Wednesday Reading Meme

[osprey_archer]

What I’ve Just Finished Reading

Fellow fans of mid-twentieth-century British literature! I have a treat for you! I have just finished reading D. E. Stevenson’s Miss Buncle’s Book, which is about a sweet English spinster who writes a book about her fellow townsfolk and thus ignites scandal in her little country village.

If you’re a fan of Stella Gibbons’ books or Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - even some of Ngaio Marsh’s country village murder mysteries - this is an absolutely splendid book in much the same vein. It has wry humor and vivid characterization and that wonderful command of language that makes British books from the 1930s and 40s such a joy to read.

(A more modern book that captures a similar style - on account of being set in the period - is The Guernsy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which I also love. My mother and I have very different tastes in books, but we both enjoyed this one.)

What I’m Reading Now

Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. I was sitting around, going “What French books can I read that are not one thousand pages long?” - answer: NONE, all French novels worth their salt are that long; and then I remembered Jules Verne! He wrote perfectly respectable novels! I have been meaning to read some of his work!

In fact I attempted to read Journey to the Center of the Earth last spring, and didn’t even make it into the volcano. But doubtless the experiment will be more successful this time! I have just finished the first chapter, and Passepartout-the-new-manservant seems promising.

What I’m Reading Next

My parents are coming to visit this weekend, and Mom has promised to bring down the box set of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising sequence, so I’m finally going to get around to that.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

As always, tastes differ, etc. etc., but many people do not care for the first book in The Dark Is Rising series. I happened to start with book 2 (The Dark Is Rising), which I loved, and I was never able to get into book 1 at all. In fact, I wasn't able to get into book 3, which many more people like. I did like books 4 and 5, though--but I only remember, reread, and own book 2.

... but coming at Book 2 as an adult, you may have less patience for some elements which, as a kid, I adored (common tropes, etc.)

In any case, I'll be interested to read your thoughts!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I've heard this about book 1; my friend Dorothea told me that is seemed much younger than the others, in a way that is really only enjoyable to a child. But we shall see!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I wonder why I have never come across D. E. Stevenson. Will give her a go...

Yay TDIR!

I agree that Over Sea, Under Stone is probably the weakest of the books in some ways (although personally I love it) but I suspect with your interest in British period fiction you will be OK with it.

It is just the right season of the year for reading Over Sea, Under Stone (and for Greenwitch) whereas TDIR itself is very Christmassy. Actually, maybe I will give them a re-read myself...

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

LJ reread of TDIR! It could be a thing!

[ladyherenya]

Miss Buncle’s Book sounds like something I'd like! Recommendation duly noted.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I hope you enjoy it. :)

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

I have an old copy of Around the World in 80 Days that I bought from a tiny library in North Carolina. It's in the original French. I should bust it out & brush up on my language skillz.

I'm not fond of the Epic Rap Battles of History series of videos (of the couple I've tried watching, I remember finding them offensive), but I would definitely watch one of Mary Shelley vs Jules Verne about being the progenitor of science fiction.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

In French! That is pretty hardcore.

And I would totally watch Mary Shelley and Jules Verne duke it out over who founded science fiction. Although surely the fact that Shelley was like fifty years earlier means she automatically wins?

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

I love reading things in French. Expeciallyl since that's pretty much the only thing I can do with my French any more. XD

As far as I can tell, it's kind of like a "who discovered America?" deal where some people say it's Columbus, some people say it's the Vikings, some people say it's Chinese monks, and then Native Americans are like, "Really?" Because there are stories with elements of science fiction in them dating back to the Middle Ages, apparently, but who made it into a ~genre~ is, like, up for debate, apparently.