Classics

The Odd Women

2 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics, Feminism /

I did it! I finished The Odd Women! For awhile, I thought life was going to conspire against me and prevent me from finishing before the month ended. I’m so glad I read it.

I was afraid I was going to hate it and end my Summer Reading Challenge on a sour note. Gissing, well he’s an odd duck and I can’t decide how I feel about him in general. But I didn’t. It drove me nuts in places, silly women making silly choices and all of those ridiculous men reigning over the women, or expecting to be able to reign over women. Bah. Down with the patriarchy! Heh.

I wasn’t thrilled with how Monica’s story ended. I was very pleasantly surprised by what happened with Rhoda and Everaud, I think that worked well – from the feminist perspective.

The only question I’m left with is why was it so hard to acquire this book? It isn’t available at my library or at the SFCC library (I never had time to check at UF). I checked two used bookstores in town and it wasn’t there. I called Barnes & Noble and it wasn’t in stock. Weird. I don’t understand it.

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The Crying of Lot 49

2006, Books in Bed, Classics, Don't Read This, Favorites /

Because I couldn’t make my way through Gravity’s Rainbow and because Gravity’s Rainbow was one of my Summer Reading Challenge books, I decided to take a recommendation from someone at “work” and read Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 instead. About the only thing I can say is I managed to make it through the whole book

Conspiracy theories, bah who cares. And can someone tell me why this guy insists on writing incredibly long sentences? He’s much worse than I am. Look, this is how it starts:

One summer afternoon Mrs Oedipa Maas came home from a Tupperware party whose hostess had perhaps too much kirsch in the fondue to find that she, Oedipa, had been named executor, or she supposed executrix, of the estate of one Pierce Invararity, a California real estate mogul who had once lost two million dollars in his spare time but still had assets numerous and tangled enough to make the job of sorting it all out more than honorary.

I mean really, was that necessary? The whole book is like that. The whole book is unnecessary. No more Pynchon for me, thank you.

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Gravity’s Rainbow – Help Me!

3 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics, Don't Read This /

Gravity’s Rainbow is the last “difficult” and “scary” read from my Summer Reading Challenge and I’m ready to give up. I was ready to give up on page 7, again on page 16, also on page 34, then on page 43 and now on page 116.

I don’t want to give up on it, so now I’m in search of study guides, reading guides, something that will help me follow this, this, this… I don’t even know what to call it.

Anyone out there have any words of wisdom? Anyone out there who can tell me why I should keep reading? 600 pages is a long time to muddle through if I’m not going to get anything out of the muddling.

Help!

Updated – 8/6/6 – I’ve given up, for now. I may go back to it later but another 50 pages last night proved that I just wasn’t going to get anything out of it. Darn it.

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Kristin Lavransdatter – Redux

1 Comment / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

I’ve complained mightily about this book, not as much as Vanity Fair or The Moonstone but close. I shouldn’t have complained. I liked it and I’m glad, now that I’m finished, that I read it. 1000+ pages of difficult language and complex storylines well worth reading.

I understand now, why Kristin Lavransdatter won the Nobel Prize and why it is on the Teachers First Lifetime Reading List. Good solid Summer Reading Challenge book – long as heck though.

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An Epic

2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

Summer Reading Challenge is kicking my ass – being at Blogher isn’t helping but really it was my choice of books that’s driving me insane. What in the heck caused me to choose Kristin Lavransdatter, along with all of these other really long and difficult books?

It’s not that I’m not enjoying the book because I am. It’s just incredibly long and it isn’t an easy read at all, due to the translation and the odd phrasing and such. Not to mention I can’t pronounce any of these names or places and so I stumble in my head over all of them.

It took me about 50 pages to get sort of comfortable with the language and then I began to really enjoy the story. TW has commented several times that I seem to be really moved or into the book, even while complaining at how long it is taking to read it or how difficult it is to read. And that’s so true, I am really into it. It’s just so long.

I’m through “Book One” and “Book Two”. I’m hoping to be finished with “Book Three” before I head home from Blogher. I probably won’t make it but that’s my goal.

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I Prefer the Moonstone

1 Comment / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics /

I finally finished this monster of a book, Vanity Fair. I prefer The Moonstone. Thank goodness that’s done with. I’m not even sure what the point of the book was? I suppose 100 bloody years ago, it might have been new and interesting but today it just seemed tired and incredibly long and a wee bit boring. OK more than a wee bit.

It’s pretty bad when you don’t find a single character to LIKE in a 750 page book.

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Vanity Fair – Page 395

6 Comments / Books in Bed, Classics /

Someone tell me why Vanity Fair is on my Summer Reading Challenge? Because a little more than halfway through it, I’m feeling like I’d rather go back to The Moonstone. Seriously, why do people enjoy this book? Why is it on that really interesting Lifetime Reading List? Why is it on all sorts of “great books” lists?

Someone give me a nudge, say something positive about this book. Pretty Please.

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The Crucible

2 Comments / 2006, Books in Bed, Classics, Fiction /

I’m on a roll and I like it! I finished book five from my summer reading challenge list – The Crucible!

I’m surprised that I’ve never read it and never seen a performance (either a play or a movie). I liked it and now am considering watching a movie, though I’d prefer to see a play. I wonder if any high schools will do it this year.

I’m really not a big Arthur Miller fan but this one redeemed him for me.

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