the campaign and battles, and because it's not , it can spend quite a bit of time enlightening the reader without having to worry about space and words. I would think it could be compared to a "case study".

It was an interesting read, although in the end I'm not sure if I agree 100% with some of the author's conclusions. They were nothing radical, they just didn't quite sit right with me.

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

2010-06-05T15:29:00.000-04:00

As the storyline and characters are rather familiar to everyone, I shall skip those and get on to my actual thoughts about the book.

My first reading of the book happened sometime in 2006, I believe, and I must have read it two or three times since then, but it had been a very long time since I read the book, and in between this reading and the last I've seen three different film versions numerous times. As such, it was time to read the book again, even though I have very much so enjoyed the adaptations. What a true and real delight to open the covers of the book and immerse oneself in not a modern day interpretation of the book- someone else's thoughts on the matter, be they right or wrong- but in the work of Jane Austen herself, where one does not have to worry about modern day thoughts and what has been read into the story by over ambitious adapters.

The writing style was clean and simple, but nonetheless very wonderful. I believe I have mentioned before, in previous entries, how I appreciate Austen's style. She puts so much depth into relatively so few words, which is quite a talent, I think. Several reasons struck me, however, as to why this writing style is different from many of the modern day written historical novels, and it is a reason which I believe is plausible and therefore does not exactly find fault with the latter set- the historical novels written today. The reason being is that when Jane Austen wrote, she wrote for her own time period, assuming (and rightly so) that her readers would automatically know or be able to picture the settings, society, and scenes depicted within her novels. With historical novels today, the author must put more time in writing out the details and add words into their novels so that the modern reader can more easily understand what is happening. They cannot just assume that their readers will automatically know what is happening. I suppose that could be a bit of a pity, especially for someone who loves history, but it's not really a fault, of either the human race today or the author. However, this does not make up for bad writing, over used cliches, and plot lines that smack of "already been done x 100". You get the point. Thankfully, Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice does not really bring across any of the above faults that can so often happen in writing today.

And so, it was really wonderful to get back to the original work. I think this is the case as well with other books- such as the Bible. It is not enough for us to listen to other people's interpretations of it, although some of them can be honestly very good, we must ourselves get back to the original, see it for ourselves, read it for ourselves. With the Bible, it is imperative that we do... although with Pride And Prejudice, I wouldn't say it's imperative. But nonetheless certainly a nice thing in which to partake now and then.

The Man In The Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

2010-05-02T13:55:00.001-04:00

(Some spoilers below)

One of the very first books I remember ever buying, or having my Mom buy for me, was an abridged version of The Three Musketeers. This is easily over ten years ago. Since then I have liked the idea of the Musketeers although I have not yet read the unabridged novel, and I probably never will because of content included in the unabridged novel which is not as much included in the abridged. I have however, just finished the last of the "Musketeer" novels- The Man in the Iron Mask. I was likewise introduced to this story through the greatly abridged Great Illustrated Classics novel, so I knew the basic plot, and roughly how it ended. Let me tell you, the thought of the poor man, doomed forever to wear an iron mask, locked away in some prison, was something that has stayed with me for a long time, and it still makes me shiver a little today, and feel sad.

However, I have now finished the full length novel by this name, and to some extent, I enjoyed it. The plotline- about the conspiracy related to The Man in the Iron Mask was extremely interesting and really engaged me as the reader. The characterisations were really quite good- especially that of D'Artagnan. I liked his loyalty to the king, and even liked the king himself (let's just say, for the most part, I was on the king's side of things during the novel) even though he was by no means a flawless human being. In fact, what he indulged himself on and what he allowed was one of the only things I did not like about this book- adultry. I'm sorry, even if the act of allowing oneself to have feelings and emotions and "love" for one other than one's spouse was something that was done back then (and it was), and even if it wasn't condemned (not having studied that time period too much, I can't say if it was condoned or condemned, but from what I've read, it certainly seemed like it was a socially accepted practice), it is still wrong. I doubt many of you readers would argue that point. But since it is wrong, and it's in fact something that God hates, and even if it is historically accurate and so forth, I don't appreciate it or like it, in fact, I really don't like it, when it happens in books, unless (and this is a big "unless") it is clearly condemned and looked upon as wrong. (And even then, it depends upon how much it's in the book, what sort of role it plays, etc) This was not so in the book. I don't know what the author's personal views on this were- although if anything I believe he included the content mainly because it was historically something that happened. Whether that is a good and valid reason to include such content, I guess that's up to you. But for me personally, it took away from the book. I do not want to make it sound worse than it was, but on the other hand, I do not want to detract from it and gloss it over. The fact that the King, and in fact, several other characters shamelessly have these people around them, with whom they are not acting properly, is definitely there. In fact, it keeps popping up right when I hoped it would be squelched for good. It is something to be aware of when making the choice to read the book or not.

Spoilers below

That being said, it is really the only thing which with I had a problem in this book. I'm not sure if I can say that I loved the feel of the book, as it certainly made one feel sad. It's the last book in the series, Porthos, Aramis, Athos and D'Artagnan are all in the last years of their lives, and in fact, some of them die. It's very sad to see them die, heartbreaking almost. There's a sense of finality in the book, it's the last in the series, there would be no more after this. Even for they who don't die, the thought of them having to live alone, parted from their dearly loved friends is definitely enough to make me feel sad. And then too, there was Philippe, who is soon to be discovered as Louis XIV's twin brother, who has spent his life either in a quiet house out of the way, and had a distinctly un-normal childhood, in the Bastille, and then eventually imprisoned in the Iron Mask. For most of his life, he had not a clue as to what he had done wrong. I felt sorrow and pity for him, until he became a pawn in Aramis' hand. Even then, Philippe had no knowledge of the dangers of conspiracy, he truly believed (because he was taught so) that the throne was rightfully his. I guess even then I feel sorry for him in the end. When I was reading the part where Philippe talked about his childhood, I had to stop and think for a little at just how blessed I am. To have my family, to be free, to know that I am loved, these were things that Philippe grew up with out....how sad! As I said earlier, to think of him living out the rest of his life forced to wear an iron mask, wow... True, he wasn't entirely faultless in the matter, but I think most of the blame is on those who led him astray, especially those under the guise of ones who said they wanted the best for him, but abandoned him in the end. I guess the lesson that can be learned from this is that we should be very careful to make sure that we don't lead astray the younger generation coming up behind us. True, we'll probably never involve them in some conspiracy to overtake thrones and dispose of kings, but the words and the actions that we say and do really do have an effect on the little ones watching us, who may even look up to us. We need to be careful.

In the end, I guess it's a book that you'll have to decide for yourself whether or not you want to read it. I have mixed emotions about it myself.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

2010-03-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

Mansfield Park. The name alone probably brings up some sort of image to your mind, and for the longest time, the image brought up to my mind was the thought, the wonder, at how a Jane Austen book could have been made into an R rated film. Little did I know then, honestly and truly, the minds of those who twist and pervert, if I may use that word, morally good books. But I am much more "enlightened", if you will, now. It took some time for me to read Mansfield Park, and when I did, I enjoyed it but I don't think I actually loved it, and to my fifteen year old mind (for to be honest, I only read in it January 2008 or so) I thought it was somewhat dry. I just finished my re-read of it last evening, and while I don't pretend in the least to have full capacity to understand the themes, characters, and the points Miss Austen was bringing across in her work, I must say that I did enjoy it much much more than I thought I ever would. In fact, I believe- just like Fanny Price's gentle and quiet nature, this book shall continue to grow upon me, gently and quietly. And I am all for it if it does.

I realize that this is one of Austen's more controversial work, (not from content, though!) and that there are- from what I have seen- generally speaking at least two parties: those who hate the book, who think Fanny Price is a moral prig, pushover, weakling and absolutely boring; and obviously the other party is composed of people who do not. I unashamedly am in the latter party. I never thought Fanny was a push over, a goody goody two shoes, and I don't now. I think she is a character little understood in today's world for several reasons, of which I shall name a few.

Firstly, there is the fact that Fanny's moral strength, her character, her heart, her convictions as to what is right and wrong, are in a much more minority than they were in Austen's day. And quite sadly, I think. Sin and evilness, and even people like the Crawfords (who are not evil, just misguided), are more embraced in today's culture, and in fact, the very things Fanny (and even Edmund) stood for are looked down upon in today's world. Sadly, people now a days actually like characters like the Crawfords, and find they "fit" in with today's ideals and standards much better than Fanny and Edmund, who would, sadly, stick out like sore thumbs and wet blankets. And as such, they are called that. I think that the world in general has taken huge steps towards the worse, and it's not just evident in the characters people embrace- whether they chose morally upright and truly good people like Fanny and Edmund, or people like the Crawfords who are rather un-constant, and worldly minded. I believe that in many ways she and Anne Elliott are quite the same: there are circumstances wherein they do not mind being guided and leaded, even persuaded, to do this or that, but when it comes down to something that contradicts their very moral beliefs and convictions, they stand firm against the many outside sources that would wish to sway them. In Fanny's case, it first was with the play that her cousins were putting on. Fanny knew it to be a immoral and inappropriate play, and therefore withstood, despite great criticism from Mrs. Norris and the others. In the second case, it was when she refused Mr. Crawford's proposals of marriage because she knew and had observed his character and how it was morally deficient and that he was not at all someone she wanted to be married too. She did this for more reasons than just being in love with Edmund. She stood strong in the end despite censure and criticism from people like her uncle. True, she did question herself sometime, but time after time she put those questions to rest with the answer that what she had observed and recognized in the play and in Mr. Crawford's character was something morally wrong. She stood strong, just like Anne Elliot did when she was trying to be persuaded to accept and marry Mr. Elliot, her cousin. I think saying Fanny is a pushover and a weakling has little, if at all, real true ground.

Secondly, there is Fanny's situation. People don't like Fanny because she seems to be a push over and weak. If you will, kindly remember the way she was brought up, from her very childhood. She was brought up to expect and believe that it was her duty to be at the beck and call of her aunts, that she ought to do so out of gratitude, that anything less would be ingratitude for all the money and expense that her uncle had been put through in agreeing to raise her. So do not blame Fanny for the ill way she was brought up, blame instead her misguided and even cruel Aunt Norris, if you must find someone to blame. But back to the point: the reason we, the modern day reader, cannot truly grasp just why she was the way she was (even us who love her despite) is because the vast differences in our situation, and the fact that most of us haven't been brought up in such homes where it was taught to us, impressed upon us day after day that that is our duty and we must do it. In this regard, Fanny is much like Maggie from The Moorland Cottage. Very much so, I believe.

Some people think Fanny and Edmund lack sparkle. While I don't entirely agree, I would like to now quote a very particular and good statement from the introduction to the book that is in my edition of Mansfield Park (The Wordsworth Edition), if I may. "The Crawfords are intended to be attractive, Fanny and Edmund are intended to lack sparkle. That's the whole point. To chose virtue may mean choosing the less attractive option." And then "Again and again the book sets what people want to do against what they ought to do and judges them according to their response. Fanny alone consistently makes the right choice." (emphasis in both quotes the author's) While I do not find the Crawfords attractive, I think that is simply because I know the full story and what their characters are really like. Personally speaking, I find that I can respect and like a person like Fanny very much, because she chose the right options, she took the right paths. Whatever you may think of the Crawfords, I'll admit I'll wonder at anyone who I believe has good morals and standards who say that they think Fanny is weak and a pushover and etc, and they hate her, because it is obvious that if she is weak, she still has a very good set of morals and knows how to stand up for what is right. I realize she may not be everyone's character, and that's fine. You may not sympathize with her much because of differences in personality and lifestyles, but at least recognize that she did what was right and that is commendable. I like her very much for her choices and her morals and standards. She is someone to whom I can aspire to be like, to have that uncompromising belief in Someone higher who has set down guidelines and morals and standards that are right, not because she or I say it's right, but because God says it's right.

However, this blog post was not meant to be only centered on defending Fanny Price, so I shall move on.

I enjoyed the themes of this book much more than words can say. I was pleased to find that one of the reasons for the more "serious" nature of this book is that there is strong evidence that Jane Austen was an Evangelical believer at the time of this writing, and that her new found faith influenced her work, hence why the morals and lessons in this book- while not overpowering- are still more predominant than perhaps before. My sister, who was reading it with me as well, also greatly enjoyed the book, and I'm glad. :) I think in time it shall become my one of the favourite favourite Austen. :)

And so. If you are someone who doesn't like Fanny, whether or not you ever like her, I do hope that you will at least take into consideration some of what I -and many others to be sure- have pointed out about her character. Okay? :)

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

2010-02-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

I finished reading my latest Charles Dickens the other evening, and I must admit I've been thinking about my reactions, thoughts, and feelings after finishing the book much more than I actually thought I would. Be that a good or bad thing.

As always, Dickens is a masterful writer who knows how to utilize words and even more, weave human emotions into the lines of his work, so the reader gets a very good idea of what the characters are feeling and thinking- or in some cases, not thinking but just feeling. Two particular characters who shall remain nameless for the sake of spoilers go on journies through out the book that ultimately lead to a period of time where they are pursued and haunted by their past- regrets, memories, emotions, and they can do nothing to shake the helpless feeling as they attempt to run away from what they would rather forget but find it pervades their lives even to their inner parts. They run, they try to hide, but they cannot. Their lives at this time go by in a blur- they are consumed with trying to forget, but find they cannot. Personally, I found it very powerful, very heart breaking, and very haunting. Perhaps it is because I too have, and had, mistakes and memories that I would much rather forget, but at times find I cannot. Mercifully, they are, as time goes by, blurring into one fuzzy memory, but there was a time when my bad choices and what I had done and how I had messed up taunted me day after day after day. So I suppose I can sympathize with these characters. The memories did not come flooding back as I read these characters' struggles, but I will admit I was caught up in the feeling, and I felt that even if I did not like these characters for the most part, I could suddenly understand what they were feeling. Charles Dickens does indeed write well.

I think there are certain books and pieces of literature that are the type that leave the reader with a new found look into one- or perhaps many- aspects of his or her own life. This is definitely true about Dombey and Son, for, by reading it, I realized something about myself that I am now puzzling over how to deal with. I did have a slight inclination of it beforehand, but I could not truly articulate on that feeling, until now. I found at times throughout the book that I didn't like how it seemed that Dickens was laughing, mocking, and scorning, at what he perceived to be the faults of the establishment- of the rules, traditions, and ways of the upper classes in Society, but which were not actually confirmed as faults by others. Casting my mind back to the other novels of his that I have read, I can certainly see this in those stories, whereas before I could not. Truth be told, it irked me. Upon further examination of my own self, though, I realized just why it irked me. I do the same thing, and perhaps while I do not do it over the same themes, objects, classes, and events, I still nonetheless use sarcasm, mockery, and perhaps even scorn over what I perceive as faults in groups, ideals and other various things that I do not agree with. I am not, of course, saying that I am wrong to disagree with some of what I disagree with, but the fact nonetheless remains that I take my perceptions of things, scorn what I disagree with, and sometimes make the subjective the objective. Frankly, it is somewhat disturbing. How shall I change? At present I know not. Although I am thinking that I will keep my sarcastic criticism more so to myself or express it only with people who agree with me- such as my older brother. We get along famously on that line, because he not only agrees with me on many of the ideals I hold, but is also more of an advocate for them. And, generally speaking, he is usually right.

I do not really hold Dickens in less esteem than previously, and I still enjoyed this particular novel, but I have come to see moreso why my older brother (who, and this is not I bragging about him, really does know very very much about British History- military, cultural, social, governmental and etc) does not like Dickens to the nth degree. One thing my brother told me some time ago (before I could understand his view point exactly) was that Dickens is not the only person through whom we can see the Victorian era. He may have been the greatest English author of the time, but he was not the only one. And that is certainly true. Naturally, Dickens wrote under the shadow of his experience, beliefs, and what he perceived to be the injustices of the world. (And, I am sure, some of what he saw as the actual truth) We all do that, because it's the way of human nature from what I have observed. Therefore, I now think it is imperative that we do not rely soley upon one person for the foundation and base of our knowledge and beliefs of such a great and pivotal time period in the history of the world.

As for the themes in this particular story- my favourite (as it almost always is) was the theme of redemption. It wasn't a huge theme and for most of the book, it was rather a subtle theme, quiet and almost, one would think, laying low. But it has its time to come in and play its part, and that is when we see the bloom and flower of redeeming love, the outward show and effect of what has been quietly weaving its way through the previous pages, waiting for the right time to show the reader what effect and change it can have on people. I think though, that one must be careful and not take the humanistic approach to this redeeming love- for in all honesty it is only God's love, that wonderful redeeming love, that can truly change people. Yes, as humans we can patiently love someone for years and years and perhaps see outward signs, but the inward changing of the heart can only come through God's patient and redeeming love for us human beings. God loved us so much that He did something that was very painful to Himself- sending Jesus to die on the Cross- for us, to save us, and in a small reflection of that, one of the characters in this book loved her father so much that she was constant and forgiving and self sacrificing, even though sometimes it hurt. This character, I believe, has been called just another one of Dickens' "perfect" heroines, but I don't think that is accurate. Yes, she may be a "typical" female character that was written in that day and age, but personally, I find in her someone I can aspire to be more like- such as with Amy Dorrit. Neither of these two girls I can sympathize with in their surroundings, occupations, or family life, but it puts my troubles I have into excellent perspective, and gives me characters that I can look up to and appreciate for their strength and purity of heart in a dark world.

All in all, it was a very good book. A little bit darker at times, but nothing too scary and I think very much real life. It has definitely made me think about things in my own life to an extent, and for which I'm very happy.

The Moorland Cottage by Mrs. Gaskell

2010-01-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

After watching BBC's sequel to Cranford- Return to Cranford- which included the short story of The Moorland Cottage, I was most eager to read the short story of the same name by Mrs. Gaskell, mostly because the Peggy/Will storyline of RtC was one of my favourite bits. I was not disappointed- although I can't help but wonder why they changed the names of the main characters. In the book, Peggy is actually Maggie, and Will is Frank. So, for the sake of clarity, I shall refer to the characters as they were named in the book, even though they were practically the same characters in the mini-series, just with different names.

I won't call this story a delightful one exactly, as even though I enjoyed it quite a bit, it certainly wasn't the type to be called delightful and enchanting. There's several main characters that Maggie has to live with who are downright mean and neglectful of her, and yet she constantly loves them and serves them all the same, knowing that to be her duty. I think most of us can't understand her self sacrificing love and devotion to her mother and brother, and even for those of us who are the same personality type as her, while we can understand a little as to why she would do it, we still cannot understand it at all and wish to gently and kindly awaken her to the real Mother and Brother that she so kindly and caring-ly served. Why can most of us not understand this? When I say most of us, I am talking about the ones that have come from happy homes, or at least pretty good ones. It is for that very reason- we have not grown up our entire lives right from the time we were very young, trained to think that being so selfless and sacrificing to truly unfair and unjust family members is not only the right thing but our duty in every single instance. If we had this training from the very start then yes- we would truly understand why Maggie did what she did, how so often she didn't think about herself. But as it is most of us cannot, and therefore may be inclined to judge her as a pushover, weakling and someone who has no spine, probably much like Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. We truly have not walked in their shoes from the beginning of their stories, so in a way we cannot understand them properly, even if we really do honestly like them and find them interesting characters. I really do like Maggie, I think she's such a patient and loving character and therefore I'm quite happy that she had a happy ending. Due to the needed presence of these characters, I really can't call the book delightful or entertaining as it sounds too lighthearted and not at all proper. But I really did enjoy this story- it's of a more serious nature but that does not mean it is awful or bad, just one that makes the reader sometimes stop and think.

I was pleased to find that the inclusion of this story in Return to Cranford did not change or alter the actual storyline very much, aside from making some of the events in the series happen to the same characters when they were older, instead of happening to the same when they were still younger children (as it happens in the book), if that happens to make any sense. On retrospect, I think these parts in the series feel a touch out of place because they did make the characters older, but I'm sure when I watch the series again it'll all feel right. I probably will prefer how things happened in the book, though. Even though the book is nicely adapted in the mini-series, especially with the plots and events following closely, I would still suggest reading the book too, it's a nicely written story from one of my favourite authors.

A List of the Books I've Read in 2009

2009-12-31T20:18:00.000-05:00

Since 2009 is but hours over, I most likely won't be finishing any more books to add to this list, and as such, here's the pretty much complete list of all that I've read in 2009. I hope the page count is correct, and not in error, although it probably is. All in all, I read 161 books.

****

January
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens =949 pages
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte= 245 pages
Angel Unaware by Dale Evans Rogers= 80 pages
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen=256 pages
Out of the Depths by John Newton=135 pages
Total: 1665 pages

Feburary
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens=822 pages
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke=534 pages
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke=635 pages
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke= 196 pages
Inside Prince Caspian by Devin Brown=246 pages
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott= ASK MATT
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens=457 pages
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens=?
Total: 2890

March
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens=701 pages
Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell=585 pages
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo=1400 pages (since Nov. 08)
Total: 1986

April
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens=882 pages
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene=182 pages
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Mystery at Lilac Inn Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene=175 pages
The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene=178 pages
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene=174 pages
Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene=173 pages
The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene=175 pages
The Message in the Hollow Oak by Carolyn Keene=181 pages
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm by Carolyn Keene=179 pages
The Whispering Statue by Carolyn Keene=179
The Clue of the Tapping Heels by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk by Carolyn Keene=220 pages
The Mystery at the Moss Covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene=215 pages
The Quest of the Missing Map by Carolyn Keene=179 pages
The Clue in the Jewel Box by Carolyn Keene=181 pages
The Clue in the Crumbling Wall by Carolyn Keene=181 pages
Total: 4346

May
Mystery of the Tolling Bell by Carolyn Keene=181 pages
The Clue in the Old Album by Carolyn Keene=218 pages
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Secret of the Wooden Lady by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Clue of the Black Keys by Carolyn Keene=174 pages
Mystery at the Ski Jump by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Clue of the Velvet Mask by Carolyn Keene=177 pages
The Ringmaster's Secret by Carolyn Keene=178 pages
The Scarlet Slipper Mystery by Carolyn Keene=214 pages
The Hidden Window Mystery by Carolyn Keene=214 pages
The Haunted Showboat by Carolyn Keene=184 pages
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion by Carolyn Keene=184 pages
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Mystery of the Fire Dragon by Carolyn Keene=182 pages
The Moonstone Castle Mystery by Carolyn Keene=178 pages
The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene=177
The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher by Carolyn Keene=177 pages
The Spider Sapphire Mystery by Carolyn Keene=176 pages
The Mysterious Mannequin by Carolyn Keene=178 pages
The Secret of Mirror Bay by Carolyn Keene=178 pages
Mystery of the Glowing Eye by Carolyn Keene=181 pages
The Secret of the Forgotten City by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Sky Phantom by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Strange Message in the Parchment by Carolyn Keene=180 pages
The Thirteenth Pearl by Carolyn Keene=179 pages
Middlemarch by George Eliot=688 pages
Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore=440 pages
Do Hard Things by the Harris Twins=
Total: 5369

June
Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Unseen Treasure by Kathryn Kenny =209 pages
Phantom Stallion: Untamed by Terry Farley = 215 pages
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot =675 pages
Mary Barton by Mrs. Gaskell =393 pages
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins =496 pages
The Sky is Falling by Kit Pearson= 215 pages
Looking at the Moon by Kit Pearson=175 pages
The Lights Go on Again by Kit Pearson=173 pages
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins = 527 pages
3078 pages

July
North & South by Mrs. Gaskell =402 pages
Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens =648 pages
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis =320 pages
Father Brown: Selected Stories = 288 pages
Disciplines of Grace by R. Kent Huges = 175
Table Talk/Conversations with Martin Luther = 242 pages
A Life God Rewards by Bruce Wilkinson =117 pages
The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis =200 pages
Waverley by Sir Walter Scott =427 pages
The Secret in the Old Attic by Carolyn Keene =177 pages
Mystery of Crocodile Island by Carolyn Keene =180 pages
3059

August
The Haunted Carousel by Carolyn Keene =178 pages
Anywhere He Leads Me by Corrie ten Boom, compiled by Judith Couchman =180 pages
Three Men in a Boat & Three Men on the Brummel by Jerome K. Jerome = 353 pages
The Mystery of the Masked Rider by Carolyn Keene = 154 pages
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens =566 pages
Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy =225 pages
The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle = 38 pages
Salamandastron by Brian Jacques= 391 page
Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati = 139 pages
Mr. Dickens Hits Town by Jan Mark= 62 pages
Cool it or Lose it! by Dale Evans Rogers= 92 pages
David Livingstone: From Africa to Eternity by Sam Wellman =204 pages
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas=875 pages
Carrie's War by Nina Bawden =141 pages
The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene=200 pages
Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Lamp by Sam Wellman = 198 pages
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle = 237 pages
Marlfox by Brian Jacques =385 pages
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke =345
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle =259 pages
Without a Trace by Carolyn Keene=150 pages
The Youthful Queen Victoria by Dormer Creston =403 pages
520 pages of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
6295
Running Total: 12596 pages

September
Old Shoscombe Place by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle= 14 pages
Silas Marner by George Eliot =183 pages
Persuasion by Jane Austen =207 pags
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques =356 pages
Days of Toil and Tears: The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford by Sarah Ellis =195 pages
A Winter's Gift by Lauren Brooke =189 pages
Nine Days Queen by Karleen Bradford=200 pages
Not a Nickel to Spare by Perry Nodleman =188 pages
The Secret of the Twin Puppets by Carolyn Keene=62 pages
U-Boat Hunter by Bryan Perret =152 pages
Heart of Danger by Carolyn Keene =154 pages
The Underground Reporters by Katch Kacer =155 pages
Nancy Drew: The Best Detective by Carolyn Keene= 76 pages
Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi =262 pages
Jahanara: Princess of Princesses = 148 pages
Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1 =1059 pages total, 444 pages read
King Solomon's Mines by H. R. Haggard = 292 pages
The Best Short stories by Rudyard Kipling=153 pages read
Life Types =272 pages
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne=319 pages
The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene- 200 pages
The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques = 336 pages
Blood upon our Land by Maxine Trottier =188 pages
The Angel's Command by Brian Jacques =340 pages
The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman = 226 pages

October
Time Out Ladies! by Mrs. Rogers =96 pages
Lord Jim by Joesph Conrad = 313 pages
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens =855 pages
Mattimeo by Brian Jacques =446 pages
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens =777 pages
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson=537 pages
A Desperate Road to Freedom by Karleen Bradford =203 pages
If I Die Before I Wake by Jean Little =214 pages
When Christmas Comes Again by --- 143 pages
My Heart's Cry by Anne Graham Lotz = 229 pages
Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott =399 pages
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene= 210 pages
The Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene =220 pages
Abandoned to God: The Life Story of Oswald Chambers =288 pages
Right Ho Jeeves! by P.G. Wodehouse- 248 pages

November
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner =219 pages
Get Smart Once Again by William Johnston=154 pages
The Teen Model Mystery by Carolyn Keene= 154 pages
The Crime Lab Case by Carolyn Keene=148 pages
The Innocence of Father Brown
Emma by Jane Austen =440 pages
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte =383 pages
The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers= 231 pages
Cranford & Other Stories by Mrs. Gaskell =428 pages
The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit =240 pages
Running Scared by Carolyn Keene=149 pages
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner =360 pages
Who Killed the Canadian Military? 238 pages
Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick=425 pages

December
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner =408 pages
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis=171 pages
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis=189 pages
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis=188 pages
A Christmas Carol/The Chimes by Charles Dickens =198 pages
Year Total (Up to Nov29/09) 47485

A Christmas Carol & The Chimes by Charles Dickens

2009-12-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the long absence... I have been reading but just haven't been finished anything in a while, or haven't really had time. Christmas season does that to one.

But, I'm back now...

I first read A Christmas Carol probably three-four years ago, and have pretty much since then known the outline of the story but didn't really know the details of it, and so I decided to read it again this Christmas season. I personally enjoyed it very much- much more than the movie version I saw last year which, while being a good adaptation, some of the events in the movie were much more not to my taste since it was on film... which means that some things in a book I can handle more than in a film.

Moving on. It was nice to read it again and wasn't at all hard to get into. And I suddenly find myself at a lack of words of what I thought of that particular book. >_< I am out of touch, or something. Hmm.

My particular edition of A Christmas Carol also had The Chimes by Charles Dickens, so I read that next. It was alright- but I'm afraid that I missed what it was all supposed to be about. I could understand that Dickens wanted to make people aware of the attitudes of the comfortably rich concerning the poor, which is alright, but the thing I didn't get was that the main character had a dream where he was shown future events (much like Scrooge) and in the end he was changed...but the problem was, I didn't think he needed to be changed before it all happened. I mean, changed in a huge way. We all need to be changed to be more like Christ- but I didn't see how this main character was bad or ignoring people or anything. A little help maybe? >_> Anyways. So it was alright but I didn't exactly love it.

Cranford & Other Stories by Mrs. Gaskell

2009-11-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

Several days ago I finished re-reading Cranford and Dr. Harrison's Confessions, then moved on to the three or four other short stories also included in my particular copy. Cranford was pretty good- I enjoyed it as much as I did when I first read it, but I think that in some instances I actually prefer the mini-series to the book, as the mini-series was adapted from three of Gaskell's novels, one at least which, I felt, tied the actual Cranford story together quite nicely, and moved it from being a collection of short stories to one more longer story. (If that happens to make any sense). Nonetheless, Cranford was still enjoyable, as was Dr. Harrison's Confessions, which I think I read was supposed to be a sort of sequel to Cranford itself. (Although I'm not entirely sure).

The other short stories included (those being The Doom of the Griffiths; Lois the Witch; Curious, if True; Six Weeks at Heppenheim; and Cousin Phillis) were alright, my favourite most likely being Cousin Phillis, although when I found all the little amusing connections and meanings behind Curious, If True (which is pretty much a story where all the fairy tale characters- Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, etc) come together for a party, it was pretty good. Lois the Witch was sad in it's way. Let me say that Lois is not at all a witch, but a character caught up in the harsh Salem Witch Trials in New England in the 1600s, and is accused of being a witch. Of course she is not, but I thought I ought to at least mention it, as, if I was a parent, I'm not entirely sure if I would want a younger reader reading that particular story. While witchcraft is not taught, it still is a very serious subject and since I believe God is firmly against it, I think one must be exceedingly and excruciatingly careful about what stories one reads that contain such content- even when it relates to historical events.

So, to sum it up, I think I enjoyed Mrs. Gaskell's other works better.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

2009-11-18T20:30:00.007-05:00

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has been my favourite of the three Bronte sisters' novels that I've read (the other two being Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights). I wasn't entirely sure about it when I picked The Tenant up, considering the back cover used such words a "powerful and sometimes violent novel", and had been criticised as "coarse" and "brutal". But I read it anyways, and while I cannot say it is a favourite now, I think it will grow on me.

When I read a book I'll admit I don't have the savvy or knowledge enough to look for writing style unless it is pretty obvious, and therefore cannot tell the differences in style between most of the other, to me, more "common" books that I read. (ie, those not of Austen, Dickens, etc. Just other books) As such, I can't really comment one Anne Bronte's style in this book, although it wasn't bad.

I will admit that one of the things that draws me to this book is that, despite the fact that there are several characters who get severely drunk several times and who ill treat their wives and friends- not that it ever is explicit, thankfully!- their actions are always always looked upon as wrong and sinful. There is no question about it, never are these scenes looked on as "well, it's okay, etc." The author is very clear, and the heroine of the story, whose eyes we see much of the story from, is also quite clear in her convictions and faith- I am not entirely sure if she ever professes to have a relationship, a personal saving knowledge of the Lord (I think she believes in Universal Salvation, or, if I understand it correctly, Jesus died for everyone so we don't personally have to make the choice and allow Jesus to enter into our hearts), but she does have some sort of strong faith. She refuses to commit adultry by loving another man, even when her own husband has neglected her and hates her, because she knows that she would not be happy, it would not help her take better care of her son, and more plainly, because it's wrong. She shows such great mercy and forgiveness to those who have hurt her and those who despise her. And yet, she is not a "goody goody two shoes". I believe there can and are people of strong faith in the Lord who can do what is right without being one of that kind, and this is her. True- she makes some mistakes, especially in marrying her husband when her Aunt does not approve, and she thinks that she can help him become a better person by giving him her love. She soon realizes her mistake, but she does not complain about it, but carries on as best as she knows how. In the end, she is much wiser and she does not let her knowledge go to waste, but she encourages other young ladies of her aquaintence to do what it right and not to marry someone they do not love, ones they do not even like. She does not sit idly by moping in any misery she was perhaps, by this world's standards, entitled too, but instead attempts to help others who are trapped in the drinking and gambling addictions to realize what injury and hurt they are causing to their wives and families, and to change for the better, to become better parents and spouses. I personally enjoyed encountering her character.

That being said, of course, I did not entirely enjoy the fact that there was such content in the story, of people being unfaithful to those they had married, of getting drunk, swearing, abusing those who so patiently wait for them and love them, but I think that because it is so clearly shown to be wrong, to be hurtful and damaging, and one who partakes in these activities cannot "just" hurt himself, and not just wrong but wrong because God says so, it changes it. It does not make it more exusable, but I believe it puts it in the proper light. Even if it is "only" the "bad guys" who partake in such things, and never the characters that we are supposed to like, I still feel uncomfortable in the presence of such things, even if it is viewed in the proper light, as that of being wrong. It still can put images and ideas into one's head that perhaps they are not ready for. It is not because I wish to blind myself from such things, or wish to deny their presence, for I will admit that that sort of thing, and much much worse does take place in the world, but it is just that. Because there is so much of it in the world, I really don't exactly want there to be too much in my personal entertainment reading.

I wouldn't exactly recommend the book to those under 15+ or so due to this content, as it probably would not be something parents would want younger teenagers reading, but I think it's more age appropriateness than anything- and if someone asked me what I thought of it I would recommend it.

To sum it up- it was worth reading, had some very strong characters in it, and I liked it pretty well.

Emma by Jane Austen

2009-11-18T20:30:00.003-05:00

When I first picked up Emma, three or four years ago, I was already in knowledge of the storyline from the Miramax film adaptation, but at the time was still rather young and thought even that boring. So, when I picked up the book, I started it, but did not finish. I cannot even recall what part I was at when I found it too slow for me and went on to other things. Perhaps though, this is better. I find that sometimes I have wrong impressions of books or movies that I saw when much younger, and did not like, and so it takes some time and many consquent viewings/readings to regain any potential pleasure and enjoyment from it. One or two years ago, if I recall everything correctly, I picked up Emma again, and this time read it through to the end. While enjoying it much more this time around, I still thought it my least favourite of Austen's work, and something I would probably never like, while enjoying the movie and film versions quite so. I find it rather odd how that works sometimes, but no matter. I was delighted when I heard that BBC was doing a new mini-series adaptation of Emma, and I am still very much so looking forward to it when it comes over to North America in the next upcoming months. I decided that now was a very good time to read Emma again, so I embarked upon it, not entirely sure of what I would expect. My sister and I started it together, although she gave me permission to go on ahead as she had less time to read. I just finished re-reading it again, and I must say that it improved greatly upon further readings and with time. At first I felt that there was a subtle difference between Austen's style in Emma and that of hers in Persuasion, but now I cannot exactly say. Part of me still believes it is so, that the prose in Emma feels a little more, softer, while in Persuasion it was more to the point. Do not get me wrong- I greatly enjoyed and love Austen's style of writing, especially in Persuasion, as Austen does not let her feelings run away with her and cloud the actual love story with soppy adjectives and mushy scenes that are over and above what is needed. I believe in Persuasion, and in all of Austen's work, we are allowed to see the true love story unfold and appear, like a flower gently blossoming, one that cannot be rushed or forced into open before its time (the literary equivalent of this would be to add in those aforementioned scenes and over descriptive adjectives in attempt to, shall we say, win the fair lady's hand before the lady is ready). I have decided, though, that the reason why Emma feels a little different from Persuasion is most likely because the two heriones are vastly different in personality and tempermant. Anne of course, is an introvert. Emma, an extrovert. They have other differences, of course, but by simply having the two main characters different in those respects, I am certain, will make the book feel different.

The plot is no longer boring to me, for which I am indeed grateful, as I would dislike greatly to say that any Austen is one that I did not like. I believe it is more a character driven book than one that is largely pushed forward by events and whatnot of that nature, though, and perhaps would be a little slow for those not used to that type of story. I personally did not mind it though.

Character wise, my favourite characters were probably Jane Fairfax and Mr. Knightley (who is an ISxJ, I think a Feeler, on the MBTI), although I enjoyed Emma as well. Seeing her first make her blunders, then slowly come to a conciousness of them was interesting. I of course wouldn't say I enjoyed watching her make mistakes, for that would be mercenary, I think, but she was without a doubt a very much so human character, one that we are all probably like in some way.

Now...there was some questions I had about Emma, one of them being this: Is there, perhaps, a comparison between Emma's friendship with Harriet, and subsequent meddling and, perhaps even manipulating (although it was not meant to be evil but kindness..) and that of Mrs. Elton's "friendship" and patronage of Jane Fairfax? Emma, I would guess, does not respect or like Mrs. Elton any better for it, and I think those characters with good sense enough to see what Mrs. Elton was truly like would be able to see that Mrs. Elton's plans for Jane were not really made out of love. Now, Emma's wanting to help Harriet, I believe, was done out of good inentions, but proved to complicate matters throughout the course of the book, but is this not similiar to what Mrs. Elton was doing for Jane? Perhaps maybe, in the end, after Emma realizes her mistakes, she could see that why she did not like Mrs. Elton's forceful meddling with Jane so much was because she had traits such as that in herself? I don't know...it's mainly speculation. What do you think? Is there something more here, or is it simply a coincidence?

Secondly, was Frank Churchill really and truly sorry for how he treated Emma? I believe he was sorry for how he treated Jane, but what about Emma? True, in the letter to Mrs. Weston at the end, he recongizes his mistakes and says how he could of done better, but still...I'm not sure. It still seems selfish to me for him to say that because Emma was, to his mind, not one who would get attached easily he could play with her affections in order to cover up the real situation. Or, perhaps, he was just giving reasons and really sorry. Again I'm not sure.

To sum it up, Emma is a very much so enjoyable read, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

2009-11-01T14:40:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year someone recommended I try out the author P.G. Wodehouse's work, but it wasn't until just this past week that I found my first Wodehouse (Right Ho, Jeeves), in the bookstore. As it was only a thin book, I figured it wouldn't be heavy reading, and delved into it on short notice.

On retrospect (of a day's worth, at least), I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I love the British style of humour, and found that, especially some parts, were quite clever and amusing. It was definitely worth reading, and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for any more I might stumble across.

There wasn't too much objectionable or negative content in it- although there was one part that I didn't like, and this was more then the usual negative reaction to swear words, etc. Wooster, in his attempts to get his friend, who does not drink & is rather timid and shy, to propose to another girl, laces his orange juice with some sort of alcholic beverage. Not only that, but Jeeves adds some in as well, and in consquence, this friend gets quite drunk. While it's true that this friend didn't say or do anything that was obscene or vulgar, the very fact that Wooster would do that to his friend, even if it was "just" to get his friend have more courage, made me think less of him. Personally, I don't think it was respecting his friend's standards very much, and this is probably one of two dark spots that made me like the book less. The second thing was the langauge. While not a large amount, it was there for sure. I'm not entirely sure if it was considered bad langauge back then, (in the 1930s, when it was written), but, several characters either call themselves or are called something related to a donkey's cousin. If you get what I mean. While the instances above are the only negative things I found in this book, the first especially was of a nature that made me sad and I didn't find all that funny, in fact, I think they could of completed the objective (getting the friend to propose) in a much better way.

All in all, some parts were clever, others were not so. I did enjoy it and it was funny for the most part, but I would certainly warn anyone who asked about it of the content above. It's not something that can be overlooked or ignored for the sake of the rest of the book. Yes, you don't want to over react and make it sound ten times more worse then it truly is, but none the less, it is sin after all, and it was wrong, so we must go into such things with caution and more then one grain of salt.

Organization of Bookshelves & The Conclusions On Whether I Actually Like It Or Not.

2009-10-30T16:06:00.000-04:00

I decided (after three or so days of contemplation, measuring exactly to see if the books in question would fit on the shelves, etc) to organize my bookshelves. In particular, my Nancy Drew. For some years now I've had my Nancy Drew spread in all their yellow glory on the second shelf up (or, third shelf down, which would make more sense) of my shelves on my wall. While I personally don't mind waking up and gazing adoringly at my beloved yellow Nancy Drew (if I did that, of course), I've often noticed that the bright yellow not only makes my shelves look untidy in pictures, but it also is what draws people's eyes the moment they walk into my room (to have guests, though, is rather rare. But still.) I have practically no yellow in my room aside from that (unless you count the yellow construction "Caution" tape that I have near my desk for the sake of it, which did make my sister laugh once. Apparently she thought the tape was wise due to the organized haphazardness of the rest of my room. Ha Ha. Very Funny.) so it stuck out quite vividly. So, I decided to change that. Above my bed I have two matching shelves which for a few months now I've had my Classics section on, but alas, that too was running out of space and I had to split the Classics up. So, I decided, after careful measurements of the Nancy Drew to make sure they'd fit on the aforementioned shelves (it'd be a waste of time after all, to move all those books and not have them fit), to move them. This was accomplished this afternoon. Now, the shelves they vacated are darkened by my Classics in Alphabetical order (hurrah for order!), and literally, the shelves look darker. I was able to fit all my Nancy Drew onto these other two shelves above my bed- the originals (#1-56) take up the shelves, about 33 to a shelf, and then my five editions from 1955 are at the end. They all look nice...but yellow. So, I then had to find a place for the odd 30 others from the following series. I didn't really want to break up the series, so eventually I neatly piled the rest in even piles on top of the other ones. I think it looks nice now, and my sister offered some wisdom for which I am grateful.

So. That project is done. I'll probably post some pictures if anyone really cares, but if not that's okay. ;) I think in the long run it will be nice to have all my books more categorized and whatnot.

The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volume II

2009-10-27T19:04:00.000-04:00

At the time of this writing, I had a sense of almost melancholy, knowing that I have read all of Sherlock Holmes' published adventures, including the four novels, and that there is no more. I almost wish I had of read "His Last Bow" as the very last one, as the ending quote for that was particularly profound and a good way to end. I think from now on, when I read the adventures in order of publication, I'll keep "His Last Bow" until the end.... But alas, I did not do that this time around.

For the most part I have greatly enjoyed these novels and short stories. They are quite cleverly written I do think, and most of them are unusual and keep the reader guessing as to the outcome. I like the wide variety of cases among the short stories- while I don't enjoy the murder mysteries as much, I find that on the whole I can say that I did enjoy reading these stories because for the most part the non murder cases were intriguing and different. Quite creative. While I personally enjoyed The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes over The Memoirs, The Return, His Last Bow and The Casebook, that is not to say that these latter books aren't worth reading either. I would though, suggest a slightly older audience. Some of the cases can contain content and villains that I personally wouldn't want a pre-teen reading, even if that content is not highly immoral, gross or explicit. (Which, for the most part, I found it was not.)

As to the novels, I must say once again I didn't enjoy The Hound of The Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear (especially the latter) as much as the short stories. While I did enjoy The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear I found at times too gross and violent for my tastes. Since The Valley of Fear was something I chose to read, as personal entertainment, and it in no way was forced upon me- by a teacher or otherwise real life experience, I found that it was not something I'd read if it wasn't a Sherlock Holmes, and will probably not read again for some time, if at all. Parts of it actually made me feel sick at heart (not Holmes' involvement, but some of the other dark hearted men and their crimes...)

While the individual cases for the four longer Holmes' novels are rather unique, in three of them, how the story is written, and the form it takes on, are not. First, we have Holmes and Watson solve the crime. (Which if anything, is the most enjoyable part.) Second, we have the person who did it (who usually is the innocent type, but out to get revenge on the bad guys and bring them to justice...or something like that) take up many chapters explaining tons of back story and what not. In two of the stories, the history of the person who did it is in America. This, of course, isn't bad in itself. Though I personally found it opened up the story to more violence, swearing, darkness and intense-ness. After all, it's the "wild" west after all. By the time I got around to this part in The Valley of Fear, I must admit I was rather tired of the chapters of back story. I didn't get fed up with it per se, but I was rather impatient. After all, I read those books for Sherlock Holmes and Watson, not for some other person who gives the person who-did-it enough trouble that they want revenge...or something like that. I much prefer the short stories, one of the reasons being that there's much less time to focus on the crime itself & previous back story, and focus actually on the detecting of Holmes and Watson, and the seeking & arrest of the criminals.

Several of the short stories I also found too much for me- one in particular is The Adventure of the Cardboard Box, where someone is sent severed human ears as a present. Honestly, I thought that was just plain gross. There are several other murder mysteries contained within the pages of Volume II of the Complete Adventures, but I won't go into detail. While perhaps none of them were horribly horribly bad, I don't want to get calloused towards death and the taking of human life, so I didn't enjoy these as much.

In conclusion, I would say read with caution and care. There really are some interesting cases and adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and if one is looking for a detailed and no doubt accurate look at Victorian London, these volumes are definitely ones to check out.

If I Die Before I Wake: The Flu Epidemic Diary of Fiona Macgregor by Jean Little

2009-10-18T14:31:00.000-04:00

Another Dear Canada Diary, although this one I've had for some time. For the most part, I greatly enjoyed If I Die Before I Wake, even cried and/or teared up at some parts. For some reason now, I can really understand what it's like to lose a loved one, and the pain that one feels....it's all so much more real now. Of course, I will try not to give away spoilers for this particular novel.

There was little objectionable content in it, although there was one mention about something that was of such a matter that I probably wouldn't suggest the book to boys- although they might just skip over it and miss the meaning behind it anyways. Sadly- this isn't the first time I've seen content like this slip into the diaries- although it never used to be like this. (Not a Nickel to Spare was the worst, incidentally, it was written by a guy as well). Still- yes, it's a real life event, but, do we really need that in our books? It bothered me.

All in all, it was good. Nothing over spectacular or special, but an interesting look at Toronto in 1918...plus the World War I aspects were pretty cool too.

A Desperate Road to Freedom by Karleen Bradford

2009-10-16T13:50:00.001-04:00

I just bought the latest Dear Canada diary several days ago, and decided that, instead of leaving it on the shelf for several months/years- as is my usual custom- I would read it as soon as possible.

All in all, I enjoyed it greatly- especially the diarist's thoughts on freedom. Wow! Some of it really made me tear up- imagine a former slave experiencing freedom for the very first time, knowing they can hold their head up high and be treated equal. Those moments were probably my favourites.

One other thing in particular I liked was that, in this story, the slaves' actual run for freedom only took up fifty pages or so of the entire novel. Not that I hate those parts, although they are rather intense, but I enjoyed seeing the now freed slaves and their lives in a free land greatly. It's not something that I've seen focused on too much, I suppose that authors don't think it'd make great reading, but I think it does.

There was only one thing I had qualms about- and was actually more amused by them, although they were rather obvious errors. There was only two little sections which were more chronologically impossible then anything. The first was that the girl heard of a dark skinned teacher from Kingston, who came up to Canada originally with the Loyalists, and was freed by the Queen of England. (Not sure who this is, Queen Victoria? My brother didn't seem to think so...) Now, if the actual diary is set in 1863, this teacher would most likely be over 100 years old, if she left the U.S with her Loyalist master, when she was younger than ten. The second, and still rather amusing, was much like the first. One girl- who was older than the main girl, so I'd say she was about 15 or 16, said her parents left the U.S. shortly after the Revolutionary War and came to Canada. Now, let's say her parents were only children then, at the age of ten. That means that they'd be about 90 when this girl told her story to the main girl, AND, the parents would of been, oh, in their 70s when they had her. Granted, they didn't say exactly how long it was after the War that they came up, but just the way it was written ("Her mama and papa came up from New York after the American Revolution") makes the reader think it was shortly following the war (which would of been most likely the 1780s, when the last of the Loyalists left for a new home). In the first instance, the exact wording ran like this "The teacher there was carried up as a slave to Kingston- that's another big city in Canada West- with a white family after the American War of Independence. Then she was freed by the Queen of England along with all the other slaves in Canada." Technically this was in 1833, and Victoria didn't begin her reign until 1837. So. I'm not doubting that this teacher wasn't a slave and carried up and freed in 1833, but I am wondering at the probability of her still teaching. After all, from 1780 to 1863 is roughly 80 years....

But anyways....that's probably just a minor quibble. Nonetheless...

For the most part though, it was a good book. Much better then the previously released diary 'Blood Upon our Land'.

Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

2009-10-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

Firstly, let me say that if you're going into Lark Rise to Candleford with the idea that it's a novel, you'll probably be at least slightly disappointed. Even the two follow up sequels to the Lark Rise (the first book)- Over to Candleford and Candleford Green are not exactly novels. Nonetheless, they are not bad. No, in fact, they are treasure troves filled with information on country life at the turn of the century in Rural England. Even the inhabitants of Candleford and Candleford Green are not exactly classified as city people, but town people with traditions and old ways....forced to merge with the new as the years roll on. But linear novels they are not. Yes- they tell Laura Timmin's story, and those of the lives around her, but the brief stories are not even short stories. I found them to be more like a collection of musings- reminiscing on a time that one has lived through as a young one, yet remembers clearly when those days are gone. I liked Flora Thompson's style of writing- especially since she clearly wrote it with a comparison of the present day (1940s England) in mind. She did not try to go completely back in time to write of the day as if it was modern then, but instead wrote about that time period through the eyes of maturity. Because she lived through those changing times, she was able to look back in her later years and see that they were indeed pivotal and changing. Old meets new... but the past lingers on somehow.

For the most part- indeed, there was very little I did not enjoy about the three novels- I quite liked these works, all collectively published under Lark Rise to Candleford. I was first introduced to the stories through the BBC television show adaptation. I can now understand why they had to change the show somewhat in the adaptation process. While many of the episode plot lines are from some parts of the books, just expanded and expounded, the book itself is not really a novel which can be adapted into a series left as it is. True, they changed some characters, taking their names but changing who they themselves are, but personally, I didn't mind it. For the most part, the show is quite interesting, and the novels do much to fill in back story and history. Perhaps it could be compared to the show as a supplement, which is better than your ordinary supplement, because it can actually be read on it's own and still enjoyed.

Sometimes when I stop and think about it, I can identify with the main character Laura, although I personally don't think we're living through that much of a great time changing...although one can't exactly see it because we're living through it. Lately the subject has come up about my future career- it's time I should be acting on some of my ideas, and yet I hesitate, knowing I have a few months left. In Over to Candleford, and moreso Candleford Green, Laura too went through changes- although at a younger age. When she was 14 she left home to work in the post office, fourteen! She struggled with an unknown future, changes, uncertainties. She too wondered about her future occupations and what she'd eventually do, and I was somewhat amazed at how timely the events happened in the book when brought alongside my own life. She's an interesting character to study- an introvert (probably an ISFx) for sure, and a rather contemplative character that others might find rather boring. But I enjoyed her.

To sum it up- I would suggest these three novels. There's only one or two little things that are hinted at that are probably more "grown up" subjects than anything, nothing really goes into detail, and it is a very interesting, and no doubt accurate, look at the people of that time and place, and their lives. I would rate it four stars.

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

2009-10-12T12:03:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens today, after starting it about a week ago last Sunday evening. For sometime I had wanted to read this particular Dickens, but hadn't been able to find it in stores. I must say, for 99% of the book, I was not disappointed. The 1% that I was, I'll go into more detail further along.

I think that as I grow older, my appreciation for Dickens likewise enlarges. I really did enjoy this one- not to the same extent as I did Little Dorrit when I first read that one (that book shall remain special to me, I think, out of all the books that I read), but it in it's own right, Nicholas Nickleby is still a good novel.

Character wise, there is a whole host of lovable characters that one cannot easily forget. I particularly think of Smike, Miss La Creevy, and the Cheeryble brothers. When I compared them to the cruel, greedy and selfish villains in this drama, I was continually impressed at just how good the above mentioned ones are. They are truly goodhearted people- people who would not hesitate to show kindness and love to those destitute. Compare this to those who we do not like, the contrast is stark indeed. There are some thoroughly and properly bad antagonists in this novel, and in fact, some of them with designs that were of such a nature I actually felt uncomfortable with them being in the novel. For instance, one or two of them readily make schemes involving some of the girls in this story- schemes to in essence, ruin their character and reputation. While they, thankfully, are stopped in time, they do have a chance to impose emotional distress, at least, on them. While perhaps this is somewhat true of that time period- and true even today, I found myself wishing that Dickens had of left those particular situations out, or had them changed. However, I suppose it does go to show the strength and loyalty of such characters as Nicholas himself. And then, of course, there are the characters- well, maybe just one, that is actually very sorry for the trouble he has caused one of the girls, and is brave enough to stand up to his friends and tell them he'll have no part in their plans- even if it leads to death. While not a favourite character, I did appreciate this, and that he had the bravery to be different, and to recognize his wrongs in front of those who had seen him otherwise previously.

Some of the other more notable pieces of content I didn't quite like include where it was shown that a group of men got exceedingly drunk. Not only did they get drunk, but the scene was about one page long or so, and rather too much of it for my liking. Lastly, one of the lady characters is unfaithful to her husband (who really was not that bad of a person), and runs off with another fellow. It bothered me, because this was one of the characters that (I took it, at least) we were supposed to at least be okay with, if not like. While her unfaithfulness is only briefly touched upon in retrospect, it did make me uncomfortable. Another character is an alcoholic, which I thought I should mention here. He has a good heart and is actually quite helpful to the overall scheme of things, but I know some people might be worried with a younger audience being exposed to that.

Plot wise, I will say there was some very interesting twists to this novel, one or two I didn't particularly expect, but did not hate in the end. While not exactly the type of story to keep one guessing, I did find myself increasingly drawn into the story, and at times quite hard to put down. Some instances in particular were ones relating to Nicholas' uncle, Ralph, and his schemes to bring his nephew to ruin and downfall. At those parts I felt like I had to keep reading so that I could find out happened. Definitely an engaging novel.

To sum it up, it was a good Dickens novel, and I'd probably recommend it, although to most likely an audience who is old enough to handle the themes and some of the content and characters. Parts I did find rather intense, especially concerning the various collection of villains, and since there is some child abuse in this novel, I probably wouldn't suggest it to anyone under 14 or so.

Lord Jim by Joesph Conrad

2009-10-04T16:28:00.003-04:00

This past summer, I was at the bookstore, and they had several books by Joesph Conrad there. I picked out the one I thought looked the most interesting (knowing practically nothing about his works, you see, led me to do this. I still don't know if I bought the most exciting one, but hey, I don't mind). It wasn't until a month or two later that I was able to pick up the book however. The book in question that came home with me was Lord Jim.

For the most part, I enjoyed it. I found the beginning a touch confusing here and there (mainly due to narration styles, I think. I was reading it somewhat slowly and it still confused me at times), and also a bit slow. Once I got to the main part of the book, though, things did somewhat pick up. Granted, it is not exactly an adventure book per se, but nonetheless there's some rather interesting parts that might satisfy someone of that taste.

There's not to many characters in the book, but the main ones are ones that we get to know relatively well. Jim himself is an interesting character- from what I understood he was the type that dreamed about doing something heroic, and yet often times when the chance came, he'd miserably fail, turn coward and run away. His heart was in the right place, but as I know from experience, it's often quite hard to follow those good intentions up with actions. In the end, however, things even out and Jim gets his chance to do what at least he thinks is the right thing.

One thing I wished had of been a bit more clearer was where most of the story was set. Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think they ever really clearly said where the events took place. Some took place on the Red Sea, I think, and later some in Malaysia? I can't be sure, but I wish they had of told us more clearly, so I could have gotten a better mental picture. Alas, I had to survive with my own flawed idea of just where the story was set.

To sum it up, it was a pretty good read, but again not a favourite. Not exactly one I can "ooh" and "aah" over, but it was not horribly bland or boring either. If someone asked me to recommend it, I'd probably do so without hesitating.

Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury by Rebecca Dickson

2009-10-02T16:01:00.000-04:00

I finished reading this yesterday, and for the most part I found it quite enjoyable. The author had some interesting insights on each of Austen's novels, and most of the sections on her individual work were in depth. She did have some good thoughts on Austen's work and the time period surrounding Jane's life (from what I can tell. I'm no great Austen expert). However, there were some drawbacks.

Number one, and the main thing probably, would be that there was somethings in the Mansfield Park section, pertaining to the R rated movie, that weren't exactly the best. While it doesn't go into many details, I wish they hadn't of even touched on that film. Considering that almost none of the other of Austen's novels got several pages' worth of information the film adaptations of the book, why this one? Then too, there was the author's actual interpretations and thoughts on the book Mansfield Park itself. While I'm sure none of her thoughts were revolutionary in the wrong sense, and while I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't like that section as much, some of what she said about the characters bothered me. I'm not sure, but it just didn't really seem to represent Austen's characters the way Austen wanted and wrote them to be. I don't entirely know, though, so perhaps just take her thoughts with a grain of salt.

The second thing, and probably one of the last, was some comments scattered here and there throughout the book that in a way made me feel uncomfortable. Again, nothing indepth or detailed, but not even really anything you could skip. It's more like a comment here, a comment there, that probably really did not need to be in there.

Those things aside, for the most part it was a lovely book. The layout and special things inside are really rather nice, and enhance the book. I enjoyed some of the background information the author supplied on Jane's life and times, as it helped clear up a few things that were somewhat confusing me. All in all, I'd probably rate it four stars out of five.

The Angel's Command by Brian Jacques

2009-09-29T10:07:00.002-04:00

In some ways, I felt The Angel's Command was a better written book then it's predecessor, Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. It [Angel's Command] felt more historically accurate, which was good. One of the things I didn't like about Castaways was the small but many ways the book didn't feel like a book set back then. Oh, I know, books written now a days sometimes don't feel like that, but an author can still try his best to be historically accurate. In The Angel's Command, there was less modern-ish feelings in it, of which I was glad. Of course, I've never actually read any literature written back in the 1600s, so I can't quite say, but all in all, on that score, I liked it more.

Plot wise, I found it a bit disjointed. For the first half of the book, we're sailing around, being chased by bad guys, almost being mutinied by murderous crewmen, robbing, etc etc. The second half feels like it's an entirely different story, except for one or two characters remain the same. There was at least a proper, if not enough, tie between the first and second half, but I don't exactly like it when you have two almost completely different adventures within the same book. This was also one problem I had with Castaways. I probably would of preferred it much more it each adventure had of been in a different book entirely, although then again, they each might get dragged out. While I didn't find these plot lines boring per se, at times I felt like putting the book down and reading something else. I didn't find them as engaging as Redwall at all.

Content wise, the first half was alright, the second half not so much. In the second half there's a witch. Okay, so while she calls herself a witch, uses hypnotising, magical powders, even some fortune telling, they never exactly say she isn't a witch, that she's in reality just a fraud. She uses potion to make some of the characters be overcome by their worst fears, and keeps them under spells til she needs them for something. I really did not like this part. True, 'good' triumphs over 'evil', but still. I will not read stories with magic and witchcraft in it (even if it doesn't exactly teach one how to use that sort of thing) just so I can see the good triumphing over the evil. I can read that in the Bible if I must, or at least in other sources that do not include this. Even the whole theme of the Captain of the Flying Dutchman haunting Ben and Ned was a little much for me. I didn't like it in the first book, I don't like it now.

So, while I found this book in some ways better written then the first (although there was something that occurred that wasn't even really explained in the end, and I found to be somewhat random), content wise I liked it less.

The House of The Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

2009-09-26T15:45:00.001-04:00

I finished reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of The Seven Gables last evening. For the most part I enjoyed it quite a bit. While the plot was relatively straightforwards and simple, I didn't mind. The story has a somewhat of a slower pace- it reminded me of a type of story that chronicles one's daily life over one that is more plot driven and moves forwards steadily. There is not a huge array of characters, but we get to know the few main ones relatively well throughout the course of the book. The villain of this peace, while committing crimes that are only revealed in the end, is more of a lurking in the shadows type of person, who's very name brings (for the most part of the book) nameless but clear fear to the main character and her brother. Up til the end, it's never explained why Hepzibah Pyncheon, an elderly lady who inhabits the House of the Seven Gables, and her brother fear their cousin, the Judge, but it is evident something is not right. Their past is subtly hinted at, but not finally revealed until the end. While at times I dearly wished to know why they did not like this man, what had given them cause to detest and abhor him, I actually liked how at the end everything is revealed. There's several very interesting twists in this one. Not enough to keep one on their toes, say as a mystery novel would do, but it's certainly not a bland book either.

There were however some parts I did not exactly like. While at the beginning of a novel, someone is accused and killed as a witch (I personally did not find this the main thing, while I was saddened for the fellow), later on in the book, a tale is recounted of this man's grandson and how he mesmorized, or did something to that extent, a girl- a descendant of one of the men who killed his grand father, and how her soul and life is now under his spell. I'm not 100% sure exactly what this entailed or what it meant, but I didn't like it. This also left a question in my mind- was the man who was killed as a witch at the beginning really a witch then? Did he have those powers, or was he innocent? Later on in the book I think there's another incident where, the person telling one of the characters the above mentioned story, realizes he somehow has a power of his hearer, or something of that nature. I do hope I'm wrong, because for the most part I liked the book. It was just these incidents that I didn't exactly like.

All in all, an interesting read, but the parts I'm not sure about do take away somewhat from my opinion of the book. I don't hate it, but neither do I love it.

Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury

2009-09-25T14:06:00.001-04:00

My dear friend from Ohio bought me Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury by Rebecca Dickson for my birthday. My friend knows me extremely well. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, except I have browsed through it and read here and there- it looks like an extremely interesting book, good for any Jane Austen fan. :D Thank you dear friend! (You know who you are! ;))

How Many Have You Read?

2009-09-22T13:38:00.004-04:00

I thought, since this is a book blog, and this post is entirely book related, it'd be alright to post this here.

And, consequently, follow the crowd and/or be entirely unoriginal. All for the sake of books.

[x ] 1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

[x] 2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

[x] 3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

[ ] 4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

[ ] 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

[x] 6 The Bible

[x ] 7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

[ ] 8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

[ ] 9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

[x] 10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

[x] 11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

[ ] 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

[ ] 13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

[] 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

[ ] 15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

[x] 16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

[ ] 17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

[ ] 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

[ ] 19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

[x] 20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

[ ] 21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

[ ] 22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

[x] 23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

[ ] 24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

[ ] 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

[ ] 27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

[ ] 28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

[ ] 29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

[ ] 30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

[ ] 31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

[x] 32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

[x] 33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

[x] 34 Emma - Jane Austen

[x] 35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

[x] 36 The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe CS Lewis

[] 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

[ ] 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

[ ] 39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

[x] 40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

[ ] 41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

[ ] 42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

[ ] 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

[ ] 44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

[x] 45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

[x] 46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

[ ] 47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

[ ] 48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

[ ] 49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

[ ] 50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

[ ] 51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

[ ] 52 Dune - Frank Herbert

[ ] 53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

[x] 54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

[ ] 55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

[ ] 56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

[x] 57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (

[ ] 58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

[ ] 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

[ ] 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

[] 61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

[ ] 62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

[ ] 63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

[ ] 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

[x] 65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

[ ] 66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

[ ] 67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

[ ] 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

[ ] 69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

[ ] 70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

[x] 71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

[ ] 72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

[ ] 73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

[ ] 74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

[ ] 75 Ulysses - James Joyce

[ ] 76 The Inferno – Dante

[ ] 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

[ ] 78 Germinal - Emile Zola

[ ] 79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

[ ] 80 Possession - AS Byatt

[x] 81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

[ ] 82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

[ ] 83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

[ ] 84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

[ ] 85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

[ ] 86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistr

[x] 87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White

[ ] 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

[x] 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

[ ] 90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

[ ] 91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

[ ] 92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

[ ] 93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

[ ] 94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

[ ] 95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

[ ] 96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

[ ] 97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

[ ] 98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

[ ] 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

[x] 100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

That makes a grand total of 25. :)

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

2009-09-19T15:05:00.004-04:00

Several years ago, my brother and I received some H. R. Haggard books for Christmas from our parents- I, Pearl Maiden and Lysbeth, and my brother one called The Brethren.(I think?) So when I came across King Solomon's Mines at the book store, I bought it. I had heard the title before in my many wanderings, and had always held a curiosity about the contents. Hence, I chose to read it next.

In some ways, in most, perhaps, I was not disappointed. This is an adventure tale about three men who travel to remote parts of Africa. Their mission is twofold- one, to find one of the men's brother who is missing, the other to find the legendary mines of King Solomon. To get to these mines, they must cross treacherous deserts, mountains, and even cross blades with an African king who isn't exactly the most friendly of people. They make friends and gain enemies, in fact, most of the action takes place almost right at the doorstep of the Mines themselves, where a huge battle takes place between a usurper and the real king of the tribe.

For the most part, I enjoyed it. While I'm not the world's biggest adventure book fan, I actually didn't mind the adventure parts. There was a couple bits I laughed out loud at- usually things like how the men got out of predicaments and whatnot. (Truly the funny ones). This will probably sound odd to those who haven't read the book, and maybe even to those who have, but, I have to be honest. There was several sections I did laugh at.

The parts I did not enjoy, though, follow something like this- some parts where much to gory and violent for my tastes. Not as bad as say, some parts of A Tale of Two Cities, but still, enough to make me not like those parts, and even the book a little less. There was also witch doctors, witch hunters, and other people related to African lore that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. True- they are painted as evil people, nonetheless... Not to mention the creepy and weird old lady who apparently was around for generations and is, in fact, rather evil. My edition had some lovely illustrations of this person, much to my joy. [/sarcasm] There's something else too, which is rather hard for me to say. Let's just say, some mountains were named after some parts of the human anatomy and were mentioned several times, and as such, I wouldn't actually recommend the book to boys, even though it was, I take it, originally written for them. (I hope that's not too indiscreet. I really did not like that part).

All in all, an interesting read, but not a favourite. I'd probably say it's about three and a half stars.

A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four & the Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2009-09-17T19:41:00.005-04:00

A Study in Scarlet was a rather interesting read- as it was the very first Sherlock Holmes story (ever, I'd presume), it was nice seeing how Watson and Holmes originally became acquainted, how they set up shop on Baker Street and what not. The story itself was alright- I've no doubt that the writing was good and some of the mystery aspects I enjoyed, but, it was a murder mystery. As the story is actually novel length, it's not a murder mystery that is over quickly. I can't recall too well how much details are given, but I really didn't enjoy the murder bit. The Mormon part of the story was interesting as well, although quite sad. All in all, a novel I'd say is important to begin the Holmes saga properly, but not anything remarkable.

The Sign of Four I found moreso likable- as it has Watson meet his future wife, who is actually quite a neat character in herself, even though she's not in it much. This too is another murder mystery, a man is shot with a poisoned dart, and several other people die through the course of the story. Note, none of these murders are horribly grisly and the like, but still, I feel uncomfortable reading too many murder mysteries, because after reading another detective (Father Brown), I felt I was growing calloused to murder, and the very fact that someone- or many someones, are actually dying. Life is precious, and I do not want to lose that knowledge. Ever.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes was what I next read (my particular volume included The Adventures and The Memoirs, but since I had just recently read them, I skipped them), and while there was one or two cases that were not exactly murder mysteries, I found most of them had some aspect of murder in them. My favourite short stories was probably The Adventure of the Six Napoleons. To some extent I enjoyed The Adventure of the Empty House, as it features Sherlock's long awaited return, but it wasn't a favourite.

The writing style and most of the mystery aspects were great, but all in all, I was hoping for less murder mysteries and more unusual and different cases (such as those in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which probably remains my favourite of the ones I've read).

Miscellaneous Historical Fiction Readings

2009-09-09T21:37:00.009-04:00

I must say, it seems lately I've been reading more young adult historical fiction then I usually do, however, for the most part it's all well written, so I really don't mind.
Here's what I've been reading so far:

Days of Toil and Tears: The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford, Almonte, 1887 by Sarah Ellis
This is a Dear Canada diary I've had sitting around for some time, and actually enjoyed much more then I thought I would. It's a diary of a young cotton mill worker in 1887 Canada, told from her perspective, and quite interesting. Since reading and watching North and South by Mrs. Gaskell, the cotton mills and their workers have been something rather interesting to study, so it was nice to read another book on that.

The Nine Days Queen by Karleen Bradford
(incidentally, Bradford wrote one of my favourite Dear Canada diaries)
For the most part I enjoyed this short work of fiction on Lady Jane Grey's life and death. There was one or two pieces of content that were more mature, actually happened, but thankfully were handled in an alright manner. Since this is biographical/historical fiction, I realize the importance of presenting the characters' lives in as truthful manner as possible, without rationalizing the sin. I probably wouldn't recommend it to a younger audience, though.

Not a Nickel to Spare: The Great Depression Diary of Sally Cohen by Perry Nodleman
This was an okay diary from the Dear Canada series...not a favourite. I'd probably only rate it a two stars, actually. Not that it was actually boring, just not something that interested me. Plus, there was some content in it that I didn't like- kids and young people sneaking out and about, going to places they shouldn't, keeping secrets from parents, even a 15/16 year old girl involved deeply in a relationship with her boyfriend, and keeping it from her parents. The writing style was fine, but all in all, I didn't like it.

U-Boat Hunter by Bryan Perrett, part of the My Story series.
This was actually a very engaging, but short, read. It's the story of Peter Rogers, who's father (who was captain on a merchant ship) witnessed the murder of several of his capable officers, killed by a cold hearted German U-Boat commander. Peter is sickened, and joins the Navy, not only to serve his country, but also to get revenge, if possible. Somewhat fast paced, I like how the author included quite a few historical details into it, so I actually felt like I was reading a biography or non fiction book on the war, instead of a historical fiction piece. Little objectionable content in it, the only thing I can think of was the boy lied, with parental approval, to get into training camp. On a side note, it appears the author has written quite a few other works on military battles, and other books on WWII, so that perhaps accounts for the feel of the book, which I liked. (None of this historical-fiction-ringing-with-modernisms!)

Janahara: Princess of Princesses
(From the Royal Diaries series)

I had this diary for a year or two, and had simply bought it because it was a diary. For the most part it was alright. I've no doubt that this book is quite historical- the note about the author said she did extensive research when writing this, because she wanted it to feel real. (Kudos to her! ;) ) The actual storyline was alright, not too boring or slow, but I wasn't really that interested in it. I suppose I was reading it because I wanted to get it done. It did have a somewhat interesting look into the lives of Indian royalty back then, I suppose. I didn't exactly like the idea that some of the characters had that Muslims, Christians (there was one or two Englishmen in it), and Hindus should all accept each other because they are all God's children. I agree- we shouldn't persecute each other, but to think that we're all God's children is not something I agree with. There was also some worship of the gods, and while I didn't enjoy it, I suppose, to be historically accurate, it was needed.

All in all, probably a 3 of 5 stars.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

2009-09-06T16:48:00.003-04:00

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques came as a somewhat highly recommended book to me from two or three others, so I decided I should read it. I'm familiar with Jacques' Redwall series, so I thought it might be interesting to see what his writing outside of Redwall was like.

On the whole, Castaways was an interesting read (exploring somewhat the idea of one person living forever, always young, and transcending time), but not one of my favourites. The writing wasn't too bad, but towards the end I was somewhat annoyed and tired of the way the oft too predictable bumbling henchmen talked (much like the hares in Redwall, and they get on my nerves too sometimes), and found it at best a little over the top.

There was a couple other things that I didn't exactly like, or am not entirely sure about. First off, most people probably know the legend of the Ghost ship The Flying Dutchman. In this story, a mute boy and later on, his pet dog, are stuck aboard The Flying Dutchman before it becomes "ghost-ified", and are there when it happens, although they are saved by an Angel. However, they are fated to live forever, always the same age as before, and to bring good and help those in need, and yet, they must move on at the command of the angel. Throughout the book, the boy and his dog often feel the ship calling to them, and are overcome sometimes. (As in, feeling faint, scared, etc). Once or twice people see the "ghost" ship in the book and wonder at it. This, and the fact there's an odd sort of telepathy between the boy and his dog (the dog can talk in his thoughts), are both things that kind of made me wary.

This aside, there is also the slight feeling that, while parts of the book were set in 1898, or so, I really didn't feel like it was historically set. Sometimes the children and young people called adults by their first names, and there was some other slight instances. It's not really a big deal, but when you've just read historical fiction written in the Victorian age, you'll notice the difference.

I have yet to read the sequel and see how things progress, and I probably will, but I cannot say that I would highly recommend the book to anyone.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

2009-09-05T12:51:00.004-04:00

I decided to do a much needed re-read of one of my favourite Austen books rather impromptu, as since reading it once, I've seen three different versions of the story on film, two more then twice. (Which means that, I've read the book once, but seen the '95 version at least 4 times, the latest version two/three times, and the '70s version once.) I decided it was high time for a re-read, and as it's not exactly a long book, I knew that I wouldn't have to commit weeks to an unplanned re-read.

Now just finished the book, it was immensely enjoyable, and well worth the time spent on it. Admittedly, it took me a bit to get re-acquainted with Austen's style of writing- it's different but not in a bad sense. One thought that was brought to my mind was how I like that Austen basically lets the story unfold for itself- the romance blossom, the characters speak and show the readers who they are. Sometimes I've come across in books and stories where it's all the narrator/author speaking and it gets in the way of us seeing and experiencing the story for itself. If that makes any sense- sorry if it doesn't. I think there's a fine line between an author writing the story, and an author taking over the narrative and clogging it up.

For some time I wasn't sure of what Anne's MBTI type is, although I've been curious about it. I have decided she's an ISFJ. Her whole thing about being persuaded to not marry Fredrick at the beginning was, in my opinion, not showing a weakness of character, but rather that she felt it was her duty to listen to those who gave her advice- to those whom she looked up to as parents. She felt it was her duty to listen and obey, even if their advice was not exactly the best. (However, I am sure, that in the event of those she respected offering truly immoral advice, she would not listen. Even the fact of her not wanting to accept an offer by Mr. Elliot, and quietly disagreeing with Lady Russell on this point, seems to me, a good sign that she wouldn't compromise her morals and beliefs on the subject of truly wrong advice.) I'm not sure what Fredrick is, but I suppose that will be left to wiser minds then mine.

For the first time I read the original ending to the novel, although I only read the parts that were different and skimmed the parts that seemed the same. It was an interesting ending- I'm not sure if I like it better or not then what is now the ending, but...in a way, it cuts down on the suspense. ;)

I also found myself increasingly addicted to reading the notes at the back of the book, often times breaking up the actual reading of the narrative, scrambling to the back to find out what exactly the thing in particular meant, then resuming the story. Sometimes, it got rather annoying, but I'm always finding more and more that the notes are quite helpful and add to the story by providing a little bit of background into the time period to us ignorant readers.

The 1995 version of this will, perhaps, always be my favourite adaptation, but since reading the book, I've discovered more merit in the latest version, starring Sally Hawkins. (Who, by the way, did a good job on Anne. It's Wentworth I have a slight problem with. I still find it very hard to believe his character was actually a naval captain...he just looked like any other gentleman of that day). One thing I particularly liked about this new version was that Anne keeps a journal. Okay, so in itself, that's not really a big deal, but, by her keeping this journal, we are allowed to see inside her head a little bit more, and quite a few of her thoughts and emotions that she writes into her journal are almost word for word with what she thinks in the book. From what I recall of that adaptation (it's been a few months since we've seen it) and from letting it grow on me over time, this was a very nice thing to include. We could of lived without it, and done perfectly well, of course, but, it was nice to just have those extra thoughts & whatnot.

I won't even touch on the 1970s version of this story, although it was not horrible, I probably wouldn't watch it again. Unlike the older adaptation of Mansfield Park which I quite enjoyed, the 70s version of Persuasion is not something I would sit down to again. Alas, it's probably only because it's from the 70s, and the film quality isn't that great. Although, if I saw it on DVD fully restored, it might give a nicer look and feel to it. We'll see.

All in all-- five stars I do give this book, and a ten out of ten.

Silas Marner by George Eliot

2009-09-04T11:57:00.004-04:00

I finished reading Silas Marner by George Eliot today, it was a quick read- being only 180 pages or so. (According to my edition). I'm used to reading longer and more complex plots by Eliot, and perhaps by other authors as well, so this is probably the reason why I found the plot in Silas Marner to be almost too simple. This, however, is my first reaction on being done the book. How I long for the days when I could read books with only one plot and one subplot and enjoy them. Dickens, Eliot and the like has greatly spoiled my appreciation of the simpler works.

The last time I read a 'simple' book with a straight forwards plotline, that was Under the Greenwood Tree. I felt with that particular book that, while not exactly classifying as fluff, there just did not seem to be anything more to it, nothing weightier that could make one think. With Silas Marner, despite the straightforward plot, I did not feel this. There is some really interesting themes in this one- redemption I would guess being the main one. (Not my observation, just what some other people have said). One thing I found interesting was how in a paragraph or two it was mentioned that the people did not really have a clear understanding of the Bible and what they believed, and although they believed despite that, it was for some confusing. This was probably what made me think the most- sometimes I take my Bible education for granted. I may not have any degrees in Bible education or the like, but that doesn't matter. Some of the wisest people I know are ones who most likely never went to Bible college in their life. What is important is that solid foundation, of which my parents have provided. Since our earliest days we've always gone to church, been involved in Sunday School, had the Bible read to us, been taught it, and once we were old enough to read for ourselves, daily devotions have been encouraged, and followed through upon. For us, it's simply been something that's almost as natural now as breathing. I believe I sub conciously take it for granted, because it's such a part of my life. However, I am in no way saying I wish it wasn't part of my life, because that is hogwash. But sometimes I need reminders such as the ones found in the lives of the characters in Silas Marner- that sometimes people don't have those opportunities, or have never had them, and can only trust and believe in the little they know.

All in all, I've got somewhat mixed feelings about this book. It is by no means bad and I probably wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others if they asked me what I thought about it, but...

Sorry about that....

2009-09-02T09:30:00.002-04:00

Several people informed me that the comment form wasn't working correctly, so I think I've got it fixed. Sorry about the inconvenience!

The Youthful Queen Victoria by Dormer Creston

2009-09-01T12:10:00.003-04:00

I picked up a 1952 copy of The Youthful Queen Victoria by Dormer Creston about two weeks ago for $5.50 at a bookstore. It was a rather impulsive buy, but hey, I don't mind the odd impulsively bought book. The torn and tattered paper jacket is a bright pink, and obviously worn and torn by the some 50/60 years it's been in this world. Nevertheless, it's still a very good book.

This biographical book begins shortly before Victoria's birth, up to her marriage to Prince Albert, and covers many of the different challenges, issues, and people Victoria had to deal with. It is an easier book to read, clear and understandable without being too simple. I've never read a more engaging biography before, actually, and hope to read more on Victoria in the coming months.

One thing I also liked about this particular book is that it did not disguise Victoria's shortcomings, causing her to appear anything but what she really was; and yet, it did not make her look inhuman either. I thought it a well rounded book.

I would probably recommend this to anyone who is interested in this subject- although two things cause me to hesitate.

Number one, that I've not read up much on Victoria before, and this author seems to be (while doing one or two other books on Royalty) somewhat unheard of, at least, for me. I can not say with 100% assurance that her view points and interpretations are accurate and true, but I cannot say that they aren't either.*

The second thing is that there are some scandals dealt with in this biography. Thankfully, they were dealt with some delicacy and really never went into huge amounts of details. I think the farthest the author went with this was in mentioning Victoria's uncles and their illegitimate children, etc. Interestingly, the impression I received from this book was that Victoria's mother, The Duchess of Kent, did not want her daughter going to her Uncles' houses because of these children, and she thought that these children would perhaps do more harm to Victoria then good. I actually liked this action of The Duchess', even though for the most part I didn't exactly like her. But back to the scandals- I guess I'm really just on the fence with this one- because, since this is a biography, one should not gloss over faults and errors, especially ones that greatly effected the person in question. If it was in a fiction novel, I probably would be extremely uncomfortable with that sort of content, but, as it's a biography, the situation is different. Balance is needed. I was a little uncomfortable with reading about that type of thing (and so I should be) in this book, but as it was handled better then it could of been, and was part of Victoria's past, it somehow made it different. (Sorry, this probably makes no sense. I am no way advocating reading biographies of people who lived immoral lives and accepting that, and if you feel uncomfortable, saddened or even want to quit the book, I would heartily say follow your conscience, and don't chastise yourself for feeling that way. That is a healthy reaction to the sin nature around us. I'm just saying...be discerning!)

All in all, I enjoyed it very much, and would rate it 4 stars.

* My opinions of this book may or may not change in the coming months, depending on if I read any more biographies on her life by authors I can trust to have good and accurate views.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2009-08-30T15:31:00.004-04:00

"'Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?'

'To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.'

'The dog did nothing in the night-time.'

'That was the curious incident,' remarked Sherlock Holmes."

****

I finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes on Friday evening, and I must say, I did not like it quite as much as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. While the Memoirs were still good; and held many a clever case, the book had a different feel about it that I didn't like (this feel however, is not bad in general, it is just that for some reason, I did not like it), more mysteries and cases including murder aspects, and also I found that there was something in the writing style too, that seemed different. Perhaps I am just imagining things, but I don't quite know.

It was an interesting read, however, and I can't say it was a waste of time. Holmes and Watson are back at it, and I found great enjoyment in reading and discovering how they [particularly Holmes, although Watson did it once or twice] would solve seemingly impossible cases. I also found it somewhat funny how much both of them could detect about one person simply by keenly observing an object belonging to that person and the like.

Probably my favourite of the short stories was The Naval Treaty. This one I found to be particularly clever, if my memory serves me correctly, and that was one of the only ones that did not involve a murder or death.

All in all however, I found it to be a somewhat disappointing book after reading The Adventures, but I hope to continue on reading Sherlock Holmes, and hopefully the rest of the books will be better.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

2009-08-28T19:13:00.003-04:00

I picked this book up for a few dollars on my last book shopping venture, and I must say, it was, for the most part, an alright read.

I've read Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series, and while I enjoyed some parts of that, other parts- for instance, her morals and the language, has somewhat turned me off of the series. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with The Thief Lord, but I figured since it was only a couple dollars, if it's bad, it's not an entire waste. Thankfully, it was not an entire waste.

A couple things are somewhat cliche- for instance, a whole bunch of kids running around with no parents, evil relatives out to get them, etc. While I wasn't too bothered by this, it is somewhat saddening to read books where every single child is an orphan of sorts.

There was only a smattering of swearing throughout the book; which was a gigantic improvement from all the Inkheart books, and also some taking of the Lord's name in vain. As for morals- I'm not entirely sure here. The kids do steal and aren't punished for it, in fact, they make quite a bit of money of what they steal. True, the kids have a somewhat lonely lifestyle, and eventually most of them find good homes and stop stealing, but I wasn't entirely comfortable with the theme of stealing. I did like how the main character did not want to steal or get involved with the other kids' schemes, even though he knew he and his brother had to stay with the gang since they had no where else to go. Prosper, the boy, was also protective of his younger brother, Bo, and did not want Bo to go along on the outings where stealing would be involved. Sadly, Bo treated Prosper like he was being grumpy and often times disobeyed his older brother. (Bo was only five, but still. It's not as if Prosper was being cruel by stopping his younger brother from stealing). At other times in the books, kids (and even an adult now and then) lie and put on acts (which is really just lying anyways) to either not have to go to orphanages, or to rescue people. While perhaps doing it honestly might not of furthered the story line, I didn't really like the dishonesty. Obviously there is the whole theme of running away as well.

One thing I did like, though, was that while the kids didn't have parents, two adult figures came into their lives- Victor and Ida. These two adults took the kids in and wanted to help them, and in fact did help them. I think for the most part the 'good' adults were respected, while the 'bad' adults were not. [Bad being Prosper and Bo's rich and cruel aunt and uncle].

The writing of the story itself was alright, nothing too grand but not exactly bad either. I did feel that the 'magic' merry-go-round at the end of the story, and that whole twist, was somewhat out of place. The book is set in modern day Venice, perfectly ordinary. And it's not heralded as some fantasy right from the get go (as with Inkheart). If, perhaps, the book had of been quite clear that it was a fantasy set in today's world, perhaps that might of been different. But it wasn't. So while it was an interesting twist, it didn't feel entirely right.

All in all, it's a book that you'd probably have to decide for yourself if you're going to read it or not. I did not hate it, but I do encourage taking it with a grain of salt, and perhaps not being too young when reading it. That being said, I wouldn't give raving reviews about it, either.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Other Readings

2009-08-26T19:27:00.005-04:00

For some time I've wanted to read some Sherlock Holmes stories, after half growing up with the awareness of who he was, and some knowledge of his abridged cases. These past two days, I've been reading, and have now finished, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was only at most three murder mysteries in the cases composing The Adventures. I suppose I was expecting more. (The three are: The Boscombe Valley Mystery, The Five Orange Pips and The Adventure of the Speckled Band).

I found these short stories well written and entertaining, especially some of the more unusual cases that Holmes and Watson take on. They were not too gory (with the exception of one that I wasn't entirely keen on, The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb) and I found the few stories that did have the murder aspect in them pretty much well handled- nothing too detailed. None the less, I did not enjoy them as much. I have yet to read any more Holmes, but I do have The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, which I shall probably read shortly.

I also finished reading Marlfox by Brian Jacques, which for the most part was alright, although it's not my favourite Redwall. There was quite a bit of battles and that sort of adventure, and some parts where somewhat predictable.

My sister is reading Little Dorrit for the first time, and I am re-reading it with her. Since I got ahead of her, I took a break to read other things so she could catch up. It's hard to explain, but to me, Little Dorrit doesn't exactly feel like any of the other Dickens' that I've read. It's a very special story that's close to my heart, and I am enjoying it very much. It gets easier and easier to understand and read everytime I read through it again, and it's nice to go back to the original source for Little Dorrit, especially since my family spent a whole day watching the mini-series. In my opinion, the book is much better. Hands down.

Yesterday my family went to two bookstores while we were in town, and I bought:

Les Miserables
The Christmas Books, Volume 1 by Charles Dickens
Castaways of the Flying Dutchman & it's sequel The Angel's Command by Brian Jacques
Mattimeo by Brian Jacques
Outcast of Redwall by the same
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

My sister herself bought some books, but I'll let her tell you all about it, here. She started her very own book blog, but I assure you, it was not under my influence.

I also read the 200+ original verison of The Secret of Shadow Ranch. While it was an interesting read, also having the distinct 1930s feel, I actually believe I prefer the entirely different and updated version, the one that you'll commonly find in stores. The updated one is actually much more mystery, instead of Nancy, George and Bess riding around getting lost, chased by cougars, etc and just happening upon a mystery. I just like it better. None the less, it was a fun read to read the original story.

Mrs. Susan Gaskell?

2009-08-25T07:29:00.002-04:00

I'm reading a biography on Florence Nightingale, and from time to time, famous authors are mentioned (Dicken, Eliot, etc). It appears our dear Mrs. Gaskell was mentioned as well- but as Mrs. Susan Gaskell. They got the Mrs. Gaskell part right, but Susan Gaskell? It's Elizabeth! *sits down in a minor huff* (So, I'm not really that mad, but I'm less inclined to like the author. If he got her name wrong, what's to say he hasn't gotten other details wrong too?)

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden

2009-08-24T20:22:00.003-04:00

I finished reading Carrie's War by Nina Bawden this evening, it was a rather quick read.

The story is another one of the WWII children evacuee ones, where a twelve year old girl, Carrie, and her ten year old brother Nick, are sent to Wales during the Blitz. They are taken in by the Evans', Mr. Evans (an apparently grumpy, bully-ish older fellow) and his younger sister, whom the children affectionately call Aunt Louise. Settling into the town, Carrie and Nick meet another Evacuee, and become friends with him and the place where he's staying. But is all as it seems?

The story itself was alright. I'll admit I felt that the older sister being annoyed with younger brother was a bit tiring, especially since for the first book in The Guests of War Trilogy, this was a running theme. (Of which, I did not like). I sympathized with Mr. Evans, and didn't entirely like when the children called him nasty, mean, and somewhat disrespected him. Perhaps he deserved it, perhaps not. He was one of my favourite characters, though.

The things I truly did not like in this story, though, are as follows. One character is called a witch, and I don't believe it's ever clearly not said that she's not one. She tells one or two stories about curses, and a story about a skull that is said to scream if it's taken out of the house. There's also talk of Druids, and their religion and the surrounding creepiness of a setting in this book seem to be related to each other. The curse theme is one that runs slightly through the book- at the end, Carrie throws the skull into the lake, and finds out the house burned down later. She attributes (wrongly, at the end, to the book's credit) that her action was not what caused the fire. However, I did not appreciate the presence of the whole curse/skull/witch thing. Not pleasant.

I'd probably rate this book a two of five stars, and not exactly recommend it to anyone. It was alright, but there was some things I didn't enjoy it in it, and not enough things I did enjoy to counter balance that.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

2009-08-21T21:57:00.009-04:00

For the past week or so, I have been reading, and have now finished, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It came highly recommended from NarniaWebbers such as Destined to Reign, so I was looking forward to begin reading it. I was not disappointed. It is an excellently written book, filled with lessons that are perhaps more subtle, yet none the less there.

The story line is simply- a young man, Edmond Dantes, on the eve of his wedding to his love Mercedes, is arrested under false accusations of supporting Napoleon, and sentenced to jail for life. He escapes, fourteen years later or so, and begins to plan to bring down revenge on those who cruelly sent him to jail.

The revenge thing at first put up teensy flags in my mind- after all, when one thinks of someone getting revenge, it's generally not very pretty. However, do not be alarmed. Edmond, yes, does begin to infiltrate his enemies' lives intent on disrupting their ordered world, but, these men who sentenced him to jail did true acts of evil, other then in accusing Dantes of a crime he did not commit. Edmond exposes these crimes, and, never actually murders his enemies, opting to let them deal with the new found information that their old enemy, whom they assumed was long dead, has once more returned.

I think that there is a good lesson to be learned from the sins of Edmond's enemies. Each one has, in his own way committed a sad crime or done something morally corrupt, and seemed to have got away with it. But- as the story progresses, it is quite clear that the saying "be sure your sins will find you out" is indeed true. Each of their past sins comes back to, in a sense, haunt these men who where jealous of Dantes and lied about him. Their sins separates families, plunges deep wounds into loved ones, and does not stop at just one sin, but continues on in others in a downward spiral. I believe it is quite clear that the message in this book is not one of condoning these sins, but of showing (whether it was actually the author's intent to do so or not) just how much past actions can hurt. For instance, in the character of Caderousse, we see a man who eventually dies because he was not content with what he had, but always wanted, craved, more:

"Listen," said the abbe, extending his hand over the wounded man, as if to command him to believe; "this is what the God in whom, on your death-bed, you refuse to believe, has done for you—he gave you health, strength, regular employment, even friends—a life, in fact, which a man might enjoy with a calm conscience. Instead of improving these gifts, rarely granted so abundantly, this has been your course—you have given yourself up to sloth and drunkenness, and in a fit of intoxication have ruined your best friend."

It is a good reminder, I believe, to be grateful for what we do have, and not let materialism and covetousness take over our lives.

That being said, I will quickly add that the narration, thankfully, does not go into detail or become explicit about these past sins. There is one however, that I did not entirely like, which was an extra marital affair. However, the description itself of it is not too detailed, and it is does come back to cause trouble for those involved. I'm advocating using discretion here. I personally found it was not enough to turn me off of the entire book, and it is shown as wrong. (However, again, I am not going to go out and read all the books that have that content, even if it is shown as wrong). Please, use your discretion. I felt I should mention it.

As to other content that could be found objectionable, I believe the only things are that of the fact several people die by poison, there is a strange drug like substance taken by one character, and the side effects is a paragraph on a odd dream, a tale hinting at what bandits did to their female captives, and also another brief description of a man who murders two others to gain a diamond.

The revenge theme is a somewhat dark one, however, Dantes himself realizes in the end the negative effects of planning and bring about revenge, and actually questions himself as to whether his past course was the correct one. He has not turned cold and hard hearted per se, as he still shows kindness to those who are truly good (and even offers second chances to one or two who are not), but there is something in him that changes, and he begins to see himself and to see revenge in a more truer light.

I would probably suggest this book to a slightly older audience- due to the nature of the themes and some of the events in the book, which are not suitable for younger eyes but fine for older ones, I would probably say 14+. While a younger reader could read it and get through it tolerably, I feel that to truly understand the themes of this book, one must be a bit older.

All in all, I was satisfied with how the book ended, and especially Edmond's realization about revenge. I did find it sad though, about the fates of the men who wronged Edmond in the first place- not that they didn't deserve it, but something in me does wish that they could of somehow been shown mercy too. Justice tinged with mercy, and mercy mixed with justice. We none of us deserve the mercy we're shown by God, all we deserve is justice to be meted out on us for our sins. But by Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross, we now are able to receive, live in, and also share that mercy with others. Yes, Danglers, Villefort and Morcerf did sin, and they did deserve the consquences that were finally brought to them. But. In a way I wish they had of been able to still learn from those consquences, from those hard lessons and repent. Yes, pay for what they did, but also be able to overcome their past....who would not want that?

A Little Dorrit Quote

2009-08-21T07:46:00.002-04:00

"...angry feelings and unforgiving deeds are no comfort and no guide to you and me. My life has been passed in this poor prison, and my teaching has been very defective; but let me implore you to remember later and better days. Be guided only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who are afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who sheds tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right if we put all the rest away and do everything in rememberance of Him. There is no vengeance and no infliction of suffering in His life, I am sure. There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain."

~Amy Dorrit, Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

(Which brings to mind, were the Dorrits the founders of Doritos?)

Doesn't This Library Sound Fantastic?

2009-08-19T20:57:00.004-04:00

"The library was divided into two parts on either side of the wall, and contained upwards of two thousand volumes; one division was entirely devoted to novels, and even the volume which had been published but the day before was to be seen in its place in all the dignity of its red and gold binding."

~The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter LXII

Salamandastron by Brian Jacques, Mr. Dickens Hits Town by Jan Mark, Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati and Cool it or Lose it by Dale Evans Rogers

2009-08-16T11:25:00.009-04:00

As you can tell, I've been doing quite a bit of reading in addition to reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.

The first book that I read this past week is Salamandastron by Brian Jacques. My cousin lent it to me on his last visit here, and since he was coming again on Thursday night, in all fairness to him, I felt I should get it read. I finished it almost entirely in one evening, with the last 90 pages or so to be read the next morning. It's not my favourite Redwall, but it is quite good. Some parts I found rather gripping- and that probably sounds silly considering it's a book about talking animals and their adventures, but hey! What can I say? I'm not a huge Redwall freak, and while the hares are interesting, I'm probably in the minority when I say I don't see what's so great about them. The Badgers, however, are another story. There is something chilling and yet thrilling when a badger goes into battle- and sad and haunting if they return from the battle dead or dying.

The villains in this story are suitably bad- I probably would not recommend this book to be read aloud or by younger children- the villains do not hesitate to stab their comrades in the back, slash of ears or heads, threaten or torture prisoners. While not being overly descriptive, it is enough that could put images in young minds.

The second book was Mr. Dickens Hits Town by Jan Mark. An easy read, it's only 62 pages. I'm not sure exactly how accurate this book is- the story is of Mr. Dickens coming to Montreal in 1842 for a few days on the tail end of his American tour. He wants to put on a play there, and so organizes a committee before his arrival. Once he does arrive- chaos ensues with the committee- and some of the actors regret wanting to help him. Will everything go off well or is Mr. Dickens' Canadian stay doomed for failure?

A slightly fun read, the illustrations are lovely and comical. :)

Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati is an excellent read. I read it over several days as part of my personal devotions and enjoyed it immensely. It is written in a clear, easy to understand style and yet answers questions about Creation and refutes not only false claims about Creation by Evolutionists by also Evolution itself. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing more.

Over half of my family went away camping for a few days, excepting my father and I. My Mum brought me back a rare book- not rare in editions or anything, just rare in the fact it's not a book I've seen around. The title is: Cool it or Lose it! by Dale Evans Rogers. I am a fan of Mrs. Rogers' books (among other RR/DE things) and so I started reading this one after Refuting Evolution. I'm only one or two chapters in, but I'm already enjoying it. Mrs. Rogers' writing style is bold, but not in your face or pushy. She is frank and honest, but sometimes that's what this world needs- a breath of fresh air, someone who is not afraid to write about her real faith in Jesus, and what Jesus really is. I should mention the subtitle of this book is "Dale Evans Rogers Raps with Youth", which however, has given me mental impressions of Dale Evans singing rap with a youth band. Um, not what I want. But it'll go away. This book is written for youth, and even though it was written to in essence, my parents, it is still applicable to today's youth.

And, on top of all that, I'm progressing through The Count of Monte Cristo somewhat slowly. It's a pretty good read, and I'm enjoying it. I really like how, while it's 800+ pages, there is relatively little diversions in the book- something I did not enjoy in Les Miserables. (In which, the author would go off for chapters and chapters on silly little things, like, Slang, for instance. Of course, I did enjoy the diversion of the sewers of Paris, but that was an exception). In TCMC, every incident is clearly forwarding the plot, and it allows me to see quite well that those little things are not silly or useless. (Perhaps, in Les Miserables, all the diversion more subtly influenced the rest of the plot, I don't know).

So far I have only encountered two smaller things I'm not too sure I like in the book- one was someone taking a drug and having slightly weird and inappropriate dreams due to that, and the other was part of a story someone was telling about what bandits did to *ahem* people of the opposite gender. While not in detail, it was still not pleasant to read.

And...I believe that sums up this blog entry. Kudos if you made it through it.

Under The Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

2009-08-11T12:25:00.002-04:00

Under The Greenwood Tree is a lighter, quicker read. It's only around 220 pages, and the writing style is not that hard to get into. It also happens to be the very first Thomas Hardy I've ever read. I was skeptical about Hardy at first due to the apparent addition of more mature content that seemed to come into most of his books, but after being re-assured that there was none in Under The Greenwood Tree, I began.

The book itself is not bad- the characters I didn't hate or find annoying. I don't love them, mind you, but I don't hate them either. The plot is rather simple- the new school teacher Fancy Day has three men who want to marry her. That's it. There's not sub plots, or sub sub plots. It's just the main one. Perhaps reading Dickens has led me to expect that every book should have more then one plot, as I didn't find Under The Greenwood Tree entirely satisfying. It seemed too simple, too easy. True, there was *some* things that had to be overcome, but the book overall seemed too quickly over. Maybe that's how it's like in real life, I'm not sure. I'm sure the book could of done with some more plots and characters quite well.

There is no real objectionable content in it, nothing that needed to be skipped. It was an alright adventure into Hardy, but upon returning, I'd have to say I'm more apathetic then anything about it.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

2009-08-09T14:18:00.003-04:00

I just finished Great Expectations a few minutes ago, I do believe I enjoyed it quite a bit more then I thought I actually would. I first 'read' this book when I was younger, and the version I read was from the 'Great' Illustrated Classics series. True- it was greatly abridged, but I was thankful to have some idea of the basic plot line as I progressed through this book. Ordinarily, I would not suggest reading the heavily abridged version before the real thing- it'd save you time if you read the real thing, but since I did it when I was young, I had to make good use of it somehow.

Anyways- onto the book.

I take it, from what I've read, there's mixed opinions on this book. I personally really enjoyed it. I liked how it wasn't as complex as Dickens' other work. I don't mind the complexity, but sometimes it's nice to have a change, of course. There wasn't as many 'side' characters in this book as with Dickens' other work- characters who really only appear once or twice, or could of been left out. In Great Expectations, the characters are almost only the ones needed to forwards the plot, and the 'side' characters are actually in it more. I liked this because the book didn't seem to go off on diversions (although, I will add, I don't mind Dickens' so much, it's Hugo's I've got a problem with. ;)) and was kept moving along at what I felt was a good pace.

The characters were all pretty good- I do wish Mr. Dickens had of made a little bit more notice on Miss Havisham's end, from what I could tell it was but a brief mention. Oh well; tis but a small thing.

It was interesting seeing how Pip reacted to those he knew as a boy, once he was rich. Instead of welcoming them with open arms and accepting their 'faults', he felt an aversion to them, and yet, he knew what he felt and he felt badly about it. It is different from other books I've read, and while I can't say I liked how Pip reacted to those who loved him, it was interesting to have their relationships somewhat negatively affected, at least on his part. Of course, all does end up nicely in the end.

Great Expectations probably shan't be my favourite Dickens, but I thought I wouldn't like it at all. Why, I am not entirely sure- perhaps it was due to myself owning the book for several months and always putting it off to read later... that was the last Dickens that I owned that I had not read yet; so for a while I'll probably be setting him aside and reading others. (Unless, of course, I find a Dickens I have not yet read).

Up next is Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy. It's my first Hardy, so I hope I enjoy it.

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome & other readings

2009-08-04T20:16:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, my sister, mother and I stopped by at a bookstore we had not previously checked out. The selection there was plentiful, but they didn't really have much of what I wanted. All their fiction was put together, so my sister and I had to do extensive hunting for the classics, which is pretty much all I want to buy at the moment. Not only that, but they had a huge pile of boxes right in front of their "D" section, so I didn't find any Charles Dickens. Mind you, I'm not complaining, just simply noting it all. I did find Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Brummel by Jerome K. Jerome, however. I was pleased about this- it was recommended to me by NWebbers this past May, but I wasn't able to find any of his work until now.

It didn't take me long to read both these books, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. Three Men on the Brummel is not quite as funny as it's predecessor, but none the less I found it very nicely written, and still funny. Three Men in a Boat was indeed a funny book as many promised it would be, and yet, I found that nestled in amongst the quite silly humour, was several nuggets of truth. One of them was the quote I posted in the previous entry, this one also happened to be my favourite. It made me stop and think, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that sort of thing in a book that was otherwise looking to be all humour.

Not that the humour is bad, mind you- sometimes you do need a good laugh. One of the other things I appreciated about these two books is that all the humour is clean. There's no crudeness, although one of the smaller illustrations in my edition had a slightly indecent sketching. However, this is the edition's fault and not the actual book's problem.

I probably would recommend this book to anyone who asked, it was a lighter read, I found, but by no means 'fluff', which usually accompanies the 'lighter' reads of today's literature.

After that, and before that, actually, I read two Nancy Drew. The first, before the Jerome book, was The Haunted Carousel by Carolyn Keene. While you could pretty much guess that the 'haunted' carousel was not haunted at the outset, I wasn't entirely comfortable with it. There was also a scene where Nancy is looking for someone at the carnival's Haunted House, which wasn't too bad, but there was some descriptions which I skipped. Thankfully, it was mostly contained to a paragraph or so. Nevertheless, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others.

This afterwords, I read The Mystery of the Masked Rider. I actually enjoyed it more then I usually would -there's quite a few suspects and angles that are uncovered as the story proceeds that keeps one guessing who did it, (or, in this book's case, who's doing it). Nothing too objectionable in it, although I probably wouldn't suggest it to girls younger then 11 or so- due to some events in the book (the villains threaten Nancy and also do one or two things that could be potentially life threatening to the characters). Pretty much your typical mystery fare, so that's why. I'm not say it's cliche, or anything of that sort, just giving a head's up.

I'm now reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. So far so good, but I'll do a longer post on that later.

Always in Him!

Book Quote

2009-08-02T21:12:00.001-04:00

"...They spent their day in labour, reading and prayer; and over all their lives fell a silence, as of death, for no one spoke.
A grim fraternity, passing grim lives in that sweet spot, that God had made so bright! Strange that Nature's voices all around them- the soft singing of the waters, the whisperings of the river grass, the music of the rushing wind- should not have taught them a truer meaning of life then this. They listened there, through long days, in silence, waiting for a voice from Heaven, and all day long and through solemn night it spoke to them in myriad tones, and they heard it not."

(Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, chapter XIII)

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott

2009-07-30T21:29:00.003-04:00

I finished Waverley today, and I must say, I actually liked it much much more then I thought I would. I wasn't sure, as I progressed into the story, that I would like it, considering it seemed that the British and the King during that time period were painted as bad guys and villains, which is not something I enjoy. But- I was most happy, upon finishing the book and reflecting a little on it, that this book is different.

You see, with most books on civil wars or revolutions/rebellions, one side is always painted as the wicked bad (and generally, it's the King or Queen and government) and one side as completely good. (Usually, the rebels, if it's the case of a revolution). One of the things I liked about Waverley was that both sides were shown as having equally good men, who, as do we not all have, sin natures. One or two of the characters I did not quite like at parts, but in the end, I realized that they were not wicked or bad, but just believed in a different cause. This, surely, is not wrong! Especially since the cause itself was not immoral- they truly believed Charles Edward was the rightful King of England.

The second thing I liked was Edward Waverley himself. He starts out in the story as a young man who has read too many novels and never really developed any solid character traits. (This is partly due to his lax education) Throughout the novel, he questions himself. He questions the cause he's fighting for. He questions his reasons for it. Perhaps doubting and questioning yourself is not good per se, but I could identify with him, moreso then I can identify with those confident types who know quite well that the path they're taking is the right one. I can and do question myself on my direction in whichever matter, even when I've chosen that direction because I believe it to be the right one. It was nice to have a book character to be able to identify in this matter.

I will say though, that I had a mini-crash course on Jacobites, Stewartites and the whole era from my brother, as without it, the book would most likely have been confusing. For instance, I actually believed the Jacobites were against The Stewartites....not actually the one and the same! Towards the middle of the book, however, things will probably be less confusing.

The story itself, I found, was beautifully written. Especially in the area of descriptions of settings, places and characters. These descriptions are in detail, but never ever do they take over the entire storyline and divert it. (As with Les Miserables, although I still do say the Sewers of Paris were my most favourite 'diversion' in the novel).

I would probably recommend this book to anyone who asked about it. There was little objectionable content in it- the worst I can think of is one or two comments on Scottish supersition amongst the clans and two or three characters get drunk.

***

After Waverley, I finished up the last two un-read Nancy Drew I had to read from the Original series. The first was The Clue in the Old Attic, and the second was Mystery at Crocodile Island. Both were light reads, but I enjoyed them none the less. In a way, it's a bit interesting how things turned out. My very very first Nancy Drew (some three/four years ago, I believe) was book 54: The Strange Message in the Parchment. My very last Nancy Drew from that series was book 55: Mystery at Crocodile Island. And of course, I've read many in between. It's been a very fun read, and I'm hoping to start collecting more Nancy Drew now that I've finished them. My uncle bought for me three or four old editions of Nancy Drew, in fact, The Secret of the Old Clock was the same one that I held in my hands this past May, and blogged here about it. Once he comes up next, and I pay him for his purchases, that means I will have five original editions- full 200+ pages, grey/blue covers (minus dust jackets), from the 30s and 40s. I think, if I may, they'll be the pride of my Nancy Drew collection.

So...now that they are done, I'm not sure what I'll read next. I've got many books to read that have been waiting patiently for me for several months, so I expect I'll get to them.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

2009-07-23T09:40:00.002-04:00

I decided my next read would be The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I've heard much about the book it seems, and it's always been on my to-read list. While I didn't absolutely love it, I didn't hate it either. (That means I'm on middle ground with the book). It was an interesting read, seeing things from the other side's perspective, but that is probably the reason I wouldn't suggest it to a younger audience (perhaps 16+ would be a good age to read it). I'm not sure if I'd feel comfortable suggesting it to a younger audience- since the narrator is a demon, and also since he talks once or twice on more mature subjects (different aspects of tempation in order to get the patient, or human, to fall). I realize demons are real, but I think for a younger audience, it might do more harm them actual good.

I'll admit, it seems each time I journey into another C.S. Lewis outside of Narnia, I've a) either been disappointed, or b) just not really loved the book. Perhaps this has been due to myself not being at the right age for reading such material, or other reasons. I don't know....all I can say is that I do love Narnia!

(and I do apologize for such a short post on it...I really can't think of much to say on it aside from the fact that a) I read it, b) it was alright, and c) I wouldn't suggest it to a younger audience due to some maturer themes.

Table Talk: Conversations with Martin Luther

2009-07-22T11:39:00.003-04:00

Table Talk: Conversations with Martin Luther has been a book that I've wanted to read for quite some time; and just finally gotten around to it. For the most part- I quite enjoyed it. There was perhaps one or two things I wasn't exactly sure about; but I think it was moreso my Biblical and Theological knowledge at fault and not what Dr. Luther was saying. (I think).

The format of this book is such that the main topics of the Protestant faith & Luther's battles are divided up into categories (Grace, Peasants, Family, etc). I actually enjoyed it like this; despite the fact that not all of the topic in question was recorded at one time. I hope this makes sense- but basically what I mean is that Dr. Luther could have said one thing in 1532 on a certain topic, and the next thing which is in the same category, on the same topic, could be from 1540 or so. It was interesting.

There was nothing terribly objectionable in this book, although I did skip a small section about the Devil. I can't exactly say why, but Dr. Luther's strong words about (at least to me) speaking to the Devil, or something like that, I didn't really want to read. Just use your discretion. All in all, I'm very glad I read it. It's a somewhat of an easier read, however.

Disciplines of Grace by R. Kent Hughes

2009-07-18T11:43:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading Disciplines of Grace by R. Kent Hughes today- it was quite a thoughtful book. The study of the book is on The Ten Commandments, practical applications to our lives today; and how if you look closely, the Ten Commandments do actually apply to Grace.

At first I wasn't too sure about the book (the last one I read seemed good, and I received some good thoughts on it; but then I found out the author believes you can be same gender and be a Follower of Christ, so that shot down that), but as I continued to read I could more easily see what the author was saying and the truth in it. It, in any case, gave me an extremely new look at The Ten Commandments. Before, I agreed yes, that the Ten Commandments were good, because they were written by the Lord and included in the Bible, yes, that we could and should somehow apply them to our lives today. But, I didn't know how, I didn't really see the connection between what it says and how we should live them out. Now, I think I do.

Each commandment is written about in thoroughness and clarity, there's also one or two summaries at periodical places in the book.

I probably would recommend this book; although I did skip the section (about 17 pages) about not committing adultery. Please don't think that I'm trying to say that commandment is not important, but from the few words I felt it wasn't really something I needed to read at this age. It could of put words and images in my mind, or worse yet, bring up images that I'm saying No too. Therefore I cannot say about this section- I doubt it's explicit, but please use your discretion if you choose to read the book. On all other areas, this book was nice.

The book I'm reading now is one I've had on my shelf for some time- Table Talk: Conversations with Martin Luther.

Father Brown: Selected Stories by G.K. Chesterton

2009-07-13T09:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I finished Father Brown: Selected Stories by G.K. Chesterton, but for the sake of letting it all settle a bit before I posted my thoughts on it, I left it until today. My opinions are pretty much the same as yesterday, though.

I enjoyed the writing style quite a bit, there was something different about it that I liked (but can't accurately describe). I was very pleased that the religion of Mr. Brown did not come into play very much during the book (in fact, most of the time he was only mentioned as a Roman Catholic priest, and nothing else except for maybe one or two remarks about something Protestants would do- defacing a 'holy' picture, or something else of that nonsense). That was one thing that I was mildly concerned about before reading it, but this time, all went well. Some of the short stories were quite intriguing and fascinating, my favourite being 'The Blue Cross', and any of the others that were not murder mysteries.

Now that we're on that topic, I'm going to continue. The only thing I did not like about this book was the fact that over half of the stories were murder mysteries. I believe at the end of them, I was even becoming once more calloused towards the death of people, and since I've already come from there and not feeling anything as I saw people die in mass numbers on the television screen, as in the Lord of the Rings films, I do not want to go back there. I was glad the book ended when it did. Some of the murders I found rather grisly as well. I was getting tired of it at the end. I try to stay away from murder mysteries as much as possible (leastwise, not knowingly choose to read a book that I know is a murder mystery) because I don't think they're very healthy to read. Yes, murders happen all around us today, but do we really need to feed our minds on it? That definitely does not fall under the category of what the Bible says we're to think on- "...whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things." (Philippians 4: 8-9) Now, if you're going to say 'Well, the detectives solving the murder, and capturing the criminal is just and has virtue', my answer is this: I'm quite sure there are other books that one can learn those exact same lessons and get those exact same morals from that are less secular and more God honouring. Besides, to expose oneself to a grisly murder 'just' so you can learn the good things doesn't sound like very safe thinking to me.

All in all, I'm rating this book three stars. I probably won't go out of my way to read anymore Father Brown, unless I stumble across a good quality wise book for a few dollars in the store.

I have decided that since I've pretty much been reading Classics since November '08 (not that I haven't learned and gained from that), I'm going to take a break from them and read books focusing more on Christian Theology and the Christian life. I'm almost done Alexander MacLaren's Victory in Failure which has been a good, solid read, so I'm probably going to be next reading Faithful Living in a Faithless World by Roy Clements. I guess in a sense it's preparing me for the upcoming school year.

Bookspam #1

2009-07-12T14:38:00.004-04:00

Who wants a picspam when you can have a bookspam? Whenever I add new books to my collection, be sure that I'll bookspam! ;)

My mother, sister and I went to a bookstore about half an hour away from here in another town. Why we've not gone in the 9 years we've lived here? I have no clue. But we went yesterday, and I came out $30.00 less....but 7 books richer. (Go figure! ;)) Okay, and I had an arm ache. Who knew carrying around one Tolstoy, one Dumas, two Austen, one Haggard and one Conrad could give one such an arm ache? My sister also added to her collection- she bought North and South & Mary Barton by Mrs. Gaskell, Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I was most proud of her! We got my brother a biography on Churchill...ah! He loves it, and I feel happy. (Since I was the one that picked it out...)

The bookstore was fabulous, the sign said there was over 20,000 titles, and I sincerely don't doubt it! The classics and Literature section was amazing- so many titles! Sadly, no Les Mis, but eh, that's okay. Their Nancy Drew collection was sadly lacking, that was one area I was disappointed in, even if I do have 100+ of my own. >_> I just love looking at Nancy Drew in stores, knowing that someone will come along and buy them, and start their journey with Nancy.

Pictures:

(two more pics, to wide for the blog...)
http://i26.tinypic.com/30t2x4j.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/2vb6blt.jpg

Ugh. My library is not photogenic. (But really, it doesn't look so bad in real life!)

Coming next: My thoughts on Father Brown: Selected Stories by G.K. Chesterton

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

2009-07-08T14:02:00.004-04:00

I approach this post with feelings of slight trepidation, because once more I've read a book that is universally popular, and once more, my reactions to the book are contrary to popular opinion. The book? Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. Let me start out by saying that I've never been a fan of Greek Mythology because it seems in quite a few of the legends, there is immorality and subjects that are quite mature and even adult themes. I believed, though, that perhaps since Till We Have Faces was by C.S. Lewis and a retelling, it might nicely abstain from the content that makes me dislike that topic in the first place. Sadly, I was disappointed. After reading the first 80 pages before bed last night, I was, shall we say, in opinion of great dislike? Some of the things mentioned in this book were things I would never of expected- and things I did not need to be exposed to. Yes, I was shocked that they were in a C.S. Lewis book. They were not so much immoral as just subjects spelled out that made me feel quite uncomfortable. True, they don't go into explicit details, but it was pretty clear what was going on, or what would go on. After reading those first 80 pages, this book was pretty much doomed in my eyes. However, I decided that in the morning, I'd press on, and hope for the better. Alas, the better never came. True, the violence towards the main character (abuse from her Dad) stopped, for which I was grateful, but the *other* things continued to be mentioned and talked about.

Then, of course, there is the whole 'gods' thing. As some would say, it's just fantasy, BUT, I believe that even in fantasy, books that are to be read and well received by those who call themselves Christians and Followers of Jesus must be God Honouring. To me, in my personal beliefs and convictions, choosing to read a book about gods in this manner, with them playing such a key role, is not something I want to do much of. Sometimes I got so tired of the whole appeasing-the-gods-with-bloody-sacrifices, being so careful not to offend one of the gods and not even being sure that you've made them happy, and just felt like putting the down for when I'm older and more mature.

All in all, I'm sorry Mr. Lewis, but I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens

2009-07-07T14:44:00.003-04:00

I finished Barnaby Rudge today. I suppose it was alright; I cannot say I exactly enjoyed it, but it was not entirely horrible either. In fact, there wasn't anything I'd object to aside from some of the characters using swear words here and there. There was just something about it....

For those who don't know, Barnaby Rudge is set against the No Popery riots (those in fact, being the most exciting thing of the book, and I generally don't like riots and/or revolutions) led by Lord George Gordon in 1780, England. For those who don't know what the No Popery riots were, it was something to do with keeping Catholics' rights and freedoms nil, and the riots came from Protestant commoners who took it too far and raided, looted, burned, and killed Catholics. I have mixed feelings about this. While it's quite true what the Catholics did in The Inquisition to the Jews, not to mention their persecution of the Protestants in England before Queen Elizabeth the I (and many other places in history not mentioned here) and how they persecuted those not of their religion, and while I do not agree with Catholic doctrine and beliefs, I do think that Lord Gordon's idea of keeping the Catholics with no human rights (or from what I can gather, I'm not up on the subject) was not that good either. My dislike and mixed feelings have nothing to do with the book and story, because it's actual history.

In Barnaby Rudge, there's no one villain- I would guess that the villains are the main rioters who take it too far, bringing in their personal vengeance as justification for their actions. Several times during the riot part of the book I actually felt like not finishing it, because it seemed so depressing and that the riots would never end. Which of course, they did. You cannot know how I inwardly cheered when Mr. Dickens wrote how the British army set up defences, and as morbid and cruel as it may be, were actually effective against the rioters. (They were rioting, tresspassing, and murdering after all, they did deserve the consquences, despite the fact they would have to and did die. The Bible does say to be sure that your sins would find you out...) Thankfully, the riots and their descriptions were not particurlarly gory, unlike A Tale of Two Cities. Parts of the book are quite intense, however.

The characters were alright, there really wasn't any of the main characters I particularly attached myself too, and the four that were that I did particularly like, they were only side characters. Oh well! The writing was as Dickens always is...

One thing which I can't entirely put my finger on and describe (but must try anyways) was the plot. It seemed....well, to me, non existent. Yes, everything is slowly and silently building up towards the riots themselves, but, things moved slow for the first two hundred pages or so. (I think). I guess it was a good opportunity to get to know the characters.

Anyways. It was an okay read, but not one of my favourite Dickens, or book in general. It's definitely not a read that will do you any harm, I would guess. Unless you start going around rioting, but um, I doubt any of my dear readers would do that.

Up next? Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

North and South Part 3

2009-07-02T12:23:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading North and South...what a pleasant re-read! I would highly recommend it!

I actually don't have too much to say on it- my feelings for this book are of the nature that I can't describe it accurately, and what I can put into words I stated in my previous blog entries on this subject.

I can at least say though, that either my mind is going, or I skipped something, as I've looked in four different editions of North and South (three online, one actual copy) and I cannot seem to find the right quote which is one of my favourites. I know it's in there, because last year I needed the quote for something & so looked it up and promptly found it. Ah well, I'm sure the quote is there, I'm also sure I didn't imagine things, not something like that.

If you ever find the quote (which I shall post below, will someone tell me what chapter it's in? I believe it's around chapter 46, during Margaret's second visit to Helstone....)

The quote: 'And now she had learnt that not only to will, but also to pray, was a necessary condition in the truly heroic'....

Large amounts of cookies to whosoever finds it first! (And of course, the overwhelming gratitude and thanks...)

Now, on to serious business, regarding character personalities:

Mr. Thornton: ISTJ
Margaret: I'm pretty sure she's an IxFJ. Since completing the book, she really does not seem like an extrovert. Maybe a mild E? *ponders and wishes Alyosha has read the book*
Mrs. Thornton: Most likely an ISTJ like her son- Their personalities seem almost matching.
Mr. Hale: IxFx Again, not entirely sure, but if it's any help to identify what he is, he followed his conscience despite the criticism that would and did come, and then when his wife became ill, mentally berated himself and kept second guessing his decision.
Mr. Higgins: Hmm...ExFJ?

I guess that's all the main characters....

Anyways. I'll say it again, I enjoyed this quite a bit (although sadly my brand new copy of N&S now has a crease on the binding. I do so hate being the first reader to put those signs of being read on a book...it feels awful...)

North and South Part 2

2009-07-01T17:37:00.002-04:00

Get this... without realizing it, I'll most likely be reading North and South again exactly one year since I first read it. That will be tomorrow, July 02 2009. I was rather interested to know when I first read it, so I did some searching on NWeb (the first suggestions to read it came from there, and as such, I knew I would of posted that I was reading it), and in the Seventh Books Thread I found it...

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More thoughts on the book coming when I finish it...

North and South Part 1

2009-06-29T15:17:00.003-04:00

I'm about halfway through re-reading North and South, and I must say, it really is one of my favourite books out of all the ones I've read. (Except Little Dorrit, of course). The writing is amazing, and the storyline and characters are such that make for a really good read.

In the mini-series adaptation of this book (which I also love, although the book is better) the North is fascinating. The settings of Milton aren't your typical Jane Austen setting. In Milton everything is gritty, smoky, the people are poor and their plights touch my heart. I love the narrow crowded streets and how the North is depicted. This is the same in the book- and also part of the reason why I enjoyed Mary Barton so much. The Industrial-ism, coupled with rough poor dwellings of the people are captivating. There's something that I can't quite explain about it, but I would much rather live in the North then in the South. (Sorry fans, North wins, etc)

As to the characters- I think Mr. Thornton is an ISTJ. Margaret is a little bit more complicated. I believe she's an xNFJ, perhaps a mild Introvert? I used to think she was an extrovert, but from reading the book (always the best thing to go back to, when in doubt) she doesn't seem like one. There was a passage where she chastised herself for making a scene, because she hated making scenes and seeing people be over emotional.

While I still love the mini-series, and for the most part it's an accurate adapation, there are still some things that are in the book that I would of loved to see in film. Especially the end. The book ending is much better. I let Mom read the end of the book once, when we were having a friendly argument over whether the book end was better, or the movie end was better. And she chose the movie end. I of course, prefer the book ending much better. Why?

-Because it was historically accurate. What they did in the mini-series ending would of been considered scandalous back then
-Because it's the book ending and it's not so rushed

Anyways...this will probably be one of my more rambly blog entries....

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

2009-06-28T08:20:00.003-04:00

I finished The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins yesterday, and while it took me a couple reading sessions to actually get into it, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I believe I enjoyed it more then The Woman in White- at times The Woman in White seemed to be dark and oppressive, one that made it hard for you to breath and hindered you from putting down. Good and thrilling, yes, but I tend to lean towards books that don't have that feel, and are slightly more, happy?

Character wise, this was a well written book. Each of the characters had something about them, they were many layered and each had secret motives for doing or not doing things that were left unexplained until the end of the book. Which leaves numerous questions of the good sort. Is this person good, or bad? Did he steal the diamond? What's up with her? And so on. I did, however, find a certain Miss Clack to be extremely annoying, which is sad, because I take it she was supposed to be a more prominent Christian. Or something like that.

There was no terribly evil or oppressing villains in this, of which I was glad. And also, quite thankfully, finally a book with no marriage problems!

As with The Woman in White, the narration is told through the eyes of several different people- more then in TWIW. While I found jumping around from narrator to narrator not so shocking this time, at times I did have to stop and remind myself who was now talking. It was confusing, and so I didn't really like it. Yes, of course, you get to see the story through the eyes of those who were the front runners in it, but...

Content wise, there was only a couple things I should quickly mention- there is use of opium, be it taken as a pain killer or not, it still is there. There is also at the beginning some talk of Indian mythology and superstitions, to the most part I don't think it bothered me, but again, it's there.

In summary, I enjoyed it very much, and would probably rate it four stars. Mr. Collins (Heh, no, not THE Mr. Collins of Pride & Prejudice fame...) weaves a fine plot together. Very intriguing, but in a different sort of way then The Woman in White.

~Up next? A re-read of North & South, by Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell~

The Guest of War Trilogy...

2009-06-23T17:33:00.005-04:00

Over the past two days I've re-read The Sky is Falling, and read for the first time Looking at the Moon and The Lights Go on Again. The first, I enjoyed quite a bit, especially because it focused moreso on the war guests and their journey to Canada. The second...not so much. Alyosha gave me a head's up as to what to expect- so I entered reading the book with an idea of what was to come.

Several times in Looking at the Moon, if the whole Norah having a crush and thinking she's in love with Andrew idea was not so serious and dreadfully wrong, I could have laughed out loud at how over used that whole story line is. I know now why I've given up hope with most contemporary young adult fiction. The whole Norah growing up and all the drama and angst at times felt very much so over used and cliche. I suppose I wouldn't of minded it [being the overuse of such plotlines] so much if it hadn't of had Norah thinking she was in love with Andrew. She was only thirteen! It was rather saddening at times. True, her own mother was across the sea and Aunt Florence and Aunt Mary probably weren't the best of Mums, but still. I also did not like how Norah's adopted cousins and herself did not get in trouble for having the big party when they're parents were out- and specifically told them not to have visitors. It's still disobedience regardless, but the very fact they got away with it and they made it seem that the parents never knew was wrong. If the young people had of gotten into trouble and been punished for so blatantly disobeying their parents, that might of been another thing. But they didn't. And I skipped a couple pages where the girls were using a Ouijia board. I did not want to read that. It was, needless to say, a very disappointing sequel.

The Lights Go on Again content wise seemed to be better, although I was disappointed how it ended too, Norah's family wise. It was dreadfully sad. I did not like the boyfriend/girlfriend thing, especially in the ten year olds. >_<> need to have another book about it? I wished that the author had of included what happened to the characters when they were older, but alas, she did not. Very sad. I can't just leave characters at the end of the book and expect them to be happy, I feel I need to know what happens to them. Are their dreams and goals fulfilled? Who does Norah finally marry? What about Gavin? What happens to them?

All in all, I definitely would not recommend the second in the series, perhaps not the third, it was interesting to see how it dealt with the end of the war, however. I would say the first book is probably the best and most interesting in the trilogy. After that, everything sort of grinds downwards into mediocrity.

I got some new books today- a newer edition of Pride & Prejudice, Carrie's War by Nina Bawden, Father Brown by G.K. Chesterson, and another copy of Inkheart. (It came with the DVD of the movie...) My family will be away for two days so I'm deliberating over which book to take with me, I might even end up taking two.

O_o

2009-06-21T21:49:00.003-04:00

I opened up my copy of 'The Guests of War Trilogy' 3-in-1 edition that I have, and lo and behold.....Kit Pearson's autograph was in it! The inscription was to some Sarah- it says

'Happy Reading to Sarah, Kit Pearson, July 2004'. So, um, not quite sure what to make of that at present. It's real, of that I'm sure.....wow....

The Woman in White Part Two

2009-06-21T14:52:00.003-04:00

I just finished The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. It was a gripping and enthralling read. The plot contains twists and turns, suprising and unexpected at times, and yet, when you have discovered it, you will be able to look back at it and see how it was building up to that moment throughout the entire novel. Fine threads weaved together to create a mystery masterpiece. I had a very hard time putting it down, and yet, at times I asked myself did I really want to go back to the villains and what they might do next to the characters I loved? I was drawn back, despite whatever momentary qualms my mind gave me.

The ending tied up everything perfectly- I was especially satisfied as to the fates of several characters, saddened by the death of one or two others, however. I found each character well written- especially, as much as I don't like him, the Count. He was a multi-layered person and at times I actually wondered if he truly was good, but I reminded myself that he probably was not. If Sir Percival was the obvious (after he married Laura) villain, the Count was the one that had a evil air about him but one could not quite be sure. His admiration of Marian helps to give the readers a sense that he could act convincingly good, but leaves lingering questions in the minds of the readers as to the other side of him. At the end, of course, I felt no pity for him, I was (as morbid as it may sound) glad that some sort of justice was measured out upon him.

As to the good characters, I loved the relationship between Marian and Laura, despite them being half sisters. I enjoyed Walter's various detective methods and ways of investigation, he was certainly very clever.

Now, there are some things that I did not like so much about it. (Some spoilers, sorry!) Several parts of the plot hinge on affairs between people who were not married, even some suggested scandal between married people and those who were not. While all these events happened in the past, they figured into the current events in the story quite a bit. They are never described in detail, but they are mentioned more then once. I was extremely disappointed by this. To me it was the reason I don't like the book as much as perhaps I could have liked it. There is also mention of emotional and mental abuse (some of it in past events, some of it in current) which I didn't enjoy- even if it had to be part of the story.

I could probably more easily recommend this book then Daniel Deronda, but parts of me are still unsure. Obviously, I cannot quite finalize my thoughts in the ten minutes since I've actually finished the book, so perhaps once I think on it some more, I'll be more decisive and final about that.

To sum it up: It was a very enthralling story that draws the readers in and for the most part, doesn't disappoint, but there are some twists and turns that I wish had of been written differently. Aside from that, it's a very well written mystery novel.

The Woman in White Part One

2009-06-20T13:31:00.003-04:00

My next book to read was The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I am almost half way through it currently, and so far it has been pretty good.

The storyline itself is shaping up to be intriguing, although I will admit I'm getting tired of reading books where some of the characters have unhappy marriages- this is the third out of four that I've read in the last couple months in which this happens. Yes, perhaps it's essential to the storyline, but after a while it gets rather depressing and tiring. However, unlike in Daniel Deronda, the lady who's marriage turns out sad and broken does the right thing- her sister becomes her confidante and companion, the one to whom she pours her heart out to. At least that is good.

As to the other characters- for the most part they seem well written. The villains in this piece are not yet uncovered as villains, but a growing darkness accompanies their persons throughout and the reader can pretty much tell who they are, although their motives may remain unclear. Even ones who pretend to be nice carry a air of something sinister underneath.

The narration of the story is something different that I've not encountered before- the tale has at least three different narrators throughout- each moving the story along through their eyes. While it is an interesting way of doing things, especially since one gets a clear picture of how the events are seen through the eyes of the main characters, I'm not entirely sure that I like it all that much, or would want to read many books like that. It's interesting, but to make the reader jump from narrator to narrator and force them to re-accustom themselves with a new narrator perhaps is a risky thing to do.

All that to say, while it's a plot line that draws you in, I'm not sure The Woman in White will be a favourite of mine.

Mary Barton (some spoilers)

2009-06-17T09:33:00.005-04:00

I finished reading Mary Barton last evening, I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. Despite Mrs. Gaskell's Unitarianism, I loved how the Bible was used in this story. Most of the time in stories, characters that have flaws somehow miraculously change on their own for the better towards the end of the story. I personally believe this is humanism running rampant in literature. Instead- in Mary Barton, one man refuses to forgive his son's murderer who begged for mercy, goes home, and is convicted by through his reading a passage about forgiveness. He arrives back at the murderer's house in time to tell the man he forgives him, just before he [the murderer] passes away. He changed through being convicted through God's Word. In North & South, (which is complimented by this book quite a bit), Margaret Hale learns that not only to will, but to pray, was something necessary to be truly heroic. This isn't exactly something you'll see in too many books these days- characters learning not only that they need to depend on Someone bigger then them, but learning that Someone is the Lord Himself. In Mary Barton, a man admits that when he was young he wanted to learn about the Lord and have his questions about the Bible answered, but no one could help him, and when he was older he saw the hypocrisy in the world and gave up trying to live to the Bible's standards because it didn't make sense. I find this particurlarly sad- his whole later life and actions, his whole hatred for a world that didn't make sense, were effected by not being able to get his questions answered and being confused.

As I stated earlier, I believe that Mary Barton compliments North & South greatly. In North & South, we see the Masters and the Mastered, the Employers and the Employees. These two sides are at odds and there is much trouble. Both sides of the stories have equal amounts of time. In Mary Barton, the poor are the more central theme, with the actions of the Masters seen for the most part through Mary's eyes and the eyes of the poorer people in Manchester. I've always found the poor in stories like these fascinating, the struggle for food and shelter, the need for work, the very struggle to survive contrasts my life greatly and is very interesting. The setting of Mary Barton expands on the poorer side of things in North & South, whilst North & South gives a good picture of both sides of things- from the Masters to the Poor. Both are very good books and I wholeheartidly recommend them.

Mrs. Gaskell is one of my favourite authors since I discovered her about a year ago through recommendations from those on NarniaWeb. My first book of hers that I read was North & South, consquently, the first book I read on my computer, meaning, I downloaded the text from Project Gutenburg. After that came Wives & Daughters, then Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Dr. Harrison's Confessions. Now, finally, Mary Barton, which is the first one I've read of hers that I actually read in book form. (Albeit it that I now have N&S, W&D and Cranford in book form). She is truly an author to check out.

Daniel Deronda Part 3 (spoilers!)

2009-06-12T14:06:00.003-04:00

*weepeth because the book is over* Yes, I finished Daniel Deronda today. Just a few minutes ago in fact. I truly had various emotions about it- from interest before I started reading, cautiousness as I began, unsure as I continued, elated after a good chat with Lysander from NW about it, beginning to enjoy it as I proceed....and now it's over and I'm sad. :( Not quite the same sad as when I finished Little Dorrit or Middlemarch....but a melancholy sort of feeling.

(PROCEED WITH CAUTION, SPOILERS BELOW)
You are suitably warned. ^

I felt it ended all properly- Gwendolen's letter to Deronda at his wedding showed just how much she had grown for the better throughout the book, and promises that in the seperate path that she must take from him, she will improve and look around at others to see how she can help. I often wonder, will she marry again? What will happen to her? Daniel and Mirah's wedding was very happy for me, they were two of my favourite characters and definitely my favourite part of the book. I am very much happy for them as they were were endearing, sweet, and good characters.

I had mixed feelings when Grandcourt died, after all, if it was in real life and he wasn't a Christian, he'd not be in Heaven. And although we all deserve to go to the other place...it still is not something I'd wish one anyone. I did not like him though. No chance of that. What was the point in him marrying Gwendolen? Power, I suppose. He was a villain through and through.

Now...to the things that I didn't quite like.

First off, what I posted here about the plot still holds true, even now that I've read it. It's not as horrible as I first thought, but it is there, especially on Gwendolen's side of things. It started out as a simple her feeling he did not approve of her, and as such, she wants to know why. This leads into at the most four or five other encounters- most of the time he's advising her as to how to change, etc. It slips into something more for Gwendolen, though, and Deronda knows something is happening and doesn't like it, but feels that he should not abandon her as he's the only one that she has told that her marriage is going wrong. (Problem there, she should of told her mother, but perhaps she was thinking she didn't want to burden her Mother or make her uneasy as Mr. Grandcourt might not like it....which is wrong thinking) After Mr. Grandcourt's death, people begin to immediately presume she'll marry Deronda, which shows just how noticeable it was. Even Mr. Grandcourt was feeling something akin to jealousy. And so he should. He might of been a villain but he was the one she married. This is probably a natural portrayal of how it works in the world- it starts out with a meeting where you may genuinely have reasons for discussing something....and then it becomes where one or both parties have a dependance upon the other person that should only be on their spouse. I'm not sure what would happen in Gwendolen's situation, but I think it'd be safe to say she should of talked to her Mother, because it's never right to have a person of the opposite gender be the one you depend onf when you're married unless he/she is a sibling/father, etc.

Thankfully the problems in Gwendolen's marriage, while it's still clear there is something wrong, are not shown in much detail and are mainly emotional....nothing as to what the mini-series (adapted by Guess who? The inescapable Mr. Andrew Davies) shows. I was quite glad of this.

All in all, I'd probably rate it 4 stars. I did honestly enjoy it, parts of the storyline where very intriguing and interesting. Throughout my reading of the book I kept up a discussion of it with my Mother, and that was helpful. I really didn't feel right even reading a book that possibly could of dealt with that, without her knowing. Besides, we talk about so much, it was only natural I'd want her ideas of Daniel Deronda.

I shall probably need more time to collect my thoughts on this. It's not a horrible book, but it's not one that I'm most likely going to love too much either. Although I'm convinced now that Daniel was an ISFJ.

Up next? I'm not sure. Perhaps Mary Barton by Mrs. Gaskell.

The Phantom Stallion....

2009-06-11T11:34:00.004-04:00

We're going to a cousin's yard sale on Saturday, and as such I thought I'd take along some books I don't want any longer and sell them. Several of them are from the Phantom Stallion series. I first bought a couple books about two years ago because two girls I knew absolutely adored them. The first time I tried reading one, I couldn't finish it. It was simply boring and I really did not like some of the character's attitudes. I decided though, that in all fairness I should try one again. So I read it this morning.

My thoughts?

Well, I can't say I detested it, but I sure don't love it. Yes, the main girl (who is 13) apologizes to her dad and step mom at the end, but in the course of the book, she lied to them, deceived them more then once, showed a total disregard for the fact they grounded her because of what she did wrong, figured not telling her parents that she saw a guy with a gun and could of been harmed wasn't wrong, delayed doing something her Dad told her to do- which ended up scaring horses and injuring one, did not respect her parents and much more. And she simply said "I'm sorry" at the end! It should of been "Will you forgive me?" And then she always was reading to make excuses for her behaviour when she was questioned about it. Oh, and not to mention the whole dating/boy friend/girlfriend thing. Some parts of the book were cliche- rich blond girl who is a total snob picking on poor girl, etc, your typical high school setting, oh, and of course the horses. True, there's many real life horse-girl stories that are amazing (my sister's story, for one thing) but it seems there is no end of them in books. Some of the books aren't that bad, the Heartland series for example. But it's pretty much this: read one, you've read them all, or 70% of them.

While the cliche parts weren't all too annoying- they were there, but that was not what really bothered me, I can honestly say that it was the rest, the girl's total attitude and at times selfishness is what turned me off. I doubt I'll read the other ones that I have, because I don't have time and don't care too. The writing style itself is your typical horse-girl story, complete by teenager talk, and this 13 year old girl running around solving a crime. I used to think teens could be detectives, but know that I've grown older, I see the huge error in that. It's tiring, thinking teens are better then parents. What sort of culture do we have now-a-days anyways?

Which makes me wonder why I'm trying to sell them. Maybe burning would be better.

Daniel Deronda Part 2

2009-06-09T17:58:00.004-04:00

Things have really quite gotten interesting in Daniel Deronda. I'm currently on page 422, about 100 pages over half way.

The character of Daniel Deronda himself is quite fascinating. I believe he's an ISFJ, definitely and Introverted Feeler & Judger. He's so careful to not offend anyone with his words, so thoughtful considerate and he has this amazing inner world that finds beauty in the plain things. I don't approve of the 'married woman with a male person she talks to that is not her husband' bit, but I love how Daniel advised Gwendolen to look around at others, and despite her own suffering to reach out to others, to use her talents to make others happy, even if her own life is going wrong. There's also another bit, about his relationship with his extroverted friend, Hans.

'Throughout their friendship Deronda had been used to Hans' egotism, but he had never before felt intolerant of it: when Hans, habitually pouring out his own feelings and affairs, had never cared for any detail in return, and, if he chanced to know any, had soon forgotten it.'

Wow. Sometimes I feel so much like that with the extroverted peoples in my life- Dad and sister and uncle aside. I've made it a rule don't talk about my life with a few people who are acquaintances and instead just get through the conversation and get by with talking about them, but sometimes it hurts so deeply when all they do is go on and on about their lives, and it seems like they only remember me as someone who listens and seems to care...not some one who might just wish that they would ask a few questions, even a simple "How are you doing?" would do. That's not selfish, is it? Even if they don't really care about the answer, it's the question that would make me feel important too!

But enough of that. There's another quote that I also quite like about Daniel, and here tis:

'Perhaps the ferment was all the stronger in Deronda's mind because he had never had a confidant to whom he could open himself on these delicate subjects. He had always been leaned on instead of being invited to lean. Sometimes he longed for that sort of friend to whom he might possibly unfold his experience: a young man like himself who sustained a private grief and was not too confident about his own career; speculative enough to understand every moral difficulty, yet socially susceptible, as he himself was, and having every outward sign on equality either in bodly or spiritual wrestling; for he had found it impossible to to reciprocate confidences with one who looked up to him. But he had no expectation of meeting the friend he imagined.'

I guess I have been so blessed to have at least one person, outside of my brother and sister, who is like that...who does care about me and who understands me so well that in a sense, she's my other Me. (As cliche as that sounds) Of course there is maybe one or two others who may eventually be like this, but right now I'm totally happy with the one special adopted sister that the Lord has given me.

All that to say, Daniel Deronda, the character, is most interesting and I'm enjoying his part of the book very much.

Daniel Deronda Part 1, Do Hard Things

2009-06-03T18:30:00.005-04:00

I figured instead of waiting until I'm done a book to post, I'd do several posts while I'm reading it. Then I'll have a good but perhaps embarrassing record of my journey to liking certain characters and disliking others. Beware though, there'll be spoilers below, though. Sorry!

My first impressions of Daniel Deronda:

Being sort of acquainted with the storyline, I was a bit hesitant about reading it. I then decided I'd give it a try, and if it gets too bad I'll put it down. Perhaps this isn't the best reasoning though. So far it's alright- I did not like how the story starts out with the main character gambling. That took it down a notch in my liking. The main character at present seems rather selfish and not exactly somebody I can like, but I believe the whole point of all her troubles is that she changes.

The writing style isn't too bad, I'm not a good judge on styles and such, so I guess I'm not the proper person to say.

That's it for now, I guess.

On a complete side note, I've found that listening to music whilst reading helps keep bad thoughts away quite a bit, so today I was listening to Jeremy Camp and more notably, TobyMac while reading British Lit. Fun combination. I do believe songs like "Face of this Earth" and "I'm for You" will forever make me think of Daniel Deronda (the book), and I now picture the character of Daniel as TobyMac himself. Yay. :P

I'm also reading Do Hard Thing currently, it's an amazing book! Wow! At some parts I wanted to cry, because it helped identify clearly mistakes that I've made in the past which now resulted in broken friendships, hurt hearts and a past I've got to get over. I'm so happy I now know what I did wrong, and I wish I could go back in time and change those mistakes. I've resolved that if I'm ever in that position again, I know exactly what to do and what not to do. I guess I've learned the hard way, but that's alright. The Lord knows. Anyways, I'd definitely read Do Hard Things if you haven't. The writing style is not deep, but the content is. It's good. :)

Lorna Doone....

2009-05-30T11:55:00.001-04:00

I just finished Lorna Doone this morning. Funny, I believe it took me longer to read that then it did Middlemarch, and my Middlemarch copy is 200 pages longer then Lorna Doone.

It took me a while to get into the story, I found it started out a bit slow. Perhaps that was due to myself not being in the best mood for reading, but eventually I found that special feeling and read forwards. I wanted to do it slowly though, and I'm thankful I was able to.

The characters are all well written, I believe. I wasn't sure how much I'd like the main character/narrator, John Ridd, but he grew on me and I like him now. He's a very wise yet humble character (an introvert too. ;) ) and it was enjoyable seeing things through his eyes. Lorna was a nice character, nothing out of the ordinary, but nice. I think my favourite characters though were Annie and Tom Faggus. No idea why. I also liked how John was Protestant and also sided with the King. :-) I doubt I would of liked him much if he hadn't of sided with the King.

The setting of this story was unlike any I've ever read. Most of the books I read are from the Regency Period/Victorian years, etc, so reading this one which was set in the 1600s was extremely interesting. I had a minor discussion with my brother on the climate of the times, and that helped to put everything into prospective as well. *must tell brother that one of the characters met the first Lord Churchill*

I suppose that sums it up...all in all it was an entertaining read, but I doubt it'll be one of my favourites of favourites. Favourite quote?

"...because I rant not, neither rave of what I feel, can you be so shallow as to dream that I feel nothing? "

Up next? I really can't say. Most likely Daniel Deronda, by George Eliot.

Middlemarch (spoilers)

2009-05-18T20:04:00.001-04:00

I finished Middlemarch today. It took me about a week, with our several day trip to the city thrown in there. I'd rate it about four and a half stars. George Eliot is an amazing writer, but some things about Middlemarch in a way bothered me. Perhaps I'm making too much of it, but I didn't like how Mrs. Lydgate kept up a close friendship with Mr. Ladislaw that eventually hurt her marriage I realize that he only loved Dorothea, but I didn't like how it seemed to go: Young lady marries older man whether by force or choice, marriage is unhappy, she finds confidante in young, unmarried man her age who falls in love with her, older husband dies somehow and he marries her, etc. I don't think it's very, well, good, that the young married lady has a close confidante and friend in an umarried single man. It would be different it the confidante was a lady, but when it's a man....it just bothers me. There's not very much of this in Middlemarch, I thought there would be more. I realize I haven't read Daniel Deronda yet and most times I think the story will be worse then it is....but to me this seems to be the plotline of Daniel Deronda. I don't like it.

That was probably my biggest thing about Middlemarch. I enjoyed the characters, storyline and also the lessons. My favourite characters were Dorothea, Fred and Mary. I'm happy that there was a finale that summed up the lives of all the characters. The first George Eliot I read (The Mill on the Floss) ended with Tom and Maggie's story, but not with all the other townspeople that I really cared about.

(stolen from my post on NarniaWeb, here)

Hmm. Well, at times Rosemond I didn't like, but all in all she was alright. I especially liked Lydgate, and felt sad he died when he was only fifty. Ah well, I suppose not everyone can live to a ripe old age. I'm glad things improved for them, though.

I didn't hate Mr. Casaubon, there was times when I didn't like him, but for the most part I pitied him more then anything. Dorothea I think was one of the only character I didn't dislike at any part, she was great. I must admit, I didn't like Mr. Ladislaw until the ending. I don't know why...I just never really liked him.

I'll have to think about this some more and get back to you all. I would recommend Middlemarch to people, I enjoyed it more then The Mill on the Floss, much more.

Next up:
Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore

The Clue to Nancy Drew Part #1

2009-05-16T15:47:00.001-04:00

Simply put, I am a Nancy Drew fan. I suppose you could say I'm a big Nancy Drew fan. I started reading Nancy Drew when I was about 12/13, and ever since then, I've been hooked. My Mom read Nancy Drew and I still remember when I was old enough and she took me to the library and checked out my very first Nancy Drew, The Strange Message in the Parchment. Since then I haven't looked back. This past Thursday, I finally finished collecting the entire original set- from book #1 to #56, or more commonly The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. Granted, quite a few of these are reprints, but I don't mind. I never thought I would ever have the entire 56 book series. It's taken me a few years and I want to quickly say that my uncle was a huge help in buying these, as he scavenged the book shops downtown during his lunch break, and wasn't embarrassed to ask for Nancy Drew. He took me to an antique shop today where he found quite a few of the ones he bought. He even introduced me to the owner, who said he remembered my Uncle coming in and asking for Nancy Drew for a girl (me!), and now he got to meet the collector, as the man said. I actually held in my hands a 1930 edition of The Secret of the Old Clock, a full 200+ pages, original drawings and one of the first editions out there. Needless to say, I'm still a bit in awe. I wasn't able to buy it, sadly, it was only $10, but I had just bought other Nancy Drew from another store, and spent almost $80 on books on Thursday, so I said a sad parting and left it in the store. I hope whoever buys it will treat it wonderfully. It's not everyday you see one of those books sitting around.

I can't quite explain my love of Nancy Drew, and I feel that if I were too, it would just make me seem silly because I can't explain it right. I realize there's probably better written books then Nancy Drew, but for me, it's a love of what I've grown up reading, what I read through those sometime turbulent years known as pre/early teen years and still read. I hope someday my daughters and sons will read Nancy Drew, and I also hope that this now completed set will stay together....

Anyways. This is my blog for what I'm reading, dedicated solely to that. You'll probably find I mostly read British Literature, or perhaps it's just a stage. But that's what I'm reading right now, so be prepared. Please, when you comment if you feel so led, refrain from using profanity of any sort, bashing authors or bashing my opinions. This is my blog, and if you don't like what I'm saying, you can respectfully disagree in comments, but no bashing and disrespectfulness. Also, I am a Born Again Christian, so that effects the way I look at books and their content, and I'm also careful about what I read. I'll take suggestions you may have for future reads, but I may not read them if I find out things that I don't like about them. And I won't read them simply for being classics or by a certain author. Thanks & enjoy!

-ForeverFan