As of late, there has been a lot of talk regarding Water for Elephants. I finally got my hands on a copy and thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed not just the story -- a wonderful tale that immerses you into circus life during the Depression -- but I loved that structure and devises Gruen used. One flashes between Jacob in his nineties, and his 23 year old self when he first joined the circus. The climax is the opening scene and you spend the rest of the novel trying to figure out what happened and what let to this event. By the time the climax happens in sequential order, you are equally curious about what happened to Jacob in the after math to his present state.
There are many under currents that enrich the novel. For example, Gruen has a sensitivity for the human animal bond and how another dimension of one's personality is exhibited with one's interaction with animals. Similarly, how people tread the aged and frail. The photos are wonderful, too. A truly engaging novel that compels you to read it again and again.
From the publisher:
Orphaned and penniless at the height of the Depression, Jacob Jankowski escapes everything he knows by jumping on a passing train — and inadvertently runs away with the circus. So begins Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen’s darkly beautiful tale about the characters who inhabit the less-than-greatest show on earth.
Jacob finds a place tending the circus animals, including a seemingly untrainable elephant named Rosie. He also comes to know Marlena, the star of the equestrian act—and wife of August, a charismatic but cruel animal trainer. Caught between his love for Marlena and his need to belong in the crazy family of travelling performers, Jacob is freed only by a murderous secret that will bring the big top down.
Water for Elephants is an enchanting page-turner, the kind of book that creates a world that engulfs you from the first page to the last. A national bestseller in Canada and a New York Times bestseller in the United States, this is a book destined to become a beloved fiction classic.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
I wanted to read this when it was first issued, but never got around to it. Recently, I picked it up and fell in love with it. I have no idea why it is non-fiction. The Thames froze 40 tims in recorded historoy and while that may be interesting in itself, Humphreys takes those forty frozen incidents and creates 40 corresponding vignettes that are touching, poetic and enchanting. Some of my favourites involve characters who are in more than one story. This is a delightful that I would share with anyone but especially with someone who likes historical fiction.
It also made me go back and re-read The Lost Garden. I'm waiting to read Coventry -- the story of Harriet, a widow. She stands on the roof of Coventry Cathedral as part of the nightly fire watch, when first the factories and then the church itself are set on fire in air attacks. In the ensuing chaos, Harriet and a young man have to find the way back to his home where he left his mother....
But back to the Frozen Thames: here is the blurb from the Publisher:
In its long history, the River Thames has frozen solid forty times. These are the stories of that frozen river.
And so opens one of the most breathtaking and original works being published this season. The Frozen Thames contains forty vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the river froze between 1142 and 1895. Like a photograph captures a moment, etching it forever on the consciousness, so does Humphreys’ achingly beautiful prose. She deftly draws us into these intimate moments, transporting us through time so that we believe ourselves observers of the events portrayed. Whether it’s Queen Matilda trying to escape her besieged castle in a snowstorm, or lovers meeting on the frozen river in the plague years; whether it’s a simple farmer persuading his oxen the ice is safe, or Queen Bess discovering the rare privacy afforded by the ice-covered Thames, the moments are fleeting and transformative for the characters — and for us, too.
It also made me go back and re-read The Lost Garden. I'm waiting to read Coventry -- the story of Harriet, a widow. She stands on the roof of Coventry Cathedral as part of the nightly fire watch, when first the factories and then the church itself are set on fire in air attacks. In the ensuing chaos, Harriet and a young man have to find the way back to his home where he left his mother....
But back to the Frozen Thames: here is the blurb from the Publisher:
In its long history, the River Thames has frozen solid forty times. These are the stories of that frozen river.
And so opens one of the most breathtaking and original works being published this season. The Frozen Thames contains forty vignettes based on events that actually took place each time the river froze between 1142 and 1895. Like a photograph captures a moment, etching it forever on the consciousness, so does Humphreys’ achingly beautiful prose. She deftly draws us into these intimate moments, transporting us through time so that we believe ourselves observers of the events portrayed. Whether it’s Queen Matilda trying to escape her besieged castle in a snowstorm, or lovers meeting on the frozen river in the plague years; whether it’s a simple farmer persuading his oxen the ice is safe, or Queen Bess discovering the rare privacy afforded by the ice-covered Thames, the moments are fleeting and transformative for the characters — and for us, too.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
a light and fun read with a surprising ending. Furthermore, it encourages me to expand my own reading...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society
This work by Mary Ann Shaffer (and her neice?) has been one of the most engaging reads that I've had in some time. Although it initially appeared to be a light, easy read, it also provided a deeply moving work that affected me deeply. The horrors of occupation and the German concentration camps of World War II were as horrific as anything described in Blindness, yet it also had humor and an intimacy that I enjoyed. In short, I would highly recommend this book. It is the kind of book I would buy for a friend and know that they would enjoy it too.
Here's the summary from the publisher:
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
Here's the summary from the publisher:
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Here is another author that I enjoyed over the summer. City of Ember, like the Young Adult novel, Eclipse is also being made into a movie. I think the City of Ember has a better chance of being a good film than the other, though.
Again, a fun-filled read with strong child characters. The sequel and prequel weren't as engaging but I would recommend all three works by DuPrau to younger readers.
From the Publisher
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
Again, a fun-filled read with strong child characters. The sequel and prequel weren't as engaging but I would recommend all three works by DuPrau to younger readers.
From the Publisher
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Penguin book of Canadian short stories
I'm currently reading The Penguin book of Canadian short stories edited by Jane Urquhart. I have to admit that I haven't purchased a collection of Canadian short stories since university, but all the screaming from the literati made me curious. The misogynistic attacks on Urquhart's selection is quite disconcerting, but I guess to be expected. Academics tend to be insecure and vicious from my limited perspective. My ruling of the collection: so far so good. I'm thoroughly enjoying the selections. I think Penguin was brilliant to select Urquhart. Not only is she a sensitive reader, but she has the star power to get someone like me to pay attention to the publication of such a collection.
My favourite short story so far: Vision by Alistair MacLeod. In this work, MacLeod explores the difference between sight and vision. Characters without sight "see" differently than those with sight. It was particularly thought provoking and of course, made me think of Blindness again... more on that later.
I plan to take this collection to the cottage and immerse myself. But I have already re-discovered the problem (or maybe prize) of a short story: once you finish reading it, you want to read it again!
My favourite short story so far: Vision by Alistair MacLeod. In this work, MacLeod explores the difference between sight and vision. Characters without sight "see" differently than those with sight. It was particularly thought provoking and of course, made me think of Blindness again... more on that later.
I plan to take this collection to the cottage and immerse myself. But I have already re-discovered the problem (or maybe prize) of a short story: once you finish reading it, you want to read it again!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Blindness
Where did the summer go... Isn't the summer a time for reading all kinds of paper backs and trashy novels? Instead, I seemed to have read throught the full gambit:
At the cottage in July, I finally got around to reading Pillars of the Earth -- what a perfect cottage read... it was easy, interesting and you came to know and care for the characters. With that many pages you had lots of opportunities to come to know them. When I got home, I started to read World without end, but other books (with due dates) pre-empted this other tome Ken Follet.
In August I bought Breaking Dawn. What a disappointment. The list serves' mantra was "don't burn it, return it." I think Stephenie Meyers must have put all her energies into Host. Enough said about this dud.
Towards the end of August, Blindness by Jose Saramago came up on my hold list. OK, let's set the record straight, there is no fluff in this work. I'm not sure if I will ever be the same after reading this work. I'm still feeling somewhat raw. Saramago's novel certainly illustrates just how vulnerable we are, how blind we are and yet, we remain undeniably connected. My only criticism: the inside book jacket told too much.
What next? All I can handle right now is Baking boot camp : five days of basic training at the Culinary Institute of America. I think I need to bake to come to grips with Blindness. I'm sure the mudslide cookies can solve the problems of the world.
I do have a copy of The Penguin book of Canadian Short Stories, selected and introduced by Jane Urquhart. I think I may want to own this one. But I digress, here is the publisher's blurb for Blindness:
A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers-among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears-through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing. A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the twentieth century, Blindness has swept the reading public with its powerful portrayal of man's worst appetites and weaknesses-and man's ultimately exhilarating spirit. The stunningly powerful novel of man's will to survive against all odds, by the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature
At the cottage in July, I finally got around to reading Pillars of the Earth -- what a perfect cottage read... it was easy, interesting and you came to know and care for the characters. With that many pages you had lots of opportunities to come to know them. When I got home, I started to read World without end, but other books (with due dates) pre-empted this other tome Ken Follet.
In August I bought Breaking Dawn. What a disappointment. The list serves' mantra was "don't burn it, return it." I think Stephenie Meyers must have put all her energies into Host. Enough said about this dud.
Towards the end of August, Blindness by Jose Saramago came up on my hold list. OK, let's set the record straight, there is no fluff in this work. I'm not sure if I will ever be the same after reading this work. I'm still feeling somewhat raw. Saramago's novel certainly illustrates just how vulnerable we are, how blind we are and yet, we remain undeniably connected. My only criticism: the inside book jacket told too much.
What next? All I can handle right now is Baking boot camp : five days of basic training at the Culinary Institute of America. I think I need to bake to come to grips with Blindness. I'm sure the mudslide cookies can solve the problems of the world.
I do have a copy of The Penguin book of Canadian Short Stories, selected and introduced by Jane Urquhart. I think I may want to own this one. But I digress, here is the publisher's blurb for Blindness:
A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers-among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears-through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing. A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the twentieth century, Blindness has swept the reading public with its powerful portrayal of man's worst appetites and weaknesses-and man's ultimately exhilarating spirit. The stunningly powerful novel of man's will to survive against all odds, by the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Host, by Stephenie Meyers
I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this first "adult" novel by Meyer. I enjoyed her Young Adult novels and I didn't want to be disappointed. I'm happy to report, that I was not disappointed. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It was more than a love story. It was an examination of humanity at its best and worse.
I particularly loved the premise that earth was invaded and subdued by "benevolent" souls who could not kill and felt they were improving the situation on earth. Wars ended, people were cured, deviant behaviour eradicated. The alien souls viewed earth's inhabitants as barbarous monsters, and in many cases, this was appropriate.
The resolution at the end was quite satisfying. I particularly like the "cliff hanger," if you can call it that. Yes, I like Science Fiction so I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I think Young Adults would, too. Melanie was a young adult -- perhaps 18 years of age at the time of her capture -- so I will recommend it to my babysitter. It's the least I can do since she got me reading Stephenie Meyers in the first place.
Here is the blurb from the publisher:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie''s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn''t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Melanie fills Wanderer''s thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves -- Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body''s desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she''s never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love. Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.
I particularly loved the premise that earth was invaded and subdued by "benevolent" souls who could not kill and felt they were improving the situation on earth. Wars ended, people were cured, deviant behaviour eradicated. The alien souls viewed earth's inhabitants as barbarous monsters, and in many cases, this was appropriate.
The resolution at the end was quite satisfying. I particularly like the "cliff hanger," if you can call it that. Yes, I like Science Fiction so I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I think Young Adults would, too. Melanie was a young adult -- perhaps 18 years of age at the time of her capture -- so I will recommend it to my babysitter. It's the least I can do since she got me reading Stephenie Meyers in the first place.
Here is the blurb from the publisher:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie''s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn''t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.
Melanie fills Wanderer''s thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves -- Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body''s desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she''s never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love. Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I hadn't expected to enjoy this book -- I thought it would be all hype and very little substance. I placed a hold on the item just to check it out. I expected pure fluff at best. And it is, but there is something quite compelling about it. Firstly, it is well structured and articulate. I do enjoy her obvious personifications of her emotions. Yes, the author is not particularly likable yet she is very human. She is such a Yankee -- you can almost hear her accent -- and although this can be off-putting, it allows me to examine my own Canadian traits.
I just finished the India section (Pray) and now she has just arrived at Bali for the Love section.
I am enjoying this work, but I have another one just waiting to be explored. I just bought Stephenie Meyers, The Host. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it (sorry, this one is about aliens, not vampires). It looks wonderful just based on the book jacket...
I just finished the India section (Pray) and now she has just arrived at Bali for the Love section.
I am enjoying this work, but I have another one just waiting to be explored. I just bought Stephenie Meyers, The Host. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it (sorry, this one is about aliens, not vampires). It looks wonderful just based on the book jacket...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
No fluff or fantasy: Mister Pip
OK, OK, I broke my own rule... but it was a gift. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, was a Mother's Day gift.
The narrator, Matilida, uses Great Expectations as a catalyst to escape her war torn world. Through the course of the book, we come to realize that her beloved teacher, Mr. Watts does the same thing, but with him, one can't be sure what is fact or fiction.
Here is the publisher's description of the book:
After the trouble starts and the soldiers arrive on Matilda’s island, only one white person stays behind. Mr. Watts, whom the kids call Pop Eye, wears a red nose and pulls his wife around on a trolley, and he steps in to teach the children when there is no one else. His only lessons consist of reading from his battered copy of Great Expectations, a book by his friend Mr. Dickens.
For Matilda, Dickens’s hero Pip becomes as real to her as her own mother, and the greatest friendship of her life has begun. Soon Mr. Watts’s book begins to inflame the children’s imaginations with dreams about Dickens’s London and the larger world. But how will they answer when the soldiers demand to know: where is this man named Pip?
Set against the stunning beauty of Bougainville in the South Pacific during the civil war in the early 1990s, Lloyd Jones’s breathtaking novel shows what magic a child’s imagination makes possible even in the face of terrible violence and what power stories have to fuel the imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work, but I have to read it again. It makes me think of Life of Pi to a certain degree, in the sense that the book illustrates how one can separate one's self during times of terrible trauma. Again, it was a highly engaging book with beautiful prose.
The narrator, Matilida, uses Great Expectations as a catalyst to escape her war torn world. Through the course of the book, we come to realize that her beloved teacher, Mr. Watts does the same thing, but with him, one can't be sure what is fact or fiction.
Here is the publisher's description of the book:
After the trouble starts and the soldiers arrive on Matilda’s island, only one white person stays behind. Mr. Watts, whom the kids call Pop Eye, wears a red nose and pulls his wife around on a trolley, and he steps in to teach the children when there is no one else. His only lessons consist of reading from his battered copy of Great Expectations, a book by his friend Mr. Dickens.
For Matilda, Dickens’s hero Pip becomes as real to her as her own mother, and the greatest friendship of her life has begun. Soon Mr. Watts’s book begins to inflame the children’s imaginations with dreams about Dickens’s London and the larger world. But how will they answer when the soldiers demand to know: where is this man named Pip?
Set against the stunning beauty of Bougainville in the South Pacific during the civil war in the early 1990s, Lloyd Jones’s breathtaking novel shows what magic a child’s imagination makes possible even in the face of terrible violence and what power stories have to fuel the imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work, but I have to read it again. It makes me think of Life of Pi to a certain degree, in the sense that the book illustrates how one can separate one's self during times of terrible trauma. Again, it was a highly engaging book with beautiful prose.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Four Queens: the Provencal sisters who ruled Europe
Here is publisher's blurb about the Four Queens, by Nancy Goldstone. Yes, this is non-fiction work set during the 13th century, but it was well written and fast paced. It shatters the myth that women were helpless pawns during this era and illustrates the qualities still found today in families, such as the love of parents, duty, sibling rivalry, independence and birth order.
Publisher's blurb:
Four Queens is a rich pageant of glamour, intrigue, and feminine power at a time when women were thought to have played limited roles. In thirteenth-century Europe, four sisters from a single family-Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence-rose from obscurity to become the queens of, respectively, France, England, Germany, and Sicily. All four were beautiful, cultured, and ambitious, and their stories offer a window into the era of chivalry, crusades, poetry, knights, and monarchs that will appeal to fans of Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser."
Publisher's blurb:
Four Queens is a rich pageant of glamour, intrigue, and feminine power at a time when women were thought to have played limited roles. In thirteenth-century Europe, four sisters from a single family-Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice of Provence-rose from obscurity to become the queens of, respectively, France, England, Germany, and Sicily. All four were beautiful, cultured, and ambitious, and their stories offer a window into the era of chivalry, crusades, poetry, knights, and monarchs that will appeal to fans of Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser."
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Mount
The Mount by Carol Emshwiller fulfils my mandate for fantasy and fluff for 2008, albeit, it is Science Fiction (don't want to get bogged down on details). Having ridden in the past, I loved the language Emshwiller used to describe the nuances of aliens riding foreign mounts. Her comments about how she got the idea for the book was also interesting. I would recommend this work to Science Fiction readers and I would read additional titles by Emshwiller. Thanks to The Jane Austen Book Club for directing me to this text!
From the Publisher
"A memorable alien-invasion scenario, a wild adventure, and a reflection on the dynamics of freedom and slavery."--"Booklist."
Winner of the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award.
From the Publisher
"A memorable alien-invasion scenario, a wild adventure, and a reflection on the dynamics of freedom and slavery."--"Booklist."
Winner of the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Fluff and Fantasy: Jane Austen Book Club
My goal this year is to read nothing but fluff and fantasy. I started to read, Loving Frank, by
Nancy Horan, but I couldn't handle the separation of Momah, the married woman who falls in love with Frank Lloyd Wright, and her children. Not enough fluff for me.
So I turned to The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't find the characters rich enough for me. I struggled to remember who was who and unlike books filled with different characters, I could barely visualize anyone. It was enjoyable though. And added bonus: I got a lead on a number of different science fiction authors. Science fiction is in line with my goal of fluff and fantasy. But back to JABC, here is a blurb from the publisher:
From the Publisher
In California''s central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behavior and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.
Dedicated Austenites [which I'm not] will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy. "This exquisite novel is bigger and more ambitious than it appears Fowler''s shrewdest, funniest fiction yet, a novel about how we engage with a novel. You don''t have to be a student of Jane Austen to enjoy it, either. . . Lovers of Austen will relish this book, but I envy any reader who comes to it unfamiliar with her. There's no better introduction."
Nancy Horan, but I couldn't handle the separation of Momah, the married woman who falls in love with Frank Lloyd Wright, and her children. Not enough fluff for me.
So I turned to The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler. I enjoyed the book, but I didn't find the characters rich enough for me. I struggled to remember who was who and unlike books filled with different characters, I could barely visualize anyone. It was enjoyable though. And added bonus: I got a lead on a number of different science fiction authors. Science fiction is in line with my goal of fluff and fantasy. But back to JABC, here is a blurb from the publisher:
From the Publisher
In California''s central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behavior and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.
Dedicated Austenites [which I'm not] will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy. "This exquisite novel is bigger and more ambitious than it appears Fowler''s shrewdest, funniest fiction yet, a novel about how we engage with a novel. You don''t have to be a student of Jane Austen to enjoy it, either. . . Lovers of Austen will relish this book, but I envy any reader who comes to it unfamiliar with her. There's no better introduction."
Friday, March 14, 2008
Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
I am having such a good time reading the Eyre Affair. It is refreshing and fun, and challenges me to use my English degree. I'm not even finished yet, but I would recommend it!
Here is a overview from Amazon.co.uk:
Pirouetting on the boundaries between sci-fi, the crime thriller and intertextual whimsy, Jasper Fforde's outrageous The Eyre Affair puts you on the wrong footing even on its dedication page, which proudly announces that the book conforms to Crimean War economy standard.
Fforde's heroine, Thursday Next, lives in a world where time and reality are endlessly mutable--someone has ensured that the Crimean War never ended for example--a world policed by men like her disgraced father, whose name has been edited out of existence. She herself polices text--against men like the Moriarty-like Acheron Styx, whose current scam is to hold the minor characters of Dickens' novels to ransom, entering the manuscript and abducting them for execution and extinction one by one. When that caper goes sour, Styx moves on to the nation's most beloved novel--an oddly truncated version of Jane Eyre--and kidnaps its heroine. The phlegmatic and resourceful Thursday pursues Acheron across the border into a Leninist Wales and further to Mr Rochester's Thornfield Hall, where both books find their climax on the roof amid flames.
Fforde is endlessly inventive: his heroine's utter unconcern about the strangeness of the world she inhabits keeps the reader perpetually double-taking as minor certainties of history, literature and cuisine go soggy in the corner of our eye. The audacity of the premise and its working out provides sudden leaps of understanding, many of them accompanied by wild fits of the giggles. This is a peculiarly promising first novel. --Roz Kaveney
Here is a overview from Amazon.co.uk:
Pirouetting on the boundaries between sci-fi, the crime thriller and intertextual whimsy, Jasper Fforde's outrageous The Eyre Affair puts you on the wrong footing even on its dedication page, which proudly announces that the book conforms to Crimean War economy standard.
Fforde's heroine, Thursday Next, lives in a world where time and reality are endlessly mutable--someone has ensured that the Crimean War never ended for example--a world policed by men like her disgraced father, whose name has been edited out of existence. She herself polices text--against men like the Moriarty-like Acheron Styx, whose current scam is to hold the minor characters of Dickens' novels to ransom, entering the manuscript and abducting them for execution and extinction one by one. When that caper goes sour, Styx moves on to the nation's most beloved novel--an oddly truncated version of Jane Eyre--and kidnaps its heroine. The phlegmatic and resourceful Thursday pursues Acheron across the border into a Leninist Wales and further to Mr Rochester's Thornfield Hall, where both books find their climax on the roof amid flames.
Fforde is endlessly inventive: his heroine's utter unconcern about the strangeness of the world she inhabits keeps the reader perpetually double-taking as minor certainties of history, literature and cuisine go soggy in the corner of our eye. The audacity of the premise and its working out provides sudden leaps of understanding, many of them accompanied by wild fits of the giggles. This is a peculiarly promising first novel. --Roz Kaveney
Thursday, February 14, 2008
OLA Superconference presentation
I did it.
I presented on Feb. 2 at the OLA Superconference in Toronto. I was more nervouse than anticipated, but once I got talking, it went well.
What did I present? BPL performed a Community Consultation (telephone survey) at the end of 2006. I didn't present the findings, but rather, discussed the process of getting the survey into the field as well as showing a few key findings. Discussion topics included what went well, and what we would do differently next time and how the findings influenced the Library.
In the end, I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this project. It was a wonderful learning opportunity. Just over a dozen people showed up, so it was a nice, intimate group. I was happy with the turn out considering that
- It was the last day of the conference and a lot of people left early due to the weather
- Competition was fierce. I was up against "Marian the Naughty Librarian: The Sexualization of Librarians in Popular Culture"; "Learning 2.0" with Stephen Abram and Jane Dysart, to name a few.
What's next? I volunteered to be a volunteer coorindator for 2009 which means I'll be the Lead in 2010.
As for another presentation? The Branding project would be of a lot of interest to people. I think our Web 2.0 training initiative would also be popular, especially when we add the public component.
How could anyone ever imagine that the Library field is staid?!
I presented on Feb. 2 at the OLA Superconference in Toronto. I was more nervouse than anticipated, but once I got talking, it went well.
What did I present? BPL performed a Community Consultation (telephone survey) at the end of 2006. I didn't present the findings, but rather, discussed the process of getting the survey into the field as well as showing a few key findings. Discussion topics included what went well, and what we would do differently next time and how the findings influenced the Library.
In the end, I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this project. It was a wonderful learning opportunity. Just over a dozen people showed up, so it was a nice, intimate group. I was happy with the turn out considering that
- It was the last day of the conference and a lot of people left early due to the weather
- Competition was fierce. I was up against "Marian the Naughty Librarian: The Sexualization of Librarians in Popular Culture"; "Learning 2.0" with Stephen Abram and Jane Dysart, to name a few.
What's next? I volunteered to be a volunteer coorindator for 2009 which means I'll be the Lead in 2010.
As for another presentation? The Branding project would be of a lot of interest to people. I think our Web 2.0 training initiative would also be popular, especially when we add the public component.
How could anyone ever imagine that the Library field is staid?!
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