The Iliad

The Iliad

by Homer, approx. circa 825 BC
translated by Robert Fitzgerald, published 1994
audio book: 16.75 hours

This post will be a bit lengthy because there is simply so much to say about this book. I do hope you enjoy it in spite of the length, and that you get something out of it. And just so you know, I'm going to keep referring to Rebecca's posts because she did an excellent series about this book last year.


*** About the Book/Epic Poem ***

This book is a classic in the truest sense of the world. It is attributed to the ancient Greek poet, Homer. [Rebecca wrote about the disputed existence of Homer.] The original poem was meant to be recited to an audience. The poem is likely based on actual events, embellished to include the intervention of the Greek gods.


*** The Story ***

I'm going to explain the entire story (spoilers and all) because I think it is almost common knowledge. Plus the major events in the story are foretold by the gods long before they actually happen, so there are really no surprises in the poem.

I assume that most people have at least HEARD of Helen of Troy and of the Trojan War. THE ILIAD tells the story of one part of that war. In brief, the Spartans have besieged the city of Ilian in Troy. Their attack is in retaliation for the kidnapping of Helen of Sparta, wife of the Spartan king's brother, by a prince of Ilian. By the time the story begins, the siege has been going on for 10 or more years (I can't recall the details exactly). The Spartan hero Achilles has a falling out with his king, Agamemnon, and in anger he decides to sit out the rest of the war. But when his best friend is killed in the fighting, Achilles goes on a rampage and kills Hector, the most beloved prince of Ilian.

Throughout all this, the gods and goddesses conspire against each other to support their chosen side in the war. Their actions are the focus of a large portion of the story.

(Rebecca gives a more in depth look at the story in this post.)


*** My Thoughts ***

I truly enjoyed listening to this one. It was huge and epic and amazing. At times, especially in the extended battle scenes, my mind wandered a bit but my attention was always drawn back when the characters I loved came on scene.


*** Thoughts on the Human Characters ***

Many of the characters are people I’ve heard of before. (Since I’ve seen the movie Troy I kept picturing Brad Pitt as Achilles whenever I was listening to his portion of the story – he was quite sexy in that movie!) But even had they been unfamiliar to me I think I would have connected with them just the same. I loved hearing about Achilles and about Helen, about Ajax and Odysseus, Agamemnon and Menelaus, Hector and Paris (although I didn’t like either of them that much), Priam and Hecuba. My favorite of all the characters was King Priam of Ilian.

One thing though … What is it with characters who have alternate names?! For example, Paris is the Trojan prince who runs off with Helen. But sometimes he’s called Alexandros. Thankfully I’d experienced this before in other books otherwise I’d have been completely confused in parts.


*** Thoughts on the Gods and Goddesses ***

The Greek gods and goddesses play a huge role in this story. They take sides in the war, protect the humans they like, and bicker between themselves as to who will win in the end. This is clearly where some of the inspiration for the TV shows Hercules and Xena and the movie Clash of the Titans came from. (Every time Ares, god of war, came on scene I pictured his character from Xena and I had to smile.) I loved this “otherworldly” aspect of the book. I wrote about these shows in comparison to THE ILIAD recently, and I included videos clips in case you aren't familiar with them.


*** Thoughts on the Battles ***

I must admit, I was expecting more of a story and less battle descriptions. I really liked all the battle stuff but I would have loved more story. That said, the battles do make up the majority of the book and they are very interesting.

• The battle scenes are very extensive and quite detailed. You hear how each man is killed – with what weapon, where it hit him, what damage it did, how he fell, and then “darkness veiled his eyes.” I came to love the beauty of that simple phrase amid all the carnage. I wonder if the wording is the same in other translations?
  
• The battles were almost a litany of names. As each fighter came to the fore, you learned about his background and his family. If you believe as I do that this poem is historical then this is a record of real people. I loved learning about their lives, even briefly. There were so many names mentioned that I don’t think it is importance to keep track of them, just simply to know they existed.
• A huge theme in this book is the revering vs. the defilement of corpses. Each side in the war has rituals for dealing with dead heroes and each side also wants to capture the corpses of enemy heroes. Much of the conflict in the book stems from that simple issue.
  

*** The Audio Book ***

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I listen to lots of audio books. You also know that there are some books that just don't work for me in audio form. When I decided to tackle THE ILIAD I knew that I simply had to do the audio version based on the history of this poem. After all, it was originally meant to be listened to, not read, and I thought that I'd get more out of it by experiencing it as it was meant to be experienced. And I was right in that. I very much enjoyed HEARING this epic tale ... and I don't know that I would have enjoyed reading it in the same way.

The narrator, George Guidall, did an excellent job. I've listened to other books he's done and I always enjoy his style. Definitely look for books that he's worked on - you can't go wrong with him as your narrator.


*** The Translation ***

After reading Rebecca's post detailing several different translations, I really wanted to get the Robert Fagles version. It sounded like the most popular among readers and I like the language he used. However my library only had one version of the audio book, and that was the version translated by Robert Fitzgerald. Although I did truly enjoy it I felt like it was lacking the poetry that the poem was supposed to have. It didn't "feel" poetic to me. Epic, yes. Poetic, no. I'd like to eventually listen to the Fagles version and see if it has a different feel to it. If you've read/listened to it, did it feel poetic to you?


*** Miscellany ***

• Here's an excellent article about the history that we can learn from THE ILIAD and THE ODYSSEY.
  
• The story ends before the whole episode with the Trojan horse. I'm telling you this in case you decide to read/listen to THE ILIAD - I would have been disappointed had I not known that ahead of time.
  
• These people have too many children! Every time I turned on the tape, another of Priam's sons was being killed. At the end he says that he had 50 sons, 19 by the same woman. Whoa.
  
• I know that author Robert Jordan took many of the names and themes in his Wheel of Time series from standard mythology, but I still got a kick out of hearing the names Ilian (which he calls Illian) and Aginor and recalling their importance in the Wheel of Time.
• I enjoyed hearing about Odysseus and Aeneas because I know I can continue their stories in THE ODYSSEY and THE AENEID, both of which I hope to tackle this coming year.
  

*** Other Reviews ***

If you've reviewed this I'd be happy to add you here as well.

• Rebecca Reads - she's the reason I decided to take the plunge on this one
  
• S. Krishna - she's read several translations and loves this book
• Books 'N Border Collies - says if you are not ready to tackle this, first try AN ILIAD, a modernized and shorter version which she enjoyed
  

*** Your Thoughts? ***

Here are my questions for you, dear reader:

• Have you read this or considered reading it?
• Did my post influence you one way or the other?
• Do you see any value in reading/listening to ancient stories like this? Why or why not?

Of course, you can comment about anything you like but those are the questions on my mind at the moment.

If you made it to the end of this extremely long post, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I hereby award you the Queen (or King) of AWE-Summm!!! award - you deserve it for your awesome reading skills and your amazing patience with my rambling thoughts. Feel free to post it on your blog and pass it along. :)

Backwords Books + Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome author Kristen Tsetsi to my blog today. Kristen is here to tell you about Backword Books - I think you'll find what they are doing very interesting. She's also giving away a copy of her novel, HOMEFRONT, to one lucky winner - and she'll ship internationally! Details on the giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

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It’s because the readers of this exceptional book-review and book-club blog have such passion for books and all things reading that I’m excited to be given this space to introduce you to Backword Books (backwordbooks.com).

Backword Books is a collective of authors publishing under their own imprints, and whose novels have received critical acclaim and attracted media attention. From our website:

There has never been a time like this. There’s a perfect storm brewing: publishers less willing to take chances on new fiction writers and emerging media making it easier for writers to reach readers…

People read good books. The BACKWORD authors write good books. There are no longer any valid barriers keeping the two groups from finding each other.

Popular perception is that independently released novels are substandard. We don’t completely disagree—many of them are. Just as many traditionally released books are substandard. Our purpose, our goal, is to introduce the good independent work to readers and break down the belief that if it’s self-published—no matter what it is (and if it’s not by someone famous)—it should be discounted. Publishers don’t make good writers. Good writers make good writers.

A little about the Backword Books’ authors and their books:

Kristen Tsetsi's 'Homefront' has a cab-driving former English professor, an unpredictable alcoholic Vietnam Veteran, an anti-war soldier, and a morbid mother in-law coming together in this realistic, sensual, and darkly humorous semi-autobiographical tale of waiting through a war deployment. [Heather J.'s note: I reviewed her book here - it was quite good!]

* 'One of the most powerful and brilliant books I have read in a long time. Make this the next book you read.' –PopCultureZoo

* ‘Love and pain is the plot of Homefront, but in the hands of this talented artist they are a mighty force.' --James Moore, co-author of the bestselling, 'Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential'

Bonnie Kozek's 'Threshold' is a take-no-prisoners noir thriller whose protagonist, Honey McGuinness descends into a dark, seedy, and dangerously seductive underworld in the fearless pursuit of her best friend's killer.

* 'This book kicked me in the teeth. Every few scenes your get you jaw rocked and your gut punched. It hurts like hell, but once the literary adrenalin starts juicing, there's no way you are going to stop.' -Ron Fortier, Pulp Fiction Reviews

* 'Let's face it, living life can be pretty graphic. And, ignoring it doesn't solve problems. Ms. Kozek takes the reader into such a seedy world brilliantly.' --Susan Haley, Fascinating Authors

Andrew Kent's 'Spam and Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery' has the world-renowned detective finding a message hidden in a spam email, which sets in motion a case filled with metaphors and double-meaning.

* 'This book is different from any other that I have read. 'Spam & Eggs' is a clever, intellectual mystery that will leave you wanting more of Johnny Denovo in the future. I look forward to many more intriguing cases!' --RebeccasReads.com

* 'This is a book that in fact puts the writing of a lot of very seasoned and famous mystery writers to shame. . . . If true talent rises to the top then this is not the last we have heard from Johnny Denovo and his creator Andrew Kent.' --The Book Friar

Eddie Wright's 'Broken Bulbs' tells the story of Frank Fisher who finds himself involved in a twisting mystery full of addiction, desperation, toothaches, hamsters, a vindictive postal worker, and self-discovery.

* 'A brilliant and stunningly original work, by far the best novel I read in 2008.' --Alternative Reel

* 'This slim volume is the bastard child of Memento and William S. Burroughs, absolutely not for the faint of heart nor for anyone seeking a nice, simple beach read.' --Jason Pettus, The Chicago Center for Literature and Photography

R.J. Keller's 'Waiting for Spring' takes readers beyond the Maine tourists know, beyond lighthouses and lobster and rocky beaches, and drops them instead into a rural town whose citizens struggle with poverty and loss, yet push onward with stubbornness and humor.

* 'A strong debut. Her voice is strong, her talent is evident. [... This is the spring of Keller's work, the beginning and now we can anticipate the full bloom of summer in her next work.' --Barb Radmore, Front Street Reviews

* ''Waiting for Spring' is a very well-written, consistent story with a skillful eye for characterization. It's not a showy fantasy or clever comedy or groundbreaking genre-maker -- but it accomplishes something even better. It shows you a main character, and unfolding group of secondary characters, that live and breathe and...touch the reader's heart and mind.' --Sarah Suleski, Web Fiction Guide

Christopher Meeks's 'The Brightest Moon of the Century' brings Minnesotan Edward Meopian across thirty-six years, and such situations as an all-boys high school, a drive-in in mid-winter, and a mini-mart in an Alabama trailer park to find his place in the universe.

* 'Meeks manages to put together a thoughtful, fresh-feeling portrait of how we become who we are.' --Cherie Parker, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

* 'This focus on introspection is what pins the story together into more than a series of vignettes. No matter where Edward is, or what age he may be, his talent for both engineering frustrating, socially awkward situations and learning from them make him supremely sympathetic.' --Jennie Blake, Book Geeks

'American Book of the Dead' by Henry Baum will release soon. In the meantime, to read Baum’s work, pick up The Golden Calf or the self-published North of Sunset, listed in Entertainment Weekly as the #1 Self-Published Novel. North of Sunset also won the Hollywood Book Festival Grand Prize.

Meeks' and Baum's work both made the EW list of best self-published novels, and critically-acclaimed Homefront--whose true-to-life characters and unique relationships continue to make it an increasingly popular book club selection--has been featured on NPR’s “Faith Middleton Show,” “Front Page,” and a number of other radio programs.

The novels at Backword Books are literary fiction. All this means is that they can’t easily be categorized on a shelf under “Romance,” “Mystery,” or “Sci-Fi.” As a new collective, we’re understandably still relatively small, but we’re open to working with others and are looking at branching out. Because genre books have generally had an easier time of self-publishing, Backword is—for the moment, anyway—sticking to books that aren’t too genre-specific. But we’re thinking of connecting with a number of different niche publishers – a sort of Gawker-esque network of publishing collectives that all cross-promote. Thinking big: the idea is to have a romance self-publishing group, horror, science fiction, non-fiction, etc. But that’s something that will take a little time and planning.

Until then, you’re invited to stop by, take a look at our books, and read our blog. We have a lot of fun at Backword Books, and we even have the occasional heated discussion. Feel free to join in!

Coming soon: contests and giveaways. Subscribe to our blog to make sure you don’t miss anything. Also, look for a Backword Books feature in an upcoming issue of Publishers Weekly.

- Kristen

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Thanks Kristen! And thank you also for the copy of HOMEFRONT that you are going to ship to one lucky reader.

*** How To Enter ***

• Leave a comment with your thoughts on Backword Books' authors collective - what do you think of their approach to self-publishing? Did any of their books catch your eye? A simple "enter me!" won't get you in.
  
  
• If your email address is not available through your profile or your blog, please include it in your comment.
  
  
• Everyone is eligible to win no matter where you live. Kristen has graciously offered to ship anywhere in the world - yeah!
  
  
• I'll choose the winner on Friday morning (8/14) so be sure to get your comment posted before then.

Help Requested - Blog Template Revamp

I've decided that I want to revamp the look of my blog. Not that I don't like green, but after a year and a half I'd like a change. :)

My question to you all is ... who should I use? I know several of you have had wonderful experiences with people who've designed fantastic new blog templates for you.

Who can you suggest to me? Names, links, and contact info would be wonderful. And what should I expect to pay for a service like this?

Please post your suggestions in the comments. And thanks a million!

100 Great Books

Have you seen National Public Radio's Audience Picks for the top 100 beach books? I ignored this list for a while because I thought it was a compilation of chick lit ... and that just isn't my thing. But it is definitely not! It is a list of great books, most of which are real page turners. You can check out the list here.

Of the 100 books on the list, I've ...

• actually read 31 (31%)
  
• seen movies based on another 17 (with the ones I've read, that makes 48%)
  
• already had 13 on my TBR list

If I read those last 13 at some point I'll have completed 61% of the list in some form or another. That's much better than the progress I'm making on the 1,001 Books To Read Before You Die list!

Do go check out NPR's list - there are some excellent books on there that are very much worth reading.

Friday Finds 08/07/09

Happy Friday everyone! This has been a very long week for me, compounded by a serious lack of sleep, and I am SO ready for the weekend. Tomorrow afternoon is my book club's annual pool party. I'm looking forward to discussing that Guernsey book but I'm more excited about simply lounging in the sun ... I've hardly been outside all summer long, and I'm feeling deprived. And pale.

Anywho ... here are the books that I've added to my TBR list over the last week or so. There are 9 books this time, and they are quite varied I think.

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The Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell - recommended by my IRL friend Paul - This book attempts to answer the question "why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the 'self-made man,' [Gladwell] makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: 'they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.' Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, 'some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.'"


Drawing in the Dust, by Zoe Klien - from Simon & Schuster newsletter - "Brilliant archaeologist Page Brookstone is convinced bones speak, yet none of the ancient remnants she has unearthed during her twelve years of toiling at Israel's storied battlegrounds of Megiddo has delivered the life-altering message she so craves. Which is why the story of Ibrahim and Aisha Barakat, a young Arab couple who implore Page to excavate the grounds beneath their house in Anatot, instantly intrigues her."




Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater - from Lenore's review - "Ever since a yellow-eyed wolf saved her from an attack by other wolves, Grace has felt drawn to “her wolf” and looks out for him. Sam is that wolf – allowed to be the human he was born as for a few months each summer – but who must change back when the cold weather comes. A twist of fate brings them together finally, and Sam must fight to retain his humanity and to be able to stay with Grace." This YA book is not something I'd have ever chosen on my own but I loved Lenore's review so I'm definitely going to read this one.



The Wilderness Warrior, by Glenn C. Atlshuler - reviewed at Read Street - This book "celebrates [Teddy] Roosevelt, a Harvard trained zoologist, as a 'pro-forest, pro-buffalo, cougar-infatuated, socialistic land conservationist.' Between 1901 and 1909, 'that damn cowboy' set aside 234 million acres of Wild America for posterity, creating hundreds of federal bird reservations, national game preserves, forests, parks, and monuments. More than his trust-busting or his Nobel Peace Prize, Brinkley demonstrates, these actions should secure Roosevelt’s reputation as one of the greatest presidents in American history.'"




Kinky Gazpacho, by Lori Tharps - "Lori Tharps was born and raised in the comfortable but mostly White suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was often the only person of color in her school and neighborhood. At an early age, Lori decided that her destiny would be discovered in Spain. She didn't know anyone from Spain, had never visited the country, and hardly spoke the language. Still, she never faltered in her plans to escape to the Iberian Peninsula. Arriving in the country as an optimistic college student, however, Lori soon discovers Spain's particular attitude toward Blackness. She is chased down the street by the local schoolchildren and pointed at incessantly in public, and her innocent dreams of a place where race doesn't matter are shattered. The story would end there, except Lori meets and marries a Spaniard, and that's when her true Spanish adventure really begins." Fizzy Thoughts said this book wasn't what she was expecting but I think I'd really enjoy it.


Exodus, by Leon Uris - "The story unfolds with the protagonist, Ari Ben Canaan, hatching a plot to transport Jewish refugees from a British detention camp in Cyprus to Palestine. The operation is carried out under the auspices of the Mossad Le'aliyah Bet. The book then goes on to trace the histories of the various main characters and the ties of their personal lives to the birth of the new Jewish state." In her comment on my SARUM post Myrthe mentioned this book and it sounded really good.




Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel - Rebecca says, "I loved reading this book. It was part novel. It was part romance. It was part magic. It was part cook book (although I’d never attempt to create the meals, given the long-winded, unclear instructions that start with plucking feathers and so forth). Certainly, Like Water for Chocolate had it faults in that it is short and all people in it were caricatures. And yet, I didn’t care. It was a fun book."



Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - This is "is the story of fifteen-year-old Kambili. She and her family live in fear of her father, a brutal and controlling man. Kambili’s father fights corruption and censorship, pays the school fees of numberless children, and helps those of his community who are in need. Yet in return he demands that they all share his strict Catholic faith, and rejects those who don’t, including his own father. And at home, he terrorizes his wife and children. After a military coup which is followed by social unrest, Kambili and her brother Jaja go to stay with their aunt. There, they discover a whole new way of living, and Kambili finally learns what her own laughter sounds like." Things Mean A Lot had wonderful things to say about this book. What she said made me thing that this MIGHT be similar to Barbara Kingsolver's THE POISONWOOD BIBLE, a book I truly love.



Our Longest Days, by Sandra Koa Wing (editor) - This book is "different from other WWII books ... in that it is comprised of diary entries from real people living in England during the war. Mass Observation was established by Tom Harrisson in Dec. 1936 to get a feel for the thoughts and opinions of the British people, which he believed were not accurately portrayed in the London newspapers. Mass Observation participants wrote diary entries, completed questionnaires, and provided artifacts over a period of several years." This book is a collection of their writings. Diary of an Eccentric says this book "does a great job of illustrating the frustrations and fears associated with bombing raids and possible invasion by the Germans, the every day struggles associated with rationing, and the impact of the war on holiday gift-giving, dating, and work."

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Did any of these books make it to your TBR list? What other books really caught your eye this week? Let me know in the comments, or leave a link to your post and I'll come visit. As always, thanks to Should Be Reading for hosting Friday Finds. Happy weekend to all!

My Favorite Reads: books by Melanie Rawn

Welcome to the weekly event where we all talk about books that we loved before we started blogging. Click here to learn more about it. This week I'm talking about an author rather than a specific book ... (for previous favorites click here).

The Author: Melanie Rawn

The Books: two fantasy trilogies, The Dragon Prince series and The Dragon Star series, published between 1988 and 1994 - pages range from 480 to 776

What They Are About: I have to be honest and say that I can't remember the plot of these books. I remember a few specific events and themes, but that is about all. Here's what Amazon has to say about the first book: An arranged marriage between Prince Rohan of Stronghold and the "sunrunner" Sioned of Goddess Keep promises to bring a new kind of peace to a strife-torn land until the machinations of a self-serving High Prince plunge the world into war. Romance, intrigue, magic, and myth mingle freely in this first of a series that should appeal to readers of fantasy and epic romance.

Why I Love Them: I remember thinking that these books were different from the other fantasy I was reading. The magic system was unique and interesting and the dragons were different as well. My sister, my dad and I all devoured these books - the paperbacks were falling apart by the time we got through with them.

Other Thoughts: If I recall correctly, my sister and I saw someone reading one of these books on a plane and we talked to him about it. He highly recommended them, so we decided to read them (we were both huge fantasy fans). We both fell in love with these books right away.

Would I Recommend Them?: If you are a fantasy fan who also enjoys a bit of a love story thrown in, this is the book for you. It is different and exciting, and it isn't sappy or lovey-dovey.

Books In The Series: In case you are curious, here is a list of all the books in the two trilogies ...

DRAGON PRINCE SERIES:

1. Dragon Prince - Prince Rohan and Sioned, his wife and a Sunrunner witch, fight to save the last of the remaining dragons.
2. The Star Scroll - Rohan's son Pol grows to manhood...a foe vanquished ages ago gains strength...the only hope lay in the long lost Star Scroll.
3. Sunrunner's Fire - Spell wars set the land ablaze...dragons soar the skies, lured by magic's fiery call.

DRAGON STAR SERIES:

1. (A new cycle begins, generations unfold, and Fate displays a sick sense of humor.)
2. Stronghold - A generation of peace is about to be shattered as a seemingly unstoppable invasion force lays siege to High Prince Rohan's realm....
3. The Dragon Token - Is it too late for Prince Pol's troops and Lord Andry's Sunrunners to turn the tide of battle?
4. Skybowl -the conclusion of the series

My Favorite Reads is hosted by At Home With Books. All are welcome to participate so please join in!

July '09 Recap

This was a great month for reading/listening for me, much better than the last few months. Here's a recap of my July ... as always, links take you to my reviews.


Books - 7 (2,842 pages)

• The Triumph of Deborah (355 pages) - a retelling of the Biblical story of Deborah - quite good
  
• Castle Rackrent (176 pages) - for the 1% Well Read Challenge - not so great
  
• The Local News (368 pages) - for a blog tour - I have mixed feelings on this one
  
• The Art of Racing in the Rain (336 pages) - for book club - not bad, but didn't live up to the hype for me
  
• Don't Call Me A Crook! (255 pages) - from publicist - quite different and interesting
  
• Gone With the Wind (1,048 pages) - for online book club - FABULOUS! - review coming soon
  
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (304 pages) - for book club and online book tour - I LOVED this book! - author interview coming soon
  

Audio Books - 4 (52.25 hours)

• Moll Flanders (12.5 hours) - for the 1% Well Read Challenge - this classic was lots of fun!
  
• Tides of War (17.75 hours) - epic set in ancient Greece - not a big fan of this one
  
• The Survivors Club (11.5 hours) - why some people survive disasters - quite interesting
  
• The Horse Boy (10.5 hours) - a family's unique response to autism - fascinating
  

Mom & Son Book Club

• Um ... no progress here. BUT Kiddo's tutor has been helping a great deal this summer and I think he'll be ready for 2nd grade by the end of the month.
  
  

Other Stats

• I wrote about some of my favorite books from the preblogging days as part of the weekly meme "My Favorite Reads". This month I talked about The Mists of Avalon, Treasure Island, and Sarum.
  
  
• I listened to a few hours of Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA but I gave up on it after a while. I've realized that for me, Verne's books are meant to be read not listened to. I'll definitely pick up a "real" copy of this one at some point.
  
  
• My TBR list gained 19 titles this month.
  

Hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind

by Margaret Mitchell
1,472 pages (including preface)
originally published in 1937

*** About the Book ***

Do I really even need to write a summary?! Ok, ok. This is the story of young Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara in the days before, during, and after the American Civil War. It doesn't sound that great when you put it that way, does it?

Let's go with this description from Amazon.com:

Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time.

Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone With the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives.

In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.

THAT sounds much better, don't you think?


*** Why I Read It ***

To be honest, I never had a desire to read this book. I loved the movie and figured that was enough for me. But then I saw a few bloggers raving about how good it was and I was intrigued. So when my online book club (Reading with Becky) chose it for their summer project I figured now was the time to take the plunge.


*** My Thoughts ***

In short, this is one of the best books I have EVER read. It is beautiful and haunting and wonderful and sad and horrible and amazing all at the same time.

You KNOW a book is really good and you're really into it when you are nearing the end and, even though you KNOW what happens, you are wishing and praying that SOMEHOW things turn out differently this time. It is incredible that I can care so much about the characters in a book!


*** What I Loved ***

I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out a coherent way to review this book because of the length, the complex story, and the multitudinous small sheets of paper I've covered with notes as I read. As usual when I'm stuck, I'm reverting to the tried and true bulleted list.

• The language in this book is gorgeous. Some might say is it wordy, but I loved it.
  
• The characters are amazing. Scarlett is a spoiled brat - sometimes I love her, sometimes I hate her. Rhett is sensual and appealing, yet hard and cruel. Melanie is the most kind person on the face of the earth and by far my favorite character.
  
• The characters are so much more complex than they appear in the movie! You'd think this is a no-brainer but it really surprised me. I've always liked Melanie but now I truly love her. And I always loved Scarlett but getting to see inside her head showed me sides of her that I didn't really know ... and made me like her less.
• My favorite part of the book was when Scarlett was struggling to survive at Tara (her plantation) after the Yankees burned most of the surrounding countryside. I admired her so much for the growing up that she did during this time and for the responsibility she took for those around her. She was the most likable to me during this period.
  
• There were some characters in the book who weren't in the movie and I loved getting to know them, especially Grandma Fontaine and Will Benteen. Two of Scarlett's children were also "new-to-me" since they weren't in the movie.
• I loved getting a more in-depth look at Scarlett's relationship with Frank, her 2nd husband. She really did want to make him happy because of what he did for her, but it was never going to happen. And poor Frank realized he'd made a mistake in marrying her but what was he going to do about it?
  

*** What I Didn't Love ***

Oh the racism in this book! Yes, I know, the book it set during around the Civil War so of course race is going to be a big issue. And I actually found the various types of racism very interesting. The "benign" slave master mentality is a huge theme in this book but I was surprised to learn of the Northern racism. At one point Scarlett is confused by the fact that her new Northern friends refuse to hire the newly freed slaves as nannies for their children, preferring "Irish girls" instead. She is furious when she realizes that the Northern ladies fear and hate the "darkies" and want nothing to do with them, despite having supported the anti-slavery movement. And all that I found fascinating and relevant to the setting of the novel.

This book uses an omniscient narrator so that the reader is privy to the inner thoughts of various characters. I completely understood when a white character thought about a black character in a racist way - that is part of the story. What really bothered me was the racism I felt came directly from the author. When the narrator is describing Mammy or Prissy or one of the other "darkies" and uses animalistic or child-like terms, that drove me crazy. And it was so prevalent throughout the book that it at times made my skin crawl.

Despite all that this is a fantastic book. It just goes to show you how good it really is if I can overcome the rampant racism and still love it.


*** The Movie ***

There are so many things that I want to say about the book vs. the movie but first I'm going to watch it again (since it has been quite a few years). Hopefully I'll have a chance to do that later this month - and you can be sure I'll get a post up about it as soon as the credits start rolling!


*** Other Thoughts ***

• I've really enjoyed the notes posted by Becky for the online reading group. She clearly did some research and I so appreciate that! This was the perfect book to read over the summer and I highly recommend it. Read it with another blogger if you can - it will definitely add to your enjoyment.
  
  
• AND!!! I realized after I finished that this counts for the 1% Well Read Challenge. That means I only have 2.5 books to go before the end of the year. Woohoo!
  

*** Other Reviews ***

I've only found a few reviews of this book but I'm SURE that more of you have read it! Give me your link and I'll add you here.

• Plays With Needles - she is the one who really inspired me to read this book
• The Bluestocking Society
• Becky's Book Reviews - this is same Becky who heads the online book club - her review is very detailed and I loved it
  

BBAW is coming soon!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is set for Sept. 14-18 this year and I can't wait! Not sure what I'm talking about? In short, BBAW is a time to celebrate book blogging around the world, find new blogs to love, and solidify blogger friendships. Learn all the details here (and subscribe to the BBAW blog here).

To help spread the word about why this is such a great event, there's a meme hosted by the BBAW blog about last year's experiences. Anyone who participated last year is welcome to do the meme, plus there are questions for bloggers who are new to BBAW this year.


Here are the questions for veterans, and my answers.

• What was the highlight (something that happened, a post, an activity, etc.) of BBAW for you last year? I was thrilled to be asked to give out two awards last year and even more thrilled to be nominated for an award. Although I didn't win the award for "Most Chatty Blog" I was beyond happy that my readers nominated me - it was sort of like a big hug from the blogosphere.
  

• What is one new blog you discovered during BBAW last year? One of the fun things last year was being paired up with another blogger and doing interviews of each other. That's how I met Anna, one of bloggers at OCD, Vampires, and Amusing Rants, oh my! I had never visited that blog before but now it is on my daily reading list. You can check out my interview of Anna here if you like - both she and I had lots of fun with it.
  

• What tips would you share to help others get the most out of their BBAW experience? First off, it is an overwhelming week. Last year I wasn't able to keep up with all the posts at all the various blogs. I'm thrilled that this year there is a dedicated BBAW blog - that should make things easier. But my advice would be to have fun with it. If you can't keep up, that's ok - just read the posts and do the activities that you DO have time for. Go along for the ride and you'll really enjoy yourself. Second I'd suggest remembering that (most) bloggers do what they do because they love it. But that doesn't mean you'll love every blog you visit. Find the ones that are compatible with you and add them to your reader - you'll be glad you did!

The Survivors Club

The Survivors Club: The Secrets
and Science that Could Save Your Life
by Ben Sherwood
audio book: 11.5 hours

*** About the Book ***

What is it that causes certain people to survive physical and/or emotional disasters while others who have the same experience don't make it through? Is it luck? Coincidence? Faith? Something else? According to this book, it is a combination of those things, plus genetics, attitude, and lots more. This book attempts to identify all the factors that make a person into a survivor ... and also show the reader how to become a survivor (if the need ever arises).


*** My Thoughts ***

This is a fascinating book! It combines amazing stories of survival with a discussion of the science of surviving. The stories in the book are simply amazing - some you've likely heard on the news, others will be new to you, but they are all incredible. The author really wanted to understand the WHY behind these survival stories and he sought out scientists and survivalists to help him in that quest.

What I learned is that yes, part of survival is pure luck, but there is a great deal that you are actually in control of. You CAN improve your luck, and you CAN survive just about anything by using the personality tools you already have.

At the end of the book you are directed to a website where you can take a Survival IQ test. The test shows which of the 5 types of survivor you are and also the top 3 (of 12 possible) "tools" you have the most of. According to my test results, I am a "Believer" and my tools are "Hope, Love, and Flow." After reading the description of those results I'm convinced that it is correct in my case.

This is a unique book, different than anything I've read/listened to before, and I quite enjoyed it.


*** The Narrator ***

This book is narrated by the author and he did an excellent job. I've said before that I prefer authors to narrate their own books if possible because it adds an extra dimension to the listening experience for me. That was true in this case as well.


*** Other Reviews ***

If you've reviewed this one I'd love to add your link here.

• At Home With Books - also enjoyed this one
• Rhapsody in Books - highly recommends it