I’ve read some of David Lodge’s literary criticism but never any of his novels. My undergrad advisor had recommended The British Museum Is Falling Down as a twentieth-century novel that is really funny. And truly, in my field, funny is not always so easy to find. I was more than happy to give it a shot, but excited to see that it’s also a novel about academia. The novel focuses on Adam Appleby, a doctoral student and a devout Catholic, who is afraid that his […]
Peter Rabbit goes to the fair. Chaos ensues.
After thoroughly exciting myself with The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter, I decided that it was time to read Emma Thompson’s companion novel. I did not realize that she’d written two other novels prior to The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit. So, once I get done with this current library stack, I will have to read the other two novels. The Spectacular Tale is an adventure–or rather, misadventure–of young Peter and young Benjamin. They are sent off to go run an errand, but old Mrs. […]
A love letter to Wills and Kate. And we all rejoiced.
Back in 2004, I discovered Television Without Pity. I read recaps of ER religiously and especially enjoyed the snark and Luca Kovach lust from Heathen. A few years later, when doing a little digging on the site, I discovered that Heathen, really, Heather, had started a fashion blog with fellow TWoP recapper, Jessica, called Go Fug Yourself. That was in 2006. I scooted over to the site, and have been a fan ever since. While I don’t read The Fug Girls’ posts as religiously as […]
The sweet dove is not as innocent as it seems.
Some of the popular perceptions of Barbara Pym, from the selected academic criticism I’ve read, are that she’s fusty and outdated, or that she is very chaste. Apparently, none of these academics read The Sweet Dove Died, because sexuality is a HUGE aspect of this novel of manners. In so many ways. Leonora Eyre is a woman of middle-age (we assume), who decides to attend an antique auction and bid on a book herself, much to the dismay of the highly proper antique owner Humphrey, […]
Problems of retirement, friendship, and loneliness.
I requested pretty much the rest of Barbara Pym’s novels from the library, so I’ll be reading a lot of Pym this next month. Hooray! I find her novel of manners to be biting and clever, peopled by characters who are complex and perplexing. It’s a dream. Quartet in Autumn is darker than normal, but I find it highly interesting and frank in its portrayal of retirement and end-of-life issues. The novel centers on four people (hence, the quartet): Edwin, a Christian man and widower; […]
Beautiful scenery, lots of eye-rolling.
When famous Australian author Colleen McCullough died this year, I was saddened on behalf of her fans. It’s always a grief to lose an author you are fond of. And her obituary was cruel and mean, focusing on appearance instead of accomplishment. So I decided to read The Thorn Birds out of solidarity–for feminism. So it pains me to say that for me, the novel was very much a mixed bag. There are definitely aspects I liked and aspects I did.not.like.at.all. The aspects I did […]
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