While looking over my reads from 2017, I remembered how much I enjoyed the first DC Smith book and had planned to read more. Now I am so glad tha3.5.
While looking over my reads from 2017, I remembered how much I enjoyed the first DC Smith book and had planned to read more. Now I am so glad that I did. While this is not quite as good a story as An Accidental Death the characters are still very well drawn and mostly likable. Poetry is occasionally quoted and book titles thrown around in conversation. Since these books are free with my library subscription, I will waste no time in starting on book 3.
As to this particular story, it was, perhaps, uncomfortably familiar to me because my mother lives in assisted living and my father in skilled care. The story revolves around uncomfortable life and death issues which I stare at often in real life. Do we prolong life or do we really just drag out death? I am not at all in favor of assisted suicide but I do think we have gotten ourselves into a bit of a mess by prolonging life through artificial means. This book also reminds me of the heroes who work in these facilities on a daily basis. When I visit my father, I often leave his room weeping silently and walking the halls of the home does not bring any relief at all. It is a hard thing to face every few weeks or so let alone daily. This book also introduced me to the stark, beautiful, and painfully true poem by Philip Larkin The Old Fools. ...more
This was my second Elizabeth Fair book. It got off to a slow start and I almost put it aside, but I am so happy I finished it. After I got all the chaThis was my second Elizabeth Fair book. It got off to a slow start and I almost put it aside, but I am so happy I finished it. After I got all the characters straight, the subtleties of their personalities often had me laughing out loud. As satisfying as a Miss Read book, or as one reviewer described her: Elizabeth Fair is "Angela Thirkell without the sentimentality." I love that these books have a little bit of the sharp edge of wit. My cup of tea!...more
Esolen is a prophet, and as such he says extreme, yet needful things. We all can't be prophets nor should we be but we should all listen to our propheEsolen is a prophet, and as such he says extreme, yet needful things. We all can't be prophets nor should we be but we should all listen to our prophets even if they make us very sad for what we have lost and still not sure what to do about it except be brave and speak the truth....more
Having grown up in central Florida during some of the years recorded in this book, very close to where George Starling lived in Eustace, I found this Having grown up in central Florida during some of the years recorded in this book, very close to where George Starling lived in Eustace, I found this book compelling. I only had glimpses of Jim Crow as of a child but I could easily imagine a central Florida in its iron grip. This book does a good job of helping me see and empathize with those who lived under such harsh and hateful conditions.
I walked to school in 2nd grade with black friends but as busing was enacted I was shipped across town to another school. My mother says we were the only white children riding the bus at that time but I cannot remember whether this is so or not. I have more memories of all the times I walked or rode my bike to various schools.
In Seventh grade, I attended The Seventh Grade Center which was an up-to-date modern building which had been the former black high school, perhaps a last-ditch effort by the county to avoid integration.
All these shades of memories were woven into this history of the great migration some of which I had read about in Thomas Sowell's work. ...more
In some ways, this book leaves you wanting to know so much more, and yet, in other ways, you really do understand the woman who was Chesterton better.In some ways, this book leaves you wanting to know so much more, and yet, in other ways, you really do understand the woman who was Chesterton better. After reading this and following the timeline of his life it seems that without Frances, GK might not have risen to the heights he did. I love her sincere faith and quiet life.
Nancy Carpenter Brown does a good job of helping us visualize life with the Chesterton's and this book will continue to color all my readings of their works. As I write I am listening to the lovely carol How Far is it to Bethlehem? Lyrics by Frances Chesterton....more
This was the last play of Shakespeare and the last one on my 2015 list. My holidays were so busy I did not have time to finish this in 2015 but overalThis was the last play of Shakespeare and the last one on my 2015 list. My holidays were so busy I did not have time to finish this in 2015 but overall I am surprised I stayed on track as well as I did. I have learned to never quit something just because I fall behind. My life motto is:plod on. Not the stuff of poetry but helpful to me. I enjoyed this final play and especially noted Shakespeare's own strong desire that his play should be liked in the Epilogue. Even Shakespeare suffered from fear of failure. If only he knew.......more
Cymbeline, is not one of Shakespeare's best known plays but it certainly one of the easiest to read.
It mostly takes place in Roman-ruled Britain. It Cymbeline, is not one of Shakespeare's best known plays but it certainly one of the easiest to read.
It mostly takes place in Roman-ruled Britain. It has an evil stepmother and her unworthy son, a princess, and prince and two lost princes. It has weird medicine, intrigue, and battles. It is full of interesting characters and happenings.
But most of all it is satisfying in the way it handles sin and repentance. Where there is repentance there is forgiveness for even the most heinous crimes. Where there is lack of repentance there is death and agony. Many of the characters make mistakes and most of them acknowledge them.
We are nearing the end of Shakespeare's plays as we reach this play. It comes on the heels of that terror of a play King Lear. I like to think Cymbeline shows a depth of understanding of the wages of sin and the availability of forgiveness in Shakespeare's own life.
It would be fun to translate all the Roman names. I am sure they are all purposefully named beginning with the orphan Posthumous....more
This was a reread for me so I knew what I was getting into. In my efforts to read the whole of Shakespeare's cannon I made the mistake of trying to reThis was a reread for me so I knew what I was getting into. In my efforts to read the whole of Shakespeare's cannon I made the mistake of trying to read this out loud to the kids several years ago. The first scene put an end to that as it is about incest. The rest of the play reads more like a lesser Winter's Tale. I often wonder how these things came about in Shakespeare's mind. It appears he only collaborated on this one so maybe A Winter's Tale was his own improvement minus the incest.
As to the incest-It is not dealt with gratuitously at all. It is told with a blatant moral underpinning. Certainly not something to be read aloud to children but not entirely without merit if you don't count that it is not that great of a play altogether.
2018: This play has grown on me as I age. I am moving my rating from 2 to 3.5. There is the possibility that this play may be the most moral of all Shakespeare’s plays, after all he was aging when he wrote it late in his career....more
Shakespeare's longest play and it shows. He seems to get caught up in the history in the early acts. The history happens to be very confusing and we dShakespeare's longest play and it shows. He seems to get caught up in the history in the early acts. The history happens to be very confusing and we do not come to it with a lot of background. We have to scramble around figuring out that there are two Caesars mentioned-Octavius or Augustus and Julius Caesar the father of Cleopatra's children. To add to the confusion there is Octavia, Augustus's sister who marries Mark Antony after his first wife dies. Add in the fact that it is hard to figure out if the triumvirate is fighting Pompey or each other. I suppose it is as confusing as real history sometimes.
The play does end well. I mean it is exciting in the end. Will Cleopatra die or be carried off to Rome to be humiliated? So many characters in Shakespeare kill themselves, it is interesting to watch Marc Antony botch the act and fear it.
Marc Antony so brave and faithful in Julius Caesar appears to be made entirely of clay here. Alas, he is only a man who will not resist the idea of having a woman Julius Caesar had....more
(Update: I listened to the Arkangel recording in November of 2018. I liked the play better this time around and so I am upping my stars from 2 to 3.)
T(Update: I listened to the Arkangel recording in November of 2018. I liked the play better this time around and so I am upping my stars from 2 to 3.)
This is one of my least favorite plays. I am not sure why but maybe it is because I did not like the video we watched of it years ago. It was very true to the play with Timon wearing very few clothes.
Once again, a lot is going on here and I did not read the play as well as I should have. It could have easily ended happily or at least positively, but instead it only ends in more bitterness. It is a cautionary tale, reminding me of the Bible passage about the unworthy servant who had his owner's clients write out lesser amounts on their bills so that he would have a place to go when he was let go. Timon was not quite as fortunate in his friends. Even when he finds a stash of gold it gives him no joy since he knows now that money cannot buy friends....more
Shakespeare answers the question: what is self-righteousness and how do we deal with it? He answers the question with grace and humor.
The plot revolvShakespeare answers the question: what is self-righteousness and how do we deal with it? He answers the question with grace and humor.
The plot revolves around this good and "just" man who signs up for Ashley Madison never realizing his employer is monitoring his computer. In the end he is punished by having to marry his betrothed. Fair dealing for the betrothed in that culture. It always seems to me that Shakespeare has a fair amount of respect for women and even goodness and a fair assessment of humanity to boot....more
This is Shakespeare's look at the Trojan War and a play I will probably do more research on. It is a very odd play. Perhaps it is a farce. It is a bitThis is Shakespeare's look at the Trojan War and a play I will probably do more research on. It is a very odd play. Perhaps it is a farce. It is a bit cynical. The main characters are not really the thing and in the end it seems that Cressida is unworthy of Troilus's love. Besides the obvious source of the Iliad it appears this story of Troilus and Cressida comes from Chaucer. I can only wonder how many inside jokes I missed by not being an Elizabethan....more
It's Hamlet. The height and glory of Shakespeare. I get something new out of it each time I read it. Perhaps its time to rewatch David Tennant in the It's Hamlet. The height and glory of Shakespeare. I get something new out of it each time I read it. Perhaps its time to rewatch David Tennant in the lead....more
One of the shorter plays. I wonder why. I often find myself wondering if Shakespeare had a theme and he just liked to work it out in different ways. TOne of the shorter plays. I wonder why. I often find myself wondering if Shakespeare had a theme and he just liked to work it out in different ways. This play is one of his more notable themes-lost twins. It may just be it made it easier for male actors. It also comes on the heels of Hamlet and Much Ado and As You Like It so maybe he just needed a short play to finish out the season.
It is a light romp and easy read with several silly character and several memorable lines such as, "If music be the food of love, play on." Also we find “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” But it feels like Shakespeare is quoting something already known to his audience....more
This is one of my favorites. It is a hymn to marriage with much poetry, song, and general fun.
I also LOVE Kenneth Branagh's film version-one of my faThis is one of my favorites. It is a hymn to marriage with much poetry, song, and general fun.
I also LOVE Kenneth Branagh's film version-one of my favorite adaptations of all time.
Coming on the heels of Much Ado, you can see that Shakespeare is writing in a time of his life when word play, wit and romance figure greatly.
Of course, the next play is Hamlet-not quite so airy.
UPDATE on AUDIO: Don't listen to the audio if you do not know the play. Because of the girl playing boy parts it is hard to follow the plot if you don't know if the girl is, for instance, Rosalind or Ganymede at any moment....more
Shakespeare paints such a villain with so many murders to his account, it is hard to imagine that Richard did not deserve all this spite as Josephine Shakespeare paints such a villain with so many murders to his account, it is hard to imagine that Richard did not deserve all this spite as Josephine Tey and Sharon Kay Penman so deftly point out. It is certainly a relief to have Richmond on the throne and the War of the Roses ended, at any rate....more