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August 21
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Blaise
took the never-ending book quiz.
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August 08
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Blaise
gave
 
to:
The Golden Bowl (Penguin Classics)
by Henry James, Patricia Crick
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended to Blaise by:
my wife
recommended for: highly intuitive readers
read in August, 2008
Blaise said:
"The Golden Bowl is arguably the most challenging novel I've ever read. The Golden Bowl is part of Henry James' final period, which is also referred to as his "third manner". His style in this period used sentences that talk around everyth...more
The Golden Bowl is arguably the most challenging novel I've ever read. The Golden Bowl is part of Henry James' final period, which is also referred to as his "third manner". His style in this period used sentences that talk around everything and paint a picture much like an Impressionist artist rather than just stating what he is trying to say. The reader is left to go on impressions and feelings more than to just read the words. I found this to be a brutal experience, but I was determined to finish it. I first started the book over a year ago, but gave up after 100 pages after reading about ten pages where I literally had no idea what I had just read. This time around, I did find I could understand it better, but there were so many nuances and innuendo that was lost for me that this was mostly a very unenjoyable experience.
The novel centers almost entirely on four characters. I found the characters of the Amerigo and Maggie to be fairly interesting, while Adam Verver and Charlotte were not nearly as well drawn. The metaphor of the golden bowl was probably the most intriguing thing in this book for me. The portions of the book with dialogue, though few and far between, I found much more engaging than the page long psychological explanations.
Another criticism I have is with the way the adultery was treated after its dicovery. It seemed to be completely unrealistic that anyone involved would react the way they did.
Overall, the story is engaging and works quite well, despite the barrier of James' third manner. The ending has a very interesting twist and is actually quite moving. I would really recommend this book for readers who are highly intuitive. My wife is an example and she really loves this book. However, for readers like myself who are not as intuitive, I prefer novels from James' first two periods, which contains books I really love like The American, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Bostonians. ...less
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August 07
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Blaise
gave
to:
Bleak House (Paperback)
by Charles Dickens
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Blaise said:
"Bleak House is Dickens brilliant satire of the legal system. The descriptions of Victorian London are more vivid and imaginative than anything I've read. Every social class is brought to life in an interesting, insightful way. I really enjoyed the...more
Bleak House is Dickens brilliant satire of the legal system. The descriptions of Victorian London are more vivid and imaginative than anything I've read. Every social class is brought to life in an interesting, insightful way. I really enjoyed the central characters, as well as a host supporting characters.
Dickens covers topics as wide ranging as greed, beauty, power, family, class, love, and revenge. He weaves all of this into a superb plot that involves more characters than you can imagine. The more I've pondered this book, that more I've liked it. I will probably read it again someday....less
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July 24
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Blaise
liked a trivia question:
In The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, House Steward Gabriel Betteredge believes that answers to all of life's questions can be found in what book?
see if you know the answer »
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July 17
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Blaise
added War and Peace
to the book list Best Historical Fiction
add a comment »
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July 23
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Blaise
liked a trivia question:
Who was King David's father?
see if you know the answer »
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Blaise
liked a trivia question:
In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ (Official Edition) what was the name of the man who preached along side Alma in the city of Ammonihah?
see if you know the answer »
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July 17
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Blaise
liked a trivia question:
Who dies in the opening pages of Barchester Towers, a classic novel by Anthony Trollope?
see if you know the answer »
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July 15
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New comment on Laura's review of
Eclipse (Twilight Series, Book 3)
(see all 4 comments)
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July 11
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Blaise
gave
to:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Paperback)
by Mark Twain
bookshelves:
all-time-favorite-novels
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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