Reading by the Decades Challenge 2007 Finished

This has been a wonderful challenge - I read several books that I may not have every gotten around to without 3M's gentle nudge. One book is still alluding me. I just can't seem to get into The Magnificent Amberson's. In all honesty I only gave it 2 tries and only read a couple of pages. I think it's probably good, but the timing just wasn't right.

So these are the books I did read and you can see didn't read anything for 1910, so there's that l gap. Darn anyway.

2000 Something Rotten

1990 Ship Fever

1980 Prayer for Owen Meany

1970 Princess Bride

1960 Flowers for Algernon

1950 The Magican's Nephew

1940 Barometer Rising

1930 Gone with the Wind

1920 Bridge of San Luis Rey

1910 The Magnificent Ambersons

1900 Scarlet Pimpernel

1890 Yellow Wallpaper

1880 Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

1870 Through the Looking Glass

1860 Woman in White

3M is hosting this challenge again for 2008. If you didn't get a chance to join the fun this year, you can still get in for next year. Go to Decades '08 to sign up. Like the dear she is, 3M has compiled an extensive list of books by the decade as a resource.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

I have picked this book up several times in the past, but always put it back down again after a few pages. Why? I think it was because I am totally in love with the movie and didn't want the book to ruin it by being better. That sounds so inane now that I'm structured that thought in to words. If a book is even better than a movie that you love, than you'll also love the book. Duh!

I loved this book! And I look forward to rereading it, which is something I very seldom do. The Scarlet Pimpernel is the finest adventure and romance I've ever read. It was easy and comfortable to read, but also, very compelling. And I knew what was going to happen. How does an author write so well that you can so enjoy her book even though you know the story.

Since I read Scarlet Pimpernel for the Book-to-Movie challenge, I will compare the two. I am comparing the book to the movie version starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. In the movie Blakeney woes and then marries the actress Maguerite St John, but in the book they have been married already a year at the start of the story. At first I thought that would be a big stumbling block for me, but eventually it didn't bother me. Both version worked fine.

Another difference: In the movie there is a triangular love affair with Marguerite in the middle. That adds some great tension. I really don't think the book needed that extra tension, though.

Some of the scenes in the movie were exactly as described in the book. Both excellent. The ending - different in both, but I'm not going to talk about it as to not give anything away. I like the movie ending best.

Of course, at points in both the book and the movie songs from the Broadway musical play through my mind creating a wonderful atmosphere. My dream is to someday see the musical performed on Broadway.

I've also watched the BBC version of the Pimpernel and I think it is exceptionally done, but I prefer the one with Anthony Andrews. I wasn't sure I would enjoy Jane Seymour before I watched the movie, but she did a very nice job. My husband, daughter and I are just getting set to watch one of my all time favorite shows on this Sunday evening. If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, you really need to arrange to do both.

Bridge of San Luis Rey

by Thornton Wilder

I didn't realize that Thornton Wilder wrote anything but plays. He authored the Pulitzer Prize winning plays, Our Town (1938) and The Skin of Our Teeth (1943), but he also wrote several novels. He won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1928 for The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

When I first listed this book for the By-the-Decade Challenge as my 1920's selection, I thought it was a war story. Even before I read the book, I discovered that I had the story for The Bridge on the River Kwai in mind. Obviously my mind had criss-crossed paths before it ever reached 'The Bridge.'

Wilder's Bridge concerns itself with 5 people who fell to their deaths when Peru's finest bridge collapsed in 1714. A Franciscan monk, Brother Juniper, witnesses the tragedy and begins to wonder if what seemed like random misfortunes were actually part of God's plan. He spends years researching the lives of the five people and then compiles and publishes his findings. The results were unexpected.

I liked this book, both for it's quickness and the questions it posed: Is there an overall plan by an unseen God? Is there a purpose behind tragedy? Wilder doesn't really answer these questions. In fact, he doesn't even address them in so many words, rather the story unfolds and the reader is left asking these questions.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevens

After finishing Jekyll and Hyde I felt much the same as I did when I finished Dracula. Enlightened. All my life I have seen or heard tidbits of information from the book and I've seen distortions of the original story but now I KNOW the original. Puzzle pieces of information fit together, characters are more than a name or a bit of trivia, and in both cases, the original telling of the story is better than any movie or take off.

It's refreshing to read a classic that a regular person can understand why it's been a beloved story for so many years. As the story progressed I compared it in my mind's eye to eating an artichoke. Each leaf brought you closer to the heart of the matter, but revealed only a tantalizing morsel at a time. The story was told from Dr. Jekyll's friend's point of view. He had to work to reveal each part of the mystery. I can see that reading this book without knowing the heart, the climax, the end; the reader would be as confused and curious as Jekyll's friend. Even knowing the climax of the story, Stevenson's writing held me captive.

Jekyll and Hyde was published in 1886. It would have made a great pick for the 15 Decades/15 Books Challenge. I would encourage you to consider it for next years Decades Challenge.

Now to compare the book to the movie, rather the musical. That's right - a musical of Jekyll and Hyde. It's actually pretty good. Ready for another shock? The lead is played by David Hasselhoff! You know, the Bay Watch and Knight Rider guy.

I thought the musical was marvelous and Hasselhoff does a amazing job - amazing because I was surprised, but he was also good. His depiction of the battle between Jekyll and Hyde for control of their shared body is outstanding. You really need to see it.

How did it compare to the book? The movie takes lots of liberty. In the book Jekyll is a middle-aged man (50-ish) and Hyde transforms into a younger, evil man. The movie has both men in their late 20s, and Jekyll is engaged to be married. There's no love interest in the book. Murders in the book - one; several in the movie. The movie is told from Jekyll's point of view and the book from the friend's.

My recommendation would be to read the book first and then watch the musical. Both worthwhile, but the book is the best.

Barometer Rising

by Hugh MacLennan

I have been typing and retyping this first sentence and I'm still not sure where to begin. This book is a masterpiece, worthy to be called a classic. MacLennan's writing is smooth and descriptive. I have no desires to be a writer but for those who do, this would make an excellent study. Not only does Maclennan do a examplary job of writing, the story is taut and compelling.

Barometer is set in Halifax, Nova Scotia during WWI. The book encompasses only eight days during the first part of December in 1917. There was a wonderful sense of place, so much so that I could feel the damp coldness, picture the overcast grey sky and hear the boats churning in the bay. The pace of the story continues to build towards the real life catastrophic explosion that occurred in the bay and had such a devastating effect on Halifax.

The story centers on Penelope Wain who believes her lover, Neil Macrae, has been killed by enemy fire shortly after being placed under court martial. Macrae's commanding officer was Penelope's father. In the two years Macrae was away Penelope has gained respect as a talented ship designer. And she has received a proposal of marriage from another soldier who served in the war in her father's squadron.

The main characters and supporting cast are so well depicted. Each seems like a real person with weaknesses, worries and strengths. MacLennan writes some of the best dialog I've ever read.

I highly recommend this book. One of my favorite quotes is from the man Macrae is depending on to clear his name of a military charge of insubordination.

"I do not understand very much, but I always have known what it is I have to do next, and if I lose the job at Wain's there will be another one somewhere else. We are told thea the Lord will provide, and there would be no use whatever in going to church if a man cannont believe a thing as easy as that."

The Magician's Nephew

By C.S. Lewis

I've read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and watched two different movie versions, but that was my only dip into the world of Narnia, until now. My daughter Katie has read all the books and has encouraged me for years to do the same.

She informs me that even though this was not the first one Lewis wrote, it is the first in the series. I enjoyed it every bit as much as The Lion... C.S. Lewis figured out so many beautiful truths about good and evil after his passage through atheism. What a brilliant mind and soul he had. On top of those gifts, he has the ability to write beautiful stories filled with symbolic allegories.

Uncle Andrew is the magician who gives his nephew Digory this sound nugget of advice.
"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."

The story is about the adventures of Digory, Polly and a few people touching them as they slipped on the magic rings that took them to the land of Narnia. Oh, and the horse. We learn the origins of the evil witch/queen Jadis who we meet again in The Lion...

There's a very funny scene when the animals of Narnia try to decide what Uncle Andrew is. "There!" said several voices. "It isn't an animal at all. It's not alive."
"I tell you, it is an animal," said the Bulldog. "Smell it for yourself."
"Smelling isn't everything," said the Elephant.
"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"
"Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.
They finally decide he is a tree and try to plant him head down. The discussion is funny because at this point Uncle Andrew is not much of a hero figure.

I like this passage that gives hope to those who have met or know of Aslan. "If ever they were sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness, and the feeling that it was still there, quite close, just around some corner or just behind some door, would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well."

This is excellent YA/children/adult literature. Next in line will be a rereading of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Ship Fever

by Andrea Barrett
I first read this book in June 2006. I suggested it to my f2f book club because we've never read a collection of short stories. So Tues. evening I will be presenting this book - telling a little about the author, mentioning other books she's written, and leading the discussion of this book. In preparing for this, I've reread all the stories. If anything, I enjoyed them even more the second time around. But I am afraid. If you may remember this is the same book group in which every person hated The History of Love and many hated The Poisonwood Bible - both books I'd recommended.

Science functions as both the subject matter and metaphor in these tales. That's the reason for my fears. With History of Love the group told me they didn't have time to ponder the symbolism; that they wanted to read for pure enjoyment. That's the main reason I read, too, but I think a book we are reading to discuss should have some substance to it, something to sink our teeth into.

Most of the stories are straightforward and enjoyable to read. The fact that they engage the mind is an added benefit. Publisher's Weekly reports, "The quantifiable truths of science intersect with the less easily measured precincts of the heart in these eight seductively stylish tales." Barrett's characters are usually fictional, but they have touched shoulders with people we recognize, such as Mendel, Linneaus, Alfred Wallace; and several we may not know, such as the Canadian doctor who directed the horrendous task of caring for Irish immigrants on Grosse Isle during the typhus epidemic of 1847.

Many of the characters try to prove themselves in both science and love, but are often thwarted by gender, social position, or prevailing order. The stories are engaging and interesting. Some of the best historical fiction I've read and even though one of the themes is science, it's not necessary to have a science background to enjoy them. I plan on reading this book again - it is that good.

Something Rotten

by Jasper Fforde
Book 4 in the Thursday Next series

I get the biggest kick out of this series. Fforde has a phenomenal imagination and he tells a great story. If you plan to read this series be prepared to suspend reality and enjoy a gripping, hilarious journey in an alternative 1980's England where there are chronoguards, bioengineered dodo birds and literature holds a prominent place. These books are mysteries, sci/fi, fantasy, drama, comedy with a bit of romance. Absolutely delightful.

In this episode Thursday Next returns to Swindon and her former job as a Literary Tech. She fights to prevent Goliath from from becoming a world dominating religion led by a fictional character. Her husband was eradicated from history in an earlier book and Thursday tries to get that eradication reversed. You can read a very nice review here.

The title of the book comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet - "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark." It describes a situation of corruption. Since the character Hamlet accompanies Thursday Next back from the world of fiction and Denmark is being blamed for all England's woes, the title is clever and appropriate. Also, the fictional character who is presently serving as Chancellor of England is embroiled in illegalities in order to rule the world. Something rotten, indeed.

This little description caught my attention: "Destiny's inelegant toe creaks the boards to your door."

The Yellow Wallpaper

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
I was not prepared for this book. Not prepared for the story, the symbolism, the sadness, or the size. The story, itself, is only 25 pages long. It was published in 1892, overlooked for some 50 years and then republished by The Feminine Press.

I don't want to give away anything about the story. I knew nothing of it when I started and feel that sometimes it's nice to approach a book or movie without any preconceived notions. Giman's writing is rich with symbolism. Her portrayal of the main character's situation is masterful. This is a book I will think about for years to come. It is not a happy story, but it is meaningful.

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes
This is my 1960's Decade Challenge book. I've wanted to read it ever since 1968 when I saw the movie Charly that was based on this book. The movie starred Cliff Robertson in the starring role as Charly Gordon, a mentally retarded man in his 30's. I thought Robertson did an awesome job. Now that I've read the book, my next movie from Netflix is Charly. It will be interesting to see how the movie and book compare. My gosh, the movie was nearly 40 years ago (and I'm only 28. How does that happen?!)

Charly has an IQ of 70, but he is anxious to learn and works very hard in his classes for the mentally retarded. He has a job at a bakery running errands and cleaning. It's a job he loves and there are people there who are his friends. All this is about to change when Charly is selected for an experimental operation that may raise his intelligence. The same procedure has been very successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.

The book is written as a series of Project Reports by Charly himself, starting before the operation and continuing for 7-8 months afterwards. The first entries capture Charly's innocence and fear and his desire to be smart. The entries are fraught with misspelled words and reveal Charly's low intellect. As the operation proves to be a success we follow Charly's rapid rise in intelligence. He peaks with an IQ of 185, above that of the scientists behind the experiment.

Charly's emotional growth does not keep pace with his intellectual development. Memories from his childhood were now accessible to him in vivid detail and he has to try to deal with them. There are other things he's not emotionally ready to handle, such as relationships, especially those with women.

I'm glad I read Flowers for Algernon and highly recommend it. If you're looking for a mild science fiction that's interesting and quick to read, with emotional charge, this is a perfect choice.

In addition tocounting for the By the Decades Challenge, Flowers for Algernon also counts for the Banned Books and the TBR challenge.

A Prayer for Owen Meany

by John Irving
Some books are harder to read than others; some books have a bigger payback than others. Even though it took me 15 days to read this book and there were times I thought I'd never finish, I really enjoyed A Prayer for Owen Meany.

The main character, Owen Meany, is unforgettable. Everything about Owen grabs your attention: his size, HIS VOICE, his determination, his faith, his life and his death. Owen's best friend, the narrator, plays a supporting role in the story and, even though he seems bland, he is very necessary to the story and to Owen's life and heroism.

This book has 'classic' written all over it. Irving is an excellent writer. At one point in the book Owen tells his best friend, ". . . any good book is always in motion - from the general to the specific, from the particular to the whole, and back again. Good reading - and good writing about reading - moves the same way." Irving writes like that. From the first sentence we know that Owen was instrumental in his best friend's mother's death. The specifics come later. Early on we learn that Owen Meany is going to die, but we don't learn the specifics until the last few pages of the book.

A few passages that I made note of. There are quite a few. Don't feel like you have to read them all. I write these because I want to read over them again someday, not to bore people.

We don't enjoy giving directions in New Hampshire - we tend to think that if you don't know where you're going, you don't belong where you are.

Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you.

Mr. Merrill was most appealing because he reassured us that doubt was the essence of faith, and not faith's opposite.

Rev. Mr. Wiggin's sermons were about as entertaining and convincing as a pilot's voice in the intercom, explaining technical difficulties while the plane plummets toward the earth and the stewardesses are screaming.

They were a couple with a theme - sadly, it was their only theme, and a small theme, and they overplayed it. (we all know people like this, don't we?)

What do Americans know about morality? They don't want their presidents to have penises but they don't mind if their presidents covertly arrange to support the Nicaraguan rebel forces after Congress has restricted such aid; they don't want their president to deceive their wives but they don't mind if their presidents deceive Congress - lie to the people and violate the people's constitution!

THE DISCIPLES ARE STUPID - THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANS, THEY'RE A BUNCH OF BUNGLERS, THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO BELIEVE, AND THEY EVEN BETRAY JESUS. THE POINT IS, GOD DOESN'T LOVE US BECAUSE WE'RE SMART OR BECAUSE WE'RE GOOD. WE'RE STUPID AND WE'RE BAD AND GOD LOVES US ANYWAY. (This is Owen speaking. He always speaks in capital letters because he has a unique, gravely voice.)

This is a NY Times Newspaper heading, May 30, 1987.
Reagan Declares
Firmness on Gulf;
Plans Are Unclear

Thanks to my daughter, Alyson, for recommending this book. It took me a while, but I finally got to it. I can see why it's your favorite - so much symbolism, foreshadowing, meaty characters, and very good writing. There is a lot to think about with this book. And I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

15 Books/15 Decades

I love challenges - they provide the 'umph' I need to read books other than my beloved cozy mysteries. The most recent challenge that I've committed myself to was originally a personal challenge 3M came up with for herself. Of course, many of us who read her blog asked if we could join with her. Her goal is to read 15 books published in 15 different consecutive decades, but she is very flexible and says you can set our own goals as to how many books you read. You can read her rules and join her challenge by clicking HERE.

I decided I wanted to read 15 books from 15 decades. At first I wondered how I would go about finding when books were published. After a bit of searching I found a very wonderful and easy way to do this: Wikipedia. Go to the opening page and type in the search box the year you are interested in along with "in literature". For example, I searched '1860 in literature' and was shown a page that listed some of the books published in that year. At the top of that page you can click on a link to '1861 in literature'. It took a little time because I wanted to look at every year in every decade. I allowed several days. It was definitely interesting to get a sense of timing for books that were published around the same time.

Luckily, 3M is allowing overlap between this challenge and other challenges you may be involved with. That was the deciding factor in my joining this challenge. I've counted a couple from the classics challenge that I've already read. Here's the books I chosen with the year they were published.

2000 - Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Aug 2006 Won the Booker Award for 2006. I own this book and need to get it read. Also on my TBR Challenge list.
1990 - Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett Nov 1990 I've read a few of Pratchett's books and liked them. This is another Discworld story.
1980 - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving March 1 My daughter has been trying to get me to read this, her favorite book, for years. I chose it for one of my Chunkster Challenge selections and also one of my Banned Books.
1970 - Princess Bride by William Goldman 1973 I've wanted to read this since the first time I saw the movie.
1960 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 1966 I bought this book because I loved the movie based on the book. It's also on my Banned Books list and the TBR Challenge.
1950 - The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain 1952 I think I'll need to add this to my Chunkster Challenge - it is over 800 pages.
1940 - First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton 1946 I first heard of Enid Blyton from several fellow bloggers who fondly remember her work from their childhoods. So when I saw this one listed in 1946 I decided to take the plunge.
1930 - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 1936 This was the only book written by Mitchell. It won the Pultizer Prize in 1937. This was also a choice for the Classics Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge.
1920 - Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder 1927 This will reveal my ignorance, but I didn't realize Wilder had written anything more than Our Town. I have heard of this book and the movie. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928.
1910 - The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington 1918 Won a Pulitzer Prize in 1919.
1900 - Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy 1905 I have owned this book for years. It's about time I read it. Also, I love the movie.
1890 - Adventures of the Crooked Man by Arthur Conan Doyle I've only read one Sherlock Holmes novel and since I love Laurie King's Holmes & Russells series, I want to read more from the creator of Holmes.
1880- Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 1886
1870 - Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll 1872 I read this for the Classics Challenge.
1860 - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 1860 I read this one for the Classics Challenge and the Chunkster Challenge.

Alice - Through the Looking Glass

by Lewis Carroll
I finished my last classics challenge book! Yeehaw! Whippee! I mean to tell you I had a hard time reading classics - five in a row - during Jan and Feb. If we do this challenge again it cannot be during Jan. I just wanted to snuggle up with some cozy mysteries and had to keep denying myself. It was horrible!

I did like Through the Looking Glass much better than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Part of that might be because I actually sat down and read TLG in chunks. Wonderland I read a page or two at a time. I even have some favorite parts from the Looking Glass.

I enjoyed the conversation, if you can call it that, between Alice and Humpty Dumpy. My favorite part of the book was Alice's encounter with the White Knight. I read Gardner's Annotated Alice and there were lots of helpful comments.

Gone With the Wind

by Margaret Mitchell

I read Gone With the Wind for my 4th book in the classics challenge , my 2nd Chunkster challenge book and for my 3rd TBR challenge. It makes me feel much better about reading this book that I can kill 3 birds with one stone.

The size was daunting, but it was the racial slurs that made this book so hard to read. I understand that this was realistic for the 1860's and, probably even for the 1930's when this book was written, but to read these derogatory terms today assaults my sensitivities. It was interesting to learn there was a class of whites, just above the po' white trash, that were called Crackers (with a capital C). I don't know why but I thought that was a more current term.

I found that I really did not like Scarlett, Rhett or Ashley in the book, whereas I did like them in the movie. Scarlet was so selfish and self-centered. Every action and every decision was made based on what she would get in return. Even when she appeared to be doing something nice, there was ulterior motives. I found myself forgiving Rhett some of his 'rascalness' towards the end of the book. Or maybe what I really felt at the end of the book was pity for everyone, except maybe Melanie, who I felt sad for because of the happiness she might have had if it were not for Scarlet and Ashley.

Gone With the Wind was the only book Margaret Mitchell wrote. It was published in 1936, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and was made into a movie in 1939. Mitchell's work relates the story of a rebellious Georgia Southern belle named Scarlett O'Hara and her experiences with friends, family, lovers, and enemies in the South during the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the Reconstruction era.

I'm glad that I finally did read this classic in American literature, but I will not be joining the ranks of those who reread it. I thought it was a splendid work, but it is so terribly tragic.

The Woman in White

by Wilkie Collins
Rating 5/5
I've finished my first classic! Thanks to so many other bloggers for their glowing comments about Wilkie Collins. Without your comments I may never have heard of or read any of his works. I loved this book and found myself comparing it to another gothic novel that I read recently, The Thirteenth Tale. I rated TTT a 5 as well, but I must confess that there is NO comparison. The Woman in White is masterfully written, drawing the reader's interest from the start and holding through every phase of the story.

The mystery of The Woman in White is told by various narrators, who each reveal to the reader only those parts of the story they know or have discovered. The main narrator is Walter Hartright, who is employed by the odiously hypochondiac, Mr. Fairlie to instruct his two nieces, the half-sisters Laura and Marion.

A couple of the characters are so well formed that I'm sure they will stay with me for years. Although I don't fully understand Marions intense devotion to Laura, she is a very likeable person. She is intellegent, loyal and charming. Another powerful figure is Count Fosco, who is a large jovial man with a lust and love of life that you cannot help liking him even if you don't trust him.

I do not want to discuss the book too much. I knew nothing about the storyline, the characters, or even the genre of The Woman in White and, so was pleasantly surprised on all accounts. I know there are several who are reading this for the classics challenge and I'm anxious to hear how others felt about it.