Conquering the Classics

Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak.

2012-01-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Nota Bene: I will be summarizing in chronological order of events according to Narnia, not according to the order in which the books were published. (My book set, when rearranged chronologically, becomes 6, 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 7.)

The Magician's Nephew (Originally Book 6)

This is the story of Polly and Digory and how Narnia came to be. (Okay, just for the record, I just wrote "this is the story of Cedric and Diggory and how Narnia came to be. WHOOPS! Cedric's dead and now he's a vampire.) Digory and Polly are neighbors, and while exploring their neighborhood, they end up in Digory's Uncle Andrew's secret attic. He uses them as guinea pigs for his magic rings, which he postulates send people to other worlds. Uncle Andrew sends an unwitting Polly, and then he bullies Digory into going after her. The children end up in a "wood between worlds" which is quiet and dreamy and has many pools. Each pool sends you to a different world. They explore one world (which turns out to be Charn) and accidentally awaken an evil witch named Jadis who has frozen her whole world in time. She follows them back to London, causes a ruckus by trying to take over and causing a carriage accident, and eventually the children, Jadis, Uncle Andrew, the carriage driver, and a horse all end up in Narnia. Here they meet a talking lion, Aslan, who tells them that to make up for bringing evil to Narnia (a new land) they must fetch an apple which, when planted, will protect Narnia. Digory and Polly travel on a flying horse (of course!) to fetch said apple, where they run into Jadis, who tries to convince Digory to steal an apple for his mother (who is very sick) instead of taking it to Aslan. Digory ultimately resists and returns to Aslan with the apple, but they find out that the witch will continue to exist in Narnia and will cause future trouble. The two children and Uncle Andrew are sent back to London, Polly and Digory become great friends, Digory is allowed to bring the apple back to his mother and heal her, and Digory becomes the quirky professor featured in the next book.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Originally Book 1)

This one is definitely the classic of the series. If you've read one of them, you've probably read this one. It features the four children of the Pevensie family - Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Peter - and their adventure into Narnia. They are sent to stay with the Professor (aka Digory from the previous novel) during WWII, and in exploring the house, they discover a wardrobe that leads to Narnia. Lucy discovers it first and is befriended (and almost betrayed) by a faun named Mr. Tumnus. When she returns, however, none of the others believe her. They think she's gone mad until Edmund stumbles into Narnia later on himself. While he's there, though, he befriends the White Witch, who convinces him that he should bring his brothers and sisters to her and she will make him a Prince of Narnia. (She also treats him to some Turkish Delight! Who can resist a witch with Turkish Delight? Actually, I think Turkish Delight is quite gross. But perhaps you would be swayed!) Edmund (the nasty boy that he is at first) tells Lucy he's gotten into Narnia, but when asked to tell Susan and Peter the truth, claims he was only playing a joke on Lucy. Eventually, all four children gain entrance through the back of the wardrobe and Peter and Susan realize Lucy has been telling the truth all along. Lucy finds her friend Mr. Tumnus has been kidnapped by the White Witch (for befriending her, a daughter of Eve) and the children eventually are led by a series of animals to a friendly talking beaver couple. Edmund slips off to the White Witch and tries to reveal the children's plans to meet up with Aslan and the other talking animals to rebel against the Witch, but the Witch enslaves him and he sees that she really is evil. Aslan sacrifices himself on the Stone Table to save Edmund. The Witch kills him (and in a way that is totally NOT reminiscent of Jesus at all) Aslan comes back to life. He defeats the Witch in a battle and the children become kings and queens of Narnia. They reign for decades until one day they chance back upon the lamppost by the old wardrobe. They return to London, only to find that no time at all has passed in their world.

The Horse and His Boy (Originally Book 5)

This story, unlike the others, does not focus mainly on children from our world. It centers around a boy named Shasta who is living in Calormen, a country near Narnia, and is poor and mistreated by his father. He dreams of Narnia and loves the stories of talking animals, but feels trapped. He decides to run away with a horse, Bree, who turns out to be a talking horse. During his flight, he runs into Aravis, a Tarkheena girl who comes from a well-off family but was promised to a creepy old dude. (Gross!) Aravis's horse, Hwin, is also a talking horse. Shasta is mistaken for Corin, a prince of Archenland (another neighboring country) and taken in by Susan and Edmund, who are visiting Tashbaan (a town in Calormen) because Susan is being courted by the vizier, Rabadash. Shasta eventually escapes from the Narnians (though he is sad to leave them) and meets back up with Aravis, Bree, and Hwin. They have uncovered a plot to attack Narnia (while Aravis was in Tashbaan she had to hide with a friend and they overheard) and so they ride as fast as they can to Archenland to warn them. Aravis is clawed by a lion just as they reach a hermit's house, but they make it, and Shasta is sent on to warn the Archenlanders. He meets Aslan on the way and learns all about Narnia, and when he tells the Archenlanders, he sneaks into the fight with Corin (whom he met and bonded with earlier just before escaping from Susan and Edmund). Everyone realizes that (TA DAH!) Shasta is really Cor, Corin's twin (but slightly older) brother who went missing at birth. Rabadash is captured and Aslan turns him into a donkey temporarily (with instructions on how to turn back into a man), and warning that if he ever strays too far from Tashbaan, he'll be turned back into a donkey.

Prince Caspian (Originally Book 2)

This story is all about how Prince Caspian takes his rightful place as heir to the Narnian throne. His uncle, King Miraz, has taken a page out of Hamlet and killed Caspian's dad. Caspian's tutor, Doctor Cornelius, tells him all about Narnia and the truth, and he sends Caspian away to save him because his uncle Miraz has a son and Cornelius knows Caspian will be killed. Caspian ends up gathering up the talking beasts (bit by bit) and getting some help from Trufflehunter the badger and Nikabrik and Trumpkin the dwarves. They are no match for Miraz's army, though, so Caspian blows Susan's ancient horn for help, and meanwhile the Pevensie children are called back to Narnia. They're confused at first because their castle is in ruins and Narnia is unrecognizable (a great deal of time has passed) but they figure things out and gather up their swords and armor. They find Trumpkin, who was sent to look for them but had been captured by Miraz's men. They convince him they are former queens and kings of Narnia, and they go to Caspian's aid. Because they are outnumbered, Peter challenges Miraz to one-on-one combat to settle the battle. Miraz assents, Peter wins, but Miraz's men betray him and continue to fight. The trees come to life (with Aslan's help) and scare Miraz's men away, winning the battle for Caspian and the rest of the Narnians. Prince Caspian takes his rightful throne and the children are sent back to London.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Originally Book 3)

This one starts out with Lucy and Edmund visiting Eustace, their annoying and snobbish cousin. The three of them are pulled into Narnia through a painting, and they find themselves at sea and being pulled onto the Dawn Treader, Caspian's ship. Caspian has been ruling Narnia with great peace and joy, and so he has gone off to search for several lords who were friends of his father and never returned from a trip sailing to the end of the earth (IMAGINE that). They find many adventures along the way, including some very silly Monopods, some frightening nightmare monsters, mermaids (the scary kind; think Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), people who used to be stars, and, at last, the end of the world. Eustace is turned into a dragon for awhile (every boy who is bad should be at some point) and then he meets Aslan and is turned back into a much more penitent and pleasant version of himself. They find all of the lords (though not all of them are alive) and Reepicheep leaves them at the end of the world to go into Aslan's Land. Caspian wants to go, but it's not his time, so he returns to Narnia and Lucy, Eustace, and Edmund are returned to London.

The Silver Chair (Originally Book 4)

Our main characters in this novel are Eustace and his friend Jill Pole from school. They are pulled into Narnia unexpectedly while trying to escape some bullies, and sent on a mission to rescue Prince Rilian, Prince Caspian's son, who disappeared many years ago. They are joined by Puddleglum, a rather depressed Marsh-Wiggle (of COURSE you know what that is, so I won't explain), and they journey forth with a set of commands from Aslan. They inevitably forget the commands along the way, and end up almost getting eaten by giants. They end up trapped underground in the hands of an Emerald Witch (no relation to the White Witch, I think. I'm only partially joking.) who tells them that her prince (who they don't realize is Rilian at first) has fits of madness at night and must be tied up in a silver chair that restrains him. They witness one of his fits, and after some uncertainty, they realize that he is in fact the Prince Rilian they have come to save and they set him free. The Witch finds them and tries to trick them into believing that no other world exists, and her magic almost works, but Puddleglum refuses to forget Narnia (by burning his foot; long story) and when the witch turns into a serpent, Eustace, Puddleglum, and Rilian manage to kill her. They escape from the underground and return to Narnia, only to reunite Rilian and Caspian on Caspian's deathbed. But Aslan does his magic tricks (like ALWAYS) and pseudo brings Caspian back to life so he can say hi to Eustace (who traveled with him in the Dawn Treader) and then Eustace and Pole go back to London (and Aslan comes back and helps them scare off the bullies).

The Last Battle (Originally Book 7)

Prince Tirian is now ruling Narnia, and Jewel the Unicorn is his bestie pal (unicorns make the BEST friends, I always say). Meanwhile, an ape named Shift (who is shifty) convinces an unwitting donkey (who thinks he's his friend) named Puzzle to put on a lion's skin and pretend to be Aslan. Shift eventually does all sorts of nasty things, and teams up with the Calormen and turns the talking beasts into their slaves. Tirian calls for help from the daughters of Eve and sons of Adam, and Eustace and Pole come to his aid. They team up with a few other talking beasts and one dwarf and rescue Jewel and the donkey, Puzzle, who is very apologetic. They wage war with the Calormen, but the Calormen launch a sneak attack and kill a great deal of Narnians. The Calormen believe in a god called Tash, but when he actually appears, they are very surprised and frightened. He's some sort of scary demon bird/man. Shift and the Calormen tell the talking beasts (who are still suspicious about Aslan even though Puzzle has been revealed as a fake) that they can meet the real Aslan in the stable, but that he is "no tame lion", so they should beware. Eventually, pretty much everyone ends up in the stable, and Tirian is surprised to find that it is not scary, but it is a link to Aslan and his country. The dwarves (who decided to stand alone and fight both the Calormen and the Narnians) are there but they are stuck seeing just a stable, while Tirian sees all the daughters of Eve and sons of Adam that have visited Narnia (except Susan, who apparently was BAD). Then Aslan takes the stars out of the sky and ruins the earth and brings creepy dragons and then all the animals go through something that is totally DIFFERENT from ascension, and he chooses who will come to his country and who will be stuck in dead Narnia. Tirian and all the children go on to Aslan's country, which is a like a better version of Narnia. They want to stay, and then, guess what? They can, because they DIED IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT. Yes. The end.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

So, I loved the humor and levity of the earlier books, and I still love the overall series, but the Christian overtones are really heavy-handed, especially later on, which I found a bit annoying and unoriginal.

Here are my thoughts, book by book (I'll try to keep them somewhat short!)

The Magician's Nephew:
-Uncle Andrew is a jerk, but the line he feeds Digory to get him to follow Polly is pretty funny: "Oh very well then. Just as you please. Go down and have your dinner. Leave the little girl to be eaten by wild animals or drowned or starved in Other World or lost there for good, if that's what you prefer. It's all one to me. Perhaps before tea time you'd better drop in on Mrs. Plummer and explain that she'll never see her daughter again because you were afraid to put on a ring."
-When Jadis breaks the lamppost in the carriage accident, she accidentally brings it to Narnia and it gets planted. Because Narnia is new, the lamppost grows, and it becomes the lamppost of Lantern Waste by the wardrobe.
-The talking animals in Narnia don't know what to make of Uncle Andrew, and he is very dirty and unconscious, so they plant him. Like a tree. And then they water him. A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:
-Of all the scenes in Narnia, I think I will always love Lucy's tea with Mr. Tumnus the best. It's a very short scene, and not particularly memorable, but I have very fond feelings about it.
-When the children fight and they want to reconcile, they say "Make it Pax." Thought you'd like that tidbit, Mommy!
-When the children think that Lucy is lying, the Professor asks them whether Edmund or Lucy is usually the one to tell the truth. Since Lucy is normally truthful, the Professor accepts that there must be other worlds that Lucy has discovered. I always thought the Professor was so COOL for a grown-up, but now it makes sense knowing that he's Digory, and of course he knows about Narnia - he helped create it!
-When the animals plan their attack for the battle, Aslan refers to "us lions", and the other talking lion is exceedingly pleased. "Did you hear what he said? Us lions. That means him and me. That's what I like about Aslan, no side, no stand-offishness. Us lions. That meant him and me." I love this moment.

The Horse and his Boy:
-Tumnus and Corin are close friends and they talk about going to dances and festivals and it's super adorable.
-Who is the King of Archenland? King Lune. OF COURSE! (Alexis, please tell your husband that he needs to tend to his people. The Archenlanders. If he needs directions, it's just between Calormen and Narnia. MMkay?)
-So, the lion that clawed Aravis? That was Aslan. He was "teaching her a lesson" because she got her servant whipped when she was making her escape. I understand the moral lesson, but hrm.....a little too eye for an eye for my taste.
-Bree is most concerned about whether or not Narnian horses roll. He used to live in Narnia, but he can't remember if talking horses roll, or if it's a common animal thing he picked up in Calormen. He agonizes over this. A-dorable.

Prince Caspian:
-Lucy decides to call Trumpkin their D.L.F. (dear little friend). He's not wild about the nickname (being a VICIOUS and brave dwarf and all) but he allows it.
-When Peter needs marshals for his one-on-one battle with Miraz, one of the Three Bulgy Bears asks to be a marshal. Trumpkin whispers to Peter, "Don't let him. He's a good creature, but he'll shame us all. He'll go to sleep and he will suck his paws." Peter says he can, as long as he doesn't suck his paws. The bear promises not to, at which point Trumpkin points out that he is doing it right at that very moment. (Incidentally, in the battle, the bear does in fact suck his paws.)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
-The Monopods (or the Dufflepuds) are silly and not very smart dwarves who a magician has turned into one-footed dwarves that look like they have mushrooms stuck to their feet. In explaining to Lucy why he has made them one-footed (and why he made them invisible), he relates, "You wouldn't believe the troubles I've had with them. A few months ago they were all for washing up the plates and knives before dinner: they said it saved time afterwards. I've caught them planting boiled potatoes to save cooking them when they were dug up." Tee hee hee. Silly dufflepuds!
-Reepicheep shows the Monopods/Dufflepuds that they can use their mushroom feet like boats. They love this, and they have boat races all night long for bottles of wine.
-After the Dufflepuds are renamed Monopods, they love the name but can't quite get it right. "That's what we are,' they bellowed, 'Moneypuds, Pomonods, Poddymons. Just what it was on the tips of our tongue to call ourselves." MONEYBAGS!

The Silver Chair:
-Just for the record, I couldn't find this book just now. Where did I find it? UNDER A SLEEPING SUZY.
-Puddleglum is my FAVORITE character. He is absolutely hilarious. When the children first meet him, he tells them they can try to light a fire. "You could light it inside the wigwam, and then we'd get all the smoke in our eyes. Or you could light it inside, and then the rain would come and put it out. Here's my tinder box. You wouldn't know how to use it I expect?"
-When Eustace comments on the weather, Puddleglum replies, "Very likely, what with enemies, and mountains, and rivers to cross, and losing our way, and next to nothing to eat, and sore feet, we'll hardly notice the weather. And if we don't get far enough to do any good, we may get far enough not to get back in a hurry."
-Puddleglum claims the other Marsh-Wiggles think he's too chipper, to which he responds, "Now a job like this - a journey up north just as winter's beginning, looking for a Prince that probably isn't there, by way of a ruined city that no one has ever seen - will be just the thing. If that doesn't steady a chap, I don't know what will."
-The Witch tells them to find Giant-Land to join them for their upcoming festive supper. What they don't realize until they read the entries in the cookbook -- Mallard, Man... -- is that they are to be the supper. Whoops!

The Last Battle:
-Jewel comforts Puzzle when he first joins them by talking about things they "have in common", like sugar and the care of one's hoofs. Adorable.
-Susan doesn't make the final cut. Cautionary tale, much, Lewis? Apparently she's too into herself. Not a great reason to miss out on heaven (I mean, ASLAN's COUNTRY! SOO not the same thing.)
-In Aslan's Country, all the old familiar faces are there -- the Bulgy Bears, Reepicheep, Caspian, and PUDDLEGLUM!
-Not to be a downer, but Lewis wraps things up by KILLING the children. He's all, oh, whoopsies! There was a railway accident in your world, so you died but it's okay because now your REAL existence begins. And it's so amazing and wonderful but I can't tell you about it because you've never been there and I've never been there. Mmm hm.. SUUUUUUURE.

All told, some moments of brilliance, and some really fun characters and fantastic humor. If I had to rank the series so far, I'd say (1) Harry Potter, (2) Lord of the Rings, (3) Chronicles of Narnia. Although I told Diana that I'd like to raise my children not on explicit Christianity but on a regimen of novels and morals, so I think they'll have a chance at enjoying them without the overwhelming Christ and God metaphors. And also hopefully they won't catch on to the xenophobia/latent anti-Muslim feel to some of the books...

Onwards to a world in crisis, a beautiful lady, and mavens of industry.

For you, a thousand times over.

2011-12-26T02:52:00.002-05:00

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

The Kite Runner is a story about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. It centers around two boys, Amir and Hassan, who grow up together in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hassan and his father, Ali, are Amir and his father, Baba's servants, due to the fact that Hassan and Ali are Hazara, a particular ethnicity who are forced into a lower caste in Afghan society in part because they are Shi'a Muslims, while the Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims. Despite the difference in their respective castes, Hassan and Amir grow up like brothers. Amir is constantly fighting for Baba's affection, and hates that his father seems to share as much (if not more) affection and love for Hassan. The story pivots around a moment that occurs when Amir and Hassan are 12; (NOTE: this is graphic, and not for children's eyes); Amir wins a kite-flying competition, and after Hassan runs for the last kite (a great honor) and catches it, he is cornered by the local vicious bully and raped. Amir watches and does nothing, too terrified to intervene. Their relationship goes downhill in the coming weeks, and Amir, eaten alive by his guilt, frames Hassan and claims he has stolen from the family. Hassan is, in reality, unbelievably good and kind and would never do such a thing, but his father, Ali, finally having been clued in on all that happened, decides that he must take his son away. Baba is heartbroken, and tries to get them to stay, but they leave. Amir and Baba leave Afghanistan a few years later because of the Russian occupation and move to America. Amir eventually marries Soraya, an Afghan woman, and Baba dies of cancer. Amir and his wife are unable to have children. Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan, his father's old friend, and Rahim asks him to come to Pakistan. When Amir arrives, he finds Rahim Khan near death from illness. Rahim divulges to him Hassan's life since Amir left for America, and tells him that Hassan and his wife and son ended up moving back to Amir's old house (and living in the servant hut) while Rahim lived in the house. They led a happy life for awhile, but when the Taliban took over Kabul, they massacred the Hazaras. They arrived one day claiming that rumours had gone around that Hazaras were living in a mansion in Mazar-e-Sharif, Amir's neighborhood. Hassan denied it, but when the Taliban threatened to occupy the house and he protested, they shot him in the street. His wife ran out to stop them, so they shot her too. Sohrab, their son, was sent to an orphanage, and Rahim Khan asks Amir to find him. Amir is not at all interested in going to Kabul, and almost refuses, at which point Rahim Khan (who by the way knows everything about what has happened between Amir and Hassan) reveals that Ali, Hassan's father, was impotent, and in fact, Baba is Hassan's father. He dishonored Ali by sleeping with Sanaubar, Hassan's mother, and so Hassan is actually Amir's half brother. Amir is, of course, furious that this secret has been kept from him, but he agrees to go to Kabul. He goes to Kabul, only to find that Sohrab has been sold by the orphanage to the Taliban. He confronts the Taliban leader, who turns out to be Assef, the very same bully who assaulted Hassan decades before. Assef taunts Amir, and tells him he finally has it coming to him. They fight until Amir is near death when Sohrab (who Assef has been using as a slave and sexually abusing) holds his slingshot up to Assef and tells him he must stop. Assef won't, so Sohrab shoots a brass ball into Assef's eye. Amir and Sohrab escape, and Amir is nursed back to health in a hospital in Peshawar. Amir tries to set Sohrab up with an adoption agency run by two Americans recommended by Rahim Khan, only to find out that no such agency exists. He realizes Rahim Khan's motives, and decides to adopt Sohrab. The process is incredibly challenging however, and he ends up having to go back on his promise to Sohrab that he would never send him back to an orphanage. Overwhelmed and emotionally broken, Sohrab attempts suicide, ironically just as Amir receives news that a friend of the family will be able to help them bypass the orphanage requirement and he will be able to bring Sohrab home immediately. Sohrab is treated in a hospital and Amir eventually takes him home, but Sohrab doesn't speak for nearly a year. The book ends with a small, but encouraging outing where Sohrab and Amir fly a kite. It closes with Amir running the kite for Sohrab.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

So, first off, sorry if I ruined it for anyone interested in reading it, but you really should still read it. It's a tough book to stomach, not just because of the scene in the beginning or the scene at the end, but because of a few moments of really inhumane behavior, but it's also a book that centers on a very real and very upsetting event that touches all of our lives.

As always, in no particular order or structure, here are my thoughts:

- It is always an interesting experience reading a story that is told from the point of view of a protagonist you don't really like. Amir grows on you, and I think I found him unlikable because he represented the worst side of all of us when we're being petty and selfish, but he's a very believable character. I also think that you couldn't tell this story from anyone else's perspective and have the same power behind it. Just the same, I had forgotten how challenging it can be from the reader's perspective to disagree with and feel shame at the narrator's actions. This isn't to suggest that all protagonists are all good; the best ones are imperfect in just the right way. It's just hard for me to feel such tension with the character telling me the story.

- The people in Kabul treat Hassan like complete shit in this novel. I don't know exactly how true to life this is, but I really just don't understand societally sanctioned, pervasive prejudice. I know that there are many groups persecuted and looked down upon, both here in the U.S. and in other countries across the world, but such dishonor, such hatred, such totally inhumane treatment, is hard for me to conceptualize and impossible for me to sanction. When Hassan and Amir are on their way to the movies, a man on the street insinuates that he slept with Hassan's mother. Hassan cries throughout the movie and Amir just keeps whispering, "He took you for someone else." Amir takes a back seat to the prejudice at several key points in the novel, but here he is a human, and a friend, and he is tender.

- Unlikable though he may be for the first half of the book, Amir is an obsessive reader, which I must admit, I love. He reads Hafez, Saadi, Victor Hugo, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, and Ian Fleming. I love a child who loves books.

- Hassan and Amir often visit a pomegranate tree behind Amir's house, and one day, they carve into the trunk these words: "Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul." When Amir comes back decades later, the words linger, faded, but visible.

- Part of the reason Assef is so angry with Amir and Hassan at the beginning is because he tries to beat them up, but Hassan threatens him with his slingshot. He tells Assef that if he tries to hurt Amir, he will become "one-eyed Assef". Even when he is faced with Assef, a bully and a jerk, Hassan still calls him "agha", a term of respect. Amir notices how bizarre it seems that Hassan is so ingrained in his class that he uses a respectful term even in this moment.

- I found the description of kite-running quite fascinating. They roll the kite string in a mixture of shards of glass and glue, and as they fly the kites, they undercut and attack each other, slicing the kite string. The last kite in the sky is the winner, and running (and catching) the last kite is an enormous honor. Hassan runs Amir's winning kite for him, and his refusal to hand it over to Assef is what leads to his assault. Part of what keeps Amir from intervening is that he hopes bringing home the winning kite will help him to win his father's love and approval.

- Before Hassan and Amir begin the kite tournament, Hassan tells Amir about a dream he had the night before. There is a lake in town, and no one will swim in it, because they think there is a monster living in it. Amir dives in and shows the town that there is no monster, and they rename the lake after Amir and Hassan. As they leave for the tournament, Hassan whispers to Amir, "There is no monster, just a beautiful day." He is wrong; Assef is the monster.

- When Amir witnesses Assef cornering Hassan, he wonders if maybe Hassan is the price he has to pay for Baba's love. While Amir atones for this moment in many ways throughout the rest of his life, I can't help but feel that it's kind of unforgivable. And even though he's terrified and he's 12, he could use the time after the event to change the outcome of all of their lives, but he doesn't. This moment took me back to my first book on this list, 1984, and the idea that maybe I hated Winston so much because the possibility that I would not act differently scared me so much. Amir finds that Baba loves him, and that is enough to cloud the guilt; the power of a parent's love (or lack thereof) is a thing to be reckoned with.

- After ignoring Hassan for weeks and not divulging the secret of what transpired in the alley to anyone, Amir takes Hassan to the pomegranate tree. He throws pomegranates at Hassan's face, hoping that Hassan will fight back. Hassan merely takes the beating, and eventually smashes a pomegranate in his own face. Hassan is almost unbearably good to Amir, and even in this moment, he is incapable of causing him harm, despite the harm Amir has done to him. In many ways, I found this the hardest scene to read.

- Amir and Baba end up having to leave Kabul at the drop of a hat. They are transported in the back of a truck part of the way out. Baba stands up for a woman who a Russian officer tries to rape as a "toll" to cross the border. They end up having to be smuggled the rest of the way to Pakistan in an oil truck, and one person ends up not making the trip because of the fumes. (There's another connection between this character and Amir, but it's complex and I'll leave it for you to read. I can't give away ALL the secrets!)

- I'm not going to get into it here, because it's a subject I have a strong opinion on and it's by no means a simple issue, but I found the treatment of women in Afghan culture (both before and after the Taliban) to be quite upsetting. Obviously it's tremendously worse with the Taliban (beatings in the street, stoning for adultery, etc) but I'm not wild about the whole "no non-chaperoned visits with boys", your honor is a one-time only deal, you should be on a separate side of the mosque, etc. thing. I know that there are totally different cultural and traditional customs, which is why I don't want to make any sweeping statements, but I just want to put it out there that I've got some concerns.

- Amir's wife, Soraya, has a complicated past - she lost her honor because she ran off with a man and did drugs and ended up being rescued and brought home by her father - but she reveals everything to Amir the night he has his father ask for her hand in marriage. He, on the other hand, does not reveal the truth of his past with Hassan until they are married for nearly 15 years. I know married people have secrets, but I find it telling that Amir withholds his, while Soraya immediately shares hers.

- Sanaubar, Hassan's mother, returns to him just before Sohrab is born. She ran off just after giving birth to him, but appears on the doorstep, bedraggled and quite ill. They nurse her back to health and she delivers Sohrab. She ends up passing away a few years later. I don't really have anything particular to say about this, other than that my only complaint about this book is that it feels a little bit like it's trying too hard to tie up loose ends. It brings just about every story line full circle, and at a certain point, I was like, "really? do we really need to resolve every relationship and every event?"

- When Rahim tells Amir about Hassan and what has happened to him in the years since Amir and his father left Kabul, Rahim gives him a letter from Hassan. Hassan was illiterate growing up, and Amir sort of withholds literacy as a trophy and a way to maintain hierarchy over Hassan. Hassan learns later on, and in his letter, he is still faithful and loving to Amir. I know that Assef is the one who is truly to blame for what happened to Hassan, but I am still amazed that he is able to forgive Amir for how he behaved after and what he did to have him sent away.

- The whole, "hassan was actually your half-brother" thing did feel a LITTLE bit like, "Luke, I am your FATHER!" But it does make sense with the rest of the story line. I think the book could have stood to be one ironic cliche or two shorter.

- There were so many parts of this book that were hard to read; the scene with Hassan and Assef, the public stoning by the Taliban at the soccer game, the grisly battle between Amir and Assef, and Sohrab's suicide attempt. I certainly wouldn't recommend this book to a child, and I'm not sure if I had a teenager I'd recommend it to them, either; it would depend on what that teenager had already experienced in his/her life. I'd probably recommend it to my old students at Fels, but not my students at Breakthrough. These things still occur to me even though I'm in grad school now :).

- As Amir watches Sohrab sleep and pulls the door closed, he has this thought: "Closing Sohrab's door, I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night." I found this line really powerful and poetic.

- Amir grows a backbone throughout the novel (though it's often kicking and screaming) and when his father-in-law, a traditional Afghan, questions his decision to adopt Sohrab, Amir tells him that he is his nephew, and practically spits out, "You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab." I actually wrote "Go, Amir!" in this part of the book, I was so pleased that he stood up for Sohrab and shirked the Afghan prejudice and bigotry.

- The book closes with Amir offering to run a kite for Sohrab. He turns and says, "For you, a thousand times over." Hassan says the same thing just before he disappears to run Amir's winning kite. This is the last time Amir sees Hassan smile.

This book is dark, and it gets at some of the deepest part of our souls. It pulls you into difficult and painful situations, but there are moments of levity and joy, too. It may not be a classic in the truest sense of the word - only time will tell - but it is certainly a well-told and well-crafted story.

I'm off to bed (and YES, I do know what time it is!) a belated Merry Christmas to you all! I'm off to Narnia and the land of Aslan.

Safe travels, sweet dreams, and kind thoughts.

I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.

2011-12-15T03:32:00.004-05:00

The Hobbit; or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

The Hobbit is a tale of adventure when it is sprung upon the unsuspecting. It takes a quiet, settled hobbit on a trip to faraway lands with 12 dwarves and one wizard to reclaim ancient dwarf treasure from an evil dragon named Smaug. They survive encounters with wood-elves, spiders, wargs (wolf-like creatures), being stuffed in barrels, and fighting an epic battle against goblins. Theirs is a tale of greed, deep-rooted family pride, friendship, magic, and merriment. Bilbo Baggins, our protagonist, finds a spirit in himself he never knew he had, and as you may or may not be lucky enough to know, this is not his only adventure.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

I know my plot summary was a bit thin, but it's practically a novella and if you haven't already (or haven't in a long time) you really should pick up the book yourself. It's practically a tea-time snack.

I loved reading this book. I love the trilogy, but when I first got into them, it took me some time to get completely pulled into the story. From the first page of The Hobbit, I was entranced. I could practically hear Bilbo's kettle boiling on the stove, and his hobbit-hole would appear when my eyes closed.

I remember reading this in 6th grade, with Mr. Bricker? Brickstein? Brickle? (I think that last one is a computer game from the 90's.) Anyway, I distinctly remember being asked to draw the door to Bilbo's hobbit-hole, and I also distinctly remember getting a C on my drawing. (Art never was my strong suit.) I think I painted the door blue, and it was supposed to be green, with a yellow knob. Something like that. It's strange the things we remember.

In terms of overall thoughts, I think what struck me most was that Bilbo and the dwarves are on a completely voluntary adventure here. They decide to just pick up and go, and while the dwarves have their whole "we need to win back our hard-earned gold from the dragon" thing going on, Bilbo really is just along for the ride. Of course, he discovers some wonderful (and not so wonderful) traits about himself along the way, but it definitely makes him question his own motives more than Frodo is able to. Frodo is basically in for an epic battle between good and evil, and everyone takes a side, whereas here, things are a bit more grey. I actually got quite mad at the dwarves toward the end, because before they end up joining forces with the elves and the men to fight the goblins, the dwarves were going to wage war with the elves and men over the treasure and they are acting downright nasty, even though - and here's the kicker and I Totally forgot this part - THEY DON'T EVEN KILL THE DRAGON. There's all this buildup and Bilbo goes down several times to see the dragon, but he ends up getting shot by some man from the nearby town named Bard. Kind of anticlimactic, if you ask me. And pretty petty of the dwarves to withhold "their" gold when the dragon was sleeping on it all these years and they didn't even kill him. Also, is dwarves not the correct plural form of dwarf? My computer's autocorrect has underlined the word every time I've written it. Amusingly enough, it also does not choose to recognize the word autocorrect. Ironic much?

Anyway, here are the rest of my thoughts, in no particular order:
(And yes, I am aware what time it is, mother. And no, I'm not pregnant. INSIDE FAMILY JOKE!)

-Gandalf is responsible for getting Bilbo involved with the adventure (of course; Gandalf is always involved in the "I have an ulterior motive but it's in everyone's best interest" kind of mind games) and Bilbo is having NONE of it at the beginning. "We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!" He's almost gotten Gandalf to leave and he says, "Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today."
[But sneaky Gandalf puts a mark on his door that says BURGLAR LIVES HERE LOOKING FOR AN ADVENTURE (okay, I looked it up and it's actually "Burglar wants a good job, plenty of Excitement and reasonable reward - close enough!) - only some compact, runish form of that phrase - and the adventure comes looking for Bilbo anyway.]

-When Bilbo decides to join the adventure, Tolkien calls it his "Tookish side", implying that his ancestors, the Tooks, were more adventuresome than the average hobbit family. I just love the sound of the word - maybe because it rhymes with bookish. ;)

-At one point, Bilbo says it smells like elves. I wonder what elves smell like? I imagine something appropriately woodsy. Perhaps like pine.

-Just before Bilbo encounters Gollum in the tunnels, he says to himself, "Go back? No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" It reminded me of the book, "We're going on a bear hunt" where they say, "Can't go OVER it! Can't go UNDER it! We'll have to go THROUGH it!" (swish swish swish)

-When Gollum and Bilbo are playing riddle games, Bilbo tricks Gollum by asking him to guess what is in his pocket. (It is, in fact, the ring; as in Lord of the...) Gollum is frantic, because he can't think of what it is. He has three guesses, so first he guesses, "Handses!" When that's wrong, he thinks of what he keeps in his own pockets -- "fish-bones, goblins' teeth, wet shells, a bit of bat-wing, a sharp stone to sharpen his fangs on". I laughed so hard at the thought of little Gollum thinking about his own pockets and the disgusting things he keeps in there. Bat-wing? Hilarious.

-I like that Gollum calls Bilbo "the nasty noser". I'm going to start calling people "nasty nosers." You nasty noser, you!

-Gandalf tricks Beorn, a man-bear who befriends them in the midst of their adventure (yes. I said man-bear. get over it.) into thinking it's just him and Bilbo at first, then he lets the rest of the dwarves trickle in two-by-two. Beorn is too interested in the story to notice that he has 14 guests when he rarely suffers any at all (according to Gandalf). Gandalf is so Tricksy!

-I started taking notes of the trials the group faced, so pg. 108 of my copy has the following list:
-Trolls
-Goblins
-Gollum
-Wolves
-Beorn
-Spiders
-Wood Elves
-Barrels

I kept it going for a bit, but lagged at the end - I could also have included war with the men, impending doom, WAR WITH GOBLINS, THE END. but I didn't.

-Bilbo is CLUTCH in several situations. (Gretchen, stop trying to make FETCH happen!) He saves the dwarves from the spiders, he uses the ring to stay hidden and frees the dwarves from their imprisonment by the wood-elves by stuffing them in barrels and sending them off to Laketown, and he steals the first cup from Smaug and discovers his weak spot. He gets a bad rap from the dwarves in the beginning ("more of a grocer than a burglar!") but he shines in the end.

-The dwarves are TOTAL cowards for most of this book. I mean, I love Gimli in the trilogy. He is SO badass! So I was all, great, the dwarves will be so cool, and IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when they did things like when they finally got to the mountain and found the door and then said, "Okay, Bilbo, go on in and meet the dragon!" Seriously? Seriously. Ugh. Dwarves.

-The title of this post comes from a riddle-speak conversation between Bilbo and Smaug, the dragon. I adore the line. And Bilbo is also partly chosen because the dwarves refuse to set out on the adventure with 13 total (12 dwarves plus Gandalf), making Bilbo the lucky fourteen.

-Tolkien follows some fairly familiar territory in this story, but he has such flair. Smaug is a riddler and a trickster, and Tolkien says he has an "overwhelming personality." Sassy dragon!

-As mentioned previously (ahem. as I Ranted about previously) Smaug's death is quite anticlimactic. After it happened, I was like, OK, got it. And then everyone thought he was dead but REALLY HE JUMPED UP AND FLEW INTO THE AIR AND THE WHOLE VILLAGE WAS IN FLAMES but no. That is not what happened. OF course, stupid me, it's a GOBLIN WAR. Why didn't I think of the inevitable post-dragon GOBLIN WAR?

-So, Bilbo steals what is basically the most prized gem in all the treasure - it's called the Arkenstone - and at first I was like, ACK, Bilbo, you have to give it back! The greedy dwarves will have your head! But then he uses it to try to create peace between the wood-elves/men and the dwarves. The goblin war ends up bringing everyone together (nothing unites people like a common hatred of GOBLINS, duh!) but Bilbo is the real peace-maker here. Dummypants dwarves are blinded by treasure.

-Bilbo rats himself out about stealing the Arkenstone and giving it to the other side, and Thorin (the lead dwarf) is FURIOUS. He basically threatens to throw Bilbo on the rocks (SOME GRATITUDE if you ask me) but Gandalf steps in, saying "If you don't like my Burglar, please don't damage him." Adorable.

-As Bilbo and Gandalf get weary on the journey back, they stop at one point and Gandalf says, "There is a long road yet." And Bilbo replies, "But it is the last road."

I leave you with those parting words, and another Tolkien reminder that not all who wander are lost.

I'm off to fly kites in a war-torn land not too far from where our world began.

Good afternoon, good evening, and good night. (And good morning, to you, mommy!)

Brother Sancho, an adventure looms.

2011-11-30T22:03:00.003-05:00

The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Don Quixote is a story of adventure, travels, battles, love, and friendship. It centers around two main characters: Don Quixote, a moderately well-off gentleman from a small town in Spain who fancies himself a knight errant, and Sancho Panza, a local from the same town who agrees to serve Don Quixote on his travels as his squire. The two men get into a wild series of situations, including but by no means limited to battles with (enchanted) windmills, wineskins, priests, and women, intervening in a many a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, in a few rare cases actually defending people's honor, and generally gallivanting and gadding about Spain. The two are both generally perceived to be - how shall I put it - stark, raving mad. Don Quixote is by no means an idiot, and has quite a lot of very interesting and intelligent things to say along the way, and even Sancho proves himself as a loyal friend, a lover of proverbs, and, occasionally, a man of sense. They are brought back home a few times (some due to injury, others due to tricks played on them by well-meaning friends) and in the end, Don Quixote dies a quiet death a mere week after returning from his last venture, leaving his possessions to his niece and to Sancho.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

This book was 982 pages, so as you can guess, I've left quite a bit out of the plot summary; the adventures are far too many to enumerate each one, but I will say that my favorites involved slapping oneself to remove enchantments and battles with cats.

Here are my thoughts in regards to the book, in no particular order:

- I felt an immediate kinship with Don Quixote at the beginning of the novel when his niece, the barber, and the priest burn all his books on knight errantry to try and rid his head of the "foolishness" of it all. It reminded me of Fahrenheit 451 (which is coming up later on my list) and I was appalled at the thought of someone intentionally burning my books. I knew (just 50 pages in) that this Don Quixote was a character I was going to like. (Don Quixote, by the way, has no trouble believing the story he is told later that an enchanter burned his books and walled up his library. He knows the enchanter had a beef with him, so it came as no surprise.)

- When Don Quixote is first starting off with Sancho Panza, he tells Sancho, "Over there, we can dip our arms right up to our elbows in what people call adventures." I liked the image of reaching into a big pile of adventure right up to my elbows and pulling them out, one by one.

- I listened to a great deal of Spanish guitar music while reading this book (which I downloaded expressly for that purpose) as well as some Ennio Morricone soundtracks and a few other movie soundtracks (including the soundtrack for Jurassic Park - make fun of me if you choose, but it is LOVELY!)

- I write in my books, and the most common notes I found when I skimmed back through were:
- "Ack!"
- "Hagh!"
- "Aw!"
and my favorite -- "!"

- This book is replete with story-within-a-story plot lines, which I found first endearing, then tiresome, then downright confusing. They did, however, contain lots of poetry, and one of my favorite lines in the book:

I die, and I despair of being blessed
In life or death with any joy at all,
So I'll persist in my fantastic dream.

- The relationship between DQ and SP alternates between hilarious, heartwarming, and downright adorable. In one of my favorite scenes, DQ accuses SP of talking too much: "in all the books of chivalry I have read, an infinity of them, I have never come across any squire who talked to his master as much as you do to yours." After this, SP doesn't talk to DQ at all, but then he nearly Bursts and simply HAS to start talking to him again. So cute.

- After Sancho returns with DQ to town at one point, he's describing to his wife why he enjoys adventuring with DQ. "It is true that most of the adventures you find don't turn out as well as what you'd like them to, because out of a hundred you come across ninety-nine usually go skew-whiff. But in spite of all that, it's great to be waiting to see what's going to happen next as you ride across mountains, explore forests, climb crags, visit castles, and put up at inns as and when you like, and not the devil a farthing to pay."

- Other people who come across DQ and SP are constantly evaluating their sanity. Here's my favorite line DQ comes up with in discussing madness: "To tell jokes and write wittily is the work of geniuses; the most intelligent character in a play is the fool, because the actor playing the part of a simpleton must not be one." Truly, Don Quixote is no fool, and we see this most clearly in the end.

- Sancho's loyalty to Don Quixote becomes one of the great themes in the book -- he defends DQ when he's discussing serving a master with a fellow squire (who turns out to be a man from his town who's pretending to be a squire as part of a ruse to get DQ to come home), saying, "a child could make him believe it's midnight at noon, and it's because he's so simple that I love him from the bottom of my heart, and can't bring myself to leave him, however many silly things he does."

- Hands down, the funniest scene in the book (and trust me, there are MANY) is when Don Quixote offers to fight a group of caged lions. The lions refuse to come out of the cage (and DQ declares this a victory) but when a fellow knight urges DQ not to attack the lions, DQ retorts, "Sire hidalgo, pray go away and play with your tame decoy partridge and your intrepid ferret, and let others proceed with their own business. This is my business, and I know whether or not these lion fellows have come after me." I'm going to start telling people to go off and play with their intrepid ferrets.

- When other people questioned DQ's obsession with knight errantry and his sanity, I was reminded of the first blog post and the line, "Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one." When a critic accuses DQ of wasting away his time, DQ replies, "Is it appropriate to go bursting into other men's houses to rule their lives, or for certain people, brought up in the narrow confines of some hall of residence, and having seen no more of the world than that part of it lying within fifty or a hundred miles around, to take it upon themselves to lay down the laws of chivalry and pass judgement on knights errant?" Don Quixote, crazy as he may be, is eloquent and passionate in his defense of his chosen pastime.

- Teaser for if you decide to read the book yourself: Sancho does eventually get to govern an island (in a very Loose definition of the word island) and there are some great moments in that story as well, which I won't go into here.

- Don Quixote and Sancho Panza may not accomplish much throughout their journey, but they are most certainly free to explore, free to have adventures, and free to be whoever they choose to be. As Don Quixote puts it to Sancho, "Freedom is one of the most precious gifts bestowed by heaven on man; no treasures that the earth contains and the sea conceals can compare with it; for freedom, as for honour, men can and should risk their lives and, in contrast, captivity is the worst evil that can befall them." This line has particular meaning given that Cervantes himself was captured by pirates and spent 5 years trying to escape from a Greek he was sold to in Algiers before being ransomed in 1580, 25 years prior to publishing this book.

- I'll leave you with two final thoughts. One character, Don Juan, asserts that "there's no book so bad that there isn't something good in it." I think there's a great deal of truth in this; I can't say I've loved every minute of every book I've read so far, but I can say with total certainty that I've derived some good, some new amusement or nuance or passion, from every novel on this list. The best parts of books are often buried far beneath the surface, and the casual reader, if she's not careful, might miss them entirely.

- Don Quixote dies rather abruptly at the end of the novel, which made me a little sad and a little bit wanting more. His character aptly speaks to this a few chapters earlier, telling Sancho, "There is a remedy for all things but death." Don Quixote, you batty, brilliant, brave man - I'll miss you.

My older sister Lexie also read this book with me and (GASP!) finished it before I did. I may post some of her thoughts (if she would like to be so gracious as to share them with us) a bit later.

Now I'm off (a second time) to Middle Earth, this time to an older generation of hobbits, dwarves, and dragons, and where the story of the ring began.

We're not wheat, we're buckwheat!

2011-09-13T22:19:00.002-04:00

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Gone With the Wind is a tale of love, hate, war, friendship, family, and grit. Its protagonist is Scarlett O'Hara, a Georgian girl with gumption. It chronicles her family and her marriages during the years just before, during, and after the Civil War. Scarlett lives on a plantation named Tara, and when the novel starts, she's the belle of her county, but she can't have the one man she really wants: Ashley Wilkes. Ashley has just gotten engaged to his cousin (apparently it was totally okay back then) Melanie Hamilton, and he is off the market. Scarlett confesses her love, but he is too honorable to go back on his word, but he leaves the door open, telling Scarlett he loves her, too, and this launches them into nearly a decade of desire. Scarlett marries Melanie's brother, Charles, to spite Ashley. She gets pregnant and has a son, Wade, and Charles promptly dies of pneumonia after enlisting in the army. Scarlett moves to Atlanta to live with Melanie and her Aunt Pitty Pat after Ashley goes off to war. Melanie is also pregnant, and Scarlett must deliver her baby as the Yankees are invading and Atlanta is burning. Scarlett escapes with Melanie and Melanie's baby, Beau, to Tara (with the help of one rapscallion Rhett Butler - more on him later) but is stricken with grief upon arrival. She finds her mother has died of typhoid (I think - I get those Civil War era - diseases mixed up with Oregon Trail illnesses) her sisters are ill but recovering, her father is addled in the head from his wife's death, most of the slaves are gone, and Tara is a mess because it was used by the Yankees as a headquarters. All but a few of the other plantations in the county have been burned or destroyed. Scarlett rebuilds Tara, despite several extreme challenges along the way. She can't raise the money to pay the taxes, though, so to avoid losing Tara, she goes to Atlanta to offer herself to Rhett, who is loaded. Rhett almost falls for it, but he is in jail and he is angry that she tricked him, so she ends up stealing her sister Suellen's beau, Frank Kennedy. He has a small store and she believes Suellen wouldn't have helped to save Tara, so she lies to him and tells him Suellen has promised herself to another man. She flirts with him shamelessly and gets him to marry her. She helps him run his business (much to his dismay), saves Tara by paying the taxes, buys a few mills and runs them herself (SCANDAL!) and eventually gets knocked up a second time (MUCH TO HER DISMAY). She has a girl, Ella, who she claims is quite ugly (Scarlett is not especially motherly). She goes back to running the mills. She receives word from Tara that her father, Gerald, has died - turns out Suellen sort of made him crazy by trying to get him to say he sided with the Yankees and he got drunk and tried the jump the fence he always tried to jump and didn't make it. Scarlett sort of tricks Ashley into coming to run one of the mills for him, and Melanie and Ashley and Beau move back to Atlanta. One day, Scarlett is driving to and from the mills alone (she has been asked not to, because shantytowns of disreputable men and women have sprung up after the war and they have been known to attack and rape women, but she needs to go to work!) and she is attacked and her dress is slashed and she narrowly escapes thanks to the help of one of her old slaves who is now free and was hiding there. Frank, Ashley, and several of the other town men (unbeknownst to Scarlett) are in the KKK, which (according to Mitchell, this has NOT been researched as any kind of fact) has sprung up as a sort of vigilante justice system against these groups who were attacking women, as they felt the Yankees weren't taking appropriate action. Frank dies, Ashley is injured, and Rhett has to save everyone from being arrested by the Yankees by telling them that all the men have been hanging out at Belle Watling's whorehouse (which he owns) every week and that they were there. Right after Frank dies, Rhett asks Scarlett to marry him. She is shocked, as she doesn't love him, and her husband has just died (they had very specific mourning times, usually several years to a lifetime for widows) but Rhett says he doesn't want to lose her to another husband, and he convinces her it will be fun, and not like the other two marriages of convenience that she had. She reluctantly agrees. They have a very tumultuous marriage, including a violent miscarriage, a pseudo-rape, a moment where Scarlett is caught with Ashley (to be fair, at this moment she was only crying in his arms and wasn't trying to snare him but she is vilified by the town and her saving grace is that Melanie is too good to believe anything but the best of Scarlett and Ashley), the birth of a daughter (Bonnie), her blossoming relationship with Rhett, and her tragic death. Rhett and Scarlett realize (at different times) that they really do love each other, but the timing is tragically flawed, and the possibility of Ashley stands between them. It isn't until the very end of the novel when Melanie dies after trying to have another child (despite the doctor's advice that another would surely kill her) that Scarlett realizes that (a) Melanie is actually awesome and (b) she doesn't really love Ashley and (c) she totally does love Rhett. But when she runs home through the fog to tell Rhett, it's too late. He's been hurt by her too many times to see that she's sincere, and he leaves. Scarlett decides that she will return to Tara, and she convinces herself that she can get Rhett back. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Okay, so I forgot/left out a few major points (the book is over 700 pages, after all) like where Ashley gets taken prisoner in the war and Scarlett and Melanie both pine for him and he returns, all dusty and sexy from the war and traipses up to Tara. And Mammy, who is one of the original slaves at Tara who sticks with Scarlett through thick and thin, through good decisions and terrible ones, and who Scarlett plans to return to in the end. And the part where Scarlett shoots a Yankee soldier who's trying to steal her mother's sewing box. And that Rhett and Scarlett honeymoon in New Orleans and they're actually pretty much happy then. And I glossed over Rhett and Scarlett's marriage - like the part where Rhett basically loses his mind when Bonnie dies. Or the part where Scarlett tries to hit him because he tells her maybe she'll miscarry after she's decided she's actually thrilled that she's having a fourth child and she actually finally wants one and she loves him but she falls down the steps and gets really sick and breaks some ribs and he's a wreck and he's so worried about her and he tells Melanie that he loves Scarlett but she NEVER KNOWS because when she gets better, HE DOESN'T TELL HER that he was so worried for her and she doesn't tell her she really loves him because she's so worried he won't reciprocate, or he'll bring up Ashley.

But those are all REALLY great parts, and you have to read the book yourself if you want to experience them for REALZ. Hokay? Seriously, the book is fantastic. It falls somewhere between low-level romance novel meets gripping war epic meets fascinating snapshot of a historical period meets the glorious glorious (did I mention GLORIOUS) south and its perpetual pride.

I loved this book. If you've talked to me in the last few weeks, I've probably told you about it. It was gripping, well written, and had great characters. Even though I had a rough time with the ending and I felt Scarlett didn't get her fair due (full disclosure: I cried for literally the last HUNDRED pages) and like no one really truly understood her but ME, I really really liked it. And for those of you who have seen the movie, scrap it from your mind and go read the book. The movie is fine, but the book is a masterpiece, and I guarantee you will probably feel differently about Scarlett after reading the book.

A few leading ladies/gentlemen other than Scarlett:

-Melanie - Okay, so Melanie (aka Melly) totally comes off as a NAMBY-PAMBY in the movie (think Beth at the end of Little Women) but she is actually the glue that holds EVERYONE together. When Scarlett shoots a Yankee soldier at Tara, Melanie, who has just given birth a few weeks before and is seriously unwell, appears on the stairwell dragging her brother's enormous sword. And Scarlett's like, whoa! Melanie's got some spirit in her after all! And she loves everyone, really and truly, and while that's kind of annoying at times, she really is good at heart. She's great with children, and her desire for more of them is what does her in, which is really sad. She loves Scarlett, even when Scarlett is SERIOUSLY unlovable and doesn't deserve it, and she steps up in times of need (handles the KKK almost arrest night/husband getting shot and having to pretend he was at a whorehouse like a CHAMP, lets Rhett cry in her lap when he's an absolute mess over Scarlett miscarrying and falling ill) and she embodies both the traditional image of a Southern lady from before the war and the true grit that is required of a Southern lady after the war. Melanie, I wish you were real, because I think we would be true friends.

-Ashley - Ashley also comes off as a NAMBY-PAMBY in the movie, and he seems a little addled. Granted, he is a bit of a space cadet at times in the book, but he is kind and smart and gentle and philosophical and honorable, too. And even though he knows he shouldn't, he really feels something for Scarlett - whether it's love or infatuation is never really clear - and this causes him a LOT of trouble. He fights in a war he doesn't believe in because he honors the South and its values, and he tries hard to be a good husband, though he's really quite bad at business and farming and pretty much anything other than being a well-read country gentleman. All in all, he's no Rhett, but he's more reliable, softer, and definitely a good match for Melly. (And probably who I'd marry if I had my choice of the men in this book. After all, we're both BOOK-LOVERS, duhh!)

-Mammy - while she's definitely a type-cast character, Mammy is a fabulous fabulous personage. She's tough, and she's gritty, and she is one of the few people who puts up with Scarlett and puts her in her place. She comes to live with Scarlett and Rhett, but she doesn't like Rhett at ALL. Rhett buys her a red petticoat in New Orleans on the honeymoon, and he gives it to her. She refuses to wear it until she bonds with Rhett over Bonnie's birth. She's so delighted that Rhett isn't mad it's a girl (boys are favored for a man's first child) that she reappears rustling and bustling in her new petticoat. ADORABLE.

-Will Benteen - he's one of many Confederate soldiers that appear on Tara's doorstep after the war who have no place to go. He falls for Carreen (one of Scarlett's sisters) but Carreen's love died in the war (Stuart Tarleton) and she never really gets over it. She eventually joins a convent and he marries Suellen (who has made herself quite hated due to her inadvertently causing her dad's death) so that he can stay at Tara and keep running the plantation. He is solid, hard-working, and an all around really good guy. He understands Scarlett, and he understands her love for Tara, and he keeps it going after she goes back to Atlanta.

-Rhett - Rhett is, in a word, a scallawag. But he is not so simply described. He spends a good portion of the book seeming like a rogue but secretly going around doing nice things for people and making himself invaluable. He really does passionately love Scarlett, but too many things stand in the way for him to show it in a true way. He's dangerous, intense, and sometimes violent. He takes to drinking occasionally, and when something sets him off, he's in a temper. His best moments (like Scarlett's) are generally behind the scenes, which keep everyone from knowing how great he is (saving the KKK men, raising Bonnie with a maelstrom of love and affection, prostrating himself to the town to make up for his previously terrible reputation when he realizes that Bonnie's acceptance by society will be impossible if he doesn't, falling apart when Scarlett is ill and he can't do anything). He's the husband you sort of wish you could have a slightly tamer version of, but you know if you tamed him he wouldn't be the same. Definitely a tough nut to crack.

I realized that the last 4 books I've read have been about wars: War and Peace - Napoleonic war, Lés Misérables - not technically about a war, but a great deal about the post-Revolution France and deals with the June rebellion, Slaughterhouse-Five - about World War II, and this one, obviously about the Civil War. I was struck by how each author made the book ostensibly about something other than the war (people's lives, other events, love, children, family) but how the war pervaded every aspect of the characters' existences. Sombering.

I was also reminded of the part in Slaughterhouse-Five where Vonnegut says that he tells his sons never to participate in any massacres or let the idea of future massacres fill them with glee. The war lasts so long that many boys who are not old enough to join up at the beginning must fill the ranks, and even later on, when the Confederate troops are on their last legs, the oldest men and the youngest boys must join the fight. We all hope our sons and daughters and brothers and sisters and grandfathers and grandmothers will never be expected to fight, but in this war that tore our country in half, no man was safe from the fray.

There's a tender moment at Gerald (Scarlett's father)'s funeral where Will keeps the town from erupting into judgment of Suellen and protects Scarlett from having to hear the "clods dropping on the coffin". One of the town biddies says "as long as you don't hear that sound, folks aren't actually dead to you." Will is really so sweet.

The title to this post is courtesy of Grandma Fontaine (another great character, but I'll let you discover her yourself). She tells Scarlett that the two of them are buckwheat, not wheat: "When a storm comes along it flattens ripe wheat because it's dry and can't bend with the wind. But ripe buckwheat's got sap in it and it bends. And when the wind has passed, it springs up almost as straight and strong as before."

I listened to a lot of Alison Krauss & Union Station while reading this book. It was the perfect soundtrack to this novel.

There are so many great lines in this book, I can't possibly share them all, so I'll just give you this last one:

"She had never understood either of the men she had loved and so she had lost them both. Now, she had a fumbling knowledge that, had she ever understood Ashley, she would never have loved him; had she ever understood Rhett, she would never have lost him."

Onwards to windmills, Sancho Panza, a world where fantasy and reality are never quite clearly defined, and what the French call Don Quichotte.

Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.

2011-08-21T00:07:00.002-04:00

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Slaughterhouse-Five is a story of many different things. The main character (I suppose we'll call him that) is Billy Pilgrim, and the story chronicles his life from his adolescence to his death and back again. Billy Pilgrim travels through time, so we see snapshots of various points in time, some during the second world war (as a prisoner of war and then in Dresden during the bombing), some in outer space (after he's been abducted by aliens and transported to the planet Tralfamadore to live in a zoo exhibit), some in hospitals where Billy may or may not be going crazy, and some in Ilium, New York, during his time as an optometrist. The story begins before Billy enters the scene; the narrator during this part is ostensibly Vonnegut himself. He tells (satirically, of course) the story of how he came to write his book on the bombing of Dresden. He travels back in time himself (not quite as literally as Billy) and returns to Dresden with an old war buddy of his. He discusses the verity of the events in the novel, asserting that they are, for the most part, all quite true. The whole book is written with a constant stream of actually funny and funny because it hurts kinds of moments. Vonnegut deals with some very dark territory in world history - when he compares the bombing in Dresden with Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Dresden has almost as many casualties as Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Billy Pilgrim has a few friends along the way - on Tralfamadore, he mates with Montana Wildhack (amusingly I had to go back in the book to check that I'd gotten her last name right, and I hadn't - I called her Montana Wildsack. heh. heh.), and at home in Ilium, he's married to Valencia - and most of his family thinks he's totally batshit crazy because he's constantly traveling in time (although I think only his mind travels, not his physical body, though he has a body in other dimensions). He befriends a weird science fiction author, Kilgore Trout, after meeting him in Ilium. When Billy is first in the war (before he becomes a POW) he travels with a man named Roland Weary, who very disgruntedly (whatever, I want it to be a word so it is) and begrudgingly (aha! I stumbled on a real word!) drags Billy along through the battle field, despite Billy's constant stream of "Leave me behind"'s. The book ends just after Dresden has been bombed and Billy (along with the other POWs) is set free and helps begin to clean up the city after the disaster.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Excuse me if that plot summary was rather frenetic and scatter-brained. The book, after all, is written that way. That's not to say that it doesn't have a great point or climax (in fact it has several) but just that they don't necessarily come in a traditional order within the "accepted" literary structure.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it when I was a teenager - some of the humor is quite dark, and some of the jokes are pretty raunchy for a Bible belt teenager - so I'm glad that I read it now and not then, and that I get to make up my mind about it as an adult reader.

I admit this book also read like something of a novella after War and Peace and Les Misérables. A mere 275 pages? Practically a tone poem! Here are my thoughts on the book, in no particular order and in fact, perhaps in an intentionally different order than I experienced them:

- Vonnegut has one of those narrator voices that just sticks to you like glue. Maybe it helps that the beginning of the book feels like he's telling it directly to you (which he sort of is) or maybe it's more of a contemporary narrative voice (although Joyce has a similar way about him and he's definitely before Vonnegut) but I just felt like it wasn't even really Billy pulling me along in the tale, it was the nameless, unidentified narrator.

- "So it goes" is the catchphrase of this novel. It generally follows something completely horrific or tragic. I guess this is the satire - treating the horrific as the banal - although I admit sometimes this type of humor escapes me. I circled it in my book every time. I'm not sure why. I knew it was coming, and I knew what it was supposed to mean, but I circled it each time anyway. Maybe to give each seemingly unimportant moment more meaning. Maybe because I like circling things.

- Vonnegut's narration in the beginning reminded me very much of Stephen King's style of narrating in his book On Writing. I haven't read any other Stephen King novels (I do think one is on this list) but I loved loved loved On Writing when I read it as a senior in high school. I wonder if King was a Vonnegut fan. One of the funniest moments in this intro is when Vonnegut says he laid out the story of Slaughterhouse-Five with his daughter's crayons on a piece of wallpaper. "One end of the wallpaper was the beginning of the story, and the other end was the end, and then there was all that middle part, which was the middle." In some ways, I found this mini-novel beginning to be even more enjoyable than the rest of the story. I'm not sure why Vonnegut chose to start it off that way - maybe to help the reader to understand that while his protagonist was comical in some ways, and the story was funny in some ways, the situation was real and the events were serious and had a disturbing impact. I don't know. Sometimes I don't like to get too into the why, and I just like to enjoy what is.

- Vonnegut likes to play with time. Billy's life is told to us in fragments, but even the beginning of the book skips and stops and starts. I love this line - "And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep."

- In case you were wondering, the name of the book comes from the place Billy Pilgrim and the other prisoners are eventually taken to. They are supposed to do hard labor in the old slaughterhouse, and they're told to memorize their address in case they get lost or need to find their way back. Slaughterhouse-Five.

- Billy is innocent and confused, bewildered by war and his surroundings; he represents the iconic child-soldier Vonnegut wants us to realize was actually fighting World War II. I don't know whether Vonnegut was that child-soldier, too, or if he just found himself surrounded by them, but I think it's definitely still true today that the men and women we allow to fight and die for us are so much younger than we think they are.

- Vonnegut describes Dresden post-bombing as the "face of the moon". I can imagine feeling that the wreckage didn't resemble anything previously witnessed on earth.

- Billy's dad tells him to keep the shortened form of his name into adulthood because (1) it will help people to remember him and (2) it will make him seem slightly magical, since there aren't any other grown Billys around. ("My dad's Billw. I'm billwy!")
- There are many more magnificent moments (like my alliteration?) in this book, and I want you to discover them for yourself (if you haven't already) so I won't keep detailing them here. I will share a few of my favorite sentences, though.

- "Through the valley flowed a Mississippi of humiliated Americans."
- "There was an old typewriter in the rumpus room."
- "Barbara celebrated frustration by clapping her hands."
- "It jazzed and jangled Billy's skin without thawing the ice in the marrow of his long bones."
- "A moment went by, and then every cell in Billy's body shook him with ravenous gratitude and applause."

This book felt a bit like a Glee-style mash-up. Here are the books I felt either fed into or out of this book:

-The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (which I have started 3 times and still haven't finished)
-The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (which has a similarly off-putting time-jumping aspect to it)
-Ulysses by James Joyce (which basically defined the "stream of consciousness" idea)
-Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (a later satirical war book that I also felt I understood about 70% as well as I wanted to)

Well, I'm off to the antebellum deep south for a much earlier war during my last few days before I'm inundated with policy lessons and statistics graphs. Time for "Lost with the Hurricane." Or was it, "Away with the Breeze"? Oh, you know what I mean.

If I did not know that you were so good, I should be afraid of you.

2011-08-16T23:14:00.004-04:00

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Les Misérables is a story about love, redemption, revenge, devotion, loyalty, commitment, and yes, misery. It takes place in France during the years from 1815-1832. The story centers around two main characters: Jean Valjean and Cosette. Jean Valjean is a convict who was imprisoned in the galleys for stealing bread to feed his family. He attempts to escape from prison several times, and each attempt adds more years to his sentence. After spending somewhere between 30 and 40 years in jail, he receives unexpected kindness from a man named Monsieur Bienvenu. Jean Valjean steals candlesticks from Monsieur Bienvenu, but after receiving forgiveness and even having Monsieur Bienvenu cover for him with the police, Jean Valjean decides to turn his life around. He slowly but surely develops a great fortune in manufacturing, and he becomes a well-respected mayor in a small town. Cosette's mother, a lower-class woman who is abandoned by her lover/Cosette's father, Fantine, ends up working in the same town where Jean Valjean is the mayor. Fantine leaves Cosette in the care of an innkeeper and his wife, the Thénardiers, because Fantine can't care for Cosette and work to keep her clothed and fed at the same time. Fantine sends money to the Thénardiers to support Cosette's existence, but the Thénardiers abuse Cosette and milk Fantine for all she has. Fantine eventually gets very ill and is fired. Here's where the story gets complicated. Javert, the police chief in Jean Valjean's town, suspects that Jean Valjean is really an escaped convict. Meanwhile, Jean Valjean is known to his town as Monsieur Madeleine. Javert tries to arrest Fantine for being on the street and being disorderly, but Jean Valjean takes her in. Javert tells JvJ (we'll abbreviate from here on out) that he knows who he is. JvJ denies it. Then Javert tells JvJ (a little later) that he's found the real JvJ, and that he is going to Paris to try this real JvJ for his crimes. JvJ now has a crisis of conscience, and decides that even though he's turned his life around, he can't let an innocent man go down for his crimes, so he leaves the very ill Fantine in the care of his servants and heads to Paris. He tells the court that he is JvJ, and at first they don't believe him, but two witnesses corroborate that he is the real JvJ, and after JvJ gets back to town, Javert comes to arrest him. JvJ asks for just a few days to go and retrieve Cosette (as he as at this point realized the Thénardiers are not good guardians, and Fantine has died when Javert comes to arrest JvJ) but Javert laughs at him and arrests him just the same. JvJ breaks out of the city prison and manages to get to Paris and take his large fortune out of the bank and hide it (but we don't know where). JvJ then gets retaken and ends up back in the galleys. During a crazy event on the galley ship, JvJ is presumed dead. At this point, he finds Cosette, takes her from the Thénardiers (who are NOT pleased to have lost their source of income and their little slave) and he travels to Paris with her. They live a very small existence in a very hidden, very poor corner of Paris, until JvJ recognizes Javert (who didn't believe JvJ was dead and was still hunting for him) and they manage to escape into a nunnery. They stay there for awhile and live a very private existence, after which they move on to a slightly nicer area. They are still very secretive, and can't be too obvious. At this point, they've become Monsieur and Mademoiselle Fauchelevent, the name of a man who took them in at the nunnery. Now Marius enters the story, a young boy who falls madly in love with Cosette after seeing her in the Jardin de Luxembourg, walking with JvJ. He basically stalks them for awhile, and eventually he and Cosette end up having a very tame nighttime rendezvous in the garden relationship. A situation happens where Marius is living next to the Thénardiers and the Thénardiers try to milk JvJ for all he's worth and trap him but Marius intervenes with the help of Javert and the Thénardiers all go to jail except Éponine, Azelma, and Gavroche, their kids. Éponine is in love with Marius, but he just wants her help finding Cosette, and she helps him track her down. Thénardier escapes from prison and inadvertently tries to rob JvJ (doesn't know it is him) but Éponine, who has been watching Cosette and Marius each night, threatens to get her father caught, and he has to go away. Eventually Éponine gets upset about their relationship, and she sends JvJ a secret note telling him to "Remove immediately." JvJ freaks out, thinks his identity has been compromised, and immediately takes Cosette to a different place and prepares to move them to London. Marius had heard that they were going to go, and he planned to follow, but they move so quickly that he hasn't time to find out where they're going. Totally in despair, he joins up with his friends who are launching the June Rebellion, a very short and ill-fated attempt by some students to re-launch the republic of France and revolt against the current power. JvJ finds out that Cosette is in love with Marius and freaks out, because he has basically lived only for Cosette for the last 15 years or so. He thinks about killing Marius, but ends up going to the building where Marius is fighting and helping out. Javert ends up getting taken hostage by Marius's friends because they think he is a spy. Éponine resurfaces dressed as a boy at the rebellion and tells Marius she loves him as she dies from a bullet meant for Marius. Marius still basically has a death wish since he thinks he's lost Cosette, and he ends up with some pretty serious injuries. Eventually, all of Marius's friends die. JvJ is charged with killing the spy (Javert) and he takes him outside where no one can see. He sets Javert free, tells him that after the scuffle is over he can be found at such and such an address and Javert came come to arrest him (which confuses Javert) and then takes a shot in the air; everyone thinks he has killed Javert, but Javert escapes. JvJ escapes with a possibly dead Marius to the sewers of Paris. Unsure of whether Marius is dead or alive, but now committed to returning his body to his grandfather (with whom Marius is estranged, as they fought over French politics). JvJ trudges miles and miles through the sewers, not knowing whether or not he is going the right way or whether Marius is dead or alive. He eventually reaches the end of the sewer, where, as it turns out Thénardier is hiding. Thénardier does not recognize JvJ, but thinks he has killed Marius and is trying to dispose of the body. He has a secret key for the sewer grate, but he knows that Javert is on the other side, as he had been caught in the act of trying to steal something and jumped into the sewer to escape. Thénardier tricks JvJ into giving him all of Marius's money, and he tears off a piece of Marius's coat as he's looking for more money. He then unlocks the grate. JvJ emerges triumphantly, only to find himself face to face with Javert. He tells Javert he is his prisoner, but begs Javert to let him take Marius to his grandfather's house. Javert assents, and the two men take Marius to his family. Marius is in very poor health for several months, but eventually recovers. JvJ then asks one more favor of Javert - to let him go home. Javert assents, and when JvJ looks down to see if Javert is waiting to take him to prison, Javert is gone. Javert has a crisis of conscience, because JvJ has saved his life, and he doesn't know what to do if he can't uphold the law and arrest him, and he ends up drowning himself in the Seine. JvJ visits Marius each day, and eventually Marius makes up with his grandfather and gets engaged to Cosette. They get married, and all is about to end happily ever after, but JvJ reveals to Marius that he is a convict. Marius (who has this whole time been looking for his mysterious savior from the sewers - he doesn't know it was JvJ, and JvJ hasn't told him) is horrified, and JvJ basically offers to sacrifice spending time with them and living with them because if he were to get caught one day while out with them in public, it would ruin their reputation and horrify Cosette. Marius tells JvJ he can come to visit her each day, so JvJ visits each day, but will only be seen in secret, in the basement. Marius refuses to accept JvJ's enormous fortune, which JvJ bequeaths to them, because he thinks that JvJ has stolen it from a man named Monsieur Madeleine. Eventually, JvJ stops coming entirely, because he thinks it is best, and he falls quite ill due to severe depression. Thénardier resurfaces and tries to tell Marius that JvJ is an assassin and an impostor(telling him the story of the sewer and showing him the ripped off bit of jacket and talking about him calling himself Monsieur Madeleine) but Marius finally realizes that JvJ is the one who saved him and that he didn't rob Monsieur Madeleine, he was Monsieur Madeleine. He immediately takes Cosette to see JvJ (she has been asking after him, wondering where he is) and they apologize profusely for abandoning him. He is ecstatic at their return, but too ill to recover, and after telling them how best to maximize their fortune, he dies with Cosette and Marius at his side.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Whew! This plot was quite tricky! This book was a really interesting reading experience. I hated about the first 250 pages, and I thought the book was going to be about nothing but misery and despair. Every character introduced had some sob story, and I just didn't feel any connection with the characters. I didn't think JvJ was a bad guy, but I really had no interest in what happened to him. I almost stopped reading the book.

I didn't, however, as my blog stipulates a 'cover-to-cover' effort, and I am so glad I didn't! The book had a stark turn around for me, and I went from total lack of interest to not being able to put it down. The various stories finally came together, and the June Rebellion and a few other events brought the action to a climax. I suddenly found myself quite concerned about Marius, Cosette, and JvJ's fates, and when Javert had his crisis of conscience, I was seriously moved.

By the time I got to JvJ's sacrifice and his slow decline, I was tearing through each page, waiting and hoping for Marius to find out the truth! In the end, I certainly understood why the book was titled Les Misérables, but each character's misery was to a proper degree and made sense with the rest of the story and in balance with the eventually bliss of Marius, Cosette, and Marius's family.

This was truly an excellent novel in every sense of the word. The characters were well drawn, the plot was moving, and the descriptions and sentences themselves were beautifully constructed. Victor Hugo, I am well pleased!

The title of this post is a line Cosette says to JvJ during one of their meetings in the basement. I think it perfectly sums up JvJ's character in the book; he is frightening in a lot of ways - powerful, an amazing impostor who leads a double life for most of his life, frighteningly strong, fiercely protective of Cosette - but as we come to know him throughout the book, we are bombarded again and again by his good deeds and his humility after each one.

Other phrases in contention for the title:
"Should I spare myself more than others?" - this is what JvJ asks himself as he decides whether or not to go to Paris and admit he is the real JvJ, but it is also a question he asks himself over and over again. He saves Marius when he really wants to kill him, because he knows he loves Cosette and she loves him, and he stops seeing Cosette and cuts himself out of her life to protect her, even though it literally kills him.

"I am going, since I am not arrested. I have many things to do." - JvJ says this after revealing he is the true JvJ and no one believes him at first. I think this is a great moment; JvJ is like, seriously? no one believes me? okay, fine, I've got shit to do. Peace!

"The highest justice is conscience" - Javert says this early in the novel, and it's really what he struggles with as he decides whether to arrest JvJ or kill himself.

"Great perils have this beauty, that they bring to light the fraternity of strangers." - JvJ goes into the battle planning to kill Marius, but he ends up leaving it with Marius on his back and trudging through the nastiest muck for hours and hours across the underground network of Paris to save him. He finds this fraternity with Marius during the battle.

"I should not come often. I would not stay long." - JvJ says this to Marius after he asks if he can come to visit Cosette. It is so painfully sweet. JvJ has just offered to give up the one thing he cares most about in the world, and he can barely bring himself to ask to visit, so he says, beseechingly, that he would only come for a moment every once in a while. This is so tender, it broke my heart.

"I will wait here for you." - These are Javert's last words to JvJ, and ones he ends up going back on. His departure and eventual suicide was one of the book's really big surprises for me. I was shocked when he threw himself into the Seine, and I thought Hugo's description of Javert's mental anguish was exquisite.

Some scenes you should really re-read or pay close attention to if you haven't read it:
-The crazy way that JvJ gets into the nunnery (there's a buried alive scene - it's NUTSo!)
-Marius' borderline stalking of Cosette (I think it would seriously be considered restraining order worthy in current days, but it's sort of adorable here) and how he comes to think her name is Ursula. (hiLarious)
-The crazy scene with the Thénardiers trying to take JvJ prisoner. Really well written.
-The scene where Marius reconciles with his grandfather. It is adorable and endearing and one of the happiest moments I've ever read in literature. So cute! (By Jove! I decree Joy!)
-June Rebellion battle scene - Marius is crazy in this, but it is so intricate and complex and rife with emotion and turmoil. Really really good stuff. Reminded me of Helm's Deep in the Two Towers (yes, I know, LOTR nerd, so sue me!)

Hugo really is a lyricist. He has an incredible way with words that I found riveting. Reminiscent of Steinbeck, though I admit I found Hugo's plot more interesting. Here are a few examples I really enjoyed, keeping in mind that I read this in translation, so some kudos is definitely due to the translator and Hugo's words may be even better in the original French:

-Jean Valjean had one of those rare smiles which came over him like the aurora in a winter sky.
-A certain oscillation shook the whole horizon of his brain, a strange internal moving-day.
-The evening had that serenity which buries the sorrows of man under a strangely dreary yet eternal joy.

Cosette's character has a fascinating trajectory. She goes from being this unloved and unlovable wretch to a loved but homely foundling, to a captivating beauty, to a devoted lover and a borderline spoiled rich girl who's still really good at heart. I loved this whole journey of hers and not knowing where exactly she'd end up on the spectrum of poor and rich, good and bad.

I like that JvJ takes Cosette out of the nunnery, despite the fact that, like many fathers, he'd rather keep her away from men forever, because, as he says, "This child had a right to know what life is before renouncing it." This is so true, and I often feel that things are foisted on children before they're old enough to make their own decisions about it (religion, for one). I really respected JvJ as a parent after this moment.

I'll end with some of JvJ's last words to Cosette and Marius - "There is scarcely anything in the world but that; to love one another." So go about your lives, read this book if you haven't (can't speak to the musical, so cast that aside for now and check out the original) and love one another.

Off to read the killing fields 17. Or is it animal death 21? Oh right, Slaughterhouse-Five.

I am convinced that we Russians must die or conquer.

2011-07-18T21:28:00.005-04:00

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Dear blog-lovers,

Sorry for the extended absence! I've been busy applying to grad school and finding a place to live in DC, but now that I've got most of my ducks in a row, I thought I'd finally type up the blog for War and Peace, which I finished a few months ago.

I decided to include my handwritten notes, as well as my extremely complicated character web, rather than type up a plot summary. Enjoy!

True confession - my copy of War and Peace is a stolen library book. My grandfather, Gail Rose, borrowed it from the Fort Shafter Library in 1942, during World War II, and he read the book while he was stationed in East Asia. My aunt told me that her father told her there were a lot of lines to wait in on the boat. ;)

I find it delightful and somewhat ironic that my copy of the book was read by someone who was actually in a war at the time. Not that I think wars are delightful (quite the contrary) but I think it's interesting from a literary standpoint.

I'm going to share a few quotes that I really enjoyed, but first, here are a few of my random thoughts.

-I was surprised at how much of War and Peace is still painfully relevant today. The themes of death and love are pretty obviously timeless, but the power play between countries, the quest for dominance, the overwhelming patriotism, the importance of family, and the effects of class difference on everyday life are all nestled into the story as well. Tolstoy truly made characters that feel like they could exist three hundred years in the past or three hundred years in the future. Sure, their trappings would be somewhat changed, but their souls, their essences as characters, would remain unchanged.

-The advantage of writing such a very long book is that you really get to see the characters grow and change. Too often we read books with one-dimensional heros and heroines, who go through (at most) one major event in the course of the novel. But here, we see the characters grow up, we see them make mistakes and fall flat on their faces, and we watch them find the courage and the strength to remake themselves and begin anew. Almost nothing in the book turns out as you think it will.

-I found a lot of familiar themes from Anna K in this novel. Lenin's transformation is quite similar to Pierre's, and Natasha's trajectory is not so very far from Anna's. There is the same wild passion that borders on the brink of imminent danger, and the quick tugs of characters pulling each other back from the edge.

-I felt a very soulful connection to my grandfather while reading this book. I never met him, but I've heard many stories, and particularly during the section where Pierre decides to become a gentleman farmer, I wondered if that passage put a tiny bug in my grandfather's ear to have a farm one day. Perhaps it was just in his genes - his family were country folk to begin with, but it's wild to think that a book could have changed the course of his life and mine, and now I'm reading the book 69 years later and sharing that experience with him.

-Tolstoy truly is a marvel. He marries careful prose with delicate descriptions and an inner momentum that keeps the 1300+ page novel propelling you to the last page. In glancing back through my copy, I remembered my feelings for each character, my constant hope that Pierre would find true happiness, that Natasha would grow up and see life for what it really is, that Mary would stand up to her nasty father and make herself happy for once. Unlike in 100 years of Solitude, where the characters grow old and die and the next generation (renamed for the first generation) continues the story, this novel identifies a handful of characters (there are many on the web, but only a few that really count) and it sticks with them, through thick and thin.

Here's a nugget:

"Just as in a clock, the result of the complicated motion of innumerable wheels and pulleys is merely a slow and regular movement of the hands which show the time, so the result of all the complicated human activities of 160,000 Russians and French - all their passions, desires, remorse, humiliations, sufferings, outbursts of pride, fear, and enthusiasm - was only the loss of the battle of Austerlitz, the so-called battle of the three Emperors - that is to say, a slow movement of the hand on the dial of human history."

- I was also amazed at how close (and yes, I know it's dramatized some, but still) Napoleon came to taking over the entire continent and all of Russia. I'm learning more and more about Napoleon through these novels, and he was clearly a very influential man.

-Tolstoy digs into philosophy quite a bit in this novel, which was again reminiscent of Anna K. "Who is right and who is wrong? No one! But if you are alive - live: tomorrow you'll die as I might have died an hour ago. And is it worth tormenting oneself, when one has only a moment of life in comparison with eternity?"

-"What is bad? What is good? What should one love and what hate? What does one live for? And what am I? What is life, and what is death? What power governs all?" Just like the themes of love and death and strife, these philosophical questions probe at ideas we still haven't resolved or come to any common ground on.

At one point, a soldier says, "Our business is to do our duty, to fight and not to think! (And to drink, another soldier adds). The soldiers were marched around like puppets, and the Emperors were the puppeteers. Today's wars are drastically different from war in the 19th century, but there are still and always will be the puppets and the puppeteers.

I really loved reading this book. There were times where I wasn't sure I would finish it, but I knew when I did it wouldn't let me down. The pages are falling out, and my grandfather's copy has been bandaged with some duct tape, but I plan to pass the book on (scribbled notes and all) to another generation, for the themes, the characters, and the story will be relevant for a long time to come.

Onwards to the sorrowful. Or is the Joyous? Oh, that's right, it's Les Miserables.

Well begun is half-done.

2011-04-24T16:53:00.002-04:00

Dearest blog enthusiasts (if you still exist!),

I wanted to update you to let you know that I have not abandoned my blog. I'm merely working my way through War and Peace, and while it is not actually the longest book I have had on my list so far, I am quite busy, so it is taking me some time.

You will be pleased to know, though, that I am half done with the novel! I have officially reached the 676th page and am now simply riding the storyline down a nice, long hill to the end. :)

It is excellent, and definitely worth the time it takes to read, which is pleasant. Hurrah for Tolstoy and sunny days good for reading.

Back to Moscow, Petersburg, Natasha, Anatole, intrigue, and war.

Stars and shadows ain't good to see by.

2011-01-27T22:20:00.007-05:00

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens)

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Huck Finn begins in Missouri with a boy who doesn't want to be "sivilized", a slave who doesn't want to be sold down the river, and a mean drunk of a father. Huck's being raised by Miss Watson and the "old widow" in St. Petersburg, Missouri. His father left town at the end of Tom Sawyer, the precursor to this novel, but he returns at the beginning of Huck Finn when he finds out Huck has come into some money. Huck's dad steals him away from the widow and Miss Watson and they go off to a little cabin by the Mississippi. Huck is mostly happy, though his father is a raging alcoholic, because Huck likes to live off the land, and enjoys catching fish for dinner and not needing to be "sivilized". After a few too many rip-roaring beatings from his dad, however, Huck hatches a plot to run away. He slaughters a pig they have taken and drags the blood everywhere to make it look like someone has come in and murdered Huck. He steals off on a raft he found a few days earlier that he has loaded up with food, and he hides out in Jackson Island. He chances upon Jim, Miss Watson's slave, who has run away because he heard Miss Watson talking about selling him down south, and the two become friends. They soon find out that Jim has been accused of killing Huck, however, and begin their escape. They plan to head to Cairo, Ohio, where Jim can buy his freedom, but realize after some time that they are, in fact, heading south. They have a series of crazy adventures along the way, including a trip onto and off of a floating house, a series of cons with the "Duke" and the "Dauphin", a run-in with a Hatfield-McCoy style family feud, and Jim's eventual capture by none other than relatives of Tom Sawyer! Huck pretends to be Tom when he realizes who they are, and when Tom arrives, he pretends to be his own brother, Sid, and they hatch a plan to help Jim escape. After hatching a ridiculous number of incredibly complex plots to help Jim escape, Tom and Huck execute a hapless plot to free Jim that ends with Jim getting recaptured and Tom getting shot in the leg. Tom and Huck's true identities are revealed, and Tom makes a full recovery, only to inform everyone that Jim has been free for two months because Miss Watson felt so bad for threatening to sell him down river that she freed him in her will. Tom and Huck head back to St. Petersburg, but Huck doubts he will stay for long, because he doesn't want to be "sivilized" again.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

-As exciting as the end of the book is, the real denouement comes when Huck realizes that he'd rather go to hell than give Jim up as a runaway slave. He feels torn for a large portion of the novel about helping Jim, as his "morality" has taught him that he should not break the law and shouldn't help a slave to run away from someone who has helped him (Huck) in the past. My ever-astute grandmother pointed this out in an email to me just a few weeks ago, saying, "Weren't you proud of Huck when he decides that even he was to be sent to hell itself, he was not going to turn in Jim as an escaped slave? That was a heroic decision." I was, indeed, proud of Huck at that moment.

-My grandmother also asked me what I thought of the new attempts to "sanitize" Huck Finn by removing the n word and replacing it with the word slave. I think we need books like Huck Finn to remind us of what our past contained. I found this book challenging to read, and after spending years asking students not to use the n word in our "safe spaces" in their schools out of respect for my request not to give "permission" or "license" to people to use it who would use it in a derogatory way, it was quite hard to come across the word again and again and in the way that it was originally intended. But that difficulty that I experienced while reading is one that I think we must all continue to challenge ourselves to experience. Racism still exists; discrimination still exists; African-Americans are still facing the repercussions of slavery, and they are still working to pull themselves up socio-economically, and these are issues we CANNOT forget. If it causes us some discomfort, then good - let us lean into the discomfort, and remind ourselves that we must not forget our past and we must continue to work hard to forge the kind of future that we believe in.

-Huck is an amazing liar. He has an innate ability to prevaricate on the spot, which serves him well in various situations, like when he disguises himself as a girl (though his lie doesn't succeed in that case), or when he calls himself George Jackson when he gets caught up in the Grangerford-Sheperdson family feud, or when he becomes Tom Sawyer, his good friend, to help save Jim. At one point, he gets so caught up in his sundry disguises that he forgets his name. Ever crafty, he bets his new friend Buck that he can't spell his name, and gets him to reveal his pseudonym. (Buck's spelling needs work, though - "Yep, I can, G-E-O-R-G-E J-A-X-O-N.")

-Twain has a flair for descriptions, and says at one point that it "looked late, and smelt late." He follows up, saying, "You know what I mean - I don't know the words to put it in." I know what you mean, Mr. Clemens. There's a night smell, and a just after the rain smell, and a winter and a fall smell.

-When Huck tries to masquerade as a girl to get information on Jim's escape and where he's suspected to be hiding, Judith Loftus calls him out on his lie. She calls him out in the following summary: "You do a girl tolerable poor, but you might fool men, maybe. Bless you, child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it... And when you throw at a rat or anything, hitch yourself up a tip-toe and fetch your hand up over your head as awkward as you can, and miss your rat about six or seven foot... And, mind you, when a girl tries to catch anything in her lap she throws her knees apart; she don't clap them together, the way you did when you catched the lump of lead. Why, I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived the other things just to make certain." Smart lady. :0)

-Huck experiences a short-lived joy with the Grangerfords before an all-out war ensues. I loved the way Twain described the Colonel - "He was sunshine most always - I mean he made it seem like good weather."

-Tom's plans for Jim's escape are frustratingly perverse. At first, they seem comical (we must use knives instead of shovels to dig a hole under Jim's hut), then ill-advised (we must deliver Jim a pie with a rope ladder baked in it so that he can escape from his hut. which is on the ground level.), then downright infuriating (we have to tell everyone that someone is planning to help Jim escape before we actually escape with him). The irony of Jim being free to begin with is bittersweet; Jim is free, which is great, but Huck also feels validated in having questioned Tom's morality in being so willing to help free a runaway slave. (Jim was free the whole time, which Tom knew, so Tom was only willing to help because he knew Jim was free to begin with.)

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I found the plot to be a bit dull in the middle (with the Duke and the Dauphin and their various escapades) but the beginning and end were delightful.

I'm off (finally!) to lose myself in a classically circuitous canon of Russian lit, that famous favorite, Battles and Tranquility. Oh wait, that's not right, it's Combat and Restfulness. Something like that, you get the picture.

The yellow butterflies would invade the house at dusk.

2011-01-17T15:26:00.005-05:00

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

This tale of magical realism takes place in the town of Macondo. Macondo is founded by Ursula Iguaran and Jose Arcadio Buendia. They leave their original town because Jose Arcadio kills a man (Prudencio Aguilar) and they are haunted by his spirit. So they set off into the wilderness, followed by a few of Jose's friends, and they found Macondo. Jose Arcadio and Ursula have three children: Colonel Aureliano Buendia, Jose Arcadio (confusing, right?) and Amaranta. The novel follows each of these characters and their eventual descendants as well as the town itself, over the course of one hundred years. (Thus the title.) The story is full of too many twists and turns to name them all, but common themes over the generations include attraction to inappropriate family relations (aka incest), war, procreation, sex with whores, fortune telling, moments of magic, both seemingly real and seemingly fantastical, love, hate, happiness, sorrow, and solitude. The story takes us through the lives of three more levels of Arcadios and an extreme amount of Aurelianos (20, to be precise) and ends up with the last 2 family members, Aureliano and Amaranta Ursula, having a torrid love affair (they are aunt and nephew, in case you were wondering) and giving birth to a child, who they decide to name, CAN YOU GUESS? Aureliano. Yes. Amaranta dies in childbirth and Aureliano finally deciphers the code the gypsy/wizard Melquiades has left (which was written in Sanskrit, of course) and reads his family's history as well as the future, which foretells that Macondo will cease to exist and that his child, Aureliano, will be dragged away by ants. Which happens. Um, yeah. Everyone else dies in the book some way or another, like I said, too many generations to give you all the specifics. If you have to answer a quiz on it, I'd guess (a) Aureliano (b) Jose Arcadio (c) incest or (d) all the above.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

This was an interesting read, though I must admit that I greatly enjoyed the first 150 pages or so and then was both bored and annoyed that the story continued on through so many generations. I understand that some cultures reuse names with great frequency, not just reusing a family name over generations, but having 4 or 5 or 20 Aurelianos and Jose Arcadios just got REALLY frustrating. And it didn't help that Marquez would claim that because they shared a name, they all had these shared traits, which only further made all of them blend together.

Highlights:

- The descriptions in this book are truly exquisite. Definitely reminded me of Steinbeck's sentences in East of Eden. Here's one for you to enjoy:

"They got into a small carriage that looked like an enormous bat, drawn by an asthmatic horse, and they went through the desolate city in the endless streets of which, split by saltiness, there was the sound of a piano lesson just like the one that Fernanda heard during the siestas of her adolescence."

- Magical realism. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, in this novel, it plays out as sort of extended willing suspension of disbelief. The events of the novel take place in a grounded village, with human beings, and amidst very "real" events like wars and births and deaths, but some things are stretched, or merely exist, without explanation or question. For instance, some people in the novel live to be 150 years old, flying carpets are featured in one part of the story, and the dead frequently resurface as important characters in the novel. This leads to a sort of stylized reality, which gives Marquez the freedom to discuss nitty gritty events that I'm sure actually happened in Colombia, but to intermingle them with fantasy and place them in a land that exists ostensibly out of time and outside of a natural, known geographical location.

- Sort of in the same vein as magical realism, Marquez included several characters who suffered from manias of sorts. They were described in a sort of comical way, or in a sort of frantically amusing way, but they were symptomatic of real problems, which I thought was interesting. For example, one character, Rebeca, when she is first adopted by the Buendias, eats dirt and the whitewash paint off the walls of the house. She won't eat real food, and the family has to try several tactics before they are able to rid her of the habit. But as time goes on and stressors play a role in her life, Rebeca returns to eating dirt and whitewash. This reminds me of real-life manias like people who compulsively eat toilet paper, or their own hair. Each moment of "magical reality" made me wonder where Marquez's inspiration derived from and whether the origin was real or imaginary.

- Some of the interactions between family members reminded me of a Wes Anderson movie (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited). I enjoyed the comic simplicity and the sort of loaded balance between extremely heavy emotions and events and trivial conversation.

- The totally bizarre occurrences, as well as the eloquently miserable ones, like the banana plague, the insomnia plague, Rebeca rotting in her house but being surrounded by yellow flowers, the yellow butterflies that follow Mauricio Babilonia, Pietro Crespi, a pianola man, and his love for Rebeca, then Amaranta, and his tragic demise, and many more.

Lowlights:

- Some of the relationships are sort of gross. When Aureliano falls for a girl in town named Remedios, who is 9 (he's somewhere in his 30s at this point, I think), it felt a little too Humbert Humbert for me. She marries him when she's 13, and dies at fourteen with a baby in her belly. Gives me the heeby jeebies to think about being married, let alone pregnant, at that age. Also, several (and I mean, SEVERAL) family members engage in relationships with cousins, adopted siblings, and aunts/nephews.

- By the time we got to the later generations, I literally couldn't keep the characters straight. Aureliano Buendia goes off to war and has 17 sons named Aureliano, all of whom are systematically murdered by the government. Each character, however, gets developed, but then simultaneously sort of detaches from everyone else. Ursula, the matriarch, is my favorite character, and keeps whipping everyone into shape well into her early 100s, even though she goes blind and manages to hide it from everyone. But so many of the other characters pull away from life, or pursue love with an intensity that leads to death (either their own or their lover's) that it becomes hard to remember who you actually cared about or felt an affinity for in the story. Macondo goes from being a town that has not seen death in its early days, to a town that sees the death of all 35 of the Buendias.

- There was very little dialogue in this book. I don't feel that books have to have dialogue to intrigue me, but the lack of dialogue meant that I was quite literally told the story by the author, which means I don't really have a chance to create my own feelings or understandings about characters based on their words and interactions, I have to trust what the author is dictating to me. Not my favorite style of writing or reading.

I didn't really understand the way solitude featured in the novel. Marquez referred more and more often to solitude as the book progressed, but the characters who were feeling this solitude were constantly surrounded by the rest of the Buendia family. I understand that one can feel completely alone even when surrounded by others, but I guess I sort of expected someone to actually be alone when they were feeling the solitude. I also didn't really understand how it was relevant to the story.

Ultimately, this was a book I really enjoyed the first half of, and which I'm pretty sure I only understood half as well as Marquez would have liked. If you've read it and feel you have thoughts or opinions to share, please feel free - I'm certainly open to anyone else's interpretations and ideas.

I'm off to the deep south, slave days, and unusual friendships.

There is nothing to do until tomorrow. I can't sleep.

2011-01-10T19:58:00.002-05:00

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

This Dickens novel straddles, as the title suggests, two cities: Paris and London. Our story begins with Doctor Manette being "recalled to life." He was imprisoned for an unknown cause for about 20 years in a Parisian prison, and in the opening chapters of the book, he is brought back to London and reunited with his daughter, Lucie, by a banker and family friend, Mr. Lorry. The next major event is Lucie and the Doctor serving as witnesses at the treason trial for Charles Darnay. He is accused of being a traitor and is about to be brutally murdered, but at the last minute, he is acquitted because the defense points out that another man, Sydney Carton, looks just like him. This is apparently enough for an acquittal; clearly they didn't have enough Law and Order episodes to teach them how to prosecute properly. Incidentally, Darnay was not really a traitor, but we find out he is actually a FRENCHIE, Charles Evrémonde. Charles falls for Lucie, they get married, they have a daughter named Lucie (because they're clearly unoriginal when it comes to naming) and all seems to be going swimmingly. The Doctor is all better from having been in prison (mostly - he regresses from time to time by going back to making shoes, the occupation he was allowed to perform in prison). Charles wants to tell the Doctor his real name, and the Doctor says he only wants to know on the wedding day. Charles tells him on the wedding day, and after the lovebirds go on their honeymoon, Daddy goes back to making shoes. UH OH! Oh, and Sydney professes his love for Lucie, but says he doesn't want to be with her, he just wants her to know that he would do ANYTHING for her. Really. Anything. So we store that nugget away and Charles gets a letter from his old servant - did I mention his uncle was killed because he's a really nasty rich Monseigneur who treats laborers like dirt and because the revolution is now RAGING in France? - saying that he has been imprisoned and that only Charles can save him. So Charles decides, HEY! why don't I go to France and help old Gabelle out. So he goes, and guess what - he is IMMEDIATELY imprisoned. Lucie finds out, comes to France with her dad, and daddy the Doctor is a hero in the new regime because he was a well-known prisoner in the Bastille. Charles is imprisoned for over a year, but the doctor is able to get him set free. The very same day, however, Charles is re-imprisoned, and we find out that the people who have charged him are Monsieur et Madame Defarge, who were the old servants of Doctor Manette but are now CRAZED REVOLUTION BLOOD-THIRSTY monsters. AND, in a surprising turn of events, we find out that the doctor's hero-status is no good at the second trial because... DUN DUN DUN... he wrote a secret letter in prison describing the people who got him put in prison (it was a pair of noble brothers who asked him to tend to a patient who turned out to be a servant woman one of them was sleeping with after he killed her husband, and these evil brothers were... DUN DUN DUN... the MONSEIGNEUR AND HIS BROTHER, aka, Charles's uncle and his daddy. Whoops! Charles didn't know about this history, he was only a baby at the time. He knew his uncle was no saint, but nothing about the history with the doctor) and he vowed to get revenge against the whole family, including, unfortunately, the descendants, being Charles. So Charles is getting ready to die and everyone feels bad that the Doctor knew ever since the wedding that his son-in-law's family led to his imprisonment after he told the government about what they had done to the servant girl and her husband. In yet another twist, we find out that Madame Defarge was the sister of the servant girl - EEk! So much connectedness. Anyway, Sydney Carton comes over from England and he stages a switchout, sacrificing himself in Charles's place. Charles, Lucie, the Doctor, little Lucie, and Mr. Lorry all go back to England, and Sydney is executed by guillotine.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

I enjoyed this book, though I felt at some points that the surprises weren't all that surprising, given how few major characters there were in the plot. There was also an intense amount of foreshadowing, which was simultaneously really cool and REALLY ANNOYING.

The first page has an amazing description that sets the scene. It, of course, begins with the famous lines, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." But it also contains the following lines, abridged here:

"...there were growing trees, when that sufferer was put to death, already marked by the Woodman, Fate, to come down and be sawn into boards, to make a certain movable framework with a sack and a knife in it, terrible in history...there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution. But that Woodman and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they went about with muffled tread."

This is unbelievable - it definitely falls under the heavy foreshadowing section mentioned above, but how inCREDIBLE is that description? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

- Madame Defarge knits throughout the story, and we find out about halfway through the story that she is knitting a register of names and descriptions of the people that fit the names so that the revolution can properly EXECUTE them. Nice, right? I knit scarves for my buddies, Madame Defarge knits DEATH SENTENCES.

- Mr. Lorry works for Tellson's bank, which is crucial to the story in that the bank is one of the few organizations that continues to work in both cities during the tumultuous revolution. Dickens has a marvelous description of the Tellson employees here:

"When they took a young man into Tellson's London house, they hid him somewhere till he was old. They kept him in a dark place, like a cheese, until he had the full Tellson flavour and blue-mould upon him. Then only was he permitted to be seen, spectacularly poring over large books, and casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the establishment."

- There were so many crazy plot twists that when the Doctor's secret prison letter is revealed and the Monseigneur and his brother are described as twins, I was like - I KNEW IT! Sydney and Charles are twin brothers, too! But guess what? They're not. Their freakish look-alikeness is just a Dickensian twist of fate.

- The doctor has an interesting role in the novel, in that he is pretty weak and wounded in the beginning of the book, then becomes strong, then really takes the lead when they go to France to save Charles, saves Charles, and then loses it completely when Charles is recaptured. The doctor goes out to implore higher ups to save Charles a second time, but when he comes back, he demands to know where his shoe bench is so that he can finish his shoes.

- Sydney knows full well that he plans to die, and the title of this post is from his musings to himself on the night before his death. He follows Lucie's path around the city, walking where she walked each day to the prison to stand in a spot where Charles could sometimes see her, and he thinks about his life and how it was meaningless until this moment. I love the simplicity of the title phrase.

- Sydney meets a seamstress who is also to be executed. She is terrified, and at first she thinks it is Darnay, because she met him in prison before, but when she realizes it is not, she whispers, "Are you dying for him?" To which Sydney responds, "And his wife and child. Hush! Yes." She then asks to hold his hand, and they go to their deaths, hand in hand until the very last.

- The BEST scene in this book (in my humble opinion) is the SHOWDOWN between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge. Miss Pross is Lucie's faithful maidservant who has been with her for life. She has stayed at home to cover for Lucie's departure, because at the end of the novel, Lucie and her child have a death warrant out because Defarge wants their heads. Miss Pross is a mostly comical character in the novel, but she is utterly devoted to Lucie. She also stoutly refuses to learn French because, as she says, she is "an Englishwoman." When Madame Defarge appears looking for Lucie and her daughter, the two face off. Miss Pross realizes that the longer she can get Mme Defarge to stay, the longer Lucie and her daughter have to continue their escape. Dickens notes that the two women are cursing each other in their separate languages; neither one understands the words, but they both understand the intent. Mme Defarge is outraged when she realizes the rooms behind Miss Pross are empty and Lucie and her daughter have gotten away. She lunges at Miss Pross, but Miss Pross grabs her around the waist, and after a few minutes of struggling, Defarge's pistol goes off and Miss Pross realizes that Mme Defarge is dead. She composes herself and then runs to the meeting point where she connects with Lucie. Mme Defarge's absence is noted by her friend, The Vengeance (I KNOW! amazing name, right? I think I'm going to start going by The Rancor. like it?) Mme Defarge's knitting waits for her at the execution, but she does not come.

All in all, this book definitely captured my attention. It is very different from Great Expectations, and it was certainly interesting reading them back to back. This one was much more plot-driven, whereas I feel that Great Expectations really enriched each scene, setting, and character. Fascinating back-to-back read.

I'm off to some time by myself. Back in a hundred years or so!
(HAhA. I am SOOOOO funny. Did you get it?)

Is it to be wondered at if my thoughts were dazed, as my eyes were, when I came out into the natural light from the misty yellow rooms?

2011-01-02T22:15:00.003-05:00

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Halloa! Our main character in Great Expectations is Philip Pirrip, aka Pip. His parents are both deceased at the beginning of the story, and he is being brought up "by hand" by his older sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and her husband, Joe. Joe is a blacksmith who runs his own forge, and the family is a common laboring family. Pip is meant to become the apprentice for Joe, and Mrs. Joe is well-meaning, but an aggressive and sometimes violent surrogate parent. Joe sticks up for Pip, and the two are great friends. In the beginning of the book, Pip is at the graveyard staring at his parents' graves, and he comes upon a convict who has escaped from the "hulks", or prison ships. The convict scares Pip into offering to bring him back a file and some "wittles". Pip brings these items the next day, but Pip's convict discovers that another convict has also escaped, and he attacks that convict, risking his own re-imprisonment to ensure that the other convict doesn't get away. Both convicts are re-captured as Pip and Joe and several other neighbors watch. Pip's aid to the convict is not revealed.

Life returns to normal until Pip is asked to visit Miss Havisham, a very wealthy neighborhood lady. He goes to play with her, and she is UBER bizarre. Ready for the description? She lives in a house that is lit only by candles. She doesn't see the light of day because she spends most of her time in a room with no windows. She's wearing her tattered to-be wedding dress and still sports her wedding veil and dried flowers in her hair. She's ancient. She's wearing one shoe and the other shoe is sitting on a table; it has clearly never been worn. And all of her clocks are stopped at twenty minutes to nine.

Miss Havisham has an adopted daughter, Estella, who - well, how should I describe her? Has a HEART OF STONE. No really.

Pip, of course, is GAGA for Estella (what do you wear to cause a gaga at ze go-go? a toga full of long beautiful hair!). Estella enjoys torturing Pip emotionally. Miss Havisham likes to watch. This goes on for a great deal of time, after which Miss Havisham eventually gives Pip enough money to become apprenticed to Joe. Pip, however, is no longer satisfied with his life as a laborer, and Estella has made him ashamed of his status and who he is. (GO, ESTELLA! you rock.)

Yes, I recognize this is a long plot summary, but HELLO, haven't you missed these? Moving on.

Pip is going about his business, pining for Estella and wishing he were rich, and then, BLAM! He gets rich. A weird random man approaches him and tells him that someone has decided he is going to make Pip a gentleman. Pip assumes it is Miss Havisham, and he happily deserts Joe and heads off to London. (PS - I forgot to mention that Pip's sister is brutally attacked and suffers severe brain damage. And then dies a little while after. We "don't know" who did it. (AHEM.))

Pip makes friends with a man named Herbert Pocket, a relative of Miss Havisham, and they live well beyond their means for a while in an apartment in London. Pip pines after Estella, befriends his intense lawyer (Mr. Jaggers)'s assistant Wemmick (who has 2 personalities - one at work in London and one at home in Walworth) and waits for his assumed benefactress, Miss Havisham, to tell him that she wants him to marry Estella. Meanwhile, no one has confirmed that Miss Havisham is his benefactress, and Estella has given him ZERO indication that she is capable of any kind of non-alien, human affection. Pip doesn't seem to mind.

CUE THE CONVICT. One day, completely out of the blue, Pip's convict, who turns out to be named Abel Magwitch, appears at Pip's door and reveals that he is Pip's mysterious benefactor. Pip is HORRIFIED. Not only are his hopes dashed of meeting Estella, he played with a CRAZY lady for nothing, and he is now attached intimately to a dangerous criminal. To add salt to the wound, Magwitch reveals to Pip that he is has been exiled to Australia, and faces death if he is caught in England. Pip has to decide what to do with Magwitch, so he disguises him and hides him at Herbert's girlfriend Clara's house, with the intention of escaping to a foreign country with him at the opportune moment.

HOWEVER, of course the situation is complicated by the fact that Pip goes back to visit Miss Havisham to tell her that it was very cruel of her to let him believe she was his benefactress, and she, presumably in a rage because Estella is getting married to a loser (Bentley Drummle) and leaving her alone, promptly manages to light herself on fire. Pip helps her roll herself out, getting some pretty serious arm burns in the process. Miss Havisham is permanently laid up in her fave room (the creepy room described previously) and eventually kicks it on the table.

Pip is rather flustered by this whole situation, but he returns to London and is getting ready to make his escape with Magwitch when he gets a mysterious note saying he should come back to the moors near his house if he wants to save his "uncle Provis", which is what they've been calling Magwitch. He goes alone (STUPID) and it turns out to be a message from Orlick, who, BIG SURPRISE, we find out is the disgruntled ex-employee of Joe who attacked Pip's sister earlier in the book. Orlick is getting ready to kill Pip, apparently just because he hates him and has resented Pip's rise to wealth, (and manages to seriously mess up his burned arms even more) when Herbert and their friend Startop intervene, having followed Pip from London.

Whew! Still with me? I'll speed it up. In a nutshell, we find out that Magwitch is Estella's father (HAHA!) and her mother is Mr. Jaggers' housekeeper (RANDOM!) and Estella's marriage ends badly and then she gets married again and that one doesn't go so well either. Magwitch is identified during their escape attempt by Compeyson, who turns out to have been the other convict from the beginning of the story. Turns out Compeyson was the man who broke Miss Havisham's heart (on her wedding day, at 20 minutes to nine, GET IT?) and Magwitch was working for him. They were basically into a lot of bad things, scheming and cheating people and the like, but Compeyson was in cahoots with Miss Havisham's brother, who went CRAZY after they tried to cheat her out of her money, and Compeyson made it seem like Magwitch was to blame for everything, when he was really just the grunt man. Magwitch lunges at Compeyson, Compeyson drowns, Magwitch is seriously injured, he goes to jail, and Pip visits him often and eventually Magwitch dies in jail. Pip turns around and ends up really loving Magwitch, and feeling bad for being such an ass toward Joe and Biddy (who I didn't introduce but was basically like a platonic friend of Pip's). Herbert gets a decent job as clerk and then a partner in a shipping house (which has been secretly subsidized by Pip, first by his own money, and then by Miss Havisham at Pip's request) and eventually marries Clara, his long-time gf. Herbert offers Pip a job at his house, now that Pip is destitute (all of Magwitch's money went to the state when he was jailed). Joe comes back to take care of Pip after Magwitch dies, because Pip falls very ill and then goes into debt. Joe pays all of Pip's debts, and just as Pip and he are getting back to the way things used to be, Pip is better, and Joe disappears. Pip follows him back to his old stomping grounds and decides he should just marry Biddy, because even though he doesn't love her, she's a good common girl with a good heart, but when he gets there, it is Joe and Biddy's wedding day, and Pip realizes he's being a dummy, and he celebrates with them. They have a son and name him Pip, and the book ends with Pip walking with little Pip and bumping into Estella, who is still cold, but seems a bit more like she has a real heart instead of one made of stone. They are both mostly miserable. HOORAY!

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

So, I know what you're thinking. BEST BOOK EVER, right? Oddly enough, this is actually one of my favorite books. Okay, so it might have taken me six odd months to read it this time around, but I took the GREs and the LSATs, worked full-time, and applied to grad school. It's still an excellent book. Allow me to tell you the parts I like best.

-When Pip goes home from meeting Magwitch and attempts to steal "wittles" for him in secret, he shoves a piece of buttered bread down his pants. Joe, shocked by how quickly Pip has consumed this slice, accuses Pip of "bolting", and though he is apologetic that Pip will get in trouble with Mrs. Joe, he says, "manners is manners, but still your elth's your elth." The ensuing description of the lump of buttered bread sliding down Pip's pant leg is delightful.

-Pip is placed on display at various points in his childhood as the only child in his sister's group of friends. During one of the very awkward dinners he is forced to sit through, Joe gives Pip gravy each time he feels Pip is being verbally abused by the crowd. At one point, Dickens claims Joe pours Pip a half a pint. Excellent example of Dickensian wry humor - Joe offers Pip gravy about six more times during the meal.

-In a discussion of reading and writing, Joe's limited abilities are revealed. When Pip asks him how he spells Gargery, Joe promptly replies, "I don't spell it at all." He says he's "uncommon fond of reading", and happily points out that he can find a J, an O, and a J-O, JO in any piece of writing. This leads to one of my favorite lines in the whole book, "I derived from this last, that Joe's education, like Steam, was in its infancy." I know some people can't get behind him and accuse him of being verbose because he was getting paid by the word, but Dickens is a wordsmith, truly. His sentences may be long and his descriptions in-depth, but each word and phrase carries weight and wit.

-When Pip first returns from visiting Miss Havisham, he embellishes wildly, perhaps to hide the true bizarreness of his visit. He describes them as playing flags, waving swords wildly, and suggests that if he had been prodded further, he would have included a balloon in the yard and a bear in the brewery next door. Amusingly enough, the true story was probably twice as odd as his tale, but when he fesses up to Joe, Joe is extremely disappointed. I love the way Joe pleads with Pip: "But at least there was dogs, Pip? Come Pip, if there warn't no weal-cutlets, at least there was dogs?" Pip responds, "No, Joe." Joe replies, "A dog? A puppy? Come?" He discusses with Pip why Pip would feel compelled to lie, and then adds in, "which reminds me to hope that there were a flag, perhaps?" And Dickens inserts in a parenthesis of Joe's next line, "I'm sorry there weren't a flag, Pip." Brilliant.

-Miss Havisham asks Joe to come to Satis House to make Pip his official apprentice, but Joe is too uncomfortable to address Miss Havisham, so during the whole interview, he addresses Pip when he answers Miss Havisham's questions. Example - when Miss Havisham asks, "Has the boy ever made any objection; does he like the trade?", Joe replies, "Which it is well beknown to yourself, Pip, that it were the wish of your own hart." Pip finds this to be (a) embarassing and (b) extremely frustrating, but it makes for an amazing comic interaction.

-Herbert Pocket, a relative of Miss Havisham, becomes Pip roommate when he moves to London. Herbert is a kind, true friend, and from the beginning, is willing to help Pip to adjust to high society. This is hilariously portrayed in their first meal together, during which Pip asks him to point out any inappropriate table manners so that he can learn to correct them. Herbert doesn't like Pip's name (Philip) and thinks it too reminiscent of a book about a school boy, so he names Pip Handel, after a Handel piece about a blacksmith. In the process of discussing Miss Havisham and beginning the meal, Herbert points out, "Let me introduce the topic, Handel, by mentioning that in London it is not the custom to put the knife in the mouth - for fear of accidents - and that while the fork is reserved for that use, it is not put further in than necessary." Dickens has a marvelous way of packing seemingly banal conversations with a dry humor. My other favorite line here is when Herbert interrupts his story to mention to Pip that a "dinner napkin will not go into a tumbler."

-Wemmick, the assistant to Mr. Jaggers, Pip's lawyer and guardian while in London, is one of the best characters in the book. He is extremely strict and straightforward with the clientele at the law firm, but when Pip manages to crack Wemmick's hard exterior, he finds out that Wemmick is a totally different person at his home in Walworth. He lives in a bizarre house with a drawbridge and a small moat, and he lives with his father, whom he refers to as the "Aged Parent", or sometimes simply, the "aged P". Dickens' description of the scene where Pip first meets the aged P is hilarious. Wemmick asks Pip to oblige the aged P by nodding, as he is exceedingly deaf.

"You're as proud of it as Punch; ain't you, Aged?" said Wemmick, contemplating the old man, with his hard face really softened; "there's a nod for you': giving him a tremendous one; "there's another for you; giving him a still more tremendous one; "you like that, don't you? If you're not tired, Mr. Pip - though I know it's tiring to strangers - will you tip him one more? You can't think how it pleases him."

Wemmick also shoots off a sort of cannon that he nicknames the Stinger, and calls this the Aged's nightly treat. Pip describes this as it happens for the first time, "Upon this, the Aged - who I believe would have been blown out of his arm-chair but for holding on by the elbows - cried out exultingly, "He's fired! I heerd him!" and I (Pip) nodded at the gentleman until it is no figure of speech to declare that I absolutely could not see him."

-Joe and Pip frequently refer to adventures they will have by saying "What larks" - this theme recurs throughout the novel, even after Pip begins to ignore Joe. When Joe comes to visit Pip (and Pip ends up feeling embarassed and ashamed of Joe - SAD!) Joe asks Biddy to write a letter to Pip announcing his arrival, and the post script reads, "P.S. He wishes me most particular to write what larks. He says you will understand. I hope and do not doubt it will be agreeable to see him even though a gentleman, for you had ever a good heart, and he is a worthy worthy man. I have read him all excepting only the last little sentence, and he wishes me most particular to write again what larks. This phrase is a delightful representation of Joe and Pip's playful connection, and it appears in circumstances where Pip is mistreating Joe, but also later on in the book when Pip realizes how mean his treatment toward Joe has been. It acts as a sort of code for their relationship and its potential. This letter also captures both Biddy's good heart (for she gives Pip more credit than he deserves at this point in the novel) and Joe's playful innocence and charm.

-When Pip confronts Miss Havisham after finding out that she is not his benefactress, he asks, "But when I fell into the mistake that I have so long remained in, at least you led me on?" She replies, "Yes. I let you go on." Pip demands, "Was that kind?" To which Miss Havisham replies, in a wrath, "who am I, for God's sake, that I should be kind?" This interaction really sums up her feelings of total absolution from responsibility toward Pip or Estella. Her own abuse and heart break have ruined her ability to empathize or, perhaps, feel anything at all.

-When Pip comes back to visit Miss Havisham after Estella has gotten married, Miss Havisham, in an odd change of heart, begs his forgiveness for her ill treatment of him. She doesn't really apologize for being so cruel and hard-hearted, but she explains that in the beginning, she hoped only to save Estella from misery, but in the process, she "stole Estella's heart away and put ice in its place." Pip responds "better, to have left her a natural heart, even to bruised or broken." This is the last conversation Pip has with Miss Havisham before she lights herself on fire.

-Pip has strict orders from Wemmick never to discuss his Walworth personality with Mr. Jaggers, nor ever to let on that Wemmick has a whole different life at home. However, in a fit of frustration at Mr. Jaggers boxing him out of the reasoning behind Magwitch granting Pip his "great expectations", Pip reveals to Jaggers that Wemmick has a pleasant home and an aged parent and innocent, cheerful habits at home. Jaggers responds in a shocked voice, "What's all this? You with an old father, and you with pleasant and playful ways?" Wemmick replies, "Well? If I don't bring 'em here, what does it matter?" A hilarious moment of each man re-evaluating the other occurs, after which Wemmick snaps at a blubbering client and tells him to stop "spluttering like a bad pen." He demands that the man leave the office, crying, "I'll have no feelings here. Get out!" It's a wonderful denouement to the storyline of Wemmick leading a double life.

-In the end, Pip loses his money, and realizes, in many ways, that Joe and Magwitch have been truer "gentlemen" than he ever was. When Magwitch dies, he feels affectionate, grateful, and generous, which is a huge turnaround from when Magwitch appeared on Pip's doorstep and Pip was tempted to throw him out on the street. He sums it up by saying, "I only saw in him a much better man that I had been to Joe."

-Wemmick tricks Pip into being a witness for his wedding after Pip has fallen into a deep depression after Magwitch's death. Wemmick grabs a fishing rod and asks Pip to go for a walk. Pip finds this odd once he realizes they are not going fishing, but Wemmick exclaims with surprise, "Halloa! Here's a church! Let's go in!" He proceeds to lead Pip through the wedding, following this line up with others like, "Halloa! Here's a couple of pair of gloves! Let's put 'em on!" and "Halloa! Here's Miss Skiffins! Let's have a wedding." and "Halloa! Here's a ring." The description of the Aged P's role in the day is as follows:

"The responsibility of giving the lady away devolved upon the Aged, which led to the clergyman's being unintentionally scandalized, and it happened thus. When he said, "Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? the old gentleman, not in the least knowing what point of the ceremony we had arrived at, stood most amiably beaming at the ten commandments. Upon which, the clergyman said again, WHO giveth this woman to be married to this man? The old gentleman being still in a state of most estimable consciousness, the bridegroom cried out in his accustomed voice, "Now Aged P. you know; who giveth?" To which the Aged replied with great briskness, before saying that he gave, "All right, John, all right, my boy!"

-The ending is intriguing, and sort of confusing. I'm not sure where we're supposed to assume Pip has ended up on his roller coaster of emotions toward Estella. He isn't totally miserable, in that he has a job working with Herbert, and Herbert is truly delightful, but he still pines for Estella, and in some ways his heart is never complete without her. My version of the book includes an alternate ending that Dickens wrote upon the suggestion of his fellow novelist who thought that the original ending was too dreary. In that one, Estella and Pip bump into each other during one last visit to Satis House, and she is still miserable, but she hopes that she and Pip can be friends, and she expresses openly that suffering has taught her what Pip's heart used to feel, and she is sorry for that. They still leave each other, but this time as friends, and Dickens remarks on the fact that she leaves with no accompanying shadow of a companion. I'm not sure if that's supposed to suggest that maybe she and Pip will end up getting together, or if that's just to reinforce the idea that she will always be alone. I think all told, I like the original ending better.

-The title of the post comes from the following line of thought that Pip expresses in reflecting on the time he spent at Satis House: "What could I become with these surroundings? How could my character fail to be influenced by them? Is it to be wondered at if my thoughts were dazed, as my eyes were, when I came out into the natural light from the misty yellow rooms?" While I'm sure that Miss Havisham's presence could not fail to influence such impressionable minds as those of Pip and Estella, I feel like the effect it has on Pip is remarkable in that it overpowers the positive effects of such relationships as that of Joe, Biddy, Herbert, and eventually Magwitch. It takes Pip most of the book to wash away the smudge that Miss Havisham leaves on his soul, and his attachment to Estella, though not Miss Havisham's fault, leaves him ultimately miserable because Estella has been turned into a heartless ice queen by Miss Havisham. If we really played the blame game out, though, Miss Havisham was who she was because of Compeyson, who was aided by Arthur Havisham and Magwitch, which brings us full circle, as Magwitch made Pip a gentleman and also eventually taught him compassion and love. Tada! Vicious cycle!

This book never ceases to fascinate me, in that I don't particularly like Pip, Estella, or Miss Havisham throughout the novel, and I think it's brilliant that Dickens manages to write a novel about three people I dislike and make me understand and empathize with them. The humor is equally brilliant, and unparalleled in any other book I've read so far. All told, I have no difficulty understanding this one's rating as a classic.

Deeper I go into the land of Dickens, off to Paris in the midst of a revolution.

Ahem. Apologies for a prolonged absence.

2010-12-28T22:24:00.003-05:00

My dearest blog enthusiasts,

After several conversations which have convinced me that there are those in the internet world who actually read and enjoy this blog with some regularity, I realize that I should explain the reason for my absence.

Just in case you were terrified that I was NOT going to finish my task, FEAR NOT! I am merely on hiatus. I am in the process of applying to graduate school (dual degree programs in law and public policy, in case you're interested) and have had to study for and take the GRE and the LSATS in the last six months. After the LSATs, I was hard at work on my applications, and now I am finally ready to return to my lovely books.

I have just finished Great Expectations and will be blogging about it soon - perhaps tonight, perhaps later in the week.

So for those of you who have missed my blogs, look forward to a new one soon. In other news, I'm looking for fellow book-lovers to do "read-alongs" with me in the coming weeks so that I can have reading partners and they can share alternate perspectives. They're welcome to share a blog entry alongside mine, or just thoughts and ideas. I've got takers for "A Tale of Two Cities" and "War and Peace" but I'd love for anyone to join me for any of the other ones coming up on my list.

Off to a crackling fire, back in a jiffy!

You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. It's more than just taking up space where air would be.

2010-05-09T18:18:00.000-04:00

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

We have two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons. Cyrus is the father of Adam and Charles, and he's married to Alice. Alice is the mother of Charles - Adam's mother died. Alice is sweet, but sick, and dies fairly soon after the novel begins. Charles and Adam have a tenuous relationship growing up on a farm in Connecticut, and Charles almost kills Adam once after they both give their father a birthday present and Cyrus seems to reject Charles' present. Cyrus was in the army briefly, but he becomes a war hero and gets moved to Washington to consult after he fabricates an extreme knowledge of all things war-related. Adam is sent off to fight in the war with the Indians (sorry, really don't know what war they're referring to, or if it has an official title) though he is sweet and tender and doesn't want to fight. He is eventually discharged from the army, but doesn't know what to do with himself, and he ends up re-enlisting, and then he ends up getting arrested for being a vagrant after he refuses to go home. Charles continues to work the farm, Adam eventually returns home, and their father dies. Adam and Charles discover a girl who has been beaten within an inch of her life at their doorstep, and despite what everyone will say (and perhaps think) they take her in. (We know that she's a crazy girl who burned her parents' house down (while they were in it) and then became a whore and then got good with the pimp and then cheated him and broke his heart and then he tried to kill her, but they don't know any of this). Adam falls in love with her (of course) and moves with her out to California. Cathy (the woman) gets pregnant, tries unsuccessfully to abort it (did I mention she slept with Charles before she left?) and then gives birth to twins. She is creepy and clearly very unhappy, and she up and leaves after the twins are born. (Well, to be precise, she shoots her husband, Adam, and then goes into the city to become a whore again.) Adam is both nearly dead and heartbroken, but he manages to survive with the help of Lee, his Chinese servant, and Sam Hamilton, his neighbor. The twin boys are named Caleb and Aron, and Adam ignores them for about 10 years before he finally comes back to life. Everyone in town eventually figures out that Cathy is the new whore in town, Kate, and Kate eventually murders the existing madam, Faye, and takes over the whorehouse. Caleb (Cal) and Aron grow up and have a similar relationship to Adam and Charles. Oh, and Adam is rich because Charles dies and leaves him lots of money from the farm, and he also got money from his father's death. Adam eventually finds out that Cathy is whoring in town, and he confronts her but he's over her. Caleb has some trouble finding his place as he grows up, but he eventually figures out how to be a good son, and falls in love with his father (and his brother's girlfriend, Abra). Aron decides to go to college and go into the ministry, but returns from college unhappy and confused. Cal tries to win his father's love (after Adam loses a large portion of his income through an experiment with ice trucks to transport fruit) by making 15,000 dollars through selling beans and futures, but his father sees the money as stolen, and Cal is heartbroken. In his sorrow, he takes his brother Aron to see their mother (Cal knew she was in town, but Aron thought she was dead) and, heartbroken by this discovery, Aron joins the army and disappears. Cal feels guilty, but doesn't tell his father, Adam suffers some kind of mini-stroke, and eventually they get a telegram that Aron has died. Adam has another stroke, and in the last scene of the book, Lee asks Adam to forgive Caleb for sending his brother to war.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Well, this book was incredible, and though I was a little overwhelmed by the Cain and Abel metaphors that happened TWICE in the book, it has hands down some of the most exquisite figurative and descriptive language that I have EVER read.

In case you didn't catch this from the plot summary (I didn't catch it until almost the last minute with the second round) there are two Cain and Abel metaphors in the story, Charles and Adam, and Caleb and Aron. (Get it? C & A, C & A?) Each story includes a moment where the C brother (Charles/Caleb) "kills" or almost kills his A brother (Adam/Aron). And to top it off, the second set of boys have a father named Adam.

For those of you not familiar with the Cain and Abel story, here's the version from the Bible:

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had
respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

The book also deals heavily with the translation of the lines about sin - Lee, the Chinese servant and philosopher ends up studying the lines and translating the Hebrew to mean not "Thou Shalt" conquer over sin, nor "Thou will" conquer over sin, but "Thou mayest" conquer over sin, meaning that man has the opportunity to prove himself and his worthiness, even after he "kills" his brother. I like this idea that we aren't just pre-destined to fix our mistakes, but that we have the opportunity to prove ourselves after we've made them. I thought the metaphors were more interlaced and less hit-you-over-the-head earlier in the book, but I was a bit disappointed that they became so overt at the end.

Some of my favorite parts:

- The language and lyricism of Steinbeck. Case in point: "Adam Trask grew up in grayness, and the curtains of his life were like dusty cobwebs, and his days a slow file of half-sorrows and sick dissatisfactions, and then, through Cathy, the glory came to him." What lovely turns of phrase.

- The relationship between Lee and Adam and Lee and Sam Hamilton is fascinating. (By the way, I apologize to the Hamiltons, who I've pretty much left out of the plot summary. They aren't unimportant, but Sam is really the most important, and his large family (wife Liza, kids Olive, Una, Mollie, Lizzie, Dessie, Tom, Will, George, and Joe) are characters, but not really major players in the story. Aside from the fact that John Steinbeck is the son of Olive Hamilton. ahem. Lee pretends to speak only Pidgin English in the beginning of the novel, and when Sam Hamilton finds out he can speak perfect English, Lee tells him that he prefers Pidgin because that's what people expect him to sound like, and they're confused when he speaks normally. He slips in and out of Pidgin for the rest of the novel, but each moment is interestingly depicted when he slips back into Pidgin.

- When Adam is completely lost after his wife shoots him, Sam comes over and visits, and he says this to Adam:

"Act out being alive, like a play. And after a while, a long while, it will be true."
"Why should I?" Adam asked.
Samuel was looking at the twins. "You're going to pass something down no matter what you do or if you do nothing. Even if you let yourself go fallow, the weeds will grow and the brambles. Something will grow."
Adam did not answer, and Samuel stood up. "I'll be back," he said. "I'll be back again and again. Go through the motions, Adam."

I thought this was an extremely poignant conversation. I think we've all had moments where we just need to go through the motions, and Sam really keeps Adam connected to the world during his moment (that happens to last 10 years).

- There's a fascinating comparison of churches to whorehouses. Steinbeck writes, "While the churches, bringing the sweet smell of piety for the soul, came in prancing and farting like brewery horses in bock-beer time, the sister evangelism, with release and joy for the body, crept in silently and grayly, with its head bowed and its face covered. You may have seen the spangled palaces of sin and fancy dancing in the false West of the movies, and maybe some of them existed - but not in Salinas Valley. The brothels were quiet, orderly, and circumspect. Indeed, if after hearing the ecstatic shrieks of climactic conversion against the thumping beat of the melodeon you had stood under the window of a whorehouse and listened to the low decorous voices, you would have been likely to confuse the identities of the two ministries."

Steinbeck really has a way with words, and his comparisons and metaphors and similes are really just unparalleled.

- This is for anyone at work who happens to be reading this, but I was thrilled to find an example of SAY SEE DO teaching in the book. When the twins and their father get their first car, a Ford, they're taught how to use it by a man who tells them the step, points out the car part, and then the whole group is asked to respond chorally the name of the part. They continue to start the car using this choral memory response throughout the book. It's been around for ever!

- Tom Hamilton blames himself for the death of his sister, Dessie, who dies of a stomach illness (unfortunately many of the Hamiltons die throughout the course of the book). It's a very said moment, but I loved the conversation Tom has with himself, and the way Steinbeck describes it. Tom is also talking to his father (who has passed away at this point).

Tom ignored his father. He said, "I'm busy greeting my friends," and he nodded to Discourtesy and Ugliness, and Unfilial Conduct and Unkempt Fingernails. Then he started with Vanity again. The Gray one shouldered up in front. It was too late to stall with baby sins. This Gray One was Murder.

Last, but not least, I'll share this quote that I liked, as I think, in particular, my mother will appreciate it, as it relates to her thesis work:

We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.

Off to England, Pip, and Magwitch!

The friends of today are the enemies of tomorrow.

2010-04-20T22:32:00.004-04:00

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

The Count of Monte Cristo is a tale of romance, adventure, vengeance, sorrow, and redemption. Our story begins with a young sailor named Edmond Dantes in Marseilles, a city in southern France. Edmond is kind, generous, loves his father and his bride-to-be more than anything in the world, and has just been promoted by his boss, Monsieur Morrel. Everything seems to be going his way. While he is on leave between voyages, he is to be married, and his friends and family flock to the pre-nuptial feast. On the very moment he is about to leave for the church with his blushing bride, Mercedes, however, he is arrested and accused of Bonapartist activities. We as readers (and in this case, omniscients) know that three men (Caderousse, a greedy neighbor of Edmond's; Danglars, the ship's mate, who is jealous that he was passed over by Morrel in favor of Edmond; and Fernand, Mercedes' cousin who loves her passionately and wishes Edmond's death if it means he can be with her) made a pact to mail a letter revealing Edmond's supposed revolutionary activities. Edmond did, in fact, deliver letters on the orders of M. Morrel (who was in, fact, a Bonapartist) but he was unaware the extent of the letters and was, on the whole, blameless. We think at first that the procureur du roi (kind of like the D.A. of the time), Villefort, will be sympathetic to Edmond, as he has just come from his own wedding. It turns out (in an evil twist of fate) that Villefort's father has been implicated in the letters that Edmond received after stopping on Elba, and in order to cover up this heinous shame, Villefort condemns Edmond to the Chateau D'If, an infamous prison just off the shore of Marseilles. Edmond is imprisoned for over a decade, without even knowing the particulars of how or why he was accused. He despairs and almost kills himself by starvation, but meets a man, the Abbe Faria (a fellow inmate) by digging a tunnel and intercepting his. They hoped to escape, but their attempts are thwarted by various natural obstacles in the foundation of the prison. They maintain a great friendship, however, and the Abbe teaches Edmond all about literature and science and everything a sailor of the time would have no reason to know. The Abbe talks of a mysterious treasure that he has discovered, but Edmond (like everyone else) believes the Abbe is mad. He is finally convinced one of the last few times he sees the Abbe, and the Abbe informs him that he is dying. He suffers several strokes, and Edmond is able to save him with a few drops of a potion the Abbe created, but the last one is too much, and the Abbe dies. Edmond is heartstricken at the death of his only friend. In a deft maneuver, however, he switches places with the Abbe's body and sews himself into the sack meant for the Abbe, planning to dig his way out of the grave and escape to freedom. To his horror, the men who remove the body pitch him off a cliff with a cannon tied to his legs, chuckling about the sea being the grave of the Chateau D'If. Edmond manages to extricate his legs and escape notice due to the darkness. He swims to shore and encounters a fishing boat. He serves as a pirate in their smuggling crew until he manages to get himself shored on the Isle of Monte Cristo. He discovers his treasure and returns home to Marseilles, swearing vengeance against Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort (he found out in prison that they were responsible for his imprisonment). He finds, much to his horror, that his father has died of starvation, poverty stricken. Mercedes is gone. The story picks up again with Edmond (now styled the Count of Monte Cristo) in Rome, where he meets Albert de Morcerf (Mercedes' son with Fernand) and Franz D'Epinay, a friend of Albert's. They enjoy carnivale, Albert gets himself captured by Italian bandits, and the Count gets Albert freed because he's an old pal of the head of the bandits, Luigi Vampa. The Count and Albert become friends, and the Count hatches a number of plots to bring down the men who wronged him. It's a long story (and I won't share all the details) but Fernand kills himself out of shame when it becomes known that he was a traitor to France while fighting in Turkey (for a man who turns out to have been the father of Haydée, the Count's "slave"/ward) and after his wife and son leave him. The Count was going to fight Albert and kill him (when Albert found out that his father was accused of treason by the Count) but then the Count was going to lose on purpose (aka die) because Mercedes begged for his mercy (and she was the only one who recognized him from the get-go) but then Albert apologizes for challenging the Count when he realizes that his dad is basically a total tool. Danglars abandons his wife after his daughter runs off to pursue her singing career after his daughter almost married a man who turned out to be a thief and a murderer and who was actually (DUN DUN DUN) Villefort's son with Danglars' wife through an illicit affair. They don't realize this until the man, Benedetto, is on trial for murdering Caderousse (after he and Caderousse tried to rob and kill the Count - big mistake). Oh, and the Count basically bankrupted Danglars, so Danglars peaced out with the receipt from the Count and planned to make bank and leave the hospital (who was going to receive 5 million francs from Danglars) penniless. But of course the Count makes him pay by getting his Roman bandit friends to capture Danglars and starve him until he paid all the money back for food and then finally the Count reveals himself to Danglars and Danglars escapes with 5000 francs and gets to live because the Count is feeling a little over-vengeancy at that point. Oh, and Villefort's wife (it turns out, unrelated to the Count's vengeance agenda) has been poisoning his entire family (successfully killing Villefort's former mother-in-law (his first wife died) and father-in-law and his father's servant, and HE THINKS, his daughter Valentine, who the new wife didn't like because she was her stepdaughter, and we all know how stepmothers hate their stepdaughters when large amounts of money are involved that could be going to their darling little sons named Edward) and when Villefort tries to make her pay after he finds out by telling her she better kill herself before he throws her in jail, he goes to court only to have it revealed that Benedetto, the murderer and thief and almost hubby of Eugenie Danglars (he was called Andrea Cavalcanti and everyone thought he was a prince (thanks to the Count of course)) is his illegitimate son. Crazed, shamed, dishonored, and potentially in legal trouble, Villefort returns home, only to find the Count there (who reveals himself in another AHA moment) and his wife and son Edward dead at her hand. The Count is kind of horrified by the level of trauma at the Villeforts, though he secretly helped Valentine fake her death to save her life - and did I mention that the Count saved the Morrels from bankruptcy way back when and M. Morrel's son Maximilian and daughter Julie and her husband Emmanuel are the only people the Count loves and who love the count and that Maximilian falls deeply, madly, hopelessly in love with Valentine but she's engaged to Franz D'Epinay, and she only gets out of the marriage when Noirtier (Villefort's dad, Valentine's grandfather) [who happens to have suffered a stroke and speaks only through a series of blinks] reveals to Franz that he KILLED FRANZ's father back when Noirtier was a badass Bonapartist (but the death was from a duel of honor, not an ambush, like Franz thought). Oh, but then Maximilian thinks Valentine is dead (only the Count and Noirtier know) and he is sooooo sad and the Count keeps telling him to give him a month and then when he thinks he's dying because the Count offered to help him commit suicide (but really it's just a perception-altering hallucinogen, of which the Count has many), the Count reveals Valentine to him on the Isle of Monte Cristo and they stroll on the beach and Haydée reveals that she Loooves the Count and the Count decides maybe he doesn't have to die now that his vengeance is over and they disappear into the sunset.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

WHEW! That was exhausting! Well. Now I know for SURE what is in the unabridged version. I am glad that I got the full experience, though 1462 pages is quite a lot to take in. I think it would have been a real thrill to read it in serial form as it was originally published, but alas, it was not to be.

I loved this book, though I admit I did balk at the sheer enormity of the tome. I liked Edmond, and Dumas is truly a craftsman when it comes to merging descriptions and imagery with swashbuckle and romance. Ultimately, I got a little mired down by all of Edmond's various plots to complete his vengeance, and I felt that the three separate reveals to his accusers were a little much. But then again, the whole book has a very over-the-top adventure feel to it, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

Since the book is so long (and there really are a lot of great parts that I don't want to ruin for you if you haven't read the unabridged version - which, apparently, you probably haven't, since they don't sell it in that many places and the average book store thinks you CAN'T HANDLE IT) I'll share my feelings in a few choice quotes.

This one is from a conversation between Edmond and the Abbe Faria, toward the beginning of the book:

Edmond: "If you thus surpassed all mankind while but a prisoner, what would you not have accomplished free?"
Dantes: "Possibly nothing at all; -the overflow of my brain would probably, in a state of freedom, have evaporated in a thousand follies; it needs trouble and difficulty and danger to hollow out various mysterious and hidden mines of human intelligence."

I thought this was a fascinating concept, but also quite poetic. I'm not sure whether imprisonment would drive me to moments of brilliance or sheer insanity, but I suppose when one is imprisoned alone and when one is fully aware of one's innocence of any crime, the situation is rather different. Also, I think I probably could have handled 19th century prison better than I would handle the prison of today. What do you think? Not that I'm planning to go to prison or anything, but Edmond wasn't really planning on it, either.

Edmond to Mercedes: "From good-natured, confiding, and forgiving, I became revengeful, cunning, and wicked, or rather immovable as fate."

What would you do if three people in your life - not necessarily friends, but acquaintances who didn't really seem like they had any beef with you - just up and accused you of a crime, and you not only got arrested, but you were jailed for 14 years afterward? Would you be able to come out with a heart of forgiveness? Or would you let the rage fester and find a way to make them pay, like Edmond did? I like to think I would find a way to forgive them, but I really don't know if I could - especially if the deal included losing the one I loved and my closest kin.

I think the really heartwrenching thing about this novel is when Edmond really starts to question the extent to which he's playing God. He truly believes that he is acting on the behalf of Providence for a large portion of the vengeance gig, but after Villefort's son and wife die, he seems a little overwhelmed. I mean, I guess after the three men ruined his life, he feels he has the right to ruin theirs, but he ruined at least 5 lives, where they only tampered with one. I don't know; I get the whole maligned feeling Edmond channels during his vengeance, but I don't know how he is so driven by vengeance and devoid of love and real happiness. How much of his life did he spend ruining the lives of others? How much good could he have done in his own life and other people's lives instead? Maybe no one wants to read that book.

I'll close with this quote from the Abbe to Edmond, after the Abbe has helped Edmond to piece together the details of how he came to be imprisoned: "Is there anything I can assist you in discovering, besides the villainy of your friends?"

Adieu! I encourage you to tackle the unabridged version, just remember to bring your stamina and your patience for intricate, incestuous plots. I'm on to North of Purgatory. Or something like that. ;)

I am still working, but I require a brief respite.

2010-03-17T19:49:00.002-04:00

Dearest blog enthusiasts,

I'm not sure whether any of you have been waiting with bated breath for my next entry, but I am writing (alas) to inform you that it will not be coming in the immediate future. I am taking a brief hiatus to focus on preparing for a prestigious fellowship for which I have been selected as a regional finalist. I don't know what to expect, or if I have even the slightest chance of advancing, but I want to give it my full effort. This means I am not, therefore, giving my full effort to the poor Count of Monte Cristo.

I will, however, share a brief story about my efforts to procure a copy of the novel.

I was thrilled when I realized I would be reading the Count of Monte Cristo. I read the book (or so I thought) in 8th grade, and remembered loving it. I happily dug around my room for the copy I'd purchased around Christmastime from Borders. When I sat down and happily opened the cover, however, I was shocked (dismayed! horrified!) to discover that I had unknowingly purchased an abridged edition.

I promptly announced this shocking discovery to my roommate, who is also an avid fan of the Count. She happily offered to search for her personal copy of the book. She trundled away to her room and dug in the abyss that is her living space, emerging triumphantly with a smaller, but thicker, copy of the book. We opened the cover together excitedly, only to find that this copy was ALSO abridged.

I remembered that another one of my roommates had recently landed a crate full of classics from a coworker who had stopped loving them. I ran downstairs and rifled through the pile, triumphantly discovering yet another copy. Alas, this third copy was also abridged. I now found myself in a quandary; had I really read the book at all? How much had each of these copies removed from the true tale?

Thoroughly angry with Borders for having sold me a copy of the book that was abridged without telling me, I marched back to the store (without a receipt. or (ahem) even a price tag) and demanded an unabridged version. The clerk reluctantly (and in an extremely bored tone) offered me store credit toward the purchase of the unabridged version. I happily accepted, and ran to the "literature" section to find an unabridged version. I yanked out a copy and started walking back toward the front desk. Halfway there, I checked the page count of the unabridged version - a whopping 1462 pages! As I purchased the new version, I joked with the clerk about them trying to cheat me out of a thousand pages. "Look how much more there is! I would seriously have missed out with that abridged version, eh?" (To which she offered a small forced chuckle, which was followed immediately by the return of her completely blank stare. You work in a book store and you don't enjoy creepy book patron jokes? Come on!)

So, needless to say, the unabridged version is taking me some time. I'm over the 900 page mark, and I'm certainly enjoying it, but it's going to take me some time to finish it.

I hope you enjoyed this little tale, and I'll do my best to get back to this blog as soon as I can.

Happy St. Patrick's day! Ta ta!

Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad?

2010-02-21T17:56:00.004-05:00

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Wuthering Heights is a story of torrid love, violent hatred, revenge, passion, and one very small community in England. The story is told from the perspective of Mr. Lockwood, who is renting Thrushcross Grange (the neighboring estate to Wuthering Heights) from Heathcliff. Mr. Lockwood pays Heathcliff a visit at Wuthering Heights, and is astounded by the rudeness with which he is received. Heathcliff is a rather savage man, and the only other occupants of the house are a servant (Joseph), a gruff young man (Hareton), and Catherine Heathcliff, a young woman who we discover was married to Heathcliff's son, who is now dead. After Lockwood's horrendous visit to Wuthering Heights, he returns home to Thrushcross Grange. The housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange, Nelly, used to work at Wuthering Heights, and when Lockwood falls ill after his return, Nelly relays the story of Heathcliff's torrential past in full to Lockwood.

Wuthering Heights used to be owned by the Earnshaw family - Mr. Earnshaw and his daughter Cathy, and his son, Hindley. The family is getting along well until Mr. Earnshaw returns home from a trip with Heathcliff. Mr. Earnshaw found Heathcliff, a boy of seeming gypsy heritage, on the street with no family and decided to adopt him. Mr. Earnshaw spoils Heathcliff, to Hindley's dismay, and breeds discontent in the family. Cathy loves Heathcliff, and they frequently play together. When Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley relegates Heathcliff to the position of servant in the house, much to Cathy's dismay. Cathy continues to rebel with Heathcliff, spending most of her time contemplating running away with him. After Cathy and Heathcliff get caught out in bad weather, Cathy is taken in by the neighboring house (the Lintons) who own Thrushcross Grange. While there, Cathy develops a friendship with Edgar and Isabella, the Linton children.

Heathcliff disapproves of Cathy's new friendship, and resents Edgar. Cathy confides to Nelly that she has been seeing Edgar, and that she has accepted Edgar's marriage proposal, and Heathcliff overhears. He disappears for two and half years. Cathy and Edgar are married. (Hindley married a woman, Frances, but she dies after giving birth to their son, Hareton. Hindley resents Hareton because he is too grieved by the loss of Frances, and refuses to educate Hareton or bring him up as he should.) Nelly follows Cathy to Thrushcross Grange after the marriage, and Heathcliff suddenly reappears. After a few weeks of renewed friendship and passionb between Cathy and Heathcliff, Isabella falls in love with Heathcliff. Cathy is jealous and resentful, mocking Isabella and revealing Isabella's feelings to Heathcliff. Edgar is horrified at this news, and almost comes to blows with Heathcliff.

Cathy is distraught after the confrontation between Edgar and Heathcliff, and she starves herself into a fever. Isabella runs off with Heathcliff and they marry. Edgar disowns Isabella and shuns Cathy for a few days. Too late, it is discovered that Cathy is dying, and just before her death, she gives birth to a daughter, Catherine. Heathcliff is distraught after Catherine's death, and Isabella bears the brunt of his grief. Heathcliff savagely maintains Isabella as a prisoner, treating her with malice, not affection. Isabella eventually succeeds in running away, and she gives birth to a son, Linton Heathcliff. 12 years later, Isabella dies, and Edgar is called to London to her deathbed and to retrieve Linton and raise him.

Edgar brings Linton back to Thrushcross Grange and Cathy meets him briefly, but the very next day, Heathcliff takes Linton away from Edgar. Catherine is restless with her confinement (as per her father's orders) to the Grange, and eventually discovers and befriends Linton, much to Edgar's dismay. They sort of fall in love, and exchange a series of very passionate love letters. Edgar disapproves of the match, but Heathcliff forces them together for his own financial benefit and to punish Edgar. He captures Nelly and Catherine at Wuthering Heights and forces the marriage. Edgar dies, and Catherine escapes from the Heights just in time to say goodbye. She is then forced to return to the Heights, where Heathcliff delights in making everyone miserable. (Hindley drank himself to death earlier in the story, leaving himself completely indebted to Heathcliff, ergo, Heathcliff is now master of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.) Linton (who was sickly for his whole life, and of a very delicate disposition) dies. Catherine and Hareton strike up a bond (she tries to help him educate himself, after having scorned him and made fun of him for years for not being educated) and eventually fall in love. Heathcliff dies (Finally) after starving himself during an illness, and Hareton becomes master of both the Heights and the Grange. Lockwood returns after a few months away to hear the end of the story from Nelly, who is delighted at the way things have turned out. The book ends with Lockwood looking at the side-by-side graves of Edgar, Cathy, and Heathcliff.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Let's see... First impressions of this book were excellent. After reading Ulysses I was thrilled at the dark humor of the beginning of the story, and overjoyed to find a storyline that followed a generally clear narrative arc. As the story wore on, however, I found myself frequently confused by the various generations and near-incestuousness, not to mention a little bored with the "who's passionately in love with who" now details. On the whole, I did like it, and would recommend that others read it, as it certainly has a unique style and parts of it are truly enjoyable.

- I really kind of hated the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff. I mean, they had all of this unrealized potential, but they never truly dated, and Cathy was SO condescending toward Heathcliff as the story wore on. Not to mention the fact that Cathy and Heathcliff are both TOTALLY BONKERS. (Which they are. Completely off their rockers.) I mean, Cathy is a complete spoiled brat, who starves herself or throws herself into fits of hysterics every time she doesn't get her way, and Heathcliff just threatens to kill people or ruin their lives every time he doesn't get his way, and together they are just a whole kettle of crazy. If the book was about the two of them falling in love and getting married, who knows what their children would have been like, or if they would have killed each other before they got that far. I just didn't believe Cathy when she claimed that "If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it." That's a lovely turn of phrase and all, Cathy, but the fact of the matter is, you seemed to get along just fine with Edgar when Heathcliff disappeared for 2+ years. Oh, and when you follow up those statements with things like, "My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary."

Um... that's really not what I'm hoping for in life - a love that is "a source of little visible delight, but necessary". What a winning description of passion! Cathy goes on to say, "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now" as well as "He does not know what being in love is". I'm glad she has such high opinions of the man she claims to love so desperately. On the whole, I found Cathy to be a woman not worth desiring.

- Heathcliff, as mentioned before, was equally with faults. He imprisons women (with some frequency, I might add) abuses them physically, appears incapable of loving anyone but Cathy, and even there he seems to love with a sort of voracious and parasitic passion, and spends most of his life trying to make everyone around him absolutely miserable. I liked Heathcliff in the beginning of the book, but found very little to redeem him in the later chapters. I felt no true empathy with his character, and could not even mourn Cathy's loss with him.

- I think my biggest complaint about this book would be that there seem to be so many "stock" characters - the tenant/narrator, the tried and true servant who is right throughout the novel but to whom no one listens, the staid husband who is boring but loving, the silly fool of a little sister who makes a big mistake. Cathy and Heathcliff (though mostly detestable) were truly the only interesting characters in the whole book. I found Cathy Linton (or Cathy 2, as I like to call her) to be in some ways, even worse than her mother. She was spoiled completely rotten, and though she cared for her father, Nelly, and even Linton, she was such a jerk to everyone at the Heights that even Hareton's attempts to befriend her went unnoticed until the very end of the book because she was too busy feeling sorry for herself.

- I wanted to like this book because (a) it's so dark and twisted and gothic and cool and (b) because there are SO few women writers that got published at that time, but it was really mostly a let-down for me. I've got to reiterate what I said in my last post to Joyce - if you're going to write women, write them well or not at all. I'd rather be left out than misrepresented.

Also, on a random note, there are usually anywhere from 3 to 6 quotes in contention for my post titles. This was the first book where I spent over an hour just to come up with one, and I wasn't even really wild about the one I chose. It's from a letter Isabella writes to Nelly after she's returned to Wuthering Heights married to Heathcliff.

- Oh, and seriously. Does no one else live in the whole country? We have to marry the next door neighbors, and then our children have to marry each other? And what's with Cathy 2 and Linton Heathcliff? Now we're just reusing our last names and our first names - no originality allowed, eh? And what is Heathcliff (the elder)'s first name? We never get it. Nor do we ever get his back story. Or his medical history, which would most certainly have clued us in to those anger management issues.

Well, sorry this blog's not more enthusiastic. Like I said, I wanted to like this one. Also, I really need to get better at noticing the clues for these 19th century "oh my goodness by the way the characters were pregnant and then POP out comes a baby" moments. Reminds me of when I missed the rape in Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Mom told me it happened, and I was all, "Really? But there were just some long paragraphs about flowers and seeds? Where did the rape scene happen?"

But that's later on in the list! Off I go, to the Count of Monte Cristo!

With a swash and a buckle, tah tah.

Longest way round is the shortest way home.

2010-02-13T13:33:00.006-05:00

Ulysses by James Joyce

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So, I'm not entirely sure I can say with any certainty what "happened" in this novel. Here's my best assessment of events that actually happened/facts that I garnered. The book begins with Stephen Dedalus, a young man in his 20's, in Dublin, Ireland. He lives with his friend Buck Mulligan and another friend, Haines, in an abandoned castle. After they have a little breakfast, Stephen goes off to work. (He's a teacher.) We leave Stephen here and join up with Leopold Bloom, our true protagonist. Leopold Bloom has just woken up when we encounter him, and he goes out to get some food for breakfast for his wife, Marion. While he's out, we learn that he and Marion have a daughter, Milly, and that he's having an affair with a woman named Martha (or at least that's what he knows her by). He's using the pseudonym Henry Flower. (Haha, get it - Bloom? Flower?) Bloom then goes to a funeral - Paddy Dignam's - and meets up with a few friends, other middle-aged men from the city, including Simon Dedalus, Stephen's dad. We find out that Stephen and his father are sort of estranged (Stephen's mother has recently died of cancer, and for some reason Stephen feels responsible. I think he was in Paris when he found out she was sick, and didn't immediately return.) We find out later on that Stephen has several sisters, and that his family is very poor. Stephen does not live with them. We also find out at the funeral that Bloom's father, Rudy, commit suicide, seemingly after the death of Bloom's mother. Bloom also had a son, Rudy, who died. (I'm not sure how. Not sure whether we find this out or not.) Bloom also sells advertisements for a living. Bloom goes to work for a bit, then eventually we rejoin Stephen as he debates philosophy and Shakespeare with his pals. Bloom gets it on with a girl who is lame (Gerty) [note, lame as in physically disabled, not lame as in uncool] and may or may not have relations with a widow named Mrs. Breen. I can't say for sure. Bloom also goes out drinking, he has a wild and crazy dream sequence, and then he eventually makes his way home with Stephen. They talk and debate for awhile, and then eventually Stephen goes home. Bloom sleeps with his wife for the first time in over 10 years (since Rudy died) and the story ends with Marion's recollection of the day when Bloom proposed to her.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Caveat: Heads up, readers - this book was pretty bawdy, so I will be making some references and allusions that are not so kid-friendly. If you are of a sensitive nature, feel free to skip this entry.

Well, hello, blog enthusiasts of mine! Guess what? I finished it! I actually finished reading Ulysses! Now granted, I had a little help from nature, what with the 4 snow days I had last week, but still - this was no small challenge. I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the people who encouraged me to continue reading. This was definitely the hardest one to get through so far, and I couldn't have continued without the support of a few key people.

In terms of gut responses to this novel, I would say that I alternated between loving, hating, and being utterly confused by this book. I'm not sure what Joyce wanted us to get out of it, but I'm happy to share what I got out of it. Also, I want to recognize the fact that I did not use any additional sources (other than the occasional dictionary reference) to understand the book. I recognize that this limited my ability to understand it, but I also wanted to experience it as a "traditional reader" would. I know I missed some of the Ireland/Dublin political references, and I didn't even TRY to get the references to the Odyssey, because, let's face it, I just didn't think they were obvious.

Things I liked about this book:

- I loved the dream sequence. It was trippy as hell, and I really don't know what it was supposed to represent, but Bloom is accosted at various points by different women he sleeps with (including, at one point, a group labeled the "Sluts and Ragamuffins"), he's named King of Ireland at one point, he's put on trial by all of the women, and there's basically just an overwhelming amount of hilarity and completely bizarre occurrences. Bloom also undergoes frequent imaginary costume changes, which are extremely detailed and completely absurd.

- I enjoyed the "Budget for 16 June 1904" that he created. It includes all of his various expenses for the day, and also tells the story of the entire day from beginning to end.

- I loved the dialogue between author and reader at the end of the book, where the narrator started asking questions and answering them. He asks questions like, "What object did Bloom add to this collection of objects?" (Answer: a 4th letter received by Henry Flower) and follows up with questions like, "What pleasant reflection accompanied this action?" (Answer: That three women liked looking at his face that day (Mrs. Breen, Miss Callan, and Gerty, the lame one)

- I liked that Joyce used so many different literary forms to express the contents of one single day in the life of Leopold Bloom. He writes in stream of consciousness from Bloom's perspective, in play form, in question and answer format, in descriptive narrative, in lines of music, and in a completely uninterrupted stream of thought from Marion Bloom's perspective.

Things I did not like about this book:

- I did not like that it was so unbelievably difficult to understand.

- I did not like when he stopped using punctuation entirely in the last chapter. I suppose there was some purpose to this (letting us feel the complete flow of ideas from Marion as she, I'm not sure about this, but I've been told it's the case, orgasms) but I just didn't really get why he did it.

- I did not like that there were long sections of the novel where I understood what was going on only because my parents have cultivated an insane vocabulary in my brain, as well as provided me with an understanding of most allusions. I recognize that I am by no means "normal" in this regard, and I kind of resented understanding those passages, as my idea of a great author doesn't include trying his absolute hardest to make sure only the "academic elite" understand what you're trying to say. I'm all for elevating people's vocabularies, but I just felt like I was part of some "old boy's club" of Joyce's, and I didn't really enjoy the entry requirements.

- I did not enjoy the fact that much of this book is about a bunch of Irish men and their attitudes on life, and that their wives are often depicted as crazy, needy, or a lot obnoxious. This is a common problem in the classics I've read so far. Even the women writers tend to box our sex in - unnecessary! I am not to be defined by a few lines or a sweeping generalization, thank you.

Things I thought were intriguing/did not understand completely in this book:

- I thought that the deaths were intriguing (and really defined the relationships between people, in that the funeral was what brought Bloom in contact with Simon Dedalus and his other buddies) but didn't really get explained or probed in the book. Bloom lost his father and his only son, Stephen lost his mom, Simon lost his wife, and I still don't really know much about how any of those characters felt. I mean, we get glimmers here and there that reference moments or feelings, but I found that Joyce's writing style made character development difficult to comprehend as a reader.

- Like I mentioned before, I had a really hard time fitting any of the Odyssey onto this book. (1) I wasn't really sure if it belonged there. I know the book is called Ulysses, but it's also Joyce's book about Leopold Bloom. I didn't want to plop a huge allegory on the novel while trying to get a feel for Ulysses. (2) It's been a while since I read the Odyssey, so I'm rusty on the details. (3) I get that Leopold Bloom was on a "journey" through Dublin, and that he gets drunk and hangs with his buddies, and kind of comes home with his son (Stephen Dedalus isn't his son, but there's a paternal feeling toward him and he's about the right age to be his son, if a little old), kind of like in the end of the Odyssey when Telemachus and Odysseus initiate Odysseus' return to Penelope. And I suppose the whole not having relations with Marion for 10 years is like the 9 years that Odysseus spends away from Penelope, and the fact that she ultimately decides to remember when he proposed to her instead of thinking of leaving him (which she considers, as I think she's having an affair with Blazes Boylan, a friend of Bloom's).

I feel like I'm mostly just muddling further into the mire here, so I'm going to stop analyzing and wrap it up. Basically, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would, but I still don't think that it's accessible as a novel AT ALL, which severely lowers it in my esteem. I don't think every person should be able to read every book, but I also don't think you should write books for a handful of people. It's snotty.

In closing, I would like to add that I don't believe I am suffering from "the deficient appreciation of literature possessed by females," Mr. Bloom, (and Mr. Joyce, for that matter) I think I'm appreciating literature just fine. I'm sure that I could read this book over and over and get more out of it, but this particular blog is about giving each classic their one shot. Maybe when I'm done with this challenge, I'll return to the ones that merit a re-read. Maybe not.

This was the other quote in contention for the title of this posting, but it was too long to fit. Onwards to the olympics and Wuthering Heights.

"Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves."

Alexis's point of view

2010-01-28T19:06:00.002-05:00

Lexie (for those of you who don't know, my older sister) sent me her blog posting from when she read Brave New World last April. Again, for those who don't know Lexie, she was a little over a year into her Peace Corps service in Sénégal. I thought it was intriguing to see the difference in perspective, as well as the similar thread at the end. We're quite the family of bookreaders, eh?

from Tuesday April 7, 2009

"Sunday I spent the whole afternoon doing nothing but reading Aldous
Huxley’s “Brave New World,” which I picked up from the regional house
library. After finishing the book, I was struck by how unsettled it
made me, as reminiscent as it was of certain aspects of my Peace Corps
experience. The “civilized world” versus the “savage reservation,” the
triumph of the mechanical over the emotional, the power of
conditioning trumping instinct… all of it echoed with a strange
parallel to the reality I am now living. Huxley’s description of the
“savage reservation” in comparison to his futuristic “civilized
England” made me think about the typical, fresh-out-of-college
American PCV when he first sets foot in a remote African village, how
like the Alpha Bernard Marx when he first sees the pueblo on the
reservation, how like Beta Lenina Crowne when she witnesses their rain
dance.

And how strange it is that I should still feel this way in 2009, that
we should have such disparity between the “developed” and “developing”
worlds. Huxley wrote in the 1930’s that he had projected this distopia
for 600 years in the future. It’s more than scary then that not even a
century has passed since his vision, and the world is already in such
a divided state of advancement.

But progress is a relative term. Huxley’s words narrated by the Savage
resonated with me, as he spoke of “really living” and of claiming the
right to experience joy and sorrow, passion and pain, even though in
the “civilized” world those emotions would be a recipe for disastrous
“instability.” In this fictional far future, everyone is conditioned
(from the earliest stages of fetal life) not to have strong feelings
about anything or anyone, keeping everything in a “perfect” state of
balance and stability. But I agree with what Huxley was saying - that
you can only feel true joy if you’ve been to the depths of sorrow, can
only experience real passion after temptation and self-denial.
So as tragic as it was, I understood how the Savage could not continue
to live in the “civilized world” - because being a feeling person in
an unfeeling world is living torture.

If progress means losing all sense of what it is to be alive, then I
too would rather be “savage” than “civilized.” "

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Ulysses! 10 pages in - can't go back!

Was and will make me ill, I take a gramme and only am.

2010-01-27T19:51:00.002-05:00

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Brave New World is about a dystopic utopia. It describes a world in which everyone is conditioned from birth (after being genetically engineered) to believe that they belong in their specific caste (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon) and therefore should perform certain duties and live a certain way. In this world, people are also encouraged to have sex often with multiple partners, medicate with a drug called "soma" each night and sometimes during the day, and do whatever is necessary to ensure that they are never alone. Bernard Marx feels out of place in this world, as an Alpha who "looks more like a Beta" and actually enjoys spending time alone. He even (gasp!) wants to be in a monogamous relationship with one of the women he dates. Lenina (the woman Bernard wants to be with) is pretty "normal" according to this society; she takes soma often, she spews the phrases she was conditioned to believe from childhood, and she sees little to worry about. She travels to New Mexico with Bernard because she likes him (despite what everyone says about him) and they travel to a "savage reservation". The reservation consists of people who were deemed "not worth civilizing" according to the government, and seems to strongly resemble a Native American reservation. Bernard is fascinated by the crassness of the reservation, while Lenina seems merely repulsed. While on the reservation, Bernard meets Linda and John. Linda was formerly a Beta, and she was left by the now-Director (back in London) when they were on holiday because he thought she died. Turns out, she not only wasn't dead, she was knocked up, and because she gave birth to a child (completely taboo now that everyone is born in a science centre from a petri dish, not in a woman's womb) she could not attempt to return to London and rejoin civilized society. Bernard loves this story because the Director (his boss) is trying to get him kicked out of London and moved to Iceland (because he thinks Bernard is weird). So when they return to London with John and his mother Linda, the Director tries to get Bernard moved to Iceland, and Bernard whips out "the Savage" and "his mother". Everyone is fascinated/horrified, and the Director is disgraced. For a while, Bernard is happy, finally achieving recognition and fame in the society which previously shunned him. He shows off "the Savage" as he refers to John, and Linda takes so much soma that she eventually dies. John eventually refuses to stop letting Bernard show him off. After the death of his mother, John attempts to make everyone realize how odd their lives are. He tries to stop the distribution of soma, and Bernard (and his friend Helmholtz) stave off the crowd, but John is ultimately unsuccessful, and his cries are drowned out by the microphone blaring a message of calm and goodness and the "police" spreading fumes of soma to calm everyone down. In this state of delirium, John, Bernard, and Helmholtz have a discussion with Mustapha Mond, the head honcho. This conversation reveals that Mond used to be a dissenter of the society, but was given the option of either being deported to an island or being promoted to Controller, and he chose the promotion. Bernard and Helmholtz are deported to an island, but they are not really upset, because the island contains all sorts of dissenters and non-believers and interesting people. John wants to go with them, but the Controller won't let him. John decides to live on his own and repent for having let his mother die from taking all that soma and attempts to live on his own from society. He is quickly the object of great attention, however, as his monkish existence and propensity for self-flagellation are observed by lurking reporters and distributed widely to the populace. John gains more and more unwanted visitors who want to see "the whip", in other words, they want to watch him whip himself. Eventually Lenina arrives (who, by the way, loves John. I forgot to mention this. Also, she tried multiple times (unsuccessfully) to have sex with him, but he only wanted to read her Shakespeare and talk to her, which she found quite distasteful and odd) and John, who associates her with smuttiness and all that is bad with society, whips her (and, I think, though I'm not entirely sure) kills her. The crowd that had appeared eventually abates, and when they return the next morning, they see only his feet dangling, evidence that he has, presumably in despair at killing his love, hung himself.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

You know, for some reason I think these plot summaries are getting longer, which is not my intention. I think I'm just having a harder time weeding out what details are important and what details are secondary.

I really didn't like this book. I won't go so far as to say that I hated it, as I did see some merit in it, but I just really didn't enjoy the experience of reading it, nor did I feel that I learned some crucial lesson from reading it. Now perhaps my view is sullied by the 75 odd years separating me from the original copyright date of the book, but if it's truly meant to be a "timeless classic" I think the book should still feel relevant.

Maybe I've just read too many dystopia stories back to back (1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies) but this one just didn't feel scary, or funny, or really anything at all. I felt no connection to the characters, particularly as the novel went on, and not only did I not like the society, but I didn't care what happened to any of the people in or out of it.

I will discuss some things I found intriguing, as any "classic" always possesses some intriguing qualities, even if I cannot give it a smashing review.

- Soma. According to Google, soma is "a muscle relaxer that works by blocking pain sensations between the nerves and the brain." The drug description also suggests that soma is extremely addictive, and therefore should be avoided by anyone with an addictive personality or a history of drug addiction. I thought the soma was interesting, mostly when Huxley described the soma as a way to keep people from ever really thinking about their existence or about the existence of a god. I also liked the weird nursery rhymes and songs focused on soma, like the one in the title that Lenina recites.

- Huxley describes various games and sports in the novel that the people are encouraged to play, such as Obstacle Golf, Musical Bridge, and Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy. Supposedly the sports are created so as to force people to consume as many products as possible in playing them, so simple sports with a single ball or a racket and a ball are eliminated. I thought this was pretty funny. I'm not sure what Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy looks like, but it sounds kind of fun.

- One of the major features of society is "the Feelies". Sorry if I'm about to offend anyone here, but the Feelies are basically 3-D porn. John attends them with Lenina, and is completely horrified. I suppose this is indicative of simplifying our society to the most brainless and purely pleasurable activities possible (sports and sex) but I really think that reading and alone time aren't valued highly enough. Besides which the Feelies sound pretty messed up.

- Everyone is "death conditioned" from an early age, so that they will view death as a normal part of the world. Children are exposed to the dying and offered treats on "dying days", like chocolate soma creams and scavenger hunts. When John comes to see his mother Linda as she's dying, the nurse is (1) confused that he wants to see someone who's dying, as it's so normal there's no reason anyone should be near anyone else when it happens and (2) worried that he will mess up the conditioning of the children. He ends up yelling at several children when they appear behind his mother's bed as she dies, chocolate creams smeared on their faces, and ask dopily, "is she dying?" The funny thing is, I'm not sure children really get dying, so the concept of death conditioning at an early age seems nonsensical to me.

- The idea of conditioning everyone not only not to be equal (they tried an island of all Alphas and they killed each other) but to be pleased and happy with their various levels in the caste system is simultaneously brilliant and morbid. But what I think was odd was that there was not only no real system of punishment, no fear that anything truly bad would happen at the hands of the government, but that there seemed to be no one pulling the strings. In Animal Farm, the pigs are all ruled by Napoleon, in Lord of the Flies, it's first Ralph, then Jack, but here, there seemed to be no one leading this complex system. Everyone was complicit in the continuation of the society, but no one person stood out. Maybe because I didn't really hate anyone, I didn't really like anyone either.

- Ford is used to replace God in every context. Presumably this is in reference to Henry Ford, the creator of the modern assembly line, and therefore an icon in a world where people roll off the assembly line in the factory. Characters frequently say things like "Oh, Ford!" and "Our Ford" throughout the novel. I'm sure Bernard Marx is supposed to be a reference to Karl Marx, Lenina a reference to Lenin, and many more I can't recognize or don't care to.

The back of my copy of this book says that Huxley was "unquestionably the most brilliant social satirist of his time". Maybe it's because I'm not "of his time", or maybe I just don't get social satire (which is entirely possible) but I was not wowed by this one. If others have read it and remember strong feelings about it, please please share them. I'd love to hear what you think and perhaps be enlightened about what Huxley was hoping to convey. I mean, I get the whole, "watch out! our society is so amoral and we're heading somewhere crazy and if you don't wake up we'll just get worse and worse!" thing, but doesn't that ever get old? And maybe I just don't believe him because I live in the 21st century, and the Feelies don't really exist (as far as I know) any more than they ever did, and we're not all playing Obstacle Golf or sleeping with everyone we see. And we're certainly not all genetically engineered to be happy little Alphas or Betas or Gammas or Deltas or Epsilons.

Ugh. Now I just feel frustrated and annoyed. I am not amused, Aldous. If you hadn't died 47 years ago, I'd write you a letter and ask what you meant by this book. I suppose I could read various literary criticisms and studies, but I want to know what you meant, Aldous, not what they think you meant.

Ah, such is life. I may take two weeks for this next one, that ultimate challenge, Ulysses. I'll let you know when I come out on the other side.

I'll leave you with this - a conversation between Mustapha Mond and the Savage.

"We prefer to do things comfortably," said the Controller.

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."

"In fact," said Mustapha Mond, you're claiming the right to be unhappy."

"All right then," said the Savage defiantly, "I'm claiming the right to be unhappy. Not to mention the right to grow old and ugly and impotent; the right to have syphilis and cancer; the right to have too little to eat; the right to be lousy; the right to live in constant apprehension of what may happen tomorrow; the right to catch typhoid; the right to be tortured by unspeakable pains of every kind." There was a long silence.
"I claim them all," said the Savage at last.

Mustapha Mond shrugged his shoulders. "You're welcome," he said.

Okay, I'll admit it. I liked that part. ;)Maybe I did get it. Happiness without suffering is shallow and empty. Our trials define our triumphs.

Keep each other safe. Keep faith. Good night.

2010-01-21T19:04:00.003-05:00

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J.K. Rowling

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Book 1:
Harry Potter is our protagonist, along with friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He finds out at the age of eleven that he is a wizard and not only does he have magical powers, but he is famous in the wizarding world. His parents were killed by one of the most powerful (and evil) wizards of all time, Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort attempted to kill Harry after killing his parents, but was unsuccessful. Harry escaped at the tiny age of 1 with just a small lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Voldemort was presumed dead, disappearing from the wizarding world. He has not been seen or heard from since Harry's parents were killed, so Harry is viewed as both a celebrity and a hero by most of the wizarding world. Harry has been raised by his dreadful aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia, and co-habitates with their son Dudley. They despise him and the fact that he is a wizard (they are Muggles, aka non-wizards) and they are happy to send him off to Hogwarts, a school for wizards to which Harry is accepted. Harry meets Ron (who is from a large and somewhat poor family of wizards who have bright red hair) on the train to Hogwarts, and they become best friends. Later on, they become friends with Hermione, who is Muggle-born, but an extremely talented witch. Too many things happen in this book to list here, but the relevant parts are that the threesome befriends Hagrid, the gamekeeper, and, we find out later, a half-giant. They also get into a bit of trouble here and there, they are all in Gryffindor house (there are four houses at Hogwarts, Gryffindor (for the brave and loyal), Slytherin (for the sly), Ravenclaw (for the wise and intelligent), and Hufflepuff (all the rest - I know, stinks for Hufflepuff, eh?), they hate Draco Malfoy (in Slytherin) and they also hate Snape (Professor of potions). They like the headmaster, who is simultaneously quirky and sage, Albus Dumbledore. It turns out that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell, has been harboring a non-human form of Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort is trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, a powerful object that will give its owner eternal life, so that he can be fully restored to human status. Harry thwarts him in this plan (along with Ron and Hermione) and he defeats Quirrell (and Lord Voldemort) forcing Lord Voldemort to flee yet again. Harry is shocked by this (oh, and Harry is the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, a magical sport played on broomsticks) but recovers decently well, and the book ends.

Book 2:
Harry starts out at Vernon and Petunia Dursley's house. He meets a house elf, Dobby (house elves are enslaved by wizards, sort of like indentured servants), who appears in the Dursleys' home. Dobby tries to get Harry not to go to Hogwarts, but won't tell Harry why. Harry refuses not to return, as Hogwarts is his only real home. Ron rescues Harry from the Dursley's clutches with his father's bewitched flying car. When they get to King's Cross train station to catch the express to Hogwarts, Rom and Harry can't get through the magical gate to Platform 9 and 3/4 and they rashly decide to fly the bewitched car to Hogwarts. They are very nearly badly injured, but they make it there. As the book progresses, several scary things happen - a cat is petrified, followed by a few people, and finally, Ginny, Ron's sister, disappears. The walls bear messages in blood about the Chamber of Secrets being reopened by the heir of Slytherin. Harry hears voices that no one else hears, saying things like, "Rip, tear, kill." He is disturbed by this, but tells no one but Ron and Hermione. Harry discovers a diary that writes back to him, and he finds out it belonged to a Tom Riddle. Harry sees Tom Riddle's memories, and believes that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets when it was opened decades before. Hagrid is well-meaning, but harbors a love of dangerous creatures. Eventually, Harry finds the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and enters it with Ron. (Hermione gets petrified as well. No one is killed, it turns out, because the basilisk (aka giant snake) didn't look anyone directly in the eye (mirror, water, ghost, etc)) Ron gets stuck behind a rockslide, and Harry is forced to battle the basilisk and the ghost Tom Riddle. It turns out Tom Riddle is Lord Voldemort when he was younger, and the diary was an attempt for Voldemort to return to human existence (yet again). Harry escapes, Ginny recovers, and it turns out that the Malfoy's placed the diary in Ginny's bag earlier in the year and Voldemort possessed Ginny to write on the walls, open the chamber, etc. Harry heard voices because he is a Parseltongue (aka he can talk to snakes.) Dobby was the Malfoy's house elf, and so he knew about the plan, and was trying to save Harry's life. Harry gives him a sock at the end of the book (elves generally don't get clothes unless their masters are trying to set them free) and Dobby is free of the Malfoys.

Book 3:
Harry returns to Hogwarts, only to find out that a mass murderer, Sirius Black, is on the loose. Harry finds out Black is after him. He is later informed that Black betrayed his parents and led Voldemort to them, after being James' friend for years and years. Harry is befriended by his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (the last one had his memory obliviated in the second book in the Chamber of Secrets, which is good, because he was a bit of a prat) Remus Lupin. Harry learns how to fight dementors (creatures who suck out happiness from you and try to steal your soul, which happen to be stationed at Hogwarts to keep Black out) from Lupin, and creates a Patronus, or a spell that sends dementors packing. It was thought that Black killed Peter Pettigrew, another of James' friends, right after he had sold out Harry's parents to Voldemort, then blew up the street and disappeared. He was caught and imprisoned in Azkaban, the wizard's prison, but escaped somehow. At the end of the book, however, we find out that Peter Pettigrew is really Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. Pettigrew, James, Lupin, and Black were all good friends and they all became Animagi (they could turn into an animal - they never registered though, so no one knew). They did it because Lupin is a werewolf (taboo in the wizarding world) and so they could hang out with him when he transformed. Harry, Ron, and Hermione end up in the Shrieking Shack (the house where Lupin used to transform when he was at Hogwarts), where they find out that Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed Harry's parents, not Sirius. Sirius was framed. Sirius is also Harry's godfather, and Harry bonds with him immediately (after finding out that he was innocent). Pettigrew escapes (by accident) and Sirius is captured (no one will believe that he is innocent since Pettigrew is gone and wasn't registered as an Animagus). Harry and Hermione turn back time (using Time Turners) and manage to free Sirius, but they are unable to clear his name.

How are we doing? Still there?

Book 4:
Harry and Ron go to the Quidditch World Cup, which is a blast, until Death Eaters appear, torturing and humiliating Muggles (from under their hoods and masks) and the Dark Mark appears in the sky. Winky, a house elf, is blamed, but something seems amiss. Once back at Hogwarts, Harry is mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament (which is supposed to be for only wizards over 17). It is a competition between three wizarding schools: Beauxbatons (in France), Durmstrang (in eastern Europe), and Hogwarts. Harry is the mysterious fourth champion, and duplicate from Hogwarts (Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff was already chosen.) Fleur Delacour represents Beauxbatons and Viktor Krum (star of the Bulgarian quidditch team) is the Durmstrang champion. Harry is bewildered as to why he was entered, but participates just the same. He defeats a dragon to get a golden egg in the first task. He deciphers the story of the egg and realizes he will be underwater for the second task. He saves Ron and Fleur's little sister from the merpeople in the lake next to Hogwarts for the second task, not realizing that it was only magic, and that no one would really have been trapped at the bottom of the lake. He receives high marks in both tasks. For the third task, he enters a maze full of wizarding enchantments. Harry receives help with the tasks from Hagrid, Dobby, and Mad-Eye Moody, a former auror (person whose job was to fight the dark arts), who has been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Viktor dates Hermione, by the way. In the maze, Harry makes it to the end (just barely) with an injured Cedric. They decide to take the cup together, but the cup is a portkey (a magical portal) that transports them to a graveyard. Cedric is killed immediately upon their arrival, to Harry's horror. Peter Pettigrew uses Harry's blood to revive Lord Voldemort (by the way, Harry had been getting visions from inside Voldemort's head throughout the book) and Lord Voldemort takes corporeal form once more. He tries to kill Harry (because he's furious that Harry has managed to survive against him, the most powerful wizard in the world) but their wands connect, and Harry is saved by a spell that brings forth the ghostlike visages of his parents, who tell him what to do. Harry returns to Hogwarts with Cedric's body and announces that Lord Voldemort is back. Dumbledore believes him, though most everyone else doesn't, and Mad-Eye Moody steals Harry away. It turns out that Mad-Eye Moody is really Barty Crouch Jr., the son of a Ministry of Magic official who used to be a Death Eater (sorry, one of Voldemort's followers). It's extremely complicated, but he was impersonating Moody to help Voldemort return to power. He is discovered, but before he can testify, the dementors suck out his soul. Harry is extremely disturbed that Voldemort is back, and back to full power, and the book ends.

Book 5:
The Order of the Phoenix is reformed (the secret rebellion against Lord Voldemort that Harry's parents used to be a part of). Harry is transported to their secret headquarters (which is Sirius's old house, 12 Grimmauld place) and he is all angsty and upset because (a) he got attacked by dementors in the Muggle world, at his aunt and uncle's house, and he might be expelled from Hogwarts for using magic outside of school (though it was an emergency) and (b) no one has been telling him about what's been happening with Voldemort, and he's terrified Voldemort will appear and kill him at any moment. They return to Hogwarts only to find that Dolores Umbridge, a witch from the ministry, is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She is an extremely evil and nasty witch, and the Ministry refuses to admit that Voldemort has truly returned. Umbridge gets increasingly more powerful at Hogwarts, and eventually overtakes Dumbledore and is appointed Headmistress by the Ministry of Magic. Harry forms the D.A., or Dumbledore's Army, and helps many of his fellow students learn and practice defensive magic (because Umbridge refuses to teach them anything and makes them sit and read the book rather than doing spells). Harry has visions of a dark corridor (which it turns out are coming from Voldemort). He sees a snake attack Mr. Weasley while guarding something for the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry's vision saves Mr. Weasley's life. Frightened by this connection, Dumbledore has harry take Occlumency lessons from Snape (to learn how to keep Voldemort from invading Harry's thoughts). Harry hates Snape, though, and fails miserably at Occlumency because of this. Harry is tricked by Voldemort into going to the Ministry of Magic (the dark corridor) and the Department of Mysteries, because he thinks Voldemort has Sirius and is torturing him. Evil Umbridge tries to stop Harry and his friends from going to the Ministry, but they lead her into the forest and she gets attacked by centaurs. Harry and Hermione are saved from the centaurs by Grawp, Hagrid's half brother who is a giant. It turns out Voldemort was using Harry to go to the Department of Mysteries to get him to steal a prophecy that concerns the two of them. Harry battles Voldemort's death eaters (with the help of some of Dumbledore's Army) and the Order of the Phoenix arrives. The prophecy gets smashed (much to Voldemort's dismay) and no one hears what it says. Sirius is killed by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, a Death Eater, in the battle. Harry is horrified and feels responsible. Dumbledore battles Voldemort, but Voldemort disappears. Harry finds out that the prophecy says that he and Voldemort cannot live while the other one survives. (Aka, he has to be the one to kill Voldemort, and no one else).

Book 6:
Harry is depressed after Sirius's death, but he returns to Hogwarts and begins to deal with his grief. Horace Slughorn is hired to teach Potions and Snape becomes the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. (Snape, by the way, is a double agent, working for the Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort. Unclear where his true loyalty lies, though Dumbledore trusts him completely.) Harry takes private lessons with Dumbledore, during which he learns about Voldemort's past. Harry learns that Voldemort has created 6 horcruxes, which is to say that he has torn his soul into 6 pieces after violent acts. He stored those pieces of soul in extremely powerful magical objects to that no one can kill him without first destroying those 6 pieces of his soul. The diary from Book 2 was one (Harry destroyed it with a basilisk fang). Dumbledore discovers a ring that belonged to Voldemort's family (by the way Voldemort killed his dad and his grandparents because (a) he's evil and (b) his dad left his mom after the love spell she put on him (she was a witch, he was a muggle) wore off and after giving birth to Tom, she died.) and destroys it. Harry goes with Dumbledore on a journey to discover a third Horcrux, by traveling to a distant cave where Voldemort traveled as a child. Harry and Dumbledore barely escape from the cave, and Dumbledore is severely weakened, but they have a locket, which Dumbledore believes is the third Horcrux. Harry suspects that Draco Malfoy is up to something during the whole book, and on the night he goes to the cave with Dumbledore, he asks Ron and Hermione to watch out for Draco while he's gone. We also know (as readers) that Snape took an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco and fulfill his mission if Draco cannot. We don't know what the mission is. When Harry and Dumbledore return, the Dark Mark is set over the castle (which traditionally meant that Voldemort's Death Eaters had committed a murder). They rush back the castle, and Dumbledore puts a freezing spell on Harry as Draco bursts from the top of the Astronomy tower and disarms Dumbledore. Harry is hidden under his invisibility cloak. We find out Draco used a vanishing cabinet to transport Death Eaters into Hogwarts and his mission is to kill Dumbledore. He is unable to do it, and when Snape arrives on the scene, to Harry's horror, Snape kills Dumbledore. The Death Eaters are battling with students and members of the Order of the Phoenix downstairs. Harry tries to chase Snape, horrorstruck at Dumbledore's murder, but is unable to capture him. Many are injured in the battle, but no one is killed. Bill Weasley (Ron's brother) is attacked by a werewolf, but he doesn't completely become a werewolf. He is scarred for life, but Fleur (his betrothed) still loves him. Dumbledore's funeral is held at Hogwarts. Harry realizes that the locket is a fake, and there is a message from R.A.B. saying that he has stolen the real Horcrux in an attempt to destroy it. Harry doesn't know who this is, and is horrified to find that despite his battle with Dumbledore to get the locket, he is missing yet another Horcrux. Harry realizes he's in love with Ginny in this book, but he has to break up with her because he doesn't want Voldemort to use her to get to him. He tells Ron and Hermione that he won't be returning to Hogwarts because he has to keep on looking for the Horcruxes (a secret only he and Ron and Hermione know). Ron and Hermione promise to accompany him, and he decides to allow them to help him in his battle against Voldemort.

Book 7:
Harry works to destroy the Horcruxes while on the run from Voldemort with Ron and Hermione. They remain constantly hidden and narrowly escape the Death Eaters and Voldemort several times. They discover that R.A.B. was Regulus Black, Sirius's brother, and with the help of Kreacher (a formerly treacherous house elf) they find the real locket. They are unable to destroy it, but they carry it with them. Ron deserts Harry and Hermione because he is too depressed and hungry and downtrodden by their lack of a plan, but he returns (using a gift from Dumbledore's will, the Deluminator). He helps Harry discover the sword of Gryffindor, which Ron then uses to destroy the locket. While on their journey to find Horcruxes, Harry, Ron and Hermione learn of the existence of the Deathly Hallows, three extremely powerful magical objects which, when united by one owner, can defeat death. Harry is tempted to search for these (one is his invisibility cloak, which he owns already, he is convinced one has been left to him by Dumbledore in a locked Snitch (piece of Quidditch equipment), a Resurrection Stone, which brings people back from the dead, and the last is the Elder Wand, or the most powerful wand in the world, which will defeat any other wand.) Harry makes a decision not to go after the Hallows, though he knows Voldemort is close to finding the Elder Wand. Harry also goes through a crisis of faith about Dumbledore, having been told many disturbing stories about his past, and not being able to verify with Dumbledore as to their veracity or lack thereof. This plagues him throughout the book. Harry, Ron and Hermione are captured by the Death Eaters after a mishap, Hermione is tortured using the Cruciatus Curse, but they escape with Dobby's help. Dobby is killed in the escape, to Harry's utter despair, and Harry buries him. They discover (from the Death Eaters) that Voldemort is hiding something in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault in Gringotts, a wizards bank. They hatch a plan and break in. They make it into the vault (Hermione is disguised as Bellatrix) and they find a Helga Hufflepuff's cup, which is another Horcrux. They narrowly escape with their lives (riding a dragon out of the depths of the bank's caves) and they have the cup, though no way to destroy it. Harry realizes from a vision that Voldemort now knows that Harry has been destroying Horcruxes. Harry discovers that (other than Voldemort's snake, which we now know is a Horcrux) the last one is at Hogwarts. Snape is headmaster there (to Harry's disgust) and Harry, Ron, and Hermione break back in with the help of Neville and Luna (former members of Dumbledore's Army). Harry discovers the last Horcrux, which is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, which Voldemort has hidden in the Room of Requirement, a magical room that conforms to the needs of the wizard's demands. They manage to destroy it (accidentally, using Fiendfyre, a dangerous curse set off by Crabbe, one of Malfoy's lackeys) and they save Goyle (another lackey) and Draco in their escape from the fire. Harry, Ron and Hermione follow Voldemort to the Shrieking Shack in an attempt to kill the snake, but they watch Voldemort murder Snape. It turns out that Snape had killed Dumbledore as part of a master plan. Dumbledore was already dying because he accidentally cursed himself by putting on the second Horcrux, Voldemort's ring. He knew he had only a few months to live, and by asking Snape to kill him, he hoped that the Elder Wand (which we finally realize Dumbledore had won in a duel against Grindelwald, another powerful but evil wizard) would pass to Snape, thereby keeping it from Dumbledore. Voldemort kills Snape so that he can become the true owner of the Elder Wand. As Snape dies, he offers Harry his memories. From these memories, Harry learns that Snape loved Harry's mother, Lily, from when they were children. He turned on Lord Voldemort when he found out his plans to kill Lily, and he spent the years after her death trying to protect Harry in secret. Harry also finds out from Snape's memories that he has to let Voldemort kill him, as part of Voldemort's soul is in Harry because of the curse Voldemort tried to perform on him as a child. So long as Harry lives, Voldemort still lives. Harry approaches Voldemort and Voldemort kills him. Harry sees Dumbledore in his dreams (and or/heaven) and discusses things with him. He discovers that he has not really died, just the part of Voldemort's soul in him died. Harry wakes up but plays dead, letting the Death Eaters show off his body with Voldemort to the rest of the wizards doing battle. Voldemort believes he has won, but while he tortures Neville, Neville breaks free and kills Voldemort's snake. The battle continues, and Harry eventually reappears, to everyone's triumph. He realizes that Draco is the true owner of the Elder Wand (because he disarmed Dumbledore BEFORE Snape killed him) and therefore Harry, who dueled Draco's wand away from him when the Death Eaters captured him earlier in the book, is the True and rightful owner of the Elder Wand. Voldemort tries to kill Harry and Harry casts a spell to disarm Voldemort. Voldemort dies from the rebound of his own curse and the Death Eaters are defeated. Ron's brother Fred dies in the battle, along with Remus Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks, who just gave birth to their child Teddy and named Harry godfather. Harry is extremely dismayed by all of the tragic deaths, but Voldemort is defeated. The book lurches forward 19 years, and we find that Harry is married to Ginny and has three children (Albus Severus (Snape's first name), Lily, and James). Ron and Hermione are married (did I mention they date from the end of the 6th book on?) and their children are friends with Harry's kids as well as Teddy, Lupin's son. And Voldemort has never returned, which we know because Harry's scar hasn't prickled in 19 years.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Whew! Did you make it? I sure did. My hands actually hurt from all this typing. Sheesh! Well, to my lovely blog enthusiasts and devotees, hello! I'm sure you missed me. :) I got caught up in the holidays, as well as in the adventure of the Harry Potters. Ragina, my roommate, yelled at me for saying I was "bogged down" in the Potters, which is truly blasphemous. They are a magical journey, a wild ride, and every minute is joy when I read them. I know that some people will insist on arguing that they are not classic, but if we define classic as "something with lasting worth or a timeless quality", then Harry Potter had better be on the top of that list. Rowling writes with eloquence, humor, compassion, creativity, anger, fear, and delicacy. She handles issues of racial inequality, questions of good and evil, children forced to mature at an alarming rate, and lifelong struggles with demons. And she does it with style.

I don't want to blog too long on these, because, though I love them, I don't want to give them away. I know I'll read them many times in my lifetime (in fact, I already have) and I want to rediscover the magic each time. I told my roommate Ragina that I couldn't really remember the 7th one, and she said, "Well, well. You're in for an adventure. I wish I could go on that adventure with you." And I said, "But surely you can! We must have more than one copy of the book!" To which she replied, "Oh no. I will never be able to read it as if for the first time again. I remember it too well." And it made me think of the children in Narnia, when they can't return to Narnia after a certain age. There is a profound, and sometimes for me, a truly desperate sort of sadness that follows the end of a truly great book, or series of books. And to be able to grow up with the Harry Potters, to follow them as they were physically in the process of being created, was such a pleasure, and one that cannot ever be truly replicated now that the series is complete. Rowling's series were the holders of a magical energy, and now that they are available in a complete set, a tiny bit of that magical energy is lost. I suppose I could hide the books from my children and make them hunt for the later books, but it's really not the same as knowing that the next book in the series doesn't even exist yet.

Now seems like an appropriate time to share this story. Many of you have already heard it. I studied abroad in France the fall of my junior year in college, in 2005. The 6th Harry Potter was released in the summer of that year, I think in June. I read it voraciously, and wept at Dumbledore's death. I thought little of the book once I got to France, until I found out my family were huge Harry Potter fans. My host brother was learning the saxophone, and would frequently squeak out the few bars he knew of the Harry Potter theme song from the movies (Bum Bum Bum Bum Bum Bum Bum, Bum, Bum bum bum bum, bum bohmmmmm). This was much cuter than my host sister, who frequently practiced the bach double (right next to my room). She was not so cute.

Anyway, after months of trepidatious dinners, during which I responded only to direct questions from my host mother, I understood an entire dinner conversation. My family had guests over, and they were fervently discussing "arree pottair." I realized what was going on, and proudly waited for my host mother to ask for my opinion. She did, and I declared, triumphant, "Moi, je pense pas que Dumbledore est mort. (I don't think Dumbledore is really dead.)" There was a deafening silence at the table, after which my host sister mumbled, "Dumbledore n'est pas mort. Non, Sirius est mort, oui. Mais Dumbledore? Non." (Dumbledore isn't dead. Sirius is dead, but not Dumbledore.) Mortified, I stared blankly into my plate. Conversation sputtered back to life, and I didn't speak at the table again for several weeks. On my way to class several days later, I walked past a book store. I glimpsed a huge Harry Potter sign, scanned it, and then came to an abrupt halt. I stared at the poster again, just to be sure, but there was no denying it. The poster advertised the release of the 6th Harry Potter. The book was to be released in France in two weeks. I had ruined the ending for my entire host family. I find this to be one of the funnier stories from my time abroad now that I can reflect on it, but I'm fairly sure my host sister never looked at me the same way after I so neatly destroyed her potential enjoyment of HP 6. Ah well. I never really liked her anyway, after that terrible violin playing.

Okay, well I'm hungry and I want to watch the Office in 9 minutes, so here are my two nuggets.

I love fantasy because it makes me feel alive in a way that nothing else does. I cry, I laugh, and I feel completely at one with the characters. This will always always always be my favorite genre, and no one will ever convince me otherwise.

I realized that I love fantasy because it allows the characters to become heroes in the battle against evil. In most of the fantasies, there is a somewhat clear line between what is good and what is evil. Sometimes evil is represented by monsters, sometimes by dark magic, and sometimes by humans who have "gone bad." In real life, the line is never so clear. In fact, I think the lines between good and evil have never been so muddled before in the history of time. What I know for sure is that we are all humans, and we all share common things. It may not seem like it, but it is absolutely the case. I can never feel assured that I am "battling evil" because I refuse to believe that anyone or anything is truly the purest form of evil. I, like Anne Frank, will choose rather to believe that there is good in everyone.

I cried like a baby at the end of the 7th book. I'm damn proud of it. I'm proud that I can feel things so acutely, that I can express true joy and true sorrow in the same half hour, and I'm proud that I can enjoy and savor and love the written word. People who don't read fantasies, especially ones that are written as well and as painstakingly and as carefully as the Harry Potters are REALLY MISSING OUT. I'm telling you. If you haven't read the books, or if you've "read a few lines of one, and a few lines of another", go give them a try. They really are masterpieces.

Words can't express my feelings of effusive enthusiasm for the books enough. And if you've read the Harry's, by all means, read them again. Don't you dare get bogged down in them. Get mired in them. Dig deep into the world of Hogwarts and magic and mystery and delight, and after you've drowned in the sumptuous wonder of Rowling's creation, resurface for air, and enjoy the sunlight in the sky, the wind on your face, and the pure mastery of life and existence in this world where evil (a murky and often faceless evil) stands ready to be defeated, battled, and, often, endured.

And I forgot! The title is from Potterwatch, a secret radio station that supporters of Harry create in the 7th book. It's the signoff that Ron, Hermione and Harry hear just before they are captured by the Death Eaters.

But truly, truly it's not my fault, or only my fault a little bit...

2010-01-02T20:56:00.004-05:00

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Anna Karenina is the story of a family. It follows Anna, her brother Oblonsky and his wife Dolly, her sister Kitty and her eventual husband Levin, Anna's husband Karenin and her lover Vronsky, and Levin's two brothers, Koznyshev and Nikolai. Dolly's husband (Anna's brother) has a few pre-marital affairs, and in the beginning of the novel, Anna comes to reconcile Dolly with her brother after one of those affairs. Dolly and Oblonsky remain semi-happily and semi-unhappily married for the rest of the novel. Anna, however, meets Count Vronsky while visiting her brother, and ends up starting an affair with him that turns into a long-term relationship. She leaves her husband Karenin after several months of seeing Vronsky, but is unable to obtain a divorce from her husband, and unable to obtain custody of her son, Sergei. She becomes pregnant with Vronsky's child during their affair, and takes the child, Annie, with her when she runs off with Vronsky. Levin is a friend of Anna's brother, and he wants to marry Kitty from the beginning of the novel. Kitty is dating Vronsky at the novel's start, however. Kitty falls ill after Vronsky deserts her for Anna, and it is only after a long recuperation period that she and Levin end up getting engaged. How are you doing? Lost yet? I know I'm not doing the best job I could. Sorry! Levin works on a farm and loves it, maintaining an odd relationship with the peasant/worker class of people he employs. He works alongside them, attempting to eradicate the hierarchy between them, but is fairly unsuccessful, and comes up with a rather muddled argument as to where he stands on their rights. Anna ends up greatly shamed by her friends and society when she runs off with Vronsky, especially because she thinks she's getting a divorce and moves to Moscow, back into society, only to find out that her husband will NOT grant her a divorce. She constantly second-guesses her relationship with Vronsky, wondering if he could possibly still love her, and she gets consumed by fits of jealous rage and irrational thought. She eventually throws herself under a train (in part because she's severely unhappy and in part to spite Vronsky). Vronsky is devastated and joins the army, hoping to give his life for a valiant cause. Kitty and Levin are together, and they have a lovely son Mitya. (Levin's brother Nikolai does not make it to the end of the novel - he dies from consumption. Oh, and Levin has a huge crisis of faith, but he manages to overcome it and realizes that he truly does love his son. He didn't love him at first because the child caused so much pain to Kitty, and Levin feared that the child would kill the woman he loved so much. Levin also sort of gets over his overwhelming fear/confusion about death and the meaning of life. Emphasis on the sort of.) THE END!

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Well, I have good news and bad news for you, blog readers. Which do you want first? The bad? Okay, I like hearing the bad first, too. The bad news is, I FORGOT Anna Karenina in my mother's car at the end of my holiday break. I know, hello, dummy! Ready for the good news (now that we've dispensed with the bad)? (I'm not really sure where the parentheses goes or where the question mark goes in that sentence. Whoops!) The good news is, I GOT A NEW COMPUTER! After several months of saving (following the untimely decease of my previous model) I have finally managed to purchase a lovely, brand-spanking new white MacBook. When I went into the store, I asked for a PowerBook (which was the model before the iBook, for anyone who remembers. Hagh!)

So I'm writing this blog on my very own computer for the first time.

Since I'm without Anna, I'm going to change pace a little and write a slightly different blog entry from my usual ramble. I'd like to talk briefly about two of the characters, the two I identified with the most: Anna and Levin.

I thought I'd identify with Anna the most, because, well, the novel is seemingly about her. I found myself much more in Levin, though, particularly as the novel wore on. Just as a backstory for those who don't know, I was assigned to read this book around the time of my existential crisis at the end of my study abroad in France. We were supposed to read classics at an insane pace (funny coming from me, I know) and Anna was the last assigned book. I regret to say that I resorted to reading the SparkNotes for the book at that juncture. I thought reading it might be hard, might bring back memories from that time. Somehow, though, it was totally different than I expected. Here's why.

- Anna sees the world in a very particular way. She makes decisions that baffle me (perverse and often baffling - see This American Life w/Malcolm Gladwell - hilarious) and they make it virtually impossible for me to see her point of view. For instance, she doesn't leave her husband for an Incredibly long period of time, then she decides she will leave him, then he sort of offers her a divorce, then she doesn't take it, then she wants it and he won't offer it. She can't find a way to love her child with Vronsky because she's so blinded by her affection for her son Sergei, but she barely tries to retrieve him, and rather spends most of the book in a strangely cloaked state of utter despair. She carries on her normal life, but everyone can see she's deeply troubled. I guess what really got me was that she's totally dissatisfied at every juncture. She's not happy in the beginning (she doesn't really like her husband OR her son - they bore her) she's happy when she's with Vronsky in the affair, but unhappy that she's making things confusing around her son, and then she's unhappy when she's finally with Vronsky full time because she wants to be recognized by society and she wants her son and she wants a potty she wants a teddy, me, me, me, My, My, My, Now, Now, NOW! (Sorry, the Hook quote overwhelmed me. Had to put it in.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that Anna seemed like a completely selfish being to me. She didn't want her son with her because of his happiness - she wanted him because he made HER happy. And though she says she loves Vronsky, she's Constantly claiming that he's with other women, or convincing herself that he doesn't love her anymore, and I get that she's in a weird situation because she's not married to him, and I suppose there's an argument to be made that she's actually mentally unhinged, but I guess I just didn't see it. I didn't truly believe that Anna was mentally unstable, ergo, I didn't sympathize with the poor choices she made and the people she hurt along the way. And maybe Tolstoy's point wasn't for us to side with Anna, but it seems to take away from the poetic brilliance of her death if it serves only to make us feel that Anna was simply saying to everyone, haha! joke's on you! Which is really what it felt like to me. It felt like she killed herself out of spite, not out of true desperation.

- Levin, on the other hand, is an extremely intriguing character. He makes mistakes, too, I'll give you that, but he really seems like he's trying. He's really one of the only characters who seems to truly be giving social hierarchy some thought, and though I don't always (or often) agree with the arguments he makes, I give him credit for arguing at all. I loved the rustic quality of his existence (perhaps because my family had a farm for many years, and I have a longstanding nostalgia for the idea of a family farm) even though he was still very much a wealthy man living in a country house that was run by his peasants, and not by him. But what I liked about Levin was his honesty, his willingness to question conventional thought without fear of retribution. He wonders quite openly about the existence of God, about what happens after death, and whether his life is truly imbued with any meaning. And when his son is born, he doesn't feel the standard affection for him, instead feeling an overwhelming sense of repulsion. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning feeling revulsion towards your offspring, just recognizing that it can happen, and that feelings other than the status quo are to be discussed, not shoved under the rug. Just so you know, Levin freaks out when he thinks that Kitty and the baby have been squashed by a falling tree in a lightning storm, and it is after this moment that his love and affection for his son resurfaces. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the world could do with more Levins, and probably also with fewer Annas. But then again, maybe this is exactly how Tolstoy wanted this book to be read. Maybe this was all part of his master plan. Too bad we can't read his blog.

By the way, the title of this blog is a quote from Anna, after she's stolen Kitty's love (Vronsky) away from her at a ball.

Well, I'm off. I'm falling disastrously far behind with the Potters, and must catch up. Have to fly, have to fight, have to crow. Have to save Maggie, have to save Jack.

Hook is back.

In a little while, it ain't gonna be so bad. In a little while.

2009-12-21T12:52:00.003-05:00

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

The Grapes of Wrath is about family, love, sacrifice, struggle, and redemption. It chronicles the life of the Joad family as they move from Oklahoma to California after they're run off their land. Ma is the matriarch with a will of iron. Pa is strong and well-meaning, but secondary to Ma where family power is concerned. Noah, the oldest son, is a little batty and keeps to himself. Al is a typical teenage boy who just wants to work on cars and get himself a lady. Rose of Sharon (Rosasharn) is their daughter in her late teens who's carrying a child. Connie is her husband (who has a few too many high-minded ideas). Ruthie and Winfield are the youngest children. Uncle John is their relative who lost his wife (and blames himself for her death because he thought she had a stomachache and she ended up dying). Grandma and Granpa are sweet and funny characters, and the preacher (Casy) who isn't a preacher any more tags along with the family on the journey out west. The whole pack of 13 starts off, and by the end there are only 6. Grandma and Granpa both die before the family finds work in California. Noah strolls off by a river and decides to stay and fish there for the rest of his life. Connie runs out on Rosasharn. The preacher goes to jail to save Tom (they got in a fight with a mean deputy) and then he is later killed for leading a strike at a peach farm. Al ends up splitting from the family to stay with a woman (Aggie) and Tom is forced to leave his family for their safety and his after he attacks a few men after watching them kill Casy. The family has a really rough time of it when they get to California. They live in a Hooverville, a government camp, on a peach farm, and on a cotton farm, but they rarely have enough to eat and the outlook is always very grim. At the end of the novel, there's a huge flood, and the family escapes to an abandoned barn (after Rosasharn gives birth to a stillborn child). The Joads find a boy and his father, and the father is dying of starvation. The boy begs the Joads to help, and Rosasharn closes the novel by offering her breast to the dying man.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

In terms of impressions, I really enjoyed this book. The ending depressed hell out of me (as Holden Caulfield would say) but I understood its necessity and appreciated its poignancy.

- When Tom comes looking for his family after he's been released from jail (oops! forgot to mention that in the plot summary, didn't I? Well, he went to jail because he got in a fight with a guy (before the novel starts) and after he gets stabbed, he smacks the guy's head in with a shovel. He gets paroled early for good behavior, and we first meet him when he's hitching a ride to get home to his family.) he brings a turtle for Ruthie and Winfield. He ends up letting it go, but asserts that every kid has a turtle at some point in life, but no kid can keep a turtle, because they have a way of running off. REMEMBER PALOMA, lexie and dinah? (For my other readers, we used to have a lovely turtle named Paloma. She ran away. I understand the irony of this statement.)

- There's a part in the book where truck drivers are contrasted with the migrants moving west. The truck drivers leave great tips at truck stops, whereas the migrants beg for food or for lower prices, which makes the truck stop workers angry. I wonder if there's a similar feeling today about truck drivers vs. the average traveler.

- I wanted to throttle Connie for running off on Rosasharn. Granted, Rosasharn is a little whiny and needy, but it was so sad that Connie claimed he would go to night classes, and save up money, and put Rosasharn up in a lovely beautiful home, and then he just up and left.

- We made Hoovervilles in social studies class in high school. They don't seem as fun or funny now that I've read this book. Maybe it should be assigned reading to go along with that activity.

- When Tom had to leave the family, I was so sad! And I was really angry at Ruthie (she blabs about Tom having gotten in a fight, and so he has to go. She's just a little girl, but still - how stupid can you be?) He tells Ma that he thinks maybe his soul is just a piece of a bigger one, (like Casy told him) and therefore, he'll be around all the time. Any time children "laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready" or when "folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build" he'll be there. I like this sentiment, but I would have liked it just as much if we could have had any idea what happened to Tom in the end. Alas, we are not to know!

- This book alternates between the narrative of the Joad family's journey and these stream of consciousness chapters. I still don't know if I quite understand the purpose or the effect of those passages, but I think I liked them in the end. I guess they're to give us perspective from outside the protagonist family.

- Ma tells the family to "redd up the camp." I always thought "redding up the rooms" was a Pennsylvania Dutch saying. Maybe not.

- Ma is the true heroine of this novel. She holds the family together through thick and thin. She sacrifices her life and her memories without complaint. She lays beside Grandma in the back of the truck after Grandma has already died, and she doesn't tell anyone until they're safely across the border into California. She threatens her husband with a jack-handle when he makes decisions that threaten to break up the family. (Ha! I was just talking to Dennis about the way Steinbeck reuses words in the same sentence, with no fear of the redundancy of repetition. Guess it's catching on!) She is totally selfless, loving, and giving, and everything a good mother should be and is forced to be when her family is at stake. I must say, it was awfully refreshing to see such a strong female character at last.

- The nipple thing at the end of the book is a little bizarre, but I guess it speaks to the idea of common humanity and new beginnings. From tragedy (the loss of Rosasharn's baby) comes a continuation of life (feeding the dying man her milk) and a reference to a return to the start, to the beginning of life. What poetry there is in this.

- This book is about working with what you've got, not complaining about it, and always, always, always, helping others along beside you. It's a moral we can all stand to keep in mind, particularly at the end of this year of hard times. Don't forget - when you're down and out, reach out your hand. Someone is always there beside you.

On to Anna Karenina and Maine. Happy Holidays to all!

I'm frightened. Of us.

2009-12-12T22:35:00.002-05:00

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Lord of the Flies is a story of adolescence. It tells the story of a group of British boys who are stranded on an island. There are no grownups, so one boy, Ralph, takes charge. He is elected chief of the group, despite the fact that another boy, Jack, wants to be in charge. Jack is the ringleader of a group of boys who are all in a choir together. Ralph is voted the leader, and he declares that two things are essential: smoke (for a signal) and shelter. Jack wants to hunt the pigs on the island, so he takes his crew out to hunt. After a while, a few boys announce that a beast is living on the island. This is debated for some time, and this 'beast' eventually forces the boys off the top of the mountain where they had been keeping up their fire. Eventually, competition rears its ugly head, and Jack forces a schism in the group. Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and a pair of twins (Samneric) are left with the 'littluns' and Jack and his crew turn savage, painting their bodies and hunting wildly. There's a moment of almost reconciliation between the two gruops, but a frenzied dance and the bizarre approach of an unknown creature that is somehow assumed to be the 'beast' leads to a brutal murder. It turns out the unknown creature that frightened the group was Simon, and he was trying to tell them that the beast is simply an old corpse stuck in a parachute and pilot's clothes. After this, the group splits gain. The savages come in the night and steal Piggy's glasses (which are the only way to start a fire). Piggy, the twins, and Ralph go to the home of the savages (Castle Rock) to get Piggy's glasses back, but things don't go as planned. Ralph is attacked by Jack, the twins are captured and tortured into joining Jack's tribe, and Piggy is forced off a cliff to his death. The savages then focus all of their attention on hunting Ralph. They throw boulders at him, chase him, and eventually light the whole island on fire in an attempt to catch (and/or kill) Ralph. Just when we think Ralph is done for, he is saved by a navy officer, who has just arrived in a ship. The officer says he saw their smoke signal, and the boys are rescued.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

This book was excellent, in my opinion. My opinion of the book was only enhanced by the fact that I work with middle school boys, all of whom could easily have slipped into the characters in this book. I especially see the connection between Piggy and Ralph with a pair of boys in my after school program, and it made me want to watch those boys very carefully from now on.

- I think it's interesting that the whole premise of the book is that there are no grownups. What would the story have been like if there had been one grownup? Two? Just a thought.

- Jack has a fascinating character development in the novel. He goes from saying things like, "I ought to be chief. I can sing C-sharp." to leading chants of "kill the pig, cut her throat, spill her blood", to suggesting that they use a "littlun" next time they need to re-enact the play of hunting a pig, to making his followers chant, "the chief has spoken", to ruling the island in a chaotic, despotic rule of violence. It's evident from the beginning of the novel that he seeks control, and that he is fiercely interesting in killing animals, so it's not really that big of a jump to the end result, but he is just a teenage choir boy who ends up leading a guerilla gang. I guess that happens fairly often in other countries, actually. And though my students are all really good boys and girls, it's hard to know what would happen if they were stranded for such a long time and leadership and communication broke down.

- When Jack and his boys kill a pig, Golding writes that they landed "heavy and fulfilled upon her". This felt pretty intensely sexual, and was in fact the only reference to any kind of desire other than violent hunting desire, which is interesting considering we are dealing with a pack of adolescent boys.

- The "Lord of the Flies" turns out to be the head of the pig, which Jack and his boys leave on a stick as a gift for "the beast". It's ironic that the beast turns out to be nothing more than a deceased human. I suppose it speaks to the idea that the beast is within us, not some massive creature with claws and wings. The fact that Simon is killed when he runs up to the group in the dark trying to announce the news that there is no beast at all is upsetting and horridly ironic.

- The title of this post is a comment Ralph makes after what happens to Simon. Based on the way the book ends, Ralph should be scared of the boys.

- Piggy (who isn't really done justice in the synopsis, which I apologize for) is a pudgy boy who serves as the brains behind Ralph. He is really very sweet, but gets picked on for the majority of the novel for his size, his glasses, and his ass-mar (think asthma with a British accent). Piggy tries to reason with Jack and his gang when he goes to demand the return of his glasses, saying, "Which is better - to have rules and agree? Or to hunt and kill?" After which, a large rock sends Piggy off a cliff to his gruesome death. So, I guess they answered that question for him.

- Ralph is an extremely intriguing character, in that he's pushed to be chief by Piggy, and several times seems to want rather to follow than to lead, but he ends up being the hero of the book (along with Piggy and Simon, of course). He describes several times a "curtain in his brain" that keeps him from focusing on the idea at hand. I know exactly what he means! Sometimes, (and I find it happens quite often when I'm speaking with a student about having done something wrong) I feel a curtain slide across my brain, and I can't clearly elucidate what's wrong with the behavior I'm seeing. Don't worry! I don't think the students notice, as the curtain moment is never more than a split-second, but it feels just the way Ralph describes it.

- Ralph cries at the end when he's saved, and Golding says, "he wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart. Such a difficult lesson, truly learned "the hard way."

Again, I really loved this book. Dark, intriguing, extremely thought-provoking, and, I think, really insightful study of adolescent (particularly male adolescent) dynamics and behavior.

I will end with a quote from Ralph, Simon, and Jack, during their first hike up the mountain and after their first view of the island:

"Wacco."
"Wizard."
"Smashing."

On to the Peaches of Vengeance. Oh, you know what I mean.

Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?

2009-12-08T22:52:00.004-05:00

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

This is the story of a bunch of animals. (Or is it the story of the RUSSIAN REVOLUTION? WHO KNOWS?) Okay, but seriously, folks. We've got some animals living at a place called Manor Farm, which is owned by Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is an evil evil man (or so we're told) who doesn't feed the animals enough, works them to the bone, and then murders them. As the book begins, Old Major, a very old prize boar, has a dream where the animals take over and run their own world as comrades. He comes up with a few rules (in fighting Man, we cannot come to resemble him, no animals shall live in a house, sleep in a bed, wear clothes, drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, touch money, or engage in trade. Old Major promptly dies (at the ripe old age of 12) and Snowball and Napoleon, two young pigs, set about making Old Major's dream a reality. The animals revolt against Mr. Jones and successfully run him off the farm. They create their own society, make Old Major's rules into commandments, and set about running the farm by themselves. Mr. Jones eventually returns with a few men, attempting to regain control of Manor Farm (which has now been renamed Animal Farm) but the animals fight back, and only one animal dies in their victory. Snowball and Napoleon are competing for the animals' loyalty, and Snowball hatches a plan to build a windmill and streamline work on the farm. Napoleon systematically attacks Snowball's ideas and eventually has him run off the farm. Snowball does not return to the farm, but is blamed for everything that goes wrong for the rest of the novel. Napoleon tells the animals the windmill was his idea, and the animals build it, but it is ruined once by a huge storm and then again by men who blow it up. Napoleon proceeds to break all the commandments set forth in the beginning of Animal Farm, moving into Manor House with some of the other pigs, supervising instead of working, making and drinking beer, sleeping in the beds, wearing ribbons, and eventually, even walking on two legs and trading with men. In the end, Napoleon makes a deal with the local men, and shows them that on his farm, the animals are actually treated worse than anywhere else, but they're happy because they think their "society of equals" is working perfectly.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

First, I wanted to mention that I think everyone in the Google group ended up receiving a series of emails exchanged between me and Gina. Sorry about that, guys! Next time, I'll make sure I email Gina back directly. :)

I wasn't wild about this book, but I can still dig it. I appreciate its relevance (as a metaphor for many things, not just the Russian Revolution, which I didn't actually experience, nor did most of its readers nowadays) but found it to be somehow less frightening or upsetting than 1984.

Favorite animals:

Mollie - she's a horse, and she likes the humans because they give her sugar and tie ribbons in her pretty pretty mane. She has to be convinced that humans are bad, and is told that "liberty is worth more than ribbons". She eventually disappears, and some of the animals catch her living with humans who feed her sugar and tie ribbons in her mane. Good work, Mollie.

Boxer - Boxer is a horse, and he works tirelessly on both windmills. His mottos are "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right", which don't really serve him that well in life. He ends up with a collapsed lung, and instead of retiring and living out his "pension" in the pasture, he gets sent off to a horse slaughterer. Napoleon claims he died in hospital, but I know he's really glue. Sad. Oh, and the title is a line from Boxer. In the first battle, he thinks he's killed a man by accident, and he says "Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?" It's such a tender moment in this otherwise kind of callous tale.

Snowball - He's kind of a badass! And the windmill was probably a good idea in the beginning. He also gets a medal in the first battle against the humans.

The cat - The cat tries to eat rats in the beginning of the book, which prompts Old Major to ask for a vote on whether rats are counted in the "all animals are comrades" rule. The animals agree that "rats are comrades", but it comes out that the cat voted on both sides.

--I think the slippery slope with the pigs started with the fact that they only supervise while the other animals work. Clearly that is a problem. Although, what was that Mom Mom? Supervision's half the job? Half the job. Cancellation's the name of the game.

--All the commandments are broken in this story, which I suppose smacks of blatant irony. Can you imagine breaking all of the ten commandments? Or any set of religious rules, for that matter? I mean, I'd have to kill, steal, worship idols, lie, mistreat my parents, and it just goes on and on and on! I guess they figure if you break 'em all, you're not really making the cut. It certainly made me think the animals were REALLY stupid when they didn't quite notice that Napoleon was breaking all the rules. I mean, a lot of the animals couldn't read, and the ones that could only read the modified commandments (Squealer, Napoleon's numero uno, added choice phrases to the end of the commandments to make sure that Napoleon was still up to code). But still! I guess I'm supposed to feel angry at the stupidity and the "let's just go along with things" attitude. I think that's the point.

--Rewriting history is brought up again, which reminded me of 1984. Not sure which book was published first, so don't know which one used the idea first. But still a very thought-provoking and distressing thought. What if we are all written out of history someday? How many people already have been?

--It's mentioned several times that some of the animals "would have protested if they could think of the right arguments". This hardly seemed realistic to me. I recognize that awful things have happened before where people get steamrolled into being on board with an idea, but is it really because people can't think of the right arguments, or is it because they're cowards? Or is this more irony? Shouldn't it be easier for me to tell if it is irony? But then I think someone said Orwell wrote this in code. Gosh, maybe I missed the whole point. Ah well. Worse things have happened. I'll read up when I finish this post.

--The moment when the pigs start walking on two legs is both comical and horrifying. I especially liked the sheep being taught to sing "4 legs good, two legs better!" to replace their old song of "4 legs good, two legs bad". It made me wonder if there were songs (or other musical propaganda) used in the Russian Revolution to stifle dissent.

Well, I'm going to end this blog, as it's only made me feel very stupid and very uninformed. But I don't like to read about the books before I blog! It changes my whole opinion of them!

Okay. I've already started The Lord of the Flies. Oddly enough, they're both on the reading list for my students this summer. Funny that they're back to back on the list.

Maybe the 8th graders will understand better than I did. ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN 8TH GRADER? I'm not, apparently.

Later.

Daylight began to forsake the red-room.

2009-12-05T17:49:00.002-05:00

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Jane Eyre, our heroine and the namesake for this novel, is a child when our story begins. Her parents are dead, and she has been taken in by a wealthy aunt, Mrs. Reed, to be brought up with her cousins Georgiana, John, and Eliza. Mrs. Reed is a very unpleasant sort of woman, and she treats Jane very ill. John abuses Jane, both emotionally and physically, and Jane is exceedingly unhappy (and unloved by all but one servant, Bessie) at this house. After 10 years here, Jane is removed to a religious school for orphans called Lowood, run by a man named Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane is tolerably happy there, though the conditions are exceedingly poor. Mr. Brocklehurst tries to ruin Jane's good reputation at the school by informing all her classmates and teachers that she is a bad seed (more specifically, a LIAR) which he was told by Mrs. Reed, but the students and teachers all hate Mr. Brocklehurst, so Jane's reputation remains unsullied. Jane makes friends, and particularly enjoys the company of one teacher, a Miss Temple, and one student, Helen. Helen, however, dies of consumption, and Miss Temple eventually marries and moves away. Jane stays at Lowood until she is 16 as a student, then stays on for 2 years as a teacher. The conditions are vastly improved after Mr. Brocklehurst's treatment of the girls and attention the school is revealed to be less than perfect. Jane is sad with the loss of her teacher, however, and advertises herself as a potential governess. She is accepted by Mr. Edward Rochester, and becomes the governess for his ward, Adele. Adele is not actually his child, but we learn later on that his French mistress became pregnant with Adele soon after she betrayed Mr. Rochester with another man, and she tries to convince Mr. Rochester that Adele is his daughter. He doesn't believe that Adele is his daughter, but takes pity on the child and helps raise her. Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and he falls in love with her. There is an ongoing mystery involving a woman who lives in the attic of the house, Thornfield (she lights Mr. Rochester's bed on fire, cackles in the night, and even comes close to attacking Jane) and Jane believes that this woman is a lunatic servant, Grace Poole. Jane and Mr. Rochester become engaged in a spontaneous moment (after Jane has completely convinced herself that he will marry another woman who has been staying at the house, Blanche Ingram) and they go to the church to get married. A man intervenes, however, (a Mr. Mason) saying that Mr. Rochester is already married, and to his sister, Bertha Mason. It becomes clear that the lunatic in the attic is Mr. Rochester's wife, a woman he married in the West Indies. After the wedding, however, she soon lost control of her sanity, and Mr. Rochester was forced to bring her back to England and hide her away. He was hoping that he could marry Jane and then tell her about his other wife, but alas, the marriage to Jane is now impossible, and Jane departs, horrified and full of despair. Jane wanders about, starved and depraved, not a penny to her name, until she stumbles upon a family (two sisters and a brother) who take her in and revive her. She stays with them for a time, then obtains a position (through the help of the brother, Mr. St. John) as a school mistress in the village school. She is moderately happy, but frequently falls into depressions about Mr. Rochester. Through an odd twist of fate, it turns out Jane's uncle, Mr. John Eyre, has died, leaving her 20,000 pounds. Not only that, but it also turns out that he left his other nieces and nephews penniless, who just happen to be Mr. St. John and his sisters, Diana and Mary. So Jane splits the money with them (her cousins!) and happily settles in the town. Mr. St. John tries to convince her to become his "missionary wife" and go to India with him, but she doesn't love him, and she eventually decides that she might go to India (just as his adopted sister, not as his wife) but she realizes she must go to Thornfield first and find out what has become of Mr. Rochester. It turns out the crazy wife lit Thornfield on fire, and Mr. Rochester, in his attempts to save everyone, became blind and lost the use of one of his arms. Bertha (the crazy wife) jumped off the roof. Mr. Rochester moved to a small country house and shunned the company of all but 2 of his servants. Jane goes immediately to him after finding out about the disaster, and they are happily reconciled. They have children together, and she stays in close contact with her cousins. Mr. Rochester also regains a small bit of sight in one eye, and they all live happily ever after.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

Whew! Congrats if you made it through that plot summary! It turned out to be more challenging than summarizing the Brothers Karamazov! Also, my apologies for the lateness of this post. I will be reading Animal Farm this weekend to make up for the lost week (ah, Thanksgiving) and then will move right on to Lord of the Flies.

I have to say I loved this book as much as I hated Brothers Karamazov. Charlotte Bronte has an absolutely exquisite vocabulary, and her asides to the reader are amusing and familiar without being trite and silly. I truly think she had an incredible sense of the English language, and I'm so glad this book is considered a classic.

Just read a bit about Charlotte, and am extremely saddened to find that she died at age 39, and she was pregnant at the time. She also outlived all of her sisters, several of whom died from tuberculosis at the orphan school they attended (the inspiration for Lowood, apparently). So sad.

Unlike my previous posts, I'm inclined to write a free-form blog for this one. I absolutely loved the way Jane and Mr. Rochester's affair is depicted. It's full of this torrid undercurrent of suppressed passion and desire, and Jane repeatedly doubts the possibility of her happiness with him. The books mystery on the side (Bertha Mason) and the slight soap opera twang (oh my gosh, you mean we're cousins? and I'm rich?) were, I think, more enriching than bizarre, and Bronte somehow makes them work. The book kind of felt like a Frankenstein romance novel (which is only reinforced by the supposed ugliness of Mr. Rochester). Jane's fortitude of mind and spirit is truly inspiring, and her faults and weaknesses feel equally real and poignant.

I wasn't wild about the Mr. St. John wanting Jane to go to India storyline, because I felt that Jane lost some of her strength as a woman and as a particularly aggressive self-advocate. I do know what it feels like to go along with someone without really knowing why, though, and I suppose that even iron Jane has her moments of obedience with disregard for her own feelings.

For some reason, though I read this book fairly recently (within the last few years) I forgot most of it, and my roommates just about gave away large chunks of it. (Ragina: So, where are you? Did the crazy wife attack Jane yet? Me: Um, no. Crazy wife? Do you mean Grace Poole?) Clearly I don't have the best memory for some things.

The title of the post comes from the beginning of the novel, when Jane is locked in the "red-room" because she strikes back at John Reed after he throws a book at her. (Answer me, John Rosse! That's NOT my name!) Jane's terror at being locked in the room where her uncle died forms the delightfully creepy framework for the novel. The title of the post was one of my favorite lines from the book.

Well, so much time, so little to do. (Wait. Strike that. Reverse it.) Kudos if you've picked up on the movie references in this post.

Love to all, happy December (it's snowing here in Philly), and on to the farm of animals.

Have you fallen in love with disorder?

2009-11-25T14:42:00.002-05:00

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So. In a nutshell, this book is about three brothers: Alexei (Alyosha), Ivan (Vanya), and Dmitry (Mitya) and their relationship with their father. There's another brother (sort of, he's illegitimate and it's never proven) named Smerdyakov. There are two women important to the plot, Katerina (Katya) and Grushenka (Grusha). Dmitry is engaged to Katya, but blows her off to be with Grushenka, who is kind of a woman of ill repute. She was spurned by another lover, and becomes kind of a loose woman around the town. Mr. Karamazov (Fyodor) also falls in love with Grushenka, but she doesn't really love him. Alyosha is a kind and loving son, who starts off in a monastery, then leaves the monastery after his beloved mentor dies. Ivan is kind of wild, and very deep into philosophy and fairly atheistic. Mitya is very passionate and a little bit over the top (with a bit of an anger management problem) but generally well-meaning. Mr. Karamazov is killed. Mitya is blamed for it, but we're pretty sure he didn't do it. It turns out that Smerdyakov killed the old man because he felt that Ivan was asking him to (based on some philosophical discussions they had and some "cues" he thought he was receiving). Smerdyakov is never even considered as a suspect, though, because he "had an epileptic fit" during the day of the murder (which he actually faked, after which he had a real epileptic fit). Smerdyakov tells Ivan, Ivan gets sick with "brain fever" because he kind of did want his father dead (they all actually hated him, he was a really terrible father and he had orgies and drank all the time and all three boys were raised by other relatives and one of the servants) and Mitya is convicted of a crime he didn't commit. There's a random side story about a little boy whose father got beaten up by Mitya. The boy, Ilyusha, got in a fight with some other boys because he was mad about his father's honor, and Ilyusha ends up falling very ill and dying, much to the chagrin of the father. Alyosha mediates a reconciliation between the boys and Ilyusha, and makes sure that they all go to visit him while he's dying. The book ends with Alyosha speaking to the boys, encouraging them to hold on the good and just moments in life.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

I'm going to go right ahead and say it. I hated this book. Yes, Grandma, I know that hate is a very strong word, but I mean it this time. The book was extremely long (930 pages) and it really wasn't worth the read, in my opinion. I hate to say that about any book, but it's really how I felt about this one. I will say, though, that after researching the book a bit after reading it, I figured out why I didn't like it.

When I Wikipedia'd the book, I found this:

"Though religion and philosophy profoundly influenced Dostoyevsky in his life and in The Brothers Karamazov, a much more personal tragedy altered the course of this work. In May 1878, Dostoyevsky's novel was interrupted by the death of his three-year-old son Alyosha. As tragic as this would be under any circumstances, Alyosha's death was especially devastating for Dostoyevsky because the child died of epilepsy, a condition he inherited from his father. The novelist's grief for his young son is readily apparent throughout the book; Dostoyevsky made Alyosha the name of the stated hero of the novel, as well as imbuing him with all of the qualities he himself most admired and sought after. This heartbreak also appears in the novel as the story of Captain Snegiryov and his young son Ilyusha.

A very personal experience also influenced Dostoevsky's choice for a patricide to dominate the external action of the novel. In the 1850s, while serving his katorga (forced labor) sentence in Siberia for circulating politically subversive texts, Dostoevsky encountered the young man Ilyinsky who had been convicted of killing his father to acquire an inheritance. Nearly ten years after this encounter Dostoevsky learned that Ilyinsky had been falsely convicted and later exonerated when the actual murderer confessed to the crime. The impact of this encounter on the author is readily apparent in the novel, as it serves as much of the driving force for the plot. Many of the physical and emotional characteristics of the character Dmitri Karamazov are closely paralleled to those of Ilyinsky."

So that was kind of an "aha" moment for me, and it helped me realize why the book is so biased toward Alyosha when I really didn't feel like he did much at all. Dostoevsky's own time in Siberia also explains why he's so seemingly obsessed with it, and why his characters continually end up there. (For those of you who may have forgotten, Crime and Punishment is by the same author, and Raskolnikov, the protagonist, spends 8 years in Siberia. He was actually guilty, though.)

I felt like the book started building a momentum around 6 or 700 pages in (a little late, I know) but then it sort of fizzled at the end. The author also continually makes these cryptic references to "the sequel to this book" or to "future installments", and I was (a) baffled by this and (b) horrified that there might be, in fact, MORE to this story. Turns out the novel was supposed to be the beginning of an epic work, but Karamazov died 4 months after the first publication in a serial magazine.

All I can say is, thank goodness he didn't get to write any more.

I think the two most interesting comments in this book are about God and philosophy.

A woman comes to speak with the elder (Alyosha's mentor) in the beginning of the book, and she asks this question: "What if, after I've been a believer all my life, when I die it suddenly turns out that after life there's nothing at all, nothing but wild grass growing on my grave?" She says she's quoting "some writer" here, but whoever said it, I certainly identify with this statement, as I'm sure many people do. The belief (or lack of belief) in God features heavily in discussions between Alyosha, Dmitry, and Ivan, and I found it particularly relevant to my own life, as I discussed religion recently with my two older sisters, and we have disparate beliefs much like the Karamazovs.

When Smerdyakov tells Ivan why he committed the murder (oh, and there's 3,000 rubles involved, but that part is just too complex to add to the synopsis) he says, "I did it above all because 'everything is permitted.' And the truth is, I learned that from you." This was SO reminiscent of "Throw Momma From the Train", which was inspired by Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train". Perhaps Hitchcock was inspired by Dostoevsky (maybe he liked Russian Lit better than I have so far) but in any case, the Billy Crystal/Danny DeVito version is about miscommunication. Danny DeVito thinks that he and Billy Crystal have tacitly decided to kill each other's awful person (one's an ex-wife, one's a mother - "Owen! Don't feed me the unsalted crackers! Unsalted crackers make me choke!") so he tries to kill Billy Crystal's ex-wife for him. Billy Crystal is horrified, and doesn't plan to kill Danny DeVito's mother, but they spend the movie trying to come to an agreement.

Well, this has been a rather addle-brained post, I think, but I did spend most of the day helping Diana make spinach dip, devilled eggs, chex mix, and a pumpkin and a pecan pie. Ah, Thanksgiving.

On to Jane Eyre and Victorian self-sacrifice!

There are, after all, several brothers

2009-11-14T16:56:00.003-05:00

in the Brothers Karamazov. Therefore, I'm taking two weeks on this one. Sorry, no post until next week!

My very photogenic mother died in a freak accident (picnic, lightning)

2009-11-09T19:56:00.002-05:00

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Lolita is the story of Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged European man who comes to America and harbors a strange desire for young women. He calls them "nymphets", and particularly desires girls between the ages of about 11 and 13. He marries while still living in Europe, in the hope that the normalcy of marriage will quell his urges for younger women. This attempt is mostly unsuccessful, and his wife leaves him for a taxi driver. He moves to the States and moves to New England, where he becomes a boarder at the Haze home. Charlotte Haze, a middle-aged woman, and her daughter, Dolores Haze (aka Lolita) find Humbert Humbert to be endearing, and Lolita is exactly what Humbert desires. He marries Charlotte (after she confesses her love for him and says he can't stay because she's too much in love with him) and hopes that he will be able to secretly seduce Lolita by drugging her and her mother in their sleep. Charlotte discovers Humbert's secret, however, and asks him to immediately depart. He tries to persuade her his diary (where she discovered his secret) is simply the beginning of a novel he's working on, but she's unconvinced. As she crosses the street to mail letters revealing Humbert's true nature, she is struck by a car and killed. Lolita is away at camp, and Humbert hatches an elaborate plan to claim her as his own daughter and seduce her. He travels up to the camp, lies to Lolita (saying her mother is sick) and takes her to a hotel in the woods. He tries to give her sleeping pills and seduce her, but the pills don't work, and to his surprise (and assuming we're taking him at his word) she seduces him. He tells her that her mother is really dead, and they go on a long road trip moving from hotel to hotel and continue their affair. They move to another New England town after a while, and Lolita attends a girls' school, but they both get bored, and Lolita asks to go on a road trip again. While on the second road trip, a man starts following them, and eventually absconds with Lolita. Humbert goes on a mad quest to find Lolita, and when he finally finds her, she is pregnant and married to a random, rather simple man. It turns out that the man she ran off with was her drama teacher at the girls' school, and he was even more of a sexual deviant than Humbert, and she ran away. Humbert is crestfallen that Lolita is pregnant, but still asks her to run away with him again. She doesn't, and she decides to move to Alaska with her husband with the money that Humbert gives her. Humbert kills the man who absconded with Lolita, and goes to prison. Humbert gets the death sentence, and the book is supposedly not published until both characters are dead.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

The title of this post is from Humbert's description of his family history. I love the turn of phrase, but I admit I chose it because it's also the first line of a Billy Collins poem, and inspired the title of his poem collection, "Picnic, Lightning".

- First, I would like to mention that though it isn't clear from the summary, Humbert really is a rather lovable character in some ways, and I'm sure that a great deal of the success of this book is derived from the strangeness of this affection. I love the name "Humbert Humbert", and the way Nabokov plays with the name, talking about fondling Lolita in Humbertish, and whether she'd prefer a Hamburger or a Humburger.

- Humbert does make the rather valid point that Dante, Petrarch, and Poe all fell in love with "nymphets". Whether it's more "acceptable" because they were famous, or because it was a different time period, who knows. But what is important is that these men were satisfied with these women after they settled with them. They didn't tire of them after they hit puberty and move on.

- When Humbert's wife tells him she's leaving him for another man, they're in a taxi, and Humbert says, "What man?" And she points to the taxi driver and says, "That man." Hilarious. Delightful.

- Humbert travels to the arctic when he's on a "rehabilitation" journey (he's frequently in and out of treatment for mental illness in the beginning of the book) he says that the Eskimo girls didn't tempt him. He says that "nymphets do not occur in polar regions." This was quite funny, I thought.

- When Humbert plans to fetch Lolita from her camp, he wonders at one point if he shall have to disguise himself as a "gawky female", Mlle Humbert, and set up camp near the outside of the establishment. The image of a gawky Mlle Humbert is incredibly amusing to me.

- Humbert references a "Dostoevskian grin" - never more will I be confused by these allusions!

- Humbert talks about blackmailing someone at one point, but says it seems too strong, and thinks perhaps he should mauvemail her instead. What a perfect color to use for this joke! Nabokov has such an incredible grasp of the language, despite having grown up in Russia and Paris before moving to the States.

- A mattress is supposed to arrive at the Hazes from Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia. Ha! I didn't know it was around that long! I drive on it every day to and from work!

- Humbert makes a lovely point about how when we've lost touch with people, we treat them like characters in an already read novel. We think, oh, well Romeo will always die, Harry Potter will always defeat evil, and my friend so-and-so will always live in such-and-such a state and think such-and-such a way and it doesn't matter how much time passes, I'll just happily wait for her to live out the life I've already ascribed to her. I like this point, especially because I just met up with several of my very close college friends, and I think each one of them surprised me in a very major way, and I was so pleased to hear about all of their new endeavors and life changes.

- Though I liked Humbert, I must say that the drugging and the occasional violence against Lolita was entirely unacceptable. Since we're not condoning, but perhaps temporarily overlooking the pedophilia as Lolita is consensual, though clearly not old enough to consent, I must say that the removal of consent (drugging) and the abuse (grabbing Lolita's arm, twisting her wrist, physically forcing her in several situations) is simply something I cannot in any way overlook. And it made me dislike Humbert.

All in all, though, I think compelling is the best word to describe this novel. I'm glad I finished it, and I'm glad to be moving on.

I'll end with this quote from one of the women at the school for girls Lolita attends:

"With due respect to Shakespeare and others, we want our girls to communicate freely with the live world around them rather than plunge into musty old books. We are still groping perhaps, but we grope intelligently, like a gynecologist feeling a tumor."

Back to my musty old books!

Brothers Karamazov, here I come...

Is anybody in the John, Milton?

2009-10-31T14:43:00.002-04:00

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

This book takes place during World War II on an island in Italy called Pianosa. The main character is a man named Yossarian, who is a bombardier (aka a pilot who drops bombs). When he first joined the army, Yossarian wanted to be a good bombardier, and tried very hard to do his job well. As time goes on, however, and the number of missions men are required to fly before being allowed to return home is increased again and again, Yossarian stops caring about the bombings and wants nothing more than to stop flying missions and be allowed to return home alive. The book is witty and serious at the same time, dealing with extremely dark subject matter in a way that is simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking. Yossarian has many friends in the squadron, most of whom die before the book ends. There are various silly bureaucratic higher-ups (Colonels, Generals, Lieutenants) who make it impossible for Yossarian and the other men to stop flying missions. The title of the book is drawn from a bureaucratic edict called "Catch-22", which states that "if a man is crazy, he can stop flying missions. however, if a man makes the necessary steps to prove he is crazy, he is clearly a rational man and therefore not crazy, and must continue to fly missions." I hope I got that right. Yossarian, through copious amounts of scheming and many attempts at rebellion, finally gets offered a return trip home, in exchange for saying that he likes the two lead Colonels and speaks well of the Army at home. At first he accepts, but he later realizes this isn't how he wanted to stop flying missions. His friend and former tentmate, Orr, who went missing on a mission and was presumed dead, reappears in Sweden, and Yossarian, overjoyed at the news that his good friend is still alive, decides to escape, running from the Army's wrath, and attempt to join Orr in Sweden.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

- One of my favorite things about this book was Heller's attention to detail. The book is separated into 42 chapters, and each chapter is devoted to a different character. This got rather confusing, as there are many many characters and even more military titles thrown around (thought anything would be easy after the Russian names. I was wrong.) but it created incredibly powerful images of each character in my mind. Orr, for instance, used to stuff his mouth with horse chestnuts and crabapples because he wanted lovely chubby cheeks. Havermeyer is always eating peanut brittle. Clevinger tears up when he speaks passionately about something. And my personal favorite, Dunbar, tries to perform actions that are incredibly boring or particularly mind-numbing because he believes that time moves more slowly during these moments and he wants to increase his life span.

- Nately, another friend of Yossarian, has a girlfriend in Rome who is a prostitute. She ends up falling in love with him after he visits her and pines for her several times during rest leaves in Rome. Nately dies on a mission near the end of the book, and when Yossarian travels to Rome to tell her the news, she tries to kill him. Yossarian escapes, but the woman reappears 6 or 7 times throughout the book, always disguised as someone else (a mechanic, a Nazi, a pilot) and leaps out to attack Yossarian. When Yossarian sets out on his journey at the end of the book, it is only after deftly escaping another one of her knife attacks.

- I can't believe this book is assigned reading in high school. I found it a challenge to read, and to really understand, but most of all, there's a serious amount of violence and some very dirty sexual references in it. I'm pretty liberal, and I'm 23, and I was shocked in a few places.

- Yossarian frequently gets himself admitted to the hospital so that he won't be able to fly missions. He makes up liver ailments and other various diseases. His friends do likewise, often at the same time just so that they can spend time together. In what is probably my favorite part of the book, Yossarian is assigned the duty of censoring letters to be sent abroad. Deciding the process is completely ridiculous and arbitrary, he deletes random phrases, entire letters, signatures, and anything else he feels like. He signs Washington Irving to many of the letters. He gets tired after a while, and writes John Milton instead. Then he comes up with creative ways to write John Milton as a signature, including "John, Milton is a sadist" "Have you seen Milton, John?" and the one that serves as the title for this post.

- There's a character named Milo Minderbinder who makes terribly confusing business deals left and right with various countries to make money from the war. He claims that everything he earns goes back into something called "the syndicate" and that every man in the country has a share. One of my favorite moments in this story line is when one of the planes crashes into the ocean. The men inflate their raft, but as they try to inflate the life jackets, the carbon dioxide cylinders are missing. Milo used them to make strawberry and crushed-pineapple ice cream sodas in the mess hall. They find only a note, reading "What's good for M & M Enterprises is good for the country."

- There are 2 references to Raskolnikov in this book! What are the odds that I would just have read that book? It's a sign. Good karma for this project.

- I really liked the ending to this book (especially compared to the ending of Crime and Punishment). It felt hopeful, but with just right amount of humor and latent seriousness. Most of Yossarian's friends are dead, but Orr survived and made his way to Sweden, and Yossarian might just be able to get there, too.

All in all, I can see why this book is a classic. I thought it was brilliant.

On to Lolita!

Perhaps it really would be better in Siberia

2009-10-25T15:01:00.003-04:00

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevksy

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

The main character is Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov. (Delightfully alliterative, eh?) When the book begins, he is getting ready to do something. We're not entirely sure what it is he's getting ready to do, but we begin to understand that it's very bad. He has to talk himself into it. It turns out that he is planning to kill his pawnbroker and steal her money, not particularly because he's poor, but because she's a bad woman and he kind of thinks he's doing society a favor. He murders her with an axe, and then her sister walks in, so he kills her as well. He very nearly gets caught in the act by some random men who come to speak with the pawnbroker, but he gets away, stashes the stolen items under a rock, and manages to get home to his bed before falling seriously ill. He is sick for a few days, and his friend Razumihin and his landlady's servant Nastasya take care of him. Upon waking up, everyone kind of thinks Rodya (Rodion) has gone mad, and he comes very close to implicating himself in the murder. Everyone is gossiping about the murder, as it has now become known all over town. Rodya's mother and sister come to town (St. Petersburg) because she is getting ready to marry Luzhin, a man who has promised to support her. Rodya's family is very poor. When Rodya meets Luzhin, however, he instantly hates him, and makes sure that his sister Dounia doesn't marry him. Rodya meets a man named Marmeladov while he's out at a bar, and hears this man's sad tale of how he's a hopeless drunk and his family is incapable of feeding themselves. Marmeladov later gets run over by a carriage, and Rodya offers his last 15 rubles (which his mother borrowed from her pension to send to him) to Marmeladov's widow, Katerina Ivavnova. Katerina's stepdaughter, Sofya (Sonia) Semyanova was whoring herself out to support the family, and Rodya befriends her and tries to help her out. Dounia (sorry, I forgot) had her reputation ruined while she was a governess for a family back home in the country because the man of the house said she was coming on to him. It turns out he was coming on to her, and her reputation was mostly repaired, but this man, Svidrigailov, comes to St. Petersburg when his wife dies, and tries to proposition Dounia. Dounia, meanwhile, has fallen in love with Rodya's best friend, Razumihin. Rodya spends must of the book in a sort of delirium, going over the murder in his head, wondering if people know, deciding to kill himself, deciding to turn himself in, and lying around in bed having nightmares. Eventually, he tells Sonia (the whore stepdaughter) and Svidgrigailov overhears. Porfiry Petrovich, Razumihin's cousin and a cop, figures it out as well. Svidrigailov makes a last attempt to get Dounia to run away with him, but when he realizes she doesn't love him, he shoots himself. Dounia finds out (via Svidrigailov) that Rodya killed the two women. Sonia and Dounia are strangely supportive of Rodya, and he eventually turns himself in to the police. He almost decides not to, but as he's walking away from the police station, he sees Sonia, and her look sends him back inside and he confesses. For various reasons his sentence is only 8 years, and he goes off to a work prison in Siberia. Sonia follows him, visiting and sending various messages of support. At the end, he decides that he really does love Sonia, and that he's been able to repent, and he will start his new life with her in "only 7 years." Yeah. Only seven years. Congratulations if you got through this plot summary. I promise the blog will be less complicated.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

- The title comes from a comment Rodya makes when he's contemplating turning himself in. I think it's pretty comical, in that I can't imagine anything being better in Siberia. But then again, I'm not quite as crazy as Rodya.

- This book was really hard for me to read. Those of you reading this who know me well know that I had a deep existential crisis when I was in France, and since then I don't really like to read books or watch films with dark and twisted plots. I'm not living a shallow existence, I just prefer to stay away from things that I know will set my overactive mind to work. So, as you can imagine, reading a 530-page psychological thriller from the point of view of a man who's just killed two people basically because he thinks it's his right was not really on my traditional game plan. But I decided that a book would not conquer me, and that I would be the better for having read it afterward. And I do feel proud to have finished it.

- The names in this novel were immensely confusing. Aside from the massive syllable count, many characters have multiple names, and they're used interchangeably, often within the same paragraph. I'm sure this has something to do with Russian formalities, but still. It was extremely confusing trying to remember that Pyotr Petrovich and Luzhin were the same man, and that Dounia and Avdotya Romanovna were the same woman.

- The book is told from Rodya's perspective, not in third person, but with full description of what he's feeling and experiencing. We occasionally get thoughts and feelings from others, but Rodya is the main focus. It was odd, therefore, when the book inexplicably switched to Svidrigailov's perspective just for the chapter in which he kills himself. I'm not sure if it was to show us his full range of emotions prior to the event, or what, but it's the only part of the book where we don't deal with Rodya really at all.

- Everyone seems to believe that Rodya couldn't possibly have committed the crime, even after they've downright suspected him previously. Several of the policemen who suspect him early in the book go on to apologize later on for having accused him! There's such a strange sense of everyone wanting to believe that anything is wrong with him before they believe he is a murderer. I suppose it's human nature to want to think the best of people who we love and care for, but even complete strangers try to give him the benefit of the doubt! I found this odd.

- Ultimately, Rodya commits the murder because of a theory. He believes that certain men have the right to commit crimes because they have a greater purpose in life that can only be achieved with the help of those crimes as stepping stones. He sees himself as ridding the world of a "louse" because the pawnbroker was an unpleasant sort of woman who held people in debt over small pledges and IOUs. He also talks of how insignificant one murder is in the face of all-out warfare. Which brings up an interesting philosophical debate, but what is warfare but systematic murder? I can't see it as any more excusable, but I suppose the author is asking why war is acceptable when murder is not.

- In the end, Rodya has a moment of redemption where he falls at Sonia's knees and they know they love each other and in 7 (short) years they will be together and start a new life. This moment rang false to me. It just felt completely fake, after this deep, penetrating, convoluted psychological study, to end with a moment of joy. And Rodya is so sullen, so sulky, that he doesn't at all deserve to be redeemed. Sonia is far to good for him. And then Dostoevsky throws in this line that this isn't the end of the story, and maybe there's another whole story to tell. What a lame ending, dude! There's no other story, this is the end! And it's a crappy end, if you ask me!

- Last comment. I was chatting with my boss about this book, and after I'd told her the beginning, she asked, "Crime and Punishment. Is that the one where he wakes up at the end and it was all a dream and he's a schizophrenic?" And I said, "Well if it is, then you just ruined the end for me." And then she said, "Or is that... Fight Club?" Hilarious. I'm not sure those books have ever been compared, but maybe that should have been my thesis. It probably would have been a hell of a lot more fun than the one I did write.

Well, this first of what will be many Russian novels on the list didn't conquer me. Time to conquer another classic - Catch-22, here I come!

Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...

2009-10-18T17:02:00.003-04:00

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

Nick Carraway is our narrator, and for those who haven't been keeping up, The Great Gatsby is the book. It's a little complicated, but here's the basic connection: Nick is Daisy Buchanan's cousin, and he went to Yale with Daisy's husband Tom Buchanan. Jordan Baker, a famous golf player, is a friend of Daisy's and a somewhat half-hearted love interest for Nick. Jay Gatsby (real name James Gatz) has been in love with Daisy for years, but was too poor to marry her, so she married Tom instead. Tom has been cheating with various women, but most recently with a woman named Myrtle Wilson, when we come upon the group in the story. Nick is Gatsby's neighbor. Gatsby is now very rich and has elaborate parties with great frequency. Nick and Gatsby strike up a friendship, and Gatsby gets Nick to orchestrate a reunion with Daisy. On the way home from a trip to New York City together (the rest of the story takes place in East and West Egg, NY) Daisy accidentally runs over Myrtle Wilson, who has run into the street thinking that Tom is driving with his wife. Myrtle is killed, Gatsby takes the blame, and Wilson (the husband), overcome with grief and anger, shoots Gatsby. Only a handful of people attend Gatsby's funeral (much to Nick's dismay). We find out towards the end of the book (after hearing various rumors) that Gatsby created his own "rich self" after performing well in the army and running various deals with a few unsavory characters. Oh, and our time period is the early 20's.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

- The first thing I thought of as I read about Gatsby's parties was the movie Sabrina and the parties at the Larrabee's. Oddly enough, after reading about East and West Egg (which, it turns out, don't exist) I found that Great Neck (the likely referent for the Eggs) is on the North Shore of Long Island. Also where the Larrabee's live, supposedly. I guess it's not such a coincidence, since it's a wealthy area, but I liked the connection.

I like this book. I like the way it's written, I like the characters, I like the somewhat depressing ending, and I like the quiet eloquence of it. Fitzgerald has exquisite sentence structure, and delicate imagery, and I really just enjoyed the experience of re-reading it. Just wanted to throw that out there.

-Apparently I cut out the title page of this book at one point. (Sacrilegious, I know!) I think it was for an English project, if that makes it any better. I'm still 90% sure I read The Great Gatsby.

-Nick and Gatsby pass by a funeral early in the book, and Nick is glad that "Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday". I thought it was a nice sentiment when I read it, but after reading to the end and knowing that only 9 people attend Gatsby's funeral (and half of those 9 servants) this moment seems really sad to me. I can't quite explain why.

-Meyer Wolfsheim (one of the unsavory characters Gatsby is in business with) has cufflinks made of molars. As in, human teeth, yes.

-Gatsby asks Nick if he can ask Daisy over to his house so that Gatsby can "meet" her again for the first time. Gatsby cuts Nick's grass in preparation for the visit. I think it's delightfully amusing that Gatsby tidies up Nick's life so that it can be the scene for his reunion with Daisy. Waiting for Daisy, Gatsby gets fed up, and says "Nobody's coming to tea!" and Nick has to persuade him to stay. But when Daisy arrives, Gatsby disappears, and then comes to the door and rings the bell. I love the way Fitzgerald describes it: "Gatsby, pale as death, with his hands plunged like weights in his coat pockets, was standing in a puddle of water glaring tragically into my eyes." Gatsby seems so vulnerable and childlike here.

-When it stops raining, Fitzgerald uses the weather as a metaphor for Gatsby and Daisy's love being rekindled. "When [Gatsby] realized what [Nick] was talking about, he smiled like a weather man, like an ecstatic patron of recurrent light, and repeated the news to Daisy. "What do you think of that? It's stopped raining."

-When Gatsby takes Nick and Daisy over to his house to show it off, Daisy weeps into Gatsby's shirts. She says, "It makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before." There's such poetry in this moment.

-Tom's first reaction is excitement when he discovers the car accident, before he realizes his mistress has been killed. I think it's deeply fascinating that we, as a society are often first intrigued and excited by death and injury, then shocked and saddened. It's why rubbernecking causes so many traffic jams, right Dad? :)

-Nick flip-flops throughout the book between liking, loving, and hating Gatsby. And as Nick is our narrator (and therefore, we feel close to him) we, as readers, go through various emotions regarding Gatsby. Nick tells him he's better than "the rotten crowd", but then follows it by saying he "disapproved of [Gatsby] from beginning to end." Despite his disapproval for Gatsby, Nick champions him in the end, managing his funeral, spewing anger at those who share no condolences and make no attempt to celebrate Gatsby's life. To the world, Gatsby was good for a party. Dead, he is worth nothing.

-Gatsby's father shows up for Gatsby's funeral, and he shows Nick a list that Gatsby made as a boy, to prove to Nick that Gatsby was always about something.

GENERAL RESOLVES:

No wasting time at Shafters
No more smokeing or chewing
Bath every other day
Read one improving book or magazine per week
Save $5.00 [crossed out] $3.00 per week
Be better to parents

I'm sure we could all benefit from doing the things on Gatsby's list. Sounds about right to me.

-Last but not least, in reference to the title of this post: The line before it reads ,"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning-- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

I always liked the middle of this line. It's one of those lines that I keep thinking I understand, then stop and read again, because (at least for me) it's not so much about getting the meaning of it as it is about evaluating the philosophy behind the phrase. I'm fine with feeling a little unresolved in this case.

And now I'm borne back into the past (of necessity, I suppose, as each of these books represents the past, fictional or no) into 19th century Russia.

Do svidaniya!

A little sea-bathing would set me up for ever!

2009-10-13T21:55:00.003-04:00

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So there are 2 sisters that count, and 3 others who are very silly. There's a ridiculous mother, a witty father, and two lovely gentlemen. One is very proud (Mr. Darcy) the other is very sweet (Mr. Bingley) and though it takes the whole book for everyone to get together, Darcy and Elizabeth (one of the sisters that counts) and Bingley and Jane (the other sister that counts) finally end up married. One silly sister (Lydia) manages to run off with a completely inappropriate man (Mr. Wickham) and almost ruin her entire family's lives, but Mr. Darcy (secretly) saves the day because he's totally crazy about Lizzy, and everything ends up okay. Throw in one crazy relative who is simpering to the point of vomiting (Mr. Collins) and who happens to be the future owner of the Bennet family's estate (the sisters are Bennets) and one crazy aunt (Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy's aunt) and you pretty much know the whole story.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

First, allow me to apologize for not blogging yesterday. I'm sure you were all on tenterhooks waiting for me to blog and I LET YOU DOWN! Right? Right.

On to random comments...

- One of my favorite moments in this book is when Mr. Colllins proposes to Lizzy, and her mom tries to force her to accept, and her father says, "From this moment you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not accept Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." Go, Mr. Bennet!

- Elizabeth says at one point, "What are men to rocks and mountains?" I agree! Who needs men when you can hike in the great outdoors, and explore the lake country?

- Lydia says "I am sure I shall break mine" in reference to her heart, when she thinks of the officers leaving town. She is so petulant and obnoxious. It really does make for a great character. This is also the origin of the title for this post - Mrs. Bennet says that sea-bathing would set her up for ever in reference to the fact that she wants the whole family to go to Brighton to follow the officers. She is so... special. What an interesting mother.

-Darcy tells Miss Bingley to shut up, basically, when he says that Lizzy is one of the "handsomest women of his acquaintance." Take that, Miss Bingley, you conniving little snot.

-Darcy comes upon Lizzy when she first finds out about Lydia running off with Wickham, and he is so sweet! I have nothing more to say about this. Other than that it is one of my favorite moments in the book.

-Mr. Collins writes to the Bennets and says that Lydia's death would have been preferable to the shame she brings on the family. Thanks for sharing, Mr. Collins.

-I love when Mr. Bennet says that Kitty can't leave the house until she can prove she's spent at least 10 minutes of every day in a rational manner, and Kitty starts crying because she thinks it's such an overwhelming request. Can you prove that you've spent at least 10 minutes of every day in a rational manner?

-Lizzy's aunt realizes she's in love with Darcy perhaps even before Lizzy does herself, and references wanting to spend more time at Pemberley (Darcy's house) once her niece is settled there. Made me think of my aunts, and how much I love all of them, and how I could see them making similar knowing comments about my future.

-Mrs. Bennet winks at her daughters to get them to leave the room so Bingley can propose to Jane, then denies that she has done anything of the sort. What a hilarious woman.

-Lady Catherine de Bourgh yells at Lizzy and tells her she must not marry Darcy (before Darcy has proposed a second time), and screams, "Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?" Little does she know (little did he know? little did he know?) that she sets in motion the future reconciliation between Darcy and Elizabeth. Ha! Take that, Lady Catherine!

-I love that when Elizabeth and Darcy finally get together, they tell no one. They spend the evening with family, and keep their engagement secret. Jane is the first to know that evening, and the rest of the family finds out the next day. I like that Darcy and Elizabeth keep their love to themselves at first.

-In the book, Lizzy tells her father that Mr. Darcy went completely out of his way to hunt down Wickham and force him to marry Lydia (because, he claims, he knew that Wickham was not to be trusted. Wickham tried to do the same thing with Darcy's little sister Georgiana a while back. WE know that he does it because he loves Lizzy and hates to see her suffer.) I like that this happens in the book, because it's one of the few things that doesn't make it to the BBC 5-hour movie version, and I think it's crucial. It's what really makes Mr. Bennet realize that Darcy is incredible and wonderful and deserving of Lizzy.

And at the end, we get to spend a chapter with Lizzy and Darcy while they're happy and just existing at Pemberley. I think there's nothing I hate more than a book that has a happy ending, but no follow through on what life really looks like for the main characters at the end. This book did not fall into that trap.

Last, but not least, I'd like to mention that the copy I read from was apparently the same one I read from when I was, oh, perhaps 13 years old, and has random comments written here and there. I seem to have been in a phase where I decided it was appropriate to write in books (I still come down both ways on that topic) and wrote quite frequently in the margins. I'll leave you with my two favorite comments:

"Well, you're uglier anyway" in response to Miss Bingley saying something snotty about Lizzy
and
"Ah! I'm melting! He's so sweet!" in response to something Mr. Darcy said to Lizzy in a letter.

Okay, I know I said I was leaving, but last comment. For real. I must give a shout out to my lovely ladies, my very own Bennet family. This book is near and dear to my heart because I have shared it always with not only my 2 dear sisters, but the lovely Light ladies as well, Anna and Becca and Marah. And my mother, and my second mother, Mrs. Light, neither of whom are even remotely awful in the way that Mrs. Bennet is, but are rather lovely and wonderful and full of baked goods and warmth and smiles. Thank you for being my Austen family - I will always treasure you all.

On to Fitzgerald...

Hobbits: Soft as butter they can be, and yet sometimes as tough as old tree roots.

2009-10-05T19:40:00.004-04:00

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So we've got your basic battle between good and evil. The characters are the Fellowship (4 hobbits, 1 dwarf, 1 elf, 1 wizard, and 2 men) and their quest is to return the ring of Sauron to where it was forged in Mount Doom, thereby destroying Sauron's power and saving Middle Earth from his evil reign of terror. I could say more, but that's the general gist. Oh, and there's a creepy used-to-be-a-man character named Gollum, who used to wear the ring (after he'd murdered his friend and stolen it from him) who plays a pretty central part in the story. And there's also a side-story of Aragorn (one of the men in the Fellowship) who turns out to be a king from the old races of men, and he's the end-all be-all awesome new leader of Middle Earth. Until he dies, at least. And there are elves and the Rohirrim (the horse riders) and Tom Bombadil (Father Nature kind of dude) and Treebeard (who is an Ent, aka a super awesome old-type tree) and lots of other fun things. SO, yeah. There you go.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

The title is a reference to a line that Gandalf says in the beginning about hobbits. I thought it perfectly summed up the hobbits, and this series.

Thoughts on Fellowship

- Frodo asks an elf this, before setting out on his quest: "But where shall I find courage? That is what I chiefly need." And the elf says, simply, "Courage is found in unlikely places. Be of good hope! Sleep now!" I thought it was very poetic that Frodo says he needs courage more than directions, or help, or a plan. And what helps bring courage more than good hope and sleep? I did NOT sleep well last night (I've been having trouble sleeping on Sunday nights. Don't know what that's about. But I know I have more courage in the face of middle school children on days when I have good sleep under my belt. ;)

Well, that's it for Fellowship. It's really a scene-setting book. Onwards and upwards!

Thoughts on The Two Towers

- Smeagol (aka Gollum, so named because of the sound he makes in his throat) has an argument with himself after he's been "tamed" by Sam and Frodo. He's been following Sam and Frodo (the hobbits bearing the ring into Mordor (land of evil) for those who are new to the whole saga) across abysmal lands to try and get the ring back, and he talks to himself when Sam and Frodo are sleeping. LOTR fans know this scene well, but I had to mention it, as it's such an interesting psychological struggle for Gollum's character.

- Sam watches his first battle of men fighting men fairly late in this book, and I'm so glad Tolkien mentions it. I think I like fantasies because there's always a battle (usually many) and it's so fun to imagine yourself fighting with the good side. But fantasies make war palatable because they feature men (or women, thank you very much) fighting monsters, objects that are clearly evil. Even if the monsters are humans who "went bad", the violence is usually desensitized (like in Harry Potter, where people die from wands and spells, not swords and bloody wounds). I think it's refreshing to read about an author's self-awareness of the troubles that come with battles between humans, evil or no, possessed or no. So thanks, Tolkien. I appreciate it.

- Smeagol (Gollum) gets in trouble for fishing in a secret pool, and when Faramir (the lord of the land) tells him that he can't be fishing there, on pain of death, Smeagol spits out the raw fish carcasses onto the floor and says, "Don't want fish." He cracks me up in his simplicity, and his delicate evil nature.

- Sam takes the ring from Frodo when he thinks Frodo has died. Sam, the servant of a hobbit, Sam, the endearing character who wants nothing more than to marry a hobbit named Rosie and tend a nice garden, this very hobbit carries the ring closer to its destination. Truly, the unassuming can set in motion wonders.

One more book!

Thoughts on Return of the King

- There's a classic Gandalf moment (he's the wizard in the fellowship) in this book. Gandalf has led all the forces of good to the gates of Mordor (land of evil) and he's "parleying" (parler! parler! get it? pirates of the caribbean? okay.) with this evil lieutenant and the lieutenant says that they have Frodo as a prisoner and flashes his clothing and his mail (armor) and everyone's really sad because they all think that Frodo is captured, and the lieutenant says he'll give up the prisoner if the forces of good give up the fight, and he says, "These are our terms, will you take them?" and Gandalf says, "THESE WE WILL TAKE! In remembrance of our friends, but your terms we do not accept!" And he takes the clothing and the mail. You are SO COOL, Gandalf! So cool. I mean, seriously. I nerded out like crazy about this moment to all of my roommates.

- When Frodo is too weak to go on, Sam carries him on his shoulders. Now that's friendship. And commitment to a goal. I love you, Samwise.

- When the war is over, and the ring is destroyed (Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you in the plot summary that good wins!) they decide to celebrate the New Year always on March 25th. That is MY birthday, thank you very much. Yes indeed.

Merry and Pippin are totally incredible, and though they didn't get mentioned in my "thoughts" they totally merit mentioning in this post. They come along because they're really tight buddies of Sam and Frodo, and they perform truly incredible deeds, like saving future Lords (Faramir) and helping to kill the Lord of the Nazgûl (evil ringwraiths). Go, hobbits!

I cried like crazy at the end of the book. I always think it seems completely unfair that Frodo can't go back to the Shire and live a happy, fulfilled life afterwards. I mean, I knew things wouldn't be perfect, but it makes me so sad to think of people going through horrible things in their lives and never really recovering. He goes to the Grey Havens, which is basically heaven, but he leaves ALL HIS FRIENDS BEHIND! Except Bilbo, his awesome relative. So yeah. I cried. And cried. And then I couldn't sleep. Clearly I'm too emotionally involved in this whole reading thing. But that's how I've always been about reading, I guess. (Ahem. Comparative Literature major.)

I leave you with this to remember: Not all who wander are lost.

All I can say is, don't see it if you don't want to puke all over yourself.

2009-09-26T14:06:00.003-04:00

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

We've moved to a year somewhere around 1945, and our main character is Holden Caulfield, who I think is about 16 years old. Maybe 17. He's just been kicked out of Pencey Prep School for Boys, in Agerstown, PA, for flunking all his subjects but English. We learn throughout the book that he is most likely failing because he has lingering depression from his brother Allie's death. Allie had leukemia, and passed on a few years before the book starts. Holden decides to leave Pencey early (Christmas break starts on Wednesday, it's Saturday night, I think, when the book begins). He figures his parents won't get the letter saying he was kicked out until at least Tuesday, and he wants to have an adventure. He goes to New York City, his hometown. He sees a few acquaintances, stays in a hotel, orders a prostitute on a whim (it goes terribly), leaves the hotel, and goes on a date with a semi-obnoxious ex-girlfriend. The date goes sour, he ditches the girl, and he sneaks into his house at night to visit his littler sister Phoebe, who is about 9 years old, I think. He hides from his parents in Phoebe's closet, Phoebe gives him her Christmas money to fund his adventure, and he calls an old teacher, who lets him spend the night. Holden seems happy at his teacher's house, but freaks out when he wakes up in the middle of the night and his male teacher is patting him on the head. He leaves in a hurry and sleeps on a public bench. Holden finally decides to hitch hike out west, but when he tries to drop off a note to Phoebe saying goodbye, she tries to come with him. This stops him from going, and in the last chapter, we find out that Holden is "sick" and being treated in some kind of hospital. He talks about returning to school, but isn't too hopeful about not failing out again.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

I started reading Franny and Zooey, Caulfield's only other famous work, just before I started this blog. I didn't finish it, because I found the plot to be lacking a driving force. I noticed quite a few interesting similarities between that book and this one, though, and I'll start this post by mentioning them here. If you don't mind.

Both books feature the same family structure: two parents, three sons, and one daughter. Both books deal with the loss of one of the children, a son, and the repercussions of this loss. And in each book, the death of that sibling is a quiet driving force for the main character's actions. Maybe it's not really that quiet, but it felt subtle to me.

All right, on to random comments, as I eat my cream cheese-stuffed french toast and hash browns. I don't even really like french toast that much. I just like to drown my hash browns in syrup.

- Holden talks about his brother Allie's death, and he says that when it happened, he smashed all the windows in his garage. Holden points out that, though he now can't make a fist with that hand, fist-making is really only crucial for surgeons and violinists. I thought this was funny, considering that my sister Diana will soon be both of those things.

- Holden loves his red hunting hat with ear flaps that he buys in New York City with the Pencey fencing team. I think the hat is adorably interwoven in the story (haha. get it? woven?) It made me want to knit myself a red hat. Maybe I will.

- Holden wants to know what happens to the ducks in Central Park in wintertime, but no one can tell him. One taxi cab driver tells him that he doesn't know what happens to the ducks, but the fish stay in the pond, frozen in the ice. Holden doesn't seem to believe this, but I know it's true, seeing as how we had that fish pond growing up and I watch the fish keep on living under the ice each winter. Right, mom? Except for that last winter, when they all died mysteriously. Oops!

- Holden cries when the pimp, Maurice, and the prostitute, Sunny come to fetch more money from him for the sex he didn't have. He gets punched by Maurice in the stomach, but I liked this moment because it felt like Holden was crying not because he was hurt, but because he was angry at being cheated out of money. It felt very vulnerable and childish to me.

- Sorry I forgot to mention this earlier, but the title of today's post is in reference to a movie that Holden and Sally (his ex-gf) went to see. I thought it was a very Holden comment, so I chose it for the title.

- When Holden is in a bar (he manages to get cocktails "on account of his gray hairs, and his height") he pretends he's been shot in the gut. He keeps pretending for several hours. I don't know if I've ever imagined quite that scenario, before, but I've certainly imagined some random scenarios, so I can identify, Holden.

- In what I thought was one of the most poignant moments in this novel, Holden talks about going to see Allie's grave. He went with his family only a few times, and twice, he said, it rained. It rained right on Allie's stomach. This image makes me want to cry it feels so real.

- Phoebe tells her mother that she said her prayers in the bathroom, at one point. This reminded me of when I used to tell my mom (after long car trips, and after my dad had carried me to my lovely bottom bunk bed) that I had already been to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. And someone (ahem. Diana, little miss top bunk) used to rat me out, and tell mom I hadn't. I know it's just because you care about my dental health, Diana. And everyone knows you used to beat me up because you still slept with a night light and I didn't like it. And I guess I did get your mouth washed out with soap. Twice. Ahem. Sorry.

- When Holden spends the night with his former teacher, Mr. Antolini, and his teacher pats him on the head in the middle of the night, Holden launches into this mania, worried that his teacher is a "flit" and a pervert. Later on, when Holden has cooled down, he realizes that his teacher might not be a pervert, and even if he is a "flit" (a gay man) that might not be such a bad thing. I thought this was pretty forward-thinking for 1945. Thanks, Salinger.

- Holden sees inappropriate phrases written on his sister Phoebe's school, and later on in the museum, and it upsets him. He tries to erase the first "f*** you" that he sees on the school wall, but when he sees it in the museum, he despairs, and says that ultimately there will always be someone to write "f*** you", and that it will probably be written on his tombstone. I think it's true that people write nasty things, Holden, but I don't think anyone would write that on your tombstone. I'll erase it if they do.

- I counted the number of references to "depression" or "being depressed" Holden made in the book. Guesses? 37 is the answer. 37 separate references to feeling depressed, or things that happen that make him depressed. And yet, I was somehow still totally surprised that Holden ended up being treated for mental illness in the end of the book. I guess I just don't have that much faith in the quality of mental health options in 1945. As someone who's been depressed, and had helpful discussions with mental health professionals, and unhelpful discussions, I appreciate Holden's plight, and I hope that things go well for him after the end of this book.

Last comment. In reference to the title of the book, Holden says the only thing he can see himself doing in life is summed up in a Robert Burns poem. It turns out he's misquoting it (it's "if a body meet a body coming through the rye", not "if a body catch a body coming through the rye") but he sees himself in a field of rye with a bunch of little kids. The children are playing ball, and they're standing right near the edge of a cliff. He says he's the only "big one" around. "What I have to do," he says, is "I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come from somewhere and catch them. Thats all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all."

I think Holden wants to be the catcher because he knows he's running off a cliff, and he doesn't know if there's anyone there to catch him. We all need a catcher in the rye, Holden. I think that's a perfectly respectable career choice. In fact, I've spent the last two and half years being a catcher in the rye, now that I think of it.

I'm off to Middle Earth.

Every Third Merriweather is Morbid

2009-09-21T22:33:00.002-04:00

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So we've moved back to 1935, and our main characters are children. To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the rural South, in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout and Jem are the children of Atticus Finch, a prominent local lawyer. The story chronicles Scout and Jem's transition from childhood innocence into a heightened level of awareness. Race, poverty, class, manners, education, and morality are all themes that arise in the novel. The novel's plot stems from two main characters: Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Boo Radley is a neighbor of the Finches who hasn't emerged from his house in many years. Scout and Jem frequently play games near Boo's house, trying to coax him out, but Atticus disapproves. Tom Robinson is a black farmhand who is accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, a low class white woman. Atticus defends Tom Robinson in court (it becomes clear to the reader fairly early on that Tom is innocent and Mayella's father attacked her) but to no avail. Tom is convicted, and, despairing while in captivity in prison camp, attempts escape and is shot to death. Bob Ewell, Mayella's father, holds a grudge against Atticus after the court case, as the whole town knows what really happened, and Bob Ewell is a mean drunk. At the book's climax, Scout and Jem are attacked by Bob Ewell, but Boo intercedes, emerging from his house and killing Bob Ewell. Scout realizes that Boo is really very nice, and the book closes.

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

This book, above all, is funny and endearing. I loved it when I read it in 8th grade, and I loved it when I read it last year with my 9th graders at Fels, and it was enjoyable once again as I read it this time. The title for this blog is a reference to certain Maycomb families that "everyone knows about", according to Scout. Coming from a small town where there were lots of preconceptions about "the Zackey family", I know what Scout means.

I'm going to continue with my random comments/analysis style from last week's post. Hope you don't mind.

-Haverfords are jackasses in Maycomb. I found this pretty funny, as a Haverford alum and all.

-When Scout and Jem first meet Dill (sorry he didn't make it in the plot summary, he's delightful, but not really essential to the plot), a neighbor's relative, he's so small he barely reaches above the collards. I thought this image was rather funny, and very reminiscent of cabbage patch kids.

-When Scout first starts going to school, she gets reprimanded for already knowing how to read. After her teacher tells her to stop, Scout says, "Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." This is classic poignancy from Scout via Harper Lee. I can't imagine a world without books, or without reading. It reminded me of when I accidentally failed the French placement exam in college (they were playing this recorded French woman's voice and asking comprehension questions and I messed up some of the scantron answers and started erasing and all of a sudden the test was over) and passed into French 001. The first semester I played catch up, relearning essential grammar, but the second semester, I got a new professor, and she started giving me C's on papers. I asked her why, and she said, "Well, you started using the past tense, but you used it wrong. Don't worry, we won't learn the passive tense for a few weeks." And I said, "Well, can you teach me, so I get better grades and I use it right?" And she said, "We aren't learning it for a few weeks, don't worry about it." I transferred up 2 levels to a French-Canadian's class. (That class was awful and I didn't realize for weeks that the main character in a story we were reading was "aveugle", which means blind. That was a fairly crucial vocab word, as it turns out. Serves me right, I suppose.)

-Okay, I'm already getting long-winded. Sorry. Reeling it in. I also loved when Scout tried to "spit-seal" a compromise she makes with Atticus. Very adorable and 8-year-old behavior.

-Harper Lee does a beautiful job with the relationship between Scout and Jem. At one point, Scout tries to cheer Jem up. "I picked up a football magazine, found a picture of Dixie Howell, showed it to Jem, and said, "This looks like you." That was the nicest thing I could think to say to him..." Hilarious. I love the way Scout's mind works.

-Dill cries when it becomes clear that the court is going to go against Tom Robinson. I love that he cries, because I cry when things feel wrong and unjust, too, and I rarely feel more like a child than when I cry at things that seem immoral.

-I take offense at Harper Lee's discussion of why women can't serve on the jury. Scout seems dismayed upon first finding this out, then decides that women would "talk too much" and "ask too many questions". I don't know if Harper Lee is being ironic and I'm just not getting it, but I just got called for jury duty, and I'm damn proud. I feel very excited about the prospect of serving on a jury.

-The owner of the town paper writes an editorial about the case against Tom Robinson, and Scout sums it up in these words: "Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. " Much goes on in the secret courts of men's (and women's) hearts, and the best lawyer with the best intentions often has no sway there.

-Boo cultivates a sort of secret friendship with Scout and Jem, leaving them gifts in a tree. After Boo rescues Scout and Jem at the end of the book, Scout says, "Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. " I wonder if this counts as zweugma. Zweugma is my favorite literary term, and it refers to mixing the literal and the metaphorical, like "Mrs. Weasley threw dirty looks and sausages into the frying pan." Delightful, right?

Lastly, I'd like to point out what I remember from when I was Scout's age - 9 years old. I was in fourth grade. I was best friends with my still best friend, Deanna. (We met in second grade.) I had Miss Patches (now Mrs. Erb, and now, in fact, my neighbor). I loved my enrichment classes, and I remember we used to draw on laminated copies of the Pennsylvania map. We had to write in cursive on our spelling tests (I maintain my cursive is ugly because I missed some of handwriting when I skipped 1st grade) and there was a mean girl named Vanessa, that I called a "wishy-washy". I posited that "wishy-washies" were the worst kind of people. Sometimes they were nice, but sometimes they were incredibly cruel, and I never knew what to expect. People used to think my sister and I were twins, which I thought was utterly stupid, because we looked (and still look) very dissimilar.

I hope you all Thoroughly enjoyed that trip down memory lane with me. As you can see, my life is fascinating, and being 9 was very formative for me. What do you remember from when you were 9?

I'll close this incredibly long post with my favorite lines from this book.

"Atticus, are we going to win it?"
"No, honey."
"Then why-"
"Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win."

I didn't want to turn this post into a diatribe on race, but I know that I share Atticus's opinion when it comes to making the world better for people of every color, every gender, every sexual orientation, and every faith. The good fight is always worth fighting.

On to "The Catcher in the Rye"...

Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one

2009-09-13T01:11:00.003-04:00

Greetings, readers! I've stuck to the schedule so far, and I finished 1984 in exactly 7 days. I've decided to start each blog entry off with a quick synopsis so that people have some background as they read my thoughts. If you're planning to read one of the books on the list and haven't read it before, skip the synopsis so you don't ruin the plot for yourself.

1984 by George Orwell

Spoiler Alert: Plot Summary

So we've got Winston Smith, who is our main character, and I suppose we must say, our protagonist. He is rather dull, very run of the mill, and fairly uninteresting. Winston lives in 1984, a time in which, according to Orwell, the world has basically gone to hell in a handbasket. This lovely dystopia features constant surveillance of the "party" members by the government, as well as the ritual torturing, interrogation, and murder of dissenting citizens. Winston spends most of the book trying to determine if a revolution against the party really exists. He has a love affair with a woman named Julia, who is also against the party (in secret, of course) but doesn't believe that an organized revolution exists. Winston latches onto a man named O'Brien, who helps Winston to "join" the revolution. Winston soon realizes, however, that O'Brien is merely a member of the "Thought Police", and Winston and Julia are captured, tortured, and interrogated. Winston withstands the torture, despite its long duration, maintaining the belief that as long as he doesn't offer up Julia's life for his own, he will have succeeded in his rebellion. In the end, however, when faced with his greatest fear, Winston offers to sacrifice Julia, and O'Brien (and the party) have won. Winston and Julia are reintegrated into society, and though they meet again, they cannot love each other any more because they were both willing to offer the other's life in order to save their own. Winston ends the novel with the realization that he does, in fact, love Big Brother (the icon for the party).

Spoiler Over: Continue Here

The first thing I did after I finished 1984 was take a shower. I spent the rest of the day doing traditional, Saturday afternoon, free human things: I made a beef stew, a Thai curry chicken soup, and chocolate ginger soufflés. I needed to reassert my existence and my freedom after reading about Winston losing his completely.

I underlined a few sections of the book as I read (I know, scandalous! Writing in a book! And I can't do it for the next 2 books because I got them from the library. Sad!) so I'm just going to jump about with a few comments on each one, then I'll discuss general feelings about the book as a whole.

Cabbage - Orwell says that everything smells of boiled cabbage, and I found this interesting. I mean, I like the taste of cabbage, but I suppose sauerkraut is probably on my list of permanent scents for hell. Also making the list are cooked scrapple, raw chicken, and patchouli.

Children - the children in this novel are some of the most despicable characters. They rat on their parents to the Thought Police, they are the mouthpieces and earpieces of the party, and they don't know anything before the existence of the party. I found this frightening, and somewhat reminiscent of Briony in Atonement. Briony means well, but she sets in motion a series of truly horrible events. I found Winston's discussion of his own terrible behavior as a child to be particularly interesting. Orwell seemed to try hard to make Winston unlikable, and yet, he was the only possible character we could hope would do anything really important. He was, in fact, pretty much the only character at all!

I found the aspects of revisionist history (the past is what we decide it is, not what actually happened) and Newspeak (the destruction of words - why do we need good and bad, if we can have good and ungood, which are true opposites) to be provocative, and rather too close to home. Revisionism made me think of people who don't believe the Holocaust happened, and Newspeak made me think of the Académie Française, who decide what foreign words are allowed to enter the pristine French language. (Only so many are allowed each year, so they have to decide whether to let in "ahmbaregare" (hamburger) or "papier de toilette" (toilet paper, instead of hygienic paper). Most French people say what they want anyway, sorry Académie. I asked my host mom for some "papier hygiénique" when I was in France, and she looked at me like I was an alien. Then I waggled the old toilet paper roll at her, and she was like, "ah! papier de toilette!")

Bowels - When something frightens Winston, or shocks him, he feels it in his bowels. I suppose this is true for many people, but I was amused by Orwell's constant reference to things happening in Winston's lower area.

At several points in the book, Orwell discusses sanity and what it means to be sane. I chose the quote for the title because it felt brilliantly poetic. Winston thinks for some time that he is, perhaps, the only dissenter against the party, and he wonders if he is insane, or merely a solitary revolutionary. Don't worry, Winston, I often feel like a lunatic and a minority of one. Winston also comes to the conclusion that stupidity, or ignorance, is a coping mechanism for the masses to remain sane. I have always wished I were less intelligent, less of a critical thinker. I think happiness might be more attainable, and, if nothing else, my mind would be a little more quiet. But I'm sure that's just "grass is greener" talk, and I know everyone has their own worries and struggles.

When Julia and Winston have a tryst in the woods, a thrush sings for a long time. Winston says later that he felt the thrush was singing just for them. This was, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful moments in the book. To be perfectly honest, I hate birds, and have a totally irrational fear of them, (Well, maybe it's not so irrational - when I was little a blue jay landed on my hand. I'm almost sure I'm not making that memory up. But sometimes you just don't quite know either way.) so I was surprised I liked this section as much as I did. But it's one of the very few moments when I truly felt that the world of 1984 was still a world, a place where people and animals and plants existed at all.

I enjoyed Orwell's description of Room 101 at the end of the book. Room 101 is where Winston is taken for his last bout of torture. It's a torture of the less conventional variety. Room 101 is a sort of boggart. For non-HP fans, that's code for your worst fears. Winston can handle beatings, electric shocks, humiliation, degradation, but not what O'Brien has in Room 101. For Winston, Room 101 is... rats. Well, technically, a cage for your face with rats waiting to chew your skin off. And you know what, Winston? I can't blame you. I can't stand the thought of rats either. I've had several bad experiences with mice, and I just don't even need to think about how much bigger and sneakier and dirtier rats can be. Although I did buy a pair of "fancy rats" for my sister as pets with my other sister one Christmas. But ultimately, we could none of us get over the fact that "Captain Cynthia", and whatever the other one's name was, were still rodents. We gave them to a Biology teacher, who kept them as class pets. I think Captain Cynthia died.

But think about it. What would be in your Room 101? What is the thing that is so frightening that you would sell off any one you loved, the person you loved most, to avoid it? I'm not sure what would be in my Room 101. Birds, maybe. Failure, perhaps. A huge wall of F grades and no books or music or happy thoughts. Maybe 1984 is my Room 101.

I spoke to my roommates about the end of the book, and when I told one of my roommates that I was disappointed with Winston for failing Julia in the end, he said, "well, you do like a happy ending." And it's true, I am always hoping that happiness can come from the most dire situations and hope can spring from darkness. But I think it's more than that. I was angry with Winston because I wanted to believe that, were I in his situation, I would act differently. I would accept the torture, and the rats, and Room 101, and gladly die before offering up the ones I love. But I can't truly say I know if I would be different. If I would be better. Perhaps I'm not really angry at Winston; perhaps I'm angry at myself.

All told, I'm glad I read 1984, though it was challenging to read on an emotional and metaphysical level. I'm really not sure it's something people should read in high school, as I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have understood it on as deep of a level had I read it back then. But who knows - maybe lots of people really connect with it as teenagers, maybe they get it just as well.

I'm looking forward to reading To Kill a Mockingbird next, though I've read it twice before. It will be a nice departure from Orwell's haunting vision, and I look forward to what will hopefully be a slightly less morbid post.

See you in a week or so!

It begins...

2009-09-07T18:16:00.004-04:00

“It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Greetings, readers! I've decided to read through a list of the top 100 novels and blog about it. I just saw the movie "Julie and Julia", and I was inspired. If you think I'm an nothing but an unoriginal, boring copycat, feel free not to read this blog. No one's forcing you!

First things first. Here is the link to the list I chose for this endeavor:

http://www.thebest100lists.com/best100novels/

The list is also located on the right side of this blog. I just wanted to include the link in case people were curious about who created the list, and/or wanted more background on it.

For those of you wondering how I chose this list, here are my reasons for choosing it.

(1) I considered choosing a list compiled by critics, but the critics seem to think that "Ulysses" is the best novel written. I think that a book which is impossible to understand without the help of structured academic study is hardly accessible to the public and is therefore disqualified. Or, at the very least, demoted. It made this list, but was knocked down a few pegs.

(2) I wanted a list that included the public's favorites, but wasn't too preachy. Another list I found contained several L. Ron Hubbard books, and though my mother pointed out rather heatedly that they seem a little "doctrine-heavy", and it does please me from time to time to spar with her, I must admit that I'm inclined to agree. The list I chose seems to include a good mix of new and old, fantasy and "classic" (not that fantasies can't be classics, but they're not always included in the use of the term). In fact, I liked that both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings made the list, and I look forward to re-reading both series.

But really, a list, an order, no matter how "scientifically" created, is still an arbitrary ordering of objects. So it only seemed fitting that my choice of list was just as arbitrary.

Thus, I begin with 1984.