= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
Archive for July 24th, 2008
Thursday, July 24th, 2008Unread Authors Challenge - Part II
August 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009
Once again, Ariel from Sycorax Pine is hosting the Unread Authors Challenge. She’s using the same group blog for this challenge as the last one. I love widening my horizons and reading books by new-to-me authors, and so I decided to join part II of the challenge. Here are the rules:
- Read at least SIX books by an author whose work you have never read before.
- You may choose six different “unread” authors to introduce yourself to, or you may choose just one or two and explore their work in greater depth.
- Authors may be drawn from any genre of literature. The only requirement is that they be authors whose work you substantially regret not having read yet.
- Your choices may overlap with other challenges you have underway.
I’ve decided to list more than six authors from which to choose my books - I’ve found lately that I don’t like being constrained by challenge lists and need choices! So here are the authors I’d love to read, and from this list I will pick six to satisfy the requirements of the challenge:
- Mark Haddon
- Peter Carey
- Ann Patchett
- Kate Grenville (COMPLETED The Secret River October 13, 2008; rated 5/5; read my review)
- Nadine Gordimer
- V.S. Naipaul
- Kate Atkinson
- Doris Lessing
- Lionel Shriver
- Laura Lippman
- Rose Tremain (COMPLETED The Colour August 25, 2008; rated 5/5; read my review)
- Michael Faber
- Eudora Welty
- Ursula Hegi
- Daphne Du Maurier (COMPLETED Rebecca November 7, 2008; rated 5/5; read my review)
- Alice Munro (COMPLETED The View From Castle Rock September 26, 2008; rated 4/5; read my review)
- Edward P. Jones
Hotel Du Lac - Book Review
Edith Hope, a writer of romantic fiction under a more thrusting name, remained standing at the window, as if an access of good will could pierce the mysterious opacity with which she had been presented, although she had been promised a tonic cheerfulness, a climate devoid of illusions, an utterly commonsensical, not to say pragmatic, set of circumstances - quiet hotel, excellent cuisine, long walks, lack of excitement, early nights - in which she could be counted upon to retrieve her serious and hard-working personality and to forget the unfortunate lapse which had led to this brief exile, in this apparently unpopulated place, at this slowly darkening time of the year, when she should have been at home… -From Hotel Du Lac, page 8-
And so begins Anita Brookner’s Booker Award winning novel. Edith Hope finds herself banished to a hotel in Switzerland to ponder her life and recover from a romantic stumble. Once there, she meets the other hotel visitors - a cast of characters with their own secrets, desires, and weaknesses.
Iris and Jennifer Pusey are a mother-daughter ensemble who fill their lives with the superficial glee of material gain. Edith observes their lives with a wry humor.
Behind their extreme pleasantness there lies something entrenched, non-negotiable, as if they can really take no one seriously but themselves. As if they feel sorry for anyone who is denied the possibility of being a Pusey. And this, of course, is, by definition, everyone. -From Hotel Du Lac, page 109-
Also residing in the hotel is the elderly Mme de Bonneuil who has been abandoned by her son and selfish daughter-in-law; Monica who suffers an eating disorder and dotes on her spoiled dog; and Mr. Neville - a blunt man convinced that self-centeredness is the key to happiness.
Anita Brookner weaves a story which is introspective and beautifully developed about a woman searching for herself while struggling to find love and acceptance. Despite its serious undertones, Hotel Du Lac is surprisingly funny. Edith embodies the idea of feminism, liberation and romantic ideals - a woman who is torn between her fantasies of being swept away by romance, while at the same time desiring her independence.
[...] if she’s all that liberated, why doesn’t she go down to the bar and pick someone up? I’m sure it’s entirely possible. It’s just that most women don’t do it. And why don’t they do it?’ she asked, with a sudden return of assurance. ‘It’s because they prefer the old myths, when it comes to the crunch. They want to believe that they are going to be discovered, looking their best, behind closed doors, just when they thought that all was lost, by a man who has battled across continents, abandoning whatever he may have had in his in-tray, to reclaim them. -From Hotel Du Lac, page 27-
The tension in the novel comes from the characters’ releationships to each other which ultimately help Edith to make a momentous decision.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Brookner writes with elegant, passionate prose and leaves the reader feeling deeply satisfied.
Highly recommended.
Blogging Awards
I am tremendously flattered. I’ve received the Brillante Weblog award AND the Excellent award from several fellow bloggers - it is very gratifying to be recognized by one’s peers. Thanks to:
- Teddy at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
- Rants And Reads at The Novel World (who recognized my blog Lists for the Obsessive Reader)
- Carrie at Books And Movies
The rules (once you’ve received one of these awards) is:
- Put the logo on your blog.
- Add a link to the person who awarded you.
- Nominate at least seven other blogs.
- Add links to those blogs on your blog.
- Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.
I have such a hard time with these. I have over 300 feeds on my Google Reader - blogs which I love and find interesting. So how to pick just seven? So, if I don’t list you here please don’t be hurt! Forced to choose, here are my picks:
Amy at The Sleepy Reader - Amy’s posts are always wonderful. She writes great reviews. I also love the look of her blog!
Ann at Table Talk - Ann’s posts are thoughtful and relevant. I credit her for exposing me to authors I might otherwise not have read.
Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf - Dewey hosts some wonderful events (Book Carnival, Weekly Geek and the unparalleled 24 Hour Reading Challenge). She is wildly imaginative. I adore her blog.
Jill at The Magic Lasso - I love reading Jill’s reviews. They are thoughtful and provocative! Plus, she is just a really nice person!
Michelle at 1More Chapter - Michelle hosts a variety of reading challenges and ALL of her blogs are spectacularly designed and easy to browse.
Teddy at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time - Fun, fun, fun! I love Teddy’s blog…and she is a fellow challenge addict too; so what’s not to like??
Terri at Reading, Writing and Retirement - Terri is a fellow Library Thinger, an avid reader and a committed blogger. She doesn’t limit her blog to just books (although there are plenty of posts about books!), but also talks about gardening and other subjects. I always look forward to reading her latest post!
So that’s seven. Trust me, there are tons more which I read and love (I think you probably know who you are).