Laurel’s Comments (group member since Aug 06, 2013)

Laurel’s comments from the I Read Therefore I Am group.

I thought it was just a pet but it is a bit strange.

Am up to Chapter 17 (view spoiler)[ and Major Crampas has just suggested to Effi that her husband made up the ghosts as a good story to tell so he looks interesting at work but also to 'improve' her - if true, very controlling and creepy (hide spoiler)]

Yeah it's always good when the boss owes you!

Aww Hilary that sounds awesome! Bless your granddaughters - they sound so sweet!

I love baking too - and all my friends and family are more the eating types which works out just fine cos I love feeding folks!

Lol Ellie - One chapter at a time!

Have finished this month's instalment, reading up about it a little, when originally commissioned it was supposed to be more pictures than text or at least equal I think with the stories expanding on the illustrations but it looks like Dickens just completely took it over and forced them to illustrate what he was writing about. It's still just loosely connected stories about the Pickwick club although this months storyline is being carried over into next month's (view spoiler)[ with the Mr Tupman, Miss Wardle, Mr Jingle love triangle (hide spoiler)] but what I love about reading all his works in chronological order is that you can see how his style develops over time - even in this first work, very loosely plotted as it, you can see the beginnings of Dicken's great skill of creating memorable characters.

Okey dokey then!

Ulli wrote: "Laurel, it's funny because between the two books, I thought that War and Peace was easier to read than Anna Karenina with its sometimes unterminable descriptions. I still liked Anna Karenina, though (I named my dog Laska, after Levin's dog in AK :-))


That makes me feel more positive about it! I did enjoy AK, I think sometimes the sheer size and also the reputation of some of these things can put me off a bit.

You made me think of it with relating everything to winnie the pooh! He might be a bear of very little brain but that little brain is very wise!

I think we must be a bit strange Lee - I'm quite enjoying it! I'm finished this section now so am about to start the America bit - which is probably where the story really starts anyway.
The pickled ear bit was just weird and I had a little giggle at Lud, the reverse Werewolf back up in Dixon's hometown of Staindrop.

Lee have you ever read Pooh And The Philosophers? It goes through all the great thinkers and shows how their philosophies can be demonstrated by the life and sayings of Pooh Bear - silly but fun!

Ellie - that's a shame - we aren't starting straightaway so let us know when they come back in or if you can loan it on your -reader. Lee and I can always read a bit more of Mason & Dixon in the meantime lol!

Ok cool then! I will probably start once I'm done with Effi Briest which should be in early next week if that's ok with everyone?

This is only a small one - my copy is 104 pages so can probably fit it in quite soon. How about you Ellie?

This is the thread for Colm Toibin's Booker shortlisted novella:The Testament of Mary
At the moment me and Ellie are going to be reading this one, if anyone else wants to readalong then please feel free to jump in!

Ok Lee and I are planning to read this one from the Booker shortlist - if any one else would like to join us, pleas do?

Lee - when do you want to start it?

Ulli - all the ones that I've read from your list I've really enjoyed so that makes me look forward to the others!
War & Peace... was supposed to be reading that this year but just couldn't face it (although I really enjoyed Anna Karenina). I think I will need to read it with the group cos it may require some moral support! How did you find it??

Yay! I'll put them in the readalongs folder then

I was reading up on The Pickwick papers and found this on Wikipedia:

There was also a London stage musical version entitled Pickwick, by Cyril Ornadel, Wolf Mankowitz, and Leslie Bricusse. It starred Harry Secombe, later to become more famous as Mr Bumble in the film version of Oliver!. But Pickwick (the musical) was not a success in the United States when it opened there in 1965; in 1969 the BBC filmed the musical as the TV movie Pickwick. Both versions featured the song If I Ruled the World, which became a modest hit for Secombe.

So Hilary you were right Harry Secombe has played Pickwick ;)

Ok so went to library this morning and got The Lowland, The Testament of Mary and We Need New Names so if anyone fancies a readalong of any of those let me know and I will put it in the readalongs folder :)

Started this last night, am about 4 chapters in. Love the writing, it has been very well translated as it doesn't feel stilted at all the way you get with some translations. I'm sure we have lost some of it by not reading it in German but they have done a good job.
Effi seems far too young to be getting married - I know it was the conventions of the time but she really seems very childlike, although that's probably deliberate on Fontane's part. The bit from the first chapter where they (view spoiler)[ sink the berry skins in the pond and she says this is what happens to women who commit adultery in some places gives you a pretty clear indication of where this novel is going (hide spoiler)]