A Lost Lady by Willa Cather

"Her husband had archaic ideas about jewels; a man bought them for his wife in acknowledgement of things he could not gracefully utter."

One thing that seems to be fairly universal in Willa Cather's writing is that her strengths lie in transporting you to a certain time and place.  I am of the opinion that one major reason she is easily able to do this is because she has a gift for drawing vivid, realistic characters that fully inhabit their locale.

In A Lost Lady, as in her previous stories, we meet a character that uniquely represents the emerging American West.  Cather again looks at how the frontier came of age, (which—as a side note—Fannie Flagg also does beautifully in Standing in the Rainbow regarding the 1950s,) showing the contrast between gaining modern conveniences and the loss of innocence.

Marian Forrester hails from California, which shines as an exotic and mysterious detail of her past against the backdrop of the sedate railroad town of Sweet Water that she has come to live in with her well-off husband.  I didn't sympathize much with any of the characters, though I'm not convinced the reader is meant to.  It was apparent to me that much of Cather's personal experience (not fitting into the small town ideal) was wrapped up in this story.  Certainly it is sad to see how easily Marian was looked down upon for needing more than Sweet Water had to offer, not to mention the disdain and disappointment when she decided to follow her dream after her duty was done.

By no means Cather's best, (my vote still goes to O Pioneers!) A Lost Lady still provides a deceptively simple look into human nature and the contrast of change.

(Next up on my journey to read Willa Cather's works chronologically is The Professor's House, which I've heard many good things about.  Look for that in 2013!)

Don't Miss These Books

Do you ever read a book that you love to pieces but end up having a difficult time writing about them?  That has happened to me on more than one occasion this year.  Time passes, and before I know it what had been a hard task soon feels impossible.  In 2012 I've read some remarkable books that somehow got left behind.  Have you read any of them? I'd love to read your thoughts/review!

Night, Elie Weisel

Where to even start with this one?  The simplicity and humility of the writing makes the horrifying reality that much more impacting by contrast.  The images and people will forever be a part of my picture of the Holocaust.  It's impossible to read and not empathize.  Short, but big...and a necessary, vital addition to society as a whole and individually.  Even now I have a hard time discussing it, but if you haven't read it, do.

So Big, Edna Ferber

This 1925 Pulitzer Prize winner felt rather light and fun when I read it, in that special vintage-y sort of way.  I wasn't expecting it to stick with me like it has.  I wasn't expecting my mind to jump to the characters and scenes unbidden for months on end.  I wasn't expecting it to so fully encompass an era for me.  It's a charming book, but more than that it addresses hopes and dreams in an honest, heartbreaking manner.  Thanks to the Pulitzer I've discovered an author to cherish.

Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese

I was just reminiscing with my book club about how wonderful this book was.  Not only did it grab my attention at the beginning and hold it tight throughout, but it spoke to my mind with beautiful writing and to my heart with complex themes of family, communication, love, and honesty.  In those ways (the depth and complexity of the plot, characters, writing, themes, etc) it felt much like a classic to me.  It's always such a treat to read a book that is so well-rounded, especially in modern fiction, as I typically have to go to those time-tested classics to fill that need.

The Hand That First Held Mine, Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell is a surprising author to me.  In any other hands her characters would not be so real, nor her stories so poignant.  Based on the synopsis alone I expected to find simple writing and straightforward storytelling—something too saccharine to be meaningful.  Instead, I find words that wend their way through the story in the same way that the characters wend their way through life, creating a dreamy reality.  I'm a fan.

How Green Was My Valley, Richard Llewellyn

Even now I have no idea how to begin talking about this book.  Like Francie's family in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Huw's family becomes your own.  His heartaches become your own, as do his passions.  And the writing! Sigh.  Taking place in a coal mining town in Wales, the longing for times long past and the regret for mistakes made is universal.  This is a classic that deserves to be remembered.  Here's a taste:

"I wonder is happiness only an essence of good living, that you shall taste only once or twice while you live, and then go on living with the taste in your mouth, and wishing you had the fullness of it solid between your teeth like a good meal that you have tasted and cherished, and look back in your mind to eat again."

"O, there is lovely to feel a book, a good book, firm in the hand, for its fatness holds rich promise, and you are hot inside to think of good hours to come."

What to Read Next?

After realizing that I didn't have any books lined up to read next, I raided my book trees to come up with some that I'm in the mood for (or need to read for book club etc) and thought it was time for some first lines.  Like usual, I've gathered more books than I will feasibly be able to read in the near future, but hey—sometimes a girl has to keep her options open.

"Elsa was the youngest Emerson by ten years: the blondest, happiest accident."

Sounds like it will be light reading, which could be a good thing (I'll get through it faster, right?) or a bad thing (it could be lower quality writing and end up torturing me and drag on forever) depending on how I look at it.  But it is a book I need to read (review commitment) so it will be up sooner or later regardless. (304pp)

"this is my book and i am writing it by my own hand."

A distinct voice from the get-go awakens my interest, and the lovely cover art and compact size make it pleasant to hold.  Pair that with Crowe's review and I find myself eager to dive into this one. (172pp)



"After dark the rain began to fall again, but he had already made up his mind to go and anyway it had been raining for weeks."

The writing sounds promising, but based on the fact that the last book I read that was based on a Shakespeare play (A Thousand Acres) didn't work so well for me, I'm a bit skeptical. Plus, it's an Oprah book selection which means the content is likely to be a little rough at parts. It's a book club pick though, so I can only procrastinate so long! (562pp)

"We had been wandering for so long I forgot what it was like to live within walls or sleep through the night."

I've never read Alice Hoffman, and this one looks like it will pack an emotional punch. Looks pretty captivating to me though.  The biggest selling point is how much you all enjoyed it—looking forward to it! (501pp)

"Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word harami."

Embarrassingly enough, I've never read this (or The Kite Runner—don't shoot me) and feel the need to rectify the situation.  I am, admittedly, a little put off by its extreme popularity, but I just need to get over it already. This is on loan from a book club friend.  (415pp)

"Maisie Dobbs shuffled the papers om her desk into a neat pile and placed them in a plain manila folder."

Ah, Maisie!  I've missed you!  This is only #2 in the series, but I enjoyed the first so thoroughly that the thought of returning to Maisie's world is a promise of comfort and delight. Here's to the hope that this promise will be fulfilled. (309pp)

"Dear Steve,
Do you know what an angioplasty is?"

I've had my eye on this for a little while, because out of all the books to have emerged from the latest wave of Austen-admiration, this one looks the most promising.  I'm hoping that I'm in for some laughs and smiles, and an all around enjoyable experience. (126pp)


"In his great novel Moby Dick, written during the Famine era, Herman Melville described Ireland as a "fast fish," that is to say a harpooned whale lashed helplessly to the side of a ship waiting to be cut up by its predators."

It is difficult to describe my love of Ireland, it's in my blood, but I'm thrilled to have received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers, and can't wait to dive in, pencil in hand.  I've yet to read a non-fiction account of the Famine that was written for adults (although I highly recommend Black Potatoes for a wonderful overview or for the younger set) so I'm quite eager to learn new things...even though I love England too and am not too sure what I'll end up thinking about the blame game.  (235pp)

"Jean Patrick was already awake, listening to the storm, when Papa opened the door and stood by the side of the bed."

Last but not least, a book that I received from Indiespensable which also received accolades from some of my favorite bibliophiles (you!) Honestly, the biggest selling point for me right now with this book is that I've heard that it was fairly quick to read, which I'm hoping will win out over my fear that it will be too agenda-y.  Opinions? (360pp)

My Bookish Christmas Trees

Up until it was time to decorate for Christmas, very few of my books had made it into the house after having moved at the beginning of October.  Decorating needs changed all that.  Here are some ways that my books are keeping me company this Christmas:

If you have any paperbacks (or magazines) lying around that you've been thinking of donating, it's easy to turn it into a Christmas tree instead.  This particular one is super easy—no cutting, no gluing...only simple paper-airplane type folds and a lot of spine-breaking/bending.  Fold each individual page, starting with the top corner...bring it down to align with the inside of the spine, crease, and repeat.  Then fold the bottom flap up to align with the lower edge of the page, making the bottom flat.

My 12-year old helped me make this tree.  She had a wonderful time stacking books by height, and needed to make sure that the cover of her favorite book was peeking out (A Monster Calls, bright blue cover near the bottom.)

We hosted a large party this last weekend with the theme of White.  Never before had I realized how little white I own...I surround myself with a lot of earth tones and some bright pops of green and orange for the most part, so trying to make my house seem white was a challenge.  It spurred the idea of turning my books backwards so the pages were showing.  Although it's terribly trying to not be able to see which books are on my shelves, it's a nice effect.  I couldn't leave them all that way though—books with green spines allowed me to make another bookish tree whose presence eludes most visitors.  That, somehow, makes it all the better.  It's like my little secret.  Except that now I've proclaimed it to the world.  But still.

This is actually the first year that I've incorporated any book trees into my Christmas, but it has been such a warm, wonderful addition that I think I must do it every year now.  There are so many more great ideas out there, it would be a pity not to enjoy them all!

Bye-Bye November!

I can hardly believe that it's December.  After a year that has seemed to drag on, the fall has sped by at an incredible rate.  While my Dreadful Autumn Reading Slump means that I'm unlikely to break 100 books read this year, I find myself rather unconcerned about the goals and stats right now, and am just enjoying reading whatever I happen to be in the mood for.  It's a rather unusual experience for me!

5 Books Read in November: (90 year-to-date)
1 for Book Club:
  - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie (4) (so much fun!)
1 from Indiespensable:
  - Familiar, J. Robert Lennon (4) (surprisingly impressive, for being sci-fi[ish] and all)
3 Just Because:
  - Last Night at the Lobster, Stewart O'Nan (4) (may have found a new favorite author here!)
  - The Children's Blizzard, David Laskin (3.5) (incredibly interesting but not so well done)
  - A Lost Lady, Willa Cather (3.5) (have yet to dislike something by Willa Cather)

    


2 Current Reads:
  - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce.  I actually finished reading (listening) to this book mid-blogging because I just needed to hear the rest.  It was wonderful! I love books.
  - The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien.  Okay, this is a huge step for me.  I read about 1/3 of this in high school and was bored to high heaven, the movie bored me (though not quite so much,) and now here I am reading it (for reals this time).  It all has to do with a promise to a 12 year old, but thankfully I'm enjoying it much more this time around.

 

On My Nightstand:
This is a little scary folks, but I don't think I have anything on my nightstand.  I was just realizing that.  Not only that, but all of my books are currently quite difficult to browse due to Christmas decorating (pictures soon!) so I have no idea what I'm going to read once Fellowship of the Ring is done!  Admittedly, I do have a huge Christmas party to host this weekend, so I'll not be doing a terrific amount of reading in the next few days.  On the other hand, I like to know what is next in line, and I need to plan out the rest of my year!  2012 reading time is running out.  :)

Hypothermia is Intriguing, Meteorology is Not.

In three minutes the front subtracted 18 degrees [Fahrenheit] from the air's temperature.   Before midnight, windchills were down to 40 below zero.  That's when the killing happened.

The Children's Blizzard is the foreboding title that came to rest upon the blizzard that raged through the American Dakotas on the evening of January 12, 1888.  The next morning, Friday the 13th as luck would have it, brought terrible news to many families.  Scores of children across the prairies had not been able to make it home from school, nor to safety anywhere.  The storm had caught them unaware and unprepared.

This book was a fascinating look into harsh pioneer winters.  From the background on why immigration was so high (hello, propoganda) to the living conditions and weather conditions, Laskin provides a clear look at the 1880s prairie.  As somehow who grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, and finding The Long Winter (1881) so very, very long, I enjoyed the trip back to those days, gaining a deeper and more thorough appreciation for the trials they faced.

History is not the only topic discussed,  meteorology and hypothermia are also addressed.  My eyes glazed over during the chapters about barometers, isobars, cyclostyles, and whaaa????  {blink}  But I found the stages of hypothermia quite interesting—how the body fights for life without one's conscious thought or effort is fascinating to me.

Of course, this book is full of sad stories...but I think the title is enough to make you expect that.  Any time innocent people die it is a tragedy.  But topic aside, I did have a few issues with the construction of the book.  The writing is inconsistent:  at times poignant, at others overly complicated or vague.  Also, organization—vital in nonfiction—was not strong.  There were in-depth portions about people or things that mattered little, and fascinating points only touched upon, which resulted in an unbalanced feel.  The good news is that the 270-odd pages go by pretty quickly, even if you do read the boring parts.  If you have a passing fancy in immigrant or prairie life, this book is worth a passing glance.

Virago, you say?

"Yes, we'll have to put a stop to this bookworming.  No future in that."

Every once in a while I stumble across a treasure: a book written in fairly recent years that holds all the style and charm of a book written long ago.  This happened recently when I inadvertently came across Good Behaviour by Molly Keane (a Virago Modern Classic) while shopping at Book Depository.

It was short, sweet, and brilliant in many ways.  Published in 1981, but set in the decaying aristocracy of an Anglo-Irish family in the 1920s[ish], this book had that perfect combination of melancholy and wit that I've come to appreciate in Irish literature.

It was a wonderfully vivid story.  Plus, the cover art is terrific, am I right?  Our main character, Aroon St. Charles, doesn't know half of what you, as the reader, will catch on to, which is both terribly intriguing and terribly sad.  You see, Aroon isn't the most attractive or astute character you'll meet, though through her you will discover a vivid, distinguished world that she wishes she belongs in...and there is humor to boot (what more could I ask for?)

So, you veterans of Virago, tell me:

• what you love about Virago
• why I should read more
• whether this book is characteristic of what I can hope to expect
• where I go next!

Not much happened in October

What can I say about October?  There certainly isn't much to record, though I am starting to feel as if I'm finally on the rebound somewhat.  Not a terribly wonderful time of year to rebound properly, but I'll take what I can get.  Maybe I'll start dreaming about 2013 goals - that should get me going!  I am getting antsy to talk about the few books I have read, and unpack my boxes of books & get myself in focus.  For now, here's the deal:

2 Books Read in October: (85 year-to-date)
1 for Book Club:
  - The Kitchen House, Kathleen Grissom (3.5)
1 Just Because:
  - Good Behaviour, Molly Keane (4)

  

1 DNF:
Definitely a case of bad timing, and possibly a style clash as well, but I completely failed to meet my obligation of reading Redemption Falls for the discussion I was supposed to have in October.  I simply couldn't do it.  I'm not the only one, apparently, to compare this work to James Joyce (with whose writing I'm not exactly enamoured).

What I said

What the Guardian said

1 Current Reads:
  - Last Night at the Lobster, Stewart O'Nan.  Because it is tiny and therefore approachable right now, and because Ti @ Book Chatter loves O'Nan (& she has great taste in books.)



On My Nightstand:
My current plan of attack?  Find all the miniscule books I own, put those on my nightstand.  Perhaps I'll be able to finish something if it is only 150 pages.  I do need to finish Annie Dunne, but it is a quiet, lyrical book that takes a wee bit of attention.  Other possibilities?  A Lost Lady by Willa Cather, and possibly some of those Indiespensable reads.
  

Another Challenging Irish Author

The first being James Joyce, of course, and the second being Joseph O'Connor.  I know it's a terribly political thing to compare an author to James Joyce, but I don't really care because:

1. I'm only doing it only on the basis that they're both Irish, and they both require a smidgen of brain power to read...and
2. the similarities end there, perhaps, since I've only read Dubliners, and have enjoyed O'Connor more than Joyce (largely due to a perceived arrogance I pick up from Joyce).

Oh Joyce, may I someday be able to look past my
irritations and appreciate your literary genius. (credit)

Although, I'd guess that my current distractibility level in my reading life has something to do with it also.  I miss reading dreadfully, and though I am getting back into it, it has been a slow process.  I need to be reading something fairly light and engaging, and yet I can barely keep up with my obligatory book-group selections.

Joseph O'Connor (photo credit)

Currently I'm reading Joseph O'Connor's Redemption Falls for a discussion this coming weekend.  Having read (and looooved) Star of the Sea, my friend and myself decided to join the city of Dublin in 2011 for their One City, One Book event, and read his book Ghost Light.  I never wrote about that book in depth, not because of a lack of enjoyment, but because there was so much to digest.  Loosely based on the love affair between the great Irish playwright John Millington Synge and the Abbey Theatre actress Molly Allgood, Ghost Light not only told an amazingly captivating story, but told it in a unique, almost experimental, way.  A reading experience to be certain.

Redemption Falls is about Irish Americans in the aftermath of the American Civil War, and at page 77 I have very little real idea of what is happening...not a good sign.  Like I said, my brain simply isn't up for it right now.  It's making me want to read some nonfiction (straightforward, right?) or something humorous (easily digestible, yeah?) but I must keep on reading for I have nearly 400 pages left to turn before next weekend hits.  Problem is, time crunch + not really knowing who any of the characters are = flipping pages without being invested.  I wanted to love this book, but it isn't happening so far.

  

For the Record: September 2012

I can always tell when I am not getting enough time to read by the sharp increase in the amount of books I purchase.  Book buying represents my yearnings more than it does my reality.

While September is often a light reading month (school starting and all that jazz) this one has been my lightest reading month in years.  Really, the least amount ever since I've emerged from my baby/toddler years.  I blame it on kids, and remodels, and finally moving next weekend, and having old friends move in down the street, and recently becoming addicted to knitting.  Still and all, I'm hoping October sees an increase in books read!

2 Books Read in September: (83 year-to-date)
2 for Book Club:
  - Moloka'i, Alan Brennert (3.5)
  - Into the Blue, Robert Goddard (3.5)

  

1 DNF:
Perhaps it just isn't the right timing, but I began reading this aloud to my girls, and after a magnificent intro, this one just left me bored.  Too bad it's a Newbery Medal book, because I have a sort of personal challenge to read all those.  Right now though, dropping the challenge altogether sounds more appealing than forcing my way through a boring book.



2 Current Reads:
  - Annie Dunne, Sebastian Barry.  This is what I was reading before the ultra-craziness hit.  I've picked it back up (tentatively) and am working on it bit by bit.  It's a slim novel, but takes silence for me to really appreciate it.
  - Redemption Falls, Joseph O'Connor.  I've barely ventured into this one, but I'll get there.

 

On My Nightstand:
Ugh.  I don't know where I'm going.  I really wanted to join the Les Miserables read-along, but--as you may agree--I've made the responsible choice to bow out considering my current reading situation.  Also, as I mentioned above, I've been purchasing books left and right, so I've a dearth of new reading material to choose from.  But I'm not committed to anything right now.  I'll wait and see which way the winds blow.