Chronicle Books is running a really cool contest this holiday season called Happy Haul-idays. Participating bloggers choose up to $500 worth of items from the Chronicle Books website and post about them. Then, the blogger and one of the readers who comments on the Haul-idays post (that could be you!) have a chance to win the entire list! All you have to do to be entered is to leave a comment on this post.
So, what would I choose with my $500? Here’s my list (it’s also a fun sampling of my interests that don’t often make it onto Erin Reads!):
Finally, I’m a Moleskine nut, so I’d have to throw in a few of their notebooks! I’d go with a Large Moleskine Address Book ($17.95), which I use for keeping track of what I’ve read, and an XLarge Ruled Soft Cover Notebook ($19.95) for reading notes.
And all that comes to just under $500! Would you like a chance to win the books above? Just leave a comment on this post. Chronicle will announce the winner on December 13th. I’ve got my fingers crossed!
Last week, I realized I was way ahead of where I was supposed to be with The Odyssey readalong, so I switched over and listened to To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf instead. I’ve only read Mrs. Dalloway by Woolf so far, and I’ve always meant to get to some of her others.
About the Book:
To the Lighthouse is the most autobiographical of Woolf’s novels. Though Woolf took liberties with the details, the novel represents both her parents and the family’s summer home. It follows the daily life of an English family: a husband (Mr. Ramsay), his wife, their many children, and their many guests.
The novel is written in three parts. The first takes place on a rather ordinary evening, just before, during, and after dinner at the Ramsay house. The second marks the passage of time, and the third occurs ten years after the first, again over the course of just a few hours. All center around the Ramsay summer home on the Island of Skye and the surrounding areas.
My Thoughts:
I really liked Mrs. Dalloway, which I read for a class in college. It might have been partly because of its connection with The Hours by Michael Cunningham that I so loved Mrs. Dalloway. Whatever the reason, I was ready to be a budding fan of Woolf’s writing. And I think I still can be, even though my second Woolf novel didn’t impress me nearly as much.
To the Lighthouse flits from character to character, spending the most time with Mrs. Ramsay in the first part and Lily Briscoe, one of the Ramsays’ guests, in the third. We are privy to each character’s private thoughts about life, the situation at hand, and the other characters. I found these inner workings to be interesting in a sort of detached way, almost like I was reading a report of sorts. None of the characters managed to touch an emotional level; instead, I absorbed their musings purely intellectually. So while the writing was lovely, and the characters were deeply layered and complicated, it was hard for me to connect with the story, which I always find frustrating.
The writing, of course, is poetic and beautiful. I found that to be especially true of the second section, “Time Passes,” which forms the bridge between the first night we meet the Ramseys and the day ten years later when we encounter them again. Woolf really has managed to translate the passage of time into words:
“So with the lamps all put out, the moon sunk, and a thin rain drumming on the roof a downpouring of immense darkness began. Nothing, it seemed, could survive the flood, the profusion of darkness which, creeping in at keyholes and crevices, stole round window blinds, came into bedrooms, swallowed up here a jug and basin, there a bowl of red and yellow dahlias, there the sharp edges and firm bulk of a chest of drawers. Not only was furniture confounded; there was scarcely anything left of body or mind by which one could say, ‘This is he’ or ‘This is she.'” (p. 189-190)
“But what after all is one night? A short space, especially when the darkness dims so soon, and so soon a bird sings, a cock crows, or a faint green quickens, like a turning leaf in the hollow of the wave. Night, however, succeeds to night. The winter holds a pack of them in store and deals them equally, evenly, with indefatigable fingers. They lengthen; they darken.” (p. 192)
The experience of listening to a Virginia Woolf novel on audio was phenomenal. It took a greater level of concentration than I’m used to devoting to audiobooks. This is due in part to the fact that Woolf doesn’t often repeat a character’s name, so that if you miss it in a moment of inattention, you’re not sure who the “she” being spoken of over and over is. Overall, though, I got through the novel much faster than I would’ve had I been reading it, and I think I understood more as well. Juliet Stevenson read the version I listened to, and her soft, gentle voice was absolutely perfect. For anyone who enjoys audiobooks and is intimidated by Virginia Woolf, I would definitely recommend listening to something by Woolf!
Your Turn!
Do you have a favorite among Virginia Woolf’s novels? Have you ever read a book that you found to be intellectually interesting but emotionally dull?
We’re halfway through The Odyssey for Trish’sreadalong. I’ve been listening to Ian McKellen read the epic to me on audio and using the Fagles translation in print as a supplement. This week, we read Books 7-12. If you’d like to read other participants’ thoughts, head over to Trish’s Week 2 post to see who’s checked in. There are some great posts so far!
I’ll repeat my warning from last week regarding the length of my summaries: I like how the story is split into books, which strike me as being sort of like individual episodes in the TV series of The Odyssey. I’m going to structure my summary in the same way. If it’s a little much for you, feel free to skip down to the “Thoughts” section. (There’s a bonus video this week!)
When we left off, Odysseus had washed up on the island of the Phaeacians. He had been fed and clothed by Nausicaa, daughter of King Alcinous, and she had led him to the city limits. For a full summary of previous events, please see last week’s post on Books 1-6.
Summary
Book 7: Phaeacia’s Halls and Gardens
Nausicaa heads into town with her maids and laundry, and Odysseus follows shortly after. Athena shrouds him in a protective fog, then appears to him in the form of a small girl and leads him to King Alcinous’ palace. The fog lets him walk through the palace unnoticed until he approaches Queen Arete and throws himself at her feet, pleading for passage home to Ithaca. They feast. Arete, noticing that Odysseus wears clothing she sewed herself, asks him where he got it. He explains about Calypso’s island, his voyage on the raft, and his encounter with Nausicaa. Alcinous says Odysseus is welcome to marry Nausicaa, but if he’d rather not, then Alcinous will provide him with a ship so he can go home.
Book 8: A Day for Songs and Contests
At an assembly the next morning, Odysseus is granted a ship and crew. They feast, and a bard begins to entertain them with a story about Odysseus and Achilles. Odysseus, though, starts weeping, so Alcinous suggests a physical contest instead. After the contest there is, of course, another feast. This time the story told is about Hephaestus catching his wife, Aphrodite, in her affair with Ares. After the tale, Alcinous calls his sons to dance, then showers gifts on Odysseus. At the evening’s feast, the bard sings of the Trojan horse, and Odysseus weeps again. Alcinous stops the bard’s performance and asks Odysseus, whose name the king does not yet know, who he is and what connection he has to Troy.
Book 9: In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave
(Note: This is my favorite story, so I didn’t bother cutting it down much!)
At Alcinous’s urging, Odysseus reveals his identity and begins to tell his story, starting with his departure from Troy. After sacking the city of Ismarus, Odysseus’ men refused to “cut and run,” and while they waited, the city’s inhabitants called for backup and attacked. Most of Odysseus’ men escaped, only to be blown off course several days later. The next land they reached was that of the Lotus-eaters, who offered Odysseus’ men lotus fruits to eat. Those who ate the fruit lost all desire to return home. Odysseus had to force them back to the ships, and he and those who had not eaten the fruit got the ships away.
Next they came to the island of the Cyclops. Leaving most of the ships and men on a nearby island, Odysseus took one ship and some men to investigate the Cyclops’ island. They entered one of the caves, empty because its inhabitant had taken his sheep to pasture. The men wanted to take what they could and leave, but Odysseus decided to stay. The Cyclops Polyphemus returned, did his chores, settled the massive stone slab of his door in front of the cave’s entrance, and then noticed the strangers. He demanded to know who they were. When Odysseus stepped forward to ask for hospitality, Polyphemus grabbed two of the men and ate them. Odysseus longed to kill Polyphemus with his sword, but if he did, they’d be trapped in the cave, unable to move the rock at its entrance.
The next morning, Polyphemus had two more men for breakfast and then left with his sheep, replacing the massive stone to trap Odysseus and his men inside the cave. Odysseus and his men sharpened a huge shaft of olive wood they found in the cave. When Polyphemus returned, after they Cyclops had snacked on two more of the men, Odysseus offered him his finest wine, which the Cyclops drank copiously. Then Odysseus said:
“So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?
I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift
as you’ve promised. Nobody–that’s my name. Nobody–
so my mother and father call me, all my friends.” (p. 223)
Shortly thereafter, Polyphemus passed out. Odysseus and his men heated their spear in the fire, then drove it into the Cyclops’ eye. (What, exactly, happens to the eyeball is related in gruesome, graphic detail.) Polyphemus yowled, and his neighbors came running. But when, from outside his door, they asked who was trying to kill him:
“‘Nobody, friends’–Polyphemus bellowed back from his cave–
‘Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force!’ (p. 224)
The other Cyclopses assumed that, if nobody was hurting Polyphemus, he must be suffering from some sort of plague, of which they wanted no part. They left.
Next, Odysseus had to figure out how he and his men could escape the cave. He lashed the Cyclops’ rams in sets of three and had each of his men cling below the center ram of each set. Odysseus himself took the biggest ram for himself, hanging beneath it. In the morning, Polyphemus felt the back of each ram to be sure no prisoner rode there, but he did not check underneath. The men escaped to the ship and returned to their worried companions on the neighboring island. As they sailed away, Odysseus couldn’t help but taunt Polyphemus, who hurled boulders at them from the shore. The Cyclops called out to his father, Poseidon, to see to it that, if Odysseus was fated to return home, that he should arrive there alone and after many delays.
Book 10: The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea
Next stop: the Aeolian island, where Aeolus, the king of the winds, lived. After Odysseus told told his tale, the king gave Odysseus the gift of a bag containing the winds and sent the crew on its way. As they neared home, his men, grumbling about how much treasure Odysseus had amassed, decided to loot the sack Aeolus had gifted their king while Odysseus slept. The squall that was released blew the ships off course again, this time to the island of the Laestrygonians. The giant inhabitants wreaked havoc on Odysseus’ crew; only a ship’s worth escaped.
From there Odysseus and his men sailed to Aeaea, Circe’s island. Odysseus sent a scouting party to explore, and they came across Circe’s house. Only Eurylochus waited outside; the other men hurried inside, drank what Circe offered, and were turned into pigs. When Eurylochus reported back, Odysseus set off to save his men from Circe’s magic. On his way, he met Hermes, who gave him an herb to counteract Circe’s drugs. When Odysseus failed to turn into a pig with her spell, Circe cowered before him. After forcing her to swear an oath she’ll not hurt him, Odysseus “mounted Circe’s gorgeous bed” with her. Afterward, Odysseus demanded his men be released, which Circe did. The men from the ship joined the men already in Circe’s house for feasting and bathing…for a whole year. Finally, Odysseus said he was ready to leave. Circe told Odysseus that before he could leave, he must visit the land of the dead and hear a prophecy from Tiresias.
Book 11: The Kingdom of the Dead
Odysseus and his men sailed into the night to reach “the Ocean River’s bounds” where they would perform the proper sacrifice and ritual. The dead come, and Odysseus speaks to Tiresias. The prophet warned Odysseus that Poseidon was angry and would make his journey home a rough one, because Odysseus had blinded Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops. Tiresias also warned Odysseus that, when he and his men encountered the cattle of the sun god, Helios, they must not harm the beasts. The seer declared,
“…harm them in any way, and I can see it now:
your ship destroyed, your men destroyed as well.
And even if you escape, you’ll come home late
and come a broken man–all shipmates lost,
alone in a stranger’s ship–
and you will find a world of pain at home…” (p.253)
After returning home and killing the suitors, Tiresias said, Odysseus must walk inland until he encounters a people who do not know the sea. In this land, Odysseus must make sacrifices to Poseidon.
When Odysseus asked why his mother, who was present among the ghosts, did not look at him, Tiresias answered that she must be allowed to drink the blood from the sacrifice. Odysseus let her, and they caught up. He heard from many other ghosts as well. At one point, Odysseus pauses in his storytelling, and Alcinous urges him on. When Odysseus picks up his story again, he lists all the heroes he met in the land of the dead. Then the dead started to swarm him, so he fled to the ship and they left.
Book 12: The Cattle of the Sun
Back at Circe’s island, Odysseus and his men feasted with the goddess. Circe took Odysseus aside and warned him of the perils that awaited him: the Sirens and their deadly song, then a choice between the treacherous Clashing Rocks or the path between Scylla, the six-headed monster, and Charybdis, the massive whirlpool. Her advice was to hug Scylla’s cliff, thus losing only six men instead of the entire ship. The next day, the men set out for the Sirens’ island. Odysseus stopped his men’s ears with beeswax and had them lash him to the ship so that they could pass the Sirens unharmed by their song. Soon they reached Scylla and Charybdis, and while they watched the whirlpool, the monster snatched up and ate six men. Clear of these perils, the ship approached the island of the cattle of the sun.
Odysseus passed along Tiresias’s warning to leave the cattle alone, and he repeated it often over the many days they were trapped by storms on the island. Their supplies running dangerously low, the men eventually decided to slaughter a few head of cattle while Odysseus was off praying to the gods. Helios was furious and called on Zeus to exact revenge. When at last the storms died down and the ship could sail, the men set off, only to be struck down by a storm from Zeus. Only Odysseus, clinging to a makeshift raft, survived. After nine days at sea, he washed up on Calypso’s island.
Thoughts
These six books are the bulk of what I remember from The Odyssey: the actual story of Odysseus’ journey home. The encounter with the Cyclops is my favorite; I love Odysseus’ cleverness in calling himself Nobody. The Sirens and Scylla and Charybdis are familiar tales as well.
Like most everything else, though, I’d forgotten that Odysseus is actually narrating these stories, so they are told in the first person. We get to hear Odysseus’ own take on each situation. The only time I really heard him admit fault was in the Cyclops’ cave, when he admits it was he who wanted to wait for Polyphemus to return home. Other than that, he paints himself as a good, wise, just, compassionate leader who weeps a lot. I’ll be honest–with all his sleeping around and treasure hoarding and such, I’m not sure I buy this shining portrait he creates!
Most of the characters we met in Books 1-6 don’t appear much, if at all, in Books 7-12. This includes Athena, who is presumably helping Telemachus while Odysseus stays with the Phaeacians. In fact, the main gods appear only briefly: Hermes on Circe’s island, Zeus off the island of the cattle of the sun, Helios to whine about his cattle being eaten. Queen Persephone is mentioned while Odysseus visits the land of the dead, but she doesn’t actually appear. This section of The Odyssey seemed more focused on monsters and nymphs than divine intervention.
I appreciated that, with the exception of Book 11, this week’s reading involved a lot less reminiscing. I realize that telling other heroes’ stories was part of the oral tradition, that it established connections between characters and events and kept stories alive, but I got really tired of hearing everyone’s personal reminiscences. Overall, Books 7-12 were nearly reminiscence-free, with all the storytelling compacted into Book 11, in the land of the dead.
One thing I did not enjoy was the disgustingly graphic description of just what it was that happened to the Cyclops’ eye when it was stabbed with the red-hot spear. Odysseus gives a whole play-by-play, and it’s repulsive. I won’t repeat it here, because…eww!
I’m still enjoying listening to The Odyssey. I’m interested to see where the story goes from here (I’ve totally forgotten!), since Odysseus’ journey has been told and there’s still half the book to go!
Bonus: A Video!
Eddie Izzard is one of my favorite comedians because his humor is rather intelligent (most of the time). He also gets funnier each time you watch a particular shtick. Here, he takes on ancient Greek history! For those who don’t like long videos, the part concerning The Odyssey starts around 1:30, and the bit concerning the Sirens (my favorite) happens at 2:15. Enjoy!
Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly’s new young adult novel, got so much attention in the months leading up to its release that I’d reserved a copy at the library before the library even had copies. My turn came around last week, and I read Revolution right away.
About the Book:
Andi is struggling to keep her life together. She hasn’t started her high school senior thesis; she often doesn’t bother going to class. Andi’s home life is in pieces as well. Her little brother has died; her mother hasn’t recovered from it. Her father, a leading geneticist and Nobel Prize winner, has left them and now lives in Boston with his new girlfriend. The only thing holding Andi together is her music, and sometimes she’s not sure music will be enough.
When Andi’s father decides she will spend winter break in Paris with him so that he can supervise her thesis work, Andi isn’t happy–she’d rather be near her mother in New York. In the home of her father’s French friends, which doubles as a warehouse for the many French Revolution artifacts they’ve collected, Andi stumbles upon a diary written by a girl named Alex during the Revolution. As Andi struggles through her days in Paris, she becomes ever more involved in Alex’s story.
My Thoughts:
I really liked almost everything about Revolution. Andi started out kind of grating and not very sympathetic, but once she got to Paris and her story began to come out, her gloomy temperament didn’t bother me as much. I found myself rooting for her, hoping she could figure herself out. Most of the characters who inhabit Andi’s world are distinct: Andi’s best friend Vijay (who provides little bursts of comic relief), her father, Virgil, G and Lili. The story unfolds in a believable way, for the most part.
I liked how Alex’s diary entries fit into Andi’s life. Andi carries the diary with her and reads entries here and there, waiting in line for a tour or for material to be ready at the library. When Andi is jolted out of her reading, I felt jolted as well–I know that feeling of being so wrapped up in a book that you’re oblivious to what’s happening around you! Alex’s story is interesting and absorbing. She’s a strong character, and her perspective on the Revolution is unique. Her diary isn’t always believably diary-like, but it’s as much an account of the Revolution as it is a personal diary, so this didn’t bother me much.
Music plays a large part in Revolution. Andi is a talented guitar player, and music is the way she understands the world and connects with other people. Her music teacher is the only person with whom Andi really connects, and her lessons with him are her refuge. Her senior thesis focuses on an important and influential French composer who lived during the Revolution, so her research is sprinkled throughout the story. The novel is rife with references to musicians and songs. I didn’t get most of them, which didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book, but I think if I had gotten more of them, they would have added another interesting layer to the story.
Donnelly does a wonderful job of evoking Paris as well–not the Paris of cute cafes and boutiques that we often see, but the Paris that’s rich with history. We see a library, a sunrise over the city, a private home, a vast flea market, a dive bar. In addition, of course, to the tourist traps: the Eiffel Tower, the catacombs. I liked that the emphasis wasn’t on contemporary Paris, yet it came through clearly.
I had two beefs with the book: one major, and one extremely minor. The latter, which isn’t a spoiler, is the name of Andi’s medication: Quellify. Really? I think it’s so the author could write that feelings or thoughts had been “Quelled,” but I rolled my eyes every time I read it…which was pretty often.
The major beef is a spoiler. Skip it if you don’t want to know!
SPOILER ALERT!
Skip this paragraph if you’ve not read Revolution and plan to! I absolutely hated the part where Andi got sent back to the days of the Revolution. I hated it for several reasons. First, it was way too long. I could have believed it if it lasted just a day or two, but she’s there for much longer. Too long for me to believe it was a dream, certainly, but I’m also unwilling to believe she actually traveled back in time. Second, I don’t like how ambiguous it was as to whether or not she’d actually gone back in time. I felt like Donnelly was trying to cover her bases: if you want to believe Andi really did visit historic France, you can; if, on the other hand, that’s too unbelievable for you, you can brush it off as a (really) long dream or hallucination. And third, I don’t like the implication that only by traveling back in time–which, for us actual people, isn’t currently possible–could Andi deal with her issues and be okay with herself again. That doesn’t strike me as being positive or realistic. I liked that she found her answers in Alex’s story, but I wish she’d absorbed them in a different, more plausible way. I was so annoyed when Andi ended up in the past that I almost stopped reading altogether. The thread that had been pulling me through the story was snapped, and I actually put the book down to read something else for a bit.
For the most part, I was really happy with Revolution. I loved how it unfolded; I loved the two main characters and how their stories intertwined. I haven’t seen any other reviews that had the same major issue I had, so maybe it’s just me! I would definitely recommend Revolution for older teens and for anyone who enjoys novels that blend historical fiction with a contemporary storyline.
Your Turn!
If you’ve read Revolution, what did you think? Have you ever read a book that you left except for one glaring issue? (Please avoid or warn about spoilers in your comments!)
I posted my first vlog (video blog) yesterday. When I made it, I wasn’t sure anyone but me would ever see it; I was just curious to see whether I liked vlogging and how the final product might come out. I ended up being quite happy, and so my first vlog was released upon the world.
I’ve been thinking a lot about vlogging recently, both as a blogger and a blog reader. As the latter, I definitely enjoy watching other people’s vlogs. I love seeing the person behind the blog; it adds a whole other dimension to the blog when I’m reading it. Sure, most people have an “About Me” picture, but seeing someone on video is completely different. I love having that extra piece of the blogger puzzle.
As a blogger, though, I’m still a little on the fence about vlogging. I like giving interested readers that same glimpse of the person behind the blog that I so enjoy–even if the person in the vlog is a slightly more nervous, less eloquent version of me! It’s kind of fun to just talk about your books, saying whatever comes to mind, without being able to edit and refine and rewrite until you’re perfectly satisfied. That being said, I also hate not being able to edit and refine and rewrite until I’m perfectly satisfied! I tend to tweak my posts a fair amount before I publish them, so it was frustrating not to be able to do the same kind of editing with the vlog.
I’m a little stuck about what, besides recent acquisitions, I would like to vlog about. I don’t think I could do a whole book review on video. There’s not a ton of how-to associated with books. I thought about reading favorite passages, but I don’t really like the way I read aloud. I plan to keep pondering other ways to utilize vlogging, because–much to my surprise, and despite the no editing thing–I think it’s kind of fun!
I’m curious to hear about your experiences with vlogging. If you’ve tried vlogging, did you enjoy it? What did you vlog about? If you’ve watched other people’s vlogs, do you like the video format, or do you prefer posts that are all text? Are there things you’d like to see book bloggers tackle in a vlog? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter!
(And is the word “vlog” looking weird to anyone else right about now, after having read it so many times in quick succession?)
To the Lighthouse is the most autobiographical of Woolf’s novels. Though Woolf took liberties with the details, the novel represents both her parents and the family’s summer home. It follows the daily life of an English family: a husband (Mr. Ramsay), his wife, their many children, and their many guests.
We’re halfway through The Odyssey for 
These six books are the bulk of what I remember from The Odyssey: the actual story of Odysseus’ journey home. The encounter with the Cyclops is my favorite; I love Odysseus’ cleverness in calling himself Nobody. The Sirens and Scylla and Charybdis are familiar tales as well.
Andi is struggling to keep her life together. She hasn’t started her high school senior thesis; she often doesn’t bother going to class. Andi’s home life is in pieces as well. Her little brother has died; her mother hasn’t recovered from it. Her father, a leading geneticist and Nobel Prize winner, has left them and now lives in Boston with his new girlfriend. The only thing holding Andi together is her music, and sometimes she’s not sure music will be enough.