This was our book club pick for January. Set in 17th century Quebec, the story revolves around a young girl, Cecile, her father, the apothecary, and tThis was our book club pick for January. Set in 17th century Quebec, the story revolves around a young girl, Cecile, her father, the apothecary, and the lives of the villagers. Cather does a tremendous job of creating a sense of place, of the streets, the weather, the shops, the villagers. But what gets in the way of the book is the relentless referral to Catholicism and not in an objective way although we do see how it clouds the thinking of the believers, religion and religiosity is constantly portrayed in a positive way.
However, my 10th great grandmother was taken by Indians from her home in Maine in the late 1600s, together with her two daughters, and delivered to Quebec to the Ursuline convent. This is 100% verified. She was rescued two years later, one of her daughters was sold into service and never heard from again, the other daughter converted to Catholicism and remained a nun. None of this is mentioned in the book, and it happened quite frequently in Colonial America during the French and Indian war period. The French Catholic missionaries frequently accompanied the soldiers and Indians who raided the towns in Maine, the Candlemas Massacre being a case in point. But Cather neglects any mention of the dark side of this religion. ...more
I really wanted to love this book and unfortunately, I just couldn't. I loved the social history references - life in Ireland pre-immigration. Life inI really wanted to love this book and unfortunately, I just couldn't. I loved the social history references - life in Ireland pre-immigration. Life in Brooklyn for a greenback. The way young ladies lived in early 20th century. That part was terrific, but the story? Not so much. Pat is a disgruntled young man who has lived with him mother for far too long. He gets himself in a bit of a pickle and instead of confronting his problem, leaves Ireland for the milk and honey promise of New York. It's not until he arrives that reality sets in and real menial work is part of that reality. Pat has a chip on his shoulder the size of Manhattan which never goes away. He marries up in life, and fruit of that marriage is Maggie-Now, who we only meet after 100 pages or so. Maggie grows up subservient to her father and an absolute doormat to the person she marries. I didn't particularly like Pat's character, Maggie's character, her little brother's character or her husband's character -- so in the end, there was little to like as far as plot or character development.
This was my first book of 2019. I certainly hope my other choices are better!...more
Wonderful very short, succinct novella which left me actually wishing it had been a longer book! I felt like I got to know the characters and wanted m Wonderful very short, succinct novella which left me actually wishing it had been a longer book! I felt like I got to know the characters and wanted more of them. This is a tiny book (maybe 3x4 inches), didn't quite feel like a "real" book, but it was not abridged ...more
Tender, touching, courageous and beautifully written, this book will be among my all time favorites. It's a romance-, a coming-of-age-, an upstairs/doTender, touching, courageous and beautifully written, this book will be among my all time favorites. It's a romance-, a coming-of-age-, an upstairs/downstairs-, British civility-, Edwardian-, homosexuality-themed book, written before its time, published after the author's death.
Not having seen the movie, I have nothing to compare the book with. What I can is say that I hated the narration. I found when the narrator tried to dNot having seen the movie, I have nothing to compare the book with. What I can is say that I hated the narration. I found when the narrator tried to do Holly's voice, it just grated on me and diminished my enjoyment of the novella. Had it not been for that, 4 stars. ...more
I can't say I liked the subject matter of this book - I'm not much for war stories - but the writing and the plot were superb. I had never read GreeneI can't say I liked the subject matter of this book - I'm not much for war stories - but the writing and the plot were superb. I had never read Greene but knew something of him; now I'm a fan and will be seeking out more of his work.
One of the startling things about this book is that while it was written in 1955, well before the US entered into the "conflict" with Vietnam, Greene writes of US involvement and about the naivete of the Americans there. From what I understand, the book was not well received by the critics here in the US, however it turned out to be prophetic.
Green's characters are not necessarily likeable - one a curmudgeony old geezer and the other a geeky, too good for his own pants. But as unappealing as they are, he makes them real, not all bad, not all good; just real. ...more
Seems to me that many of us Americans have the itch to get on the open road and see our beautiful country - perhaps overlooking its flaws. After readiSeems to me that many of us Americans have the itch to get on the open road and see our beautiful country - perhaps overlooking its flaws. After reading Travels with Charlie, I got the distinct feeling that Steinbeck intended this trip to be one of learning about the beauty of the country, and instead -- somewhere between the taciturn waitress in Maine, the memories of his now-unrecognizable home town in California and the blatant racism of the South, he became discouraged and practically hightailed it home, cutting short his exploration. The book is in no way depressing, to the contrary, it is insightful, funny and profound; the kind of book that sticks to your ribs and encourages you to recommend it.
He is ahead of his time: when looking at a submarine he says: "And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder." He talks about our mounting piles of garbage which surround our cities and ponders the basis for racism.
Several bookcrossers (I wish I could remember their names) recommended this book to me. I can't thank them enough because I just loved it. ...more
I had never read this book nor seen a movie version of it, but of course I knew the cliche of being a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Now I know the storI had never read this book nor seen a movie version of it, but of course I knew the cliche of being a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Now I know the story behind it, and it's so much more than a cliche. It's the fight between good and evil that we all carry within us and the calamitous results of trying to separate them, the unbalance that results of unleashing our evil side and the strength it takes to contain it. Brilliant!...more
This was a long book. Very long. The kind of book which is no longer written because in the age of internet and sitcoms we have no patience for long, This was a long book. Very long. The kind of book which is no longer written because in the age of internet and sitcoms we have no patience for long, drawn out descriptions of life. There are no car chases, nothing gets blown up, no titillating sex scenes, no horrific dramas. Actually, not much happens. It was a tough book to read. Slow, deliberate, thoughtful. Anything but a page turner. A book that was compelling once I was reading it, but not one that I ran to get back to. But I've now finished it and I'm very glad I read it. It's the kind of book which will stick to my ribs for a long, long while. It's the kind of writing which is inspiring, lyrical, poetic.
Lyman Ward is a 50 something year old historian, crippled and living a bit of a pitiful life in his ancestral home. He's wheelchair bound and dependent on a caregiver for just about everything. He takes it upon himself to research and write about the life of his grandmother Susan, a woman he knew and loved. And so this author intertwines his current life with the life of Susan and her husband Oliver, a mining engineer as they embark on marriage and take off for the western territories of the 19th Century. The difficulties of marriage, the trials of giving and not getting, of giving up, of confronting failure, of hopes and dreams of two different people are all craftily explored in this book. None of the characters is particularly lovely. Susan is a flawed woman who clings to the idea that her childhood friend Augusta has a much more exciting and established life than she has herself. Susan is torn between her eastern society upbringing, and following her husband to the wilds of mining towns and bringing her children up without the civility of "better quality" people. She struggles with a husband of few words and a yearning for something better - almost to prove to her friend Augusta that her husband, Oliver, was a worthy choice. Oliver, is a quiet, thoughtful man who perhaps is too good, too trusting, too hopeful; at times I wanted to smack some gumption into him. Lyman, the grandson sitting in his wheelchair, has been dealt a terrible blow in life incapacitating him, depriving him of a wife and in a poor relationship with his own son. He is not all smiles, he outlook on life is often a downer. And so - with these very human, flawed characters, Stegner analyzes life and marriage - the difficulties perhaps more than the joys, and hits it out of the ball park.
Some of my favorite quotes follow:
"Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend." Susan was uprooted constantly by Oliver's work opportunities. She yearned for "home;" for a place with memories, stability and the safety of lifetime friends and family.
"it is an easy mistake to think that non-talkers are non-feelers." Oliver had little to say and often seemed remote. It is easy to think that his lack of conversation meant he was not engaged, at times he did seem emotionally remote yet his actions clearly defy this theory (ie the rose).
"Wisdom. . .is knowing what you have to accept." This stands alone.
"But I would like to hear your life as you heard it, coming at you, instead of hearing it as I do, a somber sound of expectations reduced, desires blunted, hopes deferred or abandoned, chances lost, defeats accepted, griefs borne." Don't we all live with a dose of blunted desires and abandoned and deferred hopes? With grief, defeat and missed opportunities? Our lives don't end in a tidy little package with our children gathered around us, thoughtful and caring. It would be nice, but it would also be a fantasy novel.
My favorite quote: "It happens that I despise that locution, "having sex," which describes something a good deal more mechanical than making love and a good deal less fun than fucking."
I had never read this book in high school and an online book group chose it for this month which inspired me to read it. I was quite surprised at the I had never read this book in high school and an online book group chose it for this month which inspired me to read it. I was quite surprised at the depth and layers of the premise of the book, however, I the only idea I had of the book was the movie - which terrified me. The book was not of a horror genre, but more of a sad drama.
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man, did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?
Victor Frankenstein spends months creating a "creature" out of used body parts. His focus is 100% on the creation of this creature, with little thought to what would happen as a breath of life inhabited its body. He is a one track mind and when the creature comes to life, Frankenstein has a Kodak moment, almost as though he has come out of a stupor to realize what the ramifications of his experiment will be. On the other hand, his creation - a monstrously ugly, deformed and enormous human is left to fend for himself. He is left to fend for himself and learn about the good and bad of life, while Victor flees and reflects on the consequences of what he has done. Things go terribly wrong and of course, the consequences play out in the book.
Shelley explores so many different themes which are as relevant today as they were when this book was first published in 1818. Preconceptions, judgment, revenge, a runaway desire to further scientific knowledge at any cost - all infuse the book with food for thought. ...more
I absolutely Loved this book with a capital L. It's the story of Susan, an up and coming sculptor in the 1930s, who struggles with her love of art, heI absolutely Loved this book with a capital L. It's the story of Susan, an up and coming sculptor in the 1930s, who struggles with her love of art, her love of family - children, parents, sister and husband, and her need to be herself. As I read it, I could imagine the setting, in the 30s and how tremendously difficult it would be for a girl to do anything other than teach or nurse or be a secretary, or marry and have children. Pearl Buck delivers with this book, especially in the ending which brings the whole thing full term.
At some point in the middle of the book, I had to read Pearl Buck's biography on wikipedia because I had a suspicion that the entire book was somewhat autobiographical, an allegory for her own life. I found out that David Barnes, the name of the sculptor in the book who mentors Susan Gaylord, was the pen name with which she submitted her master's thesis at Cornell. At that time, Pearl Buck afraid that if she submitted her thesis as a woman, it would automatically be graded down?
The sculpting seemed to pinch hit for writing, being lost in the marble and just feeling it, seemed so similar to getting lost in the writing. I couldn't find any definitive interview or study on the author and this book in particular, but I did find someone else who thought as I did.
So many of the themes in the book will still resonate with woman 70 years later. It is still hard to juggle family, passion, responsibilities; it's hard to fit in, to figure out when to have children during our careers - all themes which she explores brilliantly in the book. ...more
A gritty tale of two Communist party members who incite strikes in underpaid, poorly treated migrant workers. They show up in the Targus Valley, an apA gritty tale of two Communist party members who incite strikes in underpaid, poorly treated migrant workers. They show up in the Targus Valley, an apple growers valley, owned by a handful of landowners. Migrants there were told that they'd be paid one amount, when they arrived they were told that amount would be substantially reduced. Bait and switch at its best.
The book is very different from some of his other works in that the narrative plays out mostly through dialog. While the events are noteworthy, historical and relevant, sadly, to 2012 labor issues, it was not my favorite Steinbeck....more
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