Read-along | Fizzy Thoughts

Wuthering Heights Wednesday, week 2

14 April 2010

Welcome to Wuthering Heights Wednesday! I’m hosting a read-along of this classic novel, and we’re reading (and posting about) 3 chapters a week. Joining me in this adventure are:

Each week I’ll be posting a synopsis (which could contain spoilers, so fair warning) and my thoughts. Here we go…

Chapters 4 through 6

My synopsis:

After Lockwood returns home he chats up his housekeeper to see if she can provide any gossip about his neighbors at Wuthering Heights. Lucky for Lockwood, Nelly Dean used to work for the Earnshaw family, the original owners of Wuthering Heights, and she likes to dish. Here’s the scoop:

Back in the day, Mr. Earnshaw and his family lived at Wuthering Heights. There were two children, Catherine and Hindley, who was the older brother. When Catherine and Hindley were young, their father brought Heathcliff home from a trip to Liverpool, where he found him half feral on the streets.

Heathcliff grew up with Catherine and Hindley. Although Catherine originally joined her brother in tormenting Heathcliff, she soon changed her mind and the two became thick as thieves. Hindley, however, never overcame his animosity. After Mr. Earnshaw died and Hindley became the master of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was treated like a servant. Catherine and Heathcliff were not happy unless they were able to escape together to go traipsing across the moors.

One day, while they were out gallivanting around the moors, Catherine and Heathcliff happened upon Thrushcross Grange (the current home of Lockwood, by the way). Spying at the window, they see two other children arguing over a dog. Catherine and Heathcliff realize this is the home of the Lintons, and the children are Edgar and Isabella. Discovered after they begin to mock the other two children, Catherine is chased and bitten on the ankle by the dog. The parents come running, and even thought they realize who he is, Heathcliff is chased off, mostly because he looks like a poor gypsy. Catherine, however, gets to stay, to recuperate from her dog bite. Heathcliff returns home to tell Nelly of their adventure.

My thoughts:

I’m still enjoying it. In fact, it’s all I can do to pace myself and not race ahead. The characters are starting to fall into place, and Heathcliff’s childhood is providing some insight into his grim character.

I’m reading the new Penguin edition, and I adore the cover (it’s the same cover that I used for the Wuthering Heights Wednesday badge). And Heathcliff is on the back. Is this not the perfect rendition?

wh full cover

Okay, Heathcliff might look a little vampire-ish, but I still like it.

Share

Wuthering Heights Wednesday, week 1

7 April 2010

Welcome to Wuthering Heights Wednesday! I’m hosting a read-along of this classic novel, and we’re reading (and posting about) 3 chapters a week. Joining me in this adventure are:

In my original postI somehow mis-figured the number of chapters and the reading time, so make sure you read my edited post if you’re wondering about time frames (basically, I’ve abandoned math and it is what it is).

And finally, each week I’ll be posting a synopsis (which could contain spoilers, so fair warning) and my thoughts. Here we go…

Chapters 1 through 3

My synopsis:

In the first three chapters we are introduced to Heathcliff, the master of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is a moody grump, although our narrator, Lockwood, at first believes he is “in dress and manner a gentleman.” Lockwood initially likes Heathcliff, and feels he is a kindred spirit. However, Lockwood is a pest, and after he invites himself over for a return visit and is forced to spend the night due to a snowstorm, he revises his opinion of Heathcliff. Lockwood also meets the other inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. There’s Catherine (who Lockwood at first assumes is Heathcliff’s wife…wrong! She’s his daughter-in-law), Hareton Earnshaw (who Lockwood at first assumes is Heathcliff’s son…wrong! He’s his nephew. The son is dead.), Zillah (the housekeeper) and Joseph, the crotchety old servant.

These names can all be quiet confusing, both to Lockwood and the reader, since there appears to have been another Catherine (Lockwood meets her in a very bad dream) and another Hareton Earnshaw (his name is above the door mantel). After a haunted night at Wuthering Heights, Lockwood returns home confused, not to mention a little put out by the rudeness and inhospitableness of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights.

Of course, Lockwood also comes across as a bit of an ass, so can we really trust him as a narrator?

My thoughts:

First, I was surprised by the narrator. Although I’ve heard of Heathcliff and Catherine, and have a very vague idea of the plot, I had no idea the story would be told by a neighbor. So now I’m wondering how this all plays out.

Second, I know the opinions on this one are all over the place, but so far, so good. It’s very readable. Maybe because the characters are a bit much and I’m having a hard time taking them seriously? Anyways, at this point I’m having a good time with it.

Third, check back next week, when we’ll see if I can write a post without parentheses (hah!).

Share

Wuthering Heights Read-along

31 March 2010

Are you ready for a read-along? I’ll be reading Wuthering Heights in April and May, and I’d love it if you joined me. April and May are the perfect months to read Wuthering Heights, at least if you live in Morro Bay, because it’s darn windy right now.

wuthering: 1. blowing strongly: describes a wind that blows strongly and makes a loud roaring sound 2. having blustery winds: subject to persistent blustery or noisy winds [Late 18th century. < obsolete wuther "to rush"]

whwbutton Wuthering Heights Read along

Here’s the plan:

I’ve stolen Ti’s idea of Moby Dick Monday. Only this will be Wuthering Heights Wednesday. And this time, I WILL finish the book.

Each Wednesday, starting April 7 and ending May 19 whenever, I (and whoever else wants to participate) will be posting my thoughts on the week’s reading. There are 20 (this isn’t true…have I ever mentioned how I can’t count?) who knows how many chapters, and my goal is to read this book before I leave for NY in May. That gives me 7 weeks, so I’ll be reading 3 chapters/week.

Edited 4/2/10: You might have noticed there are more than 20 chapters…who knows what I was looking at when I planned this. Let’s just say we’ll read 3 chapters a week, and when we’re done, we’re done.

If you’re interested in joining me (please oh please oh please), please sign Mr Linky below:

Share

Kristen Lavransdatter – The Cross and final thoughts

29 December 2009

Kristin Lavransdatter (The Wreath, The Wife, The Cross)
Sigrid Undset
Translated by Tiina Nunnally
first published 1920-1922
1168 pages

********************

I bought this book awhile ago. Probably before the FTC needs to know about it. But I’m all about covering my butt.

********************

For my thoughts on the first two parts of this book, check out The Wreath and The Wife.

At the risk of sounding like a horrible awful person, I’ll admit that I was looking forward to The Cross. Going into Kristin Lavransdatter you know that it is Kristin’s life story and that she dies at the end. And her death means the end of the book. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to that. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so happy that a fictional character died. See, I told you that I’m a horrible awful person.

So what happened to make me anticipate Kristin’s death? I started out enjoying Kristin Lavransdatter. Why did I want so badly for her to die? Well, 1100 plus pages of angst and whining happened. This book could have EASILY been 500 pages (and 5 kids) shorter. Trust me, nothing would have been lost.

Oh wait. The Cross. Book 3. I forgot to tell you what happens. Except it’s been awhile, so I’ve kinda forgotten the details. I do remember that Kristin got herself to a nunnery. The plague hit. Kristin had a heroic moment. The end.

Back to my overall impressions.

While certainly not the worst book I’ve ever read (Too Much Tuscan Sun and Foolhold that honor), I stand by my earlier statement that this book needed some brutal editing. Undset liked sweeping sagas, but this one lacked continuous originality (to totally make up a phrase). Instead, you get lather, rinse, repeat. Kristin has a son, she gets all moody and pissy at Erlend, it happens all over again. I swear that felt like 500 pages of filler.

If you are thinking about reading this (although we’ve probably scared you off), I highly recommend a read-along (and many thanks to Richard of Caravana de Recuerdos and Emily of Evening All Afternoon for organizing this one!). It helps to have the emotional support, and it’s nice to have fellow readers to pick up the slack and write reviews that actual contain thought and content.

Share

Moby Dick Monday (or, shoot me now)

28 December 2009

moby dick button

Here we are back at Moby Dick Monday and I’m once again caught up on my reading.

I’m about 1/3 of the way (I’m on page 204 of 625) through this whale of book, and I think Billy has the right idea in boycotting Melville. Moby Dick still hasn’t made an appearance, although Ahab has, and he’s offered up a reward to the first man who sights him. You’d think that would spark some action, but no. Some random observations:

Flask (the third mate) is quite the chatty Cathy. I do believe there was one chapter made up entirely of his commentary. Granted, the chapter was only one page, but he still rambles on.
Just like the author! Did they not have editors in the 1800s?!? And did anyone else notice that the longest chapter (they usually average 3-4 pages), at 12 freakin’ pages, was Cetalogy? Melville rhapsodized about types of whales for 12 pages. I will confess to skimming, because good lord, was that ever boring.
Why are there two chapters (26 and 27) titled Knights and Squires? Really, one was enough.
The language. This book illustrates all of my prejudices against classics. It’s long. It’s boring. And the language…it makes my head hurt. Call me shallow, but I don’t want to think this hard, especially about whaling.

“In behalf of the dignity of whaling, I would fain advance naught but substantiated facts. But after embattling his facts, an advocate who should wholly suppress a not unreasonable surmise, which might tell eloquently upon his cause – such an advocate, would he not be blameworthy?”

You may have guessed that I’m less than impressed. And you’d be right. Every time I pick up the book and start reading I have a compulsion to scream “get to the !@#$%^& point!” However, I keep reading, because like Ahab, I’m determined to conquer this damn whale.

Share

Moby Dick Monday

21 December 2009

Today, I have nothing. I haven’t picked up the whale since last Sunday. I had plans to catch up on my reading on my days off, but I forgot to take into account the fact that we spent yesterday at my mom’s celebrating Christmas, and today, I’m at work. Luckily, next weekend will be a four day weekend, so I’ll have time then to get caught up.

In the meantime, Billy has a few things he’d like to say:

001 300x225 Moby Dick Monday

002 300x225 Moby Dick Monday

Share

Moby Dick Monday (readalong update)

7 December 2009

After lagging on my reading last week, I’ve now caught up and am back in the game. I’m on page 90 of Moby Dick, and while it’s a bit (okay, a lot) long winded at times, and there are biblical references up the wazoo that I’m not getting, it’s not as torturous as I expected.

Billy, on the other hand, was reading along with me until page 86, when we got to this line:

“Bildad, say that again to me, and start my soul-bolts, but I’ll – I’ll – yes, I’ll swallow a live goat with all his hair and horns on.”

Billy is now boycotting Melville. In fact, I think he’s making a picket sign.

So. A few random thoughts…

90 pages, and still no Ahab. No whale, either. There has been mention of both, but Melville is still setting the stage.
There seems to be some heavy foreshadowing…an inn-keeper named Coffin, the shadow of the gallows, a painting of a whale attacking a ship, a sermon about Jonah and the whale. If I were a betting gal, I’d say something bad is going to happen.
Melville likes to flip his word order (“the night previous”). He’s also fond of alliteration.

That’s all I’ve got. Maybe by next week we’ll have met Ahab. I’m not holding my breath, though.

Share

Kristin Lavransdattar, The Wife

29 November 2009

kristen Kristin Lavransdattar, The Wife

For the read-a-long of Kristin Lavransdatter (organized by Richard of Caravana de Recuerdos and Emily of Evening All Afternoon), we’re reading a book a month. Last month, I posted my thoughts on the first book, The Wreath. This month we’re focusing on book two, The Wife.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of finishing the entire book before I wrote up my thoughts on The Wife. Therefore, this will be brief.

The Wife can be summed up like this:

Kristin has a baby boy
She has another baby boy.
And another.
And whoa. Twins. Twin boys.
And then she has another baby. And you guessed it. It’s a boy.

I might be off on where the twins fall in that chronology, but you get the idea.

In between all of Kristin’s fertile myrtle-ness, she whips Erlend’s neglected homestead into shape. By the standards of the Middle Ages, Kristin turns out to be quite the wife…she’s competent, she can bear children, and she’s pious.

Thing is, she’s also a bit of a shrew. And normally, I’d resist using that term, because it’s also used to describe and belittle unshrewlike women. But in this case, I’m afraid it’s apropos. Kristin does not forgive. Except, oh wait, she does, later on when you least expect it.

Part 2 was my least favorite of the three books that constitute Kristin Lavransdatter. I felt it was about 5 kids too long.

Apologies for the lameness of this write-up, but check back at the end of December for my final thoughts.

Share

there are times you shouldn’t say the word the

16 November 2009

moby dick button

Today, I’m starting another read-along. Yep, call me crazy, but I’m going to (try to) read Moby Dick. However, Ti has come up with a beautiful plan…4 pages a day. I figure I can handle that. Maybe. I fell asleep over page 3 the other night. Anyways…we hope to finish this chunkster some time next year. And we’ll be providing periodic updates on Mondays, so you can follow along with what could be either the agony or the ecstasy.

To start off though, I thought I would share with you all my one True Story about Moby Dick. While I’ve never read it, I was pretty much scarred for life by it back in high school.

Imagine. A class full of 10th graders. Advanced English. A teacher who was young, handsome, and knew it. We were discussing something (all but one lingering detail has faded from my mind) and the teacher made a comparison to Moby Dick. Only, he didn’t say Moby Dick. He said Moby the Dick.

And that was all he said, until he managed to choke out “class dismissed.”

Poor guy. To say he was embarrassed is an under-statement. And you can bet I’ve always thought twice about what I’m about to say everytime I have to say Moby Dick.

How about you…now that I’ve ruined Moby (the) Dick, do you have any literary slips of the tongue to share?

Share

Dueling Monsters – Dracula wrap-up

31 October 2009

1dueling monsters read a long Dueling Monsters Dracula wrap up

We’ve come to the end of our Dueling Monsters Read-a-long and I’m shedding a little tear (NOT of blood). Heather and I have had a great time getting to know Dracula and Frank a little better (but not too much better)…we hope you’ve had fun, too! Below is a list of bloggers who read (or are reading) Dracula for the read-a-long. Heather has a wrap-up of Frank over at Age 30+…A Lifetime of Books. Be sure to stop by and ask if anyone’s seen Ernest.

*Jackie wasn’t too fond of Dracula. But her copy of the book wins creepiest cover, hands down.

creepydracula1 Dueling Monsters Dracula wrap up

(I had to make it nice and big so you can fully appreciate the bloodshot eyes. And the wart on his cheek. Who said vampires were sexy?)

*Books of Mee was less than enamored, too. She summed up her feelings with this line: BRING ME BACK TO THE CASTLE.

*Rebecca listened to the audio version, and decided she’s just not a fan of vampires (or dripping blood) at all.

*Last I heard, Dreamybee was still reading it, but she was a bit irked by the characters: “I just hit the part where Mina goes from independent intelligent woman to must-be-protected-from-all-the-ugliness-in-life flower, and it’s killing me. Is it just me, or does everyone turn into a raving idiot at this point?” Hmmm, yes, she does bring up an excellent point. Update: she has finished. And she liked. Woo-hoo!

*E.L. Fay read it awhile ago, but wrote a fascinating essay on vampires that I wanted to include. She also made a vampire playlist for Halloween. Dracula would approve.

*Brittanie is still working on it.

*And me? I thought it was great fun. Much more fun than Frank (I just had to add that final dig, since Heather says I can’t write anything about Dracula without bashing Frank in the process).

So, it seems the jury is still out on Dracula. What do you think? Kim asked me “Do you feel like one of the books aged better than the other one?” If you’ve read both, what do you think?

And if I missed your read-a-long thoughts on Dracula, please post a link in the comments and I’ll add it to the above list.