Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson

"In those days folk still believed in witches and trembled at a curse; and this one, falling so pat, like a wayside omen, to arrest me ere I carried out my purpose, took the pith out of my legs."

David Balfour is an orphan, bereft of family but for his Uncle Ebeneezer. He imagines his troubles are over only to find himself sold off and shipped onto a boat bound for the colonies. Fortunately he finds a kindred spirit in Alan Breck Stewart. During a storm they defend themselves against the treacherous crew, a scene ending in a shipwreck. David washes up on a island and from there tries to make his way home while being implicated in a murder and avoiding British redcoats, all to reclaim his inheritance.

I've only read one other Stevenson book "Treasure Island and it is by far the superior book. "Kidnapped" isn't a bad book per se but nothing much really happens in the entirety of the story. In fact, there were several times I had to put the book down because it wasn't very interesting. I would put this in the lesser canon of Steveson's work. David spends a lot of time travelling and not a lot of time actually doing anything. The main disappointment is there was so much potential here but Stevenson doesn't do much with what he has.

I was expecting more, having seen one of the movie versions but now I think I'll remove it from The List.


Rating: 2/5

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

"The Scarlet Pimpernel, Mademoiselle," he said at last, "is the name of a humble English wayside flower; but it is also the name chosen to hide the identity of the best and bravest man in all the world, so that he may better succeed in accomplishing the noble task he has set himself to do."

A band of young British nobles risks their lives to save French nobles from the Reign of Terror and bring them across the channel. The leader of this band is only known as the Scarlet Pimpernel a man of disguise that circulates among the highest circles of British upper crustery. His symbol is the Pimpernel, a small red flower that he leaves as a calling card wherever he goes. He uses his smarts to outwit the french but is dogged by his nemesis Chauvelin, a french spy that is desperate to catch him.

Other characters include Sir Percy Blakeney and his french wife, Marguerite. They don't have the best relationship as he doesn't seem to care what she does while she's infatuated with the Pimpernel. He's dull and dim, she's supposedly the wittiest woman in Europe. But Blakeney can't escape his wife's would-be lover. In fact he's even made up a song about the man.

"We seek him here,
we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? -
Is he in hell?
That damned, elusive Pimpernel?"

Besides being on the slightly fluffy side of literature I found this book highly enjoyable. The story was intriguing and intelligent. I loved how the Pimpernel fooled the French guards and the comraderie between him and his men. Also, the book had a strangely modern feel. Almost like when I read "War of the Worlds" and was surprised to see how much it felt as if it was taking place during World War II despite being written decades earlier. In terms of diction and dialogue the book was an easy read and to top it off it was written by a real Baroness!

If you read the book and enjoyed it I suggest you check out the 1934 movie adaptation with Merle Oberon and Leslie Howard. It's a little grainy but Leslie does a great job playing off between the foppish Lord and the daring Pimpernel. His dialogue within the Gentleman's Club is hilarious. I've included a clip of Leslie being awesome and upsetting the upcrusties.

Rating:4/5

The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

“He had burned several times to enlist. Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds.”

Henry Fleming is anxious. He wants to join the Union and fight in the American Civil War. He thinks it'll be a grand adventure and he'll come back a hero. Little does he know what the war has in store for him.

This is honestly one of the most poetic stories about war that I’ve ever read. Even more so than “Fahrenheit 451” which I raved about in an earlier post. The contrast between Crane’s beautifully expressive writing and the horrible scenes he describes is somewhat jarring because even though he’s showing war as destructive and terrifying, he also paints this lyrical picture. He really brought scenes to life with his use of diction. But I've included my favourite passage from the book below.

"Swift pictures of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him--a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high--a blue, determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all."

Crane really communicates the brutality of war, the waiting punctuated by short spurts of violence. I liked how the reader can see how Henry's opinion about the war and his situation change over time, how his experiences come to define his character and attitude. My one complaint, as with "Fahrenheit 451" is that this book is too short by half.

If you want to read a great story that really communicates the thoughts and feelings of the average soldier in the American Civil War, then read this book.

Rating: 5/5

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

“There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing.”

Guy Montag is a fireman. He burns books for a living, protecting society from the evils of the written page. The only problem is Guy isn’t sure what exactly he’s protecting everyone from. You see, he’s never read any of the books he burns. That is until one night when raids a house he expects to be empty. Instead he finds a woman who refuses to leave despite the threat of fire as Montag prepares to burn the house with its illegal material. As he lights the kerosene he spots a book that’s fallen open to the passage “time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine”. The incident disturbs him. What follows opens his eyes to a world under constant threat of destruction.

This book has become one of my favourites as Bradbury provides an example of what a dystopian world without books would look like. While fast and flashy it lacks inspiration and fragility. There is a lifeless numb feeling to everyone’s lives except those who secret books within their homes. And Bradbury communicates this as only a poet could. His diction is lyrical and though provoking. I actually checked to see if he’d published any poetry and he’s done everything but.

The story itself is somewhat like the Matrix movies in that what Montag has been told to believe is not the truth. We also encounter several other characters such as his wife, Mildred who wants bigger and better gadgets to cement their social status; Clarisse who is a mysterious neighbour who questions the authorities and Captain Beatty, the fire chief and Montag’s boss who eventually grows suspicious of Montag.

My one complaint would be that the book wasn’t longer and closer to the end began to lose the lyrical quality that had drawn me in at the beginning. Despite these issues though it’s still an amazing book and made me want to read more of Bradbury’s work. If you’re looking for a dystopian novel with a great story read this!

Rating: 5/5

Medea - Euripides

"For in other ways a woman is full of fear, defenseless, dreads the sight of cold steel; but, when once she is wronged in the matter of love, no other soul can hold so many thoughts of blood."

My first introduction to Medea was with Jason and the Argonauts. She was, at most, a side character despite the fact that it was only with her help that Jason attained the Golden Fleece. He then marries her and brings her back to Corinth, has two children and this is where our story picks up.

Jason has essentially thrown Medea over for another woman from Corinth and marries her, despite remaining married to Medea. As you can understand Medea doesn't take this news well and sees this "other woman" as usurping her rightful place. She still loves Jason but is bitterly resentful towards him. He even recommends she go into exile with his children and would be smart to take his advice. That's enough to make anyone angry.

Medea then commits a horrible crime to avenge herself against Jason and his actions. And the strange thing about the entire reading experience was I did feel some small measure of sympathy for her. I didn't see her actions at all justifiable but I can understand why she would be angry. She's the one who left her home and her family to come to a foreign land only to have the only person she knows well desert her for another woman.

As well, it only serves to show just how much of an idiot Jason is. Not only is he bigamous, he also shouldn't be considered among the great heroes of Greek myth like Odysseus or Perseus. He's always been at best, a B level hero but his lack of heroic deeds in the Argosy and his philandering ways make him less than worthy of the hero canon.

I found the play powerful but also maddening. Both Jason and Medea are acting only for their own self-interest, to the detriment of each other and those around them.

From my Greek and Roman studies classes I understand the story to highlight Medea's position as a foreigner and as such, a barbarian with barbarian ways in sharp contrast to the civilized Greeks. She does not act as a dutiful wife, she has violent thoughts and doesn't accept the position Jason has put her in. Those watching the play are supposed to view foreigners as "other" and uncivilized, a group that must be civilized to avoid what happens in this play.

Rating: Overall I enjoyed this short little play. 3.5/5

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

"The sun was shining inside the four walls and the high arch of blue sky over this particular piece of Misselthwaite seemed even more brilliant and soft than it was over the moor. The robin flew down from his tree-top and hopped about or flew after her fromone bush to another. He chirped a good deal and had a very gussy air, as if he were showing her things. Everything was strange and silent and she seemed to be hundreds of miles away from anyone, but somehow she did not feel lonely at all."

Mary Lennox is a spoiled brat. Growing up in India, she has all that her heart desires except the love of her parents, who habitually ignore her. An illness sweeps through the house and Mary, having nowhere left to go, is sent to live with her mysterious uncle, Archibald Craven, in England. The manor is large and scary, dominated by head housekeeper, Mrs. Meadlock who keeps an iron grip over the staff. Mary still sallow and sour keeps to herself and hears strange noises in the night. It isn't until one day when she discovers a garden that everything changes.

When Mary first arrives at Misselthwaite Manor everyone and everything seems to be in a state of dormancy. Mary lacks the skills to function as a normal human being; the manor has rooms closed off she even hears rumours of an old garden, overgrown and lost. Over time Mary starts to heal, psychologically and physically. As she learns to open up to the world, she also brings back life into the manor and garden.

Burnett's writing for the most part is standard fare for a children's book but on occasion she crafts these gorgeous paragraphs, most often when describing the garden. "I think it has been left alone so long-that it has grown all into a lovely tangle. I think the roses have climbed and climbed and climbed until they hang from the branches and walls and creep over the ground-almost like a strange gray mist. Some of them have died but many-are alive and when the summer comes there will be curtains and fountains of roses. I think the ground is full of daffodils and snowdrops and lilies and iris working their way out of the dark. Now the spring has begun-perhaps-perhaps."

Reading this from an adult perspective, I don't think I got as much out of it as I would have if I were a child. I enjoyed the story but I've found other children's stories that I enjoyed more as an adult.

Rating: 3/5

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

"No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine."

Catherine Morland comes from a large and loving family but too often has her head in the clouds or in a book, dreaming of Gothic castles filled with mystery and romance. She views the world through the prism of the books she reads and when she is invited to Bath by family friends the Allens, she jumps at the chance for adventure.

While there she is introduced to the Thorpes who use her innocence to their advantage. Fortunately she has the worldly Mr. Henry Tilney, who knows something about muslin, to guide her through the murky waters of society. After getting to know Henry better, she is invited to his childhood home, Northanger Abbey, where she suspects something sinister has happened to his mother.

The novel is an excellent parody of Gothic novels that were popular at the beginning of the 19th century, such as "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe. In fact, apparently the problem was that Austen had trouble getting the novel published and it wasn't until after her death in 1817 that it was put into print. By then the references to various popular Gothic novels were out of date and the book lost a little of its punch. Regardless though, Bath plays a major role in this book as it does with other Austen novels and the reader follows themes of maturation and life vs fiction.

This was Austen's first completed novel and it shows. As a character, Catherine doesn't feel fully realized. She's one of Austen's youngest heroines and is very much naive of the larger world and society. She has a very sweet personality but was maddeningly frustrating in her innocence. She has lived a very sheltered life but from a modern standpoint she seems ridiculous to forgive and believe some of John and Isabella's explanations for their behaviour and actions. By the end of the novel though, while Catherine has matured, she is still less independent and self-assured than some of Jane's other heroines such as Anne Elliot or Lizzy Bennett. This is understandable as "Northanger Abbey" is an earlier work and while Catherine's character may be less than satisfying to those who've read other Austen works, Henry Tilney makes up for this with his witty banter.

I found the scenes in Bath concerning Isabella and John to be far more interesting than Catherine's investigations at Northanger concerning General Tilney. While Catherine sees Isabella's comments as only sincere and heartfelt due to her naivety, the reader can see behind the facade that she constructs. The story seemed to drag as soon as Catherine reached the abbey and with the slower pace I lost interest. There was also no secondary storyline which is something I always look forward to in an Austen novel.

I'm finding that I have to ration my Austen novels. I only have three more to go and I want to savour them, almost like a last meal. Overall I enjoyed the book but Northanger would definitely go to the bottom of the pile behind "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice".

Rating: 3.5/5

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

"The chapel showed no ill effects of its long neglect. The paint was as fresh and bright as ever. And the lamp burned once more before the altar. I knelt and said a prayer - an ancient, newly-learned form of words. I thought that the builders did not know the uses to which their work would descend. They made a new house with the stones of the old castle. Year by year the great harvest of timber in the park grew to ripeness, until, in sudden frost, came the Age of Hooper. The place was desolate and the work all brought to nothing. Quo modo sedet sola civitas - vanity of vanities, all is vanity. And yet, I thought, that is not the last word. It is not even an apt word - it is a dead word from ten years back."

Charles Ryder is a young student at Oxford University when a chance encounter introduces him to Lord Sebastian Flyte. Sebastian invites Ryder into his family home, Brideshead, and in fact, into his life. But each member of Sebastian's family is somewhat damaged if eccentric. Charles takes to them though as his own family life is less than satisfactory. The two young men grow close over one summer but all too soon things begin to change. Sebastian drinks, driving him far from home and away from Charles. Without his friendship Charles soon becomes estranged from the rest of the family, only returning to Brideshead many years later to find it much changed.

This was my first Evelyn Waugh book and he didn't let me down. The flow of his sentence structure and his description I would say were on par with du Maurier's "Rebecca" but of a different flavour. If this book were a meal it would most definitely taste of wood smoke. There is a certain visceral sensuousness to his writing as evinced by this paragraph: "The sole was so simple and unobtruse that Rex failed to notice it. We ate to the music of the press - the crunch of the bones, the drip of blood and marrow, the tap of the spoon basting the thin slices of breast." Waugh manages to make eating both a violent and erotic experience.

While I did love the writing in the book I found it nearly impossible to connect to and care about the characters. There was almost a vulgarity to their qualms about daily life. I couldn't wrap my head around being so rich as to be hard done by. I know that the reader isn't necessarily supposed to like the family and their decadent lifestyle but because I didn't care about the characters I didn't care what happened to them either. Perhaps it's the distance between writer and reader that makes this book feel so inaccessible to me. Waugh did write it more than 60 years ago but to be fair, I have no problem connecting with Cervantes or Austen and their works are far older.

My main beef with the book was the point in time at which it started. I know the book is about loss and mourning what has passed but this felt like entering a theatre after the end credits have started. I wanted to see everything from the beginning. I wanted to experience the descent of these people, not reflect on their already decaying family unit. "Brideshead Revisited" encompasses love and loss, religion and secularity, loyalty and infidelity, everything one could want in a book. It was unfortunately not the book for me.

Rating: 3/5

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

"'If we are all alive ten years hence, let's meet, and see how many of us have got our wishes, or how much nearer we are then than now,' said Jo, always ready with a plan."

Josephine March is a headstrong tomboy. She, along with her three sisters, Meg, Beth and Amy struggle through the hardships of being young women and make do with an absent father and little money during the American Civil War. They are much comforted by the friendship of their neighbour 'Teddy' Laurence though. And they all have dreams: Jo wants to be a writer, Meg wants to marry and have pretty things, Amy wishes to marry rich and fix her nose and Beth wants to take care of everyone. As they grow up they face the trials of love, marriage and loss, including the formidable Aunt March and gruff Mr. Laurence Sr.

I had seen three movie adaptations before reading the book so I was well aware of the plot and characters and knew what to expect. Jo is the main focus of the story, serving as a stand in for Louisa May Alcott as the book is loosely based upon her own childhood. Jo is a strong character with her own convictions and her more modern sensibilities allow readers to connect with her. That being said, some of the dialogue and attitudes of other characters are archaic with the book being set 150 years in the past.

I enjoyed the fact that each sister was given equal time and developement withint the book and emerged as individuals. While some of their antics seemed ridiculous such as Amy's obsession with pickled limes (ew), her behaviour when it came to trying to fit in and impress her peers was completely believable.

The vivid descriptions are few and far between in this book but my favourite by far was this. "A Russian prince condescended to sit in a corner for an hour and talk with a massive lady, dressed like Hamlet's mother in black velvet with a pearl bridle under her chin." I couldn't help but smile imagining a langourous prince talking to Gertrude.

Overall I found this book a slog to get through which was unfortunate. I found it long and tedious. A main frustration came from reading 200 or so odd pages and believing I was finished the book. It turned out the book was split into two parts, the second part being called "Good Wives" as Alcott was unsure of how part one would do. As well, while I can appreciate that Mrs. March wanted her daughters to be happy and marry for love I found it difficult to believe some of the advice that she gave Jo in matters of love. Also, I wasn't sure I understood what was going on with Beth towards the end of the book. What were her motivations? Strangely enough I found that I liked the movie adaptations better, the 1949 version specifically.


Rating: 2.5/5

The Princess Bride - William Goldman

"This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it."

A young boy is home sick from school when his father offers to read him a story from In short, this book has everything. To quote directly is has, "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles." The story starts with Buttercup, a farmer's daughter and her slow but inevitable relationship with Farm Boy aka Wesley. But when Wesley goes off to seek his fortune and doesn't return, Buttercup is persuaded into an uncomfortable engagment with Prince Humperdink, while still pining for her lost love. But things take a turn when Buttercup is kidnapped and encounters the Dread Pirate Roberts.

I saw the movie first and imagined that this was one of those rare instances where the movie improves upon the book. I could not have been more wrong. This is one of the funniest and most enjoyable fantasy novels I've ever read. The complexity of the 'Morgenstern' plot draws the reader in and never lets go.

The level of humour in this book is unparalleled in any other book I've read. The history of Florin and Guilder is amusing and ridiculous. "There had been the Olive War, the Tuna Fish Discrepancy, which almost bankrupted both nations, the Roman Rift, which did send them both into insolvency, only to be followed by the Discord of the Emeralds, in which they both got rich again, chiefly by banding together for a brief period and robbing everyone within sailing distance."

As well, the characters are so distinct and well-defined. Each has their own quirks. Goldman certainly has a way with words when it comes to description. My favourite line happens to be "Queen Bella was shaped like a gumdrop. And coloured like a raspberry." How can you not grin at that?

My only complaint is that it takes a few pages to get to the actual plot of the story. First the reader has to get through the Morgenstern plot and listen to the narrator go on about his father.

I would highly recommend this book to people who like love stories, a certain level of ridiculousness and of course, swashbuckling.

Rating: 5/5

Persuasion - Jane Austen

"Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister; her word had no weight, her convenience was always to give way -- she was only Anne."

Anne Elliot has been a pushover her entire life. Her family uses this to their advantage and her detriment. Her father, Sir Walter loves looking at himself in the mirror and spends money like water. Her sister, Elizabeth follows in his footsteps, ever concerned about social standing. Lady Russell, a close family friend, stands in for her deceased mother; eight years ago she advised Anne to break off the match between herself and a young naval officer, Frederick Wenstworth as he would have no means of supporting her due to his reduced circumstances. Against her own wishes Anne followed Lady Russell's advice and has regretted it ever since, especially considering she still has feelings for Frederick.

One of the best parts about this book are the characters. I loved Sir Walter because he's such a slimeball. I was amused every time he opened his mouth. If you doubt the humour of his person, read on. "Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character; vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty-four, was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliott, who united these gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion."

As well, I liked seeing into Anne's thoughts, comparing them to her dialogue. The readers see she's a caring individual, not playing at consideration like her father. Everyone takes advantage of her kindness for their own ends though, leaving her vulnerable.

I did want more developement in terms of a subplot. Usually with other Austen novels there are subplots that have their own set of problems and resolutions. These seemed pushed aside, only mentioned in passing in "Persuasion". While Anne's story is more than enough to keep the reader's interest, it would have been nice to flesh out a few more stories about the characters we meet. Also, Austen's writing is engaging and elegant but at times requires a second readthrough to capture all the little nuances.

Overall I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this book. While "Pride & Prejudice" may be considered the best known Austen novel, I enjoyed "Persuasion" far more.

Rating: 5/5

Dune - Frank Herbert

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." page 15

Sometime in the distant future humans scattered to the winds and now live all across the universe, ruled by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Trade and travel between inhabited planetary systems is made possible by spice. Spice is life and can only be found on the inhospitable planet of Arrakis, backwater of the universe. It's covered in sand and in the deep desert, giant worms roam at will. It's here that Duke Leto and his family of the House Atreides are sentenced as Shaddam fears his popularity among the Great Houses. Leto's consort the Lady Jesscia is a Bene Gesserit, a group of women who practice a type of eugenics on the bloodlines of the Great Houses and hold the strings of power behind their backs. Their son, Paul, has been ripped from a homeland with an ocean and must adapt to a new and harsher reality.

Shaddam isn't the only man worried about House Atreides. House Harkonnen decides now is a perfect moment to strike and remove a rival House. Shortly after their arrival the planet is attacked by Harkonnen troops and what is left of House Atreides must retreat to the desert and regroup if they hope to survive. Throughout the book author Frank Herbert delivers detailed information on how this universe operates and frequently makes references to the past, allowing readers to piece together how things have come about. In fact, he creates a world real enough to grind between your teeth.

I first learned of Dune after watching the Space miniseries and then the 1980s version with Patrick Stewart. A blasphemous way to be introduced to a classic I know. But after watching the story unfold on my television, I decided to pick up the book and was not disappointed. As a story it stands out, not only for the obvious time and effort put into it - Herbert spent five years on the story - but also because the reader is treated with intelligence. Herbert doesn't waste time explaining everything. Instead he respects the reader enough to let them puzzle out the details and culture of this universe. Every time I re-read it, the story leaves me with new insight into the history, politics and culture of Herbert's world.

The writing isn't just scientifically technical though, it's also quite beautiful and easy to visualize. It's obvious that Herbert took great care in writing his world to life. "She glanced out to the right at a slope humped with a wind-troubled graygreen of bushes - dusty leaves and dry claw branches. The too-dark sky hung over the slope like a blot, and the milky light of the Arrakeen sun gave the scene a silvery cast-light." page 67


"Now she only saw the circle of stars. They were like the luminous tips of weapons aimed down at her. A shower of meteors crossed her patch of night. The meteors seemed to her like a warning, like tiger stripes, like luminous grave slats clabbering her blood. And she felt the chill of the price on their heads." page 213

It's a book I highly recommend if only to experience Herbert's world and blend of politics, religion, fate, ecology and symbols. If you're interested in sci-fi and don't know where to start then begin here. Many consider it to be the best science fiction book ever written and I find it hard to disagree.

Rating: 5/5

The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

"I got up closer so I could hear what he was singing. He was singing that song, 'If a body catch a body coming through the rye.' He had a pretty little voice, too. He was just singing for the hell of it, you could tell. The cars zoomed by, brakes screeched all over the place, his parents paid no attention to him, and he kept on walking next to the curb and singing, 'If a body catch a body coming through the rye.' It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed any more." page 115

Holden Caufield is troubled. He's a 16 year old New Yorker with a distinctly cynical take on the world who just wants someone to talk to, yet no one will listen. He tries talking to friends, teachers, perfect strangers and all brush him off without a thought. He wanders around New York after getting kicked out of school, getting into unique situations and trying to figure out his life. Often noted as 'the' coming of age story, "The Catcher in the Rye" brings the reader back to a time when everything was life and death and you knew everything there was to know.

This is a book that people either love or hate. There's little room for fence sitting. I'm sure that's because this book reads much like a teenager thinks, all raging, ecstatic and confused. Caufield's voice is unique but grating. His observations about human nature are raw and insightful but most of the time all you want to do is give him a good shake. On the one hand you feel for him because he just wants to talk to someone about the ducks on the pond. The one person he does find to listen to him turns into a creep, leaving Caufield with more questions than answers.

One of the things I liked most about the book was the fullness of it. Salinger packed the story full of details, odd characters and wonderful dialogue, especially whatever spouted out of Caufield's mouth. His talk was annoying but refreshing. The diction is somewhat archaic though, using words like "prince" and "chewed the rag", creating some distance between the story and reader.

The interesting part comes upon a deeper or second reading of the book. The reader sees that there is a Caufield that the story is about and a Caufield that is telling the story. Occasionally you see him slipping into a more adult voice, acting like an adult, nostalgic for the past and noticing the march of time. We see his red hat as a sort of safety blanket, connecting him to his brother Allie and how his alienation from others leaves little stability in his life (ie getting kicked out of school).

I personally found Caufield an almost wholly unlikeable character save for his interactions with his little sister. At most he's a walking contradiction. He's always doing nice things for people like doing their homework but ends up calling them phonies. He says he isn't literate and yet mentions reading several classics like "David Copperfield", "Return of the Native" and "Hamlet". He doesn't like phonies, constantly pointing out various people within the book that he hates because they are so and yet he freely admits that he's a liar. Thoreau said people often lead lives of quiet desperation but not Caufield. He says what he's thinking or at least lets the reader know and doesn't stick around when he thinks something's lousy.

Rating: 3/5

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift

"I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for, as I happened to lie on my back, i found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the same manner. I likewise felt several slender ligatures across my body, from my armpits to my thighs. I could only look upwards; the sun began to grow hot, and the light offended my eyes. I heard a confused noise about me, but in the posture I lay, could see nothing except the sky" - page 7

In the same vein as "The Odyssey" and "Castaway", "Gulliver's Travels" takes us on four different voyages with Lemuel Gulliver as the adventurous traveler. He's tied down by Lilliputians who bury people upside down and punish fraud with death; dressed up by Brobdingnagians where he defends himself from giant bees with a fly stinger; held hostage by crazed mathematicians called Laputians who travel the countryside in their floating diamond fortress; pitied by horse-headed philosophers whose name sounds similar to the clearing of one's throat.

I found this book incredibly frustrating. The main reason being that Swift's satire as a book just didn't work for me. I'm sure the reason being that I'm so far removed from the 18th century society Swift was mocking. I feel that the book may have worked better as a lecture.

I had so many questions about various delicious tidbits Swift doles out. For example, there was a temple in Lilliput "polluted by an unnatural murder". What exactly happened we never find out. As well, the idea of the Laputians calling people back from the dead and conversing with them was very H.G. Wells. I also liked how the floating diamond fortress only occasionally crushed people.

What I found interesting and enjoyed though, was far outweighed by what I found boring and pedantic, especially when it came to describing how the diamond fortress stayed aloft. We skip moments that might have added to the story like Gulliver's shipwreck. The reader is only given a small summary of what happened and they miss what might have been an amazing description of the storm and his survival. As well, Swift occasionally writes "I shall not trouble the reader", as if to excuse him from removing what little excitement might be found in a particular story. The sentences are convoluted, there's little description of action and the plot suffers while Swift's busy making his point about society and everything about it that he finds insufferable.

The thing I find most frustrating though is that Swift could have done so much more with the story. It could have stayed a satire while beefing up the story. Instead of spending so much time describing the silly rituals and culture of the specific peoples he meets, Gulliver could have been taking action. The part where he's attacked by giant bees is exciting and interesting but it takes up less than a paragraph before Swift moves on. The result being that if I was asked I couldn't tell you much about what happens in the book because that's exactly what happens. Not much.

Rating: 3/5

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

"Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for anything he chose to put his hand to." p - 11

It's Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly businessman, is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells him that he must change his hard-hearted and curmudgeonly ways or else he will pay for these sins after death. Scrooge is told he will be visited by three ghosts to show him the error of his ways. What follows is a redemptive journey into the past, present and future of Scrooge's world where he learns his long-held contempt for love, friendship and the Christmas season is unfounded.

The Good:

I wasn't sure what to expect, having never read Dickens before. What I found was quite pleasing. The book is peppered with a variety of vivid descriptions of settings and characters. For example, Scrooge was described as "a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire, secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." p - 13/14 Dickens manages to create these original images that breathe life into what might have been a very bland character. Scrooge himself is well-developed. We see this in his interactions with his employees, his nephew, strangers and Marley. I loved when he checked his dressing gown for persons unknown after seeing it hanging in a suspicious attitude on the wall. I also enjoyed how he tried to explain away Marley's presence by calling him a blot of mustard or an undigested bit of beef.

I also enjoyed how he created a dense setting using weather and architecture."The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that, although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale." p - 16 The description even creates a fullness in the mouth when read aloud.

Here are some of my favourite descriptions from the book. "The brightness of the shops, where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed." p-28 "Secrets that few would like to scrutinize were bred and hidden in mountains of unseemly rags, masses of corrupted fat, and sepulchers of bones." p 171.

Having finally read the book after seeing so many movie versions I saw a lot of correlation between the story and "It's a Wonderful Life". A man with the aid of a supernatural being, goes back in time and is made to realize truths about himself. I would definitely recommend this book for holiday reading. It has so much more packed into than the various movie versions floating out there.

The Bad:

I didn't appreciate the random and many authorial intrusions throughout the book. I could have done without the narrator directly speaking to me and interrupting the flow of the plot.

Also, while there were some beautifully evocative descriptions in this book, they were few and far between. Dickens is typical when it comes to the Victorian style of writing in terms of various long and convoluted sentences. I saw so much that could have been edited for efficiency and conciseness.

As well, I had a lot of questions that weren't answered in the book. For example, why did Scrooge move into Marley's old house? Did he inherit it after Marley's death? In any case it seemed more than creepy to move into your dead partner's house. Also, the Ghost of Christmas Present talks about his "brothers". I wanted to know more about this ghost world that Dickens had populated and yet he only provided the reader with snippets here and there.

Some of the diction and sayings were archaic enough that their full impact was lost on me. For example, there was a simile "like a bad lobster in a cellar". I was intrigued but stumped as to its meaning. Some of the humour as well is outdated and would probably have been far more amusing to someone reading this in the 1840s when it was first published.

The Ugly:

Somebody find Eli Wallach.

Rating: 3/5

The Nun - Denis Diderot

"It was then that I felt the superiority of the Christian faith over all the other religions of the world; what profound wisdom there was in what blind philosophy calls the folly of the cross." - page 82

Suzanne Simonin is a simple French girl who finds herself packaged off to become a nun due to circumstances beyond her control. Suzanne happens to be the product of an affair and her mother decides Suzanne has to make up for those sins. As well, her parents and step-sisters are concerned about family finances as the sisters are in need of dowries. It's decided that to save on costs, Suzanne will enter a convent. There she is subjected to both love and hatred as well as the unwelcome advances of a lecherous Mother Superior.

The Good:

Some of Diderot's writing is lyrical, even poetic. For example, "A novice-mistress is always the most indulgent sister who can be found. Her object is to hide from you all the thorns of the vocation, she subjects you to a course to the most carefully calculated seduction. Her function is to darken still more the shades of night which surround you, to lull you into slumber, to throw dust in your eyes, to fascinate you, and ours paid special attention to me." - page 23

The story is pretty racy for the 1760s and Diderot has an interesting take on homosexuality, a subject which was even more contentious in the 1700s than it is today. The introduction gives us insight into his treatment of it in the book. "Hitherto homosexual behaviour had been considered either an unspeakable abomination in the eyes of God and man or alternatively one of the two or three eternal themes of pornography. Few had treated it objectively and still fewer with any attempt at sympathy or understanding. Diderot does both." While a Mother Superior uses her authority to force herself upon Suzanne, taking advantage of her naivete, Suzanne also has other lesbian experiences within the convent which are far kinder and consensual.

You may be able to tell that Diderot isn't a fan of the church. In fact he was considered to be an atheist. His views on religion may have had something to do with the death of his sister. She was a nun and apparently passed away from being overworked in a convent.

The Bad:

I found this story extremely boring despite being less than 200 pages long. Suzanne is always suffering at the hands of someone. If it isn't here mother than it's her convent. I found it difficult to believe that for most of her stay at the second convent that she would be singled out and harassed. She's thrown in a cell, her fellow nuns steal from her in order to keep her in the convent. Suzanne didn't seem important enough for people to waste their time on her and I also found it frustrating that Suzanne skips over various parts of her life in the convent that might have actually been interesting. For example, she tells the reader she won't go into details about her novitiate and yet says that it is the pleasantest period of monastic life.

The book makes more sense when you understand that it wasn't originally intended for public consumption. It was a practical joke to lure one of Diderot's friends, the Marquise de Croismare, back to Paris. The novel is told in a series of letters as if it were a true story. Diderot hoped the Marquise would feel so bad for Suzanne that he would come back to the city and rescue her.

The Ugly:

As well the nature of Suzanne's harassment was somewhat sadistic. At times it seemed as if Diderot was almost enjoying describing her torture at the hands of other nuns.

Rating: 2/5

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

"When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." - page 1

Gregor Samsa is a traveling salesman with a problem. He hates his job, he has to support his ungrateful family and he's recently devolved into a bug. This story isn't just about Gregor though, it's also a study into family dynamics and how people can turn on one another when pushed to the limit. His family has a hard time accepting his "condition" and that's when things begin to go downhill.

The Good:

This book begins much like "The Shipping News" in that the story arc is reversed with the climax taking place at the beginning and the remainder being a slow denouement. This mirrors Gregor's descent from human to vermin both physically and mentally, a descent from civilization into isolation.

This story is told in the same vein as classic transformation tales and there's an interesting parallel in Ovid's "Metamorphosis" in the story of Arachnee. But Gregor's story isn't typical in that he undergoes a negative transformation. Kafka says Gregor had been suffering from "unsettling dreams" but it explains nothing. We're not meant to understand why Gregor transforms though we still question it as his family does. They end up transforming as well, forced to change thanks to Gregor's "condition". His sister ends up getting a job and his parents change from "Mom" and "Dad" to Mr. and Mrs. Samsa as they become more removed from their son, forgetting he was ever human.

While this book has been analyzed from every angle I did think it was interesting to note that Kafka never really says "cockroach". The English translation says "monstrous vermin" and the original German says "insect" or "bug" and yet we associate Gregor turning into a cockroach, a most grotesque bug. Perhaps subconsciously, readers see Gregor having fallen so far that he becomes something unanimously hated. This may have been Kafka intent because we do see Gregor's actions become parasitic. He lives off of his family, depending on them for almost everything.

There are various ideas about how Gregor's condition is reflected in Kafka's own isolation and daddy issues. To be sure, Gregor's family's acceptance of him in his current form slowly deteriorates. Their true natures are revealed in how they adapt, financially and emotionally to the situation. Gregor also, begins to deteriorate, his mind becoming more "bug-like" over time, the status of his room reflected in his own personal hygiene.

The Bad:

Why was Gregor bending over backwards to help support his family? His sister was good for nothing and his father seemed ungrateful for the money his son brought in.
"And was his sister now supposed to work-who for all her seventeen years was still a child and whom it would be such a pity to deprive of the life she had led until now, which had consisted of wearing pretty clothes, sleeping late, helping in the house, enjoying a few modest amusements, and above all playing the violin?" If Gregor had to go to all the trouble of being a traveling salesman the least his sister could do was stop buying pretty dressed and pull her own weight by having a job. If she wants to study music that's fine but don't make your brother put his back out trying to pay for it.

If you're into fast dialogue, vicious action and exciting description then maybe this isn't the book for you. The slow pacing and plodding characters make this book feel longer than it is. There were also some overlong, confusing sentences that weren't worth the effort to figure out. In all it's a very dry read with various unanswered questions that some may find frustrating.

The whole family including Gregor, seem far too calm about the situation. There was that initial panic about him but they seemed to settle down too quickly.

The Ugly:

I'm not a fan of bugs, especially cockroaches so if you're not into bugs then either skip those parts or skip this book entirely.


Rating: 2.5/5