Pretty disappointed with Dickens on this one. It is only a short story, and if you are an avid fan of Dickens and want to read everything he wrote, goPretty disappointed with Dickens on this one. It is only a short story, and if you are an avid fan of Dickens and want to read everything he wrote, go ahead. I had a few problems with this one. 1 ) I am not unbiased and the subject matter of this story leaned very heavily on occult characters and practices. It made me very, very uncomfortable, even while it was trying to be funny. 2 ) The writing really didn't seem up to snuff with Dickens usual caliber. There were many times I found myself self-editing in my head, and many times (could be lack of context on my part) I find myself getting really lost and confused. 3 ) The title is kind of misleading because the story could have happened to anyone from any profession and really made no difference to the story that the main character was a lamplighter.
All in all, it was kind of funny, while still being disturbing. It read more like a dream with its disjointed narrative and bizarre happenings (could have been on purpose). It passed an afternoon but really wasn't worth reading in my opinion. It comes off like a piece that was published posthumously. But according to my research it was originally a play written for an actor friend of Dickens. The actor declined playing however, and later it was adapted to a short story....more
I tried to like this but had to give up. Too much gossip, stuffiness, and manipulation. I think the author thought this dynamic was funny, but it justI tried to like this but had to give up. Too much gossip, stuffiness, and manipulation. I think the author thought this dynamic was funny, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth....more
One of my favourite Beatrix Potter tales! This one is a bit spooky, a little longer, but intriguing as a suspenseful story, as far as her pieces go. IOne of my favourite Beatrix Potter tales! This one is a bit spooky, a little longer, but intriguing as a suspenseful story, as far as her pieces go. I come back to it often! ...more
A beautiful story. This one reminds me more of a traditional fairytale in that its about a little girl who wonders in the woods. I would have liked toA beautiful story. This one reminds me more of a traditional fairytale in that its about a little girl who wonders in the woods. I would have liked to see more interesting things she discovers there, but the pictures are amazing, and it was definitely a warm little read!...more
What a darling little tale. I love this one for the paintings more than many of the others. I really get the feeling looking at them, that Beatrix reaWhat a darling little tale. I love this one for the paintings more than many of the others. I really get the feeling looking at them, that Beatrix really enjoyed illustrating it. The composition of the pictures are very good, each image fresh, and there's always something happening, some motion, something little fun detail. I like the little world in this one, and its an interesting twist on the "big one, that got away" tale, but in this case, poor Mr. Fisher wanted it to get away! This, of all her tales, reminds me a little bit of The Wind in the Willows, but I really feel sorry for this mild-mannered little Frog....more
I think it was just me, but this one didn't really do it for me. I found the readings very all over the place and I guess I was looking for a more cenI think it was just me, but this one didn't really do it for me. I found the readings very all over the place and I guess I was looking for a more centered Lent devotional. He does specify at the beginning of the book that this isn't really meant to be used as a regular devotional, but most of the thoughts were not relatable to me, though some were thought-provoking and insightful....more
This is was okay. To start off, let me just say I'm not a fan of modern books or romance novels so all things considered this wasn't bad. I picked it upThis is was okay. To start off, let me just say I'm not a fan of modern books or romance novels so all things considered this wasn't bad. I picked it up because I almost exclusively read Classic fiction and I wanted to not be too out of touch with today's way of talking (I don't want to sound like an old Victorian when I speak or write XD), I wanted something winter themed, and I'm fascinated with the figure of King Wenceslaus, so this looked interesting. But on those points I was very disappointed. I was reminded again why I don't like reading modern fiction. The sentences are so choppy and short and lacking in any sense of beauty. It's like reading texts, not wordsmith mastery! There was very, very little description of nearly anything visual, except the hundredth reiteration that she was SO BEAUTIFUL. King Wenceslaus was only in one scene and really come off like a selfish, lazy old Monarch who didn't really care about Elyce's plight at all. The language was extremely repetitive. How many times did I need to hear that Elyce didn't think people would love her if she showed her emotions, or that Gerard was just a knight and she was a princess? Most of the time they spoke to each other it was in titles, e.g. "Sir Gerard" and "Princess Elyce", it's not like I forgot what they were, but this was repeated so many times in the novel. For a Christian romance I was a little disturbed, because there was so much dwelling on each other's bodies and touch (and a lot of convenient excuses for inappropriate intimacy), even when they didn't really know each other, and way, way too much THINKING period about each other. I don't think it would be a healthy read for a young girl. That all said and done, I thought the names were pretty original, and I like the time period, I just was really hoping for a lot more background, actual touches of history, and world building. Most of the time I had trouble imagining their surroundings, or understanding the political powers of the time. It wasn't terrible, and I'm sure for modern fans who like quick, romance-fix stories, this will suit them just fine. But it wasn't anything terribly new in my opinion....more
So much better than I expected! I put off reading this for a while, because while I believe women should have equal rights of course, I'm not exactly So much better than I expected! I put off reading this for a while, because while I believe women should have equal rights of course, I'm not exactly a feminist, and all I heard about the story was the new 2019 remake which had very pushy feminist ideals. I believe in feminism, I just don't believe in being a bossy, pushy female overlord, trying to crush everyone else with her own views. (Sorry to the staunch feminists out there). Anyway, once I finally gave this a try I found that, if it is actually feminist at all, its of the kind I respect much more, which is gentle, and proves its worthiness by simply living it out. The girls were each good characters in their own right, and I loved the wholesome values of the story. Some might feel it was preachy, but I found myself being enriched by every chapter, and it was so uplifting. I really liked Laurie and Amy's character arcs, how they grew and changed over time, as well as Jo of course. And, I understand its an unpopular opinion, but I also loved Prof. Bhaer, though the differences in their ages was a bit awkward :P It's a great light read and one of the best I've read in a long time! I'm so glad I gave it a try!...more
**spoiler alert** Give it a chance. It takes a long time to build, but after it does, there is A LOT of action in this book, and interesting twists of**spoiler alert** Give it a chance. It takes a long time to build, but after it does, there is A LOT of action in this book, and interesting twists of plot and character. Oliver Twist is my favourite Dickens book so far for characters, but I was really surprised how these characters, flawed as so many of them were, did start to worm their way into my heart, and I was genuinely interested to see what happened to them. I wasn't even taken with Barnaby, at first, but as it went, I became very attached to him, and even began to cry at the thought that he would die in the end! I pressed on through almost twenty chapters in the last day of my reading just to find out his fate among all the other weaving and interesting subplots. And I cried for joy when he was freed! So refreshing to see a classic, especially about such horrific historical times, to end happily in almost every respect! I had a little bit of trouble getting into it in the first place, but an open mind, and a combination of reading, listening to an audiobook of it, and reading and listening at the same time, really helped me get over the first hump and get invested in the story! I actually believe the descriptive writing is very good in this one, and thought the straight-forward, while intriguing, plot, was refreshing, compared to some other Dickens novels, like Oliver, that seem to have a very meandering, aimless plot. I'm really not sure why this book hasn't received more attention among his classics. But if you aren't religious or into history this could be a boring read, but as I am both, it was gripping. I really couldn't stand the characters of Mrs. Varden and Miggs (at least until Mrs. Varden repents and changes), but I think we're supposed to detest them. Still sometimes it was tempting to skip pages when they were speaking! XD There really aren't a whole lot of "good" characters, morally speaking, though all the characters are "good" as in well thought out, motivated, and extremely expressive of their views in various ways. As a Protestant, it was painful sometimes to read of the failings of my own tradition, but I welcome it! I want to know the terrible historic details to prevent repeating these mistakes in the present. Catholics, Protestants, and every tribe of human under the sun have made BIG mistakes, and probably will continue to, but by learning about our pasts, and the types of mistakes our tribe is most prone to, we can work toward making things better in the future! Perhaps the only character I thought was a good fellow (besides innocent Barnaby and his faithful mother), was Mr. Gabriel Varden, who was downright loveable! I also really like, that amid the rebellious noise, secret societies, revolutions, and riots, we have Varden and Haredale as good friends, a Protestant and a Catholic respectively. It shows it can be done, and I would love to know more Catholics myself :) While the piece bitterly criticizes overzealous religious persons, I feel it criticizes not religion itself, as if the terrible things that happened were inevitable, but using Religion for Political gain, monetary gain, social gain, emotional abuse (as in the case of Mrs. Varden), or any other selfish purpose you can think of.
In the words of Gabriel Varden to his wife, "But recollect from this time that all good things perverted to evil purposes are worse than those which are naturally bad. A thoroughly wicked woman is wicked indeed. When religion goes wrong, she is very wrong for the same reason. Let us say no more about it, my dear."
This, I think, gets at the heart of the problem. Christianity itself, taking the teachings of Jesus on their own merit, goes against every selfish acquiring attitude there is. It's about humility, not superiority. So to use Christianity for personal gain is like spitting in its founder, Jesus', face! I think Dickens knew this well, as he highlights a similar theme in his criticism of Parochial schools and workhouses in Oliver Twist. How the very people claiming to be Christians and "caring" for the poor, were abusers, and not in any true sense Christian at all. It's harsh, for a Christian, to read, and I feel much of this nuance would be lost on someone who isn't of this religion. It's not a slam on belief in God period, but it certainly is a thunderous slam on hypocrites, whom Jesus called out very harshly himself! The progression from zealous Christians for religious freedom, a bill presented to the Senate, a restless crowd and a riot, the falling away of true decent Christians while hooligans and ragamuffins remained in the ranks, seeking only to do violence and vengeance, then how these savages became a swelling tribe of pirates on land, looting and destroying everything in their way, taking whatever they wanted, and burning not only Catholic establishments, but even Protestant houses in their madness!, shows how depraved this moment in history became, how completely removed from its original purpose and how truly demonic in nature it was, when we get all the way to these same rioters letting loose all the prisoners of a well-known jail, then setting fire to it so they couldn't be put away in prison themselves, then eventually burning themselves alive in the liquor they madly consumed, shows the ugliness of mankind! Let's not pretend any of us are better than the worst men in history. Everyone one of us is base: Protestant, Catholic, of some other Religion entirely, or Atheist. Charles Dickens wrote a sweeping, shocking, and beautiful tale based on true history to remind us all of the evil we are capable of, and to take the caution to do what lies at the heart of true Christianity...to love one another, whoever they are.
A quote from Mr. Haredale, chapter 79 "The men who learn endurance are they who call the whole world brother. I have turned from the world, and I pay the penalty."
Now excuse me while I read this story again! and annotate it for all the best pieces of writing I would like to read again and again, and the most poignant quotes!...more
A pleasant read. I came back to this book once in a while, while I tackled harder Classics in between. It was light reading and cute and funny to stepA pleasant read. I came back to this book once in a while, while I tackled harder Classics in between. It was light reading and cute and funny to step into the world of children again. I liked the way it transitioned them slowing into growing older in this work though, particularly the Story Girl. I don't know if this is the last in the series, and if so, feels a tiny bit abrupt at the last sentence. I would be interested in seeing how the children grow up from here, and balance their dreamy ways with reality.
Pros Short, beautiful writing, warm and endearing, entertaining.
Cons Some passages are just too flowery for me to swallow without a little disgust, and I normally like poetic writing. Personally, I found the distinct pagan flavour of L. M. Montgomery's writing in this piece, as opposed to something like Anne of Green Gables, a little off-putting. None of the boys in the novel really feel or sound like boys to me, except perhaps for Dan. And I found Sara Stanley's father dangerously over the top and flighty and just plain silly in a little dreaming girlish sort of way, and not at all like a grown man. I worried for Sara's growth as a woman under his teaching, because he never said a sensible thing in the book! ...more
I'll admit, this was a cover-buy. I love anything autumny with falling leaves! I still love the cover, but the story was really lacking. First of all,I'll admit, this was a cover-buy. I love anything autumny with falling leaves! I still love the cover, but the story was really lacking. First of all, it wasn't about the Inn at all, which was what I expected. There really wasn't a reason anything had to happen at the inn and most of it took place in someone's house and not in the inn. The plot seemed to beg a lot of obvious questions, such as what is wrong with all the but-inskis in this town? The first day a girl arrived in town and everyone is in her business, not to mention buttering her up with food over and over so they can pry into her family problems, before they even know her! I realize the characters were trying to help her, but they really came off like weird stalkers to me. Especially the man, Nolan, who could have been her father and was literally following her everywhere and not even giving her a moment to breathe by herself, taking her out for ice cream and literally scheming with people in town to never let the girl out of their sight. The book described him as a charmer and a person with genuine care for families, but he really creeped me out. There are some really great bits of dialogue in this story, quite funny here and there, and I enjoyed that! The town setting was quaint, but would you please stop eating!!! I get what the author was going for, but it wasn't for me, I also had a hard time with the back and forth between Meri and her ancestor Eliza each chapter. The stuff about Eliza and the yellow fever epidemic was honestly so boring and depressing that I mostly skipped her chapters! My family has quite a story to tell about how doing genealogy work has brought us together, that is true, however it felt really forced in this story and like it really didn't make that much sense to fix the families problems. It was much too easy. Anyway, someone worked hard to write this book. As an aspiring writer myself, I know how hard it is to make a book that people won't have negative comments about (impossible!). So, if you like modern writing, family plots, and quaint old towns, give it a try! ...more