tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18501373564864822262024-02-18T22:05:08.222-05:00The 1001 Books Project...where two bibliophiles read one thousand one books before the hourglass is through.Marissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03488381101561379974noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-35857337706049987962017-05-20T12:18:00.002-04:002017-05-20T12:18:53.234-04:00suspicious suspicionsIn volume 7 of <u>Clarissa</u>, my suspicions about something that went on between Lovelace and Clarissa were confirmed. I am not going to get into much detail so as not to spoil it for anyone (Marissa) who may eventually attempt to slog through all 9 volumes of this book. But Richardson was quite smart to set up this book in this style as a series of letters. We have a whole posse of unreliable narrators here. Richardson was also able to tackle difficult topics in a way that did not offend the sensibilities of his readers.<br />
<br />
Clarissa is sick. Will she recover? Will her family ever forgive her? Let's find out as we dive into volume 8.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-666562093674266482017-04-10T12:15:00.000-04:002017-05-20T12:16:02.939-04:00malevolenceVolume 6 of <u>Clarissa</u> really makes it evident what a bad guy Lovelace really is. He goes through endless contrivances to keep Clarissa confined in the house with his spies. He uses the pretext of a house fire to burst in upon her at night. He intercepts Clarissa's letters and controls the narrative that is presented to her. She has now seen his true colors and has incredible difficulty getting away from him.<br />
<br />
Finally, toward the end of this volume, she is able to sneak away and discovers exactly what sort of nonsense he is up to. Will he recapture her? Will she be reunited with her family?<br />
<br />
Now that things are happening, the story is moving more quickly. I am still amazed that it is 9 volumes though.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-20621136899960541602017-01-12T18:54:00.002-05:002017-01-12T18:54:18.907-05:00And on it goes...Volume 5 of <u>Clarissa</u> is in the can. Lovelace's schemes are working on and off and Clarissa, though attracted to him, is wary of him. On and off he talks about marriage but one or the other of them has reservations every time it is brought up, or the settlements take a long time, or the house they plan to stay at is not ready, etc. Most of these delays are of Lovelace's making, so that he gives Clarissa the impression that he wants to marry her, but he actually will not. She sees through his ways about half the time. <br />
<br />
This volume really highlighted what a difficult position Clarissa is in. She has left her family but can't really trust the person she left with. She really has no good options here.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-75125870230420856712016-12-12T20:36:00.004-05:002016-12-12T20:36:50.934-05:00So, about that resolution...The resolution didn't work out exactly the way I wanted! I got out of the habit of reading again. <u>Clarissa</u> is just slow going. The plot is really, really interesting. There is a lot of intrigue,. Unfortunately, for the modern reader, the old fashioned language makes the book a slog. It's not the kind of book that I can just pick up and read for 2-3 minutes here and there. It takes some commitment and thought to read, get into it, and think about what is going on.<br />
<br />
In Volume 4 we see more of Lovelace's true colors. Did people really act like that back then, or was this poetic license? A morality play - don't run off from your family, young women, or you might get wrapped up into a situation as bad as this one? <br />
<br />
I'm actually interested to see if some of his bad plots come to fruition in Volume 5, or if Clarissa and her family and friends will be able to extricate themselves from his clutches!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-22140988736653663622016-01-08T19:09:00.000-05:002016-01-08T19:09:23.920-05:00Resolutioner.New Year's Eve 2014. <br />
<br />
Me to Pea, age 6: People sometimes make New Year's resolutions. You pick something you want to try to do or to improve on for the next year. Would you like to make a New Year's resolution?<br />
<br />
Pea: Sure. <i>(thinks)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Me: Have you decided on your New Year's resolution?<br />
<br />
Pea: Well, I was going to have it to be less shy, but I think that will be too hard. So I think I am going to try to turn myself invisible from time to time.<br />
<br />
This year I made a few New Year's resolutions. The one relevant to this blog is that I resolved to read more. Specifically, to read a little every day. Not counting numbers of pages or minutes, just a little bit daily. I get out of the habit of reading sometimes, and when that happens I miss it.<br />
<br />
Reading a little each day got me through volume 3 of <u>Clarissa</u> fairly quickly. I love how Richardson develops the story through the letters of the characters - I feel as though I am watching it unfold along with them. In this volume we discover that Lovelace is not that great of a guy after all. He's a womanizer who set Clarissa up because he wanted her. He isn't sure he wants to marry her and probably won't be faithful if they do marry. <br />
<br />
Clarissa is in a rough spot here. It would probably make her life easier if she could turn herself invisible from time to time. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-26045136020202502352015-08-11T20:52:00.001-04:002015-08-11T20:52:51.101-04:00She did it!Clarissa hemmed and hawed her way through volume 2, but decides to go off with Mr. Lovelace at the very end. We learn that her friend Anna Howe's mother doesn't approve of Clarissa's general attitude toward her duty to her parents. We also find out that some of the nonsense that Clarissa's parents are subjecting her to is due to Mr. Lovelace himself. Apparently that's how you got a girl in 1750. You went behind her back and caused her parents to pretty much force her to marry someone else.<br />
<br />
I'm definitely looking forward to reading volume 3 to see the uproar amongst Clarissa's family members when they realize she has headed out!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-35725986876926587462015-08-02T14:30:00.000-04:002015-08-02T14:30:21.271-04:00Has been a while...Life happened, and I had not had much of a chance to read any of the 1001 Books. I started Volume 1 of Samuel Richardson's <u>Clarissa</u> twice and my goodness, it was long, slow, tedious, and I just couldn't get into it. My reading time was taken up by sleeping (pregnancy), reading various magazines, reading to my 2 older kids, pre-reading some elementary literature for the soon to be first grader, playing some Candy Crush (ahem) and just basically doing pretty much everything in the world I could think of that was not reading <u>Clarissa</u>.<br />
<br />
That changed this week. I was inspired to open the Kindle app again and restart <u>Clarissa</u> from the beginning. This time I made it through Volume 1. Hurrah! If you can muddle through the old fashioned language and the fact that Richardson takes 8 pages to do what could be summed up in 2-3 paragraphs, the story is not terrible. Basically, Clarissa is a much loved, much doted on, spoiled daughter. Her grandfather leaves her this huge bequest in his will. This frustrates the hopes of her older brother in obtaining a title. Clarissa's chosen suitor, Lovelace, is a decent guy who has kind of a bad reputation. Clarissa's brother prevails upon the family to marry Clarissa off to this gross little guy Solmes in order to get her away from Lovelace and also to get her inheritance away from her to further her brother's prospects of someday getting a title. Clarissa refuses. Will she have to marry Solmes? I guess we have to wait 9 volumes to find out!<br />
<br />
The entire narrative is done in letter form between Clarissa and her friend Anna Howe, and there are a couple of letters from Lovelace in there as well. There are definitely some themes in this book, at least so far, that carry through very well to today. What is the extent of a daughter's obligation to her family at the expense of her own happiness?<br />
<br />
In any case, volume 1 of 9 down - just 8 more to go. I'm hoping to build momentum here and not have such a long absence from reading and writing this time around! Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-44887850754017005182014-02-09T17:35:00.001-05:002014-02-09T17:35:38.840-05:00Too short.Life, that is. Too short for me to slog through <i>City Sister Silver</i>. I'm sure it is a very nice book. It is a stream of consciousness about the Czech people during and after the downfall of the Soviet Union. I found it violent and too stream of consciousness/post modern for me. I just couldn't do it.<br />
<br />
I am aware that this is a very well regarded book. Just not all that well regarded by me.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-90258144093450302472014-01-23T10:06:00.000-05:002014-01-23T10:06:30.952-05:00Cops and Robbers.It has been a while since I updated this blog. At the end of December/beginning of January, I got sucked into <i>The Goldfinch</i> by Donna Tartt. Which is a fantastic book, but is about 700 pages long. <br />
<br />
Then I started <i>City Primeval</i> by Elmore Leonard. I really enjoyed this one. It is a book about a police officer in Detroit who is tasked with bringing a murderer to justice. What I liked about the book was that it was obvious the whole time who did it. The officer knew who committed the crime, but the issue was whether he would be able to get the guy. The book was written about the 1970s, I think, so there were little mentions of various things from that era that I liked, too.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-78922487242153798532013-12-16T18:36:00.002-05:002013-12-16T18:36:34.135-05:00City of God, or, why I need things spelled out for me.Sometimes you just don't get it. <br />
<br />
There were parts of <i>City of God </i>that I really enjoyed. The narrative of the young Jewish boy in the Lithuanian ghetto was interesting and compelling. And I liked the story of how the cross wound up on the roof of the synagogue, and the relationship between Pem and Sarah. I could not, however, figure out how all of the different stories fit together. About three-fourths of the way through the book, I had the idea to look at the book jacket and the lightbulb finally went on. The novel is actually in the form of a writer's "workbook" where he records different story ideas and things, and the parts that I liked and got interested in were story ideas. <br />
<br />
So. A little convoluted, to say the least. But, it didn't diminish the interesting parts. It just made everything a little more confusing for me. I think I just need a more traditional novel where I can basically follow what is going on from beginning to end!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-10569795974175471622013-11-24T09:26:00.002-05:002013-11-24T09:26:54.743-05:00Sick people.I took a long time to read <i>Cigarettes</i>. It was really slow going. I was able to follow the story (sort of) but I just didn't enjoy it very much. The book follows relationships between a group of people in the 1960s and basically, everything is very screwed up. No one is faithful to anyone else, they are all scheming behind each other's backs, and some people are into some very sick things. <br />
<br />
I didn't enjoy this one. I am not really sure what point the author was trying to make. It was just lost on me.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-84310316077278634792013-10-25T11:03:00.000-04:002013-10-25T11:03:11.259-04:00Books 161-170161. <i>City of God</i> by E.L. Doctorow (2000)<br />
162. <i>City Primeval</i> by Elmore Leonard (1980)<br />
163. <i>City Sister Silver</i> by Jachym Topol (1994)<br />
164. <i>Clarissa</i> by Samuel Richardson (1749)<br />
165. <i>The Clay Machine-Gun</i> by Victor Pelevin (1996)<br />
166. <i>A Clockwork Orange</i> by Anthony Burgess (1962)<br />
167. <i>Cloudsplitter</i> by Russell Banks (1998)<br />
168. <i>Cocaine Nights</i> by J.G. Ballard (1996)<br />
169. <i>Cold Comfort Farm</i> by Stella Gibbons (1932)<br />
170. <i>The Collector</i> by John Fowles (1963)<br />
<br />
Some modern stuff on here!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-28549252880381679412013-10-24T19:58:00.002-04:002013-10-24T19:58:34.291-04:00Rules were made to be broken.Sometimes dealing with a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old has me spinning in circles. One is old enough to know better (don't jump on the couch) while the other idolizes his big sister and does whatever she does. Even the most clear rules are simply disregarded when they are having fun together.<br />
<br />
<i>The Cider House Rules</i> is an incredible novel that is all about, well, rules. While the basic point of the novel is the abortion debate, each set of characters has his or her own rules that they opt to follow (or not) throughout and the reader observes how these rules shape their lives. For example, Dr. Larch feels morally obligated to perform abortions as well as deliver unwanted babies to be left at the orphanage. To further his perceived moral imperative to do so, he breaks more basic, commonly-held rules such as not falsifying another person's medical degree and lying about a living patient's heart condition. It is interesting to see how the dichotomy works between the characters' self-imposed rules and the external rules. Most of the characters have no problems breaking the external societal rules when they find their own rules are more important.<br />
<br />
This is a very, very sad book. I really enjoyed it and the characters will stick with me for a while. But it also definitely brought me to tears in parts. And I found I could sympathize with the characters even when, like Dr. Larch, they don't necessarily agree with my own beliefs.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-35609681999634986522013-09-29T21:07:00.004-04:002013-09-29T21:07:56.897-04:00Warm, with cinnamon.I like my cider warm, with cinnamon. Especially in the fall. It doesn't quite feel like fall here yet, but it will be soon.<br />
<br />
I also found <i>Cider with Rosie</i> a warm, homey look at life in England after World War I through the eyes of a young boy. It was warm and sweet and gentle. I read aloud a few pages about Christmas caroling to Pea, even. I especially liked the layout of this book - it was more like a coffee table book style and most pages had a painting or a picture on them. <br />
<br />
<br />Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-34822006564827154412013-09-20T20:09:00.000-04:002013-09-20T20:09:07.987-04:00Surprisingly good!Usually the books that I have to get through Interlibrary Loan are very dry and boring. So I was not particularly excited about reading <i>Chocky</i>. Was I in for a surprise! This book was fantastic. I am amazed that it is not more popular. <br />
<br />
Chocky is a being who has decided to inhabit a young boy. The boy begins to exhibit precocious tendencies and the family assumes that he is being modest when he says that it is the work of his "imaginary friend", Chocky. I'm not going to give away the ending. <br />
<br />
This was a very quick read - I couldn't put it down and was done with it in 2 days! I highly enjoyed it and recommend it!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-20365681676163573842013-09-04T12:23:00.000-04:002013-09-04T12:23:09.786-04:00Beh Beh"Beh beh" is what Fuzz calls golf clubs. Since golf is a big part of our house, he discusses "beh beh" quite often. Beh beh can also be used to describe my opinion of <i>Crome Yellow</i> by Aldous Huxley. Nothing much happens in this book. I couldn't get into it. People just hang out and chitchat. I'm sure that there is a deeper meaning there, but it didn't connect with me. So - beh beh, <i>Crome Yellow</i>. Beh beh.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-21096271858987777382013-08-25T09:36:00.002-04:002013-08-25T09:36:26.075-04:00God bless us, everyone.I had never read <i>A Christmas Carol</i> before this week! I was shocked at how short it was - I had thought all Dickens works were ridiculously long. It was a very quick read. I knew the general story, but it was nice to read the original anyway. I especially liked the descriptions of the spirits. I really enjoyed this one.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-38728664038163817542013-08-19T18:37:00.002-04:002013-08-19T18:37:25.809-04:00Not a hotel.I asked Mike if he had ever read <i>The Childermass</i> by Wyndham Lewis. He told me no, but commented that Wyndham Lewis sounded like the name of a hotel. "We're staying at the Wyndham Lewis tonight." "Can you please take us to the Wyndham Lewis so that we can check in?" Hee.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the actual reading of this book did not give me too much of a smile. I don't really care for Wyndham Lewis, the author. His books are thick, dry and I can never really tell what is going on in them. Until I read the Wikipedia entry, that is. This one apparently takes place in purgatory. Interesting since he alludes to it but I could not actually figure that out for myself just in reading the book.<br />
<br />
I'm glad to be through this one (I pretty much skimmed once I realized I wasn't going to get anything out of it anyway) and onward and upward!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-50549869620884106652013-08-18T13:53:00.001-04:002013-08-18T13:53:49.513-04:00Choke.I got stuck reading <i>Choke</i> on vacation this summer. Well, first I read <i>Going Clear</i>, by Lawrence Wright - which was amazing. I loved it and was totally fascinated by every word. But alas, that was not one of the 1001 books. So then I went back to <i>Choke</i>. <br />
<br />
The quality of <i>Choke</i> is totally over my head. It is graphic and gross. I didn't wind up caring about the characters. I wasn't surprised by the "surprise" plot twist at the end. I just wanted it to be over. I understand there is some sort of literary value in this book - I just didn't personally enjoy it all that much. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-53843526362731353542013-07-28T20:37:00.001-04:002013-07-28T20:37:05.690-04:00The simple life.Remember the TV show "The Simple Life" that aired in the early 2000s? It followed two starlets as they were placed in made-for-TV rural situations such as helping out in a barn, attending a square dance, etc. It was mildly amusing and interesting to see them navigate the unusual-to-them world.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Christ Stopped at Eboli </i>is a similar fish out of water theme. I am not sure if it is a memoir or a novel or what - it was in the nonfiction section of the library. The narrator, an Italian guy is sent to spend 3 years in a peasant village because he opposed the fascism of the predominant political party at the time. While he wishes to spend time painting and living a quiet life, his medical skills are desperately needed by the peasants. He winds up having a very rich, full life there and even contemplates staying and marrying a local girl once he is free to leave again.<br />
<br />
I really liked this. I found the portrayal of the village interesting and I liked hearing about the life there.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-56407349611325089992013-07-16T10:42:00.003-04:002013-07-16T10:42:46.900-04:00Not as bad as I thought!<i>The Child in Time </i>is about a kidnapped little girl. I thought it was going to be extremely difficult to read. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that it wasn't as sad or horrible as I thought. Yes, the main characters are grieving and go through some real difficulties, but there is a message of hope at the end that is very nice. I also liked the intrigue and thoughts about the nature of time that were woven throughout the story.<br />
<br />
This is one of Ian McEwan's earlier novels and it is interesting to see how his style developed over the years. This book was not too bad.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-75699229414937999142013-07-12T10:07:00.001-04:002013-07-12T10:07:14.868-04:00Happy! Happy! Happy!Fuzz goes around saying "happy!" sometimes. I don't think he necessarily knows what it means, but it is awfully cute to watch him toddle around saying that he is happy. <br />
<br />
After a slog through some really boring, slow books, I was glad that <i>The Charwoman's Daughter</i> was quick, interesting, and yes, happy. The mother and daughter in the book really love each other and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. The mother of 6 next door also loves her children fiercely and does everything in her power to give them the best life - even if it means taking in a lodger, leading to much more work on her part. The book even had a happy ending! I liked this one. Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-18186835153024940182013-06-26T14:05:00.002-04:002013-06-26T14:05:36.089-04:00Bo-ring.Pea has really gotten into the <i>Ivy and Bean</i> series of children's books lately. They are cute. Bean's way of proclaiming everything "Bo-ring!" has sneaked its way into Pea's lexicon as well. Now I am going to borrow the term.<br />
<br />
Because, friends, <i>The Charterhouse of Parma</i> is boring. Boring. Booooo-ring. I just couldn't get into it. On the surface it seemed like a story, anyway, but I just did not care about the characters, I couldn't ever figure out who was who, and it was about 10 times as long as it needed to be. I had to force myself to read a chapter a day just so I would be sure to get through it. I'm glad to be moving on!Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-35495704617849818512013-06-23T17:29:00.003-04:002013-06-23T17:29:33.492-04:00Books 151-160As I continue my slog through <i>The Charterhouse of Parma</i>, thought I would update the list.<br />
<br />
151. <i>The Child in Time</i> by Ian McEwan (1987)<br />
152. <i>The Childermass</i> by Wyndham Lewis (1928)<br />
153. <i>Chocky</i> by John Wyndham (1968)<br />
154. <i>Choke</i> by Chuck Palahniuk (2001)<br />
155. <i>Christ Stopped at Eboli</i> by Carlo Levy (1945)<br />
156. <i>A Christmas Carol</i> by Charles Dickens (1843)<br />
157. <i>Chrome Yellow</i> [or <i>Crome Yellow</i>?] by Aldous Huxley (1921)<br />
158. <i>Cider With Rosie</i> by Laurie Lee (1959)<br />
159. <i>The Cider House Rules</i> by John Irving (1985)<br />
160. <i>Cigarettes</i> by Harry Matthews (1987)Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850137356486482226.post-8204127543039293772013-05-30T18:09:00.001-04:002013-05-30T18:09:08.360-04:00A long, long, long time ago...It's been a slow reading year for me. Something about the ages of my kids and the various activities and responsibilities that they and we are involved in makes it difficult to get reading time in. (Or, it could be Plants vs. Zombies on my iPad. But we'll go with the former.) <br />
<br />
<i>Chaireas and Kallirhoe</i> was a short and relatively easy read. I can't really explain why it took me so long to get into it. The story is pretty formulaic. Although I suppose that you can't really say a book written so many hundreds of years ago (in ancient Greece) is formulaic if it was one of the first of that style. Basically - boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, he accidentally really hurts her and everyone thinks she is dead, she is buried, but alive and is saved by a bunch of grave robbers who carry her off to Persia and various shenanigans ensue. But all works out in the end, thankfully. <br />
<br />
One sad aspect of the story was that Kallirhoe had this baby (and it was Chaireas') and she basically abandons it with Dionysos, the dude who bought her as a slave and fell in love with her) to go back with Chaireas. I don't think she ever told Chaireas about his son. The son was like a plot point and then an afterthought. <br />
<br />
All in all, I guess I am glad I read this, but it is not one that will leave long lasting memories with me. It is definitely cool to read a novel written so many centuries ago, though.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01465604006589490263noreply@blogger.com0