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.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
BBC #49, Goodnight Mister Tom
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is a wonderful book. I LOVED it. I read it before--I was in 8th or 9th grade. My teacher had it on her shelf and I borrowed it from her. At the time I also read Back Home, written by the same author. They were both written about WWII and children who were sent as evacuees from the big cities. I remember enjoying both of them immensely.
The second read through was as good as the first, though I'm sure I caught more of the meaning. The book starts with Mr. Tom Oakley hearing knocks on the door. He opens it to find a woman with a bunch of children. The woman was someone from the war department or something like that. War with Germany was imminent. Children from the big cities (particularly London) were being evacuated to the country side so when the bombing started, the children would be safe. Families in the country were to take in as many of the children as they could. Mr. Oakley was no exception, though he was an older man who lived alone. He had to take in a child. The boy was pretty much thrust onto him.
The first thing Mr. Tom noticed was a bruise on the boy (Will/Willie/William--he get's called all of them in the book). Mr. Tom soon discovers the Willie had been beaten by his mother. His mother even sent a belt with a hefty buckle with him so that whoever took him in could continue. Gentle hearted Mr. Tom couldn't and wouldn't do that.
Will learns to trust Mr. Tom. He makes friends and breaks out of his shell. He learns that he is good, that he can be accepted and loved. Everything is going well until his mother sends for him saying she's sick. He goes home to find his mother is the same as she was--and she has a baby (the mother is single). She keeps tape on the baby's mouth so it can't cry. Will tries to help it and is beat. His mother calls him a liar when he says he made friends.
Back in the town, Mr Tom doesn't hear anything from Will. None of his friends have heard anything either. Even though he knows he has no real right, Mr. Tom packs up and heads to London to find Will.
I'm stopping the summary there because I don't want to spoil the book and really, you can get most of what I wrote before on the back cover of the book.
Good Night Mr. Tom is an incredibly tender book. It made me almost cry. I would recommend it for adults and children alike. Another 3 thumbs up.
The second read through was as good as the first, though I'm sure I caught more of the meaning. The book starts with Mr. Tom Oakley hearing knocks on the door. He opens it to find a woman with a bunch of children. The woman was someone from the war department or something like that. War with Germany was imminent. Children from the big cities (particularly London) were being evacuated to the country side so when the bombing started, the children would be safe. Families in the country were to take in as many of the children as they could. Mr. Oakley was no exception, though he was an older man who lived alone. He had to take in a child. The boy was pretty much thrust onto him.
The first thing Mr. Tom noticed was a bruise on the boy (Will/Willie/William--he get's called all of them in the book). Mr. Tom soon discovers the Willie had been beaten by his mother. His mother even sent a belt with a hefty buckle with him so that whoever took him in could continue. Gentle hearted Mr. Tom couldn't and wouldn't do that.
Will learns to trust Mr. Tom. He makes friends and breaks out of his shell. He learns that he is good, that he can be accepted and loved. Everything is going well until his mother sends for him saying she's sick. He goes home to find his mother is the same as she was--and she has a baby (the mother is single). She keeps tape on the baby's mouth so it can't cry. Will tries to help it and is beat. His mother calls him a liar when he says he made friends.
Back in the town, Mr Tom doesn't hear anything from Will. None of his friends have heard anything either. Even though he knows he has no real right, Mr. Tom packs up and heads to London to find Will.
I'm stopping the summary there because I don't want to spoil the book and really, you can get most of what I wrote before on the back cover of the book.
Good Night Mr. Tom is an incredibly tender book. It made me almost cry. I would recommend it for adults and children alike. Another 3 thumbs up.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
BBC #18, Little Women
One of my favorite stories is Little Women by Louisa M Alcott. I read it when I was in elementary school. I've watched the movie at least half a dozen times. I love it.
Which is why I was surprised when I finished the book the other day and discovered it didn't end where I thought it ended. Turns out the first book Ms. Alcott published was entitled Little Women and it was the FIRST half of a story. The second half was called Good Wives and was published shortly thereafter. In 1870 (or 1871) the books were first published together. Since that time MOST companies print them together and simply call it Little Women. That's the version I read in Elementary school and the version the movie is based off of. For some reason the cheapo company I bought my book from only printed the first half, considering Good Wives to be another book. *Grumble Grumble*
Luckily for me I own an ipod touch and Kindle has a free version that includes BOTH books. I read the second half on my ipod.
Like I said, I love this story. I was completely wrapped up in it. The day I got the second half I stayed up until almost 2 in the morning reading, even though I had work in the morning. My husband made fun of me because I started talking like the characters. I told him a bath sounded simply splendid. I don't normally say splendid.
My childhood memories of the second half of the book did not compare with what it actually entails. Maybe it's because I'm actually in that part of life now--newly married and in my early 20's. Maybe I just connect to it more. It's the real love story part of the book!
It's also really tragic. (SPOILER!!!). When Beth and Jo talked about how she was dying, I cried. Maybe it's because I just watched someone close to me die, but the emotions shared at that part of the book did a number on me. When she died I cried again. If it weren't for the chapters about Amy in the middle, I think I would have cried straight through that part.
This book is well written. It's a classic for a reason. I see myself reading it to my daughters in the future. I give it 3 thumbs up.
Which is why I was surprised when I finished the book the other day and discovered it didn't end where I thought it ended. Turns out the first book Ms. Alcott published was entitled Little Women and it was the FIRST half of a story. The second half was called Good Wives and was published shortly thereafter. In 1870 (or 1871) the books were first published together. Since that time MOST companies print them together and simply call it Little Women. That's the version I read in Elementary school and the version the movie is based off of. For some reason the cheapo company I bought my book from only printed the first half, considering Good Wives to be another book. *Grumble Grumble*
Luckily for me I own an ipod touch and Kindle has a free version that includes BOTH books. I read the second half on my ipod.
Like I said, I love this story. I was completely wrapped up in it. The day I got the second half I stayed up until almost 2 in the morning reading, even though I had work in the morning. My husband made fun of me because I started talking like the characters. I told him a bath sounded simply splendid. I don't normally say splendid.
My childhood memories of the second half of the book did not compare with what it actually entails. Maybe it's because I'm actually in that part of life now--newly married and in my early 20's. Maybe I just connect to it more. It's the real love story part of the book!
It's also really tragic. (SPOILER!!!). When Beth and Jo talked about how she was dying, I cried. Maybe it's because I just watched someone close to me die, but the emotions shared at that part of the book did a number on me. When she died I cried again. If it weren't for the chapters about Amy in the middle, I think I would have cried straight through that part.
This book is well written. It's a classic for a reason. I see myself reading it to my daughters in the future. I give it 3 thumbs up.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
BBC #3, His Dark Materials, book 3, The Amber Spyglass
*AGAIN, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK 2, THIS REVIEW WILL BE A SPOILER*
And even if you have read book 2, this will contain spoilers for book 3.
Controversy first!
I'm not sure if Philip Pullman meant this series to be a opposing side to Narnia or not, but it sure does relate a negative opinion of churches and God. Near the end, Mary Malone explains how she found out there was no God. God, the Authority, dies (notably Lyra and Will were actually trying to help him, not kill him). The Angel next to God is killed by Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter. The Authority had locked all the dead spirits in a state of perpetual misery, regardless of how they had lived their lives. The church is pretty much destroyed in Lyra's world. Seems pretty anti-religious to me.
However, since my beliefs are very different than the beliefs which the main characters find so abominable, it's really easy for me to look past that part. Mary Malone said "I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are." She was using this as a reason not to believe in God or the church, but that logic doesn't work for me. I believe judging people based alone on what we feel is good and evil is not our job, that there is a layer deeper which we can't see. Mrs. Coulter is a good example of this. All you see from her in the first 2 books is hate and cruelty in the name of the church. Then she turns around and gives her life to save her daughter and the world. The under layer had the potential for her to do good things, as well as evil.
I feel like the flaw to the argument against the church is that Pullman depicts the church as black and a world without the church as white. In reality, it's much like Mary's statement. Good and evil are names for what actions the people in the church do, not what the church itself is.
If you're religious and are worried about what your kids will do with the information they get in these books, discuss it with them. Helps to have read it yourself first though. I wouldn't forbid it, but hey, that's my opinion. You can raise your children however you want.
Again, once we move past the controversy you find a very delightful book. I found the beginning of this one to be a little slower than the beginning of the other two, but it was still good. Lyra and Will's adventures through the worlds--including the world of the dead and the world of the mulefa-- is intriguing. I did think the part just before the ending was almost anti-climatic. The whole story based itself on Lyra and Will saving the day: the knife destroying the Authority etc. Lyra and Will tried to SAVE the Authority. He died because he was old. It was Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter who destroyed the Metatron. And all Will and Lyra had to do to "save" the world in the end was kiss and then give each other up. Yeah, the giving each other up was hard. They loved each other. But after all the adventures they went through, it wasn't as BIG as I was expecting.
I do have to admit when they gave each other up, I almost cried. So it was a tear jerker. The books make you come to love Lyra and Will and see their love for each other. I enjoyed that part of the ending, even if it was sad. I also think that since the book explained a little bit more about what happened to Lyra when she went home, it should have done the same with Will. But not the worst.
I really recommend this book. It makes you think about beliefs while wrapping you into a grand adventure with two incredible kids. His Dark Materials is a good read.
And even if you have read book 2, this will contain spoilers for book 3.
Controversy first!
I'm not sure if Philip Pullman meant this series to be a opposing side to Narnia or not, but it sure does relate a negative opinion of churches and God. Near the end, Mary Malone explains how she found out there was no God. God, the Authority, dies (notably Lyra and Will were actually trying to help him, not kill him). The Angel next to God is killed by Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter. The Authority had locked all the dead spirits in a state of perpetual misery, regardless of how they had lived their lives. The church is pretty much destroyed in Lyra's world. Seems pretty anti-religious to me.
However, since my beliefs are very different than the beliefs which the main characters find so abominable, it's really easy for me to look past that part. Mary Malone said "I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are." She was using this as a reason not to believe in God or the church, but that logic doesn't work for me. I believe judging people based alone on what we feel is good and evil is not our job, that there is a layer deeper which we can't see. Mrs. Coulter is a good example of this. All you see from her in the first 2 books is hate and cruelty in the name of the church. Then she turns around and gives her life to save her daughter and the world. The under layer had the potential for her to do good things, as well as evil.
I feel like the flaw to the argument against the church is that Pullman depicts the church as black and a world without the church as white. In reality, it's much like Mary's statement. Good and evil are names for what actions the people in the church do, not what the church itself is.
If you're religious and are worried about what your kids will do with the information they get in these books, discuss it with them. Helps to have read it yourself first though. I wouldn't forbid it, but hey, that's my opinion. You can raise your children however you want.
Again, once we move past the controversy you find a very delightful book. I found the beginning of this one to be a little slower than the beginning of the other two, but it was still good. Lyra and Will's adventures through the worlds--including the world of the dead and the world of the mulefa-- is intriguing. I did think the part just before the ending was almost anti-climatic. The whole story based itself on Lyra and Will saving the day: the knife destroying the Authority etc. Lyra and Will tried to SAVE the Authority. He died because he was old. It was Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter who destroyed the Metatron. And all Will and Lyra had to do to "save" the world in the end was kiss and then give each other up. Yeah, the giving each other up was hard. They loved each other. But after all the adventures they went through, it wasn't as BIG as I was expecting.
I do have to admit when they gave each other up, I almost cried. So it was a tear jerker. The books make you come to love Lyra and Will and see their love for each other. I enjoyed that part of the ending, even if it was sad. I also think that since the book explained a little bit more about what happened to Lyra when she went home, it should have done the same with Will. But not the worst.
I really recommend this book. It makes you think about beliefs while wrapping you into a grand adventure with two incredible kids. His Dark Materials is a good read.
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