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To the LighthouseVirginia Woolf
209 pages
This classic Virginia Woolf novel is such a "mood piece." Comprised of three major sections, To the Lighthouse is predominantly a portrait of the Ramsey family and its influential, beautiful matriarch. Most of the "action" (and I use that term loosely) takes place at a summer home off the coast of Scotland. Part 1 is a "day in the life" of Mrs. Ramsey, whose house is chock-a-block with visitors. She is a constant presence, caring for the youngest of her eight children, keeping a watchful eye on her moody husband, meddling a bit in young romance, and ensuring both timely, well-prepared meals and the general happiness of her guests. The tempo is slow, the imagery evocative, the overall feeling ethereal.
Part 2 is a short section called "Time Passes," in which the next ten years unfold in factual narrative. And yet this section, which unveiled a number of significant Ramsey family events, had a surprisingly emotional impact. This was followed by Part 3, with the Ramsey family once again at their holiday home, picking up the pieces of a life gone somewhat awry. The youngest children, now teenagers, accompany their father on a visit to a lighthouse near the island. They are filled with teenage resentment, pent up over years of somewhat tyrannical paternal rule. Their emotions ebb and flow like the waves lapping at the side of their boat.
And what happens, exactly? Not much. And yet, somehow, I was entranced by this family's life, from being made up of little separate incidents which one lived one by one, became curled and whole like a wave which bore one up with it and threw one down with it, there, with a dash on the beach (p. 47) This is a book best read, and re-read, and savored to glean new details and insights each time. (
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Disgrace
The Long GoodbyeRaymond Chandler
379 pages
For quite some time now, my husband had been urging me to read "hard-boiled" detective fiction. And I chose this particular book because it won an Edgar Award, and is on the list of "1001 Books you Must Read Before you Die." Well, I have to say the only reason I made it all the way to the end was because I love my husband, and wanted to give this book a fair shake. But it really wasn't my cup of tea.
Philip Marlowe is a private eye in 1940s Hollywood, California. The Long Goodbye opens with Marlowe encountering a couple outside a bar. The man is quite drunk; the woman drives off in their car, leaving the man in a pretty sad state. Marlowe takes him home, gets him sober, and is drawn into friendship with this mysterious man, Terry Lennox. They meet for drinks several times. Then one night, Lennox visits Marlowe and asks to be taken to Tijuana. His wife has just been killed and although Terry didn't commit the murder, he knows he will be implicated. Marlowe helps him get away, but Terry's story is far from over. Meanwhile, Marlowe takes up another case involving an alcoholic writer. The two cases turn out to have a connection, which is gradually revealed.
But I didn't really care, and that was my problem with this book. If there's one thing I've learned about my reading, it's that I enjoy character-driven novels. In The Long Goodbye, every single character was a stereotype. The central characters were fabulously wealthy (except for Marlowe, who still managed to move within their society with relative ease). There were a few seedy characters who acted suspiciously, just to keep the reader interested. The local police were violent, ineffetive, or both. Most characters had some level of dependency on alcohol or drugs, and associated behavioral issues. There were few women in this book, but all of them were blonde bombshells with only one real function in life.
It's a shame -- Raymond Chandler is quite famous for this type of novel, and some of the film adaptations make for interesting viewing. But I think I'll take a pass on his other books. (
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Vernon God LittleDBC Pierre
277 pages
Vernon Little is 15 when his friend Jesus opens fire on a group of classmates, killing 16 including himself. As one of the few survivors, Vernon becomes the town's scapegoat and is almost immediately charged as an accessory to the crime. This book, told from Vernon's point of view, describes the nightmare of his life in the months following the shooting. Surprisingly, it does so with considerable humor and irony. Vernon lives with his mother; his father disappeared some time before. They have very little money and his mother clearly has emotional issues. Vernon steadfastly maintains his innocence relative to the shootings, but the townspeople are looking for a way to release their anger and grief. Unfortunately Vernon has no idea how to work the legal system, and his mother is pretty useless as well. He befriends a news reporter who appears to be on his side, but turns out to be a conniving jerk, using Vernon's story to his own advantage and fanning the flames of anger in the town. Vernon does several stupid things that increase the authorities' suspicions, and these desperate acts only serve to get him further tangled up in the case.
Vernon God Little is completely different from another in the "school shooting genre," We Need to Talk about Kevin, which was published about the same time. The latter is intense and emotional. Vernon God Little is filled with the wry wit and sexual obsessions of a 15-year-old boy. It's almost funny in parts. About two-thirds of the way through the book the storyline became a bit unbelievable, but the last 30 pages or so resolve things in a fairly satisfying way. Not a bad read. (
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Cold Comfort FarmStella Gibbons
233 pages
At 19, Flora Poste found herself orphaned and with almost no income or property. However, she approached this potentially dire situation with optimism, asking several distant relatives whether they would be able to take her in. She received several offers of varying degrees of merit, ultimately decided to make her home at Cold Comfort Farm, and very quickly moved from London to rural Sussex in southern England. Cold Comfort and its many characters form an amusing parody of English rural life. To start with, everything has a funny name: the Starkadder family; the village of Howling; the Condemn'd Man pub; the Church of the Quivering Brethren; cows named Feckless, Aimless, Graceless, and Pointless; and a bull named Big Business. And while some of the characters are typical farm workers, others have odd habits such as a fascination with water voles. The entire estate, such as it is, was ruled by Aunt Ada Doom who "saw something nasty in the woodshed" at a young age, rendering her unstable if not completely mad. At the time Flora came to Cold Comfort, Aunt Ada was nearly 80 and lived almost exclusively in her own quarters, yet she exercised a strangely high degree of control over the rest of the Starkadder family.
You told them you were mad. You had been mad since you saw something nasty in the woodshed, years and years and years ago. If any of them went away, to any other part of the country, you would go much madder. Any attempt by any of them to get away from the farm made one of your attacks of madness come on. It was unfortunate in some ways but useful in others... The woodshed incident had twisted something in your child-brain seventy years ago.
And seeing that it was because of that incident that you sat here ruling the roost and having five meals a day brought up to you as regularly as clockwork, it hadn't been such a bad break for you, that day you saw something nasty in the woodshed. (p. 115)
And seeing that it was because of that incident that you sat here ruling the roost and having five meals a day brought up to you as regularly as clockwork, it hadn't been such a bad break for you, that day you saw something nasty in the woodshed. (p. 115)
Flora, being well educated and refined, was clearly a fish out of water at Cold Comfort, but this did not stop her from taking on the farm as a kind of personal project. Her effort to "tidy up the farm" reached far beyond basic hygiene. Flora took selected Starkadder family members under her wing and "rehabilitated" each of them in her own way. There were many amusing situations described with clever prose. And yet, towards the end, the "over the top" nature of the characters began to wear on me, and I found it harder to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the book. However, this was a fun read and a nice break from heavier literature, and I can recommend it on that basis. (
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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a weekend in the Berkshires (Massachusetts), with a group of LibraryThing friends. While there, we toured The Mount, Edith Wharton's estate built in 1902. While living at The Mount, Wharton wrote The House of Mirth, which I just finished reading this morning. So for today's Salon I present to you my review. Next week I'll share my June and second quarter wrap-up, and a preview of my Orange July reads. Have a great week, everyone!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The House of MirthEdith Wharton
462 pages
She usually contrived to avoid being at home during the season of domestic renewal. ... She had so long been accustomed to pass from one country-house to another, till the close of the holidays brought her friends to town, that the unfilled gaps of time confronting her produced a sharp sense of waning popularity. It was as she had said to Selden -- people were tired of her. (p. 149)
Such is the plight of Lily Bart, the tragic heroine of The House of Mirth. At twenty-nine, Lily finds herself unmarried and, upon her mother's death, left without visible means of support. She realizes a husband would provide much-needed security, not to mention the income required to maintain her lavish lifestyle. Yet Lily is so self-absorbed, she unknowingly ruins just about every marriage opportunity presented to her. Lily is terribly naive about the effects of her behavior on others. When she slights a potential suitor, she brushes it off as a matter of little consequence. She is both surprised and hurt when the gentleman abruptly leaves the party. Lily is also completely ignorant of financial matters. After losing a large sum of money at bridge, she allows a friend's husband to invest what was left of her money in the stock market. The investments are profitable, but Lily's appetite for luxury still exceeds the available funds. And, to make matters worse, the investor has definite ideas as to how Lily should "repay" him. Lily has only a couple true friends, notably a young man named Lawrence Selden. Selden's love for Lily is obvious to the reader, but not to the characters. Lily treats him more like a big brother, dismissing thoughts of marrying Selden and setting her sights on wealthier prospects.
In the second half of the novel Lily's relationship and financial difficulties only get worse, and while Lily has a vague idea that things are not as they should be, she prefers to keep her head in the sand. This made for difficult reading; many times I wanted to take Lily by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Then, about 50 pages from the end there was a juicy bit of foreshadowing. The rest of the book was like watching a horror film with partially-covered eyes. Was Wharton really going to do what I thought she'd do? Well, I won't say any more on that ... I'll just say that the ending was fitting.
Edith Wharton is known for her portrayal of New York society at the turn of the 20th century. Much of her work also addresses the rights of women, and in particular the impact of divorce. In House of Mirth, Wharton echoes Virginia Woolf's message that a woman must have "a room of her own and 500 pounds." Lily lacked both, making her extremely vulnerable. And, she had virtually no ability to change her circumstances. Add to that a frivolous attitude, and you have a cautionary tale indeed. ( )
Such is the plight of Lily Bart, the tragic heroine of The House of Mirth. At twenty-nine, Lily finds herself unmarried and, upon her mother's death, left without visible means of support. She realizes a husband would provide much-needed security, not to mention the income required to maintain her lavish lifestyle. Yet Lily is so self-absorbed, she unknowingly ruins just about every marriage opportunity presented to her. Lily is terribly naive about the effects of her behavior on others. When she slights a potential suitor, she brushes it off as a matter of little consequence. She is both surprised and hurt when the gentleman abruptly leaves the party. Lily is also completely ignorant of financial matters. After losing a large sum of money at bridge, she allows a friend's husband to invest what was left of her money in the stock market. The investments are profitable, but Lily's appetite for luxury still exceeds the available funds. And, to make matters worse, the investor has definite ideas as to how Lily should "repay" him. Lily has only a couple true friends, notably a young man named Lawrence Selden. Selden's love for Lily is obvious to the reader, but not to the characters. Lily treats him more like a big brother, dismissing thoughts of marrying Selden and setting her sights on wealthier prospects.
In the second half of the novel Lily's relationship and financial difficulties only get worse, and while Lily has a vague idea that things are not as they should be, she prefers to keep her head in the sand. This made for difficult reading; many times I wanted to take Lily by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Then, about 50 pages from the end there was a juicy bit of foreshadowing. The rest of the book was like watching a horror film with partially-covered eyes. Was Wharton really going to do what I thought she'd do? Well, I won't say any more on that ... I'll just say that the ending was fitting.
Edith Wharton is known for her portrayal of New York society at the turn of the 20th century. Much of her work also addresses the rights of women, and in particular the impact of divorce. In House of Mirth, Wharton echoes Virginia Woolf's message that a woman must have "a room of her own and 500 pounds." Lily lacked both, making her extremely vulnerable. And, she had virtually no ability to change her circumstances. Add to that a frivolous attitude, and you have a cautionary tale indeed. (
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The Siege of KrishnapurJ.G. Farrell
314 pages
Looking at the Prime Minister the Collector was overcome by a feeling of helplessness. He realized that there was a whole way of life of the people in India which he would never get to know and which was totally indifferent to him and his concerns. 'The Company could pack up here tomorrow and this fellow would never notice ... And not only him ... The British could leave and half India wouldn't notice us leaving just as they didn't notice us arriving. All our reforms of administration might be reforms on the moon for all it has to do with them.' The Collector was humbled and depressed by this thought. (p.210)
This is a fictional account of one town held siege during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when sepoys from the British East India Company's army staged a mutiny which then spread across a significant portion of the country. As the novel opens, the Collector (head of the British settlement in Krishnapur) is concerned about potential unrest. But author J.G. Farrell takes his time painting a picture of the British colonial lifestyle first, and spares no one. He captures western arrogance and superiority quite well. The Great Exhibition of 1851 is cited by many characters as an example of superior British science and intellect. Farrell also pokes fun at the Victorian fondness for possessions, describing the Residency's decor in vivid detail, and the impractical fashions worn by both men and women.
Eventually the inevitable happens and the British settlement finds itself under siege. At first the community tries to maintain some sense of normalcy, holding fast to their class structure and enjoying the odd brandy now and then. But as casualties mount and supplies dwindle, conflict inevitably arises. The Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy debate openly with each other and with certain members of their "flock." The two physicians engage in verbal sparring over the causes and cures of cholera, and members of the community take sides. Through it all the Collector attempts to remain in command, with varying degrees of success. The reader can only watch the situation deteriorate, and try to absorb the tragedy.
I struggled a bit with this book. In the opening portion I was enjoying what I considered a satirical view of British colonials. And then suddenly the satire stopped, and war took over. Yet the characters continued to behave according to the satire. My emotions were very much in conflict, until a friend hit on just the right word: sympathy. Yes, that's it. Farrell presents a very sympathetic portrait of the colonials and a situation gone very, very wrong. It was written at a time when people were beginning to re-examine the importance of empire. I suspect its message hit home, which is why it won the Booker Prize in 1973. So many years later, the impact is not quite the same but it is still an interesting story and a pretty good read. (
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Schindler's ArkThomas Keneally
428 pages
Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist who saved thousands of Jewish people from death in World War II Poland. His story is well known, thanks to the film adaptation of this book. The book is a realistic, factual, stark portrayal of real human drama. Keneally portrays Oskar as a compassionate savior, but not a saint. He was a womanizer and a heavy drinker. After witnessing violence in a Polish ghetto, he was moved to establish a camp on the premises of his factory, with better conditions for his workers. Still, his workers were not immune to the random acts of violence and murder. During the last year or so of the war, through deft negotiation and subterfuge, he managed to transport thousands of Jews to safety, ensuring their liberation when the war came to an end.
Even though I've read several books about the holocaust, I've been able to distance myself from the reality -- not denying these events occurred, but not facing the brutality, either. This book was different. I'm sure my mind was not as graphic as the film, and I unconsciously protected myself from the worst of it, but I still had to take frequent breaks. There were so many individual, heartbreaking stories; I found myself wondering how it could be classified as fiction. The author's note reads,
"To use the texture and devices of a novel to tell a true story is a course which has frequently been followed in modern writing. It is the one I have chosen to follow here; both because the craft of the novelist is the only craft to which I can lay claim, and because the novel's techniques seem suited for a character of such ambiguity and magnitude as Oskar. I have attempted to avoid all fiction, though, since fiction would debase the record, and to distinguish between the reality and myths which are likely to attach themselves to a man of Oskar's stature. Sometimes it has been necessary to attempt to reconstruct conversations of which Oskar and others have left only the briefest record. But most exchanges and conversations, and all events, are based on the detailed recollections of the Schindlerjuden (Schindler Jews), of Schindler himself, and of other witnesses to Oskar's acts of outrageous rescue. "
Seems like nonfiction to me ...
I suspect this book won the Booker Prize more on the basis of Schindler's story; the writing itself was not as fine as I'd hoped. And Keneally was rather repetitive regarding Schindler's appetite for women and alcohol. Was he portraying him as "merely human," or admiring him? I found it tiresome, so a book I would normally have rated 4 stars ended up with only 3. (
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The Remains of the DayKazuo Ishiguro
245 pages
It is sometimes said that butlers only truly exist in England. Other countries, whatever title is actually used, have only manservants. I tend to believe this is true. Continentals are unable to be butlers because they are as a breed incapable of emotional restraint which only the English race are capable of. (p. 43)
Thus does Stevens, a butler on a fine English estate, describe the dignity and restraint he sees as essential elements of the truly great butlers -- a title he will not allow himself to claim, although it is probably deserved. Stevens spent 30 years in service at Darlington Hall, beginning in the 1920s. He did all his master asked of him, with complete decorum and the much-admired restraint. He was assisted by a housekeeper, Miss Kenton, who left after many years to marry and have a family of her own. The novel begins with Stevens taking a rare holiday, a trip across the country to visit Miss Kenton. A recent letter from her led him to believe she would be interested in returning to service at Darlington Hall. The letter resurrected memories and emotions; long suppressed in the interest of dignity and restraint. During Stevens' journey, he relives his years serving Lord Darlington, and his relationship with Miss Kenton.
The story is told entirely in Stevens' voice. Ishiguro has a way of making the situation perfectly plain to the reader, even though much is left unsaid. The reader sees a side of Lord Darlington that Stevens himself was unable to acknowledge. And his feelings for Miss Kenton are crystal clear, even though they never break through his reserved exterior. I nearly cried when he and Miss Kenton parted company the first time, and their reunion was heavily laden with missed opportunity and dashed hopes that once again were quite moving.
I was worried that this book would be spoiled by having seen the film many years ago. And while I couldn't help envisioning Stevens just as he was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, I still found myself immersed in this book as if experiencing the story for the first time. Wonderful, emotional, reading. (
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- Read 10 titles from the original list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
- Read 10 titles from the new list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
- Read 13 titles from the combined list (of almost 1300 titles) from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010. In other words, “What were they thinking dropping titles from Dostoevsky and Jane Austen?”
- The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (review)
- Schindler's Ark, by Thomas Kenneally (review)
- The Siege of Krishnapur, by J.G. Farrell (review)
- The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton (review)
- Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons (review)
- Vernon God Little, by D.B.C. Pierre (review)
- The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler (review)
- Disgrace, by J.M. Coetzee (review)
- To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf (review)
- A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka
The idea of this challenge was to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list (i.e.; 1% of the list). These are my ten books:
- Oscar and Lucinda, by Peter Carey (completed 5/6/2008 - review)
- Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie (completed 5/8/2008 - review)
- The Return of the Soldier, by Rebecca West (completed 6/24/2008 - review)
- Possession, by A.S. Byatt (completed 7/6/2008 - review)
- The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway (completed 8/9/2008 - review)
- Embers, by Sandor Marai (completed 9/13/2008 - review)
- Persuasion, by Jane Austen (completed 12/6/2008 - review)
- A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry (completed 1/19/2009 - review)
- Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford (completed 2/6/2009 - review)
- A Severed Head, by Iris Murdoch (completed 2/10/2009 - review)
A Severed HeadIris Murdoch
205 pages
It was later that the pain came, a pain unutterably obscure and confused like that induced by some deprivation in childhood. The familiar world of ways and objects within which I had lived for so long received me no more; and our lovely house had put on suddenly the air of a superior antique shop. The things in it no longer cohered together. It was odd that the pain worked first and most immediately through things, as if they had at once become the sad symbols of a loss which in its entirety I could not yet face. (p. 33)
In the first pages of A Severed Head, Martin Lynch-Gibbon is lying in the arms of his mistress, basking both in her beauty and affection, and in the belief that he has both a young attractive lover and a strong marriage. Later that evening his wife Antonia returns home and announces she is leaving him for her psychoanalyst, Palmer. Martin is outraged, while still holding fast to the "correctness" of his own infidelity. He maintains a stiff upper lip with Antonia and Palmer, who seem to delight in his continued friendship. Martin hangs on his much younger mistress, Georgie, expecting her continued adoration without commitment. Then Palmer's half sister, Honor Klein, comes on the scene and Martin finds himself alternately repulsed by and attracted to her. Here is a man completely destroyed and terribly confused.
As in her other novels, Murdoch seems to enjoy giving the arrogant male his comeuppance, and playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse. I found it difficult to like Martin or, for that matter, any of the characters, but enjoyed the way Murdoch tore down Martin's defenses, exposed his arrogance and weakness, and revealed the soft vulnerable center inside. A Severed Head is both painful and fascinating reading. (
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The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold ClimateNancy Mitford
477 pages
The six Mitford sisters were stylish young members of English high society during the 1920s & 30s. These two novellas provide an entertaining look at their world, as seen by their cousin, Fanny. Pursuit of Love is the most autobiographical of the two, as it centers on the Radletts, a large family of mostly daughters, who divide their time between London and a country house. The second-oldest daughter, Linda, is a contemporary of Fanny's, and they spend much of their childhood together. As Linda matures she finds herself "in pursuit of love," moving from one relationship to another ... in contrast to Fanny who rather easily finds love and forms a happy marriage.
Love in a Cold Climate tells of Fanny's other cousins, the much wealthier Montdores and their daughter, Polly. Polly came of age in India and returned to England to come out in society. She rejects the young men presented to her, and eventually her reasons become apparent, with painful consequences for the entire family.
Happily, these rather serious-sounding story lines are overshadowed by quirky, eccentric characters portrayed in a very humorous, over-the-top style. Take, for example, Polly's mother, Lady Montdore: "You know, Fanny," she went on, "it's all very well for funny little people like you to read books the whole time. You only have yourselves to consider, whereas Montdore and I are public servants, in a way, we have something to live up to, tradition and so on, duties to perform, you know. It's a very different matter. A great deal is expected of us, I think and hope not in vain. It's a hard life, make no mistake about that; hard and tiring, but occasionally we have our reward -- when people get a chance to show how they worship us." (p. 396)
While I enjoyed Nancy Mitford's skewering of her own family & society, I enjoyed even more the way these two novellas complemented each other. Many characters appear in both books, but in different settings, such that the reader develops a more complete picture of that character. This is particularly true of the narrator, Fanny, who moves with ease among the two very different families. The stories take place in the same time period, the Radletts and Mountdores know one another, and occasionally their worlds intersect, i.e.; for weddings and funerals. These books are best read together in order to appreciate this richness. (
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A Fine BalanceRohinton Mistry
603 pages
This beautiful novel, set in India in 1975, expores the notion of "fine balance" in several different dimensions: the fine balance of keeping people in their caste; the fine balance of prosperity vs. poverty; the fine balance between love and loss. There are four principal characters: Dina Dalal, a widow with unconventional views; Maneck, a college student; and Ishvar and Om, two tailors from a remote village. To achieve financial independence from her brother, Dina takes in Maneck as a boarder, and hires the tailors to run a clothing business. The tailors were the most fascinating characters in this novel. Their chosen profession did not come without some cost to their family: What the ages had put together, Dukhi had dared to break asunder; he had turned cobblers into tailors, distorting society's timeless balance. Crossing the line of caste had to be punished with the utmost severity...(p. 147) To make their way in the world, Ishvar and Om lived in severe poverty, and repeatedly overcame obstacles necessary for basic survival.
The caste differences were, at first, a barrier between Dina, Maneck, and the tailors. But as the four spent more and more time together in Dina's small flat, they came to appreciate one another. They provided both tangible and emotional support. Dina, in particular, found a way out of the loneliness that had plagued her since becoming a widow. The deep relationships between the characters were uplifting, and formed their own "fine balance" against the many sad and depressing scenes in this book.
I loved the structure of this novel. It begins with a prologue, that shows how the characters come to know one another. Then Mistry takes the reader deep into the lives of each character, beginning with Dina, exploring her childhood and marriage. Mistry vividly describes Maneck's parents and the rural setting of his childhood. A full understanding of the tailors comes by going back a full generation to reveal their parents' life and values. Mistry relates each character's story up to the point where their lives intersect, sometimes presenting the same events from different points of view.
A Fine Balance is a must-read! (
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Persuasion Jane Austen
236 pages
I often find it difficult to review great classic literature -- what can I say that hasn't already been said? And so it is with Persuasion, one of Jane Austen's later works. This novel tells the story of Anne Elliot, an unmarried woman in her late 20s. Several years before, she was persuaded to break off a relationship with Captain Wentworth, and they went their separate ways. She now plays second fiddle to her sisters: Elizabeth, the eldest, has assumed the "lady of the house" role opposite their widowed father. Mary, the youngest, is happily married with young children. Anne moves between both worlds -- navigating the simple country pleasures of Mary's life, and tolerating her father's insufferable vanity and social climbing. Although it seems Anne is often taken advantage of, Austen makes it clear that she is the stronger character in all of her relationships.
The story progresses, in typical Austen fashion, on a course that eventually brings Captain Wentworth back into Anne's life. Yet the couple are constrained by the conventions of the day, which make it nearly impossible for two people to express feelings to one another. Much time is spent watching, and second-guessing, the actions and motives of others. How frustrating this must have been! Austen is masterful in describing the tiny movements and expressions that carry so much meaning. As Anne and the Captain slowly dance around each other, Austen uses Anne's family to serve up some delightful satire of society and vanity.
To date I have read all but one of Austen's six published novels, and consider Persuasion my favorite. (
)I read this book for the Celebrate the Author challenge: Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775.
I just can't resist 3M/Michelle's challenges! The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list (i.e.; 1% of the list). The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009.
This is perfect for me, since my 2008 Reading Plan already includes a number of books from the list. And, the challenge gives me an excuse (like I need one!) to read a few items I've picked up at used book sales. Of course I reserve the right to change the list at any time!
- Oscar and Lucinda, by Peter Carey (completed 5/6/2008 - review)
- Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie (completed 5/8/2008 - review)
- The Return of the Soldier, by Rebecca West (completed 6/24/2008 - review)
- Possession, by A.S. Byatt (completed 7/6/2008 - review)
- The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway (completed 8/9/2008 - review)
- Embers, by Sandor Marai (completed 9/13/2008 - review)
- Persuasion, by Jane Austen (completed 12/6/2008 - review)
- A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry (completed 1/19/2009 - review)
- Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford (completed 2/6/2009 - review)
- A Severed Head, by Iris Murdoch (completed 2/10/2009 - review)
EmbersSandor Marai
213 pages
Imagine spending 41 years of your life mostly alone, and left to ponder the events of one emotionally wrenching day. The book opens with Henrik, a 75-year-old retired general, awaiting the arrival of Konrad, a close friend from his youth whom he has not seen since that significant day. The first third of the book sets up their shared history which began as 10-year-old schoolboys who formed an unusually strong bond, because or in spite of their very different socioeconomic backgrounds. They spent their school days and their holidays together, and Konrad was accepted as a member of Henrik's family. On finishing school, they grew into adulthood together through military service, but their relationship ended abruptly.
With this foundation laid, the story picks up with Konrad arriving to have dinner with Henrik. The table is set exactly as it was the last time they were together. Past events unfold through Henrik's voice, as he seeks to learn more about Konrad's life and uncover the truth which has been the source of so much pain over the years. This pain has smoldered, like the embers of the title, consuming Henrik body and soul. As the meal and the night wear on, the nature of their conflict is revealed in tiny fragments leading to the inevitable conclusion.
Sandor Marai weaves a tale that is surprisingly compelling, since it is told through primarily through Henrik's one-sided conversation with Konrad. The narrative's emotional depth was surprising. All too often, male friendships are portrayed as superficial. It was the strength of their bond, and the searing pain felt by both Henrik and Konrad is precisely what makes Embers such a special work. ( )
With this foundation laid, the story picks up with Konrad arriving to have dinner with Henrik. The table is set exactly as it was the last time they were together. Past events unfold through Henrik's voice, as he seeks to learn more about Konrad's life and uncover the truth which has been the source of so much pain over the years. This pain has smoldered, like the embers of the title, consuming Henrik body and soul. As the meal and the night wear on, the nature of their conflict is revealed in tiny fragments leading to the inevitable conclusion.
Sandor Marai weaves a tale that is surprisingly compelling, since it is told through primarily through Henrik's one-sided conversation with Konrad. The narrative's emotional depth was surprising. All too often, male friendships are portrayed as superficial. It was the strength of their bond, and the searing pain felt by both Henrik and Konrad is precisely what makes Embers such a special work. (
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The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
128 pages
When reviewing a classic like The Old Man and the Sea, it's difficult to find something to say that hasn't already been said. This concise novella packs a punch in 128 short pages. Santiago is the old man in the title, a Cuban fisherman who has gone more than 80 days without a catch. He's a lonely man, ridiculed by other fishermen and forced to fish alone after losing his assistant (forced by his parents to fish with another, luckier, fisherman). Santiago decides to go further out into the sea than the other fishermen and, sure enough, snags a marlin larger than his boat.
The rest of the book recounts Santiago's efforts to reel in the fish (this task alone takes more than a day), and then bring the fish back to port. He demonstrates powerful mental and physical strength as he combats the marlin, sharks, hunger, fatigue, and loneliness. Much has been written about this work's themes of pride and redemption, and comparisons to Hemingway's late career. And while there are certainly symbols and messages in this book, it's also a great story that holds your attention the entire way through. (
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Possession: A Romance
A. S. Byatt
555 pages
Possession is a rich, layered novel featuring both a romance between two Victorian-era poets, and present-day relationships between academics who have made their careers as experts on the poets' lives. Roland Michell is a kind of perpetual student, researching the life of Randolph Henry Ash. Maud Bailey is established in her career with a university's women's studies center; her specialty is the poet Christabel LaMotte. When the book opens, Roland has made an interesting discovery indicating Ash may have had a relationship with a woman other than his wife. His inquiry leads him to Maud. Together they assemble a picture of a romance between Ash and LaMotte, which turns prevailng academic opinion upside-down. Others begin to pursue the prize and the associated professional glory.
Byatt employs several creative devices to develop the characters and tell the story. Ash and LaMotte's relationship is reconstructed primarily through artifacts (letters, journals) obtained by Roland and Maud. Byatt "reproduces" them in their entirety so the reader feels like part of the research team. The romantic storyline also unfolds from several points of view, with each person having only a partial picture. The reader can see it all. And as the Victorian mystery is solved, the lives of present-day characters become increasingly interconnected. Byatt concludes the novel by tying up several threads and adding a quite satisfying postscript. ( )
The Return of the Soldier
Rebecca West
188 pages
This short novel describes one of the tragedies of war from a woman's perspective. Chris Baldry returns from WW I with shell-shock amnesia, and does not remember the last 15 years of his life. He thinks of his cousin Jenny as a playmate, and doesn't recognize his wife Kitty at all. Worse still, the person he most wants to see is an old girlfriend, Margaret, who is now married to another man. The story is narrated by Jenny, who clearly doesn't think much of the other women: Kitty, because she is spoiled and self-centered, and Margaret because she is of a lower class. While Kitty wallows in grief over her "lost" husband, Jenny learns more about Margaret and Chris' relationship and, together with a doctor, they determine how to use his past to "cure" him. The result is quite poignant and moving.
Rebecca West was 24 years old in 1918, when this book was published. Her writing is wonderful, full of beautiful, descriptive phrases of characters and setting. She also brings a bit of humor with phrases such as, "He was a lank man with curly gray hairs growing from every place where it is inadvisable that hairs should grow..." and "so many of them ... had stood round Chris and looked at him with the consequenceless deliberation of a plumber."
This is an engaging novel by a talented woman writer. ( )
Rebecca West was 24 years old in 1918, when this book was published. Her writing is wonderful, full of beautiful, descriptive phrases of characters and setting. She also brings a bit of humor with phrases such as, "He was a lank man with curly gray hairs growing from every place where it is inadvisable that hairs should grow..." and "so many of them ... had stood round Chris and looked at him with the consequenceless deliberation of a plumber."
This is an engaging novel by a talented woman writer. (
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David is not a particularly likable character. He is so interpersonally inept that he nearly always makes the wrong choice. I didn't really care whether he recovered from his ordeal; in many cases he got what he deserved. Lucy, on the other hand, was a more sympathetic figure. A lesbian abandoned by her partner just before David's arrival, she is fiercely independent. She is committed to making her farm successful, despite the danger of being a woman alone in that part of the country. She resists David's attempt to protect her (a natural response for a father, but still unwelcome). And yet despite her independence and strong will, when faced with a situation requiring legal action, she prefers to give in and try to make peace herself. She succeeds to some degree, but with tremendous personal sacrifice.
Disgrace raised up many ethical and moral issues, prompting me to consider how I might handle similar situations. Interesting reading. (