Arctic's comments (member since Dec 12, 2007)

Arctic's comments from the The Rory Gilmore Book Club group.

geez I need to check back here more often.

I really like both Meghan's and Dottie's ideas. Key to Meghan's suggestion, I think, is the *Volunteer* Discussion Leaders, which should help encourage book discussion immensely and spread the burden of getting people more involved. I know the scifi group does this and seems to have decent success with it. I had been wondering if it might be an option here as well.

Dottie's suggestion of reading the books chronologically, as they appeared on the show, appeals to me too, and would definitely lightened the math load for the mods.

And, as an additional semi-related aside while I'm at it, I've always thought having episode discussion threads in the GG discussion section of the group would be good too. Many of the books I'm sure were intentionally selected for their episode, and I've always thought it would be interesting to explore those literary connections. If we do read the books in episode order, we could start-up episode threads simultaneously, or perhaps just work more show discussion into the book threads if we don't want to separate the two.

anyway, my ten cents. glad people are talking about this.

I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, what kind of a book club is it if we no longer have monthly selections?

On the other hand, I don't have the time to participate anymore like I did when I first started posting here, and it shows, so I should be the last to complain. Allows for plenty of time to catch up on the Rory books I've allowed to "languish" or have never even started, at least.

cancer patient yeah. hard to recognize her without hair. I think Mrs Kim was on Grey's once too.

brideshead revisited is another one like Vanity Fair that I find intimidating for no good reason. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it when you're finished.

Marion, here's the website, I think:
http://www.84charingcrossroad.co.uk

I'm finally into the rack-punch, and picturing founder's day....good analogy.

"That bowl of rack punch was the cause of all this history. And why not a bowl of rack punch as well as any other cause? Was not a bowl of prussic acid the cause of Fair Rosamond’s retiring from the world? Was not a bowl of wine the cause of the demise of Alexander the Great, or, at least, does not Dr. Lempriere say so?—so did this bowl of rack punch influence the fates of all the principal characters in this “Novel without a Hero,” which we are now relating. It influenced their life, although most of them did not taste a drop of it."

also have to say I love how he starts chapter six by apologizing for chapter five and then proceeding to summarize it in one short paragraph. too funny!

as for my current choice of lunch companion, at first I thought, well of course, it has to be Becky. but there is something to be said for polite kindness I think, especially if we're talking mere acquaintances. so, if it's just one lunch, maybe Amelia is the better choice. Also, since I relate well to Becky at this point, and as she has said that Amelia is "the only person to whom she could attach herself in the least[; and who could help attaching herself to Amelia?:]", it stands to reason that I would like her too.

you're in good company regarding Patrick Stewart fandom - if I recall correctly there's more than a few fans in this group. :) I saw him perform Othello once in DC and he was only like ten feet away from me - it was heaven! *sigh*

I had the same reaction to UP. thought it was pretty gutsy to make a kids movie about an elderly man. but at the same time I think it's great to try to get kids to relate to people outside their age range. plus as you mention, plenty of kiddie elements to draw them in regardless. what it made me think of in some ways actually, was Gran Torino (excellent Eastwood film btw).

about Last Chance Harvey - definitely an understated piece. At the end I found myself wishing it had lasted longer though.

ashamed to admit that I still haven't gotten to that part yet... but I'll keep an eye out for it certainly. :) Thanks for the heads up!

some quotes I've highlighted thus far:

"It was but one minute that she had left school, and the impressions of six years are not got over in that space of time. Nay, with some persons those awes and terrors of youth last for ever and ever."

"“Revenge may be wicked, but it’s natural,” answered Miss Rebecca. “I’m no angel.” And, to say the truth, she certainly was not."

"All the world used her ill, said this young misanthropist, and we may be pretty certain that persons whom all the world treats ill, deserve entirely the treatment they get. The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly kind companion; and so let all young persons take their choice."

"I am a thousand times cleverer and more charming than that creature, for all her wealth. I am as well bred as the Earl’s grand-daughter, for all her fine pedigree; and yet every one passes me by here. And yet, when I was at my father’s, did not the men give up their gayest balls and parties in order to pass the evening with me?"

"At all events, if Rebecca was not beginning the world, she was beginning it over again."

"What causes young people to “come out,” but the noble ambition of matrimony? What sends them trooping to watering-places? What keeps them dancing till five o’clock in the morning through a whole mortal season? What causes them to labour at pianoforte sonatas, and to learn four songs from a fashionable master at a guinea a lesson, and to play the harp if they have handsome arms and neat elbows, and to wear Lincoln Green toxophilite hats and feathers, but that they may bring down some “desirable” young man with those killing bows and arrows of theirs? What causes respectable parents to take up their carpets, set their houses topsy-turvy, and spend a fifth of their year’s income in ball suppers and iced champagne? Is it sheer love of their species, and an unadulterated wish to see young people happy and dancing? Psha! they want to marry their daughters."

"Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you, and many a fanciful young creature besides Rebecca Sharp has indulged in these delightful day-dreams ere now!"

"We have talked of Joseph Sedley being as vain as a girl. Heaven help us! the girls have only to turn the tables, and say of one of their own sex, “She is as vain as a man,” and they will have perfect reason. The bearded creatures are quite as eager for praise, quite as finikin over their toilettes, quite as proud of their personal advantages, quite as conscious of their powers of fascination, as any coquette in the world."



Thackeray seems half Jane Austen and half Oscar Wilde to me at times.

Welcome everyone!

Chalk me up as another literature loving science chick. You're in good company. :)

haven't seen Righteous Kill yet, but I do intend to see it at some point. The reviews I've read haven't been great, but who can resist the De Niro / Pacino combo?

Just got back from Terminator Salvation and Christian Bale goodness. :) I can't believe reviews for it haven't been better. I definitely enjoyed it more than T3, and thought overall it was a decent addition to the Terminator franchise.

oh yes - I saw Star Trek as well and absolutely loved it. I'm a fan of the original tv series and The Next Generation with *swoon* Jean Luc, but have not had the Trek bug for awhile now. After this movie though (and (ahem) Mr. Pine(!)), I'm already itching for its sequel! :) Yay popcorn action movies! Most Enjoyable film of 09 for me so far.

More recently I also saw Up which was a completely pleasant surprise. I'd heard it was good but knew nothing about it otherwise, and ended up really enjoying it. Great short at the beginning too, as usual with Pixar.

Watched the documentary last night. And actually I think I liked the HBO retelling even better than the documentary just because it tries to add some backstory. At the same time though, the lack of definite backstory is part of what makes the original the masterpiece that it is. HBO definitely ran with the slant that Little Edie was being repressed by her mother, whereas this wasn't necessarily presented as the fact of the matter in the documentary. So much in life is so convoluted, as Michele mentions, that it's hard to know how events conspired without having been there every step of the way oneself. This I think also meshes with Dottie's initial comments - that there is more to the Beals' stories than is told in any of these films.

My favorite part of the documentary had to be the part where Little Edie is trying to quote Robert Frost. Heartbreaking stuff. Both Edies seemed so promising in their primes and yet... what happened to them? How do people fall so far? it's almost a horror movie of sorts. Is it just them or could this happen to anyone?

Having seen the original also makes me appreciate both Lange's and Barrymore's performances all the more, but especially Lange. She nailed it.

I received the documentary from netflix sometime last week but had yet to be in the mood to watch it. Thanks for the nudge. ;)

Michele's post reminded me that I had wanted to read 84CCR too. so guess what? I went and found a copy on Scribd this morning and promptly read it online in two hours(!). definitely deserves every bit of praise it has gotten here, and is sure to appeal to any Gilmore Girls fan, I think.

a charming read that hearkens back to a forgotten pre-email era when rare books could be had for $5. I wish I had looked it up sooner. I'll definitely have to find a copy for permanent placement in my personal collection - if only there were a Mr. Doel to assist me. :\

I thought for sure just based on the title of this thread that this would be spam. But I have to agree, booksonboard is good. I have found some books there in ebook formats that I haven't been able to find elsewhere.

That said, I also wanted to say that Vanity Fair is in the public domain and available for free in several formats from Gutenberg.org and elsewhere.

Lori, your reading habits sound a lot like mine. :D Good Luck finishing A.K. - and can I vote for Swann's Way?

I was currently reading five books, but I finally finished one, which is great because it makes room for the book that just arrived in the mail the other day. ;) My "other books" currently are Pawn of Prophecy, The Name of the Wind, and just started Rebecca. Every time I come to goodreads, though, I get tempted to start reading a new book. It's a difficult balancing act. :\

recently started this and did a little background check on the novel. It was interesting to learn about the origins of the title.

from Wikipedia:

The book's title comes from John Bunyan's allegorical story The Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1678 and still widely read at the time of Thackeray's novel. Vanity fair refers to a stop along the pilgrim's progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent man's sinful attachment to worldly things.

I'm familiar with the Reese Witherspoon film adaptation, but that's about it. so (possible SPOILERS AHEAD) I was kind of surprised that the focus wasn't on Miss Sharp from the start. But I think it's an interesting way of presenting his non-heroine to the reader, marginalizing and trivializing her. seems to be the theme of the book after all.

so far I'm enjoying it more than I expected. I really was afraid it'd be dry and difficult to get into, but that's not the case at all. it's quite humorous. and apparently Thackeray is a master of the omniscient narrator technique. His commentary seems quite brutal at times and all you can do is take him at his word.

the one on amazon is actually the British version - region 2, PAL encoded. You're in luck though. Looks like Canada - region 1, same as the states - will be getting it on June 30. you can preorder it now:

http://www.amazon.ca/Stone-of-Destiny/dp...

sounds like an interesting film... thanks for mentioning it.

currently about to finish Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It was recommended to me by my brother. it's a quick read and interesting, but I'm not sure I completely buy into what the author is implying. a lot like Freakonomics.

Michele, His Dark Materials and the Hitchhiker's Guide series are two of my all time favorite series ever. glad to hear you enjoyed them too. :)

thought some folks here might be interested in who the next host of Masterpiece will be... ;)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/cont...

ok. so monsters v aliens was really cute. I wish I'd seen it in 3-d though, it would have been even better! still a really fun movie though and very different than I had expected.

I just watched Doubt on dvd last night and found it to be really well done. I highly recommend it to any one looking for a good drama.