Posted on July 14, 2012 in Books
This was my first Henry James novel. I like many novelists of this era including Edith Wharton and have read most of her major works so it stands to reason that I would like James as well. I don’t like James as much as I like Wharton yet, but I will need to read another novel of his to judge.
This novel was slow moving both in plot and in the manner I read it. It took me a week to read this book and that is not long for some people especially for a novel of over 500 pages, but it is long to me. I was very busy this past week and there were days when I didn’t read more than a page or two. The plot was not particularly addictive either.
While I am a tad unsatisfied with the ending, I did like the writing of the book. James is witty and observant and he is very good at getting the tone of emigrants, travelers, and those who live abroad. The following exchange about being an emigrant/immigrant was relatable to me:
“Well, I advise you to cultivate one. You’ll need it the next time you go to America.”
“I shall probably never go again.”
“Are you ashamed to show yourself?”
Ralph meditated with a mild smile. “I suppose that if one has no conscience one has no shame.”
“Well, you’ve got plenty of assurance,” Henrietta declared. “Do you consider it right to give up your country?”
“Ah, one doesn’t give up one’s country any more than one gives UP one’s grandmother. They’re both antecedent to choice—elements of one’s composition that are not to be eliminated.”
“I suppose that means that you’ve tried and been worsted. What do they think of you over here?”
“They delight in me.”
Like Ralph, I’ve lived most of my life away from my ‘birth’ country and grow in another continent. While I will go back, it’s true you can never really give it up and it makes you who you are. Furthermore, I think I amuse people when I went back to..
Early on, I identified with Isabel. I am rather frank and sometimes even blunt. I related to her in her desire to have experiences and new ideas. I also related to her in her dealing with people especially of the opposite sex. It’s not often I identify with a character like Isabel. I felt some deja-vu when reading about her. On the other hand, there were moments when I found her unlike me and this happened as she progressed long in her book.
Since I have taken two gender studies courses both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, I tend to read and analyse works from that point of view often. It’s rather natural now and it happened even before because I find the role of women in novels especially in classics interesting as they are often a deep reflection of history, time, culture, and a score of other things. I enjoy male writers who are able to really understand women and their place in society or how oppressed they are.
For example, James writes of Isabel refusing an offer of marriage:
But what disturbed her, in the sense that it struck her with wonderment, was this very fact that it cost her so little to refuse a magnificent “chance.” With whatever qualifications one would, [he] had offered her a great opportunity; the situation might have discomforts, might contain oppressive, might contain narrowing elements, might prove really but a stupefying anodyne; but she did her sex no injustice in believing that nineteen women out of twenty would have accommodated themselves to it without a pang. Why then upon her also should it not irresistibly impose itself? Who was she, what was she, that she should hold herself superior? What view of life, what design upon fate, what conception of happiness, had she that pretended to be larger than these large these fabulous occasions? If she wouldn’t do such a thing as that then she must do great things, she must do something greater. Poor Isabel found ground to remind herself from time to time that she must not be too proud, and nothing could be more sincere than her prayer to be delivered from such a danger: the isolation and loneliness of pride had for her mind the horror of a desert place… She liked him too much to marry him, that was the truth; something assured her there was a fallacy somewhere in the glowing logic of the proposition—as he saw it—even though she mightn’t put her very finest finger-point on it; and to inflict upon a man who offered so much a wife with a tendency to criticise would be a peculiarly discreditable act… But this was not the case; she was wondering if she were not a cold, hard, priggish person, and, on her at last getting up and going rather quickly back to the house, felt, as she had said to her friend, really frightened at herself.
Isabel doesn’t like disappointing people in the beginning, but it is right for her to question marriage and what it really means to her. Women must have questioned it back then, but it’s so natural for them to marry as well. It’s why I was disappointed in Isabel when she did give up her freedom.
As for the other characters, I did not care for Madame Merle. As with Ralph, I did not like her much; I found she had too much going on. All in the face and want of propriety. I also didn’t like Henrietta Stackpole for most of it as she had slight shades of ugly American abroad. She had no sense of privacy for her friend Isabel, but at least, she knows Isabel enough to guess when she is unhappy and try to help. She also showed a lot of growth through the novel, perhaps the most of all the characters.
I didn’t like Casper Goodwood either. I just think his only trait and point was to be passionately in love with Isabel. He was overly persistent and sometimes possessive about it.
Right away, I didn’t like Mr Osmond. I found him boring, prosaic, self-important, and as Ralph says in the book, he took himself too seriously. He was detached and then he became cold. It was creepy how he was introduced too; how Madame Merle told him about Isabel.
Of all her suitors, I liked Lord Warburton the best. He seemed direct without being overly stalkerish and creepy about his feelings for Isabel. He also didn’t chase her very far. He also seemed to be a kind and good man.
Most of all, I liked all of the Touchetts. Both Mr and Mrs Touchett; they both had good head on their shoulders. I adored Ralph. I would have been happy if Ralph and Isabel had fallen in love. He knew her so well and took care of her more dearly than anyone else in her life. But it’s best they didn’t in the end.
For the first parts of this novel, I really had no idea how it would end. That’s not actually usual for me since I usually get the idea of how most classic novels end. I didn’t know anything about this novel before hand. I wasn’t sure who Isabel would end up with because in the first half of the novel, she has three potential suitors (included Ralph). The real drama starts at the halfway point. There is slow build up. When Isabel chose her man, I question why she had made that choice. It mystified me to think she was in love with him. Therefore, I was disappointed to see Isabel did marry and I was disappointed just as much as Ralph was in the book. Once that happened, I knew it would not end well.
The ending is one that which gives you hope, but leaves you hanging wondering what happens next. I did enjoy some of the characters. Knowing Nicole Kidman plays Isabel Archer in the movie, I can see Kidman in the role if only because Isabel is described as having great beauty and charm. I also really did adore some of the other characters and passages. I don’t really like how the plot progressed though.
I think James is a good writer of characters, dialogue and human interactions. There is definitely something very perceptive about him that shows through his writing. Even though I was not completely satisfied with the book, I really look forward to my next James novel.
Read July 7-14th 2012.
Posted on June 19, 2012 in Books
My first George Eliot novel. There has been one main reason why I haven’t read The Mill on the Floss yet. I saw most of the 1998 film adaptation starring Emily Watson some years ago. That was how I discovered this book; I had heard of Middlemarch, but not of this work until I saw the film. The plot stayed with me because I was perplexed by the ending so much I had to read literary criticism on it afterwards to understand it.
There are elements of tragedy in this novel. This is a coming of age novel at its core. It depicts both Tom and Maggie Tulliver through their childhoods, adolescence and adulthood through tragedy and hardships. The novel was published in 1860, but is set in the 1820s right after the ascension of the Prince Regent to George IV as King. The storytelling, mode and feeling is traditional and rural, but also Victorian in the way the people are changing. There is an unusual narration technique. The narrator is introduced as first person, but they are omniscient and not a character in the story. They act more like a third person narrator, but once in awhile, the author uses an “I” which reminds you that this is someone recounting a story.
From the beginning, Maggie is a girl that everyone except her father thinks must be kept in check. She adulates her brother, and they are close. Tom cares for her deeply and as children, they share the dream of living together happily. But oddly enough, he also thinks that when they live together, he needs to “punish her when she did wrong.” There is this cold, self-righteous aspect about Tom throughout the novel and how it contrasts to Maggie.
Maggie’s insatiable need to be loved and admired is the cause and result of many conflicts in the novel. This is something that the movie couldn’t display really that way and Eliot’s psychological insight gives.Maggie’s not wrong in this, and her love seems altruistic in a way. She really wants others to be happy and not hurt. It is also destructive though because she is very passionate and sensitive.
I liked most of Maggie’s scenes. Eliot is very good at setting the emotional tones of scenes, the awkwardness and the tensions. It’s wholly realistic. Most of the characters in the novel are not wholly good or bad. They have reasons for their actions however the reader may disagree or dislike it.
I got a sense that Eliot really knows her characters, especially Tom. He seems very consistent in the story. He grows up, he learns a few things, but like many people, there is a core person to him. For example, he remains very black and white, proud, and attuned to his own sense of justice. There are times when I or Maggie were annoyed with Tom, but then he would do something to make it right to her and all be in character. Also, many of the characters seem to be perceptive and the narrator describes their observations acutely e.g. Philip observing Stephen and Maggie.
While there is realism in the novel, there is the often occurring juxtaposition of Victorian dramas to put the realistic things with the dramatic. For example, Mr Tulliver’s revenge and feelings about Mr Wakem. Another example is Stephen’s feelings for Maggie and his sense of rejection and passion. They border slightly into the melodramatic in modern terms.
There are lots of moments in this novel where it feels life is slowed down and it’s introspective or reflective, but when it gets dramatic, it really is. The dialogue and insults are very sharp. The confrontational scenes are rather gripping.
While the novel is a coming of age story, I also feel it is very circuitous. Maggie and Tom’s relationship go through the same rhythms over and over until the end of the novel. While I feel both of them have endured and learned a lot from their hardships and tragedies through the novel, what they feel for each other and their own personalities do not really change all that much. It makes the ending understandable because Maggie’s only true love is that for Tom. It’s at least consistent. They come full circle by the end.
I also think the novel does a good job of discussing how romance and love is often a product of one’s own projection. What Maggie feels for Philip, Stephen, and even Tom is based off her own need and psychology. Similarly, these men project onto Maggie. Philip is also needy for affection. Stephen desires passion, rebellion, and romance. Tom sees Maggie as what he isn’t, but he loves Maggie the most in some ways because he knows her best. I think Philip was the most compatible to Maggie, but her affection for him isn’t romantic love.
I am glad to have finally read this book, and while it started off rather slow, I liked it in parts. Eliot is a meticulous writing who knows her characters so I look forward to reading more of her works.
Read June 13-17th 2012.
Posted on June 12, 2012 in Books
As I anticipated, this was a difficult read due to the tragic nature of the novel.
This was my fourth Hardy after Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure and Far from the Maddening Crowd. While I don’t think I really loved any of these novels in the way I would reread them in the future, I did enjoy them. I appreciate Hardy’s realism in all of them. His characters seem grounded and certain situations they are placed seem true to life. A lot of them suffer because of society. They books are tinged with sadness. A lot of his characters go through rough and arduous times. While Hardy is not the most difficult to read, he is not easy because of the situations he often places his characters. His writings do tend to make you consider the characters and the society they inhabit.
Years ago, I had seen the last scenes from the 1998 TV adaptation of Tess staring Justine Waddell (adore her). This was purely by accident when flipping through TV channels. I also learned the summary of the book not long after. I avoided reading this novel for the longest time because I knew the plot and ending. When I began to read it, I had forgotten many of the finer details including the ending until just pages before it happened. It was still very sad to read though.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles has the subtitle A Pure Woman faithfully presented. I liked Tess; Hardy makes you feel for her. I really like Hardy’s female characters. They have a tendency to be independent and subversive, but oppressed by Victorian society values and mores. I find Hardy is sympathetic to women and even though he puts Tess through the ringer in this novel, he is actually giving an “impression” (his word in the preface). In this novel, Hardy explores the double standard of female and male sexuality in this book.
There are two men in Tess’s life which both ruin her in their own way. Alec is extremely smarmy, unctuous, lewd, and crude. I dreaded his scenes because he would continuously manipulate, exploit, and demoralise Tess. When he does take advantage of her, it’s awful for me as a woman, even though Hardy describes it obliquely and indirectly. It’s early on in the book too, but by that time, the reader feels for Tess. She is a victim of many things in this novel.
Later in the novel, when Alec tries to change, he seriously tells Tess to not tempt him. He says it is as if it is her fault that he is such a louse. He admits she is innocent and does not mean to do it, but he still seems to blame her for his shortcomings. It shows the hypocrisy of men and society can view the woman in these situations. He also persistently chases her even after she rejects him several times, but he is obsessed with mastering her. As an aside, I actually think some men don’t really believe when a woman says no. Maybe some women are playing hard to get, but at some point, No really does mean No.
On the other side, there is Angel Clare. Now that is a character name! I think Angel is callow and his own plot shows progression and his own wrong thinking. His wronging of Tess is somewhat understandable in light of his naivety, but it showcases how he is a man of his time as well. He is so educated that he builds Tess up to this mythic ideal, but his warped view of her also breaks down his projection and their relationship. I do wonder about his future beyond the novel. At times, I think Angel was less of a viable character, but then again, Tess is the real star of the book.
The narrator implies that the events in Tess’s life is fatalistic. Hardy writes that he did not write the book as an “argument”. There is an implication that Tess’s lineage from the ill fated d’Urbervilles sealed her fate, but I also think her powerlessness had something to do with it. She did her best to improve on her life, but was thwarted by her own circumstances and by both men. She is so broken down by all that happens by the end of the novel. It’s a struggle for her and for the reader, and the ending is a relief for both her and us.
The prose is well written. Hardy is one of the best writers of the pastoral and ruralism. He places emphasis on nature in his character’s lives and in the settings and descriptions. He is a Victorian, but he has a lot of the themes of the modernists too. Also, he was a writer of both prose and verse. It is not a surprise that he gave up novels altogether and wrote only verse later in his life.
In conclusion, I really liked this book when I read, but I won’t ever reread it if I can help it. I think it’s thought provoking especially if you are a woman. I rank it with Jude the Obscure (also a supremely depressing read) as one of the best of Hardy’s works. Incidentally, this book review is one of the longest I have ever written for a blog.
Read June 10th, 2012.
Posted on June 5, 2012 in Books
This edition of The Jungle Book includes an introduction from Neil Gaiman, and stories from both the first and second books. It features all the stories about Mowgli and one not with him.
I seemed to have missed out on reading this in my childhood. I got the feeling I started this when I was younger but never got around to finishing it. I still very much enjoy reading young adult and children’s books. I think I will keep reading them, and I hope to always find them enjoyable like I did this book.
I really liked all the characters in the Mowgli canon even Shere Khan the lame tiger. I do seem to appreciate stories about anthropomorphic characters though especially in young adult literature. Authors tend to imbue them with charm, innocence, but wisdom at the same time.
There were some good stories about life, death, and the nature of the world. It was sometimes sad as it can be with realistic stories. I think this is a good book about Man on earth and human’s relations to the environment and animals. A book like this is always good to remind us of what our role on this planet should or could be.
I think this a good read for all ages, and I look forward to reading them again.
Read June 4th 2012. This was the first book read for the Classics Club.
Posted on June 3, 2012 in Books
This was my last week of the month long course I have been take. No books read this week and I doubt any today because I have to finish my last assignments today. Furthermore, I got very little sleep last night so I don’t think I have much energy to read today any way.
I will read later this week. While I have a whole stack of Georgette Heyer still in the queue, I will also read The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling for the Classics Club. If I have the chance, I will start
Tess of the Ubvervilles soon for Classics Club and the Victorian Reading Challenge. Thomas Hardy’s birthday was yesterday. I do like Hardy.
It will be good to read during the week again! In other news, I’ve been deleting the duplicates from my GoodReads account. Since about 2002, I’ve read roughly 720 new books (give or take maybe 50 books for a margin of error). That’s not a bad number. That means I’ve been averaging 70 books a year on average. So I just have to read over 70 books this year as part of my personal challenge.
How is everyone’s weekend? What are you reading?
Posted on June 1, 2012 in Books
My selection list for the Classics Club, a five year challenge to read at least 50 classics.
I use to join and enjoy a lot of book challenges. Nowadays, I find it hard to balance real life with blogging and reading all the books I want, but I couldn’t resist this challenge because I love classics.
I listed 50 books, but I think the selection may change or be added onto over time the selection has changed and been added to over time. When selecting the books, I did use a broad definition of classics as I included a few modern books. I will be used book shopping in a couple of weeks which may alter this selection again. The goal is to read 50 classics, but the selection of the list may change a bit over time due to time, interest, and availability of the books.
I included books that I own, books I want to read/heard a lot of, and books from the 1001 Books Before You Die List. Due to being revised, it’s actually 1294 books. For a spreadsheet to keep track of that lengthy list, go here .
You can follow all my posts relating to the club through my Classics Club tag which includes reviews, memes, etc.
Start Date: June 1, 2012
End Date: June 1, 2017 2018
My Prize: To be determined at a later date. Some sort of food and/or shopping will be involved.
Posted on May 27, 2012 in Books
Managed to read two books since last Sunday. Both Georgette Heyer and the Heyerathon continues as I am finishing The Masqueraders. All the gender bending and cross dressing in Heyer had me rewatching Amanda Bynes’s She’s the Man (love Twelfth Night play) this week. Also, starting j-drama Hana Kimi.
A couple questions for this Sunday. Does anyone access this post from the Yahoo!Pipes or the RSS Sunday Salon feed? I’ve been trying to figure out if that works. I post my links to the FB group but I wonder if the original SS feed works at all and if anyone uses it since I couldn’t manage to a few weeks ago.
Secondly, I think I will be joining the Classics Club to read 50 classic books in five years. My problem now is to develop my list. I’m going to make the list more than 50 (perhaps 60 or 65) so that I can have some legroom. I am not good at planning my life that far ahead, so this will be a challenge.
Please list me suggestions of ‘classic’ books you like and that I could read. I’ve read a fair number so far, so the more suggestions, the better. Thank you!
Happy reading, everyone!