Litwit Lounge discussion
Lounge: OPEN, please come in...
>
What are you currently reading?
Reggia wrote: "Hi Eleyne-Marie :-)I just looked up Poldark and noted that it'll be coming to Masterpiece. I might have to read it myself now -- love a good character book."
Hi, Reggia! I watched the entire "Poldark" series on PBS. There were five seasons and I just read there will be no more. (https://www.thetealmango.com/entertai...) But if it's replaying on Masterpiece, I definitely recommend it. Watching it inspired me to read the books!
Oh! so it's already been aired. I'm going to see if I can catch a trailer, at least. Love knowing that the series itself inspired you to read the books! I usually like to read the book first, but sometimes I'm caught unaware that there is a book, or I don't think I'll have enough time while it's still showing.Have a great day!
Well, at long last! I finally finished "Demelza" and I really enjoyed it. Even though I rarely watch the film version before reading a book, I’m glad I watched the Poldark television series first. (Winston Graham writes so much description that it was helpful to already know what the landscape looked like.) There’s no denying Graham was a gifted storyteller and he really makes me feel the Cornish cold and the wind and the saltiness of the sea spray. You can tell he did extensive research to ensure his books were historically accurate. I really admire his vision.Now, what shall be my next book? I recently reorganized our home library and there are thousands of books to consider. But it needs to be a classic, maybe something not too heavy, but fun. I choose "Emma" by Jane Austen!
Ever since I read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake back in 2019, I've wanted to read the sequel,
Girl of Nightmares. I've finally gotten hold of a copy and have some time to work it in, so I started on it today!
While I'm waiting to start a common read in another group on Oct. 1, I've started reading the short stories in
Black Pulp (2013), an anthology from Pro Se Press, a small publishing house which specializes in New Pulp. (Since I won't finish all of the stories in this particular stint of reading, the collection goes onto my "being read intermittently" shelf, to dip into again the next time I find myself between books.)
I'm still reading
"Emma," but it's been slow going lately. Unlike other Austen books I have read and enjoyed, I'm not so keen on the protagonist. I've seen the movie and a TV version of the book, so I know how it ends. But Emma's snobbishness is a real turn-off. Alas, I shall persevere...
Her character is not one that I relate to, but I do feel there is redemption of-a-sort there. It's now one of my favorites.
My reaction to the book was similar to Reggia's. At times Emma was so snobby I wanted to shake her, but I felt that her character arc was what made the book a great novel, and it got five stars from me.
Reggia wrote: "Her character is not one that I relate to, but I do feel there is redemption of-a-sort there. It's now one of my favorites."So I should hang in there! Trying...
Werner wrote: "My reaction to the book was similar to Reggia's. At times Emma was so snobby I wanted to shake her, but I felt that her character arc was what made the book a great novel, and it got five stars fro..."Five stars? Well, I'm gonna have to clear my "prejudices" until the bitter end. Fingers crossed!
I'll be interested in your take on the book when you're finished, Eleyne-Mari!
Werner wrote: "I'll be interested in your take on the book when you're finished, Eleyne-Mari!"I'm determined to finish this book ASAP. Like you, I want to shake some sense in her. She's SO young to have such an attitude!
This month, I'm taking part in another group's common read of
The Castle of Otranto (1764) by British author Horace Walpole, which is a novel I've long considered a must-read. Since it's only 110 pages long, at least in the 1964 Oxford Univ. Press printing that I'm actually reading (the one in the link here has a much more attractive cover!), I'm expecting it to be a pretty quick read.
A review copy of
The Flower & The Blackbird by Liane Zane, which I'd been expecting, arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. Liane's a Goodreads friend, and the book is the second installment of her Elioud Legacy trilogy (the series opener, The Harlequin and the Drangue, got four stars from me last year). It came at a fortuitous time; I was just about finished with my previous read, so was able to start on Liane's book this morning! :-)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Emma is my least favourite Jane Austen novel! (Out of the big 6 - I don't know the lesser ones.)"It's my least favorite, too, Jean. In fact, I'm going to shelve "Emma" for now. Even though I love Jane Austen, I'm not enjoying this book at all. I'm finding it way too B-O-R-I-N-G. (Why does it take so long to get from Point A to Point B?) Maybe I'll return to it someday...
Werner wrote: "A review copy of The Flower & The Blackbird by Liane Zane, which I'd been expecting, arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. Liane'..."It's not a classic, but I'm currently re-reading
The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman by Robin Gregory. Really excellent book!
I hope you enjoy the others better Elenye :)Do you know Northanger Abbey? The whole thing is a sort of joke - she was parodying early gothic shockers. But some don't like it for that reason. It's different from the others.
Bionic Jean wrote: "I hope you enjoy the others better Elenye :)Do you know Northanger Abbey? The whole thing is a sort of joke - she was parodying early gothic shockers. But some don't like it for that..."
No, I haven't read that one yet. Just Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
Ah, the biggies and the best! (My favourite of them all is Sense and Sensibility.) Then if you're wondering which to read next, Eleyne, I would suggest Persuasion. It's her final novel, perhaps a little shorter than those two, but definitely the most in keeping. A wonderful read :)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Ah, the biggies and the best! (My favourite of them all is Sense and Sensibility.) Then if you're wondering which to read next, Eleyne, I would suggest Persuasion. It's her..."Thanks for the suggestion, Jean. I've got TONS of classics to catch up on, but I will definitely add it to my list. :)
For an October read, I'm pleased to have finally dusted off my only Arthur Conan Doyle book, The Hound of the Baskervilles and just a few pages in I'm already delighted. We shall see how the remainder goes...
Reggia wrote: "For an October read, I'm pleased to have finally dusted off my only Arthur Conan Doyle book, The Hound of the Baskervilles and just a few pages in I'm already delighted. We shall see h..."I've never read that one! Please keep us posted, Reggia.
JANE SPEAK: I declare there is no greater enjoyment than reading, yet I am greatly distressed for having spent nearly four and sixty days with Jane Austen's "Emma." I have attempted upon numerous occasions to make haste with my reading yet I am certain this book is inferior to the author’s previous tales which I have had the good fortune to enjoy. Despite my earnestness, I simply cannot overlook Emma’s many shortcomings as I consider her neither charming nor prudent. I also grow weary of her associations whom devote lengthy conversations regarding tea and barouches, as well as whether a young unattached woman should have walked to the post office in a light rain.
I consider the entire matter an affront to my most valuable time and intellect. Alas, I am personally committed to the book’s completion so that I may delight my Goodreads book club with an engaging assortment of witticisms and observations. Indeed I am vexed.
HAPPY TALK LIKE JANE AUSTEN DAY!!!
Hahaha - just brilliant Elenye"Jane" :)
I am flattered by your admiration, Madam!
Enjoyed your post, Eleyne, and I look forward to your review whether it be one of admiration or vexation. ;-)To be sure, I wasn't so fond of Emma during my first read either... watching the movie some years later and listening to the audiobook as a "re-read" has deepened my fondness for it considerably.
It certainly can't be compared to P & P which I judge and celebrate on different merits.
Although most Janeites nowadays are female, I'm a guy Janeite who's read (and liked) the whole Austen canon; so I can't resist weighing in here. :-) As I did for most of Austen's novels, I gave Emma five stars (and I didn't give any of them less than four!), though in this case my mental rating was four and 1/2, rounded up. Emma is a much more flawed protagonist than Lizzie Bennett or Elinor Dashwood, so she's a character who has significantly more growing to do. But (at least for me personally) reading the story of a character's growth isn't necessarily less rewarding than reading about one who starts out with her head pretty well on straight already --although I may admire the latter more readily. (So, prithee, let us temper our judgment of Emma with some charity; she is still but young, and as yet somewhat unformed. :-) )All seven of Austen's completed novels have both similarities and differences, and they can be compared and contrasted in fruitful ways; but IMO, there's a very strong continuity of literary vision underlying all of them, which is more significant than the surface stylistic or plot structure differences.
The Boy From The Woods by Harlan Coben
It's unusual for me to start reading two different books in one day, but due to the vagaries of circumstance, that's what I did yesterday. First, I started
Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin, which is a common read in another group. I'd meant to begin on that one a couple of days earlier; but the public library was closed on Tuesday for the state election here in Virginia, and I didn't get a chance to read at all on Wednesday.Then, Barb and I started a new book I'm reading to her,
Avenging Angels: The Wine of Violence, by "A. W. Hart." Like "Franklin W. Dixon" or "Carolyn Keene," that's a house pen name for the different authors who contribute to the series. This is the seventh installment, but I suggested reading it as a stand-alone (which should be possible with these books), because the author is my Goodreads friend Charles Gramlich.
I don't like to read more than one at a time either but I got Sooley from the library and wasn't even finished with the Judge's list.
ღ Carol jinx~☆~☔ʚϊɞ wrote: "I don't like to read more than one at a time either but I got Sooley from the library and wasn't even finished with the Judge's list."Well, it's actually normal for me to be reading two books at a time, one that I'm reading by myself and one that I'm reading to my wife. What's unusual is for me to start two on the same day; usually, I wouldn't have finished both of the previous books so close together, and even then the new ones might still have been started on different days but for coincidental circumstances. :-)
Hello, Everyone! So I finally finished "Emma" and I am greatly relieved. As you know, this was a tough one for me to get through but I thank you all for inspiring me to persevere. Overall, I enjoyed some of the characters (like Mr. Woodhouse and poor Miss Bates) but felt the book d-r-a-g-g-e-d on and on and on. I am glad the young and naive Emma redeemed herself and "sealed the deal" with Mr. Knightley, but I was disappointed with those final pages, which I found to be lackluster. Unlike the joyful movie finale, I didn’t get the sense of any "great happiness of the union," despite my highest expectations. For me, the book ended with no spectacular fireworks, only fizzle.
I’m going to take a break from reading for awhile as I am busy writing my latest book for National Novel Writing Month and numerous articles on Medium. When I return, I hope to read something more intriguing and fast-paced.
Well done Eleyna :) Did I say Emma is actually my least favourite out of all her 6 main novels? (I might not have done - so as not to put you off!) I can quite understand your lack of enthusiasm, which sounds as if it is is for similar reasons.Many people love Emma, but for me the main character isn't as interesting as in Jane Austen's other novels. She does have a journey of sorts, but in essence is just a spoilt little twerp. I've read it several times, including as a complete audio book - and watched various dramatisations - but cannot see her change as a convincing growth of wisdom, and experience (which is I'm sure what the author intended us to believe), but more as Emma being quelled and "tamed".
It's interesting that Emma is the only eponymous heroine in these 6, as I find the others, (who are not named in the titles), much more interesting in themselves - and also different from each other. For me, the novels reach a pinnacle with Sense and Sensibility, with two heroines!
Emma just rides roughshod over any females around her; is dislikeable and not at all appealing. It's interesting that Emma was written earlier, as I feel Emma herself would have benefited from an opposite who wasn't destined to be her (view spoiler). Of course this was de rigueur for the time, as it was thought right and proper for a young lady to be educated and instructed by this person.
I think the most enjoyment from the books is from the side characters, such as the two you mention, who are wonderfully depicted :) And for all my criticisms, it is Jane Austen after all, and stands high above many authors of her time. So I've no doubt that I will read it again, if only for Goodreads :)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Well done Eleyna :) Did I say Emma is actually my least favourite out of all her 6 main novels? (I might not have done - so as not to put you off!) I can quite understand your lack of e...""...but in essence is just a spoilt little twerp." Yep, you got THAT right! Thanks for your insightful response.
On the whole, I don't do a lot of seasonal reading (except, of recent years, around Christmas). But I wanted a short, quick read that I could fit in before I start another common read on Dec. 1; and I really liked Gail Rock's first short novel, The House Without a Christmas Tree. So, although I don't plan to read the whole Addie Mills series, I've embarked on a short seasonal read with the second book,
The Thanksgiving Treasure.
A Connecticut Yankee in King🤴🏻Arthur's Court
As November closes, I'm again filling time before starting another novel (a multi-person buddy read slated to begin on Dec. 1). When in those interludes, I've been reading the short-story collection Black Pulp (which I plan to finish sometime next month); but I have only one unread story there, so it won't fill out the month. So I've started on another anthology,
English Country House Murders.
Along with a few members of another group, this month I'm taking part in a multi-person buddy read of the Christy Award-winning historical novel
Passing by Samaria (1999), by Sharon Ewell Foster. Set in Mississippi and Chicago in the time just after World War I, it focuses on the early 20th-century Great Migration of American blacks from the South (especially the rural South) to the urban North.
Hello, Everyone! Just popping in to let you know I'm celebrating the season with a re-reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens! (Hmmm. I wonder how it ends? LOL) After this I am going to re-read another book from my childhood--Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Cheers!
I've read both books, Eleyne-Marie, and they both got high ratings from me. Happy reading!
Werner wrote: "I've read both books, Eleyne-Marie, and they both got high ratings from me. Happy reading!"Thanks, Werner. This is a real treat after the grueling "Emma!"
Eleyne-Mari, I couldn't agree more. It's probably my favourite story, and was certainly my Dad's :)I'm reading Bleak House for the "n"th time :) This is for a group read, which actually won't start until late January, but it takes me a very long time to prepare all the summaries!
Bionic Jean wrote: "Eleyne-Mari, I couldn't agree more. It's probably my favourite story, and was certainly my Dad's :)I'm reading Bleak House for the "n"th time :) This is for a group read, which actua..."
I've never read that one. So now I have another book for my "To Read" list. Fa-la-la-la-la!
Oh yes, please do get to it some time. Many critics think it's his best :)
ᑕᕼITTY ᑕᕼITTY ᗷᗩᑎG ᗷᗩᑎG💥ᗷY Iᗩᑎ ᖴᒪEᗰIᑎG
This month, a multi-person buddy read of
Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie is going on in another of my group's, and I've recently joined in. Even though I'm late to the party, I'm confident I can finish the book well before Dec. 31, since it's only 178 pages long. This is actually a reread for me; but my previous read was as a pre-teen kid, and my memories of the book are only vestigial.
Litwit Lounge
Books mentioned in this topic
Benito Cereno (other topics)Great Short Works of Herman Melville (other topics)
The House on Vesper Sands (other topics)
The Naming of the Birds (other topics)
Helsing: Demon Slayer (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Herman Melville (other topics)Liane Zane (other topics)
Francine Rivers (other topics)
Heather Day Gilbert (other topics)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (other topics)
More...
I just looked up Poldark and noted that it'll be coming to Masterpiece. I might have to read it myself now -- love a good character book.