Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Published: 1998/1985 Pages: 311
Genre: Literary Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Dystopian Literature
Rating: 5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, narrates her story. Told in fragments, Offred introduces readers to a world where women are partitioned out: a wife, a servant, a walking uterus. While she can remember her life before, a relatively normal life, she has become immersed in this new order, at once resisting and accepting her role.

My Thoughts

I am horrified, horrified by the warning inherent in the book. The believability of the civilization created within these pages spoke to me. First published in 1985, bits and pieces of the justification for the Republic resonate. Everything is "blamed on the Islamic fanatics"; this was done for the protection of women from rape, sexual slavery, and physical abuse; the suspension of personal freedoms were temporary; consistent identification is needed and "everyone approved of that, since it was obvious you couldn't be too careful"; and little by little rights and freedoms were denied to select groups with nary a word of protest. Everything being done to you and against you is done for you. It's all for your own good.

How far will a society go, how much will it sacrifice, for safety? For power? These questions, so prevalent in Atwood's book, are increasingly relevant in American society today. As we relinquish what were once considered our rights for protection against "terrorism", we slide further away from the ideal of democracy the country was founded on (albeit through violence, racism, and genocide). As we further objectify ourselves, elevating physical beauty and commodifying our bodies, we become less individual humans and more subject to social control and acceptance of our own lack of self worth.

And yet when I ask myself: Is Atwood's vision a likelihood? Will women be once again subjugated to male property under the auspices of protection? I have to say no. I believe in the goodness of men (literally males). I believe that women will not allow such a regression to take place. Of course, when Clinton ran for president, a few of my students made disheartening remarks about a female being president. Female students, under 22. Sad. Women are women's worst enemies.

Outside of the themes inherent in Atwood's tale, the story itself entices. At first discouraged by the short, choppy sentences and fragmentary retellings, I eventually became rather in tune with them, reading at a quick pace, easily comprehending the bite-sized bits of information given to me. I also felt this style highly appropriate for the narrator. Having been removed entirely from literacy and having verbally narrated the tale, Offred's voice, her pacing and disjointed sense of telling seems necessary.

I sincerely hope this tale is non-prophetic. As with all dystopian literature, I hope societies learn from the story, see their flaws as printed on the page and prevent the horror from happening. Of course, for this to happen, we have to read these tales.

The Handmaid's Tale is number 37 on the ALA's list of most frequently challenged books. What I find sad in this is that the book is normally challenged because it portrays the mistreatment of women. EXACTLY! The novel is a warning not an encouragement. What do we do? Ignore the possibility? Pretend that this mistreatment isn't a truism of the past, present, and possibly future? When will people realize that ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away? And that if you don't "nip the problem in the bud" so to speak through awareness and prevention, you may one day see Atwood's dystopian future? Maybe if we don't let kids hear the word rape, rapes won't happen? Yes, let's not warn anyone; they'll learn later.

Of course challenges to the book are made on other grounds as well: That it's anti-Christian. It's not; it's anti-fundamentalism. That it portrays sex. Yep, and people have sex. That it vividly describes birth and menstruation. Ovaries, vaginas, and blood, OH MY! I highly recommend reading this book both for the lessons within, and for the less socio-political amongst us, for the story itself.

Memorable Scene: At one point, the handmaids are gathered together for one purpose: the violent killing of a man they've been told raped a handmaid. The women use their bare hands to rip this man apart. Disturbing.

Memorable Quote: "That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on."

Side note: My spell check does not recognize the word vaginas...interesting.



Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know!

The Book Lady's Blog
The Boston Bibliophile
Book-a-Rama
things mean alot
In Spring it is the Dawn
Rebecca Reads
The Zen Leaf

One Life to Live

In a real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.

~S.I. Hayakawa

I have heard it said that people should not become so focused on "dreams" that they forget to live. What do you think? Is reading a way to live or is it a way to hide from living?

Classics Circuit: Rounds 1 and 2

Votes are in...

Out of 88 votes, 34% voted for Collins, 31% voted for Gaskell, and 17% each voted for Eliot and Trollope. Further, 67% of voters indicated that they’d participate in a tour for the author they’d voted for. Thanks so much for exceeding our expectations! This should be fun.

The first author to tour The Classics Circuit will be Wilkie Collins. The tour will run from 2 November until approximately 4 December.

However, Elizabeth Gaskell was a very close second. Because of the overwhelming interest in both authors, we’ve decided to do a second (overlapping) tour of Elizabeth Gaskell from 16 November to the middle of December.


To Participate...

Head on over to The Classics Circuit website, read the informative post written by yours truly and Rebecca, and sign up to be a stop on the tour for Wilkie Collins. And get ready for the Elizabeth Gaskell tour too!

Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds

Title: Inglourious Basterds
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz
Release: August 21, 2009
Rating: R
First Viewing: August 29, 2009

Plot Synopsis

A group of soldiers is charged with the task of striking fear into the heart of the Third Reich by brutally killing any Nazis they come across. These "Inglorious Basterds" take their task seriously, knifing, beating, shooting, and scalping their enemy. Simultaneously, a Jewish woman who escaped the massacre of her family now runs a cinema in France. Both parties want Hitler dead, and they have a plan to assassinate him.

My Thoughts

Flipping awesome! For 2.5 hours I was excited, horrified, saddened, disgusted, and in general entertained. At its heart, this film is a revenge fantasy, and I was carried right along, inwardly cheering as a brave (yes, he was) Nazi soldier is beaten to death with a bat. The violence, the bloodshed, the skin-slicing, brain-bashing images were oddly satisfying.

Christoph Waltz, playing the Jew Hunter, stole the show, and I felt a little thrill every time he was on screen. He made a despicable character absolutely enjoyable. His careful way of acting the part was impressive. Every move, every twitch seemed perfectly deliberate. The other actors also did a greta job, and may I say that I am most fond of Brad Pitt when he is playing farce.

The film was divided into five chapters, and while each offered something special, I have to say that the opening sequence was my favorite. The viewer's entrance into this film is slow, smooth, and stunningly shot and acted. The light playing over the hiding Jews' eyes, the simplicity and starkness of the glass of milk in the hands of a truly evil man, the tortured eyes of a milk-farmer trying and failing to be a hero, these are images that stuck with me even after the vivid and emotional ending.

Rating: 5 out of 5 bags of popcorn

Book Review: Rebecca

Titles: Rebecca
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Published: 2006/1938 Pages: 410
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Shy, inexperienced, and new to the world of the rich and famous, a young bride struggles with her life, specifically the memory of Rebecca, her new husband's deceased wife.

My Thoughts

WARNING: Possible spoilers

Rebecca is a beautifully told story. Du Maurier's descriptions of the setting, the events, and the fantasies of our narrator are vivid and poignant. The fantasies leap off the page for me. The narrator constructs scenarios in her head continuously, revealing her deep-seated fears and her expectations. She invents future scenes where she is embarrassed, hurt, or ignored. It was an exceptional way to reveal the narrator's personality.

These glimpses into her psyche, however, made me alternate between wanting to scream at, comfort, teach, and scold the narrator. Her self-conscious, self-defeating actions and attitude were painful to watch (er...in my head anyway). As I read the scene where Mrs. Danvers is suggesting a gown for the fancy ball, I was yelling in my head: "Don't take her advice? She's playing with you." I knew it was going to end badly, and for the next pages, as our narrator builds herself up, finally finds some hint of self-confidence, my heart actually hurt at the thought of what was coming. When the inevitable happened and she descended those steps to finally reveal her costume, I was horrified with her, saddened with her, and embarrassed with her. This depth of empathy with the main character is, I think, a real indicator of the talent of du Maurier.

Memorable Scene: Towards the center of the novel, Mrs. de Winter finds herself alone in the late Rebecca's room with Mrs. Danvers. Over the next 7 pages, Mrs. Danvers leads Mrs. de Winter around the room creepily showing Rebecca's beautiful possessions, pointing out Rebecca's wondrous personality, exclaiming upon Rebecca's beauty. This scene where the old, skeletal, vicious maid is telling the new bride how wonderful the dead bride was disturbed me greatly. I could feel the depth of Mrs. Danvers's obsession for her dead mistress, the acute pain of the new Mrs. de Winter as she was bombarded with Rebecca's greatness as a sign of her own faults.

Memorable Quote: I wanted to go on sitting there, not talking, not listening to the others, keeping the moment precious for all time, because we were peaceful all of us, we were content and drowsy...In a little while it would be different, there would come to-morrow, and the next day, and another year. And we would be changed perhaps, never sitting quite like this again. Some of us would go away, or suffer, or die, the future stretched away in front of us, unknown, unseen, not perhaps what we wanted, not what we planned. This moment was safe though, this could not be touched.

It feels I could talk about this story ad infinitum. The depth of the language, the complexity of the plot, the masterful way du Maurier manipulates the subtleties to hide and reveal...but I'll leave it at this: READ THIS BOOK

Other Reviews

My Friend Amy
books i done read
A Guy's Moleskine Notebook
things mean alot
The Bluestocking Society
Reading Reflections

Banning Schmanning

Let's get one thing straight: I'm not promoting the ALA. I am promoting the recognition of our freedom to speech, our freedom to freely express and consume ideas regardless of how they relate to current or past ideology. In light of my last post on Banned Books Week and the discussion that took place in the comments section, I thought it necessary to stress this.

The American Library Association's website has the following to say: "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them."

I am 100% against any form of overt censorship in public forums. No one has the right to tell me what I can or can not read, watch, or hear. If I, an adult, want to sit down with Madonna's Sex book while watching Debbie Does Dallas and listening to some rapper talk about killing cops...well that's my right. Now I'm not quite so loosey-goosey when it comes to those under 18. I'm pretty sure letting a 12 year old do the above is not necessarily the best idea, BUT when people no longer see the distinction between allowing a 12 year old to read Madonna's Sex and freaking Bridge to Terabithia, we have a serious problem.

If you don't want your child to read some of the best books ever written like The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Of Mice and Men, well I guess your child can go ahead and stick to Goodnight Moon until they go to college. Sorry they'll be a bit behind when they get there.

Everyone should join in the Banned Books Challenge I posted about yesterday!

Sunday Salon: The Classics Circuit

The Classics Circuit

On September 14, Rebecca at Rebecca Reads sparked a conversation about dead authors. And the world was never the same. Her idea of having a sort of posthumous book tour for classic books and authors garnered interest from many, and just a week or so later Rebecca was sending out emails to those who offered assistance, creating a website for The Classics Circuit, and generally getting ready for a November Tour.

Head over and Vote Now for the author you would like to see in November: Wilkie Collins, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, or Anthony Trollope.

The concept is thrilling to me. I love the classics, and I can't wait to revisit some old favorites and meet some new authors. I also think it will be a unique experience to feature multiple books by the same author, sort of a new perspective on the collective writings of the dead and famous. It's also been a lot of fun working with the other committee members to get The Classics Circuit going.

Speaking of which...

I am finally reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I believe it was Jenny at TakeMeAway who gave me the kick in the pants I needed to pick it up. All I can say is Thank You Jenny.

I am 194 pages in to the 410 page book, and so far it has been such a unique read. The language and the overt focus on descriptions of setting are so intriguing. For example, the first four pages do nothing but describe the grounds around Manderley as seen in a dream. Here's a snippet:

The terrace sloped to the lawns, and the lawns stretched to the sea, and turning I could see the sheet of silver, placid under the moon, like a lake undisturbed by wind or storm. No waves would come to ruffle this dream water, and no bulk of cloud, wind-driven from the west, obscure the clarity of this pale sky.

Beautiful.

...and Finally...

Everyone should participate in my first challenge which centers on Banned Books. The challenge asks participants to read from the list of top challenged books in the 90s and provide reviews. As an added incentive, there will be numerous giveaways!

Welcome to Disturbia

Here's my lit riff - although it is not well done. I'm just not a short story kind of girl..unfortunately. I used Rihanna's Disturbia as the basis for my story. The lyrics are on the right and my text is on the left.

Shanna walked steadily towards the door, her heart pounding. Why had they come here? What were her parents thinking moving from their perfect home in western Montana for the killing fields of Hollywood? Shanna did not fit in. Her clothes, her hair, her voice, even the way she walked painted a bright red "NOT FROM HERE" sign on her forehead. She felt exposed, useless, uncomfortable with her family's newfound wealth and status. "Oh, just open the door you idiot," she whispered to herself. For three days she hadn't left the house. Unable to face the cold, manipulative irreality of the new life she was forced into, Shanna had retreated into herself, finding comfort in books, locked away in her bedroom. But she couldn't stay inside forever. With a sigh of self-loathing, Shanna opened the door and walked out onto the perfectly manicured lawn of her family's new home. She could smell the hydrangeas lining the fenceless boundary of her yard; she could see the perfectly manicured bushes placed strategically around the yard. The silence was deafening. No dogs barked - they had gone out of style after the Hartisan family dog committed the horrendous faux pas of licking the face of a preeminent judge. No children yelled and laughed in outside play - they were all busy taking gymnastics or dance or piano or Chinese or whatever was in vogue at the moment. "Okay, I've made it to the sidewalk," Shanna said, still talking to herself. "Now just take a walk around the block." As she walked, she looked at the flashy sportscars obscured by wrought-iron gates and bougainvillia. She half-admired, half-despised the clip-clopping of two girls her age as they sashayed down the driveway in their too-high heels with their too-tight skirts to meet two perfectly coiffed young gentlemen in a BMW something-or-another. As she walked, she thought of her home in Montana, the endless blue sky and green fields, horses traipsing freely in the countryside, flannel shirts, ATVs, and campfires. She missed home. But even as one foot fell in front of the other, her thoughts were changing. Each beat of her foot on the sidewalk exorcised one thought of home. In its place was born the diamond bracelet Candy had worn to school last week. The cherry red lipstick Mariane said was made just for her. The heart-pounding music that spilled out of the all ages club one needed an American Express card to enter. The coal black eyes of one of the BMW boys. She thought of Helena's flowing blond hair and with a mindless flick, she freed her own hair from her haphazard pony tail. Her mind's eye saw Jenna's hips swaying down the hallway, and Shanna unconsciously mimicked the action, taking shorter, more deliberate steps. When Shanna finally made it back home and entered her room, she, without thought, without remembrance, wondered why she had so many books, and wouldn't a victorian-style wardrobe look nice where her desk was?

What's wrong with me? Why do I feel like this? I'm going crazy now No more gas, in the red, Can't even get it started, Nothing heard, nothing said, Can't even speak about it On my life, on my head, Don't want to think about it Feels like I'm going insane, yeah It's a thief in the night to come and grab you It can creep up inside you and consume you A disease of the mind, it can control you It's too close for comfort Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder Ain't gonna play nice, watch out you might just go under Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered So if you must falter be wise Your mind's in Disturbia, it's like the darkness is the light Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? Disturbia, ain't used to what you like Disturbia, Disturbia Faded pictures on the wall, it's like they're talking to me Disconnecting all calls, the phone don't even ring I gotta get out or figure this shit out It's too close for comfort, oh It's a thief in the night to come and grab you It can creep up inside you and consume you A disease of the mind, it can control you I feel like a monster Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder Ain't gonna play nice, watch out you might just go under Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered So if you must falter be wise Your mind's in Disturbia, it's like the darkness is the light Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? Disturbia, ain't used to what you like Disturbia, Disturbia Release me from this curse I'm in Try to maintain, but I'm struggling If you can't go-o-o-o I think I'm gonna ah-ah-ah

Book Review: Greek Homosexuality

Title: Greek Homosexuality
Author: K.J. Dover
Published: 1989 Pages: 206
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Rating: N/A

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Okay, I didn't finish it. I'm sorry. I find the topic absolutely fascinating, but the text was much too much a "research text" for me. There was no story, no insightful prose, merely an analytic study of the etymology of words and the use of homosexual themes in greek art. For the most part, I thought the book could have been summed up quite well in much much less than its 206 pages.

I skimmed various sections of the text and spent a great deal of time looking at the images presented in the center of the book, but I can't count this as one I actually read. I am, however, on the lookout for more "user friendly" texts that address this subject, so if you know of any, please let me know.

And that's all I have to say about that....

Banned Books: A Long-Term Challenge

The top 100 challenged books in the 90s are listed here. I thought it would be fun if we could compile reviews for these books. So if you've reviewed one of the books from the list, leave your link in the comments section of this post. If you haven't, go out, read a book, review it, and come back. If possible, try to review books others haven't already. It would be great if we could have at least one review for everyone on the list!

For every review you submit, your name will be entered into a drawing to receive one book of your choice from my BookMooch list. I will have give aways periodically during the challenge which will run through September 2010.

I hope you join!

UPDATE: I've created a separate page for this post, and I've already started adding reviews. Head to Unlock Worlds to post your reviews and see what others have said.

Me and the World

I am cold tonight. Offices below, headstones marking daily graves of thousands. Inside, across clock faces, as observed as those of celebrities hands commence final laps. Oblivion gallops closer, favoring the spur, sparing the rein. I think we will be gone soon...If reading this now, whether I am alive or dead, you will know truth...For my own part, regret nothing. Have lived life, free from compromise, and step into the shadow now without complaint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just me and the world.

~Alan Moore
Watchmen

Do you have any major regret, something you did or didn't do?

Trisha on TV

As the Fall Season of television begins - with a few new intriguing shows - I've been rather bombarded by images, information, and inanity. Here's some of it:

NCIS
In its seventh season, NCIS is like an old friend, and not that old friend that you wonder why you still talk to. I'm talking about the person who has been around forever, who you know like you know yourself, but who still manages to surprise you from time to time with trips to Vegas. Unfortunately the first episode of the season, Truth or Consequences, was more like a rainy afternoon lounging together on the couch than an exciting adventure. I'm hoping Gibbs and team pick up the pace by next week.

NCIS: Los Angeles
Being quite the fan of NCIS and Chris O'Donnell, I was very excited for the premiere. While the premise of the episode was fraught with possibilities, the action felt stilted, periods of boredom punctuated by a sudden punch. Maybe this episode was more like a character study than an action flick, but I still was left disappointed. I am, however, willing to give it a few weeks to get into the swing of things.

The Forgotten
Boring. I was bored. Really really bored. I think I'm going to have to drop this one.

Eastwick
Errrrggg. Also boring. I will not be watching next week.

Vampire Diaries
While the show is rather kitchy, I'm still sort of hooked. The lead, Stefan, has found one million ways to look sympathetic and brooding, and I'm holding out for the one millionth and one. The third episode contained some shifts I'm not impressed with such as Stefan joining football, but the premise of the show is very interesting, and of course, vampires are just cool.

The Mentalist
Simon Baker just tickles my fancy in this show. His arrogant, quirky, manipulative hyperintelligence is just sexy for some reason. I hope they have some new and interesting cases this year as I can see the show getting repetitive if they don't throw in a new hook. The new character they've introduced who will be taking over the Red John case offers some possibilities, but it's possible his attitude toward Jane will just be frustrating.

Fringe
My favorite so far this season, Fringe is such an oddball collection of the supernatural that I'm very excited to see where they take the show this season. And I am proud to say that I finally don't look at "Peter" and think "Pacey". I'm still a bit upset by the whole Charlie situation though; I just liked him.

Well, there are some of my thought about my two weeks of television watching. I still have a few more shows to watch such as Bored to Death, and I'm missing some of the summer shows like Leverage and Dark Blue, but I'm hopeful.

Now, how pitiful is it that I watch this much TV????? Is this what's in my future....

Introducing the Eccentric One

I've noticed that a few bloggers have been posting self-introductions in the aftermath of Subscription Frenzy which hit many after Book Blogger Appreciation Week. While I've been blogging for some time, I'm a relatively new book blogger and my foray into this unique world has been slow. For those two reasons, I thought I'd make my own introduction...to new readers and honestly to myself.

Who Am I?

Ah, such a philosophical question with deep and profound implications. Seriously though, my name is Trisha, and I live in Illinois with my wonderful husband Brian. He's a vegetable farmer, which means he brings home yummy deliciousness for dinner. I'm a professor teaching composition, literature, and film to freshman and sophomores at a local college, which means I bring home stacks of papers to grade. Doesn't seem fair does it?

versus

Why eclectic / eccentric?

When I first started blogging, it was merely a collection of odds and ends: things I was thinking about, saw online, read, whatever struck my fancy at the moment. This, combined with the fact that both eclectic and eccentric are adjectives which have been used to describe me...and insult me for that matter...gave birth to the title of my blog. Once my focus shifted to a more book-centric theme, I just didn't bother changing it. eclectic / eccentric doesn't have the bookish feel other titles have, but I still think it well represents both myself and my reading habits.

Why Books and Blogging?

Put simply: I love books. Reading, reviewing, organizing, tracking, discovering, anything to do with books and I'm there. Originally, I merely tracked the books I read. I was curious to see how many I read in a year and to discover what types of books I was reading. A big part of my brain was yelling at me for my fall into guilty pleasures, which I'm completely blaming on the lack of reader buddies I retained after college. This lack is also a main factor in my jump into book blogging. Once I found out there was an entire community of book-obsessed people sharing their reading experiences, well, I was hooked.

Where do I go from here?

This question has been on my mind quite a bit since BBAW. Seeing all the other book blogs out there - and how much better they are than mine - really made me focus on what exactly I want to do with my blog and what I want from it. I've got a whole list in my head, but here are my top four:

1. Reviews: I'm still not happy with the way I'm setting up my reviews, so I'm working on a new format....more to come

2. Design: I really do love my design itself, but I want to figure out a more aesthetically pleasing way to organize my sidebars. I'm thinking about having a separate Challenges page instead of having the images/links in the sidebar.

3. Content: I've been so focused on book reviews and memes that I've been not posting other pieces of information I find interesting. While I still want to have a bookish focus, I don't think that has to be the only thing on my blog.

4. Discussion: I'm really interested in sparking more active discussion through comments. As part of my new format for book reviewing, I want to add relevant and interesting questions at the end, so that people have something to comment on. I've also started a You Can Quote Me on This posting that asks questions based on quotes from books. Hopefully this will spark some conversation.

So that's Trisha and eclectic/eccentric in a nutshell. If you have any advice, I would LOVE to hear it!

Book Review: The Stranger

Title: The Stranger

Author: Albert Camus

Published: 1988/1942 Pages: 123

Genre: Literary Fiction

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Meursault tells readers about the time right before and the time right after he murdered an Arab on a beach.

My Thoughts

Meursault has to be the most emotionally detached main character I've ever read that wasn't autistic or in some other way mentally Other. And this complete lack of feeling for other people or even the world in general, made it practically impossible for me to identify with him or like him. Unfortunately, I am a character-driven reader. A plot can be relatively mundane and dull, but if the characters are complex, dynamic (meaning they "grow" during the story), and interesting, I'll still love the book. This is not the case with The Stranger.

Fortunately, however, after characters my second point of interest in reading is philosophy and theme, and Camus is certainly no stranger to philosophical discussions as the basis for his writings. Meursault, while in my opinion completely ridiculous, does offer readers a look into the life of a man who believes unflinchingly that life is something that is happening to him. When his recently acquired girlfriend, Marie, suggests the two get married, Meursault explains to her "that it didn't really matter and that if she wanted to, [they] could get married". He doesn't care one way or another; he'll just go with whatever life throws at him. The death of his mother gets as little emotional attention as the proposed marriage. He can't even fake emotion, and eventually it is this inability that is both his downfall and his transcendence.

Philosophically this text is packed with items for contemplation. For me, Meursault's only saving grace (which still didn't make me particularly like him) is his refusal to contradict his own personality and belief system. Even when his very life hangs in the balance, he doesn't budge an inch. He will not pretend to a belief in God, Justice, or Remorse. This is admirable to me.

Camus' writing is quite simplistic (or at least the translator's is), and I don't mean this is a negative way, just descriptive. The sentences are short and generally follow the conventional structure of subject-verb (predicate). The events and the telling of these events are straightforward and clean-cut. No flowery prose detracts from what is essentially part of the theme of the book itself: meaninglessness (absurdism) and the creation of meaning by the individual (existentialism).

Other Reviews

Padfoot and Prongs

Rebecca Reads

an adventure in reading

Rhinoa's Ramblings

A Guy's Moleskine Notebook

Sunday Salon: Help Me!

The first part of my Sunday Salon post this week is really really focused: I need help!


Two Questions

1. I'm trying to organize my bookshelves, and I originally thought I would separate the Lit section out into Classic and Contemporary, but I'm a bit unclear on where to draw the line. Where does Heller's Catch-22 fit? Love in the Time of Cholera? Auntie Mame? Bradbury? What do you guys think? How do you distinguish Classic Lit from Contemporary Lit? By year? By a combination of year and "quality"? Or do you not bother separating the two from each other?

2. I recently came into possession of a $100 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Yes, yes, let jealousy rear it's ugly head ladies and gents. : ) Now I find myself wondering: What books should I buy? I would LOVE some recommendations. There are just so many possibilities that it's driving me crazy. What's the best book you've read recently? Link to your review if you'd like.


Everything Else

Book Blogger Appreciation Week was absolutely fantastic. I am thrilled with all of the new book blogs I've added to my Google Reader. It was truly a pleasure meeting new book bloggers, and the activities, giveaways, scavenger hunts, and guest posts really made the week fun. Also, I love that BBAW gave everyone an award for participation, and I am proudly displaying mine today.

Last week's Weekly Geeks asked us how we systematize our reading: Do we have reading plans? Do we put our books into a spreadsheet? I didn't participate because I have no reading plan, no spreadsheets, no method of tracking outside of my blog. Or at least I had no spreadsheet. But the combination of Weekly Geeks and BBAW got me all excited about tracking my reading, and hence...the reading spreadsheet was born. I've set up the spreadsheet so that it automatically counts the number of books read, pages read, the genres, whether authors are alive or dead, what books were read for a challenge, and fiction/non-fiction. We'll see if I keep it up. It will certainly make my Reading Reports easier as the spreadsheet does all that pesky counting and adding for me.

Finally, in the last month, I've started a new event on my blog which I have completely not cleverly called "You Can Quote Me On This". I like book quotes, but having them in a list somewhere seems rather pointless, so I've set it up that every four or five days, a new book quote will pop up as a blog post. Each quote has a question attached to spark discussion. I hope you participate!

So how are all of you bibliophiles doing this Sunday? Anything new and exciting?

El Sur que Corre

El desnudo

Esta raya es el Sur que corre,
este circulo es el Oeste,
las madejas las hizo el viento
cons us capitulos mas claros
y es recto el mediodia como
un mastil que sostiene el cielo
mientras vuelan las lineas puras
de silencio en silencio hasta ser
las aves delgadas del aire,
las direcciones de la dicha.

~Pablo Neruda
Plenos Poderes

Do you read poetry in any foreign languages?

Like a Student..Reading for the very first time..

..Like a Stu-u-u-u-dent. Okay, I'm aging myself by using Madonna's Like a Virgin, arent' I? To the point...
The Five Borough Book Review blog is hosting a Back to School Reading Challenge. The rules are simple:

1. Choose! Any four reading-list books [ones you never got around to reading or
ones you want to re-read].
2. Sign up! Sign the Mr. Linky, grab a button, and write a post detailing the books you have chosen for this challenge. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment here!
3. Read! Between September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009 [only one book a month!].
4. Post! Your comments/reviews on your blog or in the comment section of this post.
5. Check back! Read other blogs and discover what others have to say.

I may have a tiny problem with the one book a month rule...but I'll work on it. I'm using this challenge to help me tackle my TBR shelves which are apparently stuffed with books that make high school reading lists. I'm not exactly sure what that says about me...and I'm not going to bother thinking it through.

Here's my list of possibilities...

The Stranger by Albert Camus
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Now...where to begin? Any suggestions on which I should read first?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Challenge Completed: 12/15/09
Books Read: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Stranger by Albert Camus, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Weekly Geeks: Burn Out

Weekly Geeks wants to know: Are you burnt out after a week like BBAW? How do you counter burn out? Take a break? Soldier on? Or if you don't feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? Also why are you a book blogger? From what I've seen and experienced, it's certainly not the fame or the glory that you get. So what is it? Why? Why? Why?

The answer in self-interview:

Good Trisha: Ah, it's been a long week. Time to get back to our normal routine.

Bad Trisha: *mutters" How come it's gotta stop?

Good Trisha: Come now dearie, you know you've been slacking on work. We have a ton of papers to grade, projects to assess, and lesson plans to create.

Bad Trisha: Don't wanna. I wanna blog and read and blog and read and blog and..

Good Trisha: That's enough now Trisha. Be a big girl and get to work.

Bad Trisha: No.

Good Trisha: *a bit exasperated* These papers won't grade themselves you know.

Bad Trisha: Don't care.

Good Trisha: *rolls her eyes* Of course you do sweetie. You want your students to learn, don't you?

Bad Trisha: *sulks prettily*

Good Trisha: Aren't you even the teensiest bit tired of books and blogging? Afterall it's been pretty hectic this last week.

Bad Trisha: NO! I'M NOT TIRED YET! I DON'T WANT IT TO END! I DON'T WANT TO WORK! AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!

Good Trisha: Well I think we should rest. Next week is Banned Books Week and then we have the 24 hour Read-a-Thon, and NCTE's National Day on Writing is coming up. You want to be rested and ready for all those fun things, don't you?

Bad Trisha: I guess....

Good Trisha: There now, be a good girl and let's get some work done, so we'll be ready for the rest of the book blogging fun.

*Good Trisha turns to pick up a stack of student papers. Bad Trisha bashes her over the head with Douglas Adams' Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, grabs a book and a computer and proceeds to do what she wants.*

Go Bad Trisha!

~~~~~~~~~~

I love reading and talking about books, so book blogging is a fun past time for me. I really do this for myself, so I never feel pressured to hurry up and post a review. Because of this lack of pressure, I don't really get burned out. I do what I want when I want and so far that's working out for me.

Book Review: The Castle of Otranto

Title: The Castle of Otranto
Author: Horace Walpole
Published: 1998 Pages: 115
Genre: Gothic
Rating: 4/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Manfred wishes his son, Conrad, to marry Isabella, but after Conrad's death, Manfred decides the young bride should be his. Isabella disagrees and flees the castle. Over the next 100 pages, Manfred fights fate, religion, ghosts, and a thought-dead dad to marry Isabella and produce a heir.

My Thoughts

In 1764 when Walpole published The Castle of Otranto it was a unique style of writing. With the inclusion of the supernatural, ambiance of mystery, hidden passageways, violent love affairs, and unclear identities, The Castle of Otranto marked the birth of the Gothic novel. A lovely accomplishment as far as I'm concerned.

The main problem with reading the novel today, however, is laughter. Laughter where it doesn't belong. The high drama and ridiculousness of events is a bit too much for me. For example, I have never in my life read a book, a serious book, where the inciting incident is the death of a young man by helmet squashing. Seriously, Conrad, son of Manfred the prince of Otranto, a sickly 15 year old boy, dies when a gigantic helmet falls on him. Following is a series of sightings involving super-sized body parts and armour...hmmm...

My second problem with the novel is the directly abusive, condescending, and violent attitude the male characters have towards the women. The four female characters - Bianca, Isabella, Hippolita, and Matilda - are alternately physically assaulted, emotionally abused, verbally reprimanded, or completely ignored. While I understand this as both a convention of Gothic writing and a commonplace of the time period, I still cringe at the nonchalant inclusion of such misogyny.

All that being said, however, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick trip through a fantastical world where ancestors come back as giant ghosts, monks reveal their human side, peasants make good, and pictures walk.

Other Reviews
If I've missed yours, let me know.

Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books
things mean alot
Bibliolatry

Ah, My Love, My Life, My Blog...

What do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now? ...in 50 words or less...

I love the opportunity to read, review, and discuss books with other bibliophiles. No question that's my favorite part of blogging. A year from now, I hope I've finally learned the tricks of the book blogging trade and that I've met even more wonderful people.

Books from Blogs

Today's BBAW meme wants to know about a book I've read because I found it on another blog. I am embarrased to say I haven't yet read a book just because of a blog recommendation. With all of the challenges I signed up for, I haven't been randomly reading lately so those I find on other's blogs don't pop into my hand quickly. I do, however, have a list of 37 books found on blogs on my TBR list. I thought I would highlight two of them.

Everyone She Loved by Sheila Curran

I found this novel on Girls with Books when they announced an interview with the author. It was my first time asking an author a question, and I was excited. Then I was doubly excited when I actually won a copy of the book! Another first for me.

Plot Synopsis: Penelope Cameron, loving mother, devoted wife, and generous philanthropist, has convinced her husband and four closest friends to sign an outlandish pact. If Penelope should die before her two daughters are eighteen, her husband will not remarry without the permission of Penelope's sister and three college roommates. For years, this contract gathers dustuntil the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, everyone she loved must find their way in a world without Penelope.

I can't wait to read this!

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

I saw this book on so many blogs I'm not even sure which was first. I think it may have been the review at Hey Lady! but then again it could have been when She is Too Fond of Books did a TLC Book Tour interview with the author. Traveling through Sunday Salon posts, I found Rhapsodyinbooks' review and A Novel Menagerie wrote a really interesting post including a Mormon's perspective. Believe me, I could keep going...

Plot Synopsis: It is 1875 and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of her family's polygamous history is revealed, including how both she and her mother became plural wives. Yet soon after Ann Eliza's story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds - a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth begind his father's death. And as Ann Eliza's narrative intertwines with that of Jordan's search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love, family, and faith.

Now if I could only find the time to read challenge AND non-challenge books!

Book Review: Dead as a Doornail

Title: Dead as a Doornail

Author: Charlaine Harris

Published: 2006 Pages: 295

Genre: Vampire

Rating: 3.5/5

Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Okay, this isn't going to be a full review, for one, I think, solid reason: Reviewing a series of books, especially when you are reading them so close to one another, is a bit redundant. My thoughts on Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series are pretty well summed up in my reviews of the first four books (Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and Book 4).

The fifth in the series, Dead as a Doornail progresses the thread I like the most: the political and cultural morays of the various supernatural groupings, including vampires, werewolves, shifters, werepanthers, witches, and fairies. In this installment, the focus is more on the world of weres and shifters as a sniper seems to be targeting their population, and with the death of the were leader, they are looking for a new packmaster. This process is rather interesting, and I was both impressed and appalled by the pseudo-political, but primarily primal, way the new leader is chosen.

As always Sookie's love life is complicated and rather unbelievable. I've never met a woman so wanted by so many distinct men. Then again, good for her. I wonder if book 6 is going to introduce new male characters because it seems like we are running out of men to fall in love/lust with her.

I think I'm going to take a short Sookie break. Afterall, I have a year to read them, and I've plowed my way through the first five books in less than 2 months.

Other Reviews

Let me know if I've missed yours

Beth Fish Reads

The Eclectic Reader

Bookworm's Dinner

Loves Vampires

Reading Adventures

Book Review: Auntie Mame

Title: Auntie Mame
Author: Patrick Dennis
Published: 2001 Pages: 299
Genre: Lit Fic
Rating: 5/5


Buy  |  Borrow  |  Accept  |  Avoid

Plot Synopsis

Patrick Dennis is sent to live with his eccentric Auntie Mame at the tender and impressionable age of ten. Mame promptly enrolls him in an all-naked all-the-time coed school...and he is promptly removed by his much more conservative trustee. From there Patrick's life is turned upside down and inside out by his aunt, who is determined he not turn into some briefcase wielding stuffed shirt.

My Thoughts

Paul Rudnik, in his introduction to the book, says "Auntie Mame is America's diabolical answer to Mary Poppins." I couldn't agree more. Auntie Mame is every child's wet dream of a guardian. She is eccentric, liberal, fun-loving, often drunk, and always exciting. Alternately Patrick's best friend, a needy relative, and a caring mother, Auntie Mame is never dull.

According to Auntie Mame, nine a.m. is the middle of the night, adopting the accent and habits of any culture makes you of that culture, alcohol is an everyday, all hours necessity, and intellectualism is akin to godliness. According to a review at Powell's, "She was anti-establishment, anti-bourgeois, anti-racist, anti-bad taste, and anti-pretension. She was also pro-youth, pro-sex, pro-tolerance, pro-nudity, and pro-drugs (though her drug of choice was gin)." In other words, she was rather awesome. I fell in love with this woman quickly, and while I'm not sure I would want her as my guardian, I would love her as an aunt.

Along with the characters, I also enjoyed the organization of the book. Each chapter is a separate escapade featuring Auntie Mame and more often than not Patrick, the narrator of the story. The book is held together by simple but effective hook: Patrick is telling these stories about the past after reading about an Unforgettable Character in Reader's Digest. His purpose is to show how this Unforgettable Character is nothing when compared to his Auntie Mame. The beginning of every chapter summarizes another characteristic of this Unforgettable Character, and the rest of the chapter shows how Auntie Mame was both the embodiment and the antithesis of that exact characteristic.

The best part about reading this book, in my opinion, is that it was published in 1955. This isn't some modern look at the 20s and 30s. The liberal views on homosexuality, religion, education, family life, and relationships are from the perspective of a 1950s man - and they could fit right in with the most liberal of our contemporaries.

I highly recommend this book!

Other reviews

Pussreboots

Has anyone else reviewed this?

BBAW: Quick List

The Quick List



Fave Reading Snack


Writing in Books: Absolutely!


Bookmarks: Whatever's handy but recently bookthongs


Current Read


Last Book Bought


Fave Place to Read


Book or Author Recommendations


Book Organization: My Library

Cocktail Party Chatter

It is true that the photograph provides a context for the sentence you have been given and that the sentence provides a context of sorts for the photograph, and you may even believe for a day or so that you have learned something. but if the event is entirely self-contained, devoid of any relationship to your past knowledge or future plans, if that is the beginning and end of your encounter with the [information], then the appearance of context provided by the conjunction of sentence and image is illusory, and so is the impression of meaning attached to it. You will, in fact, have "learned" nothing...and the illyx will fade from your mental landscape as though it had never been. At best you are left with an amusing bit of trivia, good for trading in cocktail party chatter or solving a crossword puzzle, but nothing more.

~Neil Postman
Amusing Ourselves to Death

What's your favorite piece of "cocktail party chatter"? In other words, what is something you know that really has no relevance to your life or any one else's you know?

BBAW: Interview with Christina

For the BBAW Interview, I was paired up with Christina at book-a-rama. Chris is a stay-at-home mom who loves reading, photography, scrapbooking, and crochet. Her book reviews are insightful and interesting as she mixes the information you need to know with quirky observations and real-life connections. Reading her blog is like listening to a friend talk about books. I was very excited to interview her, and I highly recommend checking out her blog.

Why did you start blogging? Did your blog begin as a book blog?

I can blame this one on Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic. Stephanie and I belong to the same online book club. Back in 2006, she invited us all to visit her blog. I asked, "What's a blog?" before having a look. I liked the idea of having a place to record my thoughts on what I read and maybe having a discussion with others about them. I started my own and it went from there.

What is your favorite genre and how did you start reading that genre? What book got you interested in that genre?

Maybe not so much a genre but I love reading the classics. The first books I'd call classics were the few I found on my parents' bookshelf back when I was a teen. Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were the first. From there I read all the Austen novels I found at the library.

What do you like about Austen's writing? Do you have a favorite among her works?

Austen had a very interesting way of looking at the world. She's was partly cynical, partly romantic. Her commentary on society always gives me a chuckle. As for a favorite, I think it depends on which one I'm reading at the time, but if really pressed, it's a toss up between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. The only one I'm not really fond of is Mansfield Park.

You are being forced to live on Mars and you can only bring three books. Which three would you bring and why?

Forced to live on Mars, oh dear. Sounds lonely. I'd have to bring some old friends. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, my favorite novel. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, adventure and revenge, plus if Edmond Dantes can break out of prison, I can get off Mars. And for a little romance, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

What influence has book blogging had on your reading choices, if any?

I've found a lot of new-to-me authors and books. I'm especially influenced when bloggers I respect are excited about a book. It's contagious.

Do you have any favorite titles you discovered on someone else's blog?

Blogging has really expanded my reading preferences. I had never heard of Colleen Gleason or Neil Gaiman until I started blogging. I ended up reading The Rest Falls Away and Coraline. I'm glad I did. They are both great books.

What is the strangest place you have ever read and why were you reading there?

I don't know if it's strange but I noticed that I was the only one reading at the skating rink where my daughter was having lessons.

I noticed you also post pictures on your blog. What do you like about photography?

Photography allows me to be creative without words. I like how a photo can tell a story or let my readers see the world as I see it. I have a love for nature and that's my favorite subject, particularly flowers.





Have you ever had a crush on a literary character? If so, who and why?

*blushes* Yes, I've had crushes. I've always had a soft spot for Mr Rochester. Then there's the hero of Outlander Jamie Fraser and for something completely different Dr Stephen Maturin from the Aubrey/Maturin series (that might have something to do with Paul Bettany in Master & Commander). I like smart guys.

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I would like to thank Chris for answering all of my questions and congratulate her on book-a-rama, a wonderfully interesting blog that has become a must-read for me!