Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Cellist of Sarajevo, Steven Galloway
read it today and "liked" it... liked the loose, abstract writing style and the questions of morality raised, i guess. arrow is the most fascinating character in the story by far; not sure if i really "get" the point of dragan and kenan. actually, i tended to mix them up. i thought dragan's encounter with his wife's friend, was very well done; and the pessimist/optimist joke stands out: "a pessimist believes things can't get any worse, an optimist believes things can always get worst."
Looking for Anne, Irene Gammel
I read this today, and it's very good, well-researched, fascinating. It pieces together bits of LMM's life from her journals and letters, the books she read and the magazines published around the time Green Gables was being written, searching for clues of what inspired Anne. I like how there are no direct implications that any character was based on a specific person, or that any incident was actually drawn from life - but rather an amalgamation of people and events in LMM's life, and there is a lot to do with the subconscious; for instance, names in the Anne books suggest other literary works. Green Gables suggests Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables (which LMM read), and a short story in a contemporary magazine (which LMM might or might not have read) where the heroine goes to live at "Gray Gables." It's not that LMM was directly inspired by these books, but their influence may have filtered into the fabric of the novel. Two magazine stories published a few years before Anne featured orphans named "Ann" who are similar to Anne Shirley, one with a knack for taking care of babies, the other with red hair and freckles.
I also find myself a lot like LMM as Irene Gammel describes her. Shy, soft-spoken, and self-critical - LMM is not at all like chatterbox Anne, neither in appearance nor personality, and Anne perhaps resembles some of her enemies (a redheaded boy) and ex-lovers(a very talkative man)! LMM has a photographic memory, is proud and snobby, isn't always "nice" despite her petite and feminine aspect. She reconstructs and manipulates her relationships and memories. This book is a fascinating psychological portrait (of a fascinating subject).
I also find myself a lot like LMM as Irene Gammel describes her. Shy, soft-spoken, and self-critical - LMM is not at all like chatterbox Anne, neither in appearance nor personality, and Anne perhaps resembles some of her enemies (a redheaded boy) and ex-lovers(a very talkative man)! LMM has a photographic memory, is proud and snobby, isn't always "nice" despite her petite and feminine aspect. She reconstructs and manipulates her relationships and memories. This book is a fascinating psychological portrait (of a fascinating subject).
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Leaving, Budge Wilson
i read the first story, "The Metaphor" today and it's very well written. The writing style is precise, the characters intriguing, and there is just the right amount of pathos. The story is complex, "deep", and engaging. Every paragraph was significant and an integral part of the plot. The story was very charged; it did not lag for a minute. I really loved it.
All the same, I wonder why Wilson was asked to do the Anne prequel. Her world-view and themes aren't really LMM-like. I can see how her style translates into Before Green Gables - there are well-described but not particularly loveable characters like the narrator's mom; and even Ms. Hancock is exaggerated. I thought the narrator's remark that her father "was not a very original man" was pretty harsh for a 13 year old. It reminded me of when Mrs. Thomas's parents said she wasn't very pretty and needed to be married off soon. I've just never found sentiments like that, written so bluntly, in LMM.
"The Diary" seems more LMM-ish... the diary format and the meek wife who's always lived under her father/husband's thumb shows up in LMM stories. Allison's finally standing up for herself is LMM-like, too.
"Mr. Manuel Jenkins" is a good story, and Mr. Jenkins reminded me a little of Mr. Tillytuck in Mistress Pat. A good story, although LMM stories are again open-ended.
"Lysandra's Poem" starts with an evocation of the sea... which is sort of LMM-ish, because it shows that the climate is a large part of maritime life, but the description is in no way as beautiful as LMM's. This story is the first one that doesn't deal with mother-daughter relationships; instead, it's a very realistic story of a best-friendship gone sour, and it's something so morbid you'd probably read it in LMM's later works, like The Blythes are Quoted/The Road to Yesterday. I could also see Margaret Atwood taking on a similar plotline.
"My Mother and Father" - I rather really like this story. The mother in this story is the most motherly of all the mothers described so far, and it's not as harsh as all the other stories where there is anger directed towards someone, usually the cold/uncaring mother. The only person at fault in this story is the narrator herself, and there is a happy ending.
I just finished it, and I really liked every story.
"The Leaving" is good, abstract, and unexpected.
"My Cousin Clarette" reminds me a little of Gwendolyn Lesley in Magic for Marigold. I understand completely what Victoria is going through, and have felt that way about visitors in my adolescence. The ending is morbid, though: but I can see a teen "liking" the depth and melancholia of it
"The Reunion" is one of my favourite stories in this volume. Once again, it has the atmosphere of something I might read in "The Road to Yesterday/ The Blythes are Quoted," only it's far more well-written than LMM's later work. I like this story because it makes me think of Love in the Time of Cholera, and it has a sweet, triumphant ending.
"Waiting" has very realistic characters. In this story, Juliette is an overachiever (whom I can especially relate to) and her twin sister is very meek. I have seen twins and best-friendships where one leads and the other submits. I thought Juliette's scorn was a little overdrawn, though: I can't imagine anyone being so harsh about someone they love. And so callow and self-righteous about their own cruelty and hypocrisy. Here is a quote, italics mine.
(Juliette is the lead actress, director of their play, and Henrietta helps out backstage)
"She did a truly good job, and if it weren't for the fact that I can't stand conceited people, I probably would even have told her so... I didn't want her strutting around looking proud of herself and putting on airs. One time one fo the kids said, "Hey, Henrietta, that's a really great royal bedroom you made,".... I hate that kind of thing, and I knew the others wouldn't like it either. So I said, "Oh, sure! And the king must have just lost his kingdom in the wars. Who ever head of a king sleeping on a pile of branches or having an old torn distowel at the window? Some king!" And everyone laughed. I always think that laughter is very important. It makes everyone happy right away, and is a good way to ease tensions"
I feel like the irony's too obvious and Juliette's self-assuredness was exaggerated.
"Be-ers and Do-ers" once again deal with a demanding mother and a peaceful father, who love each other very much although the mother nags relentlessly. This family dynamic reminds me of ones I know in real-life.
"The Pen-Pal" has a very humourous twist ending; I love the diary/correspondence format, the small teenage problems are very LMM, and I can relate to the narrator completely. The twist ending is the best display of humour I've seen in the whole volume, which deals with rather serious, troubling issues (and has a sombre tone). I wish there were more stories like this one - which talk about growing up, but are lighthearted and comical (in the sense that the narrator laughs at herself, and without bitterness.)
All the same, I wonder why Wilson was asked to do the Anne prequel. Her world-view and themes aren't really LMM-like. I can see how her style translates into Before Green Gables - there are well-described but not particularly loveable characters like the narrator's mom; and even Ms. Hancock is exaggerated. I thought the narrator's remark that her father "was not a very original man" was pretty harsh for a 13 year old. It reminded me of when Mrs. Thomas's parents said she wasn't very pretty and needed to be married off soon. I've just never found sentiments like that, written so bluntly, in LMM.
"The Diary" seems more LMM-ish... the diary format and the meek wife who's always lived under her father/husband's thumb shows up in LMM stories. Allison's finally standing up for herself is LMM-like, too.
"Mr. Manuel Jenkins" is a good story, and Mr. Jenkins reminded me a little of Mr. Tillytuck in Mistress Pat. A good story, although LMM stories are again open-ended.
"Lysandra's Poem" starts with an evocation of the sea... which is sort of LMM-ish, because it shows that the climate is a large part of maritime life, but the description is in no way as beautiful as LMM's. This story is the first one that doesn't deal with mother-daughter relationships; instead, it's a very realistic story of a best-friendship gone sour, and it's something so morbid you'd probably read it in LMM's later works, like The Blythes are Quoted/The Road to Yesterday. I could also see Margaret Atwood taking on a similar plotline.
"My Mother and Father" - I rather really like this story. The mother in this story is the most motherly of all the mothers described so far, and it's not as harsh as all the other stories where there is anger directed towards someone, usually the cold/uncaring mother. The only person at fault in this story is the narrator herself, and there is a happy ending.
I just finished it, and I really liked every story.
"The Leaving" is good, abstract, and unexpected.
"My Cousin Clarette" reminds me a little of Gwendolyn Lesley in Magic for Marigold. I understand completely what Victoria is going through, and have felt that way about visitors in my adolescence. The ending is morbid, though: but I can see a teen "liking" the depth and melancholia of it
"The Reunion" is one of my favourite stories in this volume. Once again, it has the atmosphere of something I might read in "The Road to Yesterday/ The Blythes are Quoted," only it's far more well-written than LMM's later work. I like this story because it makes me think of Love in the Time of Cholera, and it has a sweet, triumphant ending.
"Waiting" has very realistic characters. In this story, Juliette is an overachiever (whom I can especially relate to) and her twin sister is very meek. I have seen twins and best-friendships where one leads and the other submits. I thought Juliette's scorn was a little overdrawn, though: I can't imagine anyone being so harsh about someone they love. And so callow and self-righteous about their own cruelty and hypocrisy. Here is a quote, italics mine.
(Juliette is the lead actress, director of their play, and Henrietta helps out backstage)
"She did a truly good job, and if it weren't for the fact that I can't stand conceited people, I probably would even have told her so... I didn't want her strutting around looking proud of herself and putting on airs. One time one fo the kids said, "Hey, Henrietta, that's a really great royal bedroom you made,".... I hate that kind of thing, and I knew the others wouldn't like it either. So I said, "Oh, sure! And the king must have just lost his kingdom in the wars. Who ever head of a king sleeping on a pile of branches or having an old torn distowel at the window? Some king!" And everyone laughed. I always think that laughter is very important. It makes everyone happy right away, and is a good way to ease tensions"
I feel like the irony's too obvious and Juliette's self-assuredness was exaggerated.
"Be-ers and Do-ers" once again deal with a demanding mother and a peaceful father, who love each other very much although the mother nags relentlessly. This family dynamic reminds me of ones I know in real-life.
"The Pen-Pal" has a very humourous twist ending; I love the diary/correspondence format, the small teenage problems are very LMM, and I can relate to the narrator completely. The twist ending is the best display of humour I've seen in the whole volume, which deals with rather serious, troubling issues (and has a sombre tone). I wish there were more stories like this one - which talk about growing up, but are lighthearted and comical (in the sense that the narrator laughs at herself, and without bitterness.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
