Moll Flanders

Moll Flanders

by Daniel Defoe
audio book: 12.5 hours
originally published in 1722

The complete title is actually as follows:

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who Was Born In Newgate, and During a Life of Continu'd Variety For Threescore Years, Besides Her Childhood, Was Twelve Year a Whore, Five Times a Wife [Whereof Once To Her Own Brother], Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon In Virginia, At Last Grew Rich, Liv'd Honest, and Died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.

Before we even get to the book itself, you’ve got to love that title! It’s sort of a summary of the book and a title all in one, AND it is very catchy too.


About the Book

I usually give a summary of the plot here but the extended title already did that for me. Makes my job much easier, I must say.

I listened to this book after seeing the review posted by Books ‘N Border Collies. After I started it, I realized it will also count for the 1% Well Read Challenge – bonus!


My Thoughts

This book is fascinating. Although it did drag in a few parts, most of the time I was enthralled with the story. Moll’s telling of her life’s adventures is interspersed with remonstrances to the reader/listener to learn from her mistakes. These side notes were just as enjoyable as the story itself.

The book really is a morality lesson, showing by example what NOT to do in any given situation. This is expounded upon in the author’s note at the end as well, but it is apparent throughout Moll’s tale that her goal is to instruct.

One thing that did bother me though … if you’ve read the book, please chime in on this one. What the heck happened to all her children?! I know that at least one was given away to be cared for by someone else, but did the story ever explain what happened to the rest of them?! Lezlie did tackle this question on her blog, but I'm still not satisfied because I don't know what HAPPENED to the children.

A quick note on the audio version: The narrator, Virginia Leishman, did a wonderful job. I’d definitely pick up other books that she’s narrated.


Your Thoughts?

This is definitely a classic novel. Have you read it? Do you want to? If you’ve reviewed it, give me your link and I’ll post it here.

Read With Me?

I'm making great progress on the 1% Well Read Challenge this year. Unlike last year when I had to cram in a few short stories to beat the deadline, this year I think I'll finish ahead of schedule - yea!

This month I'm going to start The Last of the Mohicans (maybe finishing in August, depending on how quickly it goes). When I finish I will have my own movie night to rewatch the Daniel Day Lewis movie version ... oh how I LOVE that movie!

In October I'm going to try Frankenstein (in honor of Halloween of course). The last two books on my list are Cranford and The Lion of Flanders and I'll read them at some point before December 31.

So I'm wondering ... does anyone want to read any of these books with me? I thought it might be fun to do joint reviews or at least to both be reading and posting about a book at the same time.

If you are interested, or think you MIGHT be interested, let me know in the comment section. If no one replies then I'll read happily on my own. :)

Friday Finds 07/10/09

Welcome to Friday ... where I'm sitting at my desk at work falling asleep less than an hour after I arrived. Yeah, this is going to be a long day.

Anyway, here are the books that I added to my TBR pile this week:


Alex and Me, by Irene Pepperberg - This seems to be the month of bird books ... last week I wrote about Wesley the Owl and now I've got Alex the parrot. At Home With Books reviewed this memoir about life with this incredible bird and it really sounded interesting. My mom had several parrots over the years and although I can't say I'm a bird-lover, I do appreciate the unique behavior and personalities that birds can display. And this book sounds fascinating!



The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution, by Linda R. Monk - RebeccaReads says that this book "takes the Constitution of the United States, including its amendments, and dissects it line by line, explaining the historical significance and the modern significance of the wording. She does so in layman’s terms, with amusing quotes in the margin, case studies in shaded boxes, and photos and illustrations. It is easy to read, and easily accessible." I'd love to have this on my reference shelf to browse through from time to time.

Modern Spice: Indian Inspired Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, by Monica Bhide - I didn't think I'd ever add a cookbook to my TBR list (since I really don't like to cook) let alone one about Indian food (since I've never actually eaten it before) but something about this post by S. Krishna's Books got me excited about this particular cookbook. I love that she tried out some of the recipes - it makes me want to get in my kitchen and concoct something tasty!




Just three titles for this week. Hop over to Should Be Reading for more Friday Finds*, and let me know in the comments if any of these books look good to you.

My Favorite Reads: The Mists of Avalon

I've been wanting to write about some of the books I read prior to blogging and now I have an excuse: At Home With Books's meme, My Favorite Reads. The idea behind this weekly event is to share with your readers some of the best books that you read BB (Before Blogging). I won't participate every week but I will chime in from time to time. I've made a list of some books I want to share with you and I'll tackle one whenever I get a chance.


This week I'm going to talk about a book that I LOVE with all my heart, THE MISTS OF AVALON. I've read this book at least twice, listened to the audio version once, and watched the TV miniseries based on it as well.

The book: The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley - published in 1982 - 912 pages

What it is about: The book is a retelling of the King Arthur story through the eyes of the women involved. Focus is on Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and other female characters. More time is spent on their lives and the mystical/druidical background of the story than on Arthur himself.

Why I love it: This book has it all - strong and powerful women, love, lust, betrayal, adventure, you name it. The story is full of details that immerse you in the lives of these people.

Other thoughts: This is one of those books where learning something about the author leads to a deeper understanding of the book. When my book club read this (at my prompting of course) we saw that the author's feminism and religious beliefs came through very clearly in her writing. That was something I didn't know before reading about the author.

Would I recommend it? Before blogging I'd have said yes unreservedly - this is a fantastic book in every way. However I've read on several blogs that people find this book challenging so now I'm a bit leery about recommending it. I guess I'd have to say that if you DO find it challenging, it is VERY worth the effort you put into it. For me, this is a "must read" for just about everyone.

Do I own it? Yes I do. This is one of the few books in my "permanent collection" as I call it. I don't know where I got it originally (likely from my dad), but I've had it since middle or high school. During my "romantic" phase in high school I pressed a rose between the pages ... and it is still there. I have no recollection of who gave me the rose but I've still got it all the same.

Castle Rackrent

Castle Rackrent
by Maria Edgeworth
176 pages
first published in 1800

For this year's 1% Well Read Challenge I decided to focus on older books. As I did last year, I chose books based solely on their titles - if they sounded interesting, they went on my list. For the most part my strategy works well; after all, it brought me Evelina, The Castle of Otranto, and Phineas Finn. Castle Rackrent is another matter though ...


About the Book

Here's what Amazon.com says: "Thady Quirk - or "honest Thady" - having lived on the estate of Castle Rackrent for most of his long life, takes it upon himself to "publish the MEMOIRS of the RACKRENT FAMLY." Speaking in Irish vernacular, he describes the masters he and his family have served under: Sir Patrick, who fills his house with guests and drinks himself to death; Sir Murtagh, his heir, a "great lawyer," who refuses - "out of honor" - to pay Sir Patrick's debts; and Sir Kit, who gambles and eventually sells his estate to Thady's son. Through Thady's memories of these landowners (and the tenants who all too often had to pay for the landownders' indulgences) we gain a picture of feudal life in Ireland before the Irish Revolution. Thady is an unreliable narrator who, it appears, cannot - or does not - tell the whole story. Which leaves a question. Is Thady a naive and loyal servant or is he a clever and self-serving man who knows how to get his point across and his plans accomplished without seeming to know what he is saying or doing? Adding to the underlying irony of the narrative is the contrast between Thady and the anonymous, condescending British voice of the mock glossary of terms. Humorous and biting, Castle Rackrent is a largely unrecognized jewel of social satire."

And later, "With her satire on Anglo-Irish landlords in Castle Rackrent (1800), Maria Edgeworth pioneered the regional novel and inspired Sir Walter Scott's Waverley (1814). Politically risky, stylistically innovative, and wonderfully entertaining, the novel changes the focus of conflict in Ireland from religion to class, and boldly predicts the rise of the Irish Catholic bourgeoisie."

According to wikipedia this book "is often regarded as the first historical novel, the first regional novel in English, the first Anglo-Irish novel, the first Big House novel and the first saga novel." That's a lot to attribute to one small book!


My Thoughts

Based on everything you've read above, you'd think this would be a pretty good book. Unfortunately it didn't like up to the hype for me. Thady tells his story in a very rambly way, relating anecdote after anecdote, conversation after conversation, and never really seems to have a point. I mean, his point is to tell the stories of the Rackrent heirs - which he does - but the whole thing seems rather pointless to me.

I did quite enjoy the snarky comments inserted by "the editor" though. There are even footnotes to help explain some of the Irish vernacular, and the footnotes are great! Below is an example of one of them - be sure to read it with a bit of snark:

English Tenants: An English tenant does not mean a tenant who is an Englishman, but a tenant who pays his rent the day that it is due. It is a common prejudice in Ireland, amongst the poorer classes of people, to believe that all tenants in England pay their rents on the very day when they become due. An Irishman, when he goes to take a farm, if he wants to prove to his landlord that he is a substantial man, offers to become an English tenant. If a tenant disobliges his landlord by voting against him, or against his opinion, at an election, the tenant is immediately informed by the agent that he must become an English tenant. This threat does not imply that he is to change his language or his country, but that he must pay all the arrear of rent which he owes, and that he must thenceforward pay his rent on that day when it becomes due.

That wasn't the best of them but it WAS one of the shortest and it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

I'm not familiar with the author but it seems she was well-respected in her day and afterward. The version I read (posted on gutenburg.org) included an introduction by Anne Thackeray Ritchie, daughter of William Thackeray, in which she praised Ms. Edgeworth's writing very highly. (Honestly, the introduction was almost better than the book itself.)

So yes, this book gets credit for being the first historical novel, etc., etc., but the story itself isn't all that great ... it's the snarky editor and the footnotes that are worth reading.

The Triumph of Deborah

The Triumph of Deborah
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
355 pages

Before I begin, I'd like to apologize to the author for taking so long to review her book. I really wanted to read it but life conspired to prevent me. First it was other reviews that I'd committed to, then it was the fact that I lost the book not once but twice (how embarrassing!). So Eva, I'm sorry for not getting this review completed sooner - the book was very enjoyable.


The Official Summary

"The richly imagined tale of Deborah, the courageous Biblical warrior who saved her people from certain destruction. ~~~~ In ancient Israel, war is looming. Deborah, a highly respected leader, has coerced the warrior Barak into launching a strike against the neighboring Canaanites. Against all odds he succeeds, returning triumphantly with Asherah and Nogah, daughters of the Canaanite King, as his prisoners. But military victory is only the beginning of the turmoil, as a complex love triangle develops between Barak and the two princesses. ~~~~ Deborah, recently cast off by her husband, develops a surprising affinity for Barak. Yet she struggles to rebuild her existence on her own terms, while also groping her way toward the greatest triumph of her life. ~~~~ Filled with brilliantly vivid historical detail, The Triumph of Deborah is the absorbing and riveting tale of one of the most beloved figures in the Old Testament, and a tribute to feminine strength and independence."


My Thoughts

I'm a bit torn on this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed it but on the other hand, there were things that I didn't like so much.

• The Pros: This is a fascinating story. The Biblical story of Deborah (more details on that below) is a very interesting one to begin with, and the author of this book definitely captures the drama inherent in it. ~ The characters are well written and mostly believable. ~ The author does a great job of capturing the intense emotions between men and women- love, lust, jealousy, hurt, and so on. ~ I always wanted to keep reading, to find out what happened next. ~ I enjoy books that make me look at familiar characters from the Bible in a new way (as in THE RED TENT - a great book!). ~ So on the whole, this was a good book.

• The Cons: Although I enjoyed the sometimes flowery language used by the author, I think she used a few too many similes; it is OK to just say "it is what it is" ... you don't always have to say "it is like a ...." ~ The male/female relationships in the book were a bit troubling to me. They were very well written, as I said above, but there was so much inequality in one particular relationship and that really bothered me. That is not the fault of the author though, as I think she represented what relationships were truly like at the time - but it really did bug me. ~ There was almost constant sex in this book. Not in detail or in a crude way, but one particular guy was having sex just about every other page (he "lay down with" his maid, or "he came to" his wife, etc.) and it got to be a bit much for me.

The Historical Background

This book is based on the Biblical Old Testament story of Deborah. The story starts in the book of Judges, chapter 4, verse 4, and continues until chapter 5, verse 31. Many of the characters in the book appear in the Bible (Deborah, Barak, Deborah's husband Lapidoth, and the Canaanites King Jabin and the the warrior Sisra) but very little is told about their personalities or actions.

The author included a note at the end describing some of the liberties she took with the female characters. She explains the background of some of her choices but makes little mention of the
major "enhancements" she made to the story.


My Final Thoughts

As with other books like this, you can't take the story as a representation of fact. Instead I like to think of these kinds of books as color added to a black and white photo; they may not be the exact colors of the original item, but their addition enhances your understanding of the real thing. In this case, I think the story strayed rather far from the original Biblical version, sort of like adding neon colors to a black and white photo of a tree; it's not a bad thing but it can be misleading. I prefer to think of this as a stand-alone story rather than an interpretation of a Biblical story - I can enjoy it for what it is much more that way.


Your Thoughts?

What do you think? Is this something you'd like to read? Do you like reading re-interpretations of older stories? of Bible stories? If you've read it, do you agree with my comments?

I'd love to post links to other reviews here so please include them in your comments.

• Out of the Blue: Book Reviews - this is the review that originally put this book on my TBR list
• Booking Mama - really enjoyed this book
• Diary of an Eccentric - wasn't very familiar with Deborah's story but still really liked this book
  

June '09 Recap

This first month of summer was a killer for me as far as reading goes. I only completed a small number of books (although I've got a few others almost finished) and really don't feel all that accomplished at the moment. But I DID have a great vacation and I AM enjoying the warm weather, so those are good things.

Here's a recap of my June ...

Books - 3 (992 pages)

• A Sense of the Mysterious (224 pages) - fascinating collection of essays on science and personal creativity
  
• Belong to Me (390 pages) - had some great characters but I didn't love it
  
• The Last Queen (378 pages) - LOVED this book
  
• I'm also steadily working on Gone With the Wind but since it has over 800 pages I won't be finished for a while (and I'm not including those pages in this month's count as the book isn't finished yet).
  

Audio Books - 2 (27.5 hours)

• Wuthering Heights (11.25 hours) - this is an all-time favorite of mine and I tremendously enjoyed revisiting it
  
• The Egyptologist (16.25 hours) - an odd book but I enjoyed it
  
• I'm also working on both Moll Flanders and Tides of War ... just a few cassettes to go in each book.
  

Mom & Son Book Club -

• We didn't read together at all this month but Kiddo did read some of a Star Wars book on his own while we were in Disney - that's a big deal for him!
  

Other Stats

I gave up on several books this month:

• Red Rain - the story couldn't keep me interested
• Journey to the Center of the Earth - the audio book narrator was horrendous
• The Secret Doorway - I did read the most important parts though

I added 6 books and a movie to my TBR list, had lunch with a fabulous blogging buddy and wrote a post commemorating D-Day. And of course I visited Disney World for about a week - ah, heaven!

How did June treat all of you?

Friday Finds 07/03/09

I've been away from Friday Finds for a few weeks and boy, has my list grown in that time! I have 8 VERY DIFFERENT books to share with you this time around ...


Wicked Plants, by Amy Stuart - "A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend." Thanks to Ti for pointing this one out to me.




Crazy for the Storm, by Norman Ollestad - "The book is indeed a memoir of a young boy’s harrowing mountaintop quest for survival, but it’s also the story of the fundamental relationship between a father and a son, and how that relationship can be an essential source of strength." I found this one in BookReporter.com's newsletter.



Wesley the Owl, by Stacey O'Brien - "On Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a four-day-old baby barn owl -- a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet's ability to fly was forever compromised, and he had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley the Owl is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together." This is on my list thanks to the Simon & Schuster newsletter.


Spirit of Adventure, by Alvin Townley - I read about this one on the new Boy Scouting Magazine's blog. "His book will help take you away no matter where you are. That’s because Spirit of Adventure is a formula for success. Mix great writing with fascinating individuals, and you’ve got a book that’s a quick and exhilarating read."






The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers, by Harry Bernstein - Books on the Brain says: "You might not think 92 is the best age to start writing your first book. At 92, you probably can’t expect to write 3 books (let alone one) or have a bestseller. The odds are against you. But for those who say they are too old to try something new, I’ve got two words for you. Harry. Bernstein." Go read the review and tell me this doesn't sound like a wonderful book!



Virgin: The Untouched History, by Hanne Blank - "This book is about much more than cocktail party virginity trivia. It is about something that is ancient and abstract at the same time as it is absolutely contemporary and utterly immediate. Virginity has been, and continues to be, a matter of life and death around the world, very much including within the first world." I read about it at Nymeth's blog. And since I have a book called CELIBACY on my shelf, I figured this would be a good companion read.



Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town, by Warren St. John - In an excellent review, 5 Minutes for Books says: "The book documents the struggle between the town and the large influx of refugee inhabitants, and tells the story of how the coach ... worked tirelessly to help these boys transition into American culture, by giving them a taste of home on the soccer field, along with moral support of their families, and tutoring to help them stay on track in school."




I Love A Man In Uniform, by Lily Burana - This is not a book I would ever have picked up on my own but Books, Lists, Life! posted an interview with this author that really got my attention. Here's an excerpt: "So what happens with a goth teen turned stripper turned journalist marries a military man? She writes a book about it, that's what. Lily ... meets Mike, a career Army man, in a graveyard(!) and has a whirlwind romance that culminates in September 11th and then a quickie wedding. Mike is soon deployed and Lily is left to deal with being an Army wife and all that entails. However, this one isn't just about how to be a wife when your husband is overseas, but also how to handle his return and your adjustment to living together again. Written with complete honesty and full of humor, Lily doesn't shy away from the hard stuff. If you ever wondered what life would be like living on base, or what PTSD is really like, or just wanted an insider glimpse, this is the book for you. Don't worry, it's not full of red, white and blue bunting and there isn't a yellow ribbon magnet afixed to the cover. You don't have to be an Army wife to enjoy reading it. Lily is a real person, not a stereotype of the perfect military wife (though she does address it.) I would recommend the book to just about anyone with complete confidence."


For more Friday Finds hop on over to Should Be Reading. Happy weekend to all!

The Last Queen

The Last Queen

by CW Gortner
378 pages

Background

I first heard of this book last July and immediately added it to my (obnoxiously long) TBR list … where it languished along with the other 400+ titles I intend to read someday. Then in May of this year author CW Gortner contacted me to ask if I was interested in reviewing his book. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Of course I was interested! I finally had a chance to pick it up on my way back from Disney World and I blew through it in just a few days.

About The Book

Have you ever heard of Juana la Loca, the Mad Queen of Spain? She is the one who supposedly loved her husband so much that she went crazy and later traveled the countryside with his corpse. I remember reading about her in a novel about Catherine of Aragon – that was the first time I realized they were sisters. For those of you who watch the Showtime series “The Tudors” you may remember Juana’s son, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Many historians agree that she had schizophrenia, but what if she didn’t? Some modern scholars think she may have suffered from some form of depression (you can read a bit about it here) and this idea seems to be gaining support.

Author CW Gortner tells us Juana’s story through her own eyes, from her childhood on Crusade with her parents Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, to her life in Flanders as wife of the Hapsburg Prince Phillip the Fair, to her return to Spain and eventual imprisonment there.

My Thoughts

I LOVED this book. I was completely drawn in to Juana’s life. I could see how she progressed from child to young lady to a seemingly crazy woman ... and I suspect that many women would have done the same in her place. The author did an excellent job creating a character that was both believable and true to history.

The supporting characters are well written too, although there is not as much focus on them.

I really appreciated the author’s note at the end in which Gortner describes the “true” history of Juana and details the modifications he made in his novel. Personally I think every historical fiction novel should have this kind of note. He also talked about what happened next in Juana’s life, filling in many of the details I wondered about at the close of the story. It was a very satisfying end to a very satisfying book.

One other thing I want to mention is that I did have to modify my opinions of Ferdinand and Isabella, and Charles V after reading this book. Textbooks and films usually present only one side of a historical figure so the more you learn, the better your perceptions can be. And boy, did I learn a lot of history from this book! These were not always the friendly and supporting rulers they are often made out to be … not by a long shot.

I don’t think there is a single complaint I can make about this book, and that is really saying something.

Book Clubs

My copy of the book included a fascinating interview with the author and a reading group guide as well. If your book club is historically minded, this might be an excellent choice for your group to read. It could spark great discussions about the reliability of historical records, the treatment of women in history, and also the changes in thought regarding mental illness. Unfortunately my book club would never vote to read this … most of them are anti-historical-novel people. Too bad for me, because this was a great book.

Coming Soon

Gortner is currently working on a novel about Catherine de Medici … and you can bet that I will be picking that one up as soon as it is available! Catherine is a fascinating woman and if this new book is anything like THE LAST QUEEN then it will be fabulous.

Your Reviews?

If you’ve reviewed this book I’d love to add a link to your post here.

Belong to Me

Belong to Me

by Marisa de los Santos
390 pages

“Everyone has secrets. Some we keep to protect ourselves, others we keep to protect those we love.”

That quote comes from the back of this book … and oh how true it is! Think about your own life, about the people you care most about. Are there things you have never told them? Things they don’t need to know about you? I know there are things like that in MY life.

About the Book

This is the story of three women: Cornelia, Piper, and Lake. Two are new in town and one is an established resident. The three are not necessarily friends but they do interact throughout the story. Each has her own set of issues to deal with, her own “secret” if you will. The heart of the book is how those secrets come out and the impact they have on each of the women and their families.

This is not a book I’d have picked up on my own, although the cover is very eye-catching. However an email from the publisher caught my attention with this: “Marisa de los Santos’ literary talents shine in the complex interactions she creates between these three women. As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.”

Relationships between female friends are often complicated and I was interested to see how the author handled this difficult subject, so I agreed to review the book.

My Thoughts

I’m glad to say that the author did an excellent job with the concept of female friendships/interactions. Two of the main characters, Cornelia and Piper, were my favorite characters in the entire book. They are so very different from each other and their initial interactions definitely do not bode well for a future relationship. Both of these characters were well written and seemed like they could walk right off the page – I could know these people in real life.

I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book but I wasn’t as pleased with the ending HOWEVER I think that many other people would love it. For me, everything ended a bit too neatly. I don’t want to say more than that as I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but feel free to email me to discuss the ending if you’ve read it.

One Other Thing

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t often cry when reading but this book did make me cry. In the middle of the book a friend of one of the characters is dying of cancer. She has two small children and is spending as much time with them as possible. Reading this part of the story I had tears rolling down my cheeks – I could SEE the scene the author was describing and it was breaking my heart. It was VERY well written.

Your Reviews?

I’d love to include a link to your review here – post it in the comments and I’ll add it right away.