"A glass-blower, remember, breathes life into a vessel, giving it shape and form and sometimes beauty; but he can with that same breath, shatter an"A glass-blower, remember, breathes life into a vessel, giving it shape and form and sometimes beauty; but he can with that same breath, shatter and destroy it."
I tiptoed into the first pages of this novel, fearful that I would be disappointed because historical fiction isn't my usual choice.
The month was June, the year 1844, and eighty-year-old Madame Sophie Duval, née Busson, would come face to face with her past via a chance encounter between her daughter and a long-lost relative whom Madame Duval never imagined would cross their path. What followed was a brilliant reimagining of du Maurier's own family history of master glass blowers in eighteenth-century France.
Not knowing what to expect made this tale all the sweeter, so I will not reveal too much except to say that I felt as if I knew each character intimately, taking part in their tragedies and triumphs. I could almost feel the heat of the wood burning in glass house furnaces and smell the acrid smoke-filled air from muskets firing as France descended into revolution.
The story was intriguing, exciting, and, at times, heartbreaking. I was spellbound! Silly me. I had nothing to fear. Daphne du Maurier has never let me down.
All the stars for this fabulous read. I never wanted to reach the end....more
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." — Oscar Wilde
Published in 1905, The House o"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." — Oscar Wilde
Published in 1905, The House of Mirth was set in New York in the late 1800s — America's Gilded Age.
Miss Lily Bart was one of the 'in crowd'; high society was what she was born and bred for. She was blessed with remarkable beauty and her prospects of a 'good marriage' seemed to be set in stone. But no one in her well-to-do circle should have counted those unhatched chickens, for Lily had a streak of independence a mile wide — and it went against her baser instincts to accept any of the suitors who had dented her sofa cushions over the years.
But an unfortunate illness left Miss Bart without family or means and placed her at the mercy of an aunt's reluctant offer to take her in. Lily quickly realized her situation was tenuous and, at twenty-nine, had resigned herself to bite the bullet and choose from one of the Dapper Dans, whose numbers were dwindling by the day.
Enter Lawrence Selden, the Rhett Butler of this story, darkly handsome with a twinkle in his eye. Mr. Selden had been upfront with Lily. He had no wish to marry her but found her game-playing with the other fellows all very amusing. She could be herself with him because he wasn't a prospect; so good friends they would be.
The rich and the righteous had set standards for unmarried young women. Even a toe over the line of what was considered proper would get one tossed out of society on one's ear, and there were those who would have loved nothing more than to witness the downfall of charming Miss Bart. Will Lily succeed in walking the line?
As one of the most beautiful snowfalls I've ever seen softly coated Kansas in white, I read the final pages of this captivating novel. This did not have the same humor I experienced with my previous read of her work, but the characters leapt flamboyantly from each page. The tale was touching and sometimes harsh, with writing that was dependably on-point. I shed a few tears before all was said and done and the brilliant, unexpected ending put this squarely in the five-star category.
The House of Mirth will be a hard one to beat this year. If you are a fan of the television show The Gilded Age, this book is for you.
A few of the quotes that I highlighted: "She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate."
"Miss Corby's role was jocularity: she always entered the conversation with a handspring."
"It was one of those still November days when the air is haunted with the light of summer…"...more
Antarctica is my third book by the undeniably talented Claire Keegan. She has an almost magical ability to draw the reader in with a paucity of words.Antarctica is my third book by the undeniably talented Claire Keegan. She has an almost magical ability to draw the reader in with a paucity of words. This, her debut collection of short stories, was filled with the same beautiful prose and healthy dose of longing that weaves its way through everything I’ve read of hers thus far.
To my mind, the overarching theme of this collection was "escape." Escape from a dull marriage, a psychotic lover, poor life choices, and even loneliness. Almost everyone, at one time or another, has dreamed of a different life for themselves, and I believe that this is why many of these stories are so relatable.
A word of warning: several of these tales include themes that might be considered disturbing. The initial story scared the bejesus out of me! And while this was not my favorite read by this author to date, there is no denying that it is beautifully done.
Thank you to Candi for her wonderful review that prompted me to add this! See her write-up here....more
"Dandelion Wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered…"
As I turned the first page, I found myself in an Illin"Dandelion Wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered…"
As I turned the first page, I found myself in an Illinois berg by the name of Green Town. The year was 1928; a summer packed with possibilities had just begun for Douglas Spaulding and his pals.
"Sandwich outdoors isn’t a sandwich anymore. Tastes different than indoors, notice? Got more spice. Tastes like mint and pinesap. Does wonders for the appetite."
I delighted in Bradbury’s cinematic imagery as I met the town’s inhabitants one by one and discovered what lay behind their closed doors.
"Some people turn sad awfully young. No special reason, it seems, but they seem almost to be born that way. They bruise easier, tire faster, cry quicker, remember longer."
This read like a string of short stories with Doug Spalding as the hub that tied them all together; each person he encountered took center stage and shared their part of the story.
"Gardening is the handiest excuse for being a philosopher. Nobody guesses, nobody accuses, nobody knows, but there you are, Plato in the peonies, Socrates force-growing his own hemlock. A man toting a sack of blood manure across his lawn is kin to Atlas letting the world spin easy on his shoulder."
When my journey began, I imagined a coming-of-age tale. And it was to a small extent, but more than that, it was an exploration of love, loss, aging, and a realization that where we are is precisely where we are meant to be.
"No matter how hard you try to be what you once were, you can only be what you are here and now."
Bradbury’s poetic prose flowed like a lazy river, expertly carrying me through this enchanting novel. If you haven’t read Dandelion Wine, I highly recommend that you spend some time in small-town Illinois....more
"How soft and gentle her name sounds when I whisper it. It lingers on the tongue, insidious and slow, almost like poison..." ― Daphne du Maurier
As"How soft and gentle her name sounds when I whisper it. It lingers on the tongue, insidious and slow, almost like poison..." ― Daphne du Maurier
As I stare at the blinking cursor on my screen, thinking about all I’ve witnessed between the covers of My Cousin Rachel, I find myself missing Cornwall and wishing my adventure was not over. But every good story must come to an end, and what an ending it was!
This torrid tale is narrated by Phillip Ashley who, after the death of his parents, has been raised from infanthood by Ambrose Ashley, his bachelor uncle. Ambrose is a well-to-do English landowner, and as it turns out, these two fellows are kindred spirits, enjoying a life of having dogs in the house and smoking tobacco whenever they please without a woman telling them what to do. Once Phillip has completed his education, his uncle determines that the time has come to hand the affairs of the Ashley estate over to his heir while he sets off on his travels. Doctors have suggested that Ambrose might enjoy better health if he spends his winters in a warm, dry climate away from cold rainy days in England. And so it goes for two winters, with Ambrose returning each spring laden with exotic plants and fascinating stories of faraway lands.
Ambrose spends the third winter in Italy. But as spring approaches, he writes that he will stay on because he has become acquainted with their cousin Rachel. Oh my, how this news throws our hero into a state! Phillip had never come second to anyone where Ambrose was concerned. Who is this cousin? And what spell has she cast to keep Ambrose for so long in Italy? (view spoiler)[Then comes a letter that Phillip could never have imagined — Ambrose had married their cousin.
The months crawl by while Phillip waits for the couple to return to England, wallowing in misery over the thought of changes that will surely be thrust upon him. But instead of newlyweds, a short correspondence arrives that strikes fear into Phillip's soul. Four short sentences would send him racing toward Italy and Ambrose, praying that he wasn’t too late. (hide spoiler)]
The tension in this story was scrumptiously persistent, and because I grew quite fond of Phillip, I read every page with my heart in my throat, hoping for the best.
Bravo again to du Maurier for completely wrecking me in the most beautiful of ways.
If you haven’t read this gothic thriller, don’t miss it. Your visit to Cornwall will be unforgettable!...more
"It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise, you are left with words you should have said but never did, "It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise, you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse." ― Yann Martel, Life of Pi
I have struggled to write this review. Not because I didn’t love Life of Pi, because I absolutely did, but because it is difficult to put into words where this incredible tale has taken me.
Throughout the reading, I have found myself utterly horrified and fascinated in equal measure. I can honestly say I’ve never pondered life, religion, survival - and how far a human can be pushed - as deeply as I have since I began my journey with Piscine Molitor Patel. I questioned faith and contemplated how far it could carry someone who's hanging on by a thread. I asked myself if I could have survived even half of what Pi had endured? Probably not, but who knows how strong the will to live is until it's put to the test? This is undoubtedly a book that gave me pause for thought.
Nature is as volatile as it is beautiful and, as an animal lover, I must warn those who might be disturbed by scenes of savagery (i.e. the natural order of life and death as it exists in the animal kingdom). This story is dazzling, funny, gruesome, allegorical and altogether unforgettable. Life of Pi is a powerful read....more
"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." —Aristotle—
The King’s General is a sweeping English historical fiction no"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light." —Aristotle—
The King’s General is a sweeping English historical fiction novel covering a period during the 1640s and 1650s when civil war breaks out over who should hold ultimate power in England; the King, or parliament? This story follows several families as a conflict rages that will change our new friends' lives and the face of the county of Cornwall forever.
In fine du Maurier fashion, the saga is told in the first person, and I became fast friends with the fierce narrator, Honor Harris. Miss Harris is in full bloom at eighteen, and her fiery, outspoken ways utterly enthrall the dashing Richard Grenville. Richard has a wicked reputation as a womanizer and gambler, and Honor's family is confident that he is not the man for her. She pays no mind to what they say and dives headlong into a torrid love affair with Master Grenville. Honor Harris is a strong female character who will not go down no matter what life throws at her, but karma certainly seems to hold a particular grudge against our heroine and those around her.
"Time heals all wounds, say the complacent, but I think it is not so much time that does it as determination of spirit. And the spirit can often turn to devil in the darkness."
If you are hoping for a happily ever after, this will not be your cup of tea. That said, this tale is filled with such delectable twists that I was left gasping for air! Daphne du Maurier is the consummate spinner of yarns. It was as if I had gone on holiday and met a stranger who shared with me their heart-rending story over the course of a week, weaving a web so darkly delicious that I was captivated from the first word to the last....more
This coming-of-age tale opens as Edgar, and his mother, arrive in Summering.
"The train, with a shrill whistle, pulled into Summering. For a moment thThis coming-of-age tale opens as Edgar, and his mother, arrive in Summering.
"The train, with a shrill whistle, pulled into Summering. For a moment the black coaches stood still in the silvery light of the uplands to eject a few vivid human figures and to swallow up others."
The purpose of this trip is so young Edgar can recover from a recent illness, but rest is not to be. A baron stays at their hotel and steals into their lives like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Edgar is an adorable child, his mother the height of propriety. The baron’s plan to use a false friendship with the boy to seduce his otherwise unreachable mother is just the sort of behavior one could expect from a snake-like human.
The writing is lovely, but a short story only has a moment to form a reader's connection to the characters; for me, it never gelled.
There are a plethora of five-star ratings, so please don’t let my point of view dissuade you from reading The Burning Secret.
"It's bad enough in life to do without something YOU want; but confound it, what gets my goat is not being able to give somebody something you want TH"It's bad enough in life to do without something YOU want; but confound it, what gets my goat is not being able to give somebody something you want THEM to have." — Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory
Winter, 1956
It’s always the same: a morning arrives in November, and my friend, as though officially inaugurating the Christmas time of year that exhilarates her imagination and fuels the blaze of her heart, announces: "It’s fruitcake weather! Fetch our buggy. Help me find my hat." The person to whom she is speaking is myself. I am seven; she is sixty-something. We are cousins, very distant ones, and we have lived together—well, as long as I can remember.
And so, another shoestring adventure begins for Buddy, our narrator, his cousin Sook Falk, and Queenie, their little rat terrier, as off they scoot to gather windfall pecans - the first ingredient for dozens of fruitcakes that will be sent far and wide. But creating such a prize-winning confection requires many elements, whiskey being the most expensive and difficult to procure. Our band of bakers has saved every penny all year, and despite alcohol being considered sinful, they know just where to secure a bottle. After all, it isn’t fruitcake without a nip of the good stuff.
"If you please, Mr. Haha, we’d like a quart of your finest whiskey." His eyes tilt more. Would you believe it? Haha is smiling! Laughing, too. "Which one of you is a drinkin’ man?” "It’s for making fruitcakes, Mr. Haha. Cooking." This sobers him. He frowns. "That’s no way to waste good whiskey."
Capote writes with the pen of a poet, and this touching short tale is a timely reminder that our fondest Christmas moments aren’t dependent on flashy falderal or glitzy goodies, but come from time spent with those we love who love us in return.
I wish all who celebrate it, a very Merry Christmas!...more
"Below the hill grows a field of high Indian grass that changes color with the seasons: go to see it in the fall, late September, when it has gone "Below the hill grows a field of high Indian grass that changes color with the seasons: go to see it in the fall, late September, when it has gone red as sunset, when scarlet shadows like firelight breeze over it and the autumn winds strum on its dry leaves sighing human music, a harp of voices." —Truman Capote, The Grass Harp.
To describe this short story as being beautifully written wouldn’t do justice to the cinematic prose that drew me into the southern countryside. I felt the heat from the crackling fire built on the river bank and teared up from the smoke that burned my eyes. Truman Capote is a novelist with a poet’s heart.
Collin Fenwick’s mother has died, and to say that his father has taken her death poorly would be a huge understatement. Running naked in the street is not behavior becoming the father of an eleven-year-old child, so the youngster is bundled off to live with his cousins: Verena, Dolly, and their companion Catherine. These women, though financially well off, live quite an eccentric life. Verena runs the household with an iron fist, while Dolly is a dreamer, the one who finds love in all the dark spaces - and Collin adores her.
Eventually, years of repression under Verena's dominance comes to a head, launching Dolly, Collin, and Catherine on a journey that will change, not only their lives, but will alter the paths of those they encounter along the way. A heart-wrenching tale of loss and longing, balanced by the discovery of love and true purpose, kept me glued to my kindle until the very last word.
To quote every stunning passage would have me copying almost the entire book, as it's truly a masterpiece. Bravo, Mr. Capote!
Thank you, Candi, for the incredible review that brought this exquisite work to my attention.
"She was one of those people who can disguise themselves as an object in a room, a shadow in the corner, whose presence is a delicate happening."
"If some wizard would like to make me a present, let him give me a bottle filled with the voices of that kitchen, the ha ha ha and the fire whispering, a bottle brimming with its buttery sugary bakery smells —"...more
"All great and precious things are lonely." ― John Steinbeck
Five brilliant, heartbreaking stars!
It’s been quite a while since a book made me curse life"All great and precious things are lonely." ― John Steinbeck
Five brilliant, heartbreaking stars!
It’s been quite a while since a book made me curse life for getting in the way of reading. A History of Loneliness certainly falls into that category. It was like settling into a comfortable chair with a cup of tea to catch up with a male friend who I hadn’t seen since school. And then, quite unexpectedly, he decides to pour out his life story! The revelations herein were as riveting as they were haunting and came burdened with horror.
Boyne’s elegant prose drew me into the life of Odran Yates and darned if he didn’t make me love that sweet Irish lad. Odran was, I felt, an innocent soul, and everything and everyone around him did its level best to stomp the wholesomeness out of him. But in 1973, aged seventeen, he signed up for what should have been the safest place on earth: the priesthood. From his first day at seminary, Odran felt right at home and made a good friend in his cellmate Tom Cardle. A bonus, one would think. Life should have been grand for Father Yates—yes, it should have been...
As I turned the last page, I wondered if we will see the good we have accomplished at the end of our lives? Or will our focus center on all that we failed to do? And is looking at the world through rose-colored glasses an act of complicity? I, like Father Yates, prefer to see a kinder side of life, even if it ends up kicking the crap out of me.
"If I cannot see some good in all of us and hope that the pain we all share will come to an end, what kind of priest am I anyway? What kind of man?"
My heart ached to leave my new friend Odran to his life of loneliness. What a tragic and spectacularly written tale. A History of Loneliness will most likely be my favorite book of 2024....more
"Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." ― J.M. Barrie, Peter P"Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
3.5 rounded up to 4 for a good concept and an interesting ending.
In this Peter Pan-meets-steampunk-Mad-Max, Everland is a new twist on the original fairytale. As with the prototype, Pete is our hero; a cocky bit of fun with all manner of tricks up his sleeve. His sidekick, Bella, the Tinkerbelle of this yarn, adds a bit of pre-teen lovelorn angst with a large helping of attitude. And, of course, we have the villain, Hook.
While the players are reminiscent of the original, this is set in a dark, dystopian society without the magic of pixie dust and fairies. A bomb containing the Horologia virus has been dropped on London, quickly decimating the population, beginning with the adults. Children are less susceptible, though not immune, and must now find a way to live as orphans. What’s left of humanity splits into hunters and the hunted. Fifteen-year-old Gwen Darling and her younger siblings, Joanna and Mike, believe they are among the last survivors. Hiding from Hook and his marauders they scavenge to stay alive. Gwen happens upon Pete and Bella while searching for food, and so the adventure begins. Pete introduces his new-found friends to the city of ‘lost boys’ where a semblance of civilization has been restored, including running water and light via some steam-powered tinkering. But, as with any good tale, there is a looming secret…
Everland is a cute story and, though I guessed what was going to happen, I didn't lose interest. I would suggest, that it might better-suit a younger audience....more
Oh, the beauty and the agony tears at me as I think about this stunning story.
The characters are vivid and the settings so well written that I was traOh, the beauty and the agony tears at me as I think about this stunning story.
The characters are vivid and the settings so well written that I was transported to the graveyard alongside young Pip and his convict, fear streaking through me as it was for that small boy torn by a near-impossible decision. And I’m there with Pip and kind-hearted Joe in the forge. I can feel the fire on my skin and taste hot metal on the back of my tongue. In my mind, I hear the crackling of the decades-old crinoline of Miss Havisham’s skirts rustling against the marble floors of the mausoleum she calls home. Amid the stopping of Miss Havisham’s clock, the cool radiance that is Estella vibrates from the pages, bringing her to life.
If you haven’t read Great Expectations, I encourage you to do so. Yes, it was first published in 1861, and the syntax is more eloquent than that we’ve become accustomed to, but once this tale grabs hold, you will forget the language and year it was written and be all in with these new friends. The love, the heartbreak and the lessons still hold true today. Some choices, once made, can leave long-reaching scars on the hearts of those we never knew we touched. A good deed can ripple through time to places never imagined. The consequences of our actions must be accounted for, and there will always be outcomes we could never have anticipated.
Great Expectations is the real deal! The deliciously-satisfying prose is the whipped cream on the proverbial sundae that is Dickens. The plot and subplots (and sub-subplots) are astounding! The way he can weave this tangled web yet keep the interest of the reader while giving nothing away until the perfect moment … and BAM! He has you, and you sigh with the perfection of it all.
You’ve missed a gorgeous piece of literature if you don’t dive into this book!...more
“A strange sense of loss came over him. He felt that Dorian Gray would never again be to him all he had been in the past.” —Basil Hallward
Some “A strange sense of loss came over him. He felt that Dorian Gray would never again be to him all he had been in the past.” —Basil Hallward
Some books we read, and some we crawl inside to walk among the characters. I feel I have spent considerable time in the company of Basil Hallward, his best friend, Lord Henry Wooton, and the supreme muse, Dorian Gray.
“I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it.” When Basil, the artist, sputters this confession to Lord Henry, it was the understatement of the century because the likeness created in this painting, his all-consuming passion, stirred up a magic none could have predicted. Take two scoops of a painter’s soul and slowly fold in the corruption of a shallow, vain young man, add a splash of evil influence from the best friend, and you will see a life go up in flames in the most horrifying, magnificent way possible.
The descriptive imagery in The Portrait of Dorian Gray is glorious. This tale so grabbed me that I took to harassing my Kindle on several occasions, trying to warn off the players within. The story does show the darkest parts of human nature: narcissism, depravity and greed, without any thought of who might be harmed in the pursuit of pleasure and treasure; but, within its pages, there lies a great deal of love and humor, culminating in a five-star explosion of an ending.
If you haven’t read this masterpiece, please don’t wait another day! I can't praise this creation by Oscar Wilde enough....more
Almost every human being yearns to love and be loved. Often this is given first by our family, and when it isn’t, the soul searches for affection in oAlmost every human being yearns to love and be loved. Often this is given first by our family, and when it isn’t, the soul searches for affection in other places. This is the hardest road.
And so it begins. Ireland, 1945, sixteen-year-old Catherine Groggin sits in church waiting for her ‘turn.’ The dread of what might be coming builds from the first sentence until the priest drags her up and shames her in front of the entire parish, mentally and physically abusing her while everyone looks on. He then banishes her; she is, after all, pregnant and unmarried. I was horrified that an entire building full of people, including her whole family, would sit by and watch this happen. But back then the Catholic religion ruled with an iron fist, and people came to heel.
Thankfully, plucky Catherine won’t let her flame be doused; pulling herself up by her bootstraps she heads for Dublin and a new life. Unable to take care of her newborn son alone, he is placed for adoption. The book weaves its way through Dublin, Amsterdam, and NYC, and is essentially the life story of Cyril Avery as told in the first person. Adopted by Charles and Maude Avery, little Cyril is treated more like a piece of furniture than their child. He aches to feel close to someone, anyone, and realizes from the age of seven that his attraction to other boys is strong. Of course, religion and 1940s society insist that it is wrong for him to feel this way. In fact, a high percentage of the populace classify being gay as a heinous crime. Trying to deny who he is and fit within societal norms becomes a complete disaster. He longs to tell someone his secret, it’s pent up inside him like a beast, but each time he tries, some horrific occurrence surrounding the confession forces him back inside his shell. His self-destructive behavior impacts on everyone around him. The sneaking, lying and pretending that becomes his existence eventually crescendos into an event so epic that it forces him to flee Ireland for Amsterdam - and this proves to be the turning point for our friend. However, even while standing in exquisite sunshine, darkness is only ever a heartbeat away.
A perfect bite of laughter, intrigue and darkness The Heart’s Invisible Furies kept me reading like a mad person. The cast of rich, deep characters is enchanting as I felt each of them and their struggles. The writing is beautiful without being overdone, holding that perfect balance. I savored every scrumptious word from the first to the last, leaving me fulfilled. John Boyne is a superb storyteller and boy did he have a tale to tell! There are difficult themes surrounding homophobia and the treatment of gay people; ultimately this is a novel about the relationships experienced throughout one person’s lifetime.
I recommend this as being too amazing to ignore. One of my favorite reads of 2018....more
"Only dreamers, artists and misfits enjoy an alternate reality." —BanaNat
Behind the beautiful mystical cover awaits the story of a youngster named"Only dreamers, artists and misfits enjoy an alternate reality." —BanaNat
Behind the beautiful mystical cover awaits the story of a youngster named Moojie. An earthquake occurs on the night an abandoned baby is found by the nuns of San Miguel de las Gaviotas; the name Moojie is smudged across his tiny forehead. These events set in motion an extraordinary life. Magic swirls around this forsaken child as the nuns watch and worry that the imperfect infant might never find a family. But fate has its own plans for the babe and sets about bringing people into his path who can see all the possibilities that lie behind his enormous black eyes.
The road that this special young man must travel will be filled with potholes and washouts, but the pilgrimage will teach him everything he needs know so that if greatness calls, he will be ready. Impatience presses down on our uncared-for traveler, because a loving family is what he yearns for most. His quest to find where he belongs is both delightful and heartbreaking: I felt for dear Moojie, cheered his every victory and wished along with him that he would someday have his heart’s desire.
"Would anyone ever love him for his tender, kind, strange, ordinary Moojie-self?"
Robin Gregory has created a sparkling world filled with touching characters and magical folk full of spit and vinegar. This touching story stirs up those underlying human needs for belonging, acceptance and love, reminding us that love is all around if we’d only open our eyes and look.
This is a charming YA novel appropriate for the young and the young at heart. Moojie is an adorable misfit, and the ending left me with a starry smile that won’t soon dim.
"I used to be mad at life, mad at everything. And then, I woke up. It takes a long time to wake up. That’s why it doesn’t happen to people who are in a hurry."...more
"Then he made one last effort to search in his heart for the place where his affection had rotted away, and he could not find it." ― Gabriel García"Then he made one last effort to search in his heart for the place where his affection had rotted away, and he could not find it." ― Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
This dazzling tale of the Buendía family spans generations. It is a rich account of people carving out a life for themselves in Macondo, a town founded by the patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía.
"At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs. The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point."
José Arcadio Buendía is a corker! He is so hell-bent on making a wondrous discovery that he fritters away the family money on inventions purchased from a wandering troop of gypsies who miraculously show up in Macondo on occasion. Thankfully, his levelheaded wife (and first cousin), Úrsula Iguarán, works herself to the bone to make sure the family won’t starve to death. During this fantastical journey, wars were fought, fortunes won and lost, and hearts wholly decimated, leaving the jilted lovers dead in a flower bed. It must be said that the Buendia family’s foolish choices are an endless source of drama and entertainment.
"Look at the mess we've got ourselves into," Colonel Aureliano Buendia said at that time, "just because we invited a gringo to eat some bananas."
I’ve read Márquez before and loved his work, but this was a whole other animal! He expertly blurs the line between magic and realism so smoothly that it feels as if he was creating cinematic electricity! The horror is tempered by a big dose of whimsy that had me laughing through my tears. The writing is agonizingly beautiful, and each character exquisitely drawn.
In a lifetime of reading, there are only a few extraordinary novels that touch the very fabric of a person’s being—For me, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of those. I was transported into Márquez’s dreamlike creation, and for the past few days had forgotten the real world and lived entirely in his. My only regret is that it all had to come to an end.
So, if you are looking for an epic novel to steal your breath away, look no further!
Thank you, Kevin Ansbro. Your outstanding review pointed the way to this magnificent read!...more
"My childhood in Corfu shaped my life. If I had the craft of Merlin, I would give every child the gift of my childhood." —Gerald Durrell
Corfu, Gre"My childhood in Corfu shaped my life. If I had the craft of Merlin, I would give every child the gift of my childhood." —Gerald Durrell
Corfu, Greece, as seen through the eyes of Gerry Durrell, had me digging around for my passport. What a breathtaking world when viewed through his eyes. The animals and other creepy crawlies were enough to keep me reading, but when he delved into the riotously rich characters, I was captivated.
"The island lies off the Albanian and Greek coast-lines like a long, rust-eroded scimitar."
"That August, when we arrived, the island lay breathless and sun-drugged in the smouldering, peacock-blue sea under a sky that had faded to a pale powder-blue by the fierce rays of the sun."
Birds, Beasts and Relatives is the second book in the trilogy. Yes, I started with this book instead of the first one. I should be banned from reading any series. I always start somewhere in the middle! Still, I had no trouble diving right in and polished off all 294 pages in the space of an afternoon. I simply couldn’t stop. The writing is deliciously cinematic. I could hear each character as I basked in the sights, sounds and smells of the island. Gerry allowed me to accompany him on his daily ventures, watching him as he absorbed himself in the discovery of nature. His free-spirited escapades were to the vexation of his family, who wanted no part of the zoo he was building in his room.
'I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to write this book, Gerry.'
'I second that,' said Larry. 'If you publish we’ll sue you in a body.'
Faced with such a firm and united family, bristling in their resolve to prevent me at all costs, there was only one thing I could do. I sat down and wrote this book.
The humor, intertwined with the family theatre, and the island natives' intriguing ways had me rolling with laughter. The characters are full of life and I feel that I know each of them personally.
I will admit that the bugs on the cover gave me pause. However, to my delight, it's not just about the creatures, and I learned more about the beasts of the earth than I ever imagined. This boy’s curious mind had me interested as well. It took me back to my youth when the world seemed magical. It’s something we lose as time marches on, and it’s a shame.
Gerald Durrell’s prose is gloriously vibrant, his dialogue on point. I couldn’t have asked for more. I left the last pages wrapped in the warm fuzzy glow of this family’s splendid life.
Heart-warming, deep and hilarious, the story reminded me to see the magic in everyday things with a childlike curiosity and to laugh often. As a result, I will forever be a fan of Gerald Durrell.
I recommend Birds, Beasts and Relatives to readers of any age. It's absolutely charming!...more
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