I really enjoyed "A Town Like Alice" by Nevile Shute (1950). I read this to fulfill the "Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes
Australia)" category in the Back to the Classics reading challenge. The main part of the story began in Malaysia, which seemed like home since I live in the Thai-Malay Peninsula. When it moved to London or Australia, I was in a foreign land.
Books like this are how I travel, and also make me want to travel. Of course, if I went to the Outback now, it would not be like the 1940's, though it would still be huge and rugged and sparsely populated with tough people. I enjoy strong characters, and this one contained a lovely woman. She was brave, intelligent, humble, and flexible. With the help of an inheritance, she figured out what she wanted and set about achieving it.
This was a fun and easy read. I'm not sure I would have discovered it with this challenge. It was one of the few "classic" books I had access to about this part of the world.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Book Review: War and Peace
Well, I did it. I read all 1,392 pages of "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy! It's a difficult book to write a review about, because it's much lauded. The story covers many characters, weaving in and out of their lives, traversing between the fighting men and those at home. It seems to give an in depth view of Russian upper class society during Napoleon's campaign against Russia and after. I didn't know much about this slice of history, and now I can say I know Tolstoy's impression.
Tolstoy doesn't just stick to a story. He includes his own theories of war and history and why people do what they do. To me, these were bumps in the narrative. I would be enjoying the story, and then Tolstoy's voice would jump in. Perhaps his views were novel and important at the time.
I haven't read any reviews about what is supposed to make this book so great. Other than its massiveness, I believe this tale tried to develop "true-to-life" characters. There are no heroes, few heroic events, tragedies drift into the past. People change - change their opinions, philosophies of life, romantic interests. The vast cast of character narrows to a handful in the end, about who the reader cares.
I read this over the year with a group of people. It was hard for me to read it on a schedule. I would read a bunch, and then wait a while before reading again. I was rarely eager to read it, though there were times I enjoyed it. It wasn't suspenseful; it was just there. A bit like daily life. So maybe that is what makes it special - we get to live a small section of life in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.
Tolstoy doesn't just stick to a story. He includes his own theories of war and history and why people do what they do. To me, these were bumps in the narrative. I would be enjoying the story, and then Tolstoy's voice would jump in. Perhaps his views were novel and important at the time.
I haven't read any reviews about what is supposed to make this book so great. Other than its massiveness, I believe this tale tried to develop "true-to-life" characters. There are no heroes, few heroic events, tragedies drift into the past. People change - change their opinions, philosophies of life, romantic interests. The vast cast of character narrows to a handful in the end, about who the reader cares.
I read this over the year with a group of people. It was hard for me to read it on a schedule. I would read a bunch, and then wait a while before reading again. I was rarely eager to read it, though there were times I enjoyed it. It wasn't suspenseful; it was just there. A bit like daily life. So maybe that is what makes it special - we get to live a small section of life in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Book Review: Three Men in a Boat
Both Philip (my husband) and I had heard good this about this 19th century comedy by Jerome K. Jerome, so he agreed to read this aloud to me. I think it was better read aloud, so we could enjoy our laughs together. There were a few times when I really did laugh out loud, though more times I just smiled or chuckled. The self-deprecating British humour is not really my style, I think. Philip appreciated it more, which made it more enjoyable for me.
The book is not really a story and most of it is not about "three men in a boat." It is a series of anecdotes that just happen to be centered around a boat trip up the Thames. Since I am currently studying two periods of British history with various children, I appreciated many references to places and historical events. These were the times I giggled or exclaimed with interested when Philip was silent. If nothing else, homeschooling is giving me a deeper appreciation for British literature.
This book has been listed as a travelogue, and in a way it is, but I believe the purpose for which it was written was as a comedy. It fit the bill well enough for me to agree. There are other purported comedies I read that did not seem funny enough to qualify for this category. I'm glad to have found one to tickle my funny bone, at least a bit.
The book is not really a story and most of it is not about "three men in a boat." It is a series of anecdotes that just happen to be centered around a boat trip up the Thames. Since I am currently studying two periods of British history with various children, I appreciated many references to places and historical events. These were the times I giggled or exclaimed with interested when Philip was silent. If nothing else, homeschooling is giving me a deeper appreciation for British literature.
This book has been listed as a travelogue, and in a way it is, but I believe the purpose for which it was written was as a comedy. It fit the bill well enough for me to agree. There are other purported comedies I read that did not seem funny enough to qualify for this category. I'm glad to have found one to tickle my funny bone, at least a bit.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Book Review: The Shuttle
The Secret Garden is one of my favorite children's books, and I have enjoyed a couple of others by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but until recently I did not realize she had written any adult novels. I decided to try The Shuttle to see how if she captivates a mature audience as readily as the young (and young at heart). Written in 1906, this qualifies as a classic by a female author for Back to the Classics Challenge. After a rather slow start in which the analogy of a shuttle weaving between North America and England failed to engage me, I found myself engrossed by the protagonist within several chapters.
It is set during a time of history I hadn't know much about: when young American women married European men for their titles and impoverished European nobles married the American for their money. The main ladies in the story are Vanderpoels, the similarity to Vanderbilt is not an accident I presume. While the extravagantly wealthy can often become tiresome, Betty Vanderpoel managed to keep my interest. I identified with her dynamic and compelling personality. She planned and put her plans into action; nothing stood in her way because she had the intelligence and the finances to do them. Near the end, I did weary of her seeming infallibility, but then I regretted her one mistake.
This book has some of the charm of Burnett's children's books in her descriptions of the English country side and in a couple of characters. I enjoyed the English village vicar and the American typewriter salesman. However, particularly heinous character of the villain with a plot centered on deception and romance makes this solidly an adult novel.
I learn much of history from fiction books, and this provided a few good insights. I got more of the idea of the English village and how much the peasantry relied on the nobles and how the nobility were restricted by their societal standing. I've read many books that focused on the upper class English (Jane Austen) or the poor English (Charles Dickens), but not many that give insight on the intersection between the two. Shortly after finishing this book, I came across a non-fiction account of American heiresses and British lords, but I decided I had enough for now and would rather learn more about those who managed to visit Europe while making ten dollars a week.
Regardless to a person's opinion of The Secret Garden, The Shuttle is an entertaining book in its own right. I learned a something, met some lovely characters, and was satisfied with ending - overall a book worth reading.
It is set during a time of history I hadn't know much about: when young American women married European men for their titles and impoverished European nobles married the American for their money. The main ladies in the story are Vanderpoels, the similarity to Vanderbilt is not an accident I presume. While the extravagantly wealthy can often become tiresome, Betty Vanderpoel managed to keep my interest. I identified with her dynamic and compelling personality. She planned and put her plans into action; nothing stood in her way because she had the intelligence and the finances to do them. Near the end, I did weary of her seeming infallibility, but then I regretted her one mistake.
This book has some of the charm of Burnett's children's books in her descriptions of the English country side and in a couple of characters. I enjoyed the English village vicar and the American typewriter salesman. However, particularly heinous character of the villain with a plot centered on deception and romance makes this solidly an adult novel.
I learn much of history from fiction books, and this provided a few good insights. I got more of the idea of the English village and how much the peasantry relied on the nobles and how the nobility were restricted by their societal standing. I've read many books that focused on the upper class English (Jane Austen) or the poor English (Charles Dickens), but not many that give insight on the intersection between the two. Shortly after finishing this book, I came across a non-fiction account of American heiresses and British lords, but I decided I had enough for now and would rather learn more about those who managed to visit Europe while making ten dollars a week.
Regardless to a person's opinion of The Secret Garden, The Shuttle is an entertaining book in its own right. I learned a something, met some lovely characters, and was satisfied with ending - overall a book worth reading.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Book Review: Rob Roy
I'm catching up on my book reviews for the Back to the Classics Challenge. I've read multiple 19th century classics this year. I am participating in an online reading group for Sir Walter Scott's novels. I am abashed to admit that before December of last year, I had never read one of his books. I am making up for that this year. Starting with Waverly, I have continued by reading Rob Roy, Ivanhoe, The Talisman, and currently Kenilworth. I'm not sure if Waverly or Rob Roy is my favorite so far, but since the former was read in a previous year and doesn't count for this challenge, I will write a review on the latter.
As many of Scott's book, Rob Roy begins with detailing the background and history of the chief characters before diving into the plot. I have come to appreciate this style more, as I realize how much I know about and care about each principal character before the story truly begins. For this particular tale, I was nearly a quarter of the way through the book before I was sure who the eponymous character was. (Hint: it is not the protagonist; that would be Francis Osbaldistone.)
The book has everything a romance novel should: a lady, an unlikely hero, fighting, intrigue, and a champion of dubious integrity. The Scottish dialect made a few sections of the book confusing, but usually the import of the conversation would become clear with continued reading. It was actually fun for me to try to figure out if I could understand what was being said before Francis Osbaldistone did. The plot was wrapped up rather quickly. After spending so much time drawing us into the lives of the characters, I would have appreciated a few chapters at the end to allow us to enjoy their fates.
Since I have gotten asked 4 times, "What's for snack?" I better wrap this up. Now I am caught up on the reviews for now, and can read guilt-free.
As many of Scott's book, Rob Roy begins with detailing the background and history of the chief characters before diving into the plot. I have come to appreciate this style more, as I realize how much I know about and care about each principal character before the story truly begins. For this particular tale, I was nearly a quarter of the way through the book before I was sure who the eponymous character was. (Hint: it is not the protagonist; that would be Francis Osbaldistone.)
The book has everything a romance novel should: a lady, an unlikely hero, fighting, intrigue, and a champion of dubious integrity. The Scottish dialect made a few sections of the book confusing, but usually the import of the conversation would become clear with continued reading. It was actually fun for me to try to figure out if I could understand what was being said before Francis Osbaldistone did. The plot was wrapped up rather quickly. After spending so much time drawing us into the lives of the characters, I would have appreciated a few chapters at the end to allow us to enjoy their fates.
Since I have gotten asked 4 times, "What's for snack?" I better wrap this up. Now I am caught up on the reviews for now, and can read guilt-free.
Book Review: Lady Susan
I admit that I am a fan of Jane Austen but somehow had never read her epistolary novella, Lady Susan. Written in 1871 with only 180 pages, this books qualifies for the "novella" category in my Back to the Classics Challenge. Lady Susan is as unprincipled of a character as I've ever met. Vain, avaricious, and cunning, she will balk at nothing to get what she wants. Although, I didn't feel as attached to the characters as in Austen's longer novels, I did find myself caring about what was going to happen to Lady Susan's various "victims" and hoping that virtue would win out.
Trying to write a story purely through letters and notes is a challenge. In Austen's day, letter writing was a common form of communication, so these letters don't feel like they're stretching too much to tell the story. Even Austen, however, couldn't quite figure out how to wrap everything up in this fashion and attached an epilogue to let us know how everyone fares in the end.
This story lacks the laugh out loud moments, I deeply prize in Austen's other works. It is not so poignant nor witty. From her other books, I know that Austen must have carefully studied human character and interactions. She portrays the character of Lady Susan amazingly well, giving us insights into her motives and her lack of remorse. Though it's certainly not a favorite of mine, I believe any Austen fan would enjoy a few evenings reading Lady Susan.
Trying to write a story purely through letters and notes is a challenge. In Austen's day, letter writing was a common form of communication, so these letters don't feel like they're stretching too much to tell the story. Even Austen, however, couldn't quite figure out how to wrap everything up in this fashion and attached an epilogue to let us know how everyone fares in the end.
This story lacks the laugh out loud moments, I deeply prize in Austen's other works. It is not so poignant nor witty. From her other books, I know that Austen must have carefully studied human character and interactions. She portrays the character of Lady Susan amazingly well, giving us insights into her motives and her lack of remorse. Though it's certainly not a favorite of mine, I believe any Austen fan would enjoy a few evenings reading Lady Susan.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Book Review: Four Reigns
I have been reading plenty of classics, but I have not been writing my reviews for the Back to the Classics Challenge. I won't catch up today, but I will write one. I recently finished Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj translated into English by Tulachandra. As I have already read and reviewed a classic in translation, this will be my "classic from a place I've lived." The book was originally written as a newspaper serial and was published in its complete form in 1953. The story follows the life of Ploi as she lives through the reigns of Kings Rama V-VIII.
The book opens with young Ploi, a member of upper class Thailand in the latter half of the 19th century, leaving her family home by boat to live in the Inner Court. Thus from the beginning, I guessed I would be receiving a picture of the lives of the Thai elite of the day. I caught snippets of how life might have been for servants and those once wealthy who had lost their means and status, but almost nothing of life for the majority, especially those living outside the Bangkok area. Throughout the book, it also became apparent that Ploi and her family each represent a certain ideal and stereotyped persona. Also, since the book was written in Thailand by a Thai person, it treats royalty and events related to royalty carefully. Within these limitations, I believe the portrayal is fairly accurate and a worthwhile read.
Living in Thailand and having lived in both Bangkok and Ayutthaya, I can picture many of the places mentioned. In my imagination, I stripped away modern buildings and roads, replacing them traditional wooden Thai structures, dirt roads, and many canals. While Thai dress has been modernized and government has gone through various transitions, many of the cultural constructs are still intact, though slightly changed. My familiarity with modern Thailand helped me to understand the actions of the characters, and certain cultural aspects elucidated in the book helped me understand parts of modern culture. Having been in Thailand during the death of King Rama IX, I could easily sympathize with the characters as they mourned each successive King, particularly King Rama V who reigned for 37 years.
For those of us who read Thai but not well enough to read the original, it would have been nice to have names and certain Thai words written in Thai script in parentheses the first time they were used or in an appendix. This would have facilitated pronunciation and understanding.
Overall, the story was well written; I cared about what happened to Ploi and her family. I gained insight into that period of history in Thailand. I have a shared knowledge and experience with others, foreigners and Thais, who have read this story. I generally enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others who are interested in Thai history and culture. I am still on the look out for a good non-fiction book to provide a historical overview of Thailand.
The book opens with young Ploi, a member of upper class Thailand in the latter half of the 19th century, leaving her family home by boat to live in the Inner Court. Thus from the beginning, I guessed I would be receiving a picture of the lives of the Thai elite of the day. I caught snippets of how life might have been for servants and those once wealthy who had lost their means and status, but almost nothing of life for the majority, especially those living outside the Bangkok area. Throughout the book, it also became apparent that Ploi and her family each represent a certain ideal and stereotyped persona. Also, since the book was written in Thailand by a Thai person, it treats royalty and events related to royalty carefully. Within these limitations, I believe the portrayal is fairly accurate and a worthwhile read.
Living in Thailand and having lived in both Bangkok and Ayutthaya, I can picture many of the places mentioned. In my imagination, I stripped away modern buildings and roads, replacing them traditional wooden Thai structures, dirt roads, and many canals. While Thai dress has been modernized and government has gone through various transitions, many of the cultural constructs are still intact, though slightly changed. My familiarity with modern Thailand helped me to understand the actions of the characters, and certain cultural aspects elucidated in the book helped me understand parts of modern culture. Having been in Thailand during the death of King Rama IX, I could easily sympathize with the characters as they mourned each successive King, particularly King Rama V who reigned for 37 years.
For those of us who read Thai but not well enough to read the original, it would have been nice to have names and certain Thai words written in Thai script in parentheses the first time they were used or in an appendix. This would have facilitated pronunciation and understanding.
Overall, the story was well written; I cared about what happened to Ploi and her family. I gained insight into that period of history in Thailand. I have a shared knowledge and experience with others, foreigners and Thais, who have read this story. I generally enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others who are interested in Thai history and culture. I am still on the look out for a good non-fiction book to provide a historical overview of Thailand.
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