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★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
This is another one of Amanda Grange's "diaries" about the men of Jane Austen's world. Colonel Brandon's Diary uncovers the back story of Colonel Brandon, from Sense and Sensibility. In Austen's novel, there are only hints, and bits and pieces, of what Brandon's past contained. I could never be certain who Miss Williams was, nor what possible connection she had with Brandon, regardless of Mrs. Jennings insinuations. Here, Grange imagines what the past held for Colonel Brandon that led to his grave manner, and his deep attachment to Marianne Dashwood.
On reading Sense and Sensibility, I immediately empathized with Brandon, not only because of his affection for Marianne, but for the dark shadow that seemed to plague his past. I had to guess at what took him away from the group trip to Whitwell, and each time I read the novel, I came up with a different scenario, because nothing really seemed to fit quite well. It all basically comes out by the end of the novel, but Colonel Brandon's Diary gave me a more clear and probable explanation, and I loved having all of the little details.
For starters, Brandon was not allowed to marry the woman he was in love with, Eliza. To make matters worse, Eliza, was forced to marry Brandon's older, drunkard brother. It's a sad situation, but it spurs Brandon into joining the army, sending him to India, thus the Colonel status by the time we meet him in S&S. For me, what marks him out as an extraordinary person is his devotion to the people he cares about. Brandon never gave up on Eliza, even when he found her dying of consumption in a debtor's prison. He owed nothing to Eliza's daughter (also named Eliza), but he took care of her and provided for her as if she were his own. Even when Eliza (the daughter) runs off and disappears, he goes to her aid when she finally asks him. With Marianne, he is determined to do anything in his power to see her happy, though it might mean letting her marry someone else. After Marianne's emotional crisis, Brandon still wants only her happiness, and does as she asks, instead of following his own agenda (i.e. trying to woo her when she's still reeling from her own disaster).
Through Grange's novel, I found that Colonel Brandon is a much deeper character than I had previously thought. Certain actions or behaviors I remember from S&S have underlying reasons from his past. For instance, he's a very grave and sad figure, but it's because of the string of tragedies he's had to face. Brandon is also much more generous, both with funds and leniency towards others. He spared no expense when helping his friends, even going so far as to pay for repairs of the Delaford parsonage out of his own pocket (this may have been expected of him, but I thought it was nice). Aside from their age difference, his marriage to Marianne was a perfect match: he gave maturity and affection, while she gave youth and admiration.
Overall, this was a great interpretation of Colonel Brandon's life before and during his appearance in S&S. Like Mr. Darcy's Diary, I saw a great deal that Grange picked up from Austen's novels which I missed, and after I finish reading all of her Austen diary novels, I hope that the next time I read Austen's originals, I'll be able to read them from a new perspective.
★★★★★★★★★★ (7-8/10)
And we're back to Arthur. This time around, my book centers around Gwenhwyfar (try saying that three times fast), instead of a Lady of the Lake. Lackey puts an interesting spin on the legend, and I have to say that, having read this novel, I feel like I need to go back and find different versions of that tale other than the one I know. I never really realized that there was more than one version of the legend of Arthur and Guenevere (alternative spelling), nor that there could be other reasons for the "treason" committed by Guenevere and Lancelot. I got a swift kick to my academic mind with this novel, and I almost feel like I need to go back to school for a longer lesson on Arthurian romance.
The spin that Lackey puts to this tale is that Arthur is married, not once, but three separate times, and each time, it's to a woman named Gwenhwyfar. The story I know has him married only once, and he dies without an air, if you don't count Mordred (Medraut in Lackey's novel). This story is much more interesting because his first wife bears him twin sons. The second leaves him for some random tribal king, and the third is the one that the novel is most concerned with, and she is the one I sympathize with.
Gwenhwyfar's life is not easy. She is the third of four sisters, and her youngest sister is a complete brat who makes her life a living hell on a daily basis. Everything Gwen has, her sister, Little Gwen, wants, even if she'll have no use for it. The only thing that Gwen really wants for herself is to be a warrior, like her idol, the famed horsewoman Braith, but she thinks that her father will never allow it. Luck is on her side, and she gets her wish, but her journey to become the warrior she knows she can be is where you see what kind of person Gwen really is. Out of Little Gwen's reach, she blossoms: she has a discipline that a girl of 12 years would not normally show, and she excels at most of the new skills she learns. Unfortunately, she has to contend with the fact that her father is a king, and she is a princess, which puts a rank barrier between her and her fellow squires. She changes her entire personality to gain their respect, and as her life goes on, she become an invaluable resource to her father and her lands.
I like that Gwen is not the typical Guenevere that the most common tales of Arthur talk about. Yes, Gwen is pretty, but she has spunk, and a warrior spirit, and actual intelligence, rather than being an accommodating, fickle female. Gwen knows how to put her owns wants and needs aside to do what is best for her people, but ultimately, this is what leads to her breaking point. She is selected to be Arthur's third wife, the unwanted part of a desirous horse trade. She knows that by doing this, she will have to give up everything she has worked hard to achieve: the respect of her people, the loyalty of the men she led, and her life on the warrior path. Gwen will have to become a woman, in all senses of the word, which is a role she was never meant to play.
The 7-8 star rating is due to a couple of things. The first is that getting through parts 1 and 2 took forever. They were very important to set up the events that happen in part 3, but I wasn't completely hooked. I felt like there was some element of excitement that was missing, or maybe it just wasn't necessary, but I wanted it to be there; I hoped for something more. The second reason for my indecisiveness is the strange rearrangement of some of the elements of the traditional Arthur tale. Merlin sounds like a common old man, and no one is sure what kind of magic he's ever done. Morgana, who is usually Mordred's mother, is now his aunt, and his real mother is Ygraine's (Arthur's mother) daughter, Anna Morgause. Most of the Knights aren't named, and somehow, Mordred is one of them. These aren't real reasons to not like a book, but the inconsistencies in my head just kept lurking and bothering me.
However, the battle Gwen fights with herself over Lancelin (Lancelot) is what truly drew my attention. She clearly is attracted to him, but believes that he'll never see her as a woman-warrior, just one or the other, and he'd only be attracted to the woman part of her. This is something she couldn't do; she couldn't be one or the other. Gwen had to be both, and though this breaks her heart, she sticks to the path she's chosen. Their affair is short, and their love for each equally so, but Gwen's inner battle with how to live her life, according to her own will or the will of the people, was possibly the best part of Gwenhwyfar for me.
So, I've learned something out of all this: I need to find out what other stories I "know" that have alternative tellings. Just because a legend is common (i.e. Guenevere cheating on Arthur with Lancelot, and being banished or what not), does not mean that it is the only possibility of what happened. Maybe Arthur never loved his Guenevere, or maybe Lancelot's loyalty for Arthur squashed his feelings for Gwen, or maybe Arthur and Lancelot were lovers, and just used Gwen as an scapegoat. Who knows? With a tale like this, there is never going to be an answer. I just have to decide what version I believe.
★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
For those of you who have never read a book from Brian Jacques's Redwall series, you are seriously missing out. I've read these books since I discovered them, sometime around middle school, at my local library, and I've eagerly awaited each new addition, up through Mr. Jacques death earlier this year. They are quaint, yet meaningful; hilarious, yet have lessons to teach; sad, but there's always a feast to bring your spirits back up.
Eulalia! is the 19th book in this charming series of books about woodland creatures, vermin, warriors, heroes, and the joys of a simple life. This time we are introduced first to a badger, Gorath, who is taken prisoner by the fox captain of a ship of raiding vermin (which in this series include rats, ferrets, stoats, and other unseemly creatures). From this point on, Gorath's only real purpose in life is to take revenge on the fox for killing his family and keeping him held captive. Next we meet a young hare maiden, Maudie, whose problem is that she can't seem to get along well with others; she solves her problem by fighting, and this gets her into a good amount of trouble. She is sent on a mission to find "a badger with a flame who travels with the banished one." While she doesn't really know how to do this, she decides her best bet is to go to Redwall, because it is a source of information and shelter. Also important is a young hedgehog named Orkwil, who has a magpie-like obsession with stealing things. After one too many thefts, Orkwil is expelled from Redwall, and is forbidden to return for a whole season. Naturally, these three meet up by interesting means, and, with the help of other friends both new and old, go into battle with both the fox's crew and another horde of evil Brownrats to save Redwall and all of the woodland-dwelling creatures. Happy endings abound, all loose ends are tied up, and everyone ends up wiser, happier, and more sure of who they are and what they should do with their lives.
Now, it's interesting to note that almost every Redwall book follows the same basic format: Redwall is threatened by vermin, and unlikely hero comes forth, and after gathering allies, Redwall and its hero triumph over evil, and life goes back to normal. Ordinarily, I wouldn't like the predictability of this type of series, but the fact is that these books are not predictable at all. I'm never sure what type of villain Jacques is going to come up with, nor the type of hero he'll pull in. Jacques constantly introduces new territories (the Northern Isles, Loamhedge, Salamandastron, etc.) so that the scenery of each novel is completely different. While Redwall Abbey itself does play a significant role is nearly every novel, the surrounding area, and the far off places from which refugees, heroes, and new friends come from are as important and unique as the characters who live in Redwall.
I also love the descriptive quality of Eulalia!. Jacques started telling these tales originally for a school for blind children, so it was necessary to be detailed and creative in his descriptions, and he was very good at what he did. These books always leave me hungry, from the descriptions of all of the different types of food, and they make me feel like talking a walk in the woods just to see the trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and scattered shafts of sunlight that are described in the books. The Redwall series is a treat for the imagination; I can see everything clearly, I can hear the accents of the characters, I can taste the delicious foods, and I can smell the clean air in this peaceful community.
Eulalia! may be a "children's" novel, but I think that it's really a book for children of all ages. Jacques novels are all over 350 pages, and the adventures within are enough to try the emotions of the strongest individuals. Yet, the fortitude and courage of the good citizens of Redwall and Mossflower make me feel that there are good people in the world, and if I try hard enough, I can be one of them. Read these books; they'll make you happy.
I hate to sound like a bad advertisement, but: for more information about Redwall, Brian Jacques, and the wonderful characters you have yet to meet, please go to http://www.redwall.org/ . :)
