Curious · Bedfellows

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Little Women, a novel much beloved by girls and grown women alike, is the classic story of four sisters who come of age in Civil War era New England. It's a story I've been familiar with for quite awhile: I vaguely recall watching a film adaptation at some point in my youth, and may have read a children's abridged version as well. However, I'm pretty sure I've never read the real, unabridged book until now.

Although the story is set during the Civil War, it is not a historically centered novel. The reader is aware that the girls' father is in the service, but aside from that fact, little mention is made of the political climate of the country during that time. Instead, the novel focuses on the personal dramas of the sisters: their trials and travails, friendships, lessons learned, pastimes, and budding romances.

Not having visited the story in many years, I found myself remembering some bits and pieces and being completely surprised by others. The characters and some of their situations were familiar to me, but I quickly became aware that the novel is incredibly preachy and moralistic, once or twice even going so far as to extol the importance of having faith in God during troubled times.

Undoubtedly, times have changed since Little Women's publication in 1868--many lifestyles, values, and ideas that may have been important and accepted at the time are no longer applicable. And especially because of its religious message, a similar novel today would likely be stamped with a label like "Christian inspirational chick lit" and be ignored by everyone who's not into that sort of thing (myself included).

Initially, the preachiness turned me off on the book. Eventually, I decided that this wasn't so great an issue.

Because, well, in spite of it all I became so attached to the girls that I couldn't help but identify with and love them. Because it's a good story that can be enjoyed simply for its portrayal of some people's unique experience in life. Because some things stay the same no matter how much time passes. Because I'm a sucker for tales of bygone days when people had to make their own amusements instead of relying on pre-fabricated ones. And while I may not have agreed with every moral and viewpoint in the book, I was (dare I say it) touched by the honest efforts of the girls to improve their faults and be good people.

In addition, Jo March is truly one of the most inspired, forward-thinking female characters in classic literature. Alcott, an advocate of women's rights, imbued Jo with a feisty, passionate, independent personality, made realistic by her quick temper, sensitivity, views on marriage, and struggles to make a living by doing what she loves (writing).

Which, I suppose, is why it's survived all these years and made it into the ranks of classic-dom. That is to say that despite its faults, Little Women was able to affect me in ways I didn't expect. And that's a hallmark of timeless literature. So while I don't see it appealing to many male readers, being a girl and all it gets a thumbs-up and four stars from me, and I can recommend it to those who enjoy family dramas and things that make you cry, and all that sort of thing.

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Quotes I liked:

"There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind."

"I don't pretend to be wise, but I am observing, and I see a great deal more than you'd imagine. I'm interested in other people's experiences and inconsistencies, and, though I can't explain, I remember and use them for my own benefit."

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I love it when I read books and find little notes from previous readers written in the margins. I don't mean the highlighted text and high-brow analysis of a used school copy - I mean the little things marked down by readers who came to the book of their own accord and made note of whatever struck their fancy.

I came across a few things underlined in my copy of Little Women, and I thought I'd share:

Another picture of a little gem of a book, thanks to my boyfriend. I don't know where he finds these things, but God bless him for it.




The two of us went to a library book sale on Saturday. It was his first real one. I walked out with five books, he walked out with... so many that we had to use a cart to take them to the car. I'm so glad I've met someone who shares my passion for book collecting (and antiques and garage sales and thrift stores). My mother says it's dangerous because we won't keep each other in check. Neither of us will ever say, "you know, I think you have enough at home, you really don't need any more..."

But it actually makes me very happy. As my boyfriend says, "just think of all the fights we'll never get into!"

Maybe I should make it my New Year's Resolution (albeit 27 days late) to write more in my blog.

I think about y'all often, I really do. I'll have great ideas of things to blog about.... which I usually don't write down and thus promptly forget.

There have been lots of bookish things happening lately, such as me reading up an absolute storm (cats and dogs, I'm telling you), visiting library book sales and finding wondrous things, the boyfriend gifting me with the first half of a 12-volume set (and writing a lovely inscription on the inside cover), and worrying about where I'm going to put my books when I move into a small apartment (due to happen later this year).

I should be blogging about these things, damnit! I have time now. I graduated with my second Associate's degree in December and have this semester off before I go back for more torture in the Fall (sometimes I wonder why I'm doing this to myself. I don't even like the educational system. In fact, "don't like," is too mild a remark for the amount of loathing I sometimes feel). Anyhow, between work and the myriad of other hobbies I fill my life with, I actually have a bit of free time now to do things like blog.

Hope to see more of you in the coming months. Until I start school again, anyway.

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In her mid-40s, American children's book author Rita Golden Gelman separated from her husband for several months. Both her children were then grown and without a marriage to maintain, she decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling. She went to Mexico during the time period and lived in a rural town to experience the local culture; it was the beginning of a new lifestyle. When she returned, Gelman and her husband decided to divorce. Gelman had always felt that there had to be more than one way to "do life," and after her experience in Mexico, she became a traveling nomad. Going wherever strikes her fancy and relying on the kindness of strangers, Gelman stays in one place for several months before moving on to the next--just enough time to start learning the language, create friendships, and experience life from someone else's point of view. She chooses not to stay in hotels or hostels, but rather rents rooms from individuals in the community.

Over the course of the book, Gelman recounts her experiences in South America, Indonesia, Israel, the Galapagos Islands, Thailand, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S. Her tales are honest, moving, and often funny. Rather than being an anthropologically-centered book, she focuses more on her personal journey and the revelations she has as a result of her experiences. From living with Balinese royalty to teaching Maori children to hiking through the mountains in Irian Jaya, Gelman gets to live a life that many people dream about but never make reality.

While I enjoyed the book, I know that this lifestyle isn't for me. I love to travel and learn about cultures different than my own, but I'm too much of a homebody to do it nonstop. I always need a place, and more importantly people, to come back to. I enjoy getting entrenched in community events and local history wherever I live, but I don't think I could have so many homes throughout my lifetime. Although Gelman loves her style of living and is able to cultivate meaningful friendships wherever she goes, I couldn't help feeling that it was perhaps a little selfish of her to always be moving around. Nevertheless, I think the most important lesson to be learned from the book is that wherever you are, you can still remain curious, brave, and open to life and other people. Going halfway around the world isn't always necessary - there are plenty of adventures to be had in any place, if you're willing to find them.


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Coraline by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I haven't read much Neil Gaiman. I know he's a beloved fantasy/graphic novel author and all that but, having a life and all, I can only get around to reading so much. Awhile ago I read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens, which I thought was bloody brilliant and I went on to read Stardust. . . which, unfortunately, was exceedingly less than brilliant. In fact, I was pretty turned off on Gaiman after reading that, but because he has such a large fan base (and because I'd managed to acquire a couple of his other books at library sales), I decided to give him another chance. Which brings us to my review today, Coraline.

Coraline is marketed as a children's novel and is a pretty quick read. It's written in a fairy tale style that leaves a lot to the imagination. I've heard from other people who lamented the lack of elaboration and a thorough back story, but I thought it was wonderful. The eponymous main character is a little girl who's family has just moved to a flat located in an old house. Coraline enjoys exploring the grounds and visiting the other inhabitants of the house, which include a strange old man who talks to mice and two former actresses who like to regale Coraline with tales of their youth.

In Coraline's living room there's a door that opens onto a brick wall--a result of renovating the house into flats. But one day, she unlocks the door to find a hallway that leads into another flat (I know a lot of kid's stories feature this kind of scenario, but bear with me). This other flat is much like her own (complete with alternate versions of her parents), but has this dreamy unreal quality to it. At first she likes it better--but Coraline's "other mother" keeps pestering her to come and live there forever. It doesn't take long before things start to turn foul, and Coraline discovers the real nature of the "other mother," who's been preying on children for centuries.

This book is seriously creepy. I mean it. It certainly creeped me out more than The Shining, which I didn't find that scary at all. I loved it because it's fantastical and unsettling without being gory or too cerebral, like a lot of adult novels are. It's kind of like a Hitchcock film in that sense. It's modern and funny and has a happy ending, but it also appealed to the kid in me who's still worried about things that go bump in the night. So, long story short, Mr. Gaiman has redeemed himself with me. I'll look forward to reading more of his work in the future.


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Alright, Ladies and Gents. This afternoon I have two words for you that I found while reading Her Majesty's Occult Service. Sometimes I wonder how people ever learn words like this. God bless writers.

Squamous (skwey-muh s)
- Adjective
- Middle English, from Latin squamosus, from squama scale, perhaps related to squalus "foul, filthy"
1. Covered with or consisting of scales.
2. Scale-like.
2. Of, relating to, or being the anterior upper portion of the temporal bone of most mammals including humans.

Rugose (roo-gohs, roo-gohs)
- Adjective
- Latin rugosus, from ruga
1. Having wrinkles; wrinkled; ridged.
2. Botany. Rough and wrinkled: applied to leaves in which the reticulate venation is very prominent beneath, with corresponding creases on the upper side.

My boyfriend recently sent me this image - I think he found it on a Flickr group dedicated to odd books. I thought it was so sensational I just had to share. If I ever have a house with enough room I'd love to have an entire collection of books with titles and covers like this that simply tickle my fancy (click on image for a larger view).

The Shining by Stephen King

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Confession: before now, I had never read anything by Stephen King. Well, except for his book On Writing, but I'm not sure that really counts. I know, I know! It's high time I ventured into his work. Sigh...

It's something I've always felt a little guilty about considering how I'm such a bibliophile and he's been so prolific in his career. It's a little like not having watched a movie that absolutely everyone else has seen. You have to sit there and endure the shocked exclamations of people who can't believe you've been so deprived. So while I'm not typically a fan of modern horror (or bestsellers for that matter), I decided to give him a try.

The Shining centers around a young boy, Danny, who has a natural psychic ability. At the beginning of the novel his father Jack, a writer and recovering alcoholic, is hired as the winter caretaker of a hotel called the "Overlook." Jack has a history of violence; he was fired from his job as a high school teacher for assaulting a student, and once broke Danny's arm in a drunken fit of rage. Danny's mother, Wendy, has naively high hopes for the family and has stuck with Jack because he seems to be a lot better in the aggression department now that he's stopped drinking.

Oh wait, it gets better.

The Overlook is remotely located in the Colorado mountains, meaning that when the snow starts, the family will have no way of getting out. And after they move in they soon realize that the hotel has a mysterious and unsettling past: lots of murders, suicides, shady dealings, the whole bit. Oh, and the last caretaker went crazy and murdered his family.

Seriously, there is no doubt in the reader's mind that things will go wrong. It's definitely not a novel where horrifying things spring up out of nowhere.

Anyway, the hotel (as it turns out) is kind of an entity unto itself. The Overlook and all its ghosts have been gaining power and are impressed by Danny's supernatural ability; they want him for their own. It's a little unclear what they'll do once they have him, but they want him nonetheless. So they try to make Jack go crazy and kill Danny (and Wendy too).

Not the most original or unsettling premise I've ever read, but I enjoyed King's style because of his creative play with the inner thoughts of characters. His portrayals of human behavior were believable and well thought out. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be and I was pleased that the book actually got kind of sentimental at the end. I wasn't expecting that. Overall, an entertaining read if not a very profound one.

Hoping to watch the movie this weekend. That's right. I've never seen it. Sigh...



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A few posts back I posted a link to the blog of a friend of mine, Book-a-Day. This friend is able to see how people are getting referred to his website (i.e. where someone followed a link from). After looking at these out of curiosity, he was directed to my blog, which he apparently didn't know existed. He then contacted me and asked if I would like to be a guest reviewer on his blog one day a week! Kind of neat. So, from now on Mondays at Book-a-Day will be spent with me. I'm planning on using the same reviews on both blogs, so you probably won't find anything new from me there. But just thought I'd mention it - I'll add a permanent link at the top of my page.

by C.P. Cavafy, translated by Edmund Keeley

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one
full of adventure, full of discovery,
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon--don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon--you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind--
as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Good-bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this simply because I happened to notice it on a list a friend had made of her favorite books (On MySpace, no less! It's useful for something after all!). I didn't know what to expect - I liked the title, but I'd never read a graphic novel before. Yes, that's right. I have now entered into the world of graphic novels. Huzzah!

This book was... well, amazing. It reminded me so much of my friend, I mean I could tell right away that it was her kind of book. I love when that happens. And seeing as the book is about friendship and what happens when someone's life path takes them away on a journey, I found it especially pertinent. You see, this friend moved all the way over to the west coast last year. And while we're not extremely close, the book still rang true. And I loved it.

It's raw and honest and features these absolutely great characters. The protagonist is a turtle named Chunky Rice, for goodness' sake. How can you not love that? His best friend is a mouse. When Chunky decides to travel because he doesn't feel that their small town is the right place for him, the reader gets to witness the emotions that go along with such a decision. There's also a great subplot between an old sailor and a songbird. But don't be fooled - this is not a kid's book. It's cute and endearing at times, but the content is adult (not particularly vulgar, mind you, just adult) and it made me cry at the end. It's about friendship on a very deep level, and about caring for someone so much that you let them go.

Thompson's artwork is equally wonderful - I'll be seeking out his other books for sure.

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The Jumping Frog: In English, Then in French, Then Clawed Back Into a Civilized Language Once More by Patient, Unremunerated Toil by Mark Twain

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was such an interesting little book... if you ever have the chance to read The Jumping Frog I would recommend this edition. Why? Because it includes not only the original story, but all of the fun stuff that happened after it was published.

Basically, The Jumping Frog is a story that was told to Twain and which he subsequently wrote down and published. It's a short parable about a man who can't stop betting (and winning) and how he is eventually defeated by a trickster. At some point, the story was translated into French for a magazine featuring American humorists. Upon seeing this translation, Twain became upset because he thought that the translation didn't convey the original story's humor.

Mind you, Twain didn't speak French.

In order to prove his point, he got out his trusty French-English dictionary and proceeded to translate the story back into English, word-for-word. Of course, what came out was a garbled story that barely resembled the original. Twain's explanation is that the French language is abominable and the translator didn't understand the story in the first place and completely messed up.

After reading all three versions (the original, the French, and the re-translated), I wasn't sure what to think of this. Surely Twain, a worldly man, was aware of the difficulties of translating something into a foreign language, and surely he was aware that languages each have their own structures and idioms. Word-for-word simply will not work. Therefore, I was led to the conclusion that Twain, instead of proving a point about the inadequacy of French itself, was actually (in his own weird way) proving a point about the said difficulty of translation itself, and that perhaps stories are best enjoyed in their original forms.

At least that's what I'd like to think.

Finally, at the end Twain writes that a friend of his, upon reading the story, told Twain that it was not actually an original account of something that truly happened, but an ancient Greek parable included in a textbook he was familiar with. Meaning that Twain had inadvertently committed an act of plagiarism. Twain was astonished to hear this, and obtained a copy of the textbook to see for himself. Lo and behold, the story was there, slightly different in form, but totally recognizable. Twain spent a long time coming up with a very interesting theory about how stories and human experiences are so universal throughout history (or something like that). However, Twain later found out that the author of the textbook had actually taken Twain's story and turned it into something resembling a Greek tale to include in the book. Ha!

So you see, stories do have lives of their own. I liked this book not because The Jumping Frog is anything fabulously brilliant, but because to me, it was about the life of a story after it was published. Which is always fun to hear about.

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I've been reading like a maniac lately but not reviewing. Ack! Sorry... it's my goal this weekend to finish at least two reviews. I just finished Round Ireland with a Fridge and Coraline and am now on to Eat, Pray, Love (which I am LOVING, by the way). . . but first I need to review all the stuff I read like a month ago.

In other reading news, I am part of a group on GoodReads called "The Big Book Challenge-athon" and I am currently trying to finish up a cover art challenge. It ends in November and I still need to read books with the following things on the cover: A full moon, a graveyard, a real historical figure, something sports-related, clothing or footwear, a uniform, and a scenic landscape. That's seven books - yikes! If I manage to read that much in the first place, the only ones I'm anticipating having trouble with are sports and a uniform. I'm considering going the easy way and finding some children's novels that won't be so time-consuming. It's not like I win anything for completing the challenge, but it's just something fun to do.

I will also be participating in the October "Spooky Booky Challenge" which means that for the month of October I will be ready ONLY spooky books. Stay tuned to see how that goes... I might creep myself out too much, we'll see!

One last thing: a friend of mine recently started his own book blog, so I'm going to give it a plug. He reviews one book a day, five days a week. Since I will probably never have the self discipline to do something like that I can only applaud and admire his efforts. Check it out: www.book-a-day.com

Counting my books the other day was probably a bad idea. I have so many it's hard to count them all (or know what to count - do textbooks and picture books qualify, for example?). Anyway, I think I've topped 1,000. Somebody stop me.

Just finished Anne Rice's Lasher yesterday. It's the second book in the "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" series. After taking a hiatus from the "Vampire Chronicles" and their ilk, I'm now back on the bandwagon. Forgot how much I love Anne Rice. Review coming soon.

Just ordered all my books for the upcoming semester. I'm totally broke now. Yikes.

Time for a long overdue edition of "... is That Even a Word?"! I've had lists of words sitting on my desk for at least a month or two just waiting to be shared and explained. Sometimes I'm such a slacker. I don't even remember where I found half of these words. I think that most of them are from my Ethics textbook and a the rest are a random assortment from my latest reads. Ready?

Redound (ri-dound)
- Verb (used without object)
- Middle English, from Middle French redonder (overflow, abound), from Latin redundare (to overflow)
1. To have an effect or result, as to the advantage or disadvantage of a person or thing.
2. To result or accrue.
3. To come back or reflect upon a person.

Apostasy (uh-pos-tuh-see)
- Noun
- From Greek apostasis (revolt, defection)
1. Desertion or departure from one's religion
2. Abandonment of a loyalty, cause, principle, etc.

Gelid (jel-id)
- Adjective
- From Latin gelidus, from gelu (frost, cold)
1. Extremely cold; icy

Gazump (guh-zuhmp)
- Verb
- Uncertain origin, from earlier gazoomph (to swindle), dated 1925-30
1. To cheat (a house buyer) by raising the price, at the time a contract is to be signed, over the amount originally agreed upon.

Hoyden (hoid-n)
- Noun
- Possibly from Dutch heiden (rustic, uncivilized man), from Middle Dutch heiden (heathen)
1. Boisterous, carefree, saucy, bold woman/girl; tomboy

Sozzled (soz-uhld)
- Adjective
- From sozzle (to mix or mingle sloppily; confused state, sloppy person)
1. Drunk, inebriated.

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Sources:
http://www.dictionary.com
http://www.merriam-webster.com
http://www.etymonline.com