Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

As my readers have probably figured out by now I like Jane Austen. Despite the fact that she is known for writing nothing but romances. I find her characters well drawn and her situations intriguing. Sense and sensibility was one of her earlier works. It is one of her most popular but for me I must confess I didn't find it up to Pride and Prejudice. Still it was good.

One aspect of this novel I did like was the surprise ending. Typically I've been able fairly early to figure out the plot of Jane Austen's novels. Thats not bad because plot isn't what she is about. The journey is what it's all about. I was surprised though that Marianne ended up with the older guy everyone wanted her to end up with. I assumed her original love Willoughby would turn out to be acceptable.

The term Sense and Sensibility would be retitled Logic and Emotion today. Elinor is the conservative, clear headed, hold onto your heart, kind of girl. Marianne is the exuberant, grab life by the horns, live life to the fullest kind of person. One underlying theme throughout this novel is the contrast of these two characters. Jane Austen doesn't beat you over the head with it though. It is still basically a classic romance with some interesting and beautifully drawn characters.

Willoughby is a no good character with a lot of charm. This is another clue I missed in this novel. Watch the charming fella's in a Jane Austen novel they usually turn out bad. It's the brooding quiet ones that end up winning the day and the girls heart. He makes the entire community of the story believe he intends to marry Marianne. It's a different world in those days when intentions were considered far more binding than they are today. Today what we would view as only being binding after marriage is binding at the mere indication of interest. At least it seems that way to me. Dangerous territory for someone like Willoughby. In the end though Marianne manages to avoid an entanglement with him and then mostly because she doesn't bring any wealth to the match.

Elinor on the other hand gets the guy she wants from the start. It is her suitors vile mother who has made their match difficult. In the end both brother's violate her strict rules for a wife and thus Edward is free'd to marry Elinor.

The book has all the fine writing of Jane Austen. I just didn't consider it quite up to Pride and Prejudice's level. 4 out of 5.

The Virginian by Owen Wister

The Virginian is the first western I personally have read that is literary. I’ve read many that fall under the category of a more formulaic genre novel. I think the western, as a setting, is rich with literary possibilities. Character which is always at the center of literary fiction is very much also at the center of the western tradition. The tall man standing alone for justice such as in the Gary Cooper film High Noon is just one such example.

This novel is about a cowboy in Wyoming who hails from Virginia. When I say cowboy I mean cowboy in the literal sense and not just in the fictional sense. When as children we played cowboys and Indians, there was no notion of herding cattle. This Virginian is a true cowboy in all ways. He progresses in the book from a mere horse tamer and cow herder, to a foreman but along the way he is living the life of a cowboy.

There are three major themes in the book. There is a romance where a woman from the east arrives and catches our hero’s fancy. There is a disgruntled adversary who seems as unreasonable as they come and who ultimately draws down with our hero in a deadly gunfight. And lastly there are the unwritten rules of the west: rustlers are hung; men have to make a stand; problems are dealt with internally.

The romance is sweet and well developed. The woman doesn’t seem the type for the Virginian to fall for but he is persistence and he tries really hard. The reader might grow impatient with both of them as it progresses but this is pretty normal for romantic fiction. There is tension between the hard life he leads and her feelings for him. She is a blueblood with a superior family name from New England. Her family expects her to marry well. A suitable candidate has already courted her but she has refused him. Everything is setup for their ultimate romance. He rescues her from a river early. They have their troubles. His rough edges and her firm conviction she must marry appropriately. Ultimately in the end love wins out but not before many struggles, which is what fiction is all about.

The villain throughout the story is crossing paths with the hero. They clash when the villain is trying to convince the men to go after gold and quit the cowboy business. The Virginian feels responsible to bring his crew back to his employer intact. The battle this time is won with wits. The hero always exhibits a charming ability to sway with humor and a good yarn. There are several other conflicts and in the end there is the gunfight.

The author sets out some of the moral issues of the setting. How to handle corruption within the legal system that plagues the ranchers is one such issue. In the end rustlers are hunted down and hung without trial. Such summary justice affronts our own sense of right and wrong. The author though is deft at setting out both sides of the issue.

Overall I found the word choices average and in places even difficult. The story was well done and the characters sparkled mostly. The use of first person narrative followed by third person in places seems overdone but it was not intrusive or distracting. Overall literarily I give it a 3 out 5. The authenticity of the writing seemed strong as well.

Glad you could read. The next book is Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

In This House of Brede by Rummer Godden

Hey Folks. I'm sure you thought me done reviewing but not true. I just got a book last month I didn't like well enought to review. This month though I am back. I've also been a little lax in reading my new years resolution list. Never fear though I am redoubling my reading efforts.

This House of Brede is about a monastary of nuns. It is about the lives of those who live within it's walls. At first, I imagine the primary character to be Phillipa, a high powered businesswoman who suddenly goes into the monastary. She is just one of the characters though. It has been said this book is one of the most sympathetic, yet realistic depictions of monastic life. I don't know a lot about such things but the book and characters rang true.

This story is a character story. The monastary is faced with numerous challenges but these challenges primarily exist to reveal the characters to us. The way various personalities all dedicated to God approach communal life. Some of the challenges include a beautiful young woman whose mother is resistant to her taking vows and applies constant pressure for her to drop out and marry. Becoming a Benedictine nun is not something gone into quickly or lightly. Often it takes five years or longer to achieve full status. At most points along that process the nun can leave without any disrespect. It is emphasized strongly that being a nun is a calling and that many think they are called but in fact are not. The term they use is vocation.

Another is financial mismanagement. Another is doing work one dislikes. As a community these nuns are forced to get out of their comfort zone a lot more than I would have thought going into the book. It seems as though the Abbess is adept at preventing any nun from becoming comfortable. They view being a nun as a great sacrifice and that sacrifice needs to be felt in order for it to be fully appreciated and a true one. Phillipa is one of the prime characters who has to undergo these tests but she is not the only one. Phillipa entered the monastary believing she was leaving the stress and responsibility of the work world behind. She learns there are responsibilities to be in the community that are every bit as taxing and challenging at times.

The author actually lived within a monastary for several years doing research. She never became a nun but she was given wide range in her study of the nuns. The book is fiction but it has a lot of research behind it. Part of why the book rings true.

As for literary merit, I found the book to be an excellent study of multiple character transformations. Any person of faith, whether they agree with monastic orders or not, could appreciate the themes of this book. Obedience, faith, discipline, are all things to be appreciated and regarded in any religion. For this reason I rate the book a four out of five.

I am currently reading The Virginian for next time. Hopefully I won't take so long before I write again. Thanks for reading and please comment below.

The Cider House Rules by John Irving

I've only read one other book by John Irving which I reviewed here. This book follows the same style. Irving is heavy on characterization and not heavy on plot. A lot of literary books follow this form. The character is the plot basically. I feel like A Prayer for Owen Meany was the better book but that this one was very good. In PFOM, the book seems to come together and finish a bit more strongly. In this book, it ends as expected without surprise. I enjoyed the ending and felt it tied up the lose ends well. Just not up to PFOM.

The story is about an orphan, an orphanage, abortion, destiny, and love. Homer Wells the main protagonist starts out a young orphan and ends the story a middle aged man. His mentor Wilbur Larch teaches Homer how to be a Obstetrician and Homer learns his lesson well. The doctor wants Homer to succeed him but Homer is resistant to the idea. While obviously gifted since he picks everything up with ease, Homer wants to chart his own path. A good half the book is Homer living life outside the orphanage. He becomes part of a love triangle that ultimately never falls apart despite the two men knowing the truth.

If the story can be said to have a singular thread that ties everything together, besides Homer Wells of course, it is the subject of abortion. Homer and the Dr. Larch are at odds a bit in the book over the subject. The orphanage overs abortion in a time period when abortion is illegal. Women come there to discreetly have an abortion or to have the child and leave it. Dr. Larch seems neutral as to which choice they make. He is though a strong advocate for the choice. Homer ends up saying he won't perform abortions because he believes the fetus has a soul but in the end he is convinced to do so. The book could be said to be a polemic against illegal abortion. While my own views are strongly pro-life, I felt that Irving presented a variety of views and didn't beat me over the head too often about abortion. I think art is a great medium for subtly presenting a position. I think Irving does a good job. I am just not convinced of course. This does not reflect though on the value of the art. The art of writing is the beauty of the words and process. It is not affected by the conclusion drawn by the book.

I really liked this book. Irving probably wanders far afield at times and perhaps this keeps him from being perfect. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 literarily. It was very entertaining.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

I guess you can count me a Thomas Hardy fan. I really enjoyed Tess of the d'Urbevilles and Far from the Madding Crowd. Each book of his including this one has been independent. It's not like I'm reading the same thing all over again.

This book has many fascinating characters and as most of his books reflects on the mores of Victorian society. The primary arc of the book is about the rise and fall of a man. His mayorship spans the central portion of the book. It really though has nothing to do with him being mayor. It is not a political book. It is about relationships. It is about being a husband, a wife, a daughter, a father.

Hardy doesn't let you hate any character for too long. Nor does he let you love another too much. His characters are gray. The women in general are perhaps a bit more sympathetic than the men. Even so I found myself despite all his flaws and bad deeds finding myself in the end sympathizing with the Mayor. If we are honest with ourselves, we can see and understand what drove this man. He wasn't without sympathy. He did though do things that horrified me. It's these conflicting emotions that Hardy teases out that makes his books what they are, careful studies of human nature.

This book does not have a happy ending. It is not a romance. It explores relationships which include romance. The book vibrates with emotion and heart. On the other hand the ending is not so bitter that I'd call it completely unhappy. The final words do bring to mind the philosophy of Thomas Hardy. If we are happy, we should be thankful, for happiness is rare and precious. I'm not sure how much I embrace this view of happiness but in the Victorian era perhaps there is something to it. Life could be hard and happiness more a result of random fortune than anything else.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 as a classic. I just finished Cider House Rules by John Irving and will review it next. I am starting War and Peace.

Dr. Whortle's School by Anthony Trollope

I have to admit I enjoy the Victorian Era moralistic novel.  I like characters that are put in impossible moral situations and either rise or fall based upon their decisions.   Dr. Whortle’s School is a good example of this sort of novel.   It is my first book by Anthony Trollope and thus I can’t comment or compare to his other work.

Dr. Whortle, the protagonist of the novel, is a clergyman who also owns a renowned prep school.   Part of being renowned in that time period would be having a sterling reputation.   At the start of the novel, Dr. Whortle is a stellar example of gentlemanly honor and conduct.   His school prepares students for Oxford and Eton.   The finest families in the land are sending their children to his school for instruction in morals as well as Latin.

Dr. Whortle is so well respected in fact that he is viewed as a man who won’t bend his principles for business success.   Of course he is already highly successful and this attitude likely makes him all the more a character to his customers.   Dr. Whortle flirts with arrogance but the character is drawn warmly and the reader is not alienated but rather amused.

Early in the story Dr. Whortle makes an enemy of a busybody named Stantilope who plagues him from then on out.   He makes this enemy over a very small matter.   This shows his absolute unwillingness to budge on principle.   It is a clue to the rest of the story that I confess the first time through I missed.

It is not long before the problem is presented.   I was half expecting to see Dr. Whortle fall.   He was built up so high that I thought the only way he could go was down.   What I missed was that he reputation was built high but that his true character remained untested.   The author sets out to test Whortle and to ultimately prove he is the man he is represented to be.   I think nowadays this would be novel. We modern readers want people to fall and not stand up under pressure.   At least it seems this way to me.

I won’t ruin the entire story but the moral test comes over an employee of the school and a fellow clergyman.   Dr. Whortle must choose between the right and ecclesiastical law.    Prior to making this choice everything is put on the line.   Dr. Whortle must be willing to sacrifice everything, the school, his position, even the security of his wife and daughter, for the sake of honor.   Dr. Whortle proves just as stubborn in this decision has he as been in the past over minor matters.   

All of his allies in the church, his wife, his friends, all advise him to do the legal think and ignore the right.   Society would see him in the right regardless of his own personal feelings on the matter.   His daughter being put on the line was especially poignant as I being a father could feel his pain.   The wife was no help other than to obey meekly when he directed the right path.

The ending is perhaps a bit pat.   Once I saw that Dr. Whortle was a true character of honor I thought he’d suffer for his choice.   In the end though things work out.   The way they work out seemed a little too lucky.   Novels of this era do suffer from this on occasion.

I rate this book, 4 out of 5 stars.   I think we need uplifting characters, who do the right thing even today.   

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I've been slow to comment on this book.  I even attended my book club and discussed the book before writing this review which for me is unusual.  I like to get my blog done before I hear others opinions.

One fact for sure is the book is warm hearted and entertaining.  It has cute characters that make you smile.  The style is in the form of letters from various people to various other people.   The reader alone knows everything and yet each letter is a tiny first person vignette of events on Guernsey island.   The tale is set shortly after world war 2 when Europe and England are just beginning to recover.   The letters reveal a tale about a literary book club that was formed amongst some island residents during the occupation.  

One fascinating character who never writes a letter of her own is Elizabeth.   The book if it rises to literary levels does so because of it's portrayal of a brave woman who stood against the evils of her time without succumbing to crass judgmental-ism.   She is open minded enough to fall in love with a German doctor who it turns out really is a good man while at the same time standing up time and again when defending the weak around her.  It is her quick wit that saves the day on many occasions.   Tragically she does not survive the war for this very reason.

I say all the above because I really did like the book.  My issue in writing her is that a book has to achieve more than mere entertainment to rise to literary levels.   For me it has to meet the conditions I laid down at the start of this blog.

I found the characters to be fascinating but in many cases they did not resonate with authenticity for me.  I apologize to those fans out there who think otherwise but I just didn't feel it.   I think except for Elizabeth and perhaps the main protagonist the characters are not overly complex.   The setting while interesting isn't overly developed.   The war and events within it are well defined though so I give some credit in that department.  The Guernsey war experience is brought out at least somewhat.  It was during these times of flashback that I found the book most riveting in fact.   The story style was innovative but the language was not exceptional.  I found the writing readable but not memorable and a thing unto itself.  

Of course in these reviews no book has to command a full measure of each requirement.  So I have thought long and hard about whether this book meets my criteria.  I hate to say I think it falls just a bit short.  It's great entertainment and for that reason I highly recommend it especially for anyone wanting some insight into that time.   As a great work of literature though I can only give it a 2 out of 5.