Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART SIX) (2010)
I have seen Moll Flanders in the not too distant past but I wish I had paid more attention to the fact that it protrayed a female main character written by a man. I only remember feeling so sorry for her. As to Bleak House. I do have the DVD which isn't the same as reading the book but will let you know what I think. I can't imagine the Jane Austin books written by a man. nina
Nina wrote: "I have seen Moll Flanders in the not too distant past but I wish I had paid more attention to the fact that it protrayed a female main character written by a man. I only remember feeling so sorry f..."Nina, I'll have to search for the DVDs of those films. Right now the family is here visiting. So I'll do it later. Thanks for mentioning the films. I didn't know that films had been made of those stories. Never even thought about it.
I knew there had been at least one movie production of Moll Flanders, and several dramatic adaptations of Bleak House; but I've never had a chance to see any of them all the way through. Because of family responsibilities, etc., I only saw bits and pieces of the Masterpiece Theater production of Bleak House in, I think, the early 90s (the one with Diana Rigg as Lady Dedlock), though I really liked what I saw; and I've only seen the ending of Moll Flanders. That movie apparently followed the plot of the book (roughly), but telescoped time considerably; at the conclusion of Moll's story, she was still a young woman, where in the book, I know that she's around 60 years old at that point. :-)
I'm about halfway through Company of Liars by Karen Maitland. Set in England during the Plague time, circa 1348. Interesting, mysterious characters traveling together out of necessity, none really caring for the others, then they start to die. No, not of Plague.
Good Stuff.
Good Stuff.
Just started the latest Bernard Cornwell book The Burning Landhttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64...
Uhtred (the pagan) serves his converted-Christian King Alfred circa 800AD, while he still honors his own Nordic gods Odin and Thor, and disdains the 'nailed Christian God'. Everything decided by the axe and sword, or threat of them. Slavery, rape&pillage and other savagery are accepted as commonplace. Cornwell and Bloody Olde England, I can't get enough of him.
I read a wonderful children's book by Katherine Patterson titled, "Parcel of Patterns," that was set in England at the time of the black plague. It was a page turner. And wasn't it a woman writing under a man's name who wrote, "Silas Marner?" nina
Yes, Nina, Silas Marner was written by George Eliot --whose real name was Mary Ann Evans. In the 19th century, it wasn't uncommon for women writers to use a male pen name, in order to avoid the prejudice of some publishers and readers against female authors. For instance, Charlotte Bronte wrote as "Currer Bell;" her sister Anne was "Acton Bell." (Interestingly, though, Dickens deduced that Currer Bell had to be female, because of her insight in portraying female characters --a point that lends some credence to Joy's original question above.)
Werner wrote: "... For instance, Charlotte Bronte wrote as "Currer Bell;" her sister Anne was "Acton Bell." (Interestingly, though, Dickens deduced that Currer Bell had to be female, because of her insight in portraying female characters --a point that lends some credence to Joy's original question above.)"Werner, that's very interesting! It's good to know that. There's nothing like a little validation. :)
Thank you, Werner, Katherine, Earl, and Nina for your info and links. We are still playing host to the family this weekend. So I haven't had much time to follow up on the posts, but it's always interesting to read them. Everyday I learn a little bit more about what's out there in the Book World.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Thank you, Werner, Katherine, Earl, and Nina for your info and links. We are still playing host to the family this weekend. So I haven't had much time to follow up on the posts, but it's always int..."I am going to throw in another point of view author of a different gender; what about Dickens' "Little Dorrit?" nina
That's one I haven't read (although I want to sometime), so I can't comment on it directly. But it's actually fairly common for writers to make use of an opposite-sex viewpoint character (in the third person), as opposed to an actual first-person narrator of the opposite gender --which I think isn't as common.
Werner wrote: "That's one I haven't read ... so I can't comment on it directly. But it's actually fairly common for writers to make use of an opposite-sex viewpoint character (in the third person), as opposed to an actual first-person narrator of the opposite gender --which I think isn't as common."Werner, thanks for explaining the difference. It's a hard thing to put into words.
Earlier this week, I started reading How Far to Bethlehem?, a novel about the Magi by 20th-century British historical fiction writer Norah Lofts. I'm a member of the Norah Lofts fan group here on Goodreads, though that's mostly because it was started by one of my Goodreads friends, who invited me --I've actually read only four of Lofts' books (she wrote dozens), though I did like them. I'd promised another Goodreads friend in the group that I'd read Lofts' nonfiction work, Women in the Old Testament, which I plan to get to sometime this spring; but I thought this novel, which had been on my to-read shelf for awhile, would be a good lead-in to the former book.
Werner wrote: "Earlier this week, I started reading How Far to Bethlehem?, a novel about the Magi by 20th-century British historical fiction writer Norah Lofts. I'm a member of the Norah Lofts fan group here on ..."Werner, thanks for reminding me about Norah Lofts. I've always enjoyed historical fiction. Her books are a good bet for pleasurable reading and learning something at the same time. I've read several of them in the past, but as you say, there are plenty more.
I checked out Lofts' Wiki page. It says:
"Norah Lofts, née Norah Robinson, (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it."
Her Wiki page is at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Lofts
Of course, it lists her novels. It also mentions which of her novels were made into films. It might be fun to read the novel and then watch the film, if available.
Finally finished Ben Ames Williams' "House Divided". It was a chore, but well worth it. The author interweaves a family with historic events, as John Jakes did 30 years later. The Abraham Lincoln connection adds an element of historical interest that makes the novel a step above others of that genre. 4 1/2 Stars.Also finished "Not My Daughter" by Barbara Delinski, an escape novel for me. The story of 3 teens who make a pregnancy pact and the way family, friends, the school and finally, the media handle it makes the story worth reading. 3 Stars
"A Reliable Wife" was next. Robert Goolrick takes the story of a mid-western businessman advertising for a wife, puts in numerous twist and turns, and gets such a suspenseful novel that I read it in a few hours. 4 Stars
Into the mix I threw Anthony Bourdain's "A Cook's Tour". I wasn't so lucky with this one. There was something about the style that didn't hold my interest. Sorry to say, I just skimmed through that one. 2 Stars
I'm into a few pages of "The Piano Teacher" by Janice Y.K. Lee. Sort of reminds me of "The Painted Veil". Will report more on that impression when I get into it more.
Katherine wrote: "Finally finished Ben Ames Williams' "House Divided". It was a chore, but well worth it. The author interweaves a family with historic events, as John Jakes did 30 years later. The Abraham Lincoln c..."Katherine, you're an inspiration to keep me reading. Thanks for the thumbnail reviews of all those books. I haven't read one of them or any other books by those authors. Now maybe I will!
House Divided by Ben Ames Williams
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
(Wow - have you read the author description at: Barbara Delinsky? I like the way she wrote the description of her life. If her books are anything like that, I want to read them!)
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Just started Oryx and Crake last night. I'd started it once before, and put it down, but this time I am caught. Her characterizations are fascinating to read.
RE: Sydney Sheldon (1917-2007)I recently listened to an audio version of the following autobiography: The Other Side of Me by Sidney Sheldon (first published in 1995). He tells about how he got his start as a screenplay writer in Hollywood after many ups and downs. Eventually, he won an Oscar for writing "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" which was chosen as the Best Original Screenplay of 1947. He also won a shared award for the writing of "Easter Parade" in 1949.
After going into TV, he created the following shows: "The Patty Duke Show", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "Hart to Hart". It was interesting to learn the details of how those shows came about and how things progressed behind the scenes with all the different show-business personalities.
This autobiography is tremendously interesting to me because I enjoy hearing about things which have gone on behind the scenes. The book is read by Mike O'Malley (who plays "Jim" on the TV series "Yes, Dear"). He does a good job with the reading, giving dramatic tone to the quotes of different people whom Sydney Sheldon mentions.
It was interesting to learn that Sydney Sheldon dictated his books to a secretary. Before he wrote novels, he was a successful screen writer for films and TV, a producer, and a director. He wrote his first book (at about the age of 55) after the idea for the plot nagged at him for a while. The book, The Other Side of Midnight (1974), turned out to be a bestseller.
At the end of the audio CD, Sheldon (then in his 80s) tells us additional things about himself. There's also a short interview with him. His elderly voice sounds very weak.
SHELDON'S WIKI PAGE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_s...
"Oryx & Crake" was pretty good. Scary, but most post-apocalyptic novels are. They sound soooo possible!I loved "I Dream of Jeannie" back when I was a kid. I watched an episode a few years ago & wasn't as thrilled, although Barbara Eden is just... wow!
Katherine M wrote: "Just started Oryx and Crake last night. I'd started it once before, and put it down, but this time I am caught. Her characterizations are fascinating to read."Katherine M, I see that _Oryx and Crake_ was written by Margaret Atwood. I never know if I should read anything else by her because when I tried reading her novel, The Robber Bride, and couldn't get into it. I couldn't find the plot. :)
However, I enjoyed listening to an audio of her novel, Alias Grace. It seems that each of her books is different in style.
PS-After skimming the GR reviews of _Oryx and Crake_, I see that it's in the science fiction genre. I also see that some GR reviewers panned it. KM, please let us know how you liked it after you've finished reading.
Jim wrote: ""Oryx & Crake" was pretty good. Scary, but most post-apocalyptic novels are. They sound soooo possible!I loved "I Dream of Jeannie" back when I was a kid. I watched an episode a few years ago & wasn't as thrilled, although Barbara Eden is just... wow!"
Jim, I might have known you'd read _Oryx and Crake_, since it SF! What a strange title! :)
As for "I Dream of Jeannie", it was interesting to hear the series creator, Sydney Sheldon, tell about his strange experiences with Larry Hagman who seemed to be jealous of his co-star Barbara Eden. She had all the good parts. :) Oooo, an unintentional double-entendre! LOL
Isn't that silly, when co-stars become jealous? The show was about Jeannie, Hagman should have been content to be there for the ride. I added Oryx and Crake to me To Read list. I have Atwood's The Year of the Flood to read yet.
Jackie wrote: "Isn't that silly, when co-stars become jealous? The show was about Jeannie, Hagman should have been content to be there for the ride. I added Oryx and Crake to me To Read list. ..."
Sheldon said that Hagman was very eager to become famous and to follow in his mother's footsteps to fame. (Of course his mother was Mary Martin.) I guess he finally did it with "Dallas".
As for the two Atwood books, the SF Dystopia genre seems to be a very popular one.
I'd imagine those in the entertainment field have a drive to become famous. Jeannie was a stepping tone for Hagman, he sure became a popular name with the JR character. It was quite the buzz at the time.Post-apocalyptic is very popular too. Scifi fans like big imagination.
Gee, Larry Hagman is 78 yrs old now.Barbara Eden is 75.
Talk about Dystopia! LOL
LOLI saw a picture of Barbara Eden, not too long ago, and she's still a beautiful woman.
Jackie wrote: "LOLI saw a picture of Barbara Eden, not too long ago, and she's still a beautiful woman. "
Yes, she has lovely features.
She always made me want to drop one wing & run in circles.Joy, you'll probably want to look that up, if you don't know already. Dropping one wing & running in circles is something the male quail do to court the female. Pretty sure it's quail any way. I think it fits most male reactions to a beautiful woman pretty well, though. We do tend to get goofy.
;-)
Jim wrote: "She always made me want to drop one wing & run in circles.Joy, you'll probably want to look that up, if you don't know already. Dropping one wing & running in circles is something the male quail..."
LOL - I searched for YouTube videos of bird mating dances, but instead found this which is pretty amazing:
http://boingboing.net/2009/03/03/bird...
It looks real. It couldn't be something like CGI could it?
Jackie wrote: I added Oryx and Crake to me To Read list. I have Atwood's The Year of the Flood to read yet.
The only other book of hers that I've read so far is The Handmaid's Tale, and finally, on the second reading I appreciated it. I read it when it first came out, and it only made me mad.
Joy, you may find that one more satisfying, the plot is more defined. I haven't read Robber Bride, but it is on my shelf to read.
The only other book of hers that I've read so far is The Handmaid's Tale, and finally, on the second reading I appreciated it. I read it when it first came out, and it only made me mad.
Joy, you may find that one more satisfying, the plot is more defined. I haven't read Robber Bride, but it is on my shelf to read.
Katherine M wrote: "The only other book of hers that I've read so far is The Handmaid's Tale, and finally, on the second reading I appreciated it. I read it when it first came out, and it only made me mad.Joy, you may find that one more satisfying, the plot is more defined. I haven't read Robber Bride, but it is on my shelf to read. "
KM, thanks for the tip. I like a well-defined plot.
PS-Below is the one quote I have saved on my computer from Robber Bride:
=====================================================
"...at this age, what they say is that you trim the body at the expense of the face. It comes off the hips, but off the neck first. Then you get chicken neck."
-p. 89, "The Robber Bride" by Margaret Atwood, 1993, pocketbook edition
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PPS-Wait, I found more! ====>
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"Old money whispers, new money shouts... nervous money, bad-taste money, chip-on-the-shoulder money."
-p. 96 "The Robber Bride" by Margaret Atwood, 1993, pocketbook edition
=====================================================
I notice you didn't disagree with me, Jackie.;-)
Jim, I think Barbara Eden in the Jeannie outfit had that effect on all men. At the time, that outfit was pretty racy.
Jackie wrote: "Jim, I think Barbara Eden in the Jeannie outfit had that effect on all men. At the time, that outfit was pretty racy."I remember reading or hearing somewhere that at first they wouldn't let Barbara Eden's belly-button show, but later on they did. How times have changed, even since then!
The nude scene with the girls getting into the hot tub in "Charlie Wilson's War" surprised me. Did they allow that in the theaters or only on the DVD?
I'm not 100% sure, but I'm going to say, it was probably in the theatrical version. Unless the copy you watched specifically said 'Director's Cut', there wouldn't be any additional scenes integrated in the movie. On DVDs, scenes cut for whatever reason will only appear on 'deleted scenes', not as part of the movie unless it's a Director's Cut, which is a different, extended version.
The DVD wasn't the "Director's Cut" so I assume those gals were seen in the theater.
I have started reading "Girls Like Us" by Sheila Weller.It's biographies of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. The author takes yearly segments, such as 1961-1965, and focuses on each woman and their life at that particular time. Those women were responsible of many of the songs of my generation.
A standout quote about Carole King:"She had many verses in the song of her life". Love it!
Katherine wrote: "I have started reading "Girls Like Us" by Sheila Weller. It's biographies of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. The author takes yearly segments, such as 1961-1965, and focuses on each wom..."Thanks, Katherine. I love biographies.
Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation (2006)
GOODREADS DESCRIPTION:
"A groundbreaking and irresistible biography of three of America's most important musical artists -- Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon -- charts their lives as women at a magical moment in time."
This book is also available as an audio book. It might be a good choice for me since I have so many fiction books on the back burner waiting to be read. I'll try to find it at our library. I see it in the online catalog.
I must thank Werner for recommending the fantasy: Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson (1995) by Zenna Henderson. I've started reading it and am hooked!Actually, I'm reading the first part of the book which had originally been published as a separate book entitled Pilgrimage: The Book of the People. I also have Ingathering from the library and will probably continue with the stories in that book later.
Below is some related info about this particular book (Pilgrimage) which I'm currently reading:
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RE: Pilgrimage: The Book of the People by Zenna Henderson
Publisher: Doubleday & Co, Inc. 1961
From back of cover page:
(Copyright 1952 by Mercury Press, Inc.)
(Copyright 1961 by Zenna Henderson)
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NOTE: In Ingathering, this story, Pilgrimage, starts the book off and has the title: "Interlude Lea 1" instead. They don't seem to use the title Pilgrimage at all. I suppose that when it was incorporated into the larger book, the name-change was made. The GR description of Ingathering explains more about this, since Ingathering is actually a collection of 17 different stories by Henderson published at different times, most of them in magazines. Therefore, bridging material between the stories has been included. Ingathering contains a list of "Copyright Acknowledgments" for each of the separate stories.
PS-I'm reading Pilgrimage from the smaller book because it's easier to hold and handle than the larger, heavier book which is a collection of all the stories.
Glad you're enjoying these stories, Joy! (We'll make a science fiction fan out of you yet. :-))
Werner wrote: "Glad you're enjoying these stories, Joy! (We'll make a science fiction fan out of you yet. :-))"LOL - Werner, I think you already have! At least I'm enjoying certain books in the genre... the gentle ones. :) I just finished writing up a review of Terry Brooks' The Black Unicorn, which I enjoyed and which you and several others recommended as the type I might like.
PS- For those who might be interested, my review of The Black Unicorn is at:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joy, Magic Kingdom was the best of the series, IMO. Each sucessive novel is a little less than the previous one. That's often the case with series. I finished Kingdom of the Grail, it was good. Not great but adequate. Predictable.
Just started Lightning by Dean Koontz late last night. I read it in the late 80s and loved it. One of my groups is reading it and I always wanted to re-read it so now's the time I suppose. I'm only 40 pages in and I have no real memory of any of the events so far. Just a vague familiarity. I'm anticipating enjoying it this time around as well.
Jackie wrote: "... Just started Lightning by Dean Koontz late last night. I read it in the late 80s and loved it. ..."GR says Koontz writes in the following genres:
Horror, Mystery & Thrillers, Science Fiction & Fantasy
In which of these does _Lightening_ fit in?
GR says Koontz writes "tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human." Sounds interesting. Do all his stories include horror? Somehow I've gotten that impression. So I've never wanted to read his stories.
It's not your typical horror, more like the horrible things we are capable of. But don't despair, one of the best things about Koontz's characters is their innate goodness to counterbalance the evil. There's always hope and good always wins. He also uses a lot of humor in his charactes which is a refreshing change from all the doom and gloom we usually get in the horror genre.Lightning has time travel s that fits the scifi aspect of it. Why the person is time travelling is the mystery. The thriller part is the events that take place. I've forgotten most of it so I can't really say if it's a genuine horror, but so far, no.
I think all novels are part fantasy, but by the truest sense of the fantasy genre, then no, Lightning does not fit that category.
Jackie wrote: "It's not your typical horror, more like the horrible things we are capable of. But don't despair, one of the best things about Koontz's characters is their innate goodness to counterbalance the e..."Jackie, I think that eventually I will try Koontz' Lightning to see for myself what he's like. Thanks for explaining.
I read a few of Koontz's books many years ago, and enjoyed them, but they seemed to kind of run into each other after a while. Lightening sounds different though, and I love anything with time travel. I'll try this one out. Thanks. :)
Katherine M wrote: "I read a few of Koontz's books many years ago, and enjoyed them, but they seemed to kind of run into each other after a while. Lightening sounds different though, and I love anything with time travel. ..."KM, time travel is such a great idea. I wonder who first originated the idea. I guess it goes back as far as H.G. Wells and his book, The Time Machine (1895), or perhaps further back than that. Anybody know?
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "... time travel is such a great idea. I wonder who first originated the idea. I guess it goes back as far as H.G. Wells and his book, _The Time Machine_ (1895), or perhaps further back than that. Anybody know?"H.G. Wells was far from the first originator of the idea Time Travel. See the following info from Wiki about the origins of the concept of Time Travel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_tra...
Wiki says it goes way back, as far as 700 BC:
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700s BCE (Before the Christian/Common Era) to 300s CE - Mahabharata:
"Ancient folk tales and myths sometimes involved something akin to travelling forward in time; for example, in Hindu mythology, the Mahabharata mentions the story of the King Revaita, who travels to heaven to meet the creator Brahma and is shocked to learn that many ages have passed when he returns to Earth."
200s to 400s CE - Talmud
720 CE - "Urashima Tarō"
1733 - Samuel Madden’s Memoirs of the Twentieth Century
1771 - Louis-Sébastien Mercier’s L'An 2440, rêve s'il en fût jamais
1819 - Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle"
...
"More recently, Washington Irving's famous 1819 story "Rip Van Winkle" deals with a similar concept, telling the tale of a man named Rip Van Winkle who takes a nap at a mountain and wakes up twenty years in the future, where he has been forgotten, his wife deceased, and his daughter grown up."
...
Backwards time travel seems to be a more modern idea, but the origin of this notion is also somewhat ambiguous. ...
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_tra...
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Thanks, Werner. I haven't read Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders (Wordsworth Classics) or Dicken's Bleak House. So I can't comment on them.
The GR descriptions says that Moll Flanders was "written by Defoe in 1722 under a pseudonym so his readers would think it an actual journal of the ribald fortunes and misfortunes of a woman in eighteenth-century London..."
"Defoe seems to have taken his characters so deeply into his mind that he lived them without exactly knowing how," wrote Virginia Woolf.
Hmmm, that IS intriguing! :)
I see that it's available to be read online. Below is one of the many links I found for reading it online:
http://www.readbookonline.net/title/1...
Here's another one:
http://www.literaturepage.com/read/mo...
One of these days maybe I'll bend my mind to it. :)