Not Elizabeth Bennet?

I took this highly scientific quiz and learned that of all Jane Austen's heroines, I am most like Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility.

I was hoping to be Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
Smart, witty, beautiful,
quick with a retort when injustice is sensed.
Plus, Keira Knightley was just so delightful and stunning in the film that I wanted just a little piece of that action!

I am Marianne.
Have you read sense and sensibility?
I am more Marianne than I thought.
and she is sort of a half heroine.
From e-notes:
Marianne personifies the sensibility in the title of the book. Marianne is a girl whose "sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation." She is all passion and romantic notions; this is typified in her playing the piano. While living out her passions, she is self-absorbed and unconcerned with the poor impression that she often makes on others.

I'm kind of surprised that she is a heroine at all...maybe she's only 1/4 heroine?
I'm going to go re-take the quiz.
I'm sure I can study for it and figure out how to be Elizabeth Bennet!

Two Run-on Sentence Book Reviews

I've spent alot of time lately reading, less time doing necessary chores around the house. But it's been so much more interesting than doing chores... That reminds me of a poem I've used often to avoid my not-cleaning-the-house-guilt....

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow
for they will be back, I've learned to my sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm reading my book and it's really deep!

(with my apologies to the original poetess Ruth Hulbert Hamilton)

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

An absorbing read that started out strong but reminded me of a term paper I once wrote that reached the required number of pages before I really dealt properly with the subject; I promptly ended the paper (and didn't get a great grade.) The story line deals with several intense issues including mental illness, incest, and fanatacism, and I guarantee you that the movie (which I am sure will be made someday) will be way too scary for me to see!




The Poyson Garden by Karen Harper

A light and fairly amusing mystery featuring Elizabeth I as the amateur detective resolving mysteries that especially pertain to her future kingdom and her desire to remain alive to reign over that kingdom. This book strains the imagination on several points, especially Elizabeth's never-failing ability to sneak out of the manor house she was "imprisoned" at during the reign of her sister Queen Mary, but still manages to be a fun read.




A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

The depth of this book surprised me after a bland beginning telling the story of Evelyn who decides open a quilt store and start new life in Connecticut after her husband (who she dutifully served for many years) leaves her. The book turns out to be an enjoyable read as the author develops the characters delightfully and skillfully deals with the topic of forgiveness.

Two-sentence Book Review

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Get this. Read it. Love it. I did.
oops. four sentences.

Two Sentence Book Reviews

Why two sentences?
Because if I write much more, I am very likely to spoil something in the plot for you and ruin your reading experience. I am always perplexed by the introductions to classic literature where a very learned individual proceeds to explain the book to the reader, and spoils the whole story under the guise of academia. I have a confession, I don't read those introductions. Neither before nor after the book. By the time I'm done reading classic literature, I feel sufficiently self-righteous with my accomplishment and am concerned that reading the spoiling introduction will prove to me that I didn't really get the book. at all.

On to the reviews!
The ex-debutante by Linda Lee

This book was a quick easy read, full of fluffy southern details and a clever quippy style of writing. The downside of this novel is that the plot is fairly transparent and the ending is obvious long before the middle of the book.











The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi

Another adventure Indiana Jones/DaVinci code type novel by this author involving a nun, a professor, and a Vatican- employed Swiss Guard in an effort to save Christianity through performing tests based on Dante's Divine Comedy. Great read, although the story occasionally gets bogged down in so many details that this reader's eyes glazed over.







The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam

Beautiful, but fairly dark story detailing the interaction between several characters of several nationalities in post 9/11 Afghanistan. I enjoyed reading this book but felt as if I wasn't deep enough to understand the nuanced plot changes and seemingly unrelated flash-way-backs to colonial america.

Songs I Sing Out Loud and Books I Read Silently

MUSIC:
"The Call" sung by Regina Spektor (sp?) from the Chronicles of Narnia- Prince Caspian movie. Very cool and embodies a deep message. At least it seems deep to me, but it might be one of those "seems deep but really isn't" type of songs and I am infusing all sorts of hidden meanings into a basically meaningless song. Either way, I sing out loud every time I hear it!

"The Chanukah Song" (not to be confused with Adam Sandler's song) sung by Jane Olivor- also known as "We are Lights" and commonly sung by choirs....however itunes has the Jane Olivor version and it's great!

BOOKS:
"Everything Under the Sky" by Matilde Asensi
Kind of reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies- without Indiana Jones... replaced by a spanish expatriate widow living in Paris who must search for treasure to pay off debts of her french expatriate husband who lived in China. hmmmm. If you like adventure, no romance, and far-off places, you'll love this! I did find it a fun read, and will read other books by this author, but it isn't profound (like the song "the call" mentioned above.)