Archive | January, 2010

Shirley

31 Jan

My second book selection for the All About the Brontes Challenge was Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley.

Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, Shirley begins with a controversy concerning the arrival of modern machinery destined for Hollow’s Mill. Robert Moore, foreign-born mill-owner and speculator has declared that he will introduce machines in his mill despite the protests of the local mill-workers, who fear the machines will signal the end of their trade. Moore has a battle set before him and refuses to give way.

His cousin, Caroline Helstone, feels the want of occupation that comes from being a woman and a dependant. Raised by her uncle, the Reverend Matthewson Helstone, Caroline lacks for nothing but the love of a parent and the satisfaction of independence. In love with Robert, Caroline keeps her feelings guarded and wishes to one day earn his regard.

Everything seems ordinary and serene until the day that Miss Shirley Keeldar arrives in the neighborhood to claim her place as owner of Fieldhead. Shirley teases and riles the neighborhood with her independent, boyish manner. An easy and genial friendship blossoms between her and Caroline, who finds in Shirley the confidant and friend that she had been missing, and finds in Shirley’s governess, Mrs. Pryor, the mother she always longed for. But even the wealthy Shirley is not as happy as she seems; she longs for the equal that her heart has chosen and must overcome the impediments hindering their union.

—

It is difficult to describe Shirley; it is unlike Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but there is something of each them in the story. Social issues concerning the lives of women, advancements in manufacturing, charity, and war abound in the novel, but these set the background, not the action of the tale. If I had to draw a comparison, I would compare Shirley to Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, particularly in its treatment of the relationship between workers and mill owners, and the effect of pride in a relationship between members of different social classes. Given Gaskell’s relationship with Charlotte Bronte, I can understand why their work shares these themes.

I was most fascinated by the relationship between Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar. Dissimilar in appearance and temperament, these two women compliment each other perfectly and seem to grow in each other’s presence. Spirited Shirley and pensive Caroline are definitely what one would call “kindred spirits”. The conversations between these two characters on their position as women are some of the most thought-provoking discussions that I have read in Victorian literature.

These are some of my favorite passages:

On the changeability of men:

I should not like to find out that what I loved did not love em, that is ws weary of me, and that whatever effort I might make to please would hereafter be worse than useless, since it was inevitable in its nature to change and become indifferent. That discovery once made, what should I long for? To go away – to remove from a presence where my society gave no pleasure.
But you could not if you were married.

No, I could not, – there it is. I could never be my own mistress more. A terrible thought! – it suffocates me. (p. 204)

On men’s views on women:

If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under an illusion about women: they do not read them in a true light: they misaprehend them, both for good and evil: their good woman is a queer thing, half doll, half angel; their bad woman almost always a fiend. (p. 333)

On the state of being a woman:

The brothers of these sisters are every one in business of in professions; they have something to do: their sisters have no earthly employment, but household work and sewing; no earthly pleasure, but an unprofitable visiting; and no hope, in all their life to come of anything better. (p. 370)

I enjoyed reading Shirley, though it was very different from the other works I have read by the Brontes. The narrative meanders, unfolding slowly and revealing the situations that arise in small town society during a period of change. The Introduction describes Shirley as a novel of conflict and it certainly is; it is not a neat package, but a hodgepodge of lives, voices, and thoughts.

Quotes are taken from the Penguin Classics edition of Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley, 2006.

What I’m reading on Monday

25 Jan

monday reading listLast week, I finished:

Fire by Kristin Cashore (REVIEW)

I’m currently reading:

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë (This one started slow, but it’s become very exciting!)

Next, I plan to start reading:

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë by Syrie James

Spirit and Fire

20 Jan

As far as strong female characters go, Kristin Cashore’s Fire is pretty near perfect. After reading Graceling a few months ago, I was eager to read Fire but I was unsure what to expect. A companion to Graceling rather than a prequel, Fire takes place in a land beyond the seven kingdoms known as the Dells. The Dellians have no knowledge of their neighbors beyond the frozen mountains until a strange boy, a Graceling, appears in the kingdom. But that is another story.

Unlike the world of the Gracelings, the Dells are marked by the vibrantly colored “monsters” that roam the land–beautiful animals with exotic, multi-colored pelts and the ability to telepathically connect with their prey. The beauty of the monsters is their weapon; their allure too powerful for those who are weak-minded and easily drawn. Fire is a monster, the only one of her kind left in the Dells; her beauty a source of reverence and scorn for those who meet and fear her.

Growing up in the company of Lord Brocker and his son Archer, Fire learned to respect the will of others and to fear her power. Strong and willful, she learned to hunt and hide her presence from the monsters that would have her blood, but had little to do with society. Her father was the one exception. Cansrel, beautiful and monstrous companion of the then King Nax, instructed his daughter in the nuances of cruelty, inadvertently instilling in Fire an awareness of the ethical implications of her unique ability.

When the young Dellian king, Nash, faces the threat of civil war, Fire is brought before him, her ability to sway the will of others making her a prime choice for the position of royal interrogator. When Fire travels to King’s City and reluctantly agrees to take on the job, she does not realize how much her life is about to change.

—

I enjoyed Graceling, but I loved Fire. Fire stands out as a female character who is incredibly aware of her self, her flaws, strengths, and her
potential to be cruel and kind at the same time. In Fire, Cashore takes those elements that made Katsa’s story so wonderful in its portrayal of female heroism and takes it up a notch. I would definitely call Fire a feminist heroine (she-ro) the likes of which I am always searching for in fantasy. Many of the themes explored in the novel–female sexuality, birth control, pregnancy, the decision to have or refrain from having children–also stand out as themes that are not widely discussed in fantasy literature (especially YA fantasy), but which are definitely important to a feminist understanding of the female as hero. While reading the novel, I found myself drawing comparisons between Fire and Tamora Pierce’s Alanna; they are not the same, but their characters are equally self-aware and independent.

This is one of the best YA fantasies I have read in a while.

What I’m reading

11 Jan

monday reading listLast week, I finished reading:

Are these my basoomas I see before me? by Louise Rennison (so long Georgia and Angus) (REVIEW)

I am currently reading:

Fire by Kristin Cashore (my library request finally came in!)

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

When I finish these two, I will start reading:

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë by Syrie James (and tackling the rest of the 2010 list)

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

11 Jan

This weekend, I watched the BBC’s 1996 adaptation of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, starring Tara Fitzgerald, Toby Stephens, and Rupert Graves. This is one of the two movies I selected as part of the “All about the Brontës” challenge and I was not disappointed.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Having read the novel a few months ago, I was eager to watch the series. As with most novels that are adapted into film, the series differed from the book but I found that it did not take away from the experience. Tenant is a disturbing tale and the series effectively captured the threat and anxiety of Helen’s situation. The novel is complex in its exploration of women’s place in society and the tenuous position of wives and mothers in particular. The film did a good job of emphasizing this by presenting Helen as the focal point of the story, though removing Mr. Markham as the main narrator of the tale.

Tara Fitzgerald’s portrayal of Helen added to my understanding of that character. In my reading, Helen came across as a very hard and pious individual, seeming a bit priggish until I learned the reasons for her high moral stance. While watching the film, I felt sympathetic towards Helen from the beginning, the occasional flashbacks that she experiences aiding the viewer in understanding her obvious sadness and isolation, and her devotion to her son. When reading the novel, my sympathy towards Helen grew when she reveals her past to Gilbert Markham, about halfway through the book.

The interaction between Gilbert and Helen is less charged in the film, as many of the misunderstandings that arise during their early interactions are glossed over. Their friendship is a lot more easy in the adaptation and Gilbert seems much less proud than he does in the book.

I found that Rupert Graves was wonderful as Huntingdon. He played such a vile character and really made me hate Huntingdon. The relationship between Helen and Huntingdon was sexed up in the film, adding a different dimension to my understanding of the situation between these two.

All in all, a good start to my Brontë-watching :)

a hoot and a half

10 Jan

For Christmas, my b-chan got me a copy of the last volume in Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, Are these my basoomas I see before me?

I started reading this series when I was a senior in high school, so there’s a bit of nostalgia in my reading.

Those of you who are unfamiliar with Georgia will be wondering at the title. Well, the thing is, the Georgia books are a mad comedy diary series starring boy-crazy Georgia Nicolson, a 15-year-old with a half-breed Scottish wildcat named Angus, an equally wild little sister who is obsessed with Heidi, a family of loons, and the best Viking dancing mates in town.

These are some of the funniest books that I have ever read and one of the only series that has made me laugh out loud in an embarrassing, what is that mad girl laughing at? sort of way.

In this, the final installment, Georgia prepares for comedy gold as Merc-lurk-io (Mercutio) in the school’s production of Rom and Jul, but is distracted by the call of the Hornmeister, Dave the Laugh, and the Pizza-a-gogo mating call of Massimo, the Italian Stallion Luurve God.

—

I was more than pleased with the way that the series ended. After so many years, I didn’t want Georgia to end without a last laugh and I was not disappointed. I think now that the series is ended, I will try to go back and re-read it as a whole, though this will have to wait till I have gone through some of the TBR books. Though I enjoyed them all, I can now conclude that Angus, thongs, and full-frontal snogging (Book 1) and Startled by his furry shorts (Book 7) are my favorites.

If I had to describe these books to someone who had never heard of them, I would say that they are a like slightly pervy, on-the-cusp of maturing (maturiosity) Bridget Jones’s Diary type books. The humor is definitely what you would expect from a silly 15-year-old girl obsessed with boys and lippy, but if you like that sort of thing, you won’t be disappointed.

On another note, Angus has been turned into a movie and will be coming out soonish: Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

To read in 2010

8 Jan

2010 selections from my TBR shelves

For the Bronte Challenge:

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (REVIEW)

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James (REVIEW)

General Fiction:

Are these my basoomas I see before me? by Louise Rennison (REVIEW)

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen (REVIEW)

East by Edith Pattou (REVIEW)

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield (REVIEW)

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (REVIEW)

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James (REVIEW)

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo (REVIEW)

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (REVIEW)

Katherine by Anya Seton

Fire by Kristin Cashore (REVIEW)

Classics I would like to read:

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Sanditon and The Watsons by Jane Austen (Reviews: Sanditon, The Watsons)

An Old-fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

Short Stories:

Water by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson

The Cecilia Chronicles

6 Jan

For the sake of easy access…

“The Cecilia Chronicles” are a series of summaries/reactions to Frances Burney’s Cecilia.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Chronicling Cecilia Part 5… Finis!

6 Jan

When last we saw our darling heroine, she was preparing to forever  renounce Delvile and seek solace by following Mr. Albany’s scheme of good works. Cecilia felt certain that time would soften the blow of Delvile’s loss,  though it might note heal it.

Deciding to release her guardians from their duty to her uncle, Cecilia seeks the aid and advice of Mr. Monckton, who views it as a prime opportunity to continue pursuing his claim on Cecilia by appearing officious and concerned. Traveling to London to stay in Lady Montgomery’s (Mr. Monckton’s wife) town home, Cecilia wishes to have the matter settled with as little fanfare as possible.  Embarrassed by the thought of having to interact with Mr. Delvile so soon after the events that transpired between her and the members of his family, Cecilia makes  a point of saying  little to that gentleman but comes to learn that Mr. Delvile has received negative reports of her conduct during her time in London and of her relationship with Mr. Belfield! Could it be that this is why young Delvile was so eager to seek her consent to marry so speedily and in a manner that went against their better judgment?

Perplexed, Cecilia returns to the country and begins to wonder how such an ill report reached the ears of a man so little given to mingling within society. Wondering at the several events that coincided to prevent her marriage, the arrival of Mrs. Delvile, and the prejudice of Mr. Delvile, Cecilia begins to consider that perhaps someone close to her had the indelicacy to tarnish her reputation. Yet, the only person who was aware of the debts that she incurred during her stay with the Harrels and her interest in the Belfield siblings was Mr. Monckton. Surely he would have no desire to damage her reputation? But the niggling doubt remains and Cecilia has no one with whom to share her thoughts.

It is with much surprise that Cecilia once again receives Mr. Delvile, who comes with a proposal that is sanctioned by his mother: If their love is true, they only need overcome the one impediment that stands in the way of their marriage and which so offends the Delviles–Cecilia must renounce her fortune by taking her husband’s name.

Poor Cecilia! If Delvile had but known that the small fortune bequeathed upon her by her late father was long lost due to the demands of Mr. Harrel, he would never have made such a proposal. The loss of her fortune signifies the end of Cecilia’s ability to continue tending to the needs of the poor and desolate. It means the loss of her independence. But it also means a life alongside Delvile.

Though uncertain what their future will bring without such a fortune, Cecilia agrees to wed Delvile and journey abroad while the Delvile estates are let. They are married in secret and all is well.

But fate would not be so kind to Cecilia. While she waits for Delvile to deliver his mother to France, a letter arrives from her cousin laying claim to her estate now that she is married and demanding the return of the monies used during the interim between her marriage and the receipt of his claim. At a loss what to do, Cecilia tries to delay his arrival but must quit the premises and try to reach Delvile in Nice!

Stopping in London to visit Mrs. Belfield and inform her that her daughter will be staying with Mrs. Harrel now that Cecilia was forced to leave the country, Cecilia is surprised during a private conversation with Mr. Belfield by none other than her husband! A misunderstanding, the threat  of a duel, and a chase at midnight ensues! Cecilia’s mind grows heated by the thought of harm coming to Delvile or Belfield and she chases through town to stop them. Becoming ill and confused, she pauses at the door to a pawn shop and is taken for a madwoman and confined!

Three days  she spends locked against her will until found by Mr. Albany, who informs Delvile and Miss Belfield of her whereabouts. Delvile is  certain the trial was too much for her and anxiously regrets his rash behaviour.

But, at last, Cecilia recovers! The misunderstandings are laid aside. Mr. Delvile learns that all was a mistake and accepts Cecilia’s marriage to his son. All is well and Cecilia is able to openly acknowledge her marriage.

—

Fanny Burney

There was plenty of action in this final volume of Cecilia and it made for a very fast-paced read, but though I enjoyed much of it, I was disappointed with the ending. I knew it was going to happen, but I really wish Cecilia had turned down Delvile’s proposal that she give up her fortune for him.

True love is all fine and good, but Delvile is a self-serving little jerk during much of the book and just makes poor Cecilia miserable with his actions. If he truly loved her, I think he should have defied his father and overcome his pride by giving up his name or taking up a title.

Cecilia is a smart and original heroine, observant and independent, but she gives up her plans to become Delvile’s wife. It’s an eighteenth century novel, so it’s to be expected that there would be a happily-ever-after, character redeeming wedding at the end, but oh! Delvile is such a prig!

And so end the Cecilia Chronicles.

What I’m Reading on Monday

4 Jan

monday reading listWhat I’m reading:

I am about 100 pages away from finishing Cecilia… my goal is finally within reach!

See Part 3 and Part 4 of my Cecilia Chronicles

I want to start reading:

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë

though I may take a quick detour and read Are these my basoomas I see before me? by Louise Rennison (I need some laughs between my classics)

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