Archive | December, 2009

Chronicling Cecilia Part 3

29 Dec

I have just finished Book VII and what a mess Cecilia is in!

To know that one is esteemed and, yet, not esteemed so highly to surmount such a trifle as losing one’s name for the sake of love is quite distressing. Poor Cecilia, driven from the home of the kind but proud Mrs. Delvile, has no alternative but to return to Suffolk and seek the hospitality of her dear friend, the elderly and infirm Mrs. Charlton, until she reaches her majority. What else was there to do but leave Delvile-Castle when it became clear that young Mr. Delvile was in love with her but refused to overcome his vain pride and take her name and all that such a union would imply? No, better to avoid his society altogether than continue to experience the pain of such a barrier.

Finding solace in the company of Mrs. Charlton, Cecilia resigns herself to her loss and applies herself to forgetting her feelings for Delvile, until she suddenly finds herself the recipient of Delvile’s devoted dog and her one-time companion, Fidel. Uncertain what such a message signifies, Cecilia begins to hope that it is a sign of Delvile’s good faith, until she learns that it is another of Lady Honoria’s silly pranks. But too late, Delvile arrives in search of his dog and his feelings cannot be contained.

Delvile proposes that Cecilia marry him in secret, so that they may conceal their union until she can be brought forth before the Delviles as his wife. Certain that his family will forgive the injury caused by the loss of his family name after he marries Miss Beverly, Delvile hopes that his mother’s esteem for Miss Beverly’s virtuous nature will win the family over.

More than anything, Cecilia wishes to agree to the proposal, the thought of betraying Mrs. Delvile’s faith in her is repugnant. Torn by love and honor, Cecilia nevertheless gives in to Delvile’s scheme and consents to marry him within the week, to then be hidden away in London until such a time as they can be united before the Delviles.

Setting off for London to procure a license, Delvile leaves Cecilia to find a male witness. Knowing no one she would trust more than Mr. Monkton, Cecilia turns to this gentleman, ignorant of his designs for securing her and her fortune. Canny as ever, Monkton convinces Cecilia to renege on her agreement, telling her of the derision with which the Delviles will regard her if she goes through with the marriage. Taking it upon himself to deliver Cecilia’s refusal, Monkton sets off for London but fails to find Delvile.

Unwilling to let Delvile think the worst of her should she not meet him as agreed, Cecilia journeys to London only to find herself inadvertently drawn into a party of London’s most ruthless gossips. Will she find Delvile on time or become victim to Miss Larolles incessant chatter?

—

Miss Larolles is almost as funny as Lady Honoria, these two ladies get up to no amount of trouble for the sake of pleasure and seem to bring comedic relief to the story whenever Cecilia is in an especially dejected mood, though Miss Larolles appearance is surely less than amusing to Cecilia who wishes to make haste and meet Delvile before the proposed wedding is scheduled.

Delvile’s manner of proposing to Cecilia is so full of objections that I cannot help but make the connection to Pride and Prejudice. Like Darcy, he makes it clear that a connection with her will gain him the disapproval of his family, but it is his own dismay at the loss of his name that makes his avowals of love all the more painful to Cecilia. That he loves her, he cannot deny, but that the thought of willingly giving up his name to marry her brings him joy, he cannot proclaim. Cecilia is not as headstrong as Lizzie, but she does feel as strongly. She feels the insult of his proposal and finds that it goes against her sense of duty and honor, but she agrees because she cannot deny her desire to be married to the one man that she esteems as her equal in character and sense. That she is blind to Mr. Monkton’s ulterior motive is Cecilia’s main fault, allowing herself to be swayed by one who means to deny her the happiness that she desires in order to keep her for himself.

Will Cecilia reach Delvile on time or will she her plans be cast asunder?

It’s Monday…

28 Dec

monday reading listHere’s what I’m reading:

I am very much into Cecilia at the moment and hope to finish it before I get sucked into another book. Chronicling the book is certainly keeping me invested in the story. See Part 1 and Part 2.

As a result, I didn’t finish anything last week.

Work kept me busy during the last two weeks, but I recently finished reading:

The Night’s Dark Shade by Elena Maria Vidal (REVIEW)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (REVIEW)

The Ghosts of Walden: Three Concord Stories by Jack Hussey (REVIEW)

Chronicling Cecilia Part 2

27 Dec

Oh, Cecilia, what a fine mess you’re in!

I’m almost through Volume III and plenty has happened to our dear heiress. The extravagant Mr. Harrel has gone off and shot himself after dragging his wife and her much put upon friend to Vauxhall for an evening filled with Champagne and unusually high spirits. One guardian down, Cecilia had to make a quick decision: move in with the miserly Mr. Briggs, or the haughty Delviles? And what to do about dashing,young Mr. Delvile? Intolerable to move in with Briggs, but so much heartache to be found near Mr. Mortimer Delvile. But difficult though being near the object of one’s affection may be, living with a curmudgeonly penny-pincher who refuses to clean house or light fires is so much the worse. To the Delvile’s it is.

Meanwhile, Mr. Monckton has made himself extremely helpful, assisting Cecilia with the debts that Mr. Harrel coerced her into, and Mr. Arnott has proven himself a most devoted friend, though Cecilia regrets that she cannot return his deeper feelings. To make matters more troubling, Miss Belfield, Cecilia’s one true friend, may very well be secretly in love with Mr. Delvile. And if the letter Miss Belfield concealed when Cecilia called on her is any indication, Mr. Delvile has confirmed the young lady’s devotion.

Certain that Mr. Delvile’s recent coldness towards her is the result of his recent attachment to Miss Belfield, Cecilia finds herself perplexed by the effusive praise lavished upon her when the pair is caught in a storm.

Could it be that the conditions of her inheritance have created the barrier that separates them? Or is Mr. Delvile truly in love with Miss Belfield?

—

In the same manner that Mr. Darcy’s arrival at Netherfield raises the question of marriage and money, Cecilia’s wealth raises several points on the position of moneyed women. The theme of “gold-digging” abounds in literature, but more attention is paid to the difficulties of men faced with a sudden horde of women seeking an advantageous marriage, than the trouble faced by single heiresses in a similar situation. Though Mr. Wickham does not succeed with Mary King, Mr. Willoughby successfully entraps a rich wife to keep him in his favored mode of living. Cecilia’s friend, Mr. Monckton, married his older, rich wife in the hope that she would pass quickly and leave him her fortune. He tries to assure that Cecilia has no suitors so that she will be available to marry her “dear” friend when his wife is gone.

Wealthy though she may be, Cecilia is anything but free to choose her mate. The codicil in her uncle’s will demands that the man who marries her take her name, or Cecilia will have to relinquish her fortune. Find a man who will take the family name, or else. Sir Robert Floyer, Mr. Marriot, Mr. Monckton, and even Mr. Arnott all wish to secure Cecilia for their own advantage, making Cecilia wish for the privations of a humble existence if they would free her from their attentions. Nevertheless, the persecution that Cecilia faces from her suitors earns her social censure for seeming fickleness and haughtiness when she refuses to acknowledge any attachment to them. Why shouldn’t she make known her attachment for a respectable, titled gentleman like Sir Robert? Why should it matter that he only wants her inheritance? Why should a woman want to remain in control of her inheritance when other women are content with their lot in marriage? Her suitors are lauded for their fortitude and continued pursuit, while Cecilia finds herself forced to avoid society if only to prevent further gossip.

Just imagine Pride and Prejudice if Elizabeth had been the heiress. How differently Mr. Darcy might have reacted.

A quick mark

23 Dec

AbeBooks posted an article on the Most Collectible Books of the Decade and I was all a flutter to find that some of my signed books are on the list :) . I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful indie bookstore in the area, Books and Books in the Gables, and whenever an interesting author comes around, I do my best to go to the event and get my book signed. Most of the events are free readings and signing, but the Stephenie Meyer event was a sort of exclusive vampire prom; you had to get your copy of Eclipse from the store in order to get a pair of tickets to the event.

I currently have signed copies of:

Twilight hardcover 1st ed. – Stephenie Meyer
The Life of Pi paperback – Yann Martel
Unaccustomed Earth hardcover 1st ed – Jhumpa Lahiri
Forever Princess hardcover 1st ed – Meg Cabot
Leviathan hardcover 1st ed – Scott Westerfield

Though most of my signed editions are personalized, only copies of Eclipse were personalized during the Stephenie Meyer event, so my copy of Twilight is collectibly impersonal.


Cecilia

22 Dec

I have promised myself that I will finish reading Frances Burney’s Cecilia during the coming year, even if it takes me a while, so in an effort to get through it, I’ve decided to “chronicle” my readings rather than review it  when I finish.

According to my LibraryThing, I started reading Cecilia on June 7th. I selected this particular novel because I never did get around to reading much 18th century fiction and Jane Austen was a fan of Burney’s. Divided into 5 volumes, 10 books, the novel captures the pomp of 18th century London.

As it stands, I am on page 358, Book 5, Volume 3.

The story thus far…

A sweet and clever girl, Cecilia was left to the guardianship of her uncle after the death of her family. Growing up in the Suffolk countryside with little exposure to the foibles of fashionable society, Cecilia is unaccustomed to the hypocrisy and excess that mark her entrance among the ton.

When her uncle passes away, Cecilia emerges a wealthy heiress, left under the protection of three guardians who will look after her interests until she reaches her majority or marries. Cecilia’s guardians, Mr. Delville, Mr. Briggs, and Mr. Harrel, are as unlike in manner as they are in interest. Leaving the familiarity of the country, Cecilia travels to London to stay in the home of Mr. Harrel, in the company of her childhood friend, Mrs. Harrel. Finding little by way of sense in the Harrel home, Cecilia is disappointed to realize that her friend has fallen into a life of dissipation and waste. Living well beyond their means, the Harrels are heavily in debt and have no qualms about compromising the well-meaning Cecilia.

Cecilia’s wealth and beauty are a source of trouble for her, as fortune-hunting gentlemen seek her hand with little regard for her opinion,  exposing her to calumny and slander with their actions. Gossip arises as Cecilia falls victim to the machinations of the Harrels, who wish her to marry Sir Robert Floyer. Meanwhile, Cecilia is sought by her trusted friend, Mr. Monckton, whose intentions are not what Cecilia believes them to be,  Mr. Arnott, Mrs. Harrel’s brother, attempts to insinuate himself in her regard, and Mr. Belfield mistakenly concludes that Cecilia’s concern for him is more than friendly.

Poor Cecilia just wants to use her wealth to help people, but her good intentions are continually thwarted and misconstrued. Falling in love with the young Mr. Delville, her guardian’s son, Cecilia despairs of ever making her feelings known.

—

This is a tome. And at times, best taken in small doses. I am interested in the story, but Burney is a heavy read. At times, Cecilia almost reminds me of Emma, though Cecilia is reminiscent of Emma’s victims rather than Emma herself. It will take me a while to finish the  novel, but I really want to know how Cecilia is going to get herself out of the mess she is in.

A Question of Faith

22 Dec

Last week, I received The Night’s Dark Shade by Elena Maria Vidal for review.

A historical romance set in 13th century France, The Night’s Dark Shade is an engrossing tale about faith, honor, and courtly love.

In the wake of the loss of her family and her  betrothed, Lady Raphaëlle finds herself thrust into a world that challenges everything she believes in. Drawn into an arranged marriage with her cousin, Raymond, the young Vicomtesse de Miramande is placed under the guardianship of her uncle, the Baron de Marcadeau. Hopeful and eager to make the most of her situation, Raphaëlle is disappointed to find that all is not as she believed. Set upon by a band of brigands while traveling to her uncle’s estate, Raphaëlle meets the dashing Sir Martin de Revel-Saissac, a knight of the Hospitaller order. This fateful meeting awakens Raphaëlle’s sense of passion and longing, an awakening that brings with it a restlessness and sudden awareness of her position as a female.

Struggling between duty and love, Raphaëlle is unwittingly drawn into a world marked by heresy and fanaticism. Under the auspices of friendship, Raphaëlle is beguiled by her aunt, the Lady Esclarmonde, a Perfecta of the Cathar sect who wants to ensure that  her son’s marriage will prove advantageous to the Cathar. Unwilling to compromise her Christian faith and wishing to annul her betrothal, Raphaëlle seeks the aid of her cousin Bertrand and Sir Martin, and soon finds herself placed in the custody of Sir Jacques d’ Orly, King Louis IX’s loyal liege.

Braving danger and persecution, Raphaëlle emerges as a strong and thoughtful character, a woman certain of her virtue and moral stance.

—

This novel drew me in from the very first page and put me in mind of the Lais of Marie de France. Raphaëlle is a charming character whose innocence and strong opinions make her a worthy lady and a wonderful protagonist. The history of the Cathari is fascinating and lends a darkness to the tale that adds a thrilling sense of mystery to Raphaëlle’s journey.

I highly recommend this novel for readers interested in fiction about medieval women’s lives and courtly love.

Wuthering Heights

16 Dec

I’m a little early for the Brontë challenge, but I just couldn’t stop myself from reading Wuthering Heights now that I’m officially on holiday from school. This is one of those books that most everyone I know read in high school, but for one reason or other, we never read it for any of my classes. I do remember one of my classmates describing it as “incestuous cousins who fall in love and one of them dies,” but it is obviously so much more than that. I would describe it as a set of dastardly, petty, and vengeful characters who slowly torture and destroy one another, their toxic legacy nearly destroying their heirs in the process.

Though I have often heard the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy described as one of the great romances, I found it destructive and terribly dark. Like Mr. Lockwood, I was fascinated by Nelly Dean’s account of the lives of the inmates of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. In many ways Wuthering Heights reminds me of Frankenstein, there is a terrible sense that the story is going to take a very bad turn. I found it very Gothic, though I had a difficult time deciding who resembled Dr. Frankenstein more: Cathy, whose passion for Heathcliff and belief in their oneness leads to her denying him any choice in the matter of their future, or Heathcliff, who plots to turn those around him as low as himself. They both show a disregard for what is good and right and create monsters of their will.

I found that the story of Linton, young Cathy, and Earnshaw was a cautionary tale on how not to raise children. Coddled, indulged, and wild, these receive their share of suffering as a result of the legacy left by Heathcliff, Cathy,Earnshaw, and Linton, but they are responsible for the cruelty they heap upon one another. Nevertheless, I liked young Cathy and pitied young Earnshaw for his ignorance; though I cannot say I felt much sympathy for the sniveling, selfish Linton.

All in all, I’m pleased that I started the Challenge with this selection and glad that I finally got around to reading it–that copy has been in my TBR pile for a number of years.

Winds of change

15 Dec

I read Jack Hussey’s The Ghosts of Walden: Three Concord Stories for the Historical Novel Society Review; as my review will be part of the next newsletter, I decided to post a reaction here instead.

Set in 19th century Concord, Hussey re-imagines life around Walden as poets, philosophers, abolitionists, and suffragettes fight battles both personal and social. Hussey adapts the rich literary history of Concord to portray the troubles and triumphs of characters such as Henry David Thoreau, R.W. Emerson, Ellery Channing, and even Louisa May Alcott.

Ghosts is divided into three stories: “The Wilderness of the World,” “In My Hour of Darkness,” and “A Waltz at Walden Pond”.

I found myself referring to Wikipedia as I read, interested in learning more about the individuals portrayed and the parts they played in the history of American literature and philosophy. The narrative is told from multiple perspectives, individual tales coming together and resulting in an overarching narrative that connects the three main stories. I found some of the mini-stories in “The Wilderness of the World” a bit awkward at times and was somewhat confused by Ellery Channing’s conversations with himself (semi-schizophrenic dialogues in which he referred to himself as Mr. E and Mr. C), but I really enjoyed “A Waltz at Walden Pond”. While “Wilderness” is set during the time of Thoreau, Emerson, and Channing, “Waltz” takes place after the passing of the Greats and presents the legacy of the idyllic, Transcendental Concord. I was very much intrigued by Sarah Sanborn’s struggle to leave Concord and make a new life for herself as a single woman, and was pleased with the direction that her story took.

While I don’t think readers need to be thoroughly familiar with the history, some knowledge of the lives of the historical characters portrayed will make the story easier to follow.

It’s Monday…

14 Dec

monday reading listBusy day at the library, so I’m a bit late posting this.

I finished reading

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley (Rereading # ? Working on the review for Book Drum)

I am currently reading

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (almost done. really into it)

The Ghosts of Walden: Three Concord Stories by Jack Hussey (for the Historical Novel Society Review Online)

Next week, I want to start reading…

To be honest, I’ve reorganized my shelves and have no idea where to start. I’m waiting for another book to review, so I’ll start with that one when it arrives.

What I’m Reading

7 Dec

monday reading listHere’s a look at my reading for the last week…

I finished reading

Jane Austen’s Letters (Review)

A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer (Review)

I started reading

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (for the 2010 Brontë challenge)

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley (re-reading it for my Book Drum profile)

I picked up Cecilia again

I am waiting on

The Ghosts of Walden: Three Concord Stories by Jack Hussey for review

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