Classics Circuit: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg.

“With regard to the work itself, I dare not venture a judgment, for I do not understand it.”

Welcome to the Gothic Lit Classics Circuit tour! Make sure to go and visit the Classics Circuit blog to find more posts for this tour, as well as information for upcoming tours.

I was really excited when this tour was announced. For one, I am not a big "scary book" fan, so this was a great opportunity to read something out of my element. And two, it would also give me the opportunity to read something NOT on my list of classics.

After looking at the suggestions on the sign-up post, I did some searching online to find something obscure. Call me crazy, but I really wanted to go outside the box and pick something I had never heard of. It was between this title and Jane Talbot by Charles Brockden Brown. I decided on this one for length, and because no one else chose it! (sue me, I wanted to be different).

I am glad that I went with this one. Published in 1824, the novel was originally published anonymously. Even though Hogg (based on what I've read) was well-known, he was a little unsure of whether he wanted to place his name on it. It was a book that wasn't received all that well at the time, but has gradually gained a readership over time.

I found my copy of the novel through Project Gutenberg and read it in its entirety on Homer (my NookColor). Without a physical copy of a book I was so unsure of, I had no idea what to expect from the novel.

It starts out normal enough-with a great deal of back story into the characters' lives and an eerie mood from the beginning. It begins with the marriage of Rabina to George Colwan. Rabina isn't too thrilled with her marriage...and quite frankly, she isn't a fun lady. she disapproves of her husband's drinking and partying and soon she mentally checks out of the marriage. She does have a son with George, and they name him after his father. She also has another son, while married to George, that she names Robert. Robert is rumored to be the son of the preacher in town...so of course, that causes a lot of tension.

Robert is raised by his "supposed" father and never meets his brother until he is older. Robert is very intense in his religion, and throughout the beginning of the novel, the reader doesn't really understand who he is or why he does the things he does. He believes, fervently, that only some are allowed into heaven. He feels, in some way, that it is his duty to get rid of those who are unworthy. So when he finally does meet his brother, he is arrogant, angry, and absolutely insane.

He begins to stalk his brother, which obviously freaks George out. He makes attempts on George's life. Then George winds up dead.

This is where the novel gets interesting. For the first section of the book, we are merely observers. We are along with Robert as he hunts and stalks his brother throughout the countryside. We watch as Rabina acts like an idiot to her new husband. Then George is dead and we are drawn into the mind of Robert.

It is an awkward and horrible place to be. Robert descends into a kind of madness. He has delusions that cause him to do things to others. As an observer and realizing what sane and normal humans do, the reader is kind of at a loss as to how to understand Robert's mind. On one hand, I thought he was just plain crazy. But on the other....

Hogg makes Robert an interesting character, and maybe even understandable. Because where George was given opportunity as the proclaimed son of a Duke, Robert was shepherded away as something awkward and uncomfortable. His illegitimacy probably had some kind of impact on his mind...

And then Gil-Martin appears. Gil-Martin is either Robert's other personality, or just a doppelganger that arrives to mess things up. Robert's thoughts continue to get jumbled and mess up until you just don't know WHO Robert is and what exactly he had done. The end leaves you scratching your head in wonder.

I really, really enjoyed this. It was far more than a "scary" title. Instead, it offered a lot to think about in regards to upbringing, family, and the real meaning of insanity. I like that the whole story was unclear. As a reader, I wasn't quite sure who I was supposed to be rooting for. Was Robert the hero? I don't think so...but then again, I'm not quite sure.

My one critique of the novel is the beginning. It sets a slow pace. for the first 60-75 pages, I wasn't sure where the "gothic" element was. I mean, I was at a wedding with Rabina and old George, then muddled through description of their unhappy marriage...I wanted murder!

But when the action finally hits, it HITS. You can't help but be fascinated by what Robert "does" and his descent into, well, madness. It is creepy, entertaining, and very well-done.

I can see why this one may not have been a hit with the audiences of Hogg's age. It is an uncomfortable kind of novel-one that doesn't leave you with any warm fuzzies or any feeling of understanding. Instead, it causes you to question sanity and what it means to have a grip on life. It is more of a psychological thriller, which is why is more familiar today than it was when it was originally published.

So, if in the future you are looking for a creepy and disturbing look into a man's mind, look no further than Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, even if the title drives you crazy because it is just way too long. :)

**I do want to point out that I skimmed over much of what happens in the novel. I mean, I could have gone heavy duty into the spoilers, but I really don't want to ruin what happens by getting too specific. There is a lot more depth than what i covered here (I didn't even tough on the religious fanaticism that takes over a great deal of the writing). So go enjoy it for yourself at some point!**

Also, be sure to visit the Classics Circuit to find more reviews of other Gothic type novels, and to watch out for future tours!

BBAW: Interview with Rebecca from Rebecca Reads.

Last year, I missed out on the opportunity to interview another blogger for BBAW. This year, I made sure I was on top of things so I could be paired up for an interview!

I was over the moon when I heard that my swap partner is the lovely Rebecca from Rebecca Reads. I have long been a follower and fan of her blog, so I feel incredibly honored to be partnered up with her. It is also great fun to interview someone who made the same short list I did (Rebecca and I are both up for "Best Classics Book Blog") and someone who I look up to immensely.

Rebecca is a true driving force among classic book bloggers. Before I even started blogging, she created the Classics Circuit, one of my favorite things to participate in as a book blogger. It is a great opportunity for all of us to dive into new classics by authors we already love, as well as authors we're scared of. It is a great way to meet other bloggers, and Rebecca is the mastermind of it all. I know that I am very grateful for her time and energy for such a wonderful event!

Additionally, Rebecca writes a great deal on her own blog (linked above). In addition to focusing on classics (especially the Victorians), she also reviews children's books as well. Her reviews always make me want to revisit my childhood and the memories I have of being read to. She also has a son she reads to often, and another little one on the way! I am looking forward to hearing more about their own reading adventures in the future!

Anyway, enough of my rambling and on to the important stuff-our interview!

1. You have a quote from Madeleine L'Engle on your blog that I just love; "A great piece of literature does not try to coerce you to believe it or to agree with it. A great piece of literature simply is." How does this apply to what you choose to read for yourself and to your family?

As a new stay-at-home mom, I found myself wondering just which books would be worth my time to read. For the first time since childhood, I had time on my hands and reading two books in an afternoon wasn’t satisfying me. Then I discovered East of Eden and was blown away by the language, the epic nature of the plot, and the complexity of human nature as portrayed in fiction.

Shortly after this, I started blogging. Then I came across Madeleine L’Engle’s quote; I adopted it as one of my mottos because I was finding it was true. You know when you’re reading great literature. Steinbeck’s novel did that for me; other books also have taught me that. Books that are good are simply good: they aren’t trying too hard, they aren’t forcing a point or a plot. They simply are great, and I can tell, normally, from page one.

It is not hard to apply the same principles to children’s literature. I know when I pick up a picture book whether it will work for me and my son. Do the illustrations balance the text? Are they attractive illustrations? Does the text read well? Does the story work for a young child? As with the fiction I choose to read myself, picture books can simply be great.

2. One aspect of your blog that I really love is your discussions of reading with your son. What are some books you cannot wait to share with him (and the baby on the way) when he is older and why?

I admit I haven’t waited for some books! I read Winnie-the-Pooh to Raisin when he was 4 months old, and I’ll probably do the same with the new baby.

I’ve also read Raisin some other full-length classic novels when he was one and two years old, like Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. We’re in between full-length novels now that he’s nearly four; he’d rather reread favorite picture books, which of course is also wonderfully fun! When we do get back to longer books, I look forward to revisiting those books, as well as reading other favorites of mine by Beverly Cleary, or Mr. Popper’s Penguins or The Wizard of Oz, and so forth. I remember that one day when I stayed home sick, my mom read me The Secret Garden. That book has a special place in my memory because it came to me first on a day my mom took the time to read to me (and only me)!

I hope my son will treasure similar memories. I intend to encourage the classics by introducing them to my son when he’s young. I’ll have them nearby in case he is decides he’s ready to give them a try. Tom Sawyer, Kipling’s Just So Stories, Treasure Island…the list goes on and on.

3. Since you also read a lot of classics and older literature, I am sure there are some authors you wish had more works left behind. If given the opportunity, which author(s) would you want to read more books by and why?

Although I do love classics, I haven’t read multiple books by many authors. Charles Dickens is the author I’ve read the most fiction works by, but even having read seven works, there is still a lot of Dickens left to love. Wilkie Collins and Anthony Trollope have also become favorites, but both authors have extensive backlists. I don’t think I’ll wish for more by the time I get to the end (if I do).

There are many other authors I really can’t wait to read more of, and once I’ve read through their backlist, I’ll probably be craving more: Jane Austen (only one more major novel left), George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Virginia Woolf, John Steinbeck, Edith Wharton, the Bronte sisters (Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels), Shakespeare. Also, this isn’t a particularly author, but I do look forward to reading more of the women authors of the Harlem Renaissance. Many of them have written only a few books, so it will be sad to reach “the end.”

I could go on. There is a wealth of literature available to be enjoyed. While I’m sure I will be sad to come to the end of the backlist for some favorite authors, I will remain happy with an abundance of other literature awaiting my read. Besides, I absolutely love rereading favorite books. If worse comes to worse, I could reread favorites for years. Each reread is a different experience from the last.

4. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about classics by modern-day readers?

I think some people believe classics are boring or wordy or just not their style. To be completely honest, I too think some classic works are boring! In my college Victorian literature class, we read essays by Ruskin and the novel Wuthering Heights (which I didn’t like). I found “Victorian literature” very boring indeed. I was surprised when I later discovered the Victorian author Wilkie Collins, a sensation fiction writer, and I also have fallen in love with the plot twists and conveniences in the Dickens novels I’ve read, not to mention the women Victorian authors I adore. I’m finding Victorian literature is my favorite literature to read.

That said, other readers simply may not be able to get over Dickens’ writing style, or may find Wilkie Collins too melodramatic. That’s okay! Wuthering Heights isn’t my style, and neither are Ruskin’s essays! To each his own. Readers are individuals, so each reader has their own expectations when they pick up a book. Is reading for being entertained? Is reading for a story? Is reading for humor? Is reading for beautiful language? Readers provide their own definitions for “good” when they pick up a work, and it may be different every day. The wonderful thing about classics is that there is an abundance of options to choose from.

5. What books or authors would you recommend to anyone looking for a wonderful, enriching read?

I struggle with giving recommendations simply because, as I mention in the previous answer, everyone is looking for something different when they pick up a novel. Here are some suggestions, but keep in mind that not every novel is going to work for every reader!

If you want a novel about human nature, good and bad, as seen through the eyes of a growing child: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

If you want a romantic novel about love that turns out right: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

If you want an intense and complex psychological novel about guilt and innocence: Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoyevsky

If you want a lighter modern novel that helps you appreciate math even when you normally hate it: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

If you want a Victorian gothic novel with romance: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

If you want a modern novel in the Victorian gothic tradition: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield



Thank you so much for the interview Rebecca! You all need to go check out her blog at Rebecca Reads and see for yourself what an amazing woman and blogger she is!

Classics Circuit: The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (Book 102).

"I wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen."

I am happy to be a stop today for the Steinbeck Classics Circuit! For anyone unfamiliar with the circuit, it is a way for bloggers around the book blogging community to highlight some classic authors and their works! For a period of time, different bloggers will be posting their thoughts on the works they read. There are new posts every day, so I hope you'll head over to the Circuit's blog to check it out!

I was really excited to see that this circuit was going to be for John Steinbeck! I am relatively new to Steinbeck's work, but I have had a couple of really positive experiences. I am well on my way to declaring Steinbeck a favorite for life.

Since I only had two of his novels left on my list, I feel I had an even harder choice. I decided long ago to leave The Grapes of Wrath until nearly the end of my project (mainly because I feel like I am going to LOVE it), so The Winter of Our Discontent was it for me!

I was unsure what to think going in. Truth be told, when I was making my project list nearly two years ago, this novel was placed on the list instead of East of Eden purely because it is my brother-in-law's favorite by Steinbeck. I was hoping Kyle would have great taste. Turns out, he did.

What Steinbeck does so well is capture the heart and spirit of Americans in different locales. I have found this to be true in the two other titles I've read (Travels with Charley and Of Mice and Men). He takes a small community and truly brings it to life. And while the characters in this one aren't necessarily lovable, he makes them realistic. They aren't perfect and their flaws are what drive the novel. I felt for them with every turn of the page.

Ethan Hawley came from a wealthy family, but the family lost their money years before. Rather than being one of the most wealthy and influential families in town, the Hawley family suffers from some humiliation. Ethan works as a store clerk under a foreigner, his kids want what all the other kids have, and his wife seems to just make do with what she has. Ethan seems to struggle with who he is and where he wants to be. He wants money, assuming that having more of it will make his problems go away.

So Ethan makes some phone calls and has some conversations that change his life dramatically. In the end, he gets what he wants. But, as the reader, and being inside Ethan's head, I had to ask myself for him, "was it worth it?" The fact is, Ethan does things to set his life in motion, at the expense of others. He gets what he wants by doing some pretty underhanded and immoral things. How could he possibly enjoy his new lifestyle?

It is an interesting question Steinbeck poses. You can tell that throughout the novel Steinbeck has a very specific purpose in mind-to explore the moral degradation of America and her citizens. We all know that the American dream is to climb as high as you can on your blood, sweat, and tears, but it also comes with a price. Ethan Hawley seems okay with the price he pays (I wouldn't be).

I was reminded a bit of The Great Gatsby when I read this. In Fitzgerald's novel, he also explores the American Dream and the rise to the top. He also shows the fall. Steinbeck and Fitzgerald both show how sometimes to get to the top, things have to be done. People have to be hurt. They both come to different conclusions, but the moral seems the same.

In the beginning, I felt for Ethan. As someone who also works in a pretty crappy job, it is hard to keep your chin up and eyes focused on being okay with your status in life. But, as Ethan began to explore a seedier lifestyle, all similarities stopped. He seemed unfazed in hurting those around them or watching them fall.

You have to wonder, how many people have done the same?

Do they think it was worth it?

Anyway, this was a fast read that kept me on my toes. It also makes me yearn for more Steinbeck, but I'm going to be strong and hold out.

How many of you have read this one? Love it, hate it? What other Steinbeck novels should I read in the future?

Classics Circuit Dueling Authors Tour: Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Welcome to A Literary Odyssey for the Classics Circuit Tour of the dueling authors! If you are unfamiliar with the Classics Circuit and this particular tour, the Classics Circuit hosts tours of various classic authors on different blogs. On particular days, bloggers write posts on the featured author and one of their works.

What makes this tour so fascinating is that we are focusing on two authors and having a mini-duel of sorts. It is Dickens vs. Austen, and I know that I am interested to see who wins.

For those of you familiar with my blog, you might be surprised by the fact that I chose Dickens over Austen as my featured author. I view Dickens as my arch-nemesis in the literary world, and Austen as a great friend of mine, but I really wanted to push myself into reading something I was not so excited about.

Looking at titles by Dickens I have yet to read (and their length), I decided on Hard Times, a novel that defeated me back in college. It was the ONLY novel I was assigned in college that I didn’t read (thankfully, on the exam I was allowed to write about one of the other choices we read in class, so I wasn’t penalized). Back then, I read the first three pages and gave up.

My rivalry with Dickens has lasted from even earlier-to the ninth grade when I had to read Great Expectations. I hated it then, and I hated it in the fall of 2009 when I read it as Book #10 for my project list. The only other Dickens novels I have read include Oliver Twist (which I really came to LOVE) and Bleak House (which made me hate Dickens all the more). I am in a dead heat in whether I love or hate him, and I viewed Hard Times as the make it or break it. If I hated it, the score would be 3-1, and I would be tempted to give Dickens up for good. But if I loved it, well, Dickens would have another go round with ME before I considered our duel over.

Turns out, I loved it. As I began reading, I couldn’t remember what it was about the first three pages that made me so despise it in college. From the beginning this time, I was enthralled in Dickens’ world. I loved these opening lines,

“Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts; nothing else will ever be of service to them."

The story moves steadily from there. We are introduced to two distinguished gentlemen-Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby (I should mention that whenever I read his name I pictured a giant rabbit bounding around. It kept me very amused). I love Dickens’ description of Mr. Bounderby as well,

"A year or two younger than his eminently practical friend, Mr. Bounderby looked older; his seven or eight and forty might have had the seven or eight added to it again, without surprising anybody. He had not much hair. One might have fancied he had talked it off; and that what was left, all standing up in disorder, was in that condition from being constantly blown about by his windy boastfulness."

Both of these men truly believe that children shouldn’t learn to use their imagination and should only be taught the truth. To think beyond, to imagine, would be false and unapproved.

Mr. Gradgrind’s children, however, are truly the stars of the novel. On one hand you have Tom, a seemingly put-together kind of individual who appears to be following in his father’s footsteps. There is also the lovely Louisa, a girl who does her father’s bidding to make him happy. This scene truly touched me and really captures the sense of despair I sensed in Louisa throughout the novel,

“Confining yourself rigidly to Fact, the question of Fact you state to yourself is: Does Mr. Bounderby as me to marry him? Yes, he does. The sole remaining question then is: Shall I marry him? I think nothing can be plainer than that?”

I love Louisa’s sense of despair, and it slowly worsens throughout the novel. But Tom, who seemed to upright and outstanding-sticking solidly to Fact in the beginning, also has a slow spiral downward.

The resulting conclusion is one that truly made me appreciate Dickens’ skill in storycrafting.

So yes, I loved this little novel of Dickens (the length was perfect-any longer and I probably would have struggled more than I did). The contrasts to the working class, the characters of Stephen Blackpool and Rachael, the descent of Tom into stupidity, and yes, the obnoxious Mr. Bounderby all made this novel come alive. It was a pleasure to read and has pushed me to continue trying Dickens’ novels.

Who knows, perhaps he will eventually become an author I can say I like. :)

Please make sure you check out some of the other stops for this Classics Circuit Tour! Lots of wonderful things to read!

Classics Circuit: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

“You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another" (19).

Welcome to my post for the Classics Circuit tour of the "Lost Generation" era of American literature. I was really excited that this era of literature won in the vote, since I love this era of U.S. History. The period of U.S. History from the beginning of WWI to the end of WWII has defined the country we are today. What better way to explore that than through the eyes of writers?

For those of you unfamiliar with the "Lost Generation" writers, they are a group who worked closely together in the 1920s and focused on many contemporary issues in the American way of life. If you have read The Great Gatsby, then you are familiar with the era.

Given that there were so many choices by these wonderful authors, I had a hard time choosing. I was stuck between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. I have had limited experience with both, so you might understand why I had a hard time deciding!

I ended up going with a Hemingway novel. It spoke to me off my shelf. The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, really starts this idea and concept of the "lost generation" of Americans. That term, in reference to history, identifies the young generation of Americans who came home from the war. for many, it had been a nightmare-vicious and violent. Many felt that it hadn't been our war to fight (since before WWI, the U.S. was rather isolationist. We didn't really involve ourselves in world affairs). When these men and women came home, they were lost. How DO you come back to living a normal life after seeing so much death?

For many of them, they struggled to find a purpose and place back in America. Things were different, freer, and these young people had to adjust to that new feeling. Many struggled, but many more triumphed. It was a period in U.S. history (the twenties) where things appeared to be good. People were happy. We were at peace. We were not dominated by thoughts of violence and oppression.

So I was curious to see how Hemingway's novel captured this attitude and feel. I love the history of the 20s, so I couldn't wait to see his view.

The novel focuses on a group of Americans living abroad. Some are writers, others are just lost. Our narrator is Jake Barnes, a veteran of the first world war. In sparse prose, we are included in this collection of lost souls as they try to figure out where to go next. There are love affairs, fights, and pain, but the overall theme of this novel comes back to that idea of being lost.

Where do you go after you have faced death? What do you do when you have been through war?

I can't answer those questions. I haven't been there, I haven't faced those things. While members of my generation are fighting a war, it is not as widespread, as panic stricken, or as devastating as WWI was. I have never had to come home with the knowledge that I killed a man, or saw death on battlefields or in hospitals.

Those are feelings that many people in the twenties felt, and I can see all of those things in Hemingway's novel. He is not a flowery writer, preferring to get across his message in short, declarative sentences, but he doesn't need to beef things up to get across the sparse, bare feeling of being lost. He does that well by being straight forward. I love that kind of writing.

The characters are great examples of this feeling of a lost identity. This passage, taken from near the beginning of the novel, really sums up that feeling of confusion:

"'Listen, Jake,' he leaned forward on the bar, 'Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by bad you're not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you've lived nearly half the time you have to live already?'
'Yes, every once in awhile.'
'Do you know that in about thirty-five more years we'll be dead?'
'What the hell, Robert,' I said. 'What the hell" (19).

I'm sure we all feel that way sometimes, but that feeling of desperation and loneliness was such an ingrained part of their lives.

Here is another passage that I have reread numerous times in the last few days:

"She was sitting up now. My arm was around her and she was leaning back against me, and we were quite calm. She was looking into my eyes with that way she had of looking that made you wonder whether she really saw out of her own eyes. They would look on and on after every one else's eyes in the world would have stopped looking. She looked as though there were nothing on earth she would not look at like that, and really she was afraid of so many things," (34).

Beautiful, isn't it? While I can certainly appreciate flowery description, sometimes all I really want is something to that point. Hemingway is good that way.

The Sun Also Rises is a beautiful novel-one that defines both a generation of writers and the hopeful nature of young Americans after the Great War. It captures a period and feeling of American history unlike any other and would be an excellent place to start for anyone interested in the time period.

If you are interested in signing up for future Classic Circuit posts, or to track other posts in the Lost Generation Tour, please visit the Classics Circuit Blog. It is a wonderful opportunity to promote the reading of classics, meet other bloggers, or dust off a classic that has been on your shelf for years (we all have them-don't be ashamed!).

Lysistrata by Aristophanes: A Classics Circuit Review.

I consider myself a huge fan of the Ancient Greeks and their writing. If you don't believe me, look at the name of my blog! When I found out that the Classics Circuit was going to be focusing on these old works, I knew that I had to participate.

Deciding what to read was the hardest part. I find that Ancient Greek literature is diverse and wonderful, so I had a hard time narrowing it down. Originally I was going to read Antigone, but I went with Lysistrata by Aristophanes, since it is one of the few small Greek works on my own project list that I am unfamiliar with.

Assuming that you are also unfamiliar with it, the first thing to know about this piece is that it is a play. It was probably first performed around 400 B.C. So yes, it is a rather old piece of literature, but very, very racy.

The basic premise of the play is that a certain woman, Lysistrata, comes up with a plan to put an end to the Peloponessian War that is currently being fought by the men-folk. After rounding up the women, she encourages them to withhold sex until the men agree to stop fighting.

What ensues is a battle of the sexes. The men, without their women or sexual favors, begin to storm the acropolis where the women are holed up. They are frustrated and angry that their women are not at home waiting for them. It is a very funny, and racy kind of play.

I have found in my reading of Ancient Greece that they were far more comfortable with the profane than we are today. It is not unusual for there to be dirty jokes and references to nudity. This is obviously a prime example of the familiarity and acceptance of sex as an everyday act. You'll find the same is true as you move forward into Shakespeare's time!

My favorite scene is when a man, Cinesias, arrives to get his wife for some "favors." Lysistrata convinces the woman, Myrrhine, to tease the poor man, by at first refusing, then agreeing. She then has to leave multiple times for things necessary for their act. She brings back a cot, a pillow, a blanket, etc. Each time she leaves he waits, frustrated and angry. It is comical and puts poor Cinesias in a horrible and compromising position. All he wants is his wife!

I don't really want to get in a whole debate on whether using sex is a good idea for revenge or ending wars (although, that WOULD be an interesting argument, don't you think?). That would be opening up a whole big can of worms I don't want to get in to.

But I do want to mention the translation I had. My edition is a Signet Classic and it was translated by a Douglass Parker. Seeing as this is the only translation of the play I have read, I don't know what liberties Parker took with it, but I found the language to be FAR too modern for the period the piece was intended for. I found it distracting and annoying that he modernized the play as much as he did. If it hadn't been for the fact that I wanted to know what happened, I probably would have the book down and gone to get another translation. I understand than when translating, sometimes there are words that don't translate exactly, but I love when translators stay as true to the original as possible. And I don't think that happened in this case. I am curious to read another translation in the future to compare.

In all, this was a great example of Greek writing and the issues that plagued the era. In Ancient times, it was far more common to be in a constant state of war than what we would hope for, so perhaps this kind of solution was a desperate last act. In any case, I am glad to have known that even then, people cracked some dirty jokes for amusement, and captured a piece of history in the process.

If you are interested in participating in a future Classics Circuit Tour, visit the designated blog to look for future sign-ups!

Classic Circuits Tour: Imperial Russian Literature and Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev

I would like to welcome the Classics Circuit and everyone else for a special post I am making today about a phenomenal little book.

I have very limited experience with Russian literature as a whole. For me, the Russian authors have always been super intimidating. I never had to read any of them in high school or college, and so I built up this mysterious aura around them and their work.

I decided to jump in and read Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky as the second book for my little challenge. Imagine how surprised I was when I realized I was in love with the book after 80 or so pages! I also read The Brothers Karamazov back in April and that too was a book I fell in love with!

While I wasn't ready to tackle Tolstoy yet, I did decide to read Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, an author I hadn't heard a lot about.

And after finishing it, I really am in love with these Russian authors. They have the ability to turn simple stories into great beautiful works that are just so powerful. They just continue to surprise me when I pick up a volume.

Fathers and Sons is a story about the relationships between young and old. The young seek progress and change while the old hold on to tradition and the way things have always been. The main focus of the book is on two young men returning to the Russian countryside from university in St. Petersburg. One of them, Arcady Kirsanov, is slightly more traditional than the other, but finds much to value and love in his friend. Bazarov is an extremely intelligent young man who essentially believes in nothing but progress and straying away from tradition and traditional Russia.

The novel portrays their story as they are thrust back into traditional Russian life and all that it has to offer. Arcady returns home to his father and uncle to visit and explore, and show what he has learned while at university. Bazarov comes with him and immediately sparks ignite as he begins arguments and quarrels against the social conventions of the home.

When Bazarov eventually returns to his home, the reader can see that he did come from a very loving and wonderful home. His parents are overjoyed to see him and almost smother him with their pride and love. Those scenes with his parents are what truly touched me in this novel. Bazarov maintains his somewhat negative attitude and isn't at all grateful for the things his parents are doing for him. Instead, he leaves only a couple of days after he arrives.

I don't want to give any more of the plot away, since it is simply wonderful and I feel like you need to read this one yourself. But I still touch on a lot of the meaning behind this book.

I love how Turgenev shows how at first, progress and change are wonderful things. They bring enlightenment and new ideas. But there is something to be said for tradition. Tradition works for some things, and sometimes, it might be best to keep traditions held tight.

In a larger scope, you can tell that this novel is a reflection of the time period. Since it was first published in 1862 and Russia was going through many changes along with the rest of the world, you can see the reflections in the way the characters speak to each other and interact. It was a time of large change in Russian society. Old traditions and classes were dying and the people of the aristocracy had to adjust. Where Gone with the Wind touches on the changes made here in America, Fathers and Sons touches on the changes in Russia. And it does so with beautiful language.

Some of my favorite lines are the following:

"Time, as we all know, is sometimes a bird on a wing, and sometimes a crawling worm; but men are happiest when oblivious of time's quick or slow pace," (106).

"'I have behind me so many memories: my life in Petersburg, prosperity, then poverty, my father's death, my marriage, my trip abroad, it had to be...There are plenty of memories, but nothing to remember, and ahead, in front of me, stretches a long, long road, but I have no goal...So I have no desire even to tread the path,'" (115).

"'Yes, yes,' Bazarov began, 'let this be a lesson to you, my young friend, an instructive example of sorts. The devil take it, how absolutely absurd everything is! The life of each of us hangs by a thread, an abyss may gape beneath us at any minute, and yet we go out of our way to cook up all sorts of trouble for ourselves and to mess up our lives,'" (131).

As a whole, the novel was very approachable and lovely. It is a story with such depth that I am still thinking about and will continue to. It has sparked within in me a love for the land of its origins, and the courage to try more of these wonderful Russian authors. And for those of you who were just as intimidated as I was, this would be a great place to start!

Sunday Salon: June 13, 2010.

Matt and I have had a rough day today. We woke up to find out that Matt's car was broken into last night. His driver's side window was smashed to pieces and things were thrown everywhere on the inside of his car. His car was also broken into back in January, when we were gone on our honeymoon, so this hits twice as hard. The first time his stereo and speakers were stolen. This time it was his golf clubs.

It is a shame that people have to resort to stealing. I don't understand that and I don't think I ever will. I also can't believe that someone would be okay with damaging someone else's property. Now we have to get him a new window so he can drive his car around.

We are both concerned about safety and have decided if we are still in Michigan, we are definitely moving to a different apartment complex. In addition to the break ins, we've had some issues with our neighbors and the area in general, so it will probably be better.

In good news, my friend Jenny got married yesterday on her grandparents' farm in Ann Arbor. It was super warm and humid, but she looked beautiful and was so happy. I have known her since the first grade and she stood up in our wedding, so I was glad we were there.

In reading news, I did not have as successful a week as I had hoped. While I finished The Hound of the Baskervilles, I didn't start the other Holmes novel. I did read both The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark and Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, which was a great time, but I didn't even touch Gulliver's Travels or Cranford. I guess you know what I'll be reading before the read-along posts!

This week the goal is to finish both Gulliver's Travels and Cranford to finish up my posts. Then I really need to read the Turgenev for my Classics Circuit post. And perhaps start the Inferno. But we shall see!

Sunday Salon: June 6, 2010.

Wow. Is anyone else in awe that it is June already? This year is flying by and I kind of want it to slow down so I can enjoy it a little more!

Things this week have been a little chaotic. Matt and I got back into the swing of being at work full time and to be honest, we didn't see each other much until Thursday night. It was the first time all week that we were both home, so I went into major cleaning mode and we got this apartment back into sparkling condition (not going to lie, it needed it).

I finally had my much needed days off on Friday and Saturday and I spent a lot of time just relaxing. Of course, I did some reading, but I also played some Wii-something I haven't done since before the wedding! I enjoyed playing games and giving my mind a little break from some heavy reading, but a part of me felt guilty I wasn't doing something slightly more productive with my time.

I also finally went and got my hair cut for the first time in 6 months and elected to dye it darker. I am loving the change and Matt likes it to. It certainly makes me look different, but in a good way. Now the color matches my eyebrows and since I have fair skin, my blue eyes are popping! I forgot how good it felt to look put together.

In reading news...

I finished Gone with the Wind to make it seven completed books in May. I have a lot to say about that book in particular, so I am excited for those posts to go up. I have also been trying to get ahead for all of the lovely read-alongs I am participating in. Of course, I have the two I am hosting: Gulliver's Travels and Cranford. I managed to finish the first section of each and have my posts reading and waiting to go up on the assigned days. I am especially looking forward to discussing dear old Gulliver. It is such a fascinating and exciting book.

I am also participating in a read-along of Dante's The Divine Comedy. I haven't read any of the three parts (Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso), but I am really looking forward to it. If you are interested in joining as well, you can sign up here. The first post over the Inferno isn't until the weekend of July 2-4, so you have plenty of time to read with us! The other two sections we'll be reading in August and September, so you could even read along with those if you would like.

There is also a new poll up for read-alongs in July. Please vote if you are interested in joining us. I think I will make it a monthly goal to always have at least one read-along going a month, and I would love to have as many people join as possible.

I am also participating in the new Classics Circuit tour and my post is due on the 24th over Fathers and Sons by Turgenev. If you are ever interested in participating in a tour, you should definitely go and check it out. It is a great way to get some exposure to classics you haven't heard of, or that you have been meaning to get around to. For me, it is just an excuse to get more of those classics out of the way.

This week I have a couple of big goals. I really want to finish Gulliver's Travels and Cranford so I can have my posts up and ready to go on the dates assigned. I also need to finish The Hound of the Baskervilles so I can keep this Sherlock Holmes thing going (I honestly just want to be DONE with Holmes so I can move on and cross another book off my check-list).

From there, I am not sure what I'll move on to next. I might start working on both Turgenev and Dante, but there are some other things lingering on my shelf. Perhaps I'll pick up a short play or another little something to get myself going a little farther. I am off from my 100 books this year pace by about 14 books. If I want to be caught up by the end of June, I have 14 books to read. It could happen, but only if I pick up the pace a bit.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week of reading!

Classics Circuit Tour: Alexandre Dumas

I would like to welcome the Classics Circuit and Mr. Alexandre Dumas to my blog today on his tour! For those of you who are unaware of the Classics Circuit, it is a great way to experience some wonderful classic authors and their writing on a variety of blogs.

I had originally intended to read two pieces of Dumas' fiction, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers in anticipation of today's tour, but I only managed to spend quality time with the Count.

I originally read The Count of Monte Cristo as a freshman for my Honors English class. It was one of the three books we were required to read over the summer and I absolutely loved it. It was far different than anything else my little 14 year-old self was reading and has remained a long time favorite.

The Count of Monte Cristo follows the story of Edmond Dantes, a sailor who's luck was beginning to turn for the good. On a stay home when his ship comes into port, it seems as if Dantes has the world at his feet. His father is excited to see him, his fiance wishing for their wedding day, and the prospect of soon being named the captain of his ship. However, sinister plots by people close to him and his family result in Dantes being thrown in jail for over 14 years.

In jail he meets a fellow prisoner and together they plot to escape. Dantes learns other languages and propriety. It is only when his fellow prisoner is on his death bed that he learns of a treasure buried on the island of Monte Cristo. It is after Dantes escapes that the story takes a different turn.

Mysterious characters begin to emerge and the lives of the people who knew Dantes 14 years before begin to change. Some find fortune and riches from unknown sources. Others find tragedy and are murdered. Slowly, person by person, Dantes exacts his revenge for what was done to him unjustly.

It is a novel that encapsulates great themes of love, adventure, and revenge. I remember the first time I read it how shocked I was that we were being allowed to read this for a school assignment. The power of Dantes and what he is doing was so different from anything else I had ever read in English class.

Even with this last re-read, I fell in love again. Dumas has managed to create a portrait of vengeance that is all-powerful and will always linger as the epitome of revenge stories. Dumas' skill lies not only in the characters he molds, but in the strength of creating a lasting story that does not age through the decades.

The Count of Monte Cristo has always remained a favorite of mine since the first time I read it, and will always remain that way. It is a timeless story and a great place to start if you are new to Dumas.



I encourage you all check out the Classics Circuit (it is linked above) and to even participate! It is a great way to discover the classics in small doses, and you all know how I feel about the classics!

Sunday Salon: April 4, 2010.

It seems like 2010 is flying by! It is hard to believe that the year is already a fourth over (depressing? yes), but there are great things yet to come.

In reading news...

I wanted to wrap-up a few things from March. I managed to read 11 books during the month, which is a number I have been pushing for. It is definitely an amount I used to hit every month and it has taken a lot of effort to get back there. The titles I finished were:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
5. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
6. The Misanthrope by Moleire
7. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov
8. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
10. The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
11. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

It was a great reading month and I read some phenomenal titles. I was glad to dive into the Sherlock Holmes stories and I hope to get through all 9 titles by June (perhaps that is wishful thinking). I also managed to read a few plays to balance out all the heavy titles I have been reading, as well as get through one chunkster for the Chunkster challenge, bringing me up to 3 completed (I'm aiming for 12).

With the 11 books I completed this month, my grand total for the year is 23. It puts me off pace for hitting 100 by 2, but that is still doable. I can make it people!

This coming month I am hoping to get through a similar amount of titles. Again, I am going to mix it up a bit and try to get in some more plays, as well as some new authors. Besides Doyle and Shakespeare, I am launching into my second exposure of another author-Dostoevsky! I read Crime and Punishment way back in September as my second book. I was going to wait to tackle another book by him, but it has been 6 months and an opportunity presented itself! I am participating in a read along hosted by Dolce Bellezza of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I think I got through Crime and Punishment so easily by myself since it was my second book and I had a lot of excitement built up about this process. Now I am staring at Dostoevsky and having heart palpitations, so perhaps this process will help. Like the other participants, I will be reading one of the four sections per week and posting my thoughts on each Thursday of this month (April 8, 15, 22 and 29). That will be different from my usual process, but change is good.

So on Thursdays this month expect Dostoevsky in addition to my Thursday Treat posts.

I am also going to try and wrap-up the LOST challenge to give myself some breathing room. I am still stuck on the four novels left on my list (Catch-22, Slaughterhouse-Five, Heart of Darkness, and The Turn of the Screw). I have to pick 2, but perhaps I'll just finish all of them and be an overachiever (we'll see).

I also have to get through The Count of Monte Cristo and another Dumas (The Three Musketeers or The Man in the Iron Mask) by the 23rd for the Classics Circuit.

See? April is going to be an extremely busy month for me! Anyway, I hope you all have a great reading week!

Sunday Salon: March 21, 2010.

I had a really great week this week! One of the biggest accomplishments was getting caught up on the piles and piles of laundry that were taking over our bedroom. It is so nice to have clean clothes to wear! But I am amazed at how much laundry two people can have.

Tuesday night was the return of our community band after a 2 week break. Matt and I both play (trumpet), so we were glad to get back into the swing of things. We have some great music this half of the semester and I am pretty excited. We're playing a piece inspired by Whitman's poems! I have mad love for Whitman, so I am really into the piece we're playing. I even have a solo!

Wednesday was St. Patty's Day, so we had grand plans (this is where it is nice to not be working). Unfortunately I woke up with a nasty migraine, so after nursing me for a bit Matt met some friends for breakfast and early beverage consumption. Thankfully by the time they returned here I was feeling better. We all hung out for awhile until I went to work from 4 to 8, then partied some more after. It was great to see friends and family and just relax. Also, it was gorgeous outside so the windows were wide open and we all enjoyed some fresh air.

Thursday was also a great day. We slept in before cleaning up from the night before. Thursday night I got to meet Carrie Ryan! I also picked up some extra copies of her books for her to sign and for me to give away! It was a great experience and I really need to make it a point to go to more book signings. I love hearing writers discuss their writing process and the stories behind their novels. It is simply fascinating. Carrie was especially wonderful and offered great insights to up and coming writers.

Last night we were originally going to travel into the "thumb" of Michigan to my in-laws' cabin for a maple syrup making party, but I woke up with a sore throat and came home from work with those dreaded white spots in my throat. Matt decided to stay home and nurse me, which was a wise decision since our power ended up going out!

In book news...

Earlier this week I got a newsletter from Penguin Classics announcing the release of more titles to their Hardcover Classics line. I mentioned in an earlier post how I am desperately want all of these editions. In general, I really like Penguin Classics. They are well done and beautiful editions. And these gorgeous hardcovers are no exception. I own the editions of Wuthering Heights, Cranford, and Tess of D'Urbervilles, but I really want all of them (Note: If anyone wants to butter me up, please buy me these. Thanks.). Here are the five new editions:

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Emma by Jane Austen

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson

The Odyssey by Homer

I would like one of each, thanks! I personally love the new edition of The Odyssey, I just love the color and the image of the waves, but each one is beautiful. I would love to have all of them on my shelves. If you want to see the whole line, here is the place to look. I should probably add here that Penguin has no idea who I am, so I am not specifically endorsing their products for them. I just love them!

I also had a pretty good reading week. I finished Lord of the Flies, which was an odd little book. I also read Death of a Salesman and Misanthrope. I am also working on number 55 on the original list, which is the "Complete" Sherlock Holmes novels and stories. It is a huge task, but I am working on the first novel, A Study in Scarlet. To get through all four novels and 56 short stories will be a long process-bear with me! I have The Cherry Orchard by Chekov on my desk, as well as The Picture of Dorian Gray. To be fair, I'm not sure what is up next. I think I might have a long visit with my bookshelves to see what pops out.

I am probably going to work on finishing up the Lost Challenge in the next couple of weeks. I only have two more books to read for it, but I am not sure which. I have these four titles to choose from: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Any suggestions?

I also need to work on completing two Dumas novels for the Classics Circuit. I am going to read two novels for the circuit, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, so I should get going on those.

It seems like I have a lot of reading to take care of in the next few weeks!

Happy Reading everyone!

Sunday Salon...on Monday.

This has been a horrid week. My laptop has some insane virus on it that is driving me crazy and while Matt and I have tried to get it off with a lot of different scans, nothing is working. We decided that we are just going to wipe it and reboot it tonight. Luckily, I got on yesterday and managed to save everything I needed, so I shouldn't lose anything else (I lost my novel in progress back in January when we tried to wipe the laptop-sensing a trend?)

Since I was so upset about not blogging and getting new posts up, reading fell by the wayside for most of the week. I did start Wuthering Heights on Saturday morning and now I only have about 50 pages left. But, reading was not as successful as it could have, and should have been.

I also had my first day of substitute teaching on Friday. I spent half the day in a kindergarten classroom. I was completely out of my element, since I am certified for 6-12, so I don't think I will be taking a job like that again any time soon. I do have a 2-day job lined up for Thursday and Friday at the district that wanted to hire me this past summer and the job is in my age group and subject matter, so it should be a fun 2 days!

I also signed up for the Classics Circuit in April. I am bummed not to be participating in the Zola tour. I read Germinal in December and loved it, but it was the only Zola on my list. To make up for my disappointment, I will be reading two novels for Dumas, which I am eager to read.

I am also disappointed in the lack of entries for my giveaway, so if you haven't already, please enter! And spread the word! There is a link at the top of my blog.

Goals for this week:

• Laptop back up and running.
• Finish posts for O Pioneers and Little Women
• Finish Wuthering Heights
• Read Alias Grace

Happy reading everyone and I hope to be back in the full swing of things soon!