The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The main reason why I did not find this book to be as outrageous and shocking as its first readers (circa 1899) had seen it was perhaps because of the language. Chopin uses phrases that very subtly introduce her characters’ motivations, actions, and opinions. Belatedly I realized that an annotated edition would have been better, as there were a number of cultural references and French phrases, and I didn’t know whether or not they were important to the plot, or were perhaps simply there to make the setting more colourful. This novella centers on Edna Pontellier and her life after she meets Robert Lebrun at the island resort she and her family were attending one summer. She and Robert at first have a simple flirtation, but Edna’s feelings for him do not diminish as the summer ends. She suspects that he reciprocates her growing love, but before they have a chance to discuss the matter, he moves to Mexico City and she is brought back to New Orleans by her husband, Léonce. While in New Orleans, she pines for Robert’s company, though at the same time pushing forward with a new-found desire to paint. Her artistic endeavors, as well as her new opinions regarding her duties as mistress of an upper-middle-class household greatly distress Léonce, but his friend Dr. Mandelet convinces him to leave Edna alone, and everything will return to ‘normal’ eventually. Léonce heeds this advice, and leaves for an extended business trip to New York City. During his absence, Edna ships her two small children off to her mother-in-law’s, continues with her painting, and starts to move in new social circles. Still pining for the relationship and connection she had with Robert during the summer, she begins a sexual affair with another young man, Alcée Arobin. Alcée has no depth to his personality, and because of that, Edna obtains no satisfaction from her relationship with him. Robert’s sudden reappearance in Edna’s life begins yet another chain of events that culminates in Edna deserting her family – but not for the reason you might think. This book is a true study of the many different types of ‘awakenings’ a middle-aged (or younger) woman might go through, at any time in history. There are times in the book when I thought that Chopin is trying to make a statement, but is hindered by the plot. Therefore, it might be better to read this novella not as a linear story, but as a study, or perhaps an exercise; that’s probably the best way to explain the distance I felt with the characters.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider one of the following :
Fiction Recommendation : Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Even more shocking; almost as old.

Fiction Recommendation : Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. Very similar setting and characters, but Chopin and Rhys differ in the way they handle forbidden love. If you’ve never been told the connection Wide Sargasso Sea has with another literary classic, then don’t ask; you’ll enjoy the book even more when the realization comes.

Nonfiction Recommendation : A Doll’s House by Ibsen. This play deals with the struggle and eventual awakening of a wife and mother. While it does not have the sexual theme that Chopin discusses, it still leaves the reader with plenty to consider and debate.

The last time to be excited about a Harry Potter Cover

I realize this news is already 24 hours old, but I have been fighting both a mountain of homework and a bad head cold the past two days. I'm sorry for the lack of posts.

Below are the wonderful new covers for the seventh (and last!) Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows : The American cover, the British cover for Children, and the British cover for Adults. Here is the news story according to the BBC, and here is the official publishing site, where you can see even more of the American cover (the back, etc.)

Please share your thoughts and comments.

The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

With echoes of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins, Cox has created a very intricate thriller which some reviewers have dubbed a “Victorian Noir.” The story, written as a “confession” but a narrator who is not always trustworthy, opens with the narrator (Edward Glyver) murdering a complete stranger in cold blood simply “to practice” for his true target – a gentleman named Phoebus Daunt. Glyver and Daunt have been acquainted for years, and Glyver is convinced that Daunt has set out to make his (Glyver’s) life miserable, to the extent of framing him for a theft, having him expelled from school, stealing his fiancée, and taking his birthright and inheritance to an estate and title of the gentry. I would argue that this book is a psychological thriller, as it starts with such a horrific event (the murder), and then flashes back to Glyver’s childhood, and works its way up to that murder Glyver committed. It made the reader wonder what on Earth could have happened in this man’s past to make his mind so twisted and his focus so narrow. That Glyver will attain his goal and enact his revenge on Daunt is not surprising, but the events that follow that second murder are what really kept my interest. Throughout this (at times) long-winded book, I will not deny that a frequent thought was, “Oh, just kill him already!”

The research Cox completed for this complex novel is to be commended, but much of the every day descriptions and other small plotlines that were stretched throughout the book seemed not to aid the protagonist in his ultimate goal of revenge. And when he finally achieves his revenge and has his crow of triumph, the reader isn’t entirely certain that he deserves it. You see, Edward Glyver is just as much of a mystery as is the plot he tries to unravel – the plot that ultimately leads him to blame Daunt for everything. From the opening sentence, “After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper,” one is decidedly unsettled. However, I believe that is the author’s intentions.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :
Fiction Recommendation : Montmorency : Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale. Updale’s protagonist, Montmorency, is remarkably similar to Edward Glyver, as is his plot of revenge. However, Updale’s book is more concise and leaves the reader more emotionally satisfied. This is the first in a small series of novels surrounding Mr. Montmorency.
Fiction Recommendation : The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. The search for a serial killer during Sigmund Freud's 1909 visit to New York City, his one trip to the U.S., propels the plot of Yale law professor Rubenfeld's ambitious debut. Readers will learn much about Freud's relationship with his then-disciple Carl Jung, the building of the Manhattan Bridge, the early opponents to Freud's theories and the central problem posed by Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy.
Nonfiction Recommendation : Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. Larson's page-turner juxtaposes scientific intrigue with a notorious murder in London at the turn of the 20th century. It alternates the story of Marconi's quest for the first wireless transatlantic communication amid scientific jealousies and controversies with the tale of a mild-mannered murderer caught as a result of the invention.

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

Gunpowder treason and plot.

We see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Having already seen the wonderful movie made of this graphic novel, I was eager to read the original work. As others have reported earlier in this class, this book is set in England’s near future, when a totalitarian government watches over the entire population and controls everything that is communicated to them. The leaders have code names for each other and the business they carry out; free speech and any other kind of resistance is quickly crushed by some of the “fingermen” who look and sound as sinister as the Gestapo. Out of this world of terror emerges (what else?) a terrorist – at least, that is what the leaders call him. In truth, he is both a victim and a villain, vowing to vanquish the vermin that he sees as the current decision-makers; he is a superhuman vigilante who has a vendetta and is out for vengeance. Throughout the novel, he is only called ‘V.’ He dresses himself in a caricature of Guy Fawkes, the 17th English terrorist who almost succeeded in blowing up the House of Lords. This wonderfully complex character spouts Shakespeare as he enacts his vengeance, while saving the life of the young Evey Hammond along the way. As a kind of protégé, Evey assists V with some of his plots, although she eventually balks at the extent of his murders, and runs away from him. I thought this story could only be told in a graphic novel, since the colouring and shading of the panels greatly contributed to the understanding of the moods and setting. The wordplay is witty and lively, even if the dialogue is stilted at times. This novel began as a series of comic book first published in the mid-1980s, as a reaction to the British government at that time under the rule of Margaret Thatcher, and therefore I cannot catch some of the historical references. According to his preface to the paperback edition, Alan Moore hated that time in English history – a time when, among other things, England was considering passing laws making homosexuality illegal. “I’m thinking of taking my family and getting out of this country soon, sometime over the next couple years. It’s cold and it’s mean spirited and I don’t like it here anymore,” he wrote in 1988. He and Lloyd, along with other talented artists, created a wonderful piece of 20th century literature. This novel at the same time questions, breaks down, and strengthens the reader’s beliefs. And at the end of the book, when Evey also dons the cape and mask of Guy Fawkes, they prove that even such a tyrannical government as the one depicted here cannot kill the idea of freedom.
Although this graphic novel does have frank depictions of violence, sexuality, vulgarity, and nudity, it should be appropriate for mature teens.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider reading the following :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : 1984 by George Orwell. Another novel set in a futuristic England, dealing with technology and human defiance. The two main characters, Smith and Julia, fight Big Brother. This groundbreaking novel influenced many works of the later 20th century, including V for Vendetta, as well as introduced a number of words into our vocabulary : Thought Police, Big Brother, Sex Crimes, Orwellian.
Fiction Recommendation #2 : The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. This wonderfully gothic novel deals with another masked, hidden, and misunderstood character that is often taken for a villain.

Fiction Recommendation #3 : Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. Another graphic novel, this time taking the well-known Marvel comic book heroes and transporting them to Elizabethan England.
Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : The World Hitler Never Made: Alternate History and the Memory of Nazism by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld. What if the Nazis had triumphed in the Second World War? What if Adolf Hitler had escaped Berlin for the jungles of Latin America in 1945? Rosenfeld’s pioneering study explores why such counterfactual questions on the subject of Nazism have proliferated in recent years within Western popular culture.

Librarians Unbound

While browsing through blogs after the weekend, I found this really insightful essay by T. Scott. I encourage all people of the librarian persuasion to read this, and even those who do not work in libraries.

Have a good day!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The only way I made it through this Science Fiction book, for I do not usually enjoy Science Fiction books, was Adams’ wonderfully crazy sense of humour. The book follows Arthur Dent as he is saved at the last moment from the destruction of Earth by his alien friend Ford Prefect. Ford and Arthur travel the universe by hitching rides from passing ships, using the hugely popular book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to guide them. On the way they meet another fortunate Earthling, Trillion; the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox; a very depressed robot called Marvin; and two mice who are trying to figure out the answer to the Ultimate Question : What is the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything? (And if you don’t know the answer already, the one Adams gives will surprise you). As with any book introducing an entirely new world and set of theories, there are entire chapters of exposition. This book is wonderful because the reader doesn’t realize he is reading nothing but exposition; the reader learns everything from Ford and his wonderful book because Arthur does as well. While at times the book delves into some serious philosophy, Adams always saves the situation from becoming too somber. I will say that my favorite character so far is Marvin, one of the first robots ever built with a human personality. Unfortunately, the personality he was given was one of depression. This book, the first in a widely popular series which spawned British radio dramas, television programs, albums, a computer game, a stage production, a comic book, and more stories and novels before it finally came to the big screen in Spring 2005, introduces very detailed and imaginative characters who, as you have read, endure throughout a plethora of “Hitchhiker” media.

For those of you who prefer your books to be in Audio form, please visit RickLibrarian for a review of this book as read by Stephen Fry.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :
Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. This second book in Adams’ “Hitchhiker” series continues the journey of Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, and Marvin as they search for the answer to the Ultimate Question.

Fiction Recommendation #2 : Douglas Adams’ Starship Titanic by Terry Jones. This novel, from Jones of Monty Python fame, is based on a computer game, which was in turn based on Adams’ “Hitchhiker” books.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World by Meghann Marco. You can survive the apocalypse without this book. But the apocalypse isn't the problem: It's what happens afterward. You against the other people left in the world. You'd better be prepared.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To be fair, this was the second time I’ve read this Pulizter Prize-winning novel by the elusive Ms. Lee. I was surprised to discover how much of the book I remembered since High School (was it really that long ago?). This is the kind of book which stays with the reader, and I think that is why it is a) still being taught in High School classes around the country since its publication in 1960, and b) constantly on numerous top-ten lists for Best American novel; Best Novel of the 20^th Century, etc. Lee’s descriptions of life in Alabama during the Great Depression are so complete that they envelope the reader in that time and place, and the people who live there. This novel made me remember my (long-ago) American History classes and the events that led up to and indirectly influenced this sleepy town of Maycomb. I enjoyed this book very much, but it’s difficult to explain why. The story doesn’t have a very happy ending, with the conviction and murder of an innocent man, the attempted murder of two children, and the death of the town drunk. However, I felt very pleased somehow with Scout’s actions and conclusions at the end of the book. The way she behaved towards Boo Radley made her so much more amture than anything her Aunt Alexandra could have accomplished. I’d like to think that the people of Maycomb County (for they were all based on real people from Lee’s adolescence) were changed as well, but history has proved that to be unlikely. While a part of me would have liked a sequel of sorts, or an epilogue that explained whether or not Scout ever grew to enjoy school or if Jem ever became a lawyer, I’m glad Lee never wrote one because then the characters wouldn’t remain the same. Lee’s characters are so well-defined and full of personality that they are almost literature archetypes. Once again, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone, anywhere.

It is worth noting that this book was made into a wonderful movie, which has just had a 45th Anniversary DVD released.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider the following :

Fiction Recommendation #1 : The Land by Mildred D. Taylor. This novel, a prequel to the Newbery-award winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, tells a similar story of racism and injustice in the American South. However, this book isn’t as depressing as it sounds.

Nonfiction Recommendation #1 : In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Capote’s well-known “nonfiction novel” was instrumental in starting the genre of contemporary true-crime novels. In Cold Blood tells the story of two men convicted and executed for murdering a Kansas family in 1957. If you liked the crime drama plot in To Kill a Mockingbird, this book might also appeal to you.

All About the Cuteness

Recently I have been overcome by all the cuteness around me. I have decided to share some of it with all of you.

This Cute Animal Quiz really does make sense! Just answer the questions and it will tell you what kind of Cute Animal you are. This was originally shown to me by my sister, who turned out to be a squirrel.

I have always admired Kristin Chenoweth's work, and I first heard her sing this song on A Prairie Home Companion last Saturday. Here she is singing "Taylor the Latte Boy" on another show, care of Youtube.com. And I think she's so cute!


I Can Has Cheezburger? Here is a very cute website full of adorable photos of animals, mostly cats. I subscribe to the RSS feed, so I can have a daily dose of "aww."

And finally, here is a photo of my cousins. Granted, it was taken a few years ago. But I can assure you that the girls have only grown more cute.

Catching Up Part 4

Because I don't know if I will ever have the time to do this properly, I suppose I'll just insert a photo or two here and there in order to show you what I've been up to the last two months.

Here is a photo of a tapestry that hangs in the Vatican Museum. It was commissioned by a family (whose name I've forgotten) who had four Popes elected from that family. The man kneeling in the center of the tapestry is a cardinal who will soon be named Pope, as he is shown receiving a blessing here.
But I mainly took it because it reminds me so much of Michael Palin in Monty Python's "Spanish Inquisition" sketch.