A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens
 published 1843
completed August 2010


Most everyone is familiar with this A Christmas Carol in one form or another.  Scrooge is a curmudgeonly, greedy old man who is incredibly wealthy and has isolated himself from all of society.  The book opens on Christmas Eve and that night he receives a visit from his old business partner, Marley, warning him of the torment that will result if he continues to live his life in that selfish manner.  He is subsequently visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as an attempt to change him from his miserly ways.

It's kind of an odd time of year to be reading this book, but I just moved overseas and I could only bring a few books with me (the rest will arrive in a few months) and I don't have a library card yet.  I have seen several movies and even seen a wonderful live production of A Christmas Carol.  I am so glad that I finally decided to read it.  It is so much better in book form.

The first Dickens book I read, I was frustrated because I couldn't read it as quickly as I'd hope.  The language can be difficult at times but I found that if I slow down, I can enjoy the beauty of the writing as well as the story.  I have read a few of his novels so I knew what to expect when picking up A Christmas Carol. I love his wit, and his ability to set an incredible scene.  There are scenes that are funny, dark, and heart-warming that are all equally effective.

At its heart, A Christmas Carol is a beautiful story of redemption.  Regardless of peoples religious beliefs, I think we can all relate to the change of heart in Scrooge.  I know how uncomfortable I would feel if I had to watch some of my not so great moments.  I love the message, that we should use our remembrance of the past as an opportunity to change and to make amends.  I'm looking forward to reading it again this Christmas.  I would recommend A Christmas Carol to everyone.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Plainsong

by Kent Haruf
published 1999
completed June 2010

Plainsong takes place in the small town of Holt, Colorado, and focuses on the lives of many of its residents.  Victoria Roubideaux is teenager who has just found out she is pregnant.  Tom Guthrie is a high school teacher, raising two young boys alone while their mother is coping with depression.  The McPheron brothers are isolated as they raise cattle on their farm.  Maggie Jones teaches at the same high school as Tom Guthrie, and is instrumental and bringing them all together.

After discovering she is pregnant, Victoria is kicked out of her home.  She confides in Maggie Jones, and Maggie set about to help her by seeking the help of the McPheron brothers. She wanted Victoria to stay with them on their farm until she had the baby.  The McPheron brothers were old and a bit rough, and they were hesitant to take her in, but the transformation that took place with Victoria around was touching.  They came to love her and went to great lengths to protect her.  At one point Victoria had been reckless and was concerned that she had harmed the baby.  The brothers sweetly told her stories of their experience birthing calves to try to put her mind at ease.  It didn't really make sense, but their effort to cheer her was felt.

I really had a difficult time reading about the Guthrie boys.  My heart went out to them because they seemed to be in limbo.  Their mother deserted them, and their father was never really there.  They were only nine and ten years old, but spent most of their time alone.  It broke my heart the difficulties that these boys had to endure.

Small towns are notorious for their lack of privacy.  In Plainsong, you see the good and the bad of small town life.  The ending shows what it can be like when a people in a community band together to help each other.

The themes in this book are adult, and there is some language, but I would highly recommend Plainsong. 

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway
published 1952
completed March 2010

Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman had not caught a fish in 84 days.  He is determined to catch a fish on day 85 and sets out deep into the sea.  He makes the catch of his life, a huge marlin, but with great difficulty.  Alone in his skiff, he struggles to make it back to shore.

Santiago is not educated, but he is incredibly wise.  This book helps to reiterate that ones character counts for something.  In the world's eyes, Santiago failed in the end, but I would say that Santiago has grown because  of what he experienced and how he chose to react to the situations he faced.   Santiago says at one point, "But a man is not made for defeat.  A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

Santiago's struggle was monumental and I could relate to that feeling.   I'm grateful that I read this as an adult.  If I had chosen to read this in high school, I would have had a completely different reaction.  To appreciate this book, I believe you have to have some life experience.  I think you have to understand what it is like to struggle and feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes its not about the end result, but about the personal, inner journey you take as you face life's difficulties.

This book is a quick and straightforward read, but I the message is beautiful. I wouldn't characterize the ending as happy, but rather satisfying.  I highly recommend The Old Man and the Sea.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan

by J.M. Barrie
published 1911
completed August 2010

Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan.  Like many, I had only seen the Disney version of the movie and never read the book.  The bare bones of the story are the same.  Peter Pan comes in through the open window of the Darling home one night and the three Darling children--Wendy, Michael, and John--fly off with him to Neverland.  All of the characters are present--Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Tiger Lily, the Lost Boys, Smee, and the crocodile.

What surprised me the most was that the tone was much darker than the Disney movie.  I purchased this book with the hope of having my 8 year old read it, but I think I'll wait until he's a little older.  The reading level isn't difficult, but there is much more violence.  Neverland is not a happy place, but a dangerous place where the Lost Boys are on constant alert so as to not be killed by the pirates, Indians, or wild animals.

Peter is not as likable in the book.  He is incredibly arrogant and selfish.  That alone wouldn't bother me if it weren't for the fact that his cockiness put the lives of others in danger.  Peter originally sought out Wendy so that the Lost Boys could have a mother.  Peter was very self-centered and throughout the story you could tell that he didn't really care about Wendy.  When she ultimately went home, he was just sad that he didn't have someone to clean up after him.

Tinker Bell was another character I found to be quite different in the book.  She was a nasty little thing with a sharp tongue.  At one point she intentionally tries to get Wendy killed out of jealousy.

Barrie is an excellent story teller but Peter Pan wasn't as captivating as I'd hoped.  I can see why it is a classic.  I'm glad I read it, although I doubt that this is a book that I will revisit.

1% Well-Read Challenge

The 1% Well-Read Challenge requires reading 13 books from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.  This challenge began April 1, 2010 and ends April 30, 2011.

I have been slowly working through this list but this challenge will help me increase my efforts.  Here is a list of the books I plan to read.

1.  Never Let Me Go by Kazou Ishiguro
2.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
3.  The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
4.  The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
5.  The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
6.  The Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro
7.  The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
8.  The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
9.  Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
11. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
12.  Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
13.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs

The Guinea Pig Diaries

by A.J. Jacobs
published 2009
completed April 2010

Each chapter covers a mini-experiment conducted by A.J. Jacobs.  One month he outsourced everything possible to a company in India.  He also practices radical honesty for a month and an entire month of unitasking (doing strictly one thing at a time).

One of my favorite chapters was the first one where he posed as a woman on an online-dating service.  It was laugh out loud funny.  His young and attractive nanny was single and he wanted to help her get back into dating.  He talked her into signing up for an online-dating service and he wrote most of the correspondence for her.  This was the first chapter in the book and it was a great start.

I loved the outsourcing chapter as well, and the fact that he outsourced apologizing to his wife.  One of my other favorites was when he had pose nude for a photo shoot as quid pro quo for Mary Louise Parker posing nude for an Esquire Magazine article.  His picture is at the front of the chapter.  It is tastefully done but hilarious.  He is so self-deprecating and his description of the photography session and photographers instructions were very funny.

Most of the book was incredibly entertaining, but I found my interest tapering off as I got towards the end.  The chapter where he tried to follow George Washington's code of conduct for a month was quite dull.  It also had some political opinions in there that I wish he had left out.  Not that I mind people's political opinions, but it seemed self-indulgent of him to add it to this chapter when it didn't really fit with his experiment.

Overall it was a fun read and I look forward to reading more of A.J. Jacobs' books.

I read this book for the Take Another Chance Challenge as my genre switch-up.  I have never read a humor non-fiction book.  I'm excited to read more of this genre.

Many Bloody Returns and Dead Until Dark

Many Bloody Returns

edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner
published 2007
completed April 2010

So...I needed an anthology for Jenners Take Another Chance Challenge.  I didn't really know where to start so I used the Book Blog Search Engine and typed in anthology.  I know.  Super creative, right?  So this book kept coming up for whatever reason.  I don't really read vampire fiction but I thought I'd give it a try.

There were thirteen short stories, all involving vampires and some sort of birthday.  It wasn't terrible, but I found it dull.  I guess this genre just isn't for me.

The most interesting was Charlaine Harris' short story.  Sookie Stackhouse attended a birthday party for the original Dracula at Fangtasia, the local vampire bar.  The story was a little too short, but it gave me a good glimpse into the characters from her Southern Vampire Series.

Part of the challenge was to select an author from the anthology and read one of their full length novels.  Harris' short story wasn't perfect but some of the book bloggers I respect have found this series entertaining.  I decided to read the first book of her Southern Vampire Series with Sookie Stackhouse to complete the challenge.

Dead Until Dark

by Charlaine Harris
published 2001
completed April 2010

Sookie Stackhouse is a barmaid and a telepath.  She meets Bill Compton, a vampire, and a relationship begins.  Meanwhile, there is a serial killer on the loose targeting women who are involved with vampires.  Sookie is hoping that the serial killer is caught before the serial killer gets to her.

Dead Until Dark moves along at a pretty good pace and the mystery was entertaining.  It may just be me, but I didn't figure out who the serial killer was until the very end.  The writing isn't anything fantastic and Harris has a few annoying tendencies (describing unnecessary things), but it held my attention.  I like the characters, although Sookie can be a bit irritating.

There is quite a bit of violence but it isn't overly descriptive.  On the other hand, the sex in this book is VERY descriptive and I found myself skimming those sections.  There isn't too much language from what I remember, but I wouldn't recommend this for teens.

I'm still not sold on vampire fiction.  For someone who does enjoy it, I think these books would be perfect.