Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Random Read: The Scarlet Pimpernel
As much as I love modern books, the classics make my heart sing. Today's post is about one of my favorite books, one that I'm surprised didn't make it on the BBC's big read, The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
I first fell in love with the Scarlet Pimpernel as a little girl, watching the old black and white movie with my mom. This love was reenforced as an adult watching the musical preformed by a small professional theater group. Today this love was cemented. As one of the characters exclaimed in the book, "We ladies think of him as a hero of old. ... We worship him...we wear his badge...we tremble for him when he is in danger, and exult with him in the hour of his victory." Such is my love for the Scarlet Pimpernel.
The book is as great as the man! As you may have surmised, the novel revolves around a man who uses the pseudonym "the Scarlet Pimpernel." While a scarlet pimpernel is a common English flower, the man is anything but ordinary. He risks his life to save the lives of French nobility during the French Revolution. All of France is trying to catch him and everyone in England worships him. No one save his trusted followers knows who he is.
"We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven?--Is he in hell?
That demmed, elusive Pimpernel?"
(Sir Percy Blakeney)
The Scarlet Pimpernel is well woven with rich emotions and depth of character seen often in the classics and rarely in modern books. It made me laugh, it made me angry, it even made me cry and I rarely cry when I read books.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun classic. It will meet (or even exceed!) your expectations.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
BBC # 47, A Christmas Carol
Once again, evidence of Charles Dickens' Genius is displayed in A Christmas Carol. The story follows Scrooge, a man who believes Christmas is foolish and serving others pointless as he is visited by ghostly visions that teach him the true meaning of Christmas and even our life on earth.
This story is one of the most widely known Christmas stories. More movie variations of it have been made than I can count. Every year thousands of theaters across America show off local and professional talent portraying Scrooge and Tiny Tim. It is a classic by definition.
This year I read it with my husband just before Christmas, finishing with the last chapter on Christmas Eve. I was amazed again by Dickens' greatness. He masterfully had me laughing and then close to tears in a single page. Without the need of a question mark he asked poignant questions about the meaning of life, our interpretation of God's will, and the consequences of our choices.
I've read it before and watched at least 4 of the movie versions, but never have I been so moved as I was this time! Maybe it was reading it just before Christmas or my own loss of a family member in the last couple years or a sign that I'm finally maturing, but this book held meaning for me that I will cherish.
And as Tiny Tim says, "God Bless us, Everyone!"
This story is one of the most widely known Christmas stories. More movie variations of it have been made than I can count. Every year thousands of theaters across America show off local and professional talent portraying Scrooge and Tiny Tim. It is a classic by definition.
This year I read it with my husband just before Christmas, finishing with the last chapter on Christmas Eve. I was amazed again by Dickens' greatness. He masterfully had me laughing and then close to tears in a single page. Without the need of a question mark he asked poignant questions about the meaning of life, our interpretation of God's will, and the consequences of our choices.
I've read it before and watched at least 4 of the movie versions, but never have I been so moved as I was this time! Maybe it was reading it just before Christmas or my own loss of a family member in the last couple years or a sign that I'm finally maturing, but this book held meaning for me that I will cherish.
And as Tiny Tim says, "God Bless us, Everyone!"
Saturday, March 5, 2011
BBC # 21, Gone With The Wind
I read Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchellin 3 days. Yes, you read correctly, 3 days. All 1024 pages of it (that's the number I have off the top of my head--I might be off a few pages...). I read it at work mostly. The final results?
I can't decide if I love or hate the book.
What I Love: The story is really compelling. I've always been a sucker for Historical Fiction, and this book fits into that category. It addresses so many social issues and puts a spin on the Confederacy that you don't normally see. I felt the plight of the southerners and was upset with the Yankees. How could Sherman do that to people? And then the North let the carpetbaggers ravage the south! Yes, I got sucked into the story line. The characters could be real people, and all of them have faults--even the amazing Miss Melly (or Mrs. Wilkes). I loved reading about the character interactions. To top it off, the story is clean. Sex is mentioned, but there are no real details.
What I Hate: *SPOILER!!!* My hatred focuses on this: IT'S NOT A LOVE STORY IF THERE'S NO HAPPY ENDING!!! Scarlett O'Hara's life is a circle of pain starting when she's 16 and continuing to the end of the book. She tries so hard to find happiness and protect her family, but time after time disaster falls. I know that this happens to many people, so it makes the story more true to life in many ways. I could have taken all of that; all of what she suffered, even her cynicism and dislike for other people. What I can't take is the ending. Yep. The ending made me hate the book.
Honestly, it's a book everyone should probably read, love or hate. It's one I HIGHLY recommend, even if I hate it. You know an author has done a good job when you end a book with such conflicting emotions. It made me smile. It made me cry--not just a few tears either. I BAWLED. Books can make me teary eyed, but no fictional book I've ever read has made me cry that hard!
I really respect Margaret Mitchellin as an author. She truly created a masterpiece.
I can't decide if I love or hate the book.
What I Love: The story is really compelling. I've always been a sucker for Historical Fiction, and this book fits into that category. It addresses so many social issues and puts a spin on the Confederacy that you don't normally see. I felt the plight of the southerners and was upset with the Yankees. How could Sherman do that to people? And then the North let the carpetbaggers ravage the south! Yes, I got sucked into the story line. The characters could be real people, and all of them have faults--even the amazing Miss Melly (or Mrs. Wilkes). I loved reading about the character interactions. To top it off, the story is clean. Sex is mentioned, but there are no real details.
What I Hate: *SPOILER!!!* My hatred focuses on this: IT'S NOT A LOVE STORY IF THERE'S NO HAPPY ENDING!!! Scarlett O'Hara's life is a circle of pain starting when she's 16 and continuing to the end of the book. She tries so hard to find happiness and protect her family, but time after time disaster falls. I know that this happens to many people, so it makes the story more true to life in many ways. I could have taken all of that; all of what she suffered, even her cynicism and dislike for other people. What I can't take is the ending. Yep. The ending made me hate the book.
Honestly, it's a book everyone should probably read, love or hate. It's one I HIGHLY recommend, even if I hate it. You know an author has done a good job when you end a book with such conflicting emotions. It made me smile. It made me cry--not just a few tears either. I BAWLED. Books can make me teary eyed, but no fictional book I've ever read has made me cry that hard!
I really respect Margaret Mitchellin as an author. She truly created a masterpiece.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
BBC # 14, Rebecca
Maybe I have a thing for books where love comes hard, but I loved Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Rebecca has been compared to Jane Eyre and there is good reason for the comparison, but it is NOT Jane Eyre. They are definitely 2 different books with 2 different story lines.
When I read the title I expected the heroine of the story to be named Rebecca, but this is not the case. Rebecca is the first wife of Maxim de Winter, a rich Englishman who runs an estate called Manderly. After Rebecca's death, Maxim flees to southern France in an attempt to escape. There he meets the narrator who after a brief courtship becomes his second wife. The only name she is referred to in the book as is Mrs. de Winter.
The new Mrs. de Winter soon finds that Rebecca, though dead, still controls much of life at Manderly. Mrs. Danvers runs the house and despises the heroine because she is NOT Rebecca and because she came to take Rebecca's place.
Based on the responses of the people in the area and the lack of response from Maxim, our heroine soon feels that Maxim is deeply in love with Rebecca and she's simply a replacement--a failed replacement at that.
The story follows our heroine as she tries to figure out her place in Manderly and win Maxim's aproval and love.
With a surprising twist near the end, Rebecca is, in my opinion, a literary masterpiece. It is probably my favorite book I've read so far on the BBC list.
When I read the title I expected the heroine of the story to be named Rebecca, but this is not the case. Rebecca is the first wife of Maxim de Winter, a rich Englishman who runs an estate called Manderly. After Rebecca's death, Maxim flees to southern France in an attempt to escape. There he meets the narrator who after a brief courtship becomes his second wife. The only name she is referred to in the book as is Mrs. de Winter.
The new Mrs. de Winter soon finds that Rebecca, though dead, still controls much of life at Manderly. Mrs. Danvers runs the house and despises the heroine because she is NOT Rebecca and because she came to take Rebecca's place.
Based on the responses of the people in the area and the lack of response from Maxim, our heroine soon feels that Maxim is deeply in love with Rebecca and she's simply a replacement--a failed replacement at that.
The story follows our heroine as she tries to figure out her place in Manderly and win Maxim's aproval and love.
With a surprising twist near the end, Rebecca is, in my opinion, a literary masterpiece. It is probably my favorite book I've read so far on the BBC list.
BBC # 13, Birdsong
I have to admit I DID NOT finish this book. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks is a very emotional, moving book--but it has ridiculous amounts of sex. I'm not talking about sex being mentioned. I'm talking about details. I tried skipping those chunks, but then I'd miss part of the story. And there's no point in even reading a book I have to skip part of the story line for. I got about half way through before I gave up.
If you don't have a problem reading sex pieces, you'll probably really enjoy this book. The story is moving. The people's emotions are very real. It delves into love and war, loss and hope. I think it's a good book--if you could take out the sex scenes. As is, I can't personally recommend it, but like I said, if you don't have a problem with reading about sex, you'd probably enjoy the book.
If you don't have a problem reading sex pieces, you'll probably really enjoy this book. The story is moving. The people's emotions are very real. It delves into love and war, loss and hope. I think it's a good book--if you could take out the sex scenes. As is, I can't personally recommend it, but like I said, if you don't have a problem with reading about sex, you'd probably enjoy the book.
BBC # 48, Far From the Madding Crowd
I actually finished this book weeks ago. I thought I'd already blogged about it, but I guess not. Here it goes.
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is a really enjoyable book. You follow Gabriel Oaks, a shepherd, and his love for Bathsheba Everdene. From the beginning Gabriel's quest to win Bathsheba's love doesn't turn out the way he wants or expects.
The book focuses on human folly and social issues of the time. There are twists of love and hate, betrayal and loyalty, lies and honesty, etc. Bathsheba ends up being the only female farmer in the area, accidentally winning a farmers love, falling in love with another man, has disaster ruin her life before finally finding happiness. Gabriel loses everything and has to start fresh and work for the woman who rejected him, before he finds his peace.
At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, but by the end, I could barely put it down. Thomas Hardy did a good job creating his characters and molding their interactions. He teaches life lessons without it seeming preachy. He shapes the "villian" of the story into a man who can convince everyone but the hero--Gabriel--that he is good and wonderful.
While it delves into darker issues, it stays appropriate for all ages. Young Adults may not understand all of the social issues, but I wouldn't have a problem with my own children (theoretical children) reading this book. I highly recommend this book.
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is a really enjoyable book. You follow Gabriel Oaks, a shepherd, and his love for Bathsheba Everdene. From the beginning Gabriel's quest to win Bathsheba's love doesn't turn out the way he wants or expects.
The book focuses on human folly and social issues of the time. There are twists of love and hate, betrayal and loyalty, lies and honesty, etc. Bathsheba ends up being the only female farmer in the area, accidentally winning a farmers love, falling in love with another man, has disaster ruin her life before finally finding happiness. Gabriel loses everything and has to start fresh and work for the woman who rejected him, before he finds his peace.
At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, but by the end, I could barely put it down. Thomas Hardy did a good job creating his characters and molding their interactions. He teaches life lessons without it seeming preachy. He shapes the "villian" of the story into a man who can convince everyone but the hero--Gabriel--that he is good and wonderful.
While it delves into darker issues, it stays appropriate for all ages. Young Adults may not understand all of the social issues, but I wouldn't have a problem with my own children (theoretical children) reading this book. I highly recommend this book.
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