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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/ . :)
★★★★★★★★★★ (8/10)
Agatha Christie is now my go-to author if I wanted to be very, very dizzy at the end of a novel. That's not to say that I don't like her mysteries (as you can tell by the rating I gave this novel), but I end up feeling as though I've been physically turning in circles by the time I find out whodunit.
In today's mystery, everyone is in Jerusalem on vacation. An American family and a family friend, a French psychologist, and a British young lady (a recent graduate with a degree in medicine). The strangeness begins when Sarah, the young graduate, notices that the American family, the Boyntons, are a bit peculiar. All of them, except their mother, are very tense and wear pained expressions, as well as the fact that they seem to follow their mother's orders as if she were their military commander. Sarah is disturbed by the Boyntons' behavior and attempts to befriend two members of the family, Carol and her brother Raymond, but their behavior is so erratic, Sarah can't seem to make heads or tails of their situation.
So, we find Sarah, the psychologist Gerard, and two new characters on an excursion to Petra (I'd love to go someday). Sarah wants to forget the family and enjoy her vacation, but this is not to be. When their group arrive at the camp for Petra tourists, they find that the Boyntons are already there. This is when the fun begins. After everyone's comments on the strange behavior of the family, and the evil, commanding personality of the mother, what should happen, but that a servant in the camp should find Mrs. Boynton dead!As luck would have it, M. Hercule Poirot is a guest of a Colonel who is staying nearby, and he is asked to investigate the death. The psychological means that Poirot uses to determine guilt and innocence always astound me, and I can only imagine that Ms. Christie must be the most brilliant author, with endless research resources. She uses a great deal of scientific evidence, and the tiniest of details to compose her mysteries so that no matter who I am convinced the murderer is, it turns out to be a person I hadn't even considered.
This is no exception. I'll try not to give away too much, but my original conclusion was that the eldest son, Lennox, was the murderer. I had nothing to go off of except the fact that he was so apathetic, I didn't think that Poirot would initially suspect him. I was wrong, but it was both confusing and amazing to go through Poirot's thought process to get to who the real culprit was. It seemed like he accused each person, one at a time, first solidifying their guilt, then proving their innocence. As he moved from person to person, I kept imagining that this next person would be the murderer, only to be disappointed as he explained why they were innocent and then explained the guilt of the next person. It is his way of putting forth his information that makes me dizzy. He keeps bringing in the same facts, under new lights. I will think that I know every possible piece of information, and then I'll be sent spinning as a new perspective comes about.
Agatha Christie mysteries are probably books everyone should read, whether because you like mysteries or because you just like good books. I haven't found another mystery author as exceptional as Christie at keeping me guessing up the the very end, and the solving of each mystery wraps up everything very neatly, and explains things in such a way that the resolution is quite clear. It's also charming that in her Poirot mysteries, it seems that everyone has heard of him, making it feel that I'm the only one left out. Then again, I'd rather not be in a situation where I'd need to meet him, because then I might become a suspect!
★★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)
This one was interesting. When I read the back of the book to get an idea of what I was getting myself into, I didn't realize that it gave away one of the more intriguing mysteries of the plot: that one of the castaway characters is William Shakespeare. I supposed that there are enough pointed hints to figure out who he is (he goes by the name of Strachey instead of Shakespeare), but it would have been more fun to guess about him instead of know from the start. Other than that, I found that The Gentleman Poet was a great read that brought together history, fiction, and the mysterious figure of William Shakespeare.
The story actually focuses on a young serving girl, Elizabeth Persons. At the time of the shipwreck, Elizabeth is 18 and has gone into servitude to save herself from a life on the streets as a prostitute in London. When the novel begins, she is accompanying a rich, elderly woman, Mistress Horton, on a voyage that Horton helped fund to bring new settlers and supplies to the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. It's easy to see, and very easy to believe, that Elizabeth doesn't like her position. I found out later that until a year before, she lived with her mother and siblings in London running a shop, but the plague killed her family, and left Elizabeth in poverty. So, used to a free life, Elizabeth has a hard time swallowing the grumpy orders of a bitter old lady.
Unfortunately for all aboard, a lengthy and brutal storm hits their flotilla, and after a frightening battle, and after everyone believes they will all drown, the storm dies and their lone vessel, the Sea Venture, finds a haven in the Bermudas. The problem here is that all of the passengers, including the sailors, have a fear of these islands. They've been told stories about the Bermudas being inhabited by witches, evil spirits, and cannibals as well as violent wild beasts. However, this horrifying image is not what these people find. Instead, they find themselves in a veritable island paradise: there is plenty of easily caught wild game, vegetables, herbs and spices, and raw materials to build shelters and a new ship. Still, their main focus is to get back on track and make their way to Virginia.
The bulk of The Gentleman Poet takes place on these islands. Elizabeth, still in servitude to Mistress Horton, must try to keep up with the most ridiculous demands. Horton, whether mad or just trying to maintain whatever air of power she may have had, seems to believe that life will continue to be civilized and that she will be able to have all of the things that she'd had aboard ship and at home. Such things as freshly laundered clothing, complicated and multi-course meals, furniture, servants, and the like were all part of her list of demands, and Elizabeth is hard put to meet all of them. To keep her sanity, Elizabeth starts to collect wild herbs on her walks around the islands, and strikes up a friendship with the aging Will Strachey (I would imagine that he seem in his late forties or so, but he's never given a definite age). He acts as a father figure, as Elizabeth's own father died many years ago, and gives her both advice and a confidante. Will even acts as a bit of a matchmaker for her, though she seems to not want that kind of interference. So life goes on for the reluctant islanders, and although work on a new vessel continues, dissent and mutiny threaten to keep them all marooned. Before they can escape, the colony sees an execution by gunshot, a murder, desertion, drunks thrown in the stocks, and other public punishments. The Bermudas may be a paradise, for those who understand how to enjoy it, but the group dynamics change drastically the longer they spend alone with themselves.
The historical note explains that this was a real event: a ship named Sea Venture did wreck in the Bermudas, a man named William Strachey did keep records of their time there, and the group did make it to Virgina. Johnson points out that, though it is unlikely, it is possible that Shakespeare could have been part of that voyage. There are gaps in his personal history where he seems to drop out of all knowledge, only to pop up again with a new play, or some new bit of information. Also, this novel, as well as Strachey's account, is remarkably similar to Shakespeare's The Tempest. A ship wrecks, the survivors are left to fend for themselves, love blossoms, and after much toil and many trials, there's a happy ending and all is well. There are a great many differences between the two, but the likenesses between the play and historical accounts are striking. Strachey's account apparently was published some years after Shakespeare's death, but if he was on the voyage, or just had access to Strachey's records, it would help to explain where Shakespeare got the idea for such a magical and miraculous play.
Apart from my big, giant summary, a lot goes on, and Elizabeth's transformation from serving girl to a woman named Miranda who is a famous cook is a joy to read. Shakespeare's part is very small, and although it's impossible to know if this character is true to his actual persona, I like to imagine him this way. I think the seven stars is a bit low, but I'm sticking to that decision for various reasons. I did like The Gentleman Poet, and I will read it again, but it just didn't give me enough feeling to get a higher rating. Maybe the next read through will earn it another star.
★★★★★★★★★★ (10/10)
For anyone who's bored with "normal" stories based on traditional fairy tales, The Sleeping Beauty is the cure for that boredom. This novel is a complete mish-mash of common fairy tales, but they are pieced together so cleverly that I can't help but laugh when I read it. Comedy, tragedy, quests, and spells are only some of the wonderful things that fill The Sleeping Beauty.
First off, there isn't actually a Sleeping Beauty, at least not in the Disney sense. The Sleeping Beauty is about a princess named Rosamund, who lives in a tiny, but rich, kingdom with her father. Her mother has died, and Rosa has grown up more or less on her own. The whole kingdom, Eltaria, is helped by a Godmother, Lily, who is in charge of keeping control of the magic in the kingdom as well as advising the king. Everything seems picture perfect, aside form the impending war with another kingdom who wants Eltaria's riches for itself, until the Tradition decides to interfere.
The Tradition. From what I understand, the Tradition (capital "T" intended) is basically a mindless magical force that exists in Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms books. Its sole purpose is to find people whose lives seem to match a fairy tale structure and force those people to live out the fairy tale, whether they want to or not. This includes all fairy tales, the ones with happy endings and the ones that end in death. The Godmother has some sway over the Tradition, but the best way to stop it from taking over a person's life is to trick it. Luckily for Rosa and Eltaria, the Godmother is very clever, but it will take a lot of work to keep Rosa from being killed or living a miserable life due to the Tradition's powers.
To aid in the comedic sector of The Sleeping Beauty we have two princes: Leopold and Siegfried. These are fantastic names, and I liked these characters before they were likable. Leopold is a charmer: he's handsome, witty, and good with compliments. Siegfried is a nice big beefcake: he's tall, muscular, blond, and very sweet. Both of them are trying to escape from their fates, and are in Eltaria to do just that. Leopold was banished from his home for being too popular. His brother, next in line to be king, did great things and planned to do more for his people, but no one knew of his efforts because he was a very quiet and family-oriented person. This brother paled in comparison to Leopold, and Leopold's father thought it would benefit the crown prince if Leopold were out of the picture. Leo has to make his own way, and tends to do that by falling in love with princesses whose fathers pay him to leave. Siegfried is facing a terrible fate: if he can't find a way out of it, he'll be forced to wake up a warrior maiden (who, coincidentally, is his aunt), and from then on horrible things will happen, including his own death. But it's all very funny and makes a lot more sense if you read the novel.
So, The Sleeping Beauty is a slightly misleading title, but the twist at the end brings that particular fairy tale into play, if only for a little while. Rosa is kidnapped yet again, but not by the person you'd expect, and he, along with the Tradition's help, tries to force the "Beauty Asleep" path on Rosa. Of course, the villain is foiled in his attempt, and there is a happy ending, but it's much more interesting than a simple happily-ever-after, and a good deal more entertaining. I couldn't stop laughing when I got to the end, but when the novel did end, I was happy and completely satisfied. All that I want to do now is read Lackey's other books of the Five Hundred Kingdoms!
★★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
Nearly everyone I know has either heard of or seen the film version of Bridget Jones's Diary, with the interesting casting of Colin Firth (forever THE Mr. Darcy for me) cast as Bridget's Mark Darcy. However, I haven't met anyone who'd read the book, or at least, no one had ever told me they'd read it. Imagine my surprise when I find this in a closing Borders (yay for discounts!), and think to myself, "I liked that movie, I guess I should read the book."
I loved it! Bridget really does have some strange and interesting problems in her life, but the way she deals with them is what makes me like this novel so much. At the beginning of each entry, she's keeping track of something, but the items change depending on what's happening in her life. For instance, she is obsessed with her weight, but after being dumped, gives up keeping track because she doesn't think it's worth it anymore. At one point, she starts counting how many fruit smoothies she drinking, or how many lottery tickets she's purchased. It's fun to see what's important to her, and how her priorities change based on the emotional turmoil in her day to day life.
But Bridget's life is full of drama; slightly unrealistic, but completely hilarious drama. She has a boyfriend, gets dumped for thinner woman, gets called "squashy" by a younger man, her mom becomes an international thief with her lover from Portugal, makes blue soup (really), and still manages to come out at the end of the year with a comprehensive list of how many calories and cigarettes she's gone through. It's a wonderful mess of horrible things, and all of them somehow relate to her weight. A strange episode was when she finally got down to her goal weight, only to have friends ask her why she looks drawn, flat, and tired. This is a good example that the way we see ourselves is NOT the way others see us. Her friend Tom even told her that he liked her better before she lost the weight, because she was herself.
So, a roller coaster of ups, downs, breakdowns and breakthroughs, Bridget Jones's Diary is almost a self-help book. She faces problems that real women face (weight issues, relationship fears and woes, family problems, friendship troubles, etc.), but Fielding gives Bridget the courage and fortitude to get through it all, even when things are really difficult. Fielding also includes bits of actual "self-help" in the form of the books and articles Bridget and her friend Jude read. Jude starts Bridget reading Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and together they learn about Feng Shui, and various ways to try to improve mental stability. Not everything worked for Bridget, but her attempts are like a never-ending trial and error, the way most people have to do things.
Very happy with this book, and looking forward to reading The Edge of Reason. I've read other diary-form books before, but this one is so much more than a simple recounting of daily activities. Bridget Jones's Diary is really Bridget's life with nothing left out and nothing (overly) exaggerated. If it weren't for the fact that Bridget is fictional, I'd feel kind of a bit awkward for reading it because there are personal things about Bridget (her pregnancy scare) that I wouldn't want people to read in my diary if I had one. But luckily for me, Bridget isn't real, and I can read books "written by her" as much as I'd like!
