(This post originally appeared in Persephone Magazine.) Set during World War I and promising an aristocratic feminist awakening, I wanted to like Somewhere in France a lot more than I did. Jennifer Robson’s story of Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford and Doctor Robert Fraser goes on too long for what is at stake, but it still has its redeeming qualities. Lady Elizabeth — Lilly, to most everyone who knows her — has left her comfortable lifestyle in order to join the war effort. Her parents more or less […]
What a way to wrap up a great year of reading.
Ever the model of restraint, I took a wee break in between finishing object of my obsession Outlander and starting this, Dragonfly in Amber, the second book in the series. And what do you know! The book starts back in 1968, after twenty years of Claire having lived with her first husband, Frank Randall, and raising their daughter, Brianna. “WHAT?” I cried, tempted to chuck this brick of a book across the room. And then I kept reading. Make no mistake: Diana Gabaldon is playing the long game. […]
This is what happens when you get overly ambitious about your science projects
I refuse to spoilertag anything in this review, because people, this book is nearly 200 years old. You’ve had ample time to read this book, if anything in my review spoils it for you, on your own head be it. Captain Robert Walton writes letters to his sister Margaret, recounting his journey to the North Pole in a quest for scientific fame. He writes of the strange and charismatic man they rescue in the wilderness, a Victor Frankenstein. Through Walton’s letters, we also get Frankenstein’s […]
omg omg omg
What with the visibility of this series lately, I don’t feel that I need to do a lengthy plot recap here — anyone reading this review probably has already read Outlander, or they have a good idea of what it’s about. I’ve had the intention to read it for some time, but spurred by the TV series, I finally dug in and — wow. I completely understand the obsession. Briefest of summaries JUST IN CASE: Claire Randall is a married woman of the 1940’s who […]
This Review Was Written in a Hurry
My TV-show inspired reread of Outlander confirmed few things I thought I remembered about this book. Namely, that I liked it, but also found it almost silly at times. An enjoyable read, but not a great one. The good: inventive take on time-travel. Great female character in Claire. Historical milieus well realized and intriguing. Jamie. The cheerful abandon with which Gabaldon treats genre conventions. Is it science fiction? Is is romance? Is it supernatural romance? Historical fiction? Who knows? Who cares? It’s all that and […]
Turbulent Waters in Post WWI London
Sarah Waters’ The Paying Guests has been getting a lot of good press since its release last month, and the praise for this novel is much deserved. It really is a masterful work. Waters creates a suspenseful and heartbreaking love story against the backdrop of post-WWI London. Its rigid moral climate and deteriorating social and economic situation contribute to an almost suffocating environment that limits opportunity for women and criminalizes unconventional sexual desires. Waters stands shoulder to shoulder with Edith Wharton and Kate Chopin in […]
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