The wrap up...

Two more down...

Fall into Reading ended December 20. I didn't finish quite as much as I planned (13 out of 15 books), but not too bad. Those last two will hopefully be read by either the end of the year or VERY early next year. That's the plan anyway. I read a pretty wide variety of books, trying to fit in all the books from my various challenges. My books were...

1. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 5/5

2. The Pilgrim of Hate - Ellis Peters 4/5

3. Daisy Miller - Henry James 2/5

4. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson 2/5

5. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins 5/5

6. The Alienist - Caleb Carr

7. The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury 3/5

8. Adolphe - Benjamin Constant 2/5

9. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 3/5

10. Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas - Louise Rennison

11. American Gods - Neil Gaiman 3/5

12. The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy 5/5

13. The Third Chimpanzee - Jared Diamond

Like I said, a pretty wide variety. A couple rereads...some I loved, some I didn't like much at all...a good mix. Also completed...

The goal was to read 8 books from consecutive decades in '08. I tried to be ambitious and read 12 books (one for each month) in consecutive decades in '08. I only managed to get through 10, and know I won't be getting to the last two any time soon. So. I fulfilled the requirements, but fell short of my own goal. Not too bad. My books were...

1. Persuasion - Jane Austen 3/5

2. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving 4/5

3. The Red and the Black - Stendhal 4/5

4. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 4/5

5. Madame Bovary - Gustav Flaubert 3/5

6. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 5/5

7. Daisy Miller - Henry James 2/5

8. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson 2/5

9. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 3/5

10. The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy 5/5

It's funny...I'm looking back at some of the books I read early in the year and I think my ratings are a little high for the impression the books left on me...like The Red and the Black and Wuthering Heights. I was sure I had rated those 3/5. Interesting. An interesting challenge and I am looking forward to participating this coming year.

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

the scarlet pimpernel

baroness emmuska orczy
c. 1905
250ish pages
completed 12/20/2008

read for: decades challenge

*may contain spoilers*

I'll start off by saying I had already seen the mini-series so I already knew who the Pimpernel was so that surprise was not exactly a surprise...

I think it's worthy of noting how the main idea of this book, the main point of the Pimpernel himself, is the opposite of almost all other heroes like this. Zorro, Robin Hood, the Scarecrow...they were all against the rich and for the poor. The rich, the aristocracy, were all evil oppressors who lived in luxury on the shoulders of the poor. The Scarlet Pimpernel, on the other hand, is the opposite. He rescues the aristocratic French from the masses. The people are CRAZY in their blood lust. Normally, you're totally on the side of the peasants, they're the good people. And because of that...I'm not totally sure if I'm supposed to be 100% for the French aristocrats. I mean, yes, the French masses are kind of out of control with their Reign of Terror, but...they were being oppressed. Right? That being said...

I really enjoyed that this was not a normal adventure story. It wasn't told from the perspective of the adventurer, it was told through the eyes of his wife. You weren't privy to the emotions and motives of the Pimpernel, instead you saw his wife dealing with her emotions of love for her husband despite his apparent lack of affection for her, her trying to win back her husband's love, and her struggle between saving her husband and betraying her brother. It was a very entertaining and different setup.

I also have to say, I love Sir Percy. LOVE him. Yes, he's proud and unrelenting in his coldness toward Margeurite, but that small scene right after she told him about the trouble Armand was in, after she'd left him on the terrace, secured my everlasting love. The ice around his heart melted for a moment, and he fell to his knees, kissing the place she had just stood. How sad.

5/5

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

american gods
neil gaiman
c. 2001
480 pages
completed 12/13/2008

read for: classics challenge

*may contain spoilers*

This was read for part of the classics challenge (see sidebar) as a newer book that should one day be considered a classic. I have to say, I disagree. This was an interesting read (for the most part), but not a classic. In my opinion.

In the beginning, I thought the premise was very intriguing, a war between the old gods (Odin, Anansi, etc) and the new gods (media, technology, etc). I really wanted to see how that went down. And it was cool seeing Gaiman's interpretations of the gods living today, lots of different gods that are not necessarily too commonly known to the average American anymore, as well as American legends like Johnny Appleseed. But in the end when you found out "just kidding we're not having a war!" I was kind of disappointed.

Also I thought the subplot about the missing Lakeside children was weird and out of place. And the little stories about the random gods being brought to America and then forgotten kind of detracted from the story. I understand the point of them, and how they were connected to the main story, but...

3/5

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

the picture of dorian gray
oscar wilde
c. 1891
187 pages
completed 12/1/2008

read for: decades challenge, classics challenge, 1% challenge, 100 greatest novels, 1001 books, penguin classics

*may contain spoilers*

This was an interesting book. As far as the story goes, I enjoyed it. There were some chapters that just expanded on the philosophies of Lord Henry that were hard for me to read and enjoy. I believe there was one whole chapter of that nature that I skipped. His philosophies were somewhat interesting at the beginning, but I got bored having to keep hearing about them. The idea of 'good' was beauty, youth, art, and pleasure. The idea of 'evil' was crime, vulgarity, and (worst of all) ennui. If that was all I got out of his philosophies, that was good enough for me to understand the point of the book.

Dorian and Lord Henry's relationship was very puzzling to me. Lord Henry was the one who influenced Dorian with his philosophies and books. Lord Henry was, in my opinion, the one (outside of Dorian) most responsible for the corruption of Dorian's soul; he was the serpent to Dorian's Eve, and yet it was Basil, who did nothing more than idolize Dorian and paint his portrait, who Dorian blamed.

What I found most interesting, and also most aggravating, about this books was some of the...missing information. For example, the old woman at the opium den. Who was she? How did she meet Dorian? How did she know to call him Prince Charming? Probably the most prominent of these bits of missing information was the character of Alan Campbell. What came between him and Dorian? What sin did he commit that Dorian was able to blackmail him for? We never find out.

All in all, an enjoyable story, though not always the most enjoyable read.

3/5

Adolph - Benjamin Constant

adolphe
benjamin constant
c. 1816
123 pages completed 11/11/2008

*may contain spoilers*

I don't think I enjoyed this book. I was irritated the whole time. Irritated by both Adolphe and Ellenore. Both of them were ridiculous and I found pretty much nothing redeemable about either of them. No matter what they told themselves, neither of them were in love. Adolphe was bored and then weak. Ellenore was just clinging to someone who treated her with something more than grudging respect.

It seems to be a common theme with French writers from around this time that men did not fall in love before they began these affairs. Instead, they're bored and decide to embark on a contest with themselves. The affair has nothing to do with love, it's a challenge to see if they can get a woman to fall in love with them. And I can find nothing at all interesting about this kind of affair.

2/5

Daisy Miller - Henry James

daisy miller
henry james
c. 1878
98 pages
completed 11/6/2008

*may contain spoilers*

This was much shorter and different than I expected. I don't know if the author meant it to be so, but to me it just seemed like a cautionary tale for young girls. Don't flirt, don't act improper, don't hang out with foreign men who are beneath your status, otherwise you will die of malaria. Or whatever Roman Fever is supposed to be.

I wasn't too impressed. It was not very engaging, and none of the characters were sympathetic, especially Daisy. No one was in any way likable. Though I did find it interesting that while Winterbourne grew increasingly more appalled by Daisy's behavior, so much so that he stopped seeing her altogether, I got the impression that had HE been the one that Daisy was spending so much time with he would not have disapproved of her behavior quite so much. Very hypocritical.

2/5

The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

the woman in white
wilkie collins
c. 1859
643 pages
completed 11/6/2008

*may contain spoilers*

I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite book. Even though my sister, the librarian, told me it was super boring. I'm not really sure how she thought it was boring. This was the first great suspense novel, and was written in a very interesting style. Instead of one narrator who knows the whole story telling it to the readers, it is written by many narrators in order to always have a first person account of the action.

There were a few things that I found very interesting about this book, things that really dated it. For one thing, I found the descriptions of Laura and Marian's physical features as a reflection of their characters. Laura was sweet and submissive and therefore she was beautiful. Marian, on the other hand, was strong and independent and therefore she was ugly. Not an ugly personality, in fact she was incredibly gracious and intelligent and loving, but she was physically ugly. It might not have been the author's intent for the physical descriptions to reflect their character, but that's what I took away from them.

What I felt really dated this novel was the Secret. Obviously, this was written in the 1800's and naturally it describes life at that time that is very different from life now, but in order to keep this secret Sir Percival was willing to completely destroy the lives of two different women, to shut them away in Asylums. This secret is kept hidden from the reader for so long and built up so much that when it was finally revealed I was kind of let down. And I was shocked when I learned that this "crime" was considered a hanging case when it was committed. It's interesting to know I'm not the only one who felt this secret did not match the build up it received. I looked into the musical adaptation of The Woman in White, and there the secret has been changed, probably in order to make it more sensational (albeit, A LOT of the story has been changed in the musical). In the musical, the secret involved rape and murder, whereas in the original novel the secret is nothing more than a forgery.

I am very interested in looking into more by Wilkie Collins. I'm glad we were finally introduced.

5/5

The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury

the halloween tree
ray bradbury
c. 1972
160 pages

completed 10/16/2008

*may contain spoilers*

I finished this last week and already it's starting to fade from my mind. I don't think that says anything about the book itself, just that it was short and I finished another book and have started one more before writing this review. So...

I enjoyed this little book. Like I said, short, but an interesting way to explain what Halloween really means. It's not just fun costumes and candy, there's legend and loss and celebration behind it.

4/5

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson

the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde
robert louis stevenson
c. 1886
90 pages
comepleted 10/7/2008

*may contain spoilers*

I think my sister, long a fan of all things Edward Hyde, would not be at all surprised when I start this review by saying "I didn't like it." But I was! I had always held off because this type of book isn't normally my thing, but when I decided to read it I went about it really objectively. Yes, this is not my favorite genre, but it's written by the author of my favorite book (Treasure Island) and I LOVE the musical (despite the cheese and seeing the TV movie version starring the Hoff). So I really tried to go into it optimistically.

Sadly, my optimism did not last long. I just felt like nothing happened. There was no character development as we really weren't seeing anything through Jekyll or Hyde's eyes, there wasn't very much action, and the structure of the book made it seem like you had to hear the story twice. I do think part of the problem was it was written so the identity of Mr. Hyde was a twist, and I obviously already knew the twist. Maybe that twist would have added some sensationalism to the story. Well, I tried.

2/5

The Pilgrim of Hate - Ellis Peters

the pilgrim of hate
ellis peters
c. 1984
190 pages
completed 10/6/2008

*may contain spoilers*

First off, I am happy to report that I have finally moved passed the first nine books of this series. It has taken me a long time, but I have broken that personal barrier.

I have always been wary of starting this book since it is the episode I like least in the "Mystery" TV version. But after reading it I have discovered it is NOTHING like the movie. Maybe some of the same names and circumstances (crippled boy, barefoot pilgrim, etc), but personality and motives? Totally different.

This book starts out different that all the others, at least it seemed to me. Up until now, the beginning of each novel showcases a crime: a murder or murder attempt or sometimes just a theft that will lead to murder, and Cadfael eventually takes upon himself the task of solving the mystery (or aiding Hugh in solving the mystery). This time, a murder is mentioned, but it doesn't really have anything to do with Cadfael and his goings on. It something sad he hears about, but he doesn't find himself connected with it until very late in the book, and then only by accident. He never goes looking to solve a case, information just falls into his lap. So you're never really caught up in the mystery.

It was enjoyable to have Olivier back. He's an interesting character and has a VERY interesting relationship with Cadfael. I hope that we see him again, and that eventually he will come to know his full relationship with Cadfael. And I was glad Hugh was confided in with both of Cadfael's secrets, both about Winifred and Olivier.

I love, Love, LOVE this series, but this one just didn't have the same structure as the others so I can't give it a perfect rating.

4/5

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

little women
louisa may alcott
c. 1868
669 pages
completed 9/22/2008

*may contain spoilers*

This was read for several challenges: the Decades Challenge, the Classics Challenge, and the Book to Movie Challenge (see sidebar for all).

I can't believe I haven't read this book before now. I saw the movie (with Winona Ryder and Christian Bale) forever ago and even without having seen it I knew all the spoilers from Friends seeing as my favorite episode is "The One Where Monica and Richard Are Friends" (where Rachel and Joey trade books and then spoil the books for each other...and then in the end Joey has to put Little Women in the freezer since he's so upset about Beth). So this fitting into so many challenges seemed like a good time to finally read it.

I was a little worried I would find the book boring, especially since I already knew the story, but thankfully that turned out not to be the case. I was not expecting this book to be so focused on morals. The first half especially, it seemed like every chapter ended with one of the girls learning some kind of moral life lesson. And the lessons were sweet and you fell in love with the girls for learning them in their funny little ways, like Meg burning off her hair. I know Jo was supposed to be the heroine, but I think I liked Meg the best. She was sweet and she was funny and I enjoyed reading about the scrapes she got into the most. I couldn't stand Amy. Occasionally I felt sorry for her, like when she was embarrassed at school or when she had to man the flower booth instead of the art booth, but for the most part I just thought she was a brat. Yes, she grew up and learned what was really important in the end, but I had spent so much time not liking her that for me it was too late. She may have changed her ways, but by that time I didn't care. I skipped over the whole chapter that was just her letters home from her trip abroad. I just didn't care.

5/5

Fall into reading...

Fall is almost here! I love Fall. Halloween and pumpkin and back to school supplies. And with Fall comes the Fall Into Reading Challenge!

September 22nd through December 20th, make a book list and read! I didn't do so well at the Summer Reading Challenge once I got stuck on Blonde, but this weekend I'm getting rid of it no matter what and it will be time for a fresh start. My booklist will be...

September...

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Pilgrim of Hate - Ellis Peters
October...
Daisy Miller - Henry James
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
The Alienist - Caleb Carr
The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury
November...
Adolphe - Benjamin Constant
The Picture of Dorien Gray - Oscar Wilde

Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas - Louise Rennison
The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
American Gods - Neil Gaimon
December...
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
The Scarlett Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy
An Excellent Mystery - Ellis Peters

Mostly I will be trying to finish up a few challenges before the end of the year!