Not So Legendary
A Review of Legends of the Fall, a novella by Jim Harrison
I only read The Legends of the Fall novella of this book, not the other short stories and novellas. That being said, I was disappointed with this short piece. After growing up watching the sweeping epic film, the novella felt too quick, there were no moments to pause on the beautiful despair of it all. Although they are almost exactly the same (aside from the fact that Tristan and Susannah were actually married in the book and there was a lot of time spent on Susannah’s mental instability) I feel as though the film makers did well with the screenplay and turned mere 80 pages into something amazing. Obviously, kudos to Jim Harrison for his awesome original storyline – but when it comes down to it – I’ll hypocritically watch the movie on repeat before I re-read the book.
Story of High Adventure
Kidnappings, betrayal, damsels in distress, and rogues to make you swoon fill this high adventure tale of intrigue as we are unwittingly introduced to the ancestors of the illusive scarlet pimpernel.
In Baroness Orczy’s old familiar style of classic romantic suspense, The Laughing Cavalier follows a Pride and Prejudice sort of story as the Holland native Gilda is kidnapped by a man she initially loathes named Diogenes. In that regards, the book is as lovely as expected, its only downfall coming towards the end of the book when Orczy awkwardly and only momentarily switches tenses for a few chapters.
After reading this, one cannot wait to read the next installment of the Pimpernel series: The First Sir Percy.
Love in the Time of Cholera, an essay of love
(written based on notes from a book club meeting with Lauren Davis of http://lollygabber.wordpress.com/)
Love in the Time of Cholera
Much like Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Florentino Ariza is in love with soap operas and romance novels, so much so all his letters to Daza when they are young read just like one. He is so involved with the idea of romance after Fermina’s rejection of him he makes a pass time writing love letters for other couples. Ariza is all youthful passion and intensity saying, “Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom. Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the alpha and omega. An end in itself.” Needless to say, he’s all swoon and flowery words as he makes his way into the bed of over six hundred women in the course of his life while pretending to be faithful to only Fermina. None of the women know about the others and each is told that she is his first and only, perpetuating Ariza’s illusion of himself that he is a heart sick and loyal love puppy in need of nurturing.
In the mean time, Fermina Daza has married a very clinical man, its no mistake that Garcia has written this character to be a doctor by profession, who is overly concerned with appearances. Dr. Juvenal Urbino loves classic literature, does not listen to “popular” music like Ariza, but music he imagines gives him the right to look condescendingly on other’s tastes. Fermina takes part in this illusion of high society that her husband has chosen, most likely having married him for it in the first place as they have very little in common. She prefers all the opposite things, helping the reader understand why she was captivated by Ariza in the first place – he wrote to her beautiful letters, like the love stories she was enraptured by. Ariza learned to play the violin when they were young and played her beautiful music, “popular” quixotic pieces from the street.
Garret Wilson writes in his review: “[…]Fermina was trying to fool the world, Florentino was consumed with fooling himself. Fermina Daza’s claim that Florentino Ariza was not in love with her, that he was merely infatuated with some ethereal concept of the woman perfect for him, is certainly not baseless.” (http://www.garretwilson.com/books/lovetimecholera.html)
However, I also believe that the idea that the Urbino’s fifty one year long marriage not having a true element of love to it is also not unfounded. Their relationship was based purely on an act of will, as if willing themselves to love would be enough, as though creating an illusion of a happy marriage would trick not just the world but themselves that their marriage was a happy one. It becomes all too obvious that their relationship could not stand on its own two feet when after his death Fermina’s idea of his character is blown totally out of the water and she believes him to have had an affair with their family friend just because someone insinuates it. A woman with a true and solid relationship based in honest love could not go fifty one years and still not know if her husband ever loved her. Dr. Joyce Brothers says, “The best proof of love is trust.” Clearly, neither of them really loved the other.
Love is a choice, but it is also a passionate driving force. This book makes it quite obvious that two people must have more than just passion and more than an act of will, there must be balance. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it states, “Love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy. It does not boast and it is not proud; it’s not rude or self seeking. Love is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrong, it does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.” Needless to say, sometimes it takes a lot of work and a lot of persistence to love someone and in this both Urbino and Ariza had it half right. But there is also something to be said for the poetry of love, and in this Ariza went so far it seemed insincere, and Urbino neglected it altogether. When it came to having the whole package, all three of these characters seemed to have gotten it so wrong, treating love like the plague that swept through the nation: either something of great force that snuck up on them, or an ailment that they’d have to spend a long time living with.
Gibb’s Christians…
I promised myself I would write more complete reviews this year, keep my blog updated and all that, but after reading Edward Gibb’s Christians and the Fall of Rome I just don’t have a lot to say. I got tired reading it. Despite its short hundred pages I found it difficult to focus on the topic. Gibb spent a lot of the essay comparing Christianity to various mythologies and its a good thing to read and be familiar with differing viewpoints, but I found his writing style tiring and without passion. So I just didn’t care. I will have to re-read it with Ayla when we study the history of Christianity as well as when we cover the Greek and Roman Empire, but I’ll need a good solid pot of coffee in my system to do so. I suppose that’s my review…
84, Charing Cross Road
Not since Shakespeare&Co. of Time Was Soft There has a European bookstore touched me so. This collection of letters between Helen, Frank, and others from Marks&Co. was delightful, beautiful, and oh so sad. I cannot wait to read its sequel and other work by Helene Hanff.
Finding Miller’s Fence
Like Darwin himself, Kenneth Miller stands tall on the fence between having any decided thoughts on science and religion as he eloquently expresses that he believes all of it and yet none of it. His language and style is convincing and comfortable throughout his book Finding Darwin’s God, and seems to be quite capable of appeasing the general public with his beautifully written ramblings. Yet, obviously, I remain unsatisfied.
Miller spends half the book defending evolution, half defending God, veiling his arguments in pretty language refusing to completely side with either side very much the way Darwin did in his own writings (for fear of social upset).
During this well structured persuasive essay, he calls Darwin a fence sitter and then wraps the entire book up with two separate statements:
1. “[…] Darwin in his later years tried and failed to find God, at least a God consistent with his theories.”
2. “What kind of God do I believe in? The answer is in those words. I believe in Darwin’s God.”
I respect his effort, and the book was extremely well written and absolutely fascinating. I just can’t seem to agree with him.
The Sweet Over-Done Thing
A Review of The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
I was rather tired of Gemma’s magic and the realms by the middle of this last installment in the trilogy. What’s worse, I felt spoon fed an ending that would never end. This one is the longest not because that much more happens in the story, but because the author found her wind and just kept blowing. There is rumor of a fourth book and I pray Ms. Bray goes against that plan and starts something fresh instead. Bray is a talented storyteller and should waste no more time on this particular story, but stretch her legs and do something more exciting than beat a dead horse with a fourth book.
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Thomas Hardy does it again playing with all your emotions! This is yet another brilliant piece of work that takes you from loving to hating, adoring to judging, and then back to a calm “as it should be” state. Elfride Swancourt, Stephen Smith, and Mr. Knight are all so very real as each one demonstrates the ability for a human being to be wonderful and loving, hateful and horrible, and yet endearing all at once.
Espresso Shot – Cleo Coyle
Cleo Coyle’s cozy little mysteries never fail to have me craving good coffee and in the kitchen baking delicious treats to devour. Whether its just a lazy day off, or the worst sick day of your life, picking up one of the Coffeehouse Mysteries is the perfect solution. They are an afternoon read that will truly relax your being while enticing your taste buds! Cannot wait to pick up the next installment.
The Book Thief by Zusak
This is a fascinating piece of young adult World War II fiction. Although written for a young audience, as an adult I found the story just as riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed Zusak’s use of literary devices as he describes the life of a young German girl in Nazi Germany as she learns to read and write, adjusts to a new family and neighborhood, and grows into an adult – all under the reign of Hitler. The Book Thief addresses the topic of humanity, love, and death and dying in a whole new way with Death as a narrator and a Jew in Nazi Germany hiding in the basement. I would definitely utilize as a supplement to a 12 year old’s World War II studies and I think it is also a great book for Books-on-Books collectors like myself!
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