Upcoming Theme for November

 November's theme will be "Fall Turns to Winter."

We will be reading books by Mary Shelley, Wilkie Collins, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allen Poe. 

Make sure you check back every Friday for a new review. 

Upcoming Theme for October

 I have decided, at least for the time being, that I will be dividing each month into a loose theme. This allows me to choose works that are in the same basic subject matter and to highlight different themes and genre in more depth.

October's theme will be Spooky stories.  We will be reading reading works from Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ray Bradbury, Washington Irving, and Daphne Du Maurier.  Those of us who enjoy classic spooky stories probably already know what I will be reading, but stay tuned to see. 

DNF'ing Classics -- An English Major's Lament

I may be dating myself but there was a stigma and a shame associated with giving up on a book, especially a classic, without trying to finish it any way possible. Even though reading is a hobby that should be enjoyable, bookish people will force read multiple books a year out of some unwritten rule that you cannot give an opinion on a book's quality unless you have read the full story. 

I lived by this truth for most of my life. As a voracious reader, as an English major, and well into my first job in a library, I felt DNF(*)'ing a book, especially a classic, was sacrilegious. Who was I to question the quality of a classic? I love most genres of novels, so I can usually find the good in most books, but there is the rare book that I just cannot, no matter what I do, locate the good.

This leads to this entry. When I decided to start this blog, I had some free time on my hands and a longing to return to classic novels. In my undergrad, I did not focus on any one time period. I read classics from all around the world by all genders and persuasions. It was a rare occasion that I could find a book that I did not like in some regard.

Since it was a fall and I usually do a re-read of Jane Eyre in the fall, I thought beginning with the Brontës was a great idea. There was just one issue, Wuthering Heights. This novel has been a thorn in my side for a long time. I have attempted to read it many times, never enjoying the experience once. My brain has rejected this novel multiple times at different periods in my life.

I first read Wuthering Heights when I was fourteen. My sister, who is 3 years older than me, was reading it for her high school class. Back then, I would read the books she was reading for class because they were more challenging than my own curriculum. I was very excited to read WH, as it had a reputation as a dark and brooding novel, and I was a baby goth reaching for literature I could relate to.

What I found was that something that is deemed a classic, can also not be enjoyable. I naively believed that if something is a classic, and in a genre you love, dislike is rare. I blamed myself. Maybe I did not get it? Maybe it was too advanced? I was not sure, so I just kept my dislike to myself and moved on to the next book.

Of course, she would rear her ugly head again in college. I dutifully read the novel and analyzed it appropriately. I received my grades happily, but I was let down. I had convinced myself I had been too young to read the book in high school, but when I read it in college, I still did not enjoy the book. How could that be? I loved women writers who broke the mold, but WH just did not hit. 

So I went on my way, free from the book and going about my life. Then I became a librarian and discovered that I was the only one who hated this book. Every time I would confess I did not like it, I would get incredulous stares of confusion. I felt like I was somehow letting down my profession because I hated a classic.

So I decided to try it one more time, in good faith. I hoped the deadline of the blog would force me to read it quickly and finish it. As soon as I picked up the book, I knew my feelings had not changed. If anything, my tolerance for the book's characters and melodrama were lower. As the month went on, I found any excuse to avoid the book and the blog post. 

In the past few years, I have begun allowing myself the indulgence as a reader to DNF when a book is a slog or was not what it claimed to be. Now that I am old enough to know that it's ok, I exercise the right, rarely. As we entered the beginning of October and I still had not finished the book, I made the decision to DNF it and move on to October's readings.

* - Did Not Finish

 

Running a bit behind...

Hello all. 

 I am running a bit behind on my reading, however, I wanted to post some of my recent reviews I have written for The MockingOwl Roost magazine. Feel free to peruse them and tell me what you think.

Midnight Burger — The Podcast at the End of the Universe and One of Its Reviews

Invisible Kitties — a Magical Review

Thanks!

Coming Soon....

In honor of the coming Fall season, I have decided to read the three moodiest sisters in literature. Their vibe has always reminded me of Fall, so September will be Bronte month. First post, Wuthering Heights posting Friday, September 5th.

Welcome.

 Welcome to all who have landed on my blog.  I plan to make this a book review blog of classics, modern classics, literary fiction, and experimental writing. I am a lifelong book worm and until recently, I was a librarian.  Now that I have some time, I want to revisit the classics as well as other books that are considered modern canon, with the occasional new book thrown in. My favorite part of undergrad (English Literature major) was reading and analyzing novels and poetry.  I love diving deep into the a novel and finding the themes and subtext to find my interpretation of a work.  I invite you to join me in my adventure to revisit novels/poetry or read them for the first time. Suggestions are welcome.