The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife."

Whether first introduced to the book or the movie, which one of us is not familiar with the story of The Wizard of Oz?  As I child, I remember feeling dizzy as Dorothy was whirled away in the cyclone to the land of Oz; those shoes she inherited from the dead Wicked Witch of the East, just dazzled; the Scarecrow who wanted a brain, the Tin Man who wanted a heart, and the Lion who wanted courage stirred my sympathies, and I was as in awe of Oz as Dorothy and her companions, until I found out, as they did, that his persona was all a hoax.  All throughout Dorothy's adventures with the Munchkins, the Flying Monkeys, and  the Wicked Witch of the West, I cheered for Dorothy to find a means to return safely to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em and her home in Kansas.

Dorothy meets the cowardly Lion
from the first edition
(source Wikipedia)

Re-reading this book as an adult, I admit I've lost the delight of the childhood experience, yet I found if I focused on the story's simplicity, there was charm in it.  Both Dorothy and her companions were straightforward, uncomplicated personalities, trusting, honest and unquestionably sincere.  In spite of the dangers they encountered, somehow their innocence and naiveté helped them pass through their trials and realize their dreams.  While the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion each desire a quality that they perceive they lack, their actions in situations of danger, show that they already possess these qualities, and that they simply had to employ them, in order for them to be revealed.  Perhaps this shows that we all have special qualities within us that only rise to the surface in the face of adversity.  

All in all, I found this a short and pleasing read, a chance to travel back to a childhood favourite and revisit memories that still linger in spite of childhood left behind.

Wuthering Heights Read-Along Week #1

Wuthering Heights is one of the few Brönte novels that I have not read and, in spite of previously feeling somewhat ambivalent towards this book, I'm looking forward to it for this read-along hosted by Maggie at An American in France blog.

Chapters 1 - 9

Wuthering Heights begins in media res, with Mr. Lockwood visiting his landlord, Heathcliff at his home, Wuthering Heights.  While initially curious about Heathcliff's strange means of living and intrigued by his caustic manner, his second visit arouses a much altered response.  Treated to disrespectful treatment by the servants, occupants and master alike, he is dismayed to find himself an overnight guest courtesy of a snowstorm.  While in his room that night, Lockwood has a horrifying dream that ends with a young girl named Catherine Linton (yet he has also seen her name scratched on the windowsill as Catherine Earnshaw and Catherine Heathcliff) grasping his hand through the window and begging to be let in.  His cry summons Heathcliff who, pale as death, agrees with Lockwood's decision to leave early and as Lockwood leaves the room, Heathcliff calls out in despair to his "Cathy".  Later Lockwood is told the story of the Earnshaw family: how Heathcliff was brought home by Master Earnshaw from the streets of Liverpool and brought up within the family, although both the wife and brother hated his presence, while Catherine, the daughter, eventually chose him for a constant companion.  We learn of Heathcliff's dark, silent suffering that perhaps conceals more than we have yet seen, and of Catherine's willful, selfish spirit, each negative quality of these characters, nurtured by the lonely, loveless environment in which they live, and the harsh or indifferent treatment they receive from the father, mother and especially Hindley, Catherine's brother, who becomes their guardian after the parents' deaths.  At the end of chapter 9, Catherine has agreed to marry Edgar Linton, a son of a respectable family, yet she vows a lifelong faithfulness to Heathcliff and a desire to enhance his life by her new respectable and influential position.  Given Heathcliff's sullen pride, dark brooding tempers and possessive inclinations towards her, one wonders how she can justify her decision using such an untenable explanation.

YORKSHIRE
Photo courtesy of Steve Calcott (source Flickr)
Creative Commons License

What connects the reader to the two main characters of the novel?  So far neither have engaged my admiration but I think we can all feel a silent sympathy for their plight.  Their sheltered lives, amongst people who failed to nurture even a sentiment of human feeling in either character, evoke a tentative compassion, as their choices seem to have already been made for them, instead of being products of stable, empathetic temperments.  The tension at the end of the chapter is palpable, as a shocking car wreck that we cannot look away from, the foreshadowing of intensity of the coming situation evident.

And so we continue ………… can Catherine convince Heathcliff of the merits of her marriage?  Will she be happy?  Or will Heathcliff instead chose a destructive path that will affect more people than just himself?  ………  


Read-along posts:  Chapters 1-9 / Chapters 10-17 / Chapters 18-26 / Chapters 27-34 / FINAL REVIEW

Read-A-Thon Update - January 4th

My first participation in a Read-A-Thon happened on January 4th and, for my first initiation into this 24 hour marathon, I was pleased how it went.

Beginning at 8:03 am, I got off to a great start, reading one-third of Wuthering Heights for a read-along that I was considering.  The weather was lovely for this time of year, yet I resisted its lure to delve into one of my History challenge books, The History of the Ancient World.  In fact, I was doing so well, that I figured I could relax my rigid regime and take my reading outside along with my silent reading sentinel.

Reading Sentinel!

Warm, yet brittle sunshine flooded the pages of Mrs. Dalloway but I had perhaps made a calculated error in bringing my camera with me, and for the next hour I was distracted by texture, light and layering.  Sigh!

Texture, light, layering …… Voila!

I consoled myself with the excuse that I was still engaged in a creative task but Mrs. Dalloway was not happy, so I went inside, read some more and then convinced myself that I needed a walk to open my mind to Woolf's "stream-of consciousness" style of writing.

The end of Paradise

The hike sent oxygen to my brain but, sadly, didn't make me more enamoured with Woolf's novel, so I began The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe before dinner to get a start on my C.S. Lewis Project.

After dinner I was able to buckle down and get a good 4 uninterrupted hours of reading accomplished.  I really tried to get to War and Peace because I am baby steps to the end, but after reading a few chapters and realizing that I was not understanding anything because of need of sleep, I decided to end the experiment.  My first read-a-thon completed!


I would consider it an initial success with room for much improvement.  In the 16 hours I was awake (you notice I have deliberately avoided the word "reading"), I managed to read:

Wuthering Heights  - read one-third

Mrs. Dalloway - read one-third

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - completed

The History of the Ancient World - read about 60 pages

Prince Caspian - read one-quarter

War and Peace - read a pitiful 2 chapters

A Paradise Lost Read-Along

Carolyn at Rosemary and Reading Glasses is hosting a Paradise Lost Read-Along that will happen over the months of January and February.  Since I have always wanted to read this poem but have been too scared to read it by myself AND because I have had a great start to my reading for 2014, I'm in!

Here's the scoop:

January 1st will mark this blog's one-year birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with an epic (literally) readalong?  I'm hosting a Paradise Lost readalong from January 1 to March 1, and I hope you'll come along to brighten up the winter doldrums.  I'll be tweeting with the tag #ReadPL if you want to follow along.

January 1:  Introductory post

January 10:  Books I & II reaction

January 20:  Books III & IV reaction

January 30:  Books V & VI reaction

February 10:  Books VII & VIII reaction

February 20:  Books IX & X reaction

March 1:  Books XI & XII; Wrap-up


I'm so excited about this read-along that I'm not even feeling guilty in the least.  Please join us if you can fit it in!

And I'm Off! - Beginning 2014

 A new year, new challenges and some resolutions!  The beginning of the year started, not with reading, but ………… a "Polar Brrrr Swim"!  Brrrr, is right!  I didn't join the swim (my husband did) but I did dip my foot in, just to get a taste of what I was missing.  However, after the excitement of the morning, I have come home (well, to our temporary home ------ we're dog-sitting for a friend, but we do have a wonderful view) and have curled up in a comfy chair to start the momentous task of my January reads.

I started The Great Gatsby, which is the January read for my Dead Writers Society group on Goodreads, and also began the Children's Literature Event, hosted by Amanda on Simpler Pastimes, with The Wizard of Oz.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will count for that event too, and I also have plans to begin Daniel Deronda and Mrs. Dalloway.  Marian at Tanglwood is hosting a Eugene Onegin read-along which I will participate in.  As for books still in-progress from 2013, I am right on schedule with David Copperfield, The History of the Ancient World, Son Excellence Eugène Rougon and Once and Future King .  War and Peace is still not finished but I am close.  The depth and breadth of Tolstoy's novels always entrance me and I don't want to rush this one, though I know I should be done by now.  Wharton's, Tales of Men and Ghosts is left over from October 2013 ----- even though I liked the stories I have read, I am not feeling the urge to pick it up, so it may take awhile for me to get through it.  Add to the above, two other read-alongs, I'm considering:  Maggie's Wuthering Heights Read-Along and a Paradise Lost Read-Along hosted by Carolyn at Rosemary and Reading Glasses.  I have never read Wuthering Heights and need an event like this to push me.  Why this book has remainder on my TBR shelf for so long, I'm not quite sure.  While I have loved most of the Brönte novels, this one has not had the appeal of the rest.  Am I doing it an injustice?  Perhaps I should find out!  In the case of Paradise Lost, I have been wanting to read it for ages but the intimidation factor stopped me.  This read-along is exactly what I need.

As everyone can see, I am completely overloaded for January and perhaps need professional help.  Not to mention that I'm already failing in one of my new year reading resolutions.  Ah yes, resolutions …….  Shall we talk about those?  My reading resolutions for the year are:

a)  to read less books.  I have challenged myself to read 60 which is down from 68 in 2013 and 78 in 2012.  The reason I have resolved to read less is because I want more time to sit with a book, to converse with it, to get to know it better.  Yes, I am not off to a great start with this resolution.  :-Z

b)  to journal about some of the books I read.  Following The Well-Educated Mind questions, I'd like to take the time to summarize chapters, note items of interest or annoyance, list characters, etc.  I will get much more out of a book that way.  Ruth of A Great Book Study is my example for this resolution so I just have to keep reading her blog for inspiration.  Of course, I don't want to journal every book.  I think I managed to journal three books last year, so if I can improve on three, I will be happy.

c)  expand my reading choices --- I love reading old books!  Period.  But I do realize I need some reading choices to connect me to reality, so for this year I'd like to concentrate (a litttle) on reading books that pertain to present social, health and environment issues, such as The Omnivore's Dilemma, The 100-Year Lie, The World Until Yesterday (I loved Collapse by the same author), and perhaps I can even throw a classic into this group …… Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

As you can see, I have a host of hopes, wishes, dreams and books on my plate for 2014, a smörgåsbord  of reading and learning.  Whether I realize all of my goals, remains to be seen, but the fun is in the trying!  All best to everyone for 2014!

One Last Challenge - 2014 Around-the-World Challenge

Okay, this is the last challenge …….. I promise!  My Dead Writers Society Goodreads group has set up a 2014 Around-the-World Challenge, so I really must join this one.  Really, I have no choice!  I'm being held hostage and ………  oh,well, never mind …..  ;-)  I know that I'm fooling no one, so I may as well quit while I'm ahead …...

The only stipulation for this challenge is that the authors have to be dead and the countries/areas read in the following order.  The books I'm considering are in parentheses:

January:  North America  (If On a Winter Night A Traveler by Italo
                                                              Calvino)

February:  South America (The Poems of Pablo Neruda)

March:  Western Europe  (Les Lettres du Moulin by Alphonse Daudet but
                                                              this will probably change)

April:  Eastern Europe (a book by Isaac Bashevis Singer)

May:  Northern Europe  (The Saga of the Volsungs or Fear and Trembling
                                                           by Søren Kierkegaard) 

June:  North Africa (The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz)

July:  Sub-Saharan Africa (Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton)

August:  Middle East  (The Epic of Gilgamesh or The Arabian Nights)

September:  Russia, Mongolia  (I was mulling over The Brothers 
                                                                        Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky but now
                                                                        I highly doubt it)

October:  China, Korea, Japan  (The Story of Stone by Cao Xueqin)

November:  India  (The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye)

December:  Australasia  (I don't know!  Perhaps something from Katherine
                                                           Mansfield)


I know I will not make it through all twelve months; if I'm able to read four books, I will be pleased.  But this challenge will force me to read books that I wouldn't normally choose independently, so it has its benefits.  Plus I probably can find a reading buddy or two within the group and what better reason to join than that!

52 Books In 52 Weeks Wrap-up 2013

While I didn't have a blog last year, I did particiapte in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Robin is the host and she encourages participants to answer questions at the end of the year, to review their reading experiences.  I admit, I haven't completed the questions previously but, with a new blog, this year I thought I'd give it a go!

  1.  How many book did you read this year?

       I should end up with about 70 books read, which is 8 less than the
       previous year.  

  2.  Did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
     
       My personal goal was 65 books, so I beat my challenge.  

  3.  Favourite book of 2013?

       Oh, this is a difficult question.  I would say The Divine Comedy 
       because of the ambitiousness of Dante's writing, the differences 
       between the three books and the opportunity he gives the reader
       to intimately explore Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.

  4.  Least favourite book of 2013 and why?

       I have no problem answering this!  Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
       The whole structure of the story seemed not only forced but poorly 
       stitched together, and the storyline shallow.  The main character's
       husband is a murderer for really no good reason, and the only emotion
       the second Mrs. deWinter displays is joy that her husband doesn't 
       love his first wife, the murdered Rebecca.  I know that Rebecca
       was supposed to be the force that dominates the story, I think we 
       are supposed to sympathize with Mrs. de Winter II and be chilled 
       by Mrs. Danvers but, honestly, I was ready to tear my hair out by 
       the end of the story.  Never again unless by torture!

  5.  One book you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised
       that you liked it?
 
       The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.  I thought I would like it but I never
       imagined that I would love it as much as I did.  Wharton was a master of 
       character development when she created Lily Bart.  The reader is 
       introduced to an innocent child, an accomplished flirt, a damaged
       product of society, a redeemed angel, and each of these traits shone out
       just as strongly as all the others.  Just, WOW!

  6.  One book you thought you'd love but didn't?

       Walden Two.  I expected a good utopian read.  What I got was B.F.
       Skinner's philosophical treatise of the perfect society, but in a way
       that was rambling and unappealing.  I didn't feel he really made an 
       attempt to engage with the reader.

       Also, The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson.  It was a story of a girl
       who had lost her mother and was spending her time on an island off
       Finland with her grandmother, and of their relationship together.
       Jansson only mentions the mother's death once and then doesn't
       explore this theme further, asking us to surmise the girl's often
       unpleasant behaviour is a result of this tragedy.  Fine, but the
       grandmother is a little off-colour too, as well as other characters in
       this  novel.  I didn't hate it and, in fact, some parts were amusing,
       but it left me with no connection to the characters and a very uneasy
       feeling.

  7.  One book that touched you  --- made you laugh, cry, sing or dance.

       Oh, lots of these!   First The House of Mirth …… my heart just ached for
       Lily, but because I've mentioned this title already, I'll pick another:  All
       Quiet on the Western Front.  I found this book particularly poignant
       because, while it was realistic, it wasn't sensationalistic.  I felt the author
       intimately knew his characters and was able to communicate their
       struggles with the reader.  As enjoyable as a book on war can be.

  8.  Any new to you authors discovered and you can't wait to read more of
       their stories?

       I enjoyed The Master and Margarita, so I'd like to read more of Mikhail
      Bulgakov.  Oh, and Emilé Zola, absolutely.  I also enjoyed M.R. James'
      Ghost Stories.

  9.  Name the longest book you read?  The shortest?

      If I finish in time, it would be War and Peace at 1392 pages.  If not, my 
      next closest is Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens at 996 pages.  The
      shortest was Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc at 72 pages.

10.  Name the most unputdownable book you read?

       The Brain That Changes Itself was fascinating!

11.  Book that had the greatest impact on you this year?

       The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.  I still think about it:  Lily's fate
       and was it necessary?

12.  What book would you recommend everybody read?

        The Divine Comedy, The House of Mirth, Beowulf and Pride and
        Prejudice.

13.  Share your most favourite cover.

       What a lovely cover!  I speaks of adventure and makes you want to
       pick up the book and read!

     

14.  Do you have a character you fell in love with?

       Lily Bart from The House of Mirth.  A tragically loveable yet sometimes
       unlikeable character!  Also Rilla from Rilla of Ingleside, Miette from The
       Fortune of the Rougons, Antonia from My Antonia …… the list could go
       on!

15.  What was your most favourite part of the challenge?  Did you do any of
       the mini-challenges?

       I enjoy how this challenge gives me focus.  I didn't do any of the mini-
       challenges but I'll certainly be considering some for 2014!


My goals for 2014 are to read less books and to spend more time with the books I read.  I want to take the time to read over passages that resonate with me, be able to ponder the thoughts the book has provoked, and leave time to journal.  The beginning of the year is shaping up to be busy; I have probably too many books scheduled to read but I am feeling positive about starting the year off without many leftovers from 2013.

All the best to everyone for 2014!