"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
“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer
I will admit, I was primarily drawn to this book because I have ga“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer
I will admit, I was primarily drawn to this book because I have gamed since the days of Pong, and many of the descriptions I’ve read about this storyline appealed to the gamer in me. That being said, this is not just a book for people who love to game. This is also a book for people who are looking for an epic read.
“There is an order to any victory. There is an optimal way to play any game.”
Isn’t that as true in life as it is in gaming? Aren’t we all trying to play our best ‘game’ to get to that pot of gold, whatever it may be? This is what lies at the core of this story; the chance encounters we have on our journey. Some people whom we meet along the way might turn into lifelong influencers and will travel with us. There are always going to be a few key players in our game of life who will change our path for better and worse. We don’t know how any of these characters will fit into our ending narrative until the game is done, but we must play.
Gabrielle Zevin’s prose is absolutely divine. Her tremendous talent for world-building and rich character development had me hooked from the beginning. I was emotionally wrung out by the end of this book but with a smile on my heart.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I hope you don’t pass on this one just because of the quirky cover. Behind it is a world that will leave a lasting impression. This book is easily my favorite contemporary read of the year!...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
"The start of a new novel carried with it a sense of occasion, and the alphabets in Luna’s mind started to shuffle their letters in anticipation. S"The start of a new novel carried with it a sense of occasion, and the alphabets in Luna’s mind started to shuffle their letters in anticipation. She opened the book and began to read."
Writing a review for a story as impressive as In the Shadow of Time is difficult. I have long been a fan of Kevin Ansbro’s writing style because of his flamboyant prose and phenomenal storytelling, but this book exceeded expectations.
The aperitivo whispered of fantasy as I met a fair-skinned child and her dying parents in Silkeborg Forest, Denmark, circa 1970. "It was their intention that the chalk-skinned infant would prove easy for a passer-by to spot, reminiscent perhaps of a religious icon looking down from a wall niche in a church." But fantasy is not where this road leads, and my journey had only begun as the feisty Dr. Sofia Ustinova, a world-renowned physicist, came into view.
Cut to England in the year 2020 as Sofia watched her beast of a husband leave their Surrey mansion with great relief before she settled in for what promised to be a relaxing time with her cat Copernicus and a good tome. Although she didn't know it, the universe had bigger plans for her and her feline companion... "…an alarming noise screamed through the house, rattling it to its foundations and sending the cat scrambling for cover."
While still in England, albeit a week later, I became acquainted with Hugo Wilde, a nobleman, an assassin, and a hunky bad boy, who took center stage. With a grin on my face that was almost painful, I discovered that he and his pal Vincent were as amusing as they were deadly. "My God, you are such a peacock," grinned Vincent O’Toole, Wilde’s right-hand man and chief tormentor. "Do you deliberately order those shirts a size too small so you can show off your pretty-boy muscles?" Hugo’s next assignment would challenge everything he’d ever believed to be true.
My fellow bibliophiles, what I’ve written here is but a nibble of the big adventure that lay behind the beautiful cover. There was never a moment to pause because the many moving parts came together like a well-oiled machine, whisking the narrative along at a swift pace. This enthralling saga so transported me, that my house could have caught on fire, and I would not have noticed.
In true Ansbro style, the prose is scrumptious, with a delicious poetic filling in a multilayered story. He blends darkness with humor like a fine chocolatier tempers chocolate. This story will make you laugh and it might also make you cry.
Please excuse me while I clear the stars from my eyes after reading this incredible tale. And if you are looking for the book to read this year or any year, I highly recommend In the Shadow of Time. This is one for the ages!...more
"Crazy people are not crazy if one accepts their reasoning" - Gabriel García Márquez
I turned to the first page, anticipating what wonders Márquez"Crazy people are not crazy if one accepts their reasoning" - Gabriel García Márquez
I turned to the first page, anticipating what wonders Márquez would reveal. Sentence by sentence, I drank in the always-enchanting prose this author has to offer as the story inched along. Then I reached the summit of the first hill and whoosh! Down I went through the bends, turns and loop-de-loops of this captivating story, which centers on the life of a twelve-year-old girl, Sierva Maria.
Set in eighteenth-century South America, the story begins on Sierva’s name day, when our birthday girl is bitten by a stray dog while strolling the marketplace with her caretaker. The author transported me to a time when the effects of a common illness could be seen as possession and illustrated the fatal outcome that could befall those imagined to have contracted diseases, such as rabies.
Sierva is of noble birth, but her family is on the cusp of ruin. With a mother who wallows in obsessions of her own and a father who can barely take care of himself, the girl is subjected to all manner of voodoo-esque cures. But does she even have rabies? That is the million-dollar question left to the studious priest, Father Cayetano Delaura.
Rich characters grace these pages; could a forbidden love, forged in the fiery pits of exorcism, save our long-haired beauty? And will love conquer all?
Gabriel García Márquez’s writing is delicious - and magical realism is his gift to the reader. Of Love and Other Demons is certainly Márquez-lite, and if you were considering dipping your toes into his sumptuous world, this would be a great place to start. At 160 pages, it is a delectable bite of the author’s extraordinary talent....more
"For to serve the ones we love and receive their approval in return, need life be any more complicated than that?"
I met our hero, Pushkin, during the "For to serve the ones we love and receive their approval in return, need life be any more complicated than that?"
I met our hero, Pushkin, during the last days of the Tsar. His life in a small village was so satisfactory that he was without want of anything more. His wife Irina, however, was a cat of a different color. The bright lights and big city called and she, being a woman of strong determination, would have what she desired.
Moscow, though alien to Pushkin, folded him into the lives of those who had no sunshine; only endless lines for essential items. His poetic soul brought joy to people in a time of despair, and he found a new purpose in a place where he struggled to find solid footing at first.
Oh, how I’ve missed the delicious writing of Towles. The Line was like rain in the middle of a drought. I will leave it to you to discover the many sparkling facets of this precious jewel.
"It wouldn't make for sanity would it, living with the devil." ― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca
From the moment I began this enigmatic story, I felt as "It wouldn't make for sanity would it, living with the devil." ― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca
From the moment I began this enigmatic story, I felt as if I were a naughty houseguest who had slipped into a closed room to peek at someone’s diary. It was wicked and forbidden, so of course, I couldn’t pull myself away. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure I hadn’t been found out, I wrapped myself up in the beautiful prose and fell in love with the widower Maxim de Winter and his young miss, the narrator of this sinfully delicious tale.
"I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say."
They met in Monte Carlo, the brooding Mr. de Winter master of Manderley, an English estate, and the young lady, a hired companion to Mrs. Van Hopper. A most unlikely pairing with him in his forties and her having just reached the tender age of twenty-one; but when Maxim de Winter showed interest, our narrator fell for him hook, line and sinker. In the space of three weeks, it was all done and dusted.
"Either you go to America with Mrs. Van Hopper or you come home to Manderley with me."
"Do you mean you want a secretary or something?"
"No, I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool."
Admittedly not the proposal of her dreams, but it did what it set out to do, and they were married immediately. The stage was set for a long and happy union. What starry-eyed nonsense, you say. I was promised a thrill! Well, don’t hurry off too quickly, my fellow bibliophiles, for within this fairytale lurks an evil that will eat away at the de Winter’s peace with big slurping bites, and her name is Rebecca.
"Rebecca, always Rebecca. Wherever I walked in Manderley, wherever I sat, even in my thoughts and in my dreams, I met Rebecca."
Written in the first person, we are only privy to the narrator’s narrow point of view. Each time the new Mrs. de Winter meets someone, we are offered only tiny snippets of the past, and these morsels of information spin a vile web in her mind that almost drove us both to the brink of insanity!
Rebecca is a haunting masterpiece replete with enchanting gloominess. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a tense Gothic thriller and scrumptious prose....more
"What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?" ― Mikhail Bulgakov
The intriguin"What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?" ― Mikhail Bulgakov
The intriguing cover gave nothing away, while the title made me long for a frosty drink on the beach. I hadn’t heard a whisper about this book before, unaware of the captivating discovery I was about to make. Like a multifaceted gem, each sparkling page of this fantastical Russian wonder drew me deeper into The Master and Margarita's brilliant world. I was soon running along the steamy streets of Moscow with a vibrant cast of characters, doing my best to keep up with their unbridled antics as they turned the city on its ear.
The story packs a magical realism punch with a capital ‘M,’ delicately infused with a tale of imperishable love. A recurring theme reminiscent of a Faustian bargain is served with a large side of comedy and a big black cat as a dining companion. Most of all, it was a joy to be immersed within the pages of this multilayered novel.
"Love leaped out in front of us like a murderer in an alley leaping out of nowhere, and struck us both at once. As lightning strikes, as a Finnish knife strikes! She, by the way, insisted afterwards that it wasn’t so, that we had, of course, loved each other for a long, long time, without knowing each other, never having seen each other…"
While I openly admit this won't be the book for everyone, The Master and Margarita will be one of my favorite reads of the year.
If beautifully written prose and a scrumptious yarn that knows no boundaries are what you are looking for, then you’ve come to the right place!
With a multitude of fabulous reviews already written, plays acted out and movie adaptations made from this marvelous tale, I’ll keep my review short. With a multitude of fabulous reviews already written, plays acted out and movie adaptations made from this marvelous tale, I’ll keep my review short.
It is Dickens. His writing is silky smooth and the characters, of course, lived brightly in my mind. He’s universally considered a master of the written word for good reason.
"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it."
These lines created a poignant visual, which led me to reflect on the chains I forge in my own life.
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!"
What a wonderful world it would be if we held the spirit of Christmas in our hearts the whole year through.
Mr. Dickens has given me food for thought with this petite, magical story. I turned the last page with Tiny Tim’s encouraging words warming my spirit. "God Bless us, every one!" Indeed!
"You're begging me to go Then making me stay Why do you hurt me so bad? It would help me to know Do I stand in your way, Or am I the best thing you've had?"You're begging me to go Then making me stay Why do you hurt me so bad? It would help me to know Do I stand in your way, Or am I the best thing you've had?" —Pat Benatar 'Love is a Battlefield'
I would have loved to reduce my reading speed, so that I could savour the lyrical prose, but I was unable to stop flipping pages as if my life depended on it. This book left me emotionally wrung out and wanting for nothing. I’ve seldom experienced such a feeling of complete exhaustion, coupled with a glowing satisfaction after reading.
The character development was delicious; the writing spoke to my soul. Pride, greed, deep abiding love, life-destroying despair, plus deception and betrayal, run rampant throughout these pages. Toss in a strong female lead, and you have a story that will keep you reading through the night to see what happens next.
This fantastic tale will stay with me for the foreseeable future and maybe, if I pluck up enough courage, I’ll reread it. Hopefully, with more control next time, but I'll make no promises....more
"I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I wi"I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other." ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
I’ve watched the numerous movie versions of this classic horror tale, but nothing could have prepared me for how deeply touching the original story is when read.
My heart ached for creature and creator equally. After reading the book, I find it difficult to decide who the real monster is - a creator who abandoned his handiwork without giving it the coping mechanisms to navigate the world or the so-called beast who reacted with the rage a child might feel after being thrust into an unaccepting society.
Frankenstein is a tale of obsession, longing, desperation, and desolation. A toxic relationship between a father and his son who only find resolution in death.
I did, at times, find the length of the descriptive text a slog. But when I think about an eighteen-year-old lady taking up a challenge from the likes of Lord Byron and John Polidori to determine which of them could write the best horror story, I have to give credit where it's due. Mary Shelley came through with flying colors!
My thanks to Julie for her splendid review, which convinced me to take up this classic! Julie's review...more
"There are two wolves, and they are always fighting. One is darkness and despair, the other light and hope. Which one wins? The one you feed." - Chero"There are two wolves, and they are always fighting. One is darkness and despair, the other light and hope. Which one wins? The one you feed." - Cherokee legend
I have to start by saying Holy cats! That was not what I was expecting.
This fabulous tale begins with bumbling Mr. Lockwood, who wishes to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and looks forward to the beautiful country life. He’s on a mission to rent Thrushcross Grange from its owner, who also owns Wuthering Heights Manor. He’s welcomed as much as anyone would welcome the plague and is met with harsh treatment, as well as pack of ill-tempered dogs who violently maul him. Add to that a snowstorm that puts him in his sickbed, this rural getaway is beginning to seem like a capital idea!
As Mr. Lockwood convalesces at Thrushcross Grange, he becomes acquainted with the keeper of the house, Ellen Dean. Treading lightly after his previous encounters with these inhospitable people he approaches Miss Dean with caution and inquires after the intriguing inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. Ellen - or Nelly, as she’s known- is of a kinder disposition. She rushes off to get her knitting and settles in to tell the tale of all of the broken souls who haunt the halls of these once-grand homes.
I’m snuggled in with my new friends engrossed in the saga of Heathcliff, the foundling gipsy child and Catherine, the daughter of his benefactor (and their magnetic attraction), eagerly listening to Nelly regale the history of the Earnshaws and the Lintons, her knitting needles clicking away, when she tells of Heathcliff's hasty departure! By now, I am completely captivated, and that’s when Nelly ceases the recounting, stating that Mr. Lockwood needs his sleep. Never mind his sleep! I grumbled. Lockwood and I don't need any sleep, woman! Get on with it!
I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her! Where has Heathcliff gone? And what is going to happen to Cathy? Those two are the Richard Burton and Liz Taylor of their day! Tell! Tell! And be quick about it!
Thankfully, Nelly returned to the story after some urging from my good man Lockwood, and we find that Cathy has married Edgar Linton! She’s living at Thrushcross Grange with Edgar and his sister Isabella, and they are as happy as clams.
Then the poo hits the proverbial fan back at Wuthering Heights.
Mr. Heathcliff comes strolling back into the picture, slick as you please, after three years away. He's looking all Rico Suave as he pops over to Cathy’s new digs, intending to stir the fire in her loins. And here she is married to another. Oh my! Next, the wilting flower, Isabella, upon laying her baby blues on ol' Heathcliff has a mighty yearning for the brooding bad boy, and all the while the devilish rogue is licking his chops at the thought of her juicy money. Cathy turns lime green with jealousy and Nelly is about to have a breakdown over the whole hot mess. It's code red over there!
The outcome for these dismally unhappy folks could hardly be a 'happily ever after' one ... Or could it? I won’t spoil Wuthering Heights for anyone who is yet to read this engrossing melodrama. The story is wild, dark and stormy, and I devoured it as if I was starving. The prose is so evocative as to create a movie in my mind that culminates in a spectacular finish. A story of vengeance, love, greed and the cost of evil deeds; but could there also be redemption?
One of my favorite lines; Cathy says of Heathcliff: "He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
I would urge anyone who hasn’t read this dazzling novel, to please give it a try. I’m still reeling!...more
Five brilliantly shining stars! My favorite read of the year!
"We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too." –Anonymous
As I closed the gFive brilliantly shining stars! My favorite read of the year!
"We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too." –Anonymous
As I closed the gorgeous cover of this book, I find that more exact words were never written. I have been swept away by mermaids, lost in a faraway world with a space-travelling cowboy and found myself in tears over a love that could not be. Kevin Ansbro has indeed taken me on a journey from Cornwall to Phuket and nearly every exciting place in-between. Reading The Minotaur’s Son & Other Wild Tales has been like peeping through the looking glass into worlds I could never have dreamed of. I feel like Alice in the Wonderland that Ansbro has created!
And some of these wild tales will make you cackle. I laughed so hard at the hip-thrusting cowboy from the twenty-second century that my dog growled at me. The growling, of course, only made me chuckle even louder! However, within these pages you will also find poignant stories of honor and modern-day fables that are packed with moral dilemmas. There is even a magical concubine and a postman. One would be hard-pressed to ever come across such a fantastical cast of characters. Honestly, there wasn’t one of these brilliant allegories that I didn’t love.
I have to give a special nod to one story in particular. Kinnara, another dazzling book by this author, is my favorite book of all time, and in this splendid assemblage, I was given another taste of Thailand. A lovely surprise!
I would be remiss if I didn’t lavish praise over the buttery rich picturesque prose that graces the pages of every Ansbro creation. Some of the passages are so artfully crafted that I reread them just to bask in the glorious images Ansbro paints with words.
"Once the sea was alone, it whispered its watery secrets and drifted into a deep sleep."
So, if you like historical fiction, this book has it. Fancy a little Science Fiction? Here it is! How about some spectacular magical realism? Yesiree! Step right up and get yourself a copy! Love, laughter, tragedy, longing, greed ... all that and more burst to life from these fabulous pages. I haven’t quit thinking about the array of fascinating characters and a reread is sure to beckon.
There couldn’t possibly be a more entertaining book on the market today!...more
Originally written for BBC radio, the rise and fall of the voices are like the slow roll of the ocean. After reading it, I wished that I had opted forOriginally written for BBC radio, the rise and fall of the voices are like the slow roll of the ocean. After reading it, I wished that I had opted for the audiobook. Under Milk Wood would be spectacular when read aloud.
The setting is a Welsh fishing village just tucking in for the night. From the first line, the dreamy lyrical prose captured my imagination, painting a clear picture of the locale and its residents.
"To begin at the beginning: It is Spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and-rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea."
As I strolled through the sleeping town of Llareggub, I caught snippets of the things dreams are made of-from candy to crinoline and loving to laughable. I was drawn into each dreamer’s secret world by night and their curious routines by day.
This play strikes all the right notes with laughter, heartache and even some naughty bits! Under Milk Wood is an engaging read.
"You can hear the dew falling, and the hushed town breathing."
"Time passes. Listen. Time passes. Come closer now. Only you can hear the houses sleeping in the streets in the slow deep salt and the silent black, bandaged night."...more
Gerald Durrell, where have you been all of my life? I’ve laughed my way through three books with you, Five "A-tear-in-my-eye-because-it’s-over" stars!
Gerald Durrell, where have you been all of my life? I’ve laughed my way through three books with you, dear Gerry. ‘Watching’ you be a nuisance to some and a pleasure to others. You’ve held my rapt attention while driving your family to the brink of madness with your accumulation of birds, bugs and furry little creatures. Now here I am at the end of our journey. But WHAT a ride!
It’s bittersweet to write this review for the final installment in your Corfu trilogy. Along the way, I’ve become a part of the Durrell family, and they welcome everyone if you can take the heat! I choose as an example Lumy Lover and Harry Honey, friends of Larry who came to stay for a while. These two were the butt of several hilarious practical jokes served up by the family - not Mother, of course, but I did see her giggle when no one was looking.
Then there were the parties that somehow never went to plan. One such gathering resulted in a near-death experience and a knicker-showing incident. Oh my! The humor everyone involved maintained when confronted with these crazy situations was admirable, as well as a life lesson. Take things in stride and enjoy the trip!
I’ve learned more about insects, flora, fauna and the native animals of Corfu than I could have ever imagined. What a beautiful gift I’ve been given to be able to explore this magnificent Greek island alongside Gerry, Roger and of course, Widdle and Puke; my childlike curiosity awakened, and my heart filled with joy.
I am compelled to travel to Corfu after reading this series. How could I not? Charm and delight fill these pages. The writing is splendidly picturesque, the characters enchanting. Please read this trilogy if you haven’t. It is spectacular!
"Spring, in its season, came like a fever; it was as though the island shifted and turned uneasily in the warm, wet bed of winter and then, suddenly and vibrantly, was fully awake, stirring with life under a sky as blue as a hyacinth bud into which a sun would rise, wrapped in mist as fragile and as delicately yellow as a newly completed silkworm cocoon."
"The corporal fumbled with his holster and then, at the crucial moment, drew his forty-five and fired five rounds approximately two yards away from the King’s right ear. It immediately became obvious that the fort had not thought to tell the Welcoming Committee about its signal and so the Committee, to say the least, was taken aback, as was the King and, indeed, as were we all.
'My God, they’ve amputated him,' screamed Margo, who always lost both her head and her command over English in moments of crisis."
"It had been one of those prodigious, desiccating, earth-cracking summers that was so hot it even bleached the sky to a pale end-of-summer, forget-me-not colour and flattened the sea so that it lay like a great blue pool, unmoving, warm as fresh milk."...more
"This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I and my family made on the Greek island of Corfu. It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalg"This is the story of a five-year sojourn that I and my family made on the Greek island of Corfu. It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island, but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages. Having got themselves on paper, they then proceeded to establish themselves and invite various friends to share the chapters."
I say, Mr. Durrell, introducing your wildly entertaining family was the icing on the cake to this spectacular tale!
The things I’ve seen, heard and experienced in the pages of this novel could hardly be put into words without the picturesque writing skills that Gerald Durrell possessed. However, if I could pick a family to call my own, it would be the Durrells. With Gerry’s siblings, Larry, Leslie, and Margo, the amusement is endless! Their unflappable mother is adorable: so calm and collected considering she lived in a home that had become a cross between a madhouse and a zoo! And the supporting characters are every bit as lovable. Spiro, a local taxi driver, takes the family under his wing and becomes an integral part of their daily lives.
One of my favorite scenes, which I’ve aptly named ‘the flinging of the scorpions’, follows:
"Then one day I found a fat female scorpion in the wall, wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat. Closer inspection proved that this strange garment was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother’s back. …I made up my mind to smuggle them into the house …"
Gerry placed his new find in a matchbox and left it on the mantle while they all sat down to lunch. As luck would have it, brother Larry was a smoker. I yelled at my Kindle to warn Larry of the hidden danger inside the matchbox he was about to open, but of course, they never listen to me!
"He uttered a roar of fright that made Lugaretzia drop a plate and brought Roger out from beneath the table, barking wildly. With a flick of his hand, he sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti …" The ensuing chaos had me doubled over with laughter!
I also giggled as the ‘magenpies’ – the name Spiro gives to magpies - destroyed Larry’s manuscript; and again when a snake-filled bathtub sent Leslie streaking into the midst of a party with only a small towel for covering. In fact, I hooted aloud so often that my own dogs would watch me with rapt attention, perplexed by my sudden outbursts.
Every page is filled with dreamily descriptive writing so remarkable that I feel as if I’ve experienced the entire book first hand. I would urge anyone, no matter your age, to give this heart-warming, hilarious romp a go. Gerald Durrell is one of the most gifted writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading....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
"It's too good, she is. She wants to find the good in others, and sometimes her way of finding that is to trust them, hoping she'll not be disappoi"It's too good, she is. She wants to find the good in others, and sometimes her way of finding that is to trust them, hoping she'll not be disappointed but she sometimes is." ― Claire Keegan
Judging by the title and the cover, Foster was not what I expected, yet was everything I could have wanted it to be. The writing is so pure that there is no effort in the reading. I absorbed every word and was transported to a farm in Ireland where I met a girl with long legs, taken by her impoverished father to spend the summer with relatives. It sounds like a straightforward tale, but I promise you it is anything but simple.
The youngster, one of many siblings, found herself an only child in this new home environment. It was uncomfortable in a comforting way. Mrs. Kinsella, the substitute mother, scrubbed away the child's dirt and replaced her worn dress with sturdy work clothes. The story is filled with relatable exchanges that might have appeared humdrum if written by a lesser author, but in the hands of Claire Keegan became a cleansing of the soul – mine included.
I don’t want to give away the soulful beauty that lies between the covers of this incredible book. Suffice to say, Foster is eighty-eight pages of brilliance. Keegan wrote the book that my heart already knew about, and by the time I turned the last page, I felt I was that girl in Ireland. Bravo, Ms. Keegan!
If you haven’t read this, I urge you to run - don’t walk - to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy. It would be a terrible shame to miss this glorious short story!
I’ve already pre-ordered her next book, and I can hardly wait!...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
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