My November reads

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Melanie Benjamin – Alice I was 3/5
The story of the 'real' Alice in Wonderland, the daughter of an Oxford dean, growing up in a stifling Victorian atmosphere and her friendship with Charles Dodgson (the real name of Lewis Carroll).

This was such a weird novel. Things are implied about Alice and Mr.Dodgson and this colours the whole novel and gave me an upleasant feeling reading. Still, it never becomes clear what really happened, which annoyed me. Why imply stuff when you don't give the reader clarity in the end?

Kristin Harmel - The life intended 4/5
It's been more than 10 years since Kate's husband Patrick died and when her current boyfriend proposes, she says 'yes' even though something doesn't feel right. But then, you can't have two great loves in your life, can you? Then, Kate starts seeing her Patrick in her dreams and the life they could have had, including their daughter, Hannah. And Kate starts wondering if the life she's leading is the best life for her after all.

A sweet story and quite surprising! I love how respectfully grief and mourning are treated in this novel, sometimes in novels it feels like characters get over things quite quickly, but here I believe it's described like it is in real life: some grief never really goes away. I love Kate's friendships and the joy she has in her job. I wish there had been a little bit more background to her relationship with Dan though.

Carrie Turansky – The daughter of Highland Hall 4/5
Kate Ramsey travels to London with her family to make her debut in society and hopefully find a suitable husband. Her overbearing aunt drags her from event to event, while Kate starts to doubt if this is what she really wants from life. Especially when she gets to know the young medical student Jonathan Foster and volunteers in a clinic in London's East End.

I read the first part of this series (The governess) last month, really liked it and I'm very pleased with the second part as well. The Edwardian era is just such a great time period to dive into! I also liked that we got to catch up with the characters from the previous book again and the new characters (Jonathan!) were great to get to know. I did feel Kate's character change wasn't really build up very well: one moment she's a teenager with attitude problems and then she's a mature woman making life-altering decisions? Anyway, looking forward to the third book very much as it has WWI as the background.

Susie Conklin & Sue Birtwistle – The making of Jane Austen’s Emma 4/5
I got this book from a friend a few years back, but had not read it yet. I really like these behind-the-scenes books, they teach you so much about areas of film/tv-making that you never think about: the food on set, the lighting, etc. I did do a 'necessary' rewatch of Emma after reading this book ofcourse, just to check out all the things I read about!

Charlotte Brönte – Wuthering Heights 2,5/5
Do I have to give an introduction what this book is about? ;-)

This was the only Brönte novel I hadn't read yet and after visiting the Brönte Parsonage this summer I felt like I really should. What a hot mess though.... This novel is populated with only unpleasant, angry, over-the-top characters and Heathcliff is the worst. How he ever deserved the title 'hero' is beyond my understanding. The whole story consisted of people driving each other literally mad, I can't find the romance in that, sorry. I listened to this as an audiobook and if it had been a paper book, I'm not sure I would have finished it.

Books in November: 5
Books in 2015: 54

Comments

[bluiidmommy.livejournal.com]

Isn't the first one Alice I Have Been? If so, I read it a long time ago. I thought it was well-written, but not my favorite book. I think a 3 is fair.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're correct. I just did a literal translation from the Dutch title, but I looked it up and the book is indeed called 'Alice I Have Been'

[sk8eeyore.livejournal.com]

It's interesting about Wuthering Heights. My husband read it expecting a romance and was completely mystified; so when I was having a "Brönte summer" a few years ago, I read it again, for the first time in probably a decade, and found it incredible -- not as a romance, as I'd inexplicably thought as an adolescent, but as a tragedy about the horror that inter-generational sin and vengeance can wreak within a family.

That said, I don't know what Brönte's intent was. I agree that there isn't a sympathetic character to be found, and in that regard, it isn't the most pleasant read.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew that it wasn't going to be an Austen-style romance, but I didn't expect this much discord and unpleasantness... I can definitely appreciate the quality of the style and storytelling, but I just couldn't like it, I'm afraid...