bookshelves: currently-reading
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bookshelves: biography
This is a good overview for those who are only generally interested in the life of Lucille Ball, but hardcore fans may prefer the longer biography written by Kathleen Brady, written after her passing.
Charles Higham had the advantage of interviewing Miss Ball and several of her contemporaries, and even for this, he is remarkably harsh in his discussions of her later life; her cutting remarks regarding Desi, Jr. and how difficult she was to work with are covered in great, uncomfortable detail. It's clear from this narrative that she never stopped loving Desi, though they could not remain married to one another and still maintain any semblance of sanity. Gary Morton was a much more suitable husband for a lady as mercurial and quick-tempered as Lucy.
For fans who are very familiar with Lucille Ball and her work, there will be no new information here. For those who are new to her, or just casual admirers, it's a good start. I found nothing that was glaringly erroneous and nothing salacious. In a market of "biography" which is really just a means to express the author's base fantasies, I found Higham's approach to the comedy icon that is Lucy refreshing. ]]>
bookshelves: historical-fiction
Margaret Prior is a very proper young Englishwoman. She is a Lady Visitor at Millbank prison; meant to show the wayward ladies how to behave themselves in an upright, appropriate fashion. One prisoner intrigues her more than the others, and this is where our story takes flight.
Sarah Waters has a masterful grasp of Victorian London - the deadly smog, the dismal prison system, and the severely limited opportunities for women. The world of spiritualists and their craft is also explored in some detail. Waters writes in a style that pulled me in and refused to let me go until the final page was turned, at which point the story still wouldn't release me. I've spent a great deal of time since finishing the book, thinking about its twists and turns and how I might have reacted to some of the situations in which Miss Prior found herself. I was thoroughly surprised by the ending (a rare feat nowadays) and I cared a great deal about the main characters.
If this is an indication of Sarah Waters' writing style, I'm very excited to read her other novels. An author with this sort of gift for storytelling comes along but rarely, and should be celebrated. ]]>
Graceann
read and liked
Nancy's
review of Making Time: Lillian Moller Gilbreth -- A Life Beyond "Cheaper by the Dozen":
"Well written and impeccably researched, this is an informative biography of the accomplished woman most people know only as the mother in "Cheaper by the Dozen." One of the most interesting parts to me was that Moller Gilbreth grew up in Oa...more "
"Well written and impeccably researched, this is an informative biography of the accomplished woman most people know only as the mother in "Cheaper by the Dozen." One of the most interesting parts to me was that Moller Gilbreth grew up in Oa...more "
bookshelves: biography, memoir
Unfortunately, Winifred Holtby is not well remembered today, even in her home country. The woman who wrote this book, Vera Brittain, has scarcely fared better, despite outliving Holtby by more than thirty years. This is a shame, because they are both worth remembering for numerous reasons. I was deeply moved by Brittain's "Testament of Youth," but if possible, I loved "Testament of Friendship" even more.
Winifred Holtby was a novelist, journalist and human rights activist who was active in the years between the wars. Her life was taken by Bright's Disease in 1935, when she was only 37 years old. In the short time she was here, however, she made her mark, authoring several well-received books, including the classic "South Riding," having a distinctive effect on the publication "Time and Tide" and, most importantly to those who loved her, being an amazing friend to countless people from all walks of life. The disparity of lives in South Africa was a problem especially troublesome to her, and she spent most of her money and energy trying to make her complacent, prejudiced countrymen see reason at a time when it was more convenient to turn a blind eye.
If Holtby had been more comfortably saying "No" to all the requests she received in the course of her professional and private life, she might have lived longer and had a more comfortable life. As it happened, however, she found it very difficult to refuse a plea for assistance from the friends and strangers who constantly found their way to her door. Vera Brittain was her closest friend, and became her biographer. In these pages, Brittain tells us what a singular, fascinating woman Winifred Holtby grew to be, and how much poorer the world is for her loss.
Vera Brittain is a brilliant writer. Her ability to bring people to live through the use of language is admirable, and her pain, still so fresh (Holtby had only been gone four years at the time of the book's release) is palpable. She was also gifted in her choice of Holtby's poetry, letters and fiction in order to express just what we had lost in her passing. ]]>
Libby, thanks for mentioning Ahab's Wife - I just read that last month and it was really interesting. For those who might have avoided it because they haven't read Moby Dick, don't. I think it stands on its own beautifully. ]]>
bookshelves: general-fiction
I was late to the magic of Armistead Maupin, but I'm a devoted follower now. The stories from Barbary Lane are utterly addictive - I've grown to truly care about Mary Ann, Mona, Mrs. Madrigal, Michael and all the others. Maupin writes evocatively about a time (and he wrote AT a time) in San Francisco when things were changing in a fascinating, exciting way. I'm not sure if a young person could still step off the bus from Cleveland and begin a new life there, as Mary Ann does in the first book, but I'd like to think that life could still be that fresh and interesting.
My favorite character throughout the three books in the series that I've read thusfar is Mrs. Madrigal. Her imperfections are amusing and she makes an excellent mother hen for her errant chicks at Barbary Lane. Nothing seems to surprise her and nothing makes her happier than seeing that everyone is safe in the haven she's created.
By the end of the 750 plus pages in the omnibus, the Tales were no longer just stories. Armistead Maupin has created a world that I enjoyed visiting, and I look forward to finding out what happens next. ]]>
bookshelves: to-read
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