The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Title: The Age of Innocence

Author: Edith Wharton

Published: 1920

Genre: Classics

Pages: 366

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 1001 Books; TBR Reduction; Ebook; Books to Movies; Back to the Classics -- Woman Author

At the heart of the story are three people whose entangled lives are deeply affected by the tyrannical and rigid requirements of high society. Newland Archer, a restrained young attorney, is engaged to the lovely May Welland but falls in love with May's beautiful and unconventional cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska. Despite his fear of a dull marriage to May, Archer goes through with the ceremony — persuaded by his own sense of honor, family, and societal pressures. He continues to see Ellen after the marriage, but his dreams of living a passionate life ultimately cease.

Okay. I get this novel. I get Wharton's criticism of high society. I get the conflict the characters feel. I understand and yet I'm not the biggest fan of this book. Mostly because I can't stand Newland Archer. I get May and the Countess. I understand their behavior, but Newland was just way too selfish for my tastes.

Movie:

I loved the movie adaptation. The actors were cast perfectly, especially Daniel Day-Lewis. Swoon! He even made Archer a more likable character. And Michelle Pfeiffer shined as Countess Olenska. Plus, the movie just looked amazing! I loved the sets and even more, the costumes! Those dresses were intricate and absolutely gorgeous. Perfect adaptation of a historical novel.  Definitely a keeper in terms of a book-to-movie.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Title: Ethan Frome

Author: Edith Wharton

Publisher: 1911

Genre: Classic Fiction

Pages: 99

Rating:  3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Rory Gilmore; 1001 Books; TBR Reduction; A to Z - E; 52 Books - W5; Classics - Name in Title

Perhaps the best-known and most popular of Edith Wharton's novels, Ethan Frome is widely considered her masterpiece. Set against a bleak New England background, the novel tells of Frome, his ailing wife Zeena and her companion Mattie Silver, superbly delineating the characters of each as they are drawn relentlessly into a deep-rooted domestic struggle. Burdened by poverty and spiritually dulled by a loveless marriage to an older woman. Frome is emotionally stirred by the arrival of a youthful cousin who is employed as household help. Mattie's presence not only brightens a gloomy house but stirs long-dormant feelings in Ethan. Their growing love for one another, discovered by an embittered wife, presages an ending to this grim tale that is both shocking and savagely ironic.

A classic author I have been meaning to read for years now. I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed in this novel. I just wasn't feeling any of the characters. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the bleak landscape. Those were where Wharton truly shined. But the characters and storyline just weren't that intriguing to me at all.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Title: Beloved

Author: Toni Morrison

Publisher: Vintage 1988

Genre: Literature

Pages: 291

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall into Reading; Time Top 100; Rory Gilmore; 1001 Books; Ebook; Lucky 14 - Been There Forever

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.

I was intrigued by the storyline.  And the characters were great.  I really fell for Sethe and Denver.  But I must say that I was not a fan of the writing style. After almost 300 pages of the writing, I almost didn't make it to the end.  I wanted to see what happened to everyone, but the writing was getting to me.  My biggest complaint was the dialogue passages. Often I got very confused about who was speaking at any given time. Not a fan at all...

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Title: Fingersmith

Author: Sarah Waters

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2002

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 584

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 21st Century Women Authors; 1001 Books; Mount TBR; New Author; Lucky No. 14 - Books vs. Movies

Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.

Oh... I really liked this one.  In the beginning of the novel, I thought I would tire of Sue's narration, but then things started happening and plot twists were revealed.  And suddenly I was right in the thick of the story.  I was rooting for Sue to find her escape and her happiness.  I did not see her future as laid out as one carefree, but I was hoping for a bit of happiness.  This book kept me guessing as to what was just around the corner.  I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Movie:

I've loved Sally Hawkins ever since I saw her in Persuasion.  I got really excited when I saw that she was playing Susan. After watching the movie version, I'd have to saw that I like the book even more.  This was a faithful adaptation of the story, although they changed the order slightly.  We get much more from Maud's point of view right away.  But I understand.  For the movie version, this just works better.  We are still experiencing the twists and turns as the plot moves forward.  We will get the big reveals. And we get all the great characters brought to life on screen.  Definitely recommend this one.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Title: The Little Prince

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Publisher: Reynal & Hitchcock 1943

Genre: Children's Literature

Pages: 112

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fantasy Project; 1001 Books; New Author; Monthly Key - July; What's in a Name - Position of Royalty

Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince. Richard Howard's new translation of the beloved classic--published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's birth--beautifully reflects Saint-Exupéry's unique and gifted style. Howard has excelled in bringing the English text as close as possible to the French, in language, style, and most important, spirit. 

Somehow I have gone 32 years without reading The Little Prince.  This is the year I rectify that slight.  And I'm so glad that I did.  This is a delightful little story that appeals to all ages.  It's usually shelved in the children's section, but really it could be shelved anywhere.  The nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout make it a classic.  I love that this story has some many different layers.  I feel like this is a volume that once read again would yield an entirely different outcome.

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

Title: Casino Royale

Author: Ian Fleming

Publisher: Jonathan Cape 1953

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 213

Rating: 3/5 stars    Movie: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 1001 Books; New Author; 52 Books - W32;  Books to Movies

In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming’s agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who’s been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table.

One of SMERSH’s most deadly operatives, the man known only as “Le Chiffre,” has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be “retired” by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards won’t cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon finds himself dodging would-be assassins, fighting off brutal torturers, and going all-in to save the life of his beautiful female counterpart, Vesper Lynd.

J warned me that the since this was the first book in the series, it started off a bit slow.  That was an understatement.  I almost put the book down because of the first three chapters.  They were clunky and downright boring.  I understand that the author has to set up the world, but this was not done well at all.  But I stuck with it.  The book did get better.  The baccarat scene was amazing.  The torture seen was almost unreadable, but in a good way.  Those two chapters were definitely the high points.  The ending was a bit of a let down, but I see how it sets up Bond for the rest of the series.  I ended up knocking off a star for the clunky writing and pace.  I knocked off another star for my own personal tastes.  The multiple comments about how women need to be scene and not heard, kept in the kitchen, etc, really got to me.  I know this was written in 1953, but I'd still not prefer to read it.  Overall an interesting read, but definitely not going to be a favorite and I probably won't continue the series.

Movie:

I really really enjoyed this movie.  Of course, the movie makers made changes from the book.  They added the entire first sequence and multiple more action beats while keeping the main storyline and the tone of the book.  Plus, I adore Daniel Craig as Bond.  He has the grit and the hard nature.  Overall, an awesome adaptation.  I dare say better than the book.

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Title: A Room with a View

Author: E.M. Forster

Genre: Classics

Pages: 204

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Book to Movie; Back to the Classics -- 20th Century Classic; 1001 Books; Rory Gilmore

British social comedy examines a young heroine's struggle against strait-laced Victorian attitudes as she rejects the man her family has encouraged her to marry and chooses, instead, a socially unsuitable fellow she met on holiday in Italy. Classic exploration of passion, human nature and social convention.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in this novel.  I had heard that it was a great social commentary piece.  I had heard that it had great characters.  I guess I can see those things.  However, throughout most of the book I was just bored.  Guess it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Movie:

Loved the actor choices for this novel. Loved the locations.  Thought it was a very good adaptation of the novel.  But, like the novel I was bored throughout most of the movie.  This will not be on my rewatch list.

2014 Reading Challenges -- Perpetual Edition

Overall, I want to focus most of my 2014 reading challenges of knocking out some of my perpetual reading challenges.  So I've chosen a few books from each challenge to help me reach my ultimate goals.

Fantasy Project: 20 Books

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
5. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
6. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
8. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
9. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
10. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
11. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
12. The Little Prince by
13. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
14. TBD
15. TBD
16. TBD
17. TBD
18. TBD
19. TBD
20. TBD

Nonfiction Adventure: 20 Books

1. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
2. Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
3. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
4. John Adams by
5. Washington by
6. American Lion by
7. Woodrow Wilson by
8. Alexander Hamilton by
9. The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge
10. What Ifs of American History by
11. A Vindication on the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
12. Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon
13. The Emperor of Maladies by
14. TBD
15. TBD
16. TBD
17. TBD
18. TBD
19. TBD
20. TBD

NPR Scifi and Fantasy: 10 Books

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
3. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
6. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
7. Neuromancer by William Gibson
8. Contact by Carl Sagan
9. Dune by Frank Herbert
10. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

NPR Teen Books: 10 Books

1. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
2. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
3. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
5. Dune by Frank Herbert
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
7. TBD
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD

Top 100 YA Novels: 5 Books

1. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
2. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
3. Tithe by Holly Black
4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
5. TBD

21st Century Women Authors: 5 Books

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
3. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
4. House of Riverston by Kate Morton
5. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

United States of YA: 5 Books

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

Time Top 100: 5 Books

1. Neuromancer by William Gibson
2. Beloved by Toni Morrison
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

Rory Gilmore: 10 Books

1. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
2. Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
3. The TIme Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
6. Siddartha by Herman Hesse
7. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
8. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
9. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
10. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

1001 Books: 10 Books

1. Neuromancer by William Gibson
2. Contact by Carl Sagan
3. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
6. Siddartha by Herman Hesse
7. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
8. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
9. The Little Prince by
10. The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Douglas Adams

U.S. Presidents: 5 Books

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
2. John Adams by
3. American Lion by
4. Washington by
5. Woodrow Wilson by

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Title: Vanity Fair

Author: William Makepeace Thackeray

Genre: Classics 1847

Pages: 912

Rating:  3/5 stars    Movie: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- 19th Century; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading; Rory Gilmore (Perpetual); 1001 Books (Perpetual)

How I Got It: I own it!

Scorned for her lack of money and breeding, Becky must use all her wit, charm and considerable sex appeal to escape her drab destiny as a governess. From London’s ballrooms to the battlefields of Waterloo, the bewitching Becky works her wiles on a gallery of memorable characters, including her lecherous employer, Sir Pitt, his rich sister, Miss Crawley, and Pitt’s dashing son, Rawdon, the first of Becky’s misguided sexual entanglements.

Filled with hilarious dialogue and superb characterizations, Vanity Fair is a richly entertaining comedy that asks the reader, “Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?”

Hmmm... I thought i would like this book more than I actually did.  The story is good.  The characters are good.  But I guess I just don't really like Thackeray's writing style.  There's something about the prose that annoyed me throughout the book.  Still, I would recommend this novel to those who already have a love of the 19th century classics.

Movie:

The movie was much more enjoyable than the book, probably because I didn't have to be annoyed by the writing style.  I loved this lengthy adaptation.  Reese Witherspoon is great as Becky Sharp, although I think she's nicer in the movie than the book.  Romola Garai is great as the meek Amelia.  And I so love Rhys Ifans as Dobbins.  Overall, a few changes from the novel, but I still really liked it.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Title: Middlesex

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Publisher: Picador 2002

Genre: Literature

Pages: 544

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; Mount TBR; Book Bingo - 4 from everyone but me; 52 Books - W44; Rory Gilmore; 1001 Books; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: iPad Read (Book Club Selection)

"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974. . . My birth certificate lists my name as Calliope Helen Stephanides. My most recent driver’s license...records my first name simply as Cal."

So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City, and the race riots of l967, before they move out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction. Lyrical and thrilling, Middlesex is an exhilarating reinvention of the American epic.  Middlesex is the winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

This has been on my TBR list for years, but I've always been scared to dive in.  The subject matter is extremely serious.  How do we approach the subject of intersex?  Overall, I think Eugenides does a great job approaching the topic from a unique angle.  Cal is an intriguing character and narrator.  I found those the parts about Cal's life to be fascinating.  The first half of the book focusing on Desdemona and Lefty and Milton and Tessie dragged a bit.  The first half was difficult to connect to.  Because of my reluctance to dive completely into the book, I knocked off a star.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Title: Gulliver's Travels

Author: Jonathan Swift

Genre: Classics; Fantasy

Pages: 333

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Classics -- 18th Century; Mount TBR; Dusty Bookshelf; Book to Movie; 1001 Books; Fall into Reading; Fantasy Project

How I Got It: I own it

Jonathan Swift's satirical novel was first published in 1726, yet it is still valid today. Gulliver's Travels describes the four fantastic voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a kindly ship's surgeon. Swift portrays him as an observer, a reporter, and a victim of circumstance. His travels take him to Lilliput where he is a giant observing tiny people. In Brobdingnag, the tables are reversed and he is the tiny person in a land of giants where he is exhibited as a curiosity at markets and fairs. The flying island of Laputa is the scene of his next voyage. The people plan and plot as their country lies in ruins. It is a world of illusion and distorted values. The fourth and final voyage takes him to the home of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses who rule the land. He also encounters Yahoos, filthy bestial creatures who resemble humans.

I can't believe that I've never actually read the entirety of this novel.  Sure, I've read excerpts.  I know most of the storyline.  I've seen multiple television and movie adaptations.  I've also read basically everything else that Swift has written.  But somehow I've never actually read the whole book.  Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the book, but the notes really helped me understand the satirical nature of Swift's writing.  The problem is that Swift wrote this very specific to a time and place.  I love his commentary on the political state of Great Britain. While Gulliver goes on four adventures and meets four basic groups of people, the Lilliputians are still my favorite.  I love how Gulliver finds himself a part of this strange land.  A good book but because of its very specific nature, it's a hard volume to get into for modern audiences.

Movie:

I had hoped to watch the Ted Danson miniseries version of the book, but I couldn't find it anywhere.  Boo! So I settled for the Jack Black version because the library had it in stock and available for loan.  I was very disappointed by this adaptations.  All of the satire is lost with Jack Black's incessant nonsense.  Even the inclusion of Chris O'Dowd and Catherine Tate (two awesome British actors!) could not save the ridiculousness of this movie.  Definitely a disappoint.  Glad I didn't pay for this one at all...