Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
On Hiatus
As you can tell, I haven't posted anything in a while. I DID finish reading The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, but the post has been sitting half-finished for weeks now. I'm lacking in motivation right now. I haven't even started reading another book yet, and it's been weeks since I finished the last one. I'll be back again, I swear, as soon as I'm feeling inspired to pick up another book. Until then, happy reading folks!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
"The Count of Monte Cristo": An "In a Nutshell" Review
I was planning out an elaborate post summarizing, analyzing, and reviewing The Count of Monte Cristo, but then too much time passed (one week?) and I lost the motivation to do it. So in a nutshell, here is what you need to know about the novel version of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo:
The writing of the novel: Dumas was known to collaborate with other authors, and was often accused of having not actually written the majority of the novels that he laid claim to. He "borrowed" from outside sources, including historical events and entire plot lines from other authors, all of which he out his own spin on. It is widely believed that for this novel, Dumas received entire plot outlines from a collaborator, and merely wrote them out in his own words. There are certain chapters in the book that, as one is reading, seem to be written by two different people, with two different styles. This collaboration may explain why.
Another obvious point about Monte Cristo is its painstaking length. It drags on for over 1300 pages, (give or take, depending on which translation you are reading) and there are many, many chapters (and characters) that the novel really could have done without. However, this is understandable since Dumas was actually getting paid by the word! So can you really blame the guy?
The Count of Monte Cristo is admittedly the story of a real man named Francoise Picaud. The novel is his life retold in Dumas' melodramatic fashion. As far as the main plot line is concerned, nearly everything that happens to Dantes, happened to Picaud.
The writing of the novel: Dumas was known to collaborate with other authors, and was often accused of having not actually written the majority of the novels that he laid claim to. He "borrowed" from outside sources, including historical events and entire plot lines from other authors, all of which he out his own spin on. It is widely believed that for this novel, Dumas received entire plot outlines from a collaborator, and merely wrote them out in his own words. There are certain chapters in the book that, as one is reading, seem to be written by two different people, with two different styles. This collaboration may explain why.
Another obvious point about Monte Cristo is its painstaking length. It drags on for over 1300 pages, (give or take, depending on which translation you are reading) and there are many, many chapters (and characters) that the novel really could have done without. However, this is understandable since Dumas was actually getting paid by the word! So can you really blame the guy?
The Count of Monte Cristo is admittedly the story of a real man named Francoise Picaud. The novel is his life retold in Dumas' melodramatic fashion. As far as the main plot line is concerned, nearly everything that happens to Dantes, happened to Picaud.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
For the Love of: Vintage Prints
If I had a room in my house to turn into my own personal library, I would want these restored book plates to decorate the walls:
These restored prints were found at the Etsy.com shop, For the Love of Old Books.
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| Teaching My Little Sister |
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| For the Love of Reading |
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| Boy Enjoying a Lovely Book |
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| Little Girl Reading |
These restored prints were found at the Etsy.com shop, For the Love of Old Books.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Count Has Been Conquered!
Yup, that's right! I have finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas already! Two nights ago, to be exact. WELL before my end-of-February deadline! I found that it was a lot easier to get through than I remember it being the first time I read it. This may be because I had already read it, or it could have been the translation that I was reading.
Either way, I zipped right through it, which was surprising to me because I had two little boys running around all day too. I suppose it helps that I don't really watch television anymore, and when the boys are in bed by 7-8 o'clock, that leaves me with plenty of time for reading!
I plan to do another post or two about this book, but I wanted to share this accomplishment first! Now I'm off to go request another Dumas novel from my local library. I'm thinking The Three Musketeers?
Either way, I zipped right through it, which was surprising to me because I had two little boys running around all day too. I suppose it helps that I don't really watch television anymore, and when the boys are in bed by 7-8 o'clock, that leaves me with plenty of time for reading!
I plan to do another post or two about this book, but I wanted to share this accomplishment first! Now I'm off to go request another Dumas novel from my local library. I'm thinking The Three Musketeers?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Reading Resolutions?
Wow. First of all, I can't believe that I haven't posted since November. I didn't realize that it had been that long.
Secondly, Happy New Year, everyone.... all5 7* of you. :-) I'm hoping to make changes this year and am resolving to post more.
That's it.
That's my resolution. For this aspect of my life anyway. I have a million others in relation to myself, my family, and home life. But that's for a different blog.
Anyway. I'm going to try to set monthly goals for myself and for this blog. My goal for this month is to finish Agatha Christie's autobiography. I have already finished her novels and short stories (if you're wondering when this happened, it happened in November, which is probably why I didn't blog at all; too busy reading! I was going to write about it, and in fact started the post, but then something happened to distract me and I gave it up. Story of my life. But here it is in all of it's wonderous glory):
"I have officially finished ALL of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories!"
Yup. That's as far as I got. I am a woman of many words.
I also finished reading her memoir Come, Tell Me How You Live in which she describes her adventures in the Middle East with her archaeologist husband, second husband, that is. In short, is was an enjoyable, and often humorous read, and I recommend it. (A post was started about this one too, but obviously never finished. Here is how it started):
Secondly, Happy New Year, everyone.... all
That's it.
That's my resolution. For this aspect of my life anyway. I have a million others in relation to myself, my family, and home life. But that's for a different blog.
Anyway. I'm going to try to set monthly goals for myself and for this blog. My goal for this month is to finish Agatha Christie's autobiography. I have already finished her novels and short stories (if you're wondering when this happened, it happened in November, which is probably why I didn't blog at all; too busy reading! I was going to write about it, and in fact started the post, but then something happened to distract me and I gave it up. Story of my life. But here it is in all of it's wonderous glory):
"I have officially finished ALL of Agatha Christie's novels and short stories!"
Yup. That's as far as I got. I am a woman of many words.
I also finished reading her memoir Come, Tell Me How You Live in which she describes her adventures in the Middle East with her archaeologist husband, second husband, that is. In short, is was an enjoyable, and often humorous read, and I recommend it. (A post was started about this one too, but obviously never finished. Here is how it started):
Saturday, November 13, 2010
"Endless Night"
Guess what folks? I am this close to accomplishing my goal of reading all of Agatha Christie's stories. I have read 72 novels and 140+ short stories thus far! I am entering the 1970s, 1972 to be exact. But prior to that, I finished reading Endless Night which was published in 1967.
When I started reading this novel, I was surprised as it started reading like one of Christie's Mary Westmacott "romances". It is told in first person, the narrator being a young man, and begins with his thoughts and feelings about falling in love with both a place and a girl. It does not initially read like a typical Christie mystery to me.
The majority of this novel is a story about the young couple as they fall in love, marry, and begin their life together. They have built a dream home that they had been planning together since the day they met. Everything seems to be going well, and, in my opinion, it would have remained so if Christie had continued with this aspect of the story. However, like most of her stories, there is a pretty big twist at the end that changes the story from what the reader has expected. Brief rundown of the main conflict: they move into their house, but are soon threatened by a local gypsy who warns them that there is a curse on their land yadda, yadda, yadda. There is also some conflict between the couple and their various family members, but for the purpose of this post, I'm skipping over those details.
As I was thoroughly enjoying the "romance" story between the two main characters, I found myself to be very disappointed with the ending. While the first three-quarters of the novel seemed to occur at a comfortable pace, the ending seemed too rushed. Everything was happening too quickly, without any real details. All of a sudden, there have been three deaths, only one presented to the readers; the other two were revealed through correspondences. I also felt that there were too many loose ends that were left hanging, not tied up or concluded in any way. There were too many coincidences among the characters; they were connected in ways that were a little unbelievable, if not bewildering. It seemed as though Christie was throwing in as many little red herrings as she possibly could with this one.
But what I was most disappointed with was the twist at the end. And I suppose that's mainly because I prefer to see the good in people,and would like to believe that what we see, and what we are told can be trusted.
Not so with this novel.
I was surprised to learn that this novel was actually a favorite of both Christie and her husband. The reason being the exact one that I ended up disliking about it; the twist at the end. Without giving any details away, it basically involves a character who chooses "evil" over "good".
I think that this story would have been more successful (for my tastes) if Christie had chosen to go in a different direction with it. As it is, I would probably only recommend Endless Night to people who enjoy unexpected, unbelievable twists, who are thoroughly bored and desperate for a book to read, or who, like me, have set a personal goal of completing all of Agatha Christie's novels.
When I started reading this novel, I was surprised as it started reading like one of Christie's Mary Westmacott "romances". It is told in first person, the narrator being a young man, and begins with his thoughts and feelings about falling in love with both a place and a girl. It does not initially read like a typical Christie mystery to me.
The majority of this novel is a story about the young couple as they fall in love, marry, and begin their life together. They have built a dream home that they had been planning together since the day they met. Everything seems to be going well, and, in my opinion, it would have remained so if Christie had continued with this aspect of the story. However, like most of her stories, there is a pretty big twist at the end that changes the story from what the reader has expected. Brief rundown of the main conflict: they move into their house, but are soon threatened by a local gypsy who warns them that there is a curse on their land yadda, yadda, yadda. There is also some conflict between the couple and their various family members, but for the purpose of this post, I'm skipping over those details.
As I was thoroughly enjoying the "romance" story between the two main characters, I found myself to be very disappointed with the ending. While the first three-quarters of the novel seemed to occur at a comfortable pace, the ending seemed too rushed. Everything was happening too quickly, without any real details. All of a sudden, there have been three deaths, only one presented to the readers; the other two were revealed through correspondences. I also felt that there were too many loose ends that were left hanging, not tied up or concluded in any way. There were too many coincidences among the characters; they were connected in ways that were a little unbelievable, if not bewildering. It seemed as though Christie was throwing in as many little red herrings as she possibly could with this one.
But what I was most disappointed with was the twist at the end. And I suppose that's mainly because I prefer to see the good in people,and would like to believe that what we see, and what we are told can be trusted.
Not so with this novel.
I was surprised to learn that this novel was actually a favorite of both Christie and her husband. The reason being the exact one that I ended up disliking about it; the twist at the end. Without giving any details away, it basically involves a character who chooses "evil" over "good".
I think that this story would have been more successful (for my tastes) if Christie had chosen to go in a different direction with it. As it is, I would probably only recommend Endless Night to people who enjoy unexpected, unbelievable twists, who are thoroughly bored and desperate for a book to read, or who, like me, have set a personal goal of completing all of Agatha Christie's novels.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Key to Educational Success is...
For whatever reason, I have been receiving free copies of Parents magazine in the mail. I have been perusing the November 2010 issue and it has inspired reactions to several articles that I am going to share here. This is my first one.
I always find it annoying when statistics are presented in a way that misleads people, or only conveys half of the point. Case in point, there is a statistic being thrown at us that people who floss their teeth will live longer. Now this statement by itself implies that the existence of extra plaque will cause an early death. (Not true). What they don't tell you, (or what you have to read a million paragraphs into the study) is that people who floss their teeth are generally the same people who care enough about their health to be conscious of the choices that they make and actively pursue a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, these people ARE going to live longer, because they take care of themselves, not just because they floss their teeth. Make sense?
So anyway. There is a little paragraph titled "Bring on the Books" in this issue of Parents magazine that claims, "Keeping books around the house will up your kid's odds of snagging that college diploma later on," (45). It further claims that a collection of 25 books, either children's or adults', will add a year to their high school or college career, while a collection of 500* books will add an extra 3.2 years! The "article" (can one paragraph really be considered an article?) then goes on to suggest 9 books to add to a child's library. And, that's it.
See, my issue with this isn't the results of the study, but the information that Parents magazine failed to provide regarding the study, or the participants of the study. I looked it up here, and it turns out that over a 20 year period, Mariah Evans (who the magazine doesn't even give credit to), discovered that an environment with at least 25 books in it, regardless of a parent's level of education, will produce these results in children.
I think that it's safe to assume that regardless of their own education level, these parents who are providing their children with books are obviously concerned with their child's educational success. It's probably also safe to assume that these parents are actively involved in their child's education, and are encouraging reading for pleasure. It would have been nice to see this additional information provided in the Parents article. Otherwise, I can just see some clueless parent reading it and thinking that just by having these books in the house, without doing anything with them, will provide the same results. (Hey, I'm sure that there is someone out there who is just stupid enough to think this).
It would have been nice to see Parents expand on this and provide suggestions for actively engaging children in reading and tips to help ensure success. I am sure that there are many parents out there, especially those who did not enjoy their own educational experiences as children, who might not know exactly what they can do to help their child enjoy reading or become a more active reader. Allow me to offer a few of my own suggestions:
* Make reading fun, and active. Instead of just reading a story straight through from the first page to the last, discuss what is happening in the pictures. Many illustrators of children's books include little surprises, or jokes, "Easter Eggs", if you will, in their pictures. They are meant to be explored, examined, and discussed by parents and children alike. Quiz your children on what they have just read or seen in the pictures. Give them a few moments to study the pictures, then close the book and ask them questions. What color hair ribbon is the little girl wearing? How many birds are in the sky? Where is the mouse hiding? You get the idea.
* Establish a bedtime routine that includes at least one story. And be sure to provide a suitable environment for a bedtime story. Ideally, this would be at the end of the routine when the child is already bathed, dressed, and in bed. A child is more likely to pay attention to the story if there are no other distractions around them (such as the television, or older siblings etc.). A bedtime story will also help the child to switch from "active" mode to "rest" mode.
* Visit your local library. Books cost money, and can be quite expensive. Some families are not going to be able to afford to build a personal library at home for their children. This is one of the greatest benefits of a local library, hundreds of books for kids to read, for FREE. Most libraries also provide story hours and other activities for preschool children and school-age children. They usually also have at least a couple of computers for children to listen to stories or play (educational) games. This is also a great resource for families who do not have a computer at home. It just takes a little research to find out what services your local library provides.
Those are some of the ideas that I have right now. There are many more things that parents can do to help children enjoy reading. Just remember that it's one thing to have 25+ books in your house, but it's another to know how to use them. They are not there just to sit on a shelf and look pretty.
Anyone have more suggestions to share?
*I would really like to know who has a personal library of 500 books that participated in this study!
.
I always find it annoying when statistics are presented in a way that misleads people, or only conveys half of the point. Case in point, there is a statistic being thrown at us that people who floss their teeth will live longer. Now this statement by itself implies that the existence of extra plaque will cause an early death. (Not true). What they don't tell you, (or what you have to read a million paragraphs into the study) is that people who floss their teeth are generally the same people who care enough about their health to be conscious of the choices that they make and actively pursue a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, these people ARE going to live longer, because they take care of themselves, not just because they floss their teeth. Make sense?
So anyway. There is a little paragraph titled "Bring on the Books" in this issue of Parents magazine that claims, "Keeping books around the house will up your kid's odds of snagging that college diploma later on," (45). It further claims that a collection of 25 books, either children's or adults', will add a year to their high school or college career, while a collection of 500* books will add an extra 3.2 years! The "article" (can one paragraph really be considered an article?) then goes on to suggest 9 books to add to a child's library. And, that's it.
See, my issue with this isn't the results of the study, but the information that Parents magazine failed to provide regarding the study, or the participants of the study. I looked it up here, and it turns out that over a 20 year period, Mariah Evans (who the magazine doesn't even give credit to), discovered that an environment with at least 25 books in it, regardless of a parent's level of education, will produce these results in children.
I think that it's safe to assume that regardless of their own education level, these parents who are providing their children with books are obviously concerned with their child's educational success. It's probably also safe to assume that these parents are actively involved in their child's education, and are encouraging reading for pleasure. It would have been nice to see this additional information provided in the Parents article. Otherwise, I can just see some clueless parent reading it and thinking that just by having these books in the house, without doing anything with them, will provide the same results. (Hey, I'm sure that there is someone out there who is just stupid enough to think this).
It would have been nice to see Parents expand on this and provide suggestions for actively engaging children in reading and tips to help ensure success. I am sure that there are many parents out there, especially those who did not enjoy their own educational experiences as children, who might not know exactly what they can do to help their child enjoy reading or become a more active reader. Allow me to offer a few of my own suggestions:
* Make reading fun, and active. Instead of just reading a story straight through from the first page to the last, discuss what is happening in the pictures. Many illustrators of children's books include little surprises, or jokes, "Easter Eggs", if you will, in their pictures. They are meant to be explored, examined, and discussed by parents and children alike. Quiz your children on what they have just read or seen in the pictures. Give them a few moments to study the pictures, then close the book and ask them questions. What color hair ribbon is the little girl wearing? How many birds are in the sky? Where is the mouse hiding? You get the idea.
* Establish a bedtime routine that includes at least one story. And be sure to provide a suitable environment for a bedtime story. Ideally, this would be at the end of the routine when the child is already bathed, dressed, and in bed. A child is more likely to pay attention to the story if there are no other distractions around them (such as the television, or older siblings etc.). A bedtime story will also help the child to switch from "active" mode to "rest" mode.
* Visit your local library. Books cost money, and can be quite expensive. Some families are not going to be able to afford to build a personal library at home for their children. This is one of the greatest benefits of a local library, hundreds of books for kids to read, for FREE. Most libraries also provide story hours and other activities for preschool children and school-age children. They usually also have at least a couple of computers for children to listen to stories or play (educational) games. This is also a great resource for families who do not have a computer at home. It just takes a little research to find out what services your local library provides.
Those are some of the ideas that I have right now. There are many more things that parents can do to help children enjoy reading. Just remember that it's one thing to have 25+ books in your house, but it's another to know how to use them. They are not there just to sit on a shelf and look pretty.
Anyone have more suggestions to share?
*I would really like to know who has a personal library of 500 books that participated in this study!
.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
I ♥ Agatha Christie
When I find something that I really enjoy, or take an interest in, I have the (bad?) habit of becoming completely consumed by it, basically to the point of obsession. For example, when LOST first came on television, and the real mysteries of the island started to develop, I had to read EVERYTHING about the characters, the featured books, the hidden references etc. that I could get my hands on. I was obsessed and drove my sister nuts with all of the "outside" information that I was trying to drag into our weekly
My current obsession is Agatha Christie, and as far as my infatuations go, this one has probably lasted the longest (with the exception of the Anne Rice-phase I went through in high school and college, and my unwavering infatuation with my fourth-grade crush). I "discovered" Agatha Christie a little over a year ago when our local library ran out of books on my "Books to Read" list. (I realize that I could have ordered them through inter-library loan, but I never remembered to do so before my weekly visits, so I just picked up whatever I could find on the shelves). I needed something to read, so I decided to read And Then There Were None again, (the one Agatha Christie book that I had read while I was in high school). I really enjoyed this story; it reminded me of an adult version of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which I LOVED when I was in sixth grade.
I decided to check out another "well-known" Agatha Christie book, (it was most likely Murder on the Orient Express, but I forget now exactly which one it was), and pretty soon I was hooked. I quickly worked through the selection at my own library, and started requesting them through inter-library loan. When I find an author I enjoy reading, I try to read all of his or her novels; I like to be thorough and complete with my obsessions. (Prior to this I made it through all of Jane Austen's works, minus one). That's when I discovered exactly how many pieces of work Agatha Christie has! Over 80 novels, short story collections and plays, which has not deterred me in the slightest. I have made a list of each piece of work, organized them by decade written and I am proud to say that I have made it past the halfway point! I have read at least 45 of her novels or short story collections. (Her website actually has a nifty list of her books in publication order to avoid any spoilers while reading, and of course I just discovered this ten minutes ago, AFTER I wrote up my own list months ago!)
As a stay-at-home-mom, I need books that I can put down and pick back up two hours later without a second thought. I need to be able to continue reading a story right where I left off without having to go back and reread the whole chapter. Believe it or not, Charles Dickens does not fulfill this requirement, and I've tried several times. (I've been reading Our Mutual Friend-thanks to my obsession with LOST-for two years now). Agatha Christie, however, passes with flying colors. Although really well-written, her stories are pretty straightforward, an effortless read. All of her mysteries basically follow the same pattern, so once you have read a few, you can zip right through the rest. Despite their similarities, each story she tells sucks me right in; I have a hard time putting them down. Usually I think that I know how the story ends, that it's so obvious, but in most cases I have been wrong, with the exception of one book that I called the ending on halfway through. She must have been having an off year with that one. The surprise solutions to her mysteries oftentimes leads to a sense of disbelief, of skepticism, because they seemingly come out of nowhere. I, however, do not mind so much; the reason I'm reading her pieces is primarily for entertainment and to pass the time.
My favorite novels so far have actually been the ones written under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, especially Unfinished Portrait and Absent in the Spring. These six novels have been dubbed "romances", but are a far cry from what we think the typical romance is these days. They are more along the lines of character studies, or psychological profiles, bittersweet stories that get right to the heart of human nature. Christie has an impeccable grasp on the psyche that motivates people's behavior, which is one of the reasons I love her writing (that and the fact that they are "quintessentially English" and I am also obsessed with all things English since my grandmother's family hails from England).
Long story short, ("Too late!"), I ♥ Agatha Christie and I am currently obsessed with reading all of her 80+ stories. Wish me luck!
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