This short story was surprising and had me not wanting to put it down. Two time periods intersect and the reader must suspend disbelief to get the fulThis short story was surprising and had me not wanting to put it down. Two time periods intersect and the reader must suspend disbelief to get the full effect allowing a heartbreaking and heartwarming story to capture our hearts.
When Lily Baines somehow intercepts a signal of distress, our British code breaker in 1943 transcends time to do all she can to help Matt Jackson, an American Naval signal operator from 2023. With an 80 year gap, the connection these two make is indescribable. Letting all notions of unbelief go, these two come together to attempt to beat the race of time before the ill-fated destruction overheard on the signal comes to pass in 2023.
I have enjoyed a few of Kate Quinn’s novels and now I must pick up more because she is such a wonderful storyteller!...more
For a challenge this year I was to choose a book of essays to read and thought that this would be the perfect time to delve into the writings of one oFor a challenge this year I was to choose a book of essays to read and thought that this would be the perfect time to delve into the writings of one of my favorite authors, Wendell Berry. Berry writes fiction which centers around his created membership of Port William, Kentucky and has introduced some of the most down-to-earth and loving characters I’ve met on the page. You see, Berry’s passion is his love for the land and his views in these essays regarding the importance of agrarian living are impressive. He knows what he is talking about and has lived the benefits of an agrarian life. He has seen the highs and the lows. Nowadays, he sadly writes about the downfall of this lifestyle and provides his insights into how in the world this has happened. Reading Berry’s views and insights has given his fictional characters a realistic place and way of life. He writes from a completely authentic place and has created beloved characters that I now see are grounded in his beliefs.
In the preface, agrarianism is defined
Agrarianism’s natural home is the field, the garden, the stable, the prairie, the forest, the tribe, or the village…and the cottage rather than the castle. So it is little wonder that most contemporary Americans are strangers to the term, concept, and the geography.
In this collection of essays, Berry presents three long essays and four short stories, again taking his readers to Port William through the character of Andy Catlett, the member who is most like himself. Berry is a man of compassion and commitment. It shows in his writings just how valuable he believes in agrarian communities. He finds value in keeping the focus on the local communities who provide so much to so many and his intention was for these writings to become a public conversation. The ache and the sadness for the loss of this lifestyle is what stands out to me most. Did I mention that he is also an activist and advocate? And he is still writing today at age 88 which really makes my heart happy!
I absolutely loved reading his short story, The Art of Loading Brush. Poor Andy Catlett is getting on in life and the members that depended on each other for neighborly care, helping each other out on each other’s farms, have passed on. He needs a new fence and hates to ask his son to help even though he’d stop everything to do it. Andy decides to hire the work out, and let’s just say that no one else can ever do as good a job at a task that you can do it and no one is going to do it the way you would. This is what Andy, sadly, experienced. It’s a gentle story about doing things properly, orderly, and with care. It’s one of Berry’s best short stories.
Here is Berry speaking about his own small farming community in Kentucky:
For many young people whose vocation once would have been farming, farming is no longer possible. You have to be too rich to farm before you can afford a farm in my county.
As long as the diverse economy of our small farms lasted, our communities were filled with people who needed one another and knew that they did. They needed one another’s help in their work, and from that they needed one another’s companionship… When that work disappears, when parents leave farm and household for town jobs, when the upbringing of the young is left largely to the schools, then the children, like their parents, live as individuals, particles, loved perhaps but not needed for any usefulness they may have or any help they might give. As the local influences weaken, the outside influences grow stronger…
The old complex life, at once economic and social, was fairly coherent and self-sustaining because each community was focused upon its own people, their needs, and their work. That life is now almost entirely gone. It has been replaced by the dispersed lives of dispersed individuals, commuting and consuming, scattering in every direction every morning, returning at night only to their screens and carry out meals. Meanwhile, in a country everywhere distressed and taxed by homelessness, once-used good farm buildings, built by local thrift and skill, rot to the ground. Good houses, that once sheltered respectable lives, stare out through sashless windows or have disappeared.
It’s so sad to me to think that Berry has lived the good and productive farming economy in his lifetime and now one that puts no value in its worth. He speaks from his heart and his experience. I am so very glad to have read this collection and look forward to reading even more....more
I’ve not watched many movies based on books that follow so closely the written story until I read The Godfather. It’s very hard not to see Al Pacino aI’ve not watched many movies based on books that follow so closely the written story until I read The Godfather. It’s very hard not to see Al Pacino and Marlon Brando in my mind’s eye. It is the quintessential mobster story and it is told so thoroughly and unapologetically. It did not take long to get enmeshed in the saga. You follow the Corleone Family from the streets of New York City where they rule over the 5 major crime families to the beginnings of the Las Vegas strip, the old Hollywood scene and the Sicilian countryside.
Set in the 1940’s criminal underworld, this is an epic novel of crime and betrayal with a family dynasty at stake. The aging Don Corleone must determine who of his sons will carry on and lead the family after he retires. Sonny, the oldest is too impulsive and Freddie is not fit for it. Michael, the youngest, is meant for a normal life, not to work for the family.
Ultimately you are transported to the underworld of the American Mafia where conflicts, betrayals, blackmail, violence, greed, power, seduction, murder and allegiance to family reign. This is a plot driven read. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the action, Puzo fills in the backgrounds and histories on all of the characters, even minor ones. There are times when you are left dangling and waiting to catch up with what was going on because Puzo enjoyed mixing it up with the storytelling and taking a few side trips. Sometimes I wondered when certain characters were going to enter into the narrative again. For instance, when Michael is swept away to Italy in Book 1, we don’t learn about him again until Book 6.
Read this if you’re a fan of the movie. I think you’ll be pleasantly rewarded with a “guilty pleasure” read definitely not a literary one. You already know the characters and the plot but the book will provide you with a more complete account of the character’s plans and motives which I found enjoyable. ...more
Ellen Chesser is the sole surviving daughter of Henry and Nellie who are itinerant farmers in the rural parts of Kentucky. Their life is defined by liEllen Chesser is the sole surviving daughter of Henry and Nellie who are itinerant farmers in the rural parts of Kentucky. Their life is defined by living and working on a farm as tenants planting and harvesting tobacco until the time comes when they pack up and move along to the next place never knowing if it was a good decision or not. They are sort of a gypsy-like family often traveling with others that are like them. You can imagine what it must be like for a young adolescent girl of 14 to not really have much of anything to call her own. Ellen is a dreamer and when we meet her in the beginning of the novel, she is lying on the wagon writing her name in the air with her finger dreaming that if she had all the money in the world, at least her wagon wouldn’t break down. She really has simple desires, those that are more permanent and tangible - a house that isn’t a shack and a place to put her things in, friends who are more than passing acquaintances.
Inside the cabin Ellen stood listening while her immediate future was being arranged, little darts of pain shooting out from the inner recesses of abdomen and chest, anger making a fever in her blood.
Ellen’s story is told from her point of view and we experience it through her thoughts and memories. The writing is a stream of consciousness style that allows Ellen to get lost in her mind. She’s merely daydreaming her rememberings and the prose is quite poetic yet realistic. I found her style very original and would get lost with Ellen as she described her thoughts in a beautiful way. Ellen has a sensitivity or an awareness to the things around her and her restless mind can sometimes be seen as a jumble of confusion that eventually evolves in its clarity. Some of her thoughts are tender while others are vicious, woeful and highly emotional.
How, her tears were continually questioning her, how did she, Ellen Chesser, ever come to such a state of need that a person outside herself, some other being, not herself, some person free to go and come and risk accidents far from herself, should hold the very key to her life and breath in his hand?
One thing that stood out to me as I read Ellen’s story was the way the cyclical pattern of nature was juxtaposed with Ellen’s life as she was engulfed by her daily chores: setting out the tobacco plants, feeding the turkeys, milking her cow, gathering eggs, helping with plowing. These are all demands of the land or of the animals and they had to be dealt with over and over. And I think Miss Robert’s intention is to view Ellen as being caught up in this cycle as something that is never-ending and unavoidable. Ellen is a representative of the common man in general, stripped of any culture or sophistication, poor and uneducated. We get to see her progression from her reserved childishness, alert to her surroundings to her awakening as a beautiful young girl who believes
I’m lovely now…It’s unknown how lovely I am. It runs up through my sides and into my shoulders, warm, and ne’er thing else is any matter…
And yet, we also get to experience her confidences and her uncertainties which mature her through betrayals, trials and disappointments. Her journey through life is full of pain and loss. Her inner strength is tested and we see her come into her own realizations about life. Her expectations about life most always exceed what it brings her.
This is my first novel my Elizabeth Madox Roberts but I will definitely be seeking out more and hope that they are easily found. I loved this story immensely and I fell fast to read on and on from the first page. ...more
What an apt book to pick up and read when Texas is currently in stage 3 drought right now. It has been such a hot and dry summer and the land is reallWhat an apt book to pick up and read when Texas is currently in stage 3 drought right now. It has been such a hot and dry summer and the land is really, really parched. I don’t know when we will get a good, solid rain but soon would be great. The characters in The Time It Never Rained were constantly waiting for rain to come to ease the burdens and hardships that living in a drought brought to their lives. Texas ranchers and farmers work hard to produce livestock and crops when the conditions are ideal, let alone in a harsh climate that sucks away all life. Elmer Kelton knew what he was writing from his own experiences. When a writer writes what he knows and does it in a way that puts the reader in the midst of the struggles and pain, you know you’ve found a winner. I found this in Elmer Kelton, a west Texan with a heart for the region he claimed as home.
Life still depended on two fundamentals: crops planted by the hand of men and grass planted by the hand of God. Give us rain, they said at Rio Seco, and it makes no difference who is in the White House.
This novel’s central focus is on a seven year drought in west Texas during the 1950’s. Charlie Flagg is the indomitable, principled old rancher who believes in working for himself to survive the drought and absolutely refuses to accept any handouts from the government. He stands alone in this community when others stoop to take government aid. He is the voice of warning to his fellow ranchers and farmers to not get too comfortable taking what the officials were offering.
It divides us into selfish little groups, snarlin’ and snappin’ at each other like hungry dogs, grabbing for what we can get and to hell with everybody else. We beg and fight and prostitute ourselves. We take charity and we give it a sweeter name.
Charlie Flagg’s argument against taking federal aid, regardless of how deserving the rancher is and how well intentioned the government claims to be, is that now he’s lost his self-worth and pride in the things that he took care of himself. Charlie values doing his job independently regardless of the hardships and losses that he faces. He expects that HE will see himself through it because he only knows this to be the right way. He is definitely a man of an older dying generation who just won’t accept defeat.
Kelton explores a progression of Anglo-Mexican relationships in a way that is truly enlightening. We meet Lupe Flores and his family who lives on Charlie’s ranch. Lupe oversees the ranch while his son, Manuel, is learning what is right and wrong. Charlie’s old-time ideals which do not hold Mexicans in high regard are questioned and Charlie himself is conflicted about those ancient beliefs because Charlie actually values Lupe and his family.
Elmer Kelton should be in the list of top writers of Western literature with the likes of Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy. He creates rugged and believable characters and places them in a desperate and uncontrollable situation that seems to have no end. We feel the strain upon them and understand their desire for a way out. We sympathize because this is a scenario that happens all too often in Texas. As I write this last sentence, I watch my weather app and hope for any amount of rain to arrive and quench the thirsty land....more
I think Dickens has become my new favorite habit! I look forward to the 3 months I get to spend with the magnanimous group Dickensians!, reading a chaI think Dickens has become my new favorite habit! I look forward to the 3 months I get to spend with the magnanimous group Dickensians!, reading a chapter a day. It is an accomplishment, in my opinion, to complete such a lengthy (1,017 pages! and 67 chapters!) and complex novel as Bleak House. But with Bionic Jean at the helm of our discussions, I knew that I would gain more knowledge and have more fun than if I’d read Dickens on my own. There’s a reason she is called the Dickens Duchess!
London. Michaelmas term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall…Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle, with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snowflakes—gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun.
Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city.
Never can there come fog too thick, never can there come mud and more too deep, to assort with the groping and floundering condition which this High Court of Chancery, most pestilent of hoary sinners, holds this day in the sight of heaven and earth.
Thus, begins the complicated and complex tale with fog gripping the city and everything and everyone within it and most especially surrounding and encompassing the Court of Chancery. The case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce penetrates the minds and actions of those who are waiting, waiting, waiting (decades for many) for an inheritance to come with a court decision in their favor while inadvertently being devoured slowly by legal costs. Almost every person has or will have a connection to the case that has gone on for longer than some life times.
Dickens is always brilliant in his characterizations and the way he presents the issues that affected the Victorians. He brings these issues to the forefront: poverty, hypocrisy, parenting (good and bad), philanthropic societies, orphans, impoverished lifestyles (and this is not a complete list) through his plots and storylines. Specifically, Dickens has gone to task against the inefficiency of the legal system and the sad reality of the misuse of justice by the lawyers who seem to be the true profiteers of the system. Dicken’s voice is loud and clear throughout.
The one great principle of the English law is to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings. Viewed by this light it becomes a coherent scheme and not the monstrous maze the laity are apt to think it. Let them but once clearly perceive that its grand principle is to make business for itself at their expense, and surely they will cease to grumble.
There is one character who stands apart from the case by his own wise choosing and that is Mr. John Jarndyce who lives at Bleak House. He takes in two young orphans and distant cousins, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, who are caught up in the interests of the Chancery Court case. Esther Summerson is a ward to her benefactor Mr. Jarndyce and chosen to be a companion for young Ada and eventual housekeeper of Bleak House. Esther narrates a large portion of the story from her own perspective and you can’t help but fall in love with her generosity and kindness yet self-effacing attitude. This is a quality that she has convinced herself of and has learned after being raised by a stern, unloving aunt who constantly degraded her existence. The subject of Esther’s origins is explored, her parentage a mystery and the way in which Dickens drops clues from the beginning is masterful.
There is a plethora of colorful characters to love and hate but, in my opinion, no villain with a name other than the Court of Chancery and its persistent continuations and never ending status. Here are a few that stand out to me: -Sir Leicester and Lady Dedlock represent the old ways that are getting swept away with the Industrial Revolution. -Mr. and Mrs. Bagnet, a military family where the industrious Mrs. makes most of the decisions and can find her way home from anywhere. (She was one of my favorite characters.) -A couple of dysfunctional families are the Jellybys and Pardiggles who are obsessed with their philanthropic causes to the neglect of their families. -Jo, a street crossing sweeper who “knows nothink”, is continuously instructed to “move along” and is the most poignant of Dickens’ characters to demonstrate the plight of the poor and those who have never been given a chance. -The detestable Harold Skimpole who takes no responsibility for anything and is a parasite on his friends. (He got a lot of eye rolls from this reader whenever his character was in the scene.) -Miss Flite is a mad old woman who is waiting for her judgment day to come in the court case and keeps quite a number of birds in cages. -Inspector Bucket who is considered the first detective in English literature is skillful and intelligent in his observational methods of doing his job.
I could never fully do justice to reviewing such a work as this Dicken’s masterpiece. With each novel I read, I become even more in awe of the talent of this man who made such a mark on the people of his time with his creations. If he could only know the impact that his novels are still having today nearly 200 years later! ...more
Paulette Jiles will win over historical fiction lovers with her realistic yet straightforward prose along with some well-developed characters that wilPaulette Jiles will win over historical fiction lovers with her realistic yet straightforward prose along with some well-developed characters that will win your heart. Stormy Weather is an ode to the struggles of the drought, dust bowl, Depression and drilling of oil in 1930’s west Texas. Jiles’ expert knowledge and research always provides a meaty and rich story with many nuggets of history and pop culture of the era sprinkled throughout.
Jeanine is the main protagonist, the favorite middle daughter of Jack Stoddard, an oil-field laborer and a dirt-track racehorse entrepreneur. As a young girl, Jeanine experiences first hand her father’s drinking, carousing and gambling. She follows him from poker games to racetracks trying to hold their family together. The family is constantly moving from town to town all over west Texas searching for oil work. The stock market crash causes desperation for families and work extremely difficult to find for those who want it. An unexpected accident on the oil rig sends Jeanine and her mother and sisters back to her mother’s abandoned birthplace where they all react to their new circumstances in a different way. Jeanine takes charge determined to learn farming and get the place back into working order. Mayme, the oldest, takes a job to help pay the farm’s back taxes and school-aged Bea loses herself in her books and writing. Their mother, Elizabeth stakes a claim in a wildcat oil well with hopes that her shares will someday pay off when the well hits oil - IF the well hits oil.
The weather plays a huge role as it never ever cooperates. The 7 year drought in Texas from 1930-1936 hugely affected crops and left people homeless. Extremely severe high winds and choking dust swept through this area killing and destroying with its strength. Rain was a pipe dream during this time. Living day to day was a struggle because farmers never knew if they would lose their crops or their livestock.
The Stoddard women come together in a beautiful tribute to love of family and hard work to persevere in extremely tough times. The sisters’ upbringing gave them the strength of will to see it through and never give up.
Jiles does this novel justice with all of the feels and charms of the era with a taste of thoughtfully chosen details that show up in the backdrop of the story - the looming WW, FDR’s New Deal, Model T’s, the Vanderbilts, Disney and Snow White, songs and Movietone news shorts that played on the family’s console radio. These extras helped to give this novel a very authentic feel. ...more
This is the second time in a month I’ve noticed my original ratings are wrong! Both times for 5?star books it’s been altered to 2 stars!! Little DorriThis is the second time in a month I’ve noticed my original ratings are wrong! Both times for 5?star books it’s been altered to 2 stars!! Little Dorrit is an amazing novel and warrants every last star available. Whatever is wrong with Goodreads at the moment, it is causing friends to question my ratings. ...more
I knew when I opened the pages of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court I would be entering upon a world of satire from “the father of American I knew when I opened the pages of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court I would be entering upon a world of satire from “the father of American Literature” (deemed so by William Faulkner). I had no idea how humorous Mark Twain’s writing would be. From the first page, I was chuckling and knew that this was going to be a fun read.
Twain certainly knows how to spin a tale and here he provided a fun romp for his readers. While not big on characterization in this one, his main protagonist, Hank Morgan, provides readers with Twain’s insights into some of the political and traditional differences between America and England and uses the fictitious Camelot and the legend of King Arthur to demonstrate these. I think this was a brilliant way to make this happen. Twain uses the technique of a story within a story and some type of time travel without actually explaining how Hank arrives in the 6th century in King Arthur’s Camelot from the 19th century, just that he’s been hit on the head. Much of the plot and antics of Hank require the reader to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the story.
The story begins with an unnamed narrator meeting a stranger proud of his American heritage calling himself a Yankee of the Yankees. Hank’s prideful identity right away lets the reader know that the central theme is the contrast between American ideas and British medieval ideas. When Hank wakes up near the mythical Camelot, he has arrived in a world completely unlike 1880’s America in which chivalry, knighthood, serfdom, religious authority by the Church and drastic class distinctions predominate. In order to make the most of his new life and situation, he decides that he is going to run this place. However, he is captured by a knight and ridiculed for his clothing and sentenced to burn at the stake. He remembers from history that a solar eclipse will occur on the date of his execution so he challenges the King that he will make the sun disappear if he dies. After the eclipse occurs, the people are convinced of his “magical” powers, and Hank is buffeted to the position of King Arthur’s chief adviser, replacing Merlin. Everyone believes he is the most powerful magician after this. Hank’s adventures in Camelot center on how he uses his knowledge of 19th century science and technology and introduces it in Arthur’s England. (I said you needed to suspend disbelief here!)
Apart from the scraps and scrambles Hank gets involved in here, the story is really a satirical look at aspects of government, religion, society and social institutions. Twain satirized such topics as the monarchy and divine right of kings, knighthood and chivalry, the established church, government and slavery....more
It’s been a few days since I finished reading EM Forster’s science-fiction short story called The Machine Stops. It is one that I just can’t get out oIt’s been a few days since I finished reading EM Forster’s science-fiction short story called The Machine Stops. It is one that I just can’t get out of my head. I tried to strike up a conversation about with my adult son and husband. I told them they’ve got to read this so we can talk about the prescient nature of this extremely well-written story. But here I am writing my thoughts in this review as my excitement sadly hasn’t persuaded my family to pick up the story. Well, it will be their loss, unfortunately.
This story really has an impact now because Forster describes a world that modern readers will recognize even though he wrote this dystopian tale in 1909. In the future, people live under the Earth’s surface in identical pods and communicate with one another via screens. Life in this world is bleak and everyone is dependent upon the Machine for all of their needs. Everyone possesses ‘the Book’ which is like an instruction manual about the Machine. Face-to-face interaction is obsolete and people live in such an isolated manner only speaking to another person in a virtual way. In fact, personal contact is seen as frightening and suspicious. Existence is based on an over-reliance on this technology that basically has all control. Original thoughts and ideas are discouraged. I could go on and tell you all that Forster speculated about, but I highly encourage you to find a copy and spend the hour it takes to read this yourself.
This story is so important to read and talk about especially after the year we have all lived through. Forster’s speculations about the future have scarily become a reality. After lockdowns, Zoom meetings and working from home, I certainly hope that Forster didn’t foreshadow what our post-pandemic normal will be. ...more
My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I hMy meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest.
David Copperfield has made a mark on my heart and mind after spending the past few months reading this spectacular work with a group of buddies here on Goodreads as part of the Dickensians! group. The journey of young David from childhood to adulthood is told by the older David as he looks back on his life telling of the most memorable events. We readers get to follow along on the paths he takes and watch him make many, many determining decisions that have lasting effects on him. He is quite introspective at times and most of what we learn about David’s life is told through the stories of the long list of unforgettable characters that Dickens always creates to perfection. Aunt Betsey Trotwood has to be the most remarkable, in my opinion, as she was the driving force in David’s life when he found himself forced to make his own way in the world. A generous, strong-willed and independent woman, Aunt Betsey provides many moments of humor (”Janet! Donkeys!”) and even more words of wisdom and enlightenment to David.
Never," said my aunt, "be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot, and I can always be hopeful of you.
Considered Dickens’ own favorite of his novels, David Copperfield shares events and experiences similar to his creator. This autobiographical essence adds that much more sentimentality to an already stirring and stimulating novel. Some might say that not a lot happens in this coming of age tale. Witnessing the struggles of a young orphan trying to figure out how to make his way in life may not be the most exciting topic, however, I was sold from the beginning on just how magical a character David was going to be. Dickens creates his beloved David as a sensitive, idealistic boy who learns (through many mistakes and poor decisions) life’s lessons often the hard way. His love for the nostalgia of his life comes through loud and clear and his natural ability to love and see the best in those he loves is one of his qualities that was endearing. David’s passivity can be quite frustrating but his character remains steadfast and honest and above all loving.
...I hope that simple love and truth will be strong in the end. I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.
Dickens delves into numerous topics and social issues, as he usually does. To mention a few, he takes a look at the plight of the weak against the stronger and more cunning. He also asks the question about what makes a home and a family truly ideal as most of the portrayals of families in David Copperfield do not fit in with Victorian standards. Daniel Peggotty, a kind and generous fisherman, took in his orphaned niece and nephew as well as his business partner’s grumpy widow. Even Aunt Betsey takes in Mr. Dick who is a “distant connexion” and a tender-hearted man she often looks to for advice.
I will look back on my time with David Copperfield with admiration and awe and appreciation to those who read it along with me. I now look so very forward to watching the movie adaptation and seeing Maggie Smith bring my favorite character to life!...more
I’ve been reading Faulkner’s Collected Stories since January and still haven’t finished reading all of the 42 stories. It was my first foray into readI’ve been reading Faulkner’s Collected Stories since January and still haven’t finished reading all of the 42 stories. It was my first foray into reading Faulkner and I can thank the Southern Literary Trail group for the opportunity. We were to chose any 10 stories for our group discussion. However, the completist that I am just couldn’t choose 10. Now here I am 4 months later, reading another collection of short stories by Faulkner with the same wonderful group. This is a much shorter collection with 6 stories which all focus on the character created by Faulkner, Gavin Stevens. Stevens is the county attorney in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. His skills of observation and shrewd methods for detecting the truth and motives among the members of his community caught in crimes or accused is uncanny. I enjoyed these stories very much and became a fan of this style of Faulkner prose. Some of his other short stories present quite a different style with lengthy and wordy sentences to decode. However, in this collection, I would choose 2 that specifically stand out for me. Hand Upon the Waters and Tomorrow were my favorites. ...more
Maggie O’Farrell is undoubtedly gifted at her craft. I have been so anxious to get to another of her novels and I am not disappointed. This w4.5 stars
Maggie O’Farrell is undoubtedly gifted at her craft. I have been so anxious to get to another of her novels and I am not disappointed. This was my third and I am reassured that she will be a go-to author when I am craving an in-depth voyage journeying along with a family just trying to figure out life, love, and the decisions we make that affect that path. Nothing in life and love is guaranteed to last forever. We are our own worst enemy at times and can derail what we thought was perfect and lasting. We can be selfish and cause real love to disintegrate because of our decisions. Priorities can get muddled and our families suffer for the things we think we need at the time. Daniel knew he shouldn’t bring up a past relationship and explore the mystery of what happened to Nicola, but he did it anyway, and there were consequences. Claudette created a tricky lifestyle in seclusion for their family.
How to communicate to Claudette the towering fear he has at letting even a molecule of what happened twenty-odd years ago leak into the life they have carved out for themselves? Because this is how he sees it, as a gaseous poison, bottled, stoppered, sealed, never to be opened.
We must pursue what’s in front of us, not what we can’t have or what we have lost. We must grasp what we can reach and hold on, fast.
Repercussions abound for Daniel and his true love, Claudette. And we are witness to these flawed individuals as life goes on and the pieces are attempted to be put back together. The question is whether this marriage is salvageable or is it in danger of calamity.
I couldn’t let the possibility that I was at fault, that I had done something so wrong, intrude into the life I had found, the life I had chosen that day at the crossroads.
I couldn’t give this one 5 stars for a very selfish reason: this one jumps back and forth in time and is told from many, many different points of view. It’s something I usually have trouble with and just can’t get the narrative to flow when it’s written this way. It got a bit tiresome to flit back and forth and to find a new narrator to tell Daniel and Claudette’s story. Honestly, I have nothing to criticize in the writing. O’Farrell’s prose is exquisite as you can see from the quotes I’ve provided. So thought-provoking and so beautifully expressed from beginning to end. I reveled in her ability to allow me to feel with these characters psychologically and emotionally. Her attention to detail cannot be matched.
What redemption there is in being loved: we are always our best selves when loved by another. Nothing can replace this.
I think about this, how she is my unavoidable constant.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters becomes my second novel by this author this year and continues a Victorian trend I began at the beginning of tElizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters becomes my second novel by this author this year and continues a Victorian trend I began at the beginning of the year. Written as a serial and published over a period of 17 months beginning in 1864, Mrs. Gaskell died suddenly without finishing her masterpiece leaving the final chapter unwritten. With 60 chapters and 755 pages (in my version) the reader could deduce the ending she so desired but never got to read her words for themselves. How disappointing for her readers to be left without the ending they so yearned to read.
This is such a lovely story centering on innocent, 16 year old Molly Gibson who is brought up by her widowed father in a provincial English town called Hollingford in the 1830’s. Gaskell adeptly creates a perfect country town caught up in the proprieties and gossip of society at the time. Gaskell does such a great job of creating so many lively characters with personalities and traits that either endear or disenchant themselves to the reader. Molly is a lovely, wholesome, good-hearted young lady. When Molly’s father, the town doctor, announces that he is going to marry again, Molly is surprised and upset that her pleasant life with her father is about to be upended. Her new step-mother is Hyacinth “Clare” Kirkpatrick, a former governess to the Earl of Cumnor’s family who has an avid interest in advancing her social standing. She brings with her to their new family a daughter named Cynthia, 17 years old, and much more worldly and experienced than Molly. She is quite Molly’s opposite in many ways.
Clare Kirkpatrick Gibson finds making impressions upon others her daily regiment. She wants to impress and desires her way(and gets it) in most things. She is crafty in her speech with emphasis always on making herself look good. She is really a kind of show off and this is evident in the way she changes Molly’s clothes and room decor although Molly wants to stay the way she is. Being the lovely girl who only wants to please, Molly accedes to her new mamma. One thing about Molly that I adored about her was her blunt honesty. She is never afraid to tell her mind to whomever even if it goes against the social standards.
When charismatic Cynthia arrives from France where she has been in school, Molly learns to love her new step-sister. It’s not a very difficult thing as the two girls find in one another a friendship that neither had experienced until now. Cynthia has a certain way about her that is charming to men. She is beautiful and captivating but her one problem is not knowing how to love another although she desires being loved by others. She can easily see through her mother’s schemes but is very much like her in some ways.
Another family living nearby is the Hamely family. Molly forms a close bond with this family. There is the Squire and his invalid wife and their two grown sons, Osborne and Roger. Osborne is the first born and pride of his mother and father while Roger is often overlooked. Osborne is a poet and creative while Roger’s interests lie in science, math and the natural world. Osborne is sentimental and handsome. Roger is kind, principled and humble yet plain.
Gaskell also presents a host of other characters who enrich the story and provide humor and zest to the narrative. My favorite are the Miss Brownings, the spinster sisters who live together and are very like some of the ladies I met when I read Cranford. They are up on all of the town’s gossip and much of the Victorian proprieties are found in their dialogue. I especially loved this line from Miss Phoebe to her sister, Oh, don’t call them lies, it’s such a strong word. Please call them tallydiddles.
Yes, this is a story of romance but it is also about the sense of duty to loved ones. Molly demonstrates this quality in the way she helps and comforts those she loves when their happiness is in jeopardy. She is one of the most agreeable and caring heroines I’ve ever read. ...more
IRL Book Club – February 2024 Theme – Banned Books
“Scandalous occurrences, of a public nature that is, do not often take place in small towns. TherefoIRL Book Club – February 2024 Theme – Banned Books
“Scandalous occurrences, of a public nature that is, do not often take place in small towns. Therefore, although the closets of small-town folk are filled with such a number of skeletons that if all the bony remains of small-town shame were to begin rattling at once they would cause a commotion that could be heard on the moon, people are apt to say that nothing much goes on in towns like Peyton Place.
The difference between a closet skeleton and a scandal, in a small town, is that the former is examined behind barns by small groups who converse over it in whispers, while the latter is looked upon by everyone, on the main street, and discussed in shouts from rooftops.
Peyton Place was a surprise novel that exceeded my expectations. Knowing this was written in 1956 and set in New England in before and after World War 2, I expected dated language and social taboos of the time. I expected a trashy chick-lit novel that would make me cringe. And given that this novel quickly soared to the top of the New York Times bestseller list in 1956 remaining there for 59 weeks, it is the type of novel that I would wholeheartedly avoid if it had been written today. It was scandalous for its time but one of those novels that hardly anyone could put down. Banned and vilified – that’s more of a reason to buy and read the book! I can imagine all of the moms secretly stashing the book in their handbags and quietly murmuring among their groups of friends.
This novel contains a plethora of characters who mostly make your blood boil with the heinous and barbarous acts portrayed. The town of Peyton Place itself is characterized throughout as a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and hiding many abominable secrets. But the main story centers around Constance McKenzie –a shop owner who worries the secret of her daughter’s illegitimacy will be discovered and ruin her life; Allison McKenzie – a teen who dreams of becoming an author leads a sheltered life due to her mother’s secrets; and Selena Cross – Allison’s friend from the poor side of town who dreams of getting out of a mediocre life and away from her stepfather’s abuse.
The sex in this book is prevalent however its themes are more thought-provoking than you’d imagine. The sexual encounters are underlying issues in the character’s problems and predicaments. The story demonstrates that women are actually sexual beings which at the time was a new way of thinking about female sexuality. One character embodies a woman’s repressed sexual desires. So I can see why this was thought of as scandalous! More themes focus on secrecy, hypocrisy, coming of age, and social class differences between the poor mill hands and their families and those who ran the mill. The town is rife with gossip, extramarital affairs, underage sex, alcoholism, violent abuse of women, incest, abortion, suicide, rape, murder, deceit, treacherous behavior, and voyeurism. All that to say, this is a well-written and nuanced story that may still surprise some even today. I am glad to have read it and now I know that it is so much more than what many originally thought it to be – trashy chick-lit meant to shock readers. ...more
L.M. Montgomery’s first book for adult readers had me loving all that she created. I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables and now wanted to experienceL.M. Montgomery’s first book for adult readers had me loving all that she created. I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables and now wanted to experience a new female character from this classic women’s author. Some of the elements she chose to include would not be appropriate for young readers back in 1924 (i.e. inclusion of an unwed mother). I haven’t read any biographies of L.M. Montgomery yet (but plan to) and would be interested in knowing whether she wanted to break out of the mold she had been placed into as a children’s author. In any case, I think she did an outstanding job of creating a believable spinster of 29 who was described as plain and unattractive yet readers will find her intelligence and shell-severing story to be much appealing.
Valancy Stirling is young to our modern standards, yet for a woman of the early 20th century, she was an old maid whose only option for living a life outside the box (stuck in her mother’s home) was marriage. Since that was not happening for her, she found herself living a stagnant life with a controlling and stifling mother and family members. Not just that, but unkind and unloving toward her and more interested in pretense than her daughter’s happiness. She was never happy and always did as she was supposed to do afraid to say what she really thought. Her only escape was her room and the imaginary life she dreamed of in her Blue Castle.
Fear—fear—fear—she could never escape from it. It bound her and enmeshed her like a spider’s web of steel. Only in her Blue Castle could she find temporary release.
Then everything takes a turn and Valancy’s story does as well. Watching Valancy take her life choices into her own hands is refreshing and uplifting. I really enjoyed the way the story made its turns and twists. There are quite a few and I dare say they are implausible BUT that is what kept me smiling and rooting for this woman who desired love and to be loved in return. Yes, this is a romance, but it’s also about a courageous woman looking to make her own way in life at a time when it was unheard of and discouraged.
This is definitely a feel good, pleasure read and I look forward to someday reading Valancy’s story again.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
I’ve been keeping up appearances all my life. Now I’m going in for realities. Appearances can go hang.
Isn’t it better to have your heart broken than to have it wither up? …Before it could be broken it must have felt something splendid. That would be worth the pain.
”Fear is the original sin,”wrote John Foster. “Almost all the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something. It is a cold, slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading.”
Valancy smiled through her tears. She was so happy that her happiness terrified her....more
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