Villette: Week 3

Week three and already I am lagging behind with this book - again. Oh well, what can I say, I've been taken in by another book and am trying to fit in Villette when I can (like when I'm on the treadmill). Anyhow, I'm utterly confused. What the frack is happening with Lucy? I thought she was a likeable character and now I'm beginning to wonder why I ever thought that.

This week we had to read about all the visits from Dr. John and Lucy's refusal to let him know that she knows him, because apparently all along she has known that he is Grahame (her godmother's son).  For some reason she won't reveal this to him. Oh, and apparently Grahame is Isidore, one of Ginerva's beaus (the one she gets to buy her all those lovely gifts).  Seriously, what is going on?  I thought that Dr. John would turn out to be a love interest for Lucy, but apparently he isn't going to - or is he? Anyhow, now I'm wondering if Polly will show up at some point, or if she is already in Villette and Lucy is just refusing to reveal to us which pupil is Polly. UGH! Its rather frustrating to have such an unreliable narrator - I'm depending on her and I'm not getting the story I expected. Hmmm. Perhaps, that is Bronte's point - to trick us.  Well, at least I was right about Lucy being more of a behind the scenes kind of gal. I thought perhaps her role as a teacher would move her towards being more involved in the action, but no such luck.  Don't get me wrong, Lucy is involved in the story, but not as much or in the way I assumed she would be. Of course who knows what will happen next, right?  Anyhow, the book is moving along rather well, although I must admit to skim reading some passages (too much detail is rather boring at times, especially when the details are mere descriptions and not actual information).  Nonetheless, I am enjoying this read along so far and am wondering what new surprises will be in store further along the way in Villette.

Alright, well I'm off to continue reading Tropical Depression (which reminds me of Northern Exposure). Cheers!

David Mitchell and 1000 Readers

Hi! I just wanted to share some info about this email I received with regards to an online project concerning David Mitchell's novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

"Written by award-winning author David Mitchell (twice short-listed for the Man Booker Prize), the critically acclaimed The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is being released in paperback in March. Set in 18th Century Japan, the book tells the story of a young Dutch clerk struggling to find his fortune, love and his rightful place in Dejima’s island sea-port, full of corruption, mystery, suspicion and deceit.

To celebrate the paperback release and increase awareness with everyone from hardened David Mitchell fans to the general public, we’re looking for 1000 people to become ‘The Thousand Readers of Jacob De Zoet’ in a unique literary project. This is where I wondered if you’d be interested in getting involved – essentially by offering your readers the chance to become one the first ‘Thousand Readers of Jacob De Zoet’.

By visiting www.facebook.com/thethousandautumns, selecting a theme and responding to the corresponding extract with a short review, image or film, everyone will be in with a chance of becoming an official ‘reader’ and receiving a signed and numbered limited paperback edition of the novel, which includes a letter from the author."

 If you are interested in Mitchell's work, check out this fun project. The passages are great because they showcase Mitchell's excellent writing skills and provide a peek at what this story is all about.  I've already reviewed a passage and will be posting another review on FB soon.  Anyhow, just wanted to share this info. And now I'm off to read. Cheers!

Villette Chapters 1- 11

Hi, I'm supposed to post about the chapters we've read for the week every Thursday during this read-along, but I didn't get a chance to last week, so I'm making it up this week. Today's post will be about chapters 1-11.  Here goes:

I like this book. I didn't think I would, because I'm not a huge fan of the classics.  And also, because I didn't care much for Jane Eyre.  In fact, I preferred and loved, Jean Rhy's prequel of Jane Eyre, Wide Sargasso Sea - a clever and brilliant book which really captures the essence of Rochester and "Bertha".  Anyhow, it turns out I'm liking this classic.  Hurrah for me! I say this, because I'm trying to read more books outside my comfort zone and this one fits the bill. But I digress.

Let's see, so far, I've read about Paulina (Polly) - who was an annoying little girl left behind to stay with Lucy and her godmother, Mrs. Bretton.  At first I wasn't sure where the story was going since Lucy was more behind the scenes then a part of the story - it was all about Polly and her relationship with John Grahame (Mrs. Bretton's son).  Don't get me wrong, it was good reading, but we hardly learned anything about our narrator, Lucy Snow.  That is until Polly left and then we found Lucy looking for work and winding up being employed by Miss Marchmont.  A woman who was generous with her money and who promised Lucy that she would leave her behind with money so that she would be taken care of.  This of course gets promised right before she dies, and so with no time to change her will, Miss Marchmont leaves Lucy nothing.   Penniless and with no place to live, Lucy heads for London.  She belives that in London she will find some work.  I thought this to be brave of her, considering she had no clue as what to expect in a city she was not acquainted with.  Once in London she hops on a ship and finds herself heading towards France.  On this boat she befriends Miss Fanshawe, a young girl on her way to boarding school in Villette.  And just like that, Lucy decides to head to Villette and look for work.  Soon enough she finds herself working for Madame Beck (the woman from the school that Fanshawe mentioned).  One minute she is taking care of some children and the next thing we know Lucy is standing in from of a classroom teaching English.  It seems as if Villette is inspriring Lucy to blossom in so many ways.  Of course, this must mean that romance is on the horizon and lo and behold enter the doctor.  Hmmm. I wonder what will happen next - wink, wink. 
This book is getting good. At first I thought it was a bit slow in pace and slightly odd to have a narrator, who I imagined to be integral to the story, be so distanced from the action.  Of course, upon reflection, I find that I like that Lucy was not thrown in right away - it was a good introduction to a character that takes awhile to open up.  She seems more comfortable describing the scene around her than participating in it.  Of course, now that she is in Villette, that is all changing.  We are getting to know an adventurous Lucy - or at least that is how I see her.  Plus, now I'm enjoying the writing - it slowly unfolds- which is the perfect pace for this story (I see that now).  And if I'm honest, I was a bit surprised to find out that Villette was not the name of the main character  - yes, I admit that I thought Villette was going to be a person, not a city.  Oh well, I've gotten over my initial surprise and now I'm in deep.  This book is just getting better and better.

I'm glad Wallace at Unputdownables decided to arrange this shared read - its definitely turning out to be a fun and interesting experience.  Join in on the fun, if you fancy reading about Lucy Snowe and her life in Villette.  Or if you've already read the book, leave me a comment and let me know if Lucy does find her happy in this book. Well, I'm off to read some more Villette and will be posting about the next few chapters next week. Cheers!

The Ingram Interview: A Novel by K. B. Dixon

 

From back of book:

"As a rule I have a tendency to be in favor of moderation - except when it comes to temperature.  Sixty degrees, like it is today, is roughly speaking the climatic equivalent of the middle way.  It's bland - like modesty.  It's probably my least favorite temperature.  It's neither stimulating nor stupefying.  It's blah - like chicken broth."

The Ingram Interview, K. B. Dixon's unrepentantly quirky new novel, weaves its way interrogatively through the life of Daniel Ingram, a retired, none-too-healthy English professor who has been kicked out of an assisted-care facility, because he was depressing other residents.  Moving in temporarily with a former student of his - a young art-film maker named Michael Berger - Daniel works fitfully on a ramshackle memoir as he continues to pursue a reconciliation with his absent ex-wife. 

My thoughts:

This review will be short, since I can't seem to find much to write about this book.  All I can say about it is that I found it to be both interesting and odd.  This is a book told entirely in the form of Q&A, hence the term "interview" included in the title.  At first I was a bit put off by this format, but I quickly adjusted and found that I enjoyed reading the story unfold in this manner.  Actually, its not really a story, but more of a peek into the day to day life of  Daniel Ingram, a man who is not terribly likeable - mainly because he is not very interesting and rather aloof towards people.  However, I still found myself wanting to find out whether or not Daniel would be moving in with his ex-wife or if Michael's movie would be a hit - so, I kept reading.  At the end of the day, it was a strangely satisfying read.  I found myself dipping in and out of the book throughout this past week and enjoying the fact that I was able to do so with such ease and without any disruption to my reading flow.  Definitely a book I'm glad I read - mainly because it inspired me to start branching out a bit more with my reading habits.  Instead of picking up what is familiar to me, I need to start embracing the unfamiliar. 

Well, I'm off to read some Villette (which is unfamiliar to me, because I'm not a huge fan of the classics).  Happy Reading!

And, thank you, Ken for The Ingram Interview!

Book Giveaway!

Hi all! Today I'm going through my book piles and getting rid of a few books that fall under two categories:
1. Books I've read and will not be reading again (and yes this includes books that I did enjoy)
2. Books I purchased ages ago and never read

Its first come, first serve.  Leave a comment with the name of the book you want and if you are the first one, then you get it. Just don't forget to include your email so that I can contact you for details as to where to ship it. And I must mention that this is only open to the US - sorry, but can't really afford to be shipping all over at the moment. 

Here are the books:

Good Luck!!

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough: A Novel by Ruth Pennebaker

From back of book:

Joanie's ex-husband is having a baby with his new girlfriend.  Joanie won't be having any more babies, since she's decided never to have sex again.

But Joanie still has her teenage daughter to care for.  And, thanks to the recession, her elderly mother, too.  Joanie's back in the workforce - at an Austin ad agency - trying to support them all.  Her daughter texts unceasingly and her mother brags about "Goggling", but Joanie is still trying to figure out her office computer.  And how to fend off her coworker Bruce, since she's decided never to have sex again.

Joanie, Caroline, and Ivy are stuck under the same roof, and it isn't easy.  But sometimes they surprise each other - and themselves.  And sometimes it's possible to undo the mistakes of the past, like deciding never to have sex again...

My thoughts:

This book is hilarious.  I absolutely enjoyed reading Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough - with a title like that, who wouldn't?  From the beginning you are captivated by the three depressing lives of Joanie, Caroline and Ivy.  All three women hail from different generations and find themselves forced to live under the same roof.  Joanie is divorced; about to turn fifty; struggling at her ad exec job;dealing with a teen- aged daughter who ignores her; and a mother who is constantly calling her Roxanne and criticizing her.  Oh and her ex-husband Richard is marrying a super young woman who is also pregnant with his baby.  Caroline is Joanie's teen-aged daughter; who hates being flat-chested; lusts after a classmate who only talks to her when he needs help with an assignment;  has one friend named Sondra; pretends to text whenever her mother is around because she doesn't want to talk with her; and believes her grandma Ivy to be racist.  Ivy is living with her daughter Joanie (who she still calls Roxanne - which is Joanie's real first name); shoplifts scarves from boutiques in town; befriends a waitress named Lupe (her first Mexican friend, who happens to be illegal, which is another first for Ivy);  favors a son who never calls or visits; wishes her granddaughter would embrace religion; and is depressed at having lost her home and monies due to the recession, which forced her to move in with her daughter (which means she feels more like an intruder than a resident in the house).  Combined together, all these emotions collide with each other on a daily basis and create quite a handful of arguments amongst these three women.  Basically, this is very entertaining reading. 

Pennebaker does a great job at developing each woman's character and sharing with us the fears and hopes that they discover as the story unfolds.  You get to know these women and find yourself wanting them to embrace their inner strength and move forward with their lives.  Its heartbreaking to read about how each woman appears so unaware of the other's pains, because of their refusal to trust and communicate.  You just want to shake them awake and tell them to snap out of it.  You want to be there for them when they need someone and you want to cheer them on when the fog begins to clear and they slowly begin to look around and notice that life is really not all that bad.  This a book that keeps you wanting more.  Its definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a fascinating look at the realities of divorced life, high school humiliations and the not-so-golden years. 

Thanks to Trish from TLC for allowing me to participate in the TLC tour of Ruth Pennebaker's, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough: A Novel.