Just finished A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. Published originally in 1909, it's a coming of age novel about Elnora Comstock in backwoods Indiana at the turn of the century.
Somewhere I missed this one. I would've loved it during my Anne of Green Gables years. After the Little House on the Prairie Series, after the Stretfield Shoes books, after A Little Princess and the Secret Garden. Right there. Right after those. That's when I would've loved this book. Next to Daddy Long Legs. That's where it should be kept.
I like it now, and I need to buy a copy to have on my shelves for Unnamed Daughter. (Some mothers find out they are having a girl and buy Girl Fetus hairbows and shoes. I plan which books I need to have ready for her in fourteen years.)
The writing is dated, of course. There's preaching and moralizing and passages of philosophy. Elnora, the main character, has very few flaws. She gives away her lunch to orphans, works hard and never complains, and isn't even tempted by the Unattainable. Her motives are pure. She loves moths, especially the ugly ones. She's polite to mean girls. Gag me already.
But yet. She's feisty and determined and overcomes difficulty. I had to like her, even when I thought she needed to save her lunch for herself.
Jenny, get this one for Emma. Liz, get this one for Amelia. And both of you will like reading it for yourself. And Meg in Sheridan, see if your library has this one. You'd probably like it, too.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Hero of the Ages
I tried to jump into Brandon Sanderson's Hero of the Ages, the last in this sci fi trilogy.
But I couldn't remember the nuances of the characters so I'm going to have to read the first two books before I can proceed. Since I liked these books, this will be no chore.
Maybe over the holidays. This would be a good holiday trilogy to escape into. Since I skip over the fight scenes, battle scenes, war scenes, and creepy monster creature description scenes, it probably won't take me very long.
But I couldn't remember the nuances of the characters so I'm going to have to read the first two books before I can proceed. Since I liked these books, this will be no chore.
Maybe over the holidays. This would be a good holiday trilogy to escape into. Since I skip over the fight scenes, battle scenes, war scenes, and creepy monster creature description scenes, it probably won't take me very long.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Four books
1. So after recommending My Antonia to Katy, I went back and read it again. Delightful. I'm glad I own this book. The more I see of life, the richer this book becomes to me. When I read it the first time, at the sagacious age of twenty, I didn't get much of it. Or, rather, I hadn't met even real people to see the truth in Cather's characters. But experience is a powerful magnifying glass: so reading about people who grow up and move away, and ambition that comes to fruition, and memories of past friendships that grow sweeter with the passage of time, and some women who are happy to make hearty meals and have people eat them . . . true, all true, I say. If you haven't read My Antonia in the past five years, give it another go.
2. I am happily making my way through Essays of E.B. White, by the same E.B. White of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. No children's book, this one. But charming and poignant all the same. Charm, really, and strong, graceful writing. Non-fiction, personal essays of E.B. White's musings. I'm going to buy a copy of this for my shelves. It's going to be on my "Can you recommend a good book?" list. And the format is fun because you can sit down and read an essay all by itself, and feel like you've had a good literary feast.
Liz, go find a copy. You'll love this book.
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. When my sister Liz told me I should read this one and described it: a woman tells of her neglectful parents and deprived childhood, it sounded too dark for me. Liz tried to tell me that no, really, there was light in it . . . I was silly and put off reading it. I just couldn't handle an "I hate my parents and I was a victim growing up" book.
But I finally read it, and Liz was right (Liz usually is right, and she usually thinks that I'm right, yet another reason that we get along.) This is about Walls's neglected upbringing. But it's also about the innonence of the world through the eyes of a trusting child. And as Walls grows up, that innocence melts away. But what is left is compassion and love, not bitterness. (OK, a little bitterness, but in a justified way, not in a whiney way.)
And the writing is just plain good.
So thumbs up on that one.
4. Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris (probably mostly by Harris). YA lit, fiction. Good. Jenny, Emma might like this since she's been having such fun with Shakespeare. Might be nice to have her read some historical fiction from the time period: 1559-1568. This novel is about Mary Queen of Scots, and about her fool/jester/confidante/friend. I liked it. I've never been driven to dive deep into Scottish history, and this was a tantalizing taste. A perfect place to start.
Clean, not sketchy. I'd let my kids read it (both my own and my students). The writing is better than most YA lit writing, and the story moves along. Not too history heavy. Just right.
2. I am happily making my way through Essays of E.B. White, by the same E.B. White of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. No children's book, this one. But charming and poignant all the same. Charm, really, and strong, graceful writing. Non-fiction, personal essays of E.B. White's musings. I'm going to buy a copy of this for my shelves. It's going to be on my "Can you recommend a good book?" list. And the format is fun because you can sit down and read an essay all by itself, and feel like you've had a good literary feast.
Liz, go find a copy. You'll love this book.
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. When my sister Liz told me I should read this one and described it: a woman tells of her neglectful parents and deprived childhood, it sounded too dark for me. Liz tried to tell me that no, really, there was light in it . . . I was silly and put off reading it. I just couldn't handle an "I hate my parents and I was a victim growing up" book.
But I finally read it, and Liz was right (Liz usually is right, and she usually thinks that I'm right, yet another reason that we get along.) This is about Walls's neglected upbringing. But it's also about the innonence of the world through the eyes of a trusting child. And as Walls grows up, that innocence melts away. But what is left is compassion and love, not bitterness. (OK, a little bitterness, but in a justified way, not in a whiney way.)
And the writing is just plain good.
So thumbs up on that one.
4. Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris (probably mostly by Harris). YA lit, fiction. Good. Jenny, Emma might like this since she's been having such fun with Shakespeare. Might be nice to have her read some historical fiction from the time period: 1559-1568. This novel is about Mary Queen of Scots, and about her fool/jester/confidante/friend. I liked it. I've never been driven to dive deep into Scottish history, and this was a tantalizing taste. A perfect place to start.
Clean, not sketchy. I'd let my kids read it (both my own and my students). The writing is better than most YA lit writing, and the story moves along. Not too history heavy. Just right.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Katy's post, postscript
Months ago, Katy asked me to come up with some historical fiction that could be used in a history class. I didn't forget, I just had a tough time getting to it. But now that I'm feeling better, I can finally reply. Or start to reply. This entry is the postscript, which I'm doing first, so that I can take this pile of books off my dresser. Really, that's the reason. After three months, I want to clean off my dresser---and these books sit, waiting to be blogged about.
I'll do the real list as soon as I can find it. It's in a notebook. Somewhere.
So here's the postscript. Postscript because I'm not sure this is what you need, Katy, but here's what else I was thinking about. It's not necessarily historical fiction and I'm not sure you can use it, but you might find something here.
For ancient Japan: The Tale of Gengi is your best bet. VERY ancient Japan courtly love. Very classic poetry and music themed. Very romantic, if you will. But I wouldn't use the whole book, or assign the whole book. Just assign the first chapter and have them do a short answer on it. Maybe a question about how this reflects the importance of the arts in ancient Japan. Honestly, I don't think most high schoolers could get through the entire book. I still want to keep looking for good historical fiction of ancient Japan. This isn't it, but the only thing I could find.
Late 1880-early 1920's in American history: You can't overlook Cather's My Antonia, about the immigrant family on the prairie. Cather is a genius writer, and the story is great. I'm still unclear what "progressive" is in American history, so I wonder if this is the time period you want. I would think that you AP juniors could handle this. Don't dizzy the freshman with it.
Ancient Islam (I think that's one you were looking for). This one stumped me. I tried all sorts of historical fiction---there isn't much, and I couldn't find anything to recommend. So give them snippets of the Koran. I studied the whole thing in a history of civ class and I really enjoyed it. I think most religious writing is absolutely beautiful, and the Koran is a shining example of lovely language.
You could do an extra credit assignment with your upperclassmen where you chose a few passages and asked them to compare the concepts in these passages with their own belief (or non-belief) in the Divine. Tell them you wouldn't be grading on their belief (or lack thereof), just on their comparison and their understanding of the concepts in the Koran. Hey, if you'll make the assignment due before February or after April, I'd even grade them for you. :)
To elaborate further on other religions (which have to be a topic if you are dealing with the cooresponding historic time periods)
Zen Buddism: Well Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig, of course. I could never get through this one myself, but I'm sure you could find a student or two who would eat this up. Not for the whole class, I don't think, just as an extra credit option for someone who wanted to tackle it.
And Taoism: The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff. Again, you'd have to have students self-select into reading the entire works. But they are worth the trek to understanding Taoism.
And, incidentally, the best commentary/contrast explanation I've ever read, the most succinct yet interesting, about the differences between Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, is found on pages 1-7 of The Tao of Pooh, in the chapter called The How of Pooh. Excellent contrast. That chapter would be worth taking in your classroom.
So that's the tip of the iceberg so far, Katy. I'll post the rest of the iceberg when I can unearth it.
I'll do the real list as soon as I can find it. It's in a notebook. Somewhere.
So here's the postscript. Postscript because I'm not sure this is what you need, Katy, but here's what else I was thinking about. It's not necessarily historical fiction and I'm not sure you can use it, but you might find something here.
For ancient Japan: The Tale of Gengi is your best bet. VERY ancient Japan courtly love. Very classic poetry and music themed. Very romantic, if you will. But I wouldn't use the whole book, or assign the whole book. Just assign the first chapter and have them do a short answer on it. Maybe a question about how this reflects the importance of the arts in ancient Japan. Honestly, I don't think most high schoolers could get through the entire book. I still want to keep looking for good historical fiction of ancient Japan. This isn't it, but the only thing I could find.
Late 1880-early 1920's in American history: You can't overlook Cather's My Antonia, about the immigrant family on the prairie. Cather is a genius writer, and the story is great. I'm still unclear what "progressive" is in American history, so I wonder if this is the time period you want. I would think that you AP juniors could handle this. Don't dizzy the freshman with it.
Ancient Islam (I think that's one you were looking for). This one stumped me. I tried all sorts of historical fiction---there isn't much, and I couldn't find anything to recommend. So give them snippets of the Koran. I studied the whole thing in a history of civ class and I really enjoyed it. I think most religious writing is absolutely beautiful, and the Koran is a shining example of lovely language.
You could do an extra credit assignment with your upperclassmen where you chose a few passages and asked them to compare the concepts in these passages with their own belief (or non-belief) in the Divine. Tell them you wouldn't be grading on their belief (or lack thereof), just on their comparison and their understanding of the concepts in the Koran. Hey, if you'll make the assignment due before February or after April, I'd even grade them for you. :)
To elaborate further on other religions (which have to be a topic if you are dealing with the cooresponding historic time periods)
Zen Buddism: Well Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig, of course. I could never get through this one myself, but I'm sure you could find a student or two who would eat this up. Not for the whole class, I don't think, just as an extra credit option for someone who wanted to tackle it.
And Taoism: The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff. Again, you'd have to have students self-select into reading the entire works. But they are worth the trek to understanding Taoism.
And, incidentally, the best commentary/contrast explanation I've ever read, the most succinct yet interesting, about the differences between Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, is found on pages 1-7 of The Tao of Pooh, in the chapter called The How of Pooh. Excellent contrast. That chapter would be worth taking in your classroom.
So that's the tip of the iceberg so far, Katy. I'll post the rest of the iceberg when I can unearth it.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Good Earth
Also in the beginning weeks of my morning sickness, I read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I'd heard of this book---mostly from women rolling their eyes and alluding the birthing scenes in which O-lan, one of the main characters, gives birth alone in her hut and then goes back to work.
Simply put, The Good Earth is a classic. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get to it.
If I were still writing papers for my English classes, this would be an easy novel to write about. Using a historical approach, I'd say this novel, published in the late 1930s, is a reflection of the depression-era American psyche realizing its link to the land. Then I'd trace the resurgence in popularity in the 1970s to the Age of Aquarius "The Earth is our Mother" and "Rise up, Women, and stop being oppressed" thinking. Piece of cake analysis. If Kristen C. would proofread it for me, I'm sure it would get an "A".
Because there are a LOT of "The Earth is our Mother/The Earth is everything/The Earth is a being" undertones. Which is fine. It's also a classic tale of the rise and fall of Wang Lung, a farmer who rose because of hard work, and fell because of lust and greed (mostly lust).
There's fodder for a hundred research papers in this novel. For many, many book club discussions, and blog posts.
There's also (shocker) a prostitute. If that offends you, you'll see it coming long enough beforehand to skip it.
(Confessional: I didn't read all of this book either. But I read most of it. I really enjoyed reading about Wang Lung's rise, his struggles, his strength. I skipped over most of his fall---I was morning sick and in no mood for actions of a morally declining character which made me want to puke. I wanted to puke enough as it was, I didn't need any help. Someday when I can stomach the fall, I'll go back and read that part. But not the prostitute scenes. I always skip those no matter what the state is of my quease.)
Last note: The writing is brilliant. Truly. And the characters are superb.
Sarah O., if you haven't read this one yet, I think you'd like it. Glad you liked Ender's Game.
Simply put, The Good Earth is a classic. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get to it.
If I were still writing papers for my English classes, this would be an easy novel to write about. Using a historical approach, I'd say this novel, published in the late 1930s, is a reflection of the depression-era American psyche realizing its link to the land. Then I'd trace the resurgence in popularity in the 1970s to the Age of Aquarius "The Earth is our Mother" and "Rise up, Women, and stop being oppressed" thinking. Piece of cake analysis. If Kristen C. would proofread it for me, I'm sure it would get an "A".
Because there are a LOT of "The Earth is our Mother/The Earth is everything/The Earth is a being" undertones. Which is fine. It's also a classic tale of the rise and fall of Wang Lung, a farmer who rose because of hard work, and fell because of lust and greed (mostly lust).
There's fodder for a hundred research papers in this novel. For many, many book club discussions, and blog posts.
There's also (shocker) a prostitute. If that offends you, you'll see it coming long enough beforehand to skip it.
(Confessional: I didn't read all of this book either. But I read most of it. I really enjoyed reading about Wang Lung's rise, his struggles, his strength. I skipped over most of his fall---I was morning sick and in no mood for actions of a morally declining character which made me want to puke. I wanted to puke enough as it was, I didn't need any help. Someday when I can stomach the fall, I'll go back and read that part. But not the prostitute scenes. I always skip those no matter what the state is of my quease.)
Last note: The writing is brilliant. Truly. And the characters are superb.
Sarah O., if you haven't read this one yet, I think you'd like it. Glad you liked Ender's Game.
Vindication
So a recent study out says that airline pilots who ate a high-fat diet did better under stressful conditions that pilots without the high fat in their diets.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iyc_OWa8mklMHzd6ERMgFTr72WNgD9B5QI100
You mean that the brain, consisting of fat, does better when the body has some fat in its system? Go figure.
No wonder why I just wanted Wheat Thins and tubs of cream cheese when writing my thesis. See? It was all about my brain.
And no wonder pregnant and nursing moms crave fatty foods---the moms' bodies are making the brains of their little babes.
So you can just pass those Guittard bittersweet chocolate chips right over here.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iyc_OWa8mklMHzd6ERMgFTr72WNgD9B5QI100
You mean that the brain, consisting of fat, does better when the body has some fat in its system? Go figure.
No wonder why I just wanted Wheat Thins and tubs of cream cheese when writing my thesis. See? It was all about my brain.
And no wonder pregnant and nursing moms crave fatty foods---the moms' bodies are making the brains of their little babes.
So you can just pass those Guittard bittersweet chocolate chips right over here.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Dogs, Hamlet, and Lessons Unlearned
Weeks ago I read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Well, most of it. I got bored at about page 300 and skipped to the end. Once I read the end, I found no reason to go back and read the part I skipped. (So if there's anything questionable in that last chunk, I can't tell you.)
The writing is what makes the book worth reading. Wroblewski obviously beat his draft over and over until it came out shining. Here's a sample from page two: "Past the turn he spotted the lantern, a gourd of ruby glass envined in black wire, the flame within a rose that sprang and licked at the throat of the glass, skewing rib-shadows across the door."
"Gourd of ruby glass?" "Envined?" "Rib-shadows?" Who is this guy? Marvelous.
The other thing I liked was the development of the dog characters. Surprising, since I don't even think pet stories are all that funny.
So good book. Well written. Worth reading. If you need a plot summary, go to Amazon. I wouldn't do it justice.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! I am now going to spoil the book for you. Turn back if you don't want me to do so.
There were two things I did not like about the book.
1. The main female character, Trudy, is married to a good man (not perfect, but good). They have a good (not perfect, but good) marriage. They are the parents of Edgar, the main character. But then Edgar's father, Gar, dies mysteriously. Spoiler: Gar's brother, Claude, killed him.
Claude is slimy. Claude is a liar. Claude leeches. Claude is a jerk.
So then, with Gar gone, Trudy hooks up with Claude. The author gives all sorts of excuses as to why Trudy made this decision---she needs a man to help her run the farm, Claude reminds her of Gar. Claude is fun.
No excuse. I wanted to yell at her. Didn't she learn anything in her dating years? Stay away from men who lie. Don't stay with someone who cons you. There are really good guys in the world---those are the ones you count among your dearest friends. Eventually, you marry one of them. And there are other men who have the integrity of jello (wobble, wobble)---those are the ones to kick in the shins. Run away! Run away!
And after being married already to Gar (a good guy), why on earth would she saddle herself with someone less?
Didn't make any sense to me. Not at all. Any woman of sense knows it's better to lose the farm than to lose her dignity.
2. The whole plot was too Shakespeare for me. Uncle. Nephew. Mother/Sister-in-Law/Wife. The men kill each other in the end.
It was like Hamlet, only with some interesting dog characters thrown in.
(pause)
Yet still, I leaf through the pages and I know that I liked reading this book. Too long, yes, (thus the Deborahskip), but a stellar first work for Wroblewski. I hope to see more from him. I'd expect great things.
The writing is what makes the book worth reading. Wroblewski obviously beat his draft over and over until it came out shining. Here's a sample from page two: "Past the turn he spotted the lantern, a gourd of ruby glass envined in black wire, the flame within a rose that sprang and licked at the throat of the glass, skewing rib-shadows across the door."
"Gourd of ruby glass?" "Envined?" "Rib-shadows?" Who is this guy? Marvelous.
The other thing I liked was the development of the dog characters. Surprising, since I don't even think pet stories are all that funny.
So good book. Well written. Worth reading. If you need a plot summary, go to Amazon. I wouldn't do it justice.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! I am now going to spoil the book for you. Turn back if you don't want me to do so.
There were two things I did not like about the book.
1. The main female character, Trudy, is married to a good man (not perfect, but good). They have a good (not perfect, but good) marriage. They are the parents of Edgar, the main character. But then Edgar's father, Gar, dies mysteriously. Spoiler: Gar's brother, Claude, killed him.
Claude is slimy. Claude is a liar. Claude leeches. Claude is a jerk.
So then, with Gar gone, Trudy hooks up with Claude. The author gives all sorts of excuses as to why Trudy made this decision---she needs a man to help her run the farm, Claude reminds her of Gar. Claude is fun.
No excuse. I wanted to yell at her. Didn't she learn anything in her dating years? Stay away from men who lie. Don't stay with someone who cons you. There are really good guys in the world---those are the ones you count among your dearest friends. Eventually, you marry one of them. And there are other men who have the integrity of jello (wobble, wobble)---those are the ones to kick in the shins. Run away! Run away!
And after being married already to Gar (a good guy), why on earth would she saddle herself with someone less?
Didn't make any sense to me. Not at all. Any woman of sense knows it's better to lose the farm than to lose her dignity.
2. The whole plot was too Shakespeare for me. Uncle. Nephew. Mother/Sister-in-Law/Wife. The men kill each other in the end.
It was like Hamlet, only with some interesting dog characters thrown in.
(pause)
Yet still, I leaf through the pages and I know that I liked reading this book. Too long, yes, (thus the Deborahskip), but a stellar first work for Wroblewski. I hope to see more from him. I'd expect great things.
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