The Tempest Read-Along Post 2.

On August 16, I posted my thoughts on the first two acts of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. You can find them here.

I will sadly say that I set the play aside for a bit as I went on a reading craze and when it came time to go back to it, I had to reread what I had finished to refresh my memory. Thankfully the play was easy to fly through and I finished the entire play the other night.

As the first Shakespeare play that I was reading by myself (all the others I have read for this project were rereads of plays I had read in high school and college), I was surprised at how easy it was for me to decipher things. Perhaps it was because of my previous experiences with Shakespeare as a writer, or I am just getting better at understanding more complicated language, but I did not struggle too badly.

With all of that being said, I absolutely adored the play and it is probably one of my favorites (behind Much Ado about Nothing and Macbeth). The character of Ariel, in particular, I developed quite a fondness for, and I was loving the amount of action and intrigue in the play.

I also really loved the relationship that developed between Miranda and Ferdinand. Even though they only knew each other for a few hoursish, they seemed to have a more realistic relationship than say...Romeo and Juliet. Anyway, here is a passage I want to talk about:

"Miranda:
'If you'll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while. Pray, give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.

Ferdinand:
No, precious creature;
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,
Than you should such dishonor undergo
While I sit lazy by,'" (III.i.22-28).

I love this exchange. It is full of the courtesy and chivalry that should be evident in the beginning stages of love, don't you think?

But Ariel...what an interesting character. Trapped until Prospero freed him, he is not a servant to Prospero and spends most of the play doing his bidding. I could feel the unfairness of Ariel's situation. Prospero and Miranda are abandoned on the island and while Prospero has power, there is nothing he can do to free them. Ariel is finally free and probably believed that a man had finally come to free him, but rather than be granted the freedom that Prospero also desires, he is no better than a slave. It is an interesting contradiction and I was happy when Ariel was freed at the end.

Overall, it was a play I rather enjoyed. It was a little darker than his comedies, and certainly wasn't a tragedy. It was a play that I could imagine was received in awe, given the effects needed to carry out Prospero's magic. It is definitely a play I would love to see live and learn more about.

If you participated, leave your thoughts, or a link to your site so I can come and visit!

Book 53: On Part 3 and Finished.

I can say two things about Dreiser's An American Tragedy: It was very, very long, and I really, really, loved it.

The third part, which is well over 300 pages as well, seemed to go by much faster than the first two. Clyde has committed his crime and the police are putting together the clues for his trial. I was absolutely fascinated by these proceedings and compared them in my head to what I know of present-day cases that are under investigation.

Dreiser maintains the ability to keep his reader on the fence about the extent of Clyde's guilt. We have lived with Clyde, loved with Clyde, and possibly murdered with Clyde, so the real judgment comes on our part. It doesn't matter what the jury may have decided-that wasn't the point. Dreiser's main goal was to get me thinking about the entire mess and what drove Clyde to desperation.

We all grow up hearing stories about the "American Dream" and what we can hope to be if we try hard enough and work enough. No one ever tells us what kinds of sacrifices we must make in order to gain that level of success. Some people are willing to risk anything and everything to reach that level. It certainly made me think differently about success and what I would be willing to do to get there.

When I finished the novel, I wasn't sure at first how to feel about it. In many ways, I feel that the first part-explaining Clyde's childhood-was drawn out and unnecessary. We really don't need all of those details, and perhaps an overview would have been enough. But upon closing it and thinking, I realized that Dreiser was merely explaining how a normal boy from very humble beginnings can turn into a ruthless killer. It really made me think about the back stories of many of the faces I see on TV. How many of them felt they had no other choice?

I'm not sure if that even matters.

But I enjoyed it and loved. It is a novel that made me think deeply about what we teach our children in schools about success and what success means. I questioned my own need to rise the ladder to the American Dream. Would I still like myself if I got to the top? Based on this, probably not.

Anyway, this is something I think everyone needs to think about reading. Yes, it is long, and sometimes drawn out, but well worth the moral dilemma it instills.

Weekly Wrap-up for August 29, 2010: One Year Down!

I kicked off my celebrations of one year blogging on Wednesday. August 25, 2009 was when I started this whole crazy mess and began developing this project. I feel I should point out that while the 25th is when my blog began, I didn't start book 1, The Odyssey by Homer, until September 1 (I started it immediately after reading Catching Fire on its release date).

It has been a crazy year with a lot of ups and downs. And while I feel like my professional life hasn't changed much (still no job), I think that I making great strides in realizing what I ultimately want to do. I can thank the authors I have read this year, and their work, for inspiring me in ways that I'll never forget.

Writing has always been therapeutic and something I could rely on, and this blog has become a reflection of that passion. I can tell that my writing has improved over the course of the year. My exposure to new works and authors have influenced how I see things, and while I wish I didn't leave in so many typos (I am not an excellent "typer." I never learned the proper way to type), there is some improvement in my style.

In this past year I have really committed myself to writing. I've finished a few short stories and have two outlines for novels. One is in the process of being written. The other is going to sit on the backburner for a bit longer. Whether or not they ever get published...well...we'll see what happens if I pursue that route.

I guess the point is, I am enjoying this process and what it has meant in my life this year. This blog and this home have given me a place to retreat to when things got rough. I never thought anyone would read what I had to say about a bunch of books that "no one" reads anymore, but I am always surprised and grateful when I see the wonderful comments you all leave. So thank you. :)

Anyway, there will be a few more reflective posts coming up, but the main ones were posted last week. I hope that if you missed them you'll go back and take a peek.

I had a super-productive reading week. It reminded me of the old days, before this project, when I read a lot more YA and fantasy. Last Sunday I read The Hunger Games and on Monday I flew through Catching Fire. I actually finished it earlier in the day than I thought I would, so I had to go get a magazine to tide me over. Tuesday morning found me waiting outside my bookstore to go get a copy of Mockingjay. I finished it by Tuesday afternoon and then couldn't decide what else to read. I eventually grabbed Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club off the shelf and read 8 pages before calling it a night. Matt went out Wednesday night so I snuggled into bed with the cats to read a bit before going to be bed early. I ended up getting sucked in and read the rest of the book until 1:30 in the morning. Thursday found me in the same conundrum as Tuesday night, so I reached for The Catcher in the Rye and flew through that in one day. Friday was spent trying to finish The Tempest and I succeeded. And Saturday night I read a little of Charlotte Bronte's Villette before going to bed early.

Yeah, I spent almost every spare moment either blogging or reading this week, and I loved every moment of it. I still have my assigned Bleak House reading to do for Wednesday's post, and I think I might knock that out tonight so I can get back to Villette, which I am rather enjoying. I've also been craving a reread of Sophocles' Antigone, so I may read that in the nest few days.

I hope you are all enjoying your week and you get lots of wonderful/joyous reading done.

Happy Reading!

Book 53: On Part Two.

Dreiser is definitely a mouthy sort of fellow. I mean, he likes to take his sweet time saying what he needs to say, and kind of rambles in a long and complicated way, repeating the same idea that he mentioned in the last chapter. But it works for him, I guess, since I'm still reading and I finished the second of three parts in this massive tome.

At 370 pages long, the second part is more than double the length of the first part, and only slightly more exciting. At the end of the first part, Clyde escapes Kansas City after an accident of sorts. We find him at the beginning of the second part working in a hotel in Chicago. By chance, he runs into his wealthy uncle (his father's brother). Clyde impresses his uncle and manages to land a job in his uncle's factory. Clyde believes this to be his saving grace and his way to finally move upwards in society.

He moves and begins work. His uncle and family seem to ignore Clyde-mostly likely because they are embarrassed by Clyde's humble status and his family. However, Clyde works hard and is eventually promoted to working in a room where he supervises a group of young girls. His one rule is not to get involved with any of the women in his room.

I'll give you one guess what he does.

Roberta is a beautiful girl from a very poor family. She is living with a friend in town and seems slightly naive. Clyde and her begin an affair. While she is loving and willing to commit to Clyde, he is more fickle. At first, everything seems fine. He falls in love with Roberta and she with him. They see each other in secret so that no one will catch them and report him to his boss. He even convinces her to get a new place to stay so he can go to her room at night (scandal!).

Then, he is scooped up by society. A group of young men and women who are in the elite in town realize who he is related to and start taking him around. Clyde goes to dinners and parties and gradually leaves Roberta behind. He falls for another girl and rather than being honest with Roberta about his feelings...he just lies to her. It all comes to a head when she realizes she is pregnant.

This is where the novel really began to grab hold of me. On one hand, you have a young, innocent girl who didn't ask to be knocked up, and knew better. Clyde pressured her and promised her marriage. She wants him to help her and cannot understand why he won't.

Clyde, on the other hand, has always wanted money and society standing. This is his opportunity to make something of himself and become more than his parents. He fell out of love with Roberta, which happens, and doesn't know what to do. If he marries Roberta, everything he has worked for will disappear. If he continues to ignore her, then she'll take action.

It is certainly a sticky situation and it was hard to decide where to lay my empathy. I mean, Roberta is a sweet girl, who knew better and let a man's "needs" take over. But I do feel for Clyde and now I understand why Dreiser took his time developing who Clyde was and where he came from. You, as a reader, have to sympathize with him a bit, since he is struggling, and trying. But, at the same time, Clyde is infuriating. You want to shake him, or at least smack some sense in him for making such stupid mistakes.

Then, the book takes this dark and twisted turn into the crime and Clyde's decision to "take care of" the problem by murdering Roberta (again, not a spoiler-it says it on the back cover). You have to wonder about the desperation that must have taken hold of Clyde when he made that decision. The last 30 pages of this section flew by to that inevitable climax when Clyde throws away his life...as well as Roberta's.

The third section looks like it is going to focus on the aftermath, and I am sure that once I finish it I will have more to say about the drama of Clyde Griffiths. I only hope it moves along faster than the first two parts.

Someone really needed to edit this monster before publication. 100 pages of courting Roberta was not necessary to establish their relationship, you know?

Anyway, onward!

56 Classics in Review.

Like I mentioned in Wednesday's post, I am celebrating one year of my challenge complete. And while I thought I would be further along than I am, I have checked off 56 titles from my list of 250. I feel I should point out that "56" also contains all three Lord of the Rings novels, as well as the nine novels and collections of short stories that make up The Complete Sherlock Holmes, so the actual number of physical novels read is 66. :)

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to give you a recount of what I have read this past year and give you some fun and different links to each of the titles I finished. They will go month by month, so if you are a recent follower, perhaps some of my early titles will interest you!

(I feel I should also point out that near the end, there may not be a link, as my posts for my most recent books haven't made it up on the blog yet!)

September 2009:
I began with The Odyssey and had an uncomfortable moment when I finished it. Next up was Crime and Punishment and I was grateful to get one of the most intimidating books on the list out of the way. I was actually surprised how easy it was to read! I also had a funny run-in at the library. Next up was E.M. Forster's A Room With A View, which my readers voted for. I fell in love with one character in particular. The last book in that first month was Pride and Prejudice, which my sister picked out for me to read next. I found some great author criticisms to make me laugh.

October 2009:
October began with some Shakespeare as I re-read Much Ado About Nothing and I fell back in love with Shakespeare's beautiful gift with words. I decided to then get in the Halloween spirit and read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which I had somehow never read before. I then felt it was time to bond with Tolkien and revisit old memories, remember the Ents, and come to the end of all things with Frodo and Sam. Hemingway's classic The Old Man and the Sea found me remembering fishing with my grandfather with its beautiful language and story.

November 2009:
November started with the creepy story McTeague by Frank Norris and I was left feeling somewhat disturbed by its dark and morbid tale. I then bit the bullet and matched off with my arch-nemesis Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. He made me fall asleep, procrastinate, and then turn one of his characters into a sandwich. I was then moved by Toni Morrison's beautifully written The Bluest Eye. Last, I turned to Albert Camus' The Stranger and was left feeling uninspired.

December 2009:
December was an emotional month as my wedding day was fast approaching. I was also absorbed in Emile Zola's Germinal for the greater part of the month. When I finally finished it, I felt like I was somehow much older and wiser. The second book I squeezed in before the holidays was Richard Adam's Watership Down, which made think of bunnies in new ways.

January 2010:
The new year dawned and I attacked with a vengeance. I read Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck as Matt and I traveled half the country to and from our honeymoon. The mood and tone of the novel reminded me how much I love the country I live in. I returned to an old and trusted friend in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome which only confirmed my mad love affair with Edith. Next was D.H. Lawrences' Sons and Lovers and it left me feeling hardly anything. That all changed as I read the heart-breaking The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow and stayed awake for a week thinking about my own life. The cold month of January ended with my second foray into Shakespeare with The Winter's Tale.

February 2010:
I rediscovered my love for Tom and Huck in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and scared Matt by telling him I want a boy just like Tom. I then felt sorry for poor Catherine Sloper in Henry Jame's Washington Square. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot reminded me why she is one of my all-time favorites with the tragic elegance of the story and her writing style. Book 23 was the always entertaining and scary Animal Farm by George Orwell which made me contemplate that tricky area of politics. I was then upset by the lack of emotion I felt with Annie Proulx's The Shipping News, which I had high hopes for. I turned to Willa Cather's O Pioneers! next, as a way of conquering an old demon...and I ended up loving her style. The month ended with a long-time favorite, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

March 2010:
The third month of 2010 was a great success, with more novels read in those 31 days than in any other month. It began with "the green light" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. I then tackled a complete unknown in one of the Bronte sisters (Emily) and her Wuthering Heights. Even thought I hated everyone, I still loved the book. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood reminded me I need to read more of her work. Golding made me feel creepy with his Lord of the Flies and I determined it just wasn't for me. Miller and his Death of a Salesman left me contemplating the American Dream. After finishing Moliere's The Misanthrope, I felt like I should have participated in drama in school! I rounded out my time with plays with Anton Chekov's last play, The Cherry Orchard and left it feeling like I just didn't get it. I began my journey with Holmes and Watson in A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four before turning to another old favorite in Virginia Woolf's lyrically beautiful Mrs. Dalloway. The month ended with the thought-provoking The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, with the hope I could one day teach it to students.

April 2010:
I began the month with another Shakespeare play, Macbeth, and remembered my fondness for the witches. Vonnegut reminded me why he is so wonderful and weird with Slaughterhouse-Five. I continued with Sherlock and Dr. Watson in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and read Jack London's The Call of the Wild in one sitting for the read-a-thon. I read the one unknown Austen novel left on my shelf, Persuasion, and realized that I am growing up. This was also the first month I participated in a read-along and I flew through my second Dostoevsky with The Brothers Karamazov.

May 2010:
May began with a monster when I completed Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo for the Classics Circuit past the date I was assigned (oops!). Once again I was swept into 221B Baker St. with Holmes and Watson in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes where Doyle finally killed off Holmes (for now). I explored my first dive into Thomas Hardy with The Mayor of Casterbridge and explained my fondness for wonderfully written characters. I decided to get a high school classic out of the way with Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and again, felt hardly anything when I finished it. Book 44 was another old friend, As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, with its famous one sentence chapter and the emotions it evoked when I set it down. I took another adventure with my Baker Street buddies in The Return of Sherlock Holmes and discovered how Holmes was "resurrected." Lastly, I took a big risk by reading a novel surrounded with controversy, but I ended up falling in love with Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind.

June 2010:
June started with another trip with Watson and Holmes as they solved the case of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Pumped up, I read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark and left feeling like once more, I was missing the point. I then went to a deserted island with Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe and was surprised to find that I liked the island narrative. Who knew? Once more I contributed to the Classics Circuit by reading Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons which has sparked within me an interest to read more Russian literature. During this packed month I hosted not one, but TWO read-alongs. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift was a reread for me, but offered a lot to discuss. I also read Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell with a great group of people!

July 2010:
This month began with some time with an old friend, The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton and found that life experience changed my reading experience. I traveled to the United States and back in my Sherlock Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear. In the middle of the month, I traveled on vacation and enjoyed some fun reads that were not from my list. But I also managed to host another readalong, this time over Gabriel Garcia Marquez's masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude.

August 2010:
One year later has brought me to August, where I am still checking off titles on my list of 250. This month I completed the monstrous An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, which I had been lugging around with me since early July. A friend at work convinced me to finally read James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and I may be throwing my dislike for Cooper out the window. I also took my last two trips with Watson and Holmes in His Last Bow and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. With all of the hype, I also managed to fit in The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins as books I really wanted to read. After reading Collins' work, I was worried nothing would catch my attention, but I reread Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club in one sitting. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is my next novel and I am looking forward to revisiting a novel that I loved the first 2 times I read it. I am also hosting another readalong for William Shakespeare's The Tempest, as well as meandering (torturing myself is more like it) my way through Bleak House by arch-nemesis Charles Dickens.



I am looking forward to another year of great classics! Happy Reading everyone!