Tea Stains and Daisy Chains: book

To read or not to read- Emma

16:10

Happy Sunday! Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. But, as I said in my last post, I don't want this to feel like a chore, so I'm back now because I felt like it!

You may remember the 'BBC Top 100 Books Challenge' I've been doing in preparation for my English Lit degree (which I have now officially applied for, woo!) Well, I've decided that I don't want to restrict what I read to just one list, so I'm pushing the boat out and am just going to read whatever I fancy! I thought it was a bit silly to confine myself, seeing as there are so many books I've always wanted to read. I'm still going to be documenting my really brief thoughts on each book, but it's not going to be under the 'BBC Top 100 Books List' title anymore (see new and exciting graphic above!).

So I've just finished Jane Austen's Emma, which was a really fun read. I'm still not really sure whether or not I liked Emma as a character, something that was evidently foreseen by Austen when she wrote to a friend saying that Emma is "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like". But the truth is, I couldn't really help but like her. While she's a fairly spoilt and self-righteous young woman, she's also just a 21 year-old girl who makes mistakes, falls in love and meddles in other people's business. As well as this, Austen cleverly uses free indirect speech, which means that the narrative is told from Emma's perspective in the third person, while Austen still hold the reigns as the narrator. This is incredibly effective, as we can sympathise and identify with Emma, at the same time as benefiting from Austen's hilarious wit and way with words.

All in all, Emma is one of those classics you just have to read. If you've read Pride and Prejudice, then you'll fine that this is really similar, only funnier, and that Emma is a little more complex and developed than Elizabeth Bennet. (Not to put a downer on P&P though- yet another of Austen's masterpieces!).

I've got a stack of books to choose from next, so not sure what it will be yet. Any suggestions from English Lit students would be very much appreciated!

Harriet x

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- Heart of Darkness

09:54

Despite being a classic, I admit that before I read Heart of Darkness (and in fact after I'd read it, before I'd researched it!), I wasn't really sure what it was about. The title undoubtedly suggests a dark story, but I didn't know whether the heart was a metaphor, or that of a person or place. It turns out that it's all three. Actually, it could be something else entirely; the title is left open to interpretation, as is Conrad's ambiguous central character, Kurtz.

The novella tells the story of Marlow, a sailor who takes a job as a captain with the Company, a Belgian organisation that trades in ivory in the Congo. He journeys up the river on a steamboat in a quest to meet with Kurtz, the chief of the Inner Station who has been described to him, somewhat obscurely, as a most remarkable man. Yet as Marlow and his crew near their destination, they enter into a darker world away from civilisation, where imperialism has led to slavery and savagery. The oppressive and smothering mist adds to the tension and the ambiguity of the situation. They hear that Kurtz is ill, the implication being that he has gone mad, and they fear that he might be dead by the time they arrive.

In case you want to read it for yourself, I won't go on and give away the ending. Personally, I enjoyed reading this book, thanks to Conrad's beautiful way with words, as well as the appealing character of Marlow. I also found myself wanting to 'meet' the curious Kurtz just as much as he did, which kept me reading on.

Had I not read up on it, however, I'm sure I would have missed out on many of the underlying messages and themes, which would have undoubtedly caused me to be less appreciative of Conrad's creation. So, seeing as the book itself is only around 110 pages long, I don't think reading a quick analysis before or afterwards would do anyone any harm!

Next up is something a little lighter- Jane Austin's Emma.

Have you read Heart of Darkness? What did you think?

Harriet x

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- Memoirs of a Geisha

14:08

It came as somewhat of a surprise to me, as I was reading this book, to suddenly notice that it was written by a man. If anyone had asked me, I'd have been absolutely adamant that the voice of Nitta Sayuri (the first person narrator) was the work of a woman, simply because her character was so stunningly tangible. The ability to write from the perspective of someone of the opposite sex with such insight and immediacy, is a rarity that should be commended as a triumph in itself.

Memoirs of a Geisha tells the compelling story of Sayuri's transformation from girl to geisha, a journey that begins in a poor Japanese fishing village in 1929. Writing in retrospect, Sayuri recounts her experiences with intense clarity and emotion, as well as with the certain kind of wisdom only gained with age.

Nine year-old Chiyo (for that was her name at the time) is plunged into an unfamiliar world in which she must learn a whole new way of life. The narrative is so enthralling, that the reader feels as though they are floundering alongside the girl with the remarkable blue-grey eyes, desperately trying to succeed, while also clinging on to a childhood fantasy.

While much of the story tells of parties, enchanting social events and beautiful clothes, the less spoken about part of a geisha's life is explored in equal depth and honesty. Throughout the novel, the reader is painfully aware of the exploitation taking place, as well as the fact that the central character seems to have no choice nor control.

By the end of the novel, the reader feels as though they've been through so much with this woman, that they wish they could meet her, ask her questions and, more importantly, tell her that she's the most incredible person they've ever met.

Before reading Arthur Golden's novel, I only had a vague idea of what a geisha actually was. I was mostly wrong. While much of what I discovered about the life of a geisha shocked me, I also found myself developing a great amount of respect for these women.

Overall, I think I'd have to say that this was the most beautiful book I've ever read. If that's not a recommendation, then I'm not sure what is.

Harriet x

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- Moby-Dick

16:01

I cannot express how happy I was to read the last word of this book. I was in Cornwall on holiday and everyone was waiting for me so we could go out for the day. But I had about 5 pages left, so I announced, "I need silence!" and hurried off to sit at the bottom of the stairs and read in peace. When I was finally done, I took a celebratory selfie (look how happy I am!).

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville tells the story of a whaling ship captained by one monomaniac Captain Ahab, who is on a desperate quest to chase and kill the infamous white whale who was responsible for the loss of his leg. The tale is recounted by Ishmael, a seaman on board the Pequod (the ship), during the lengthy quest. Captain Ahab is blinded by his need for revenge, meaning that he will do anything it takes to hunt down the whale, which has been named Moby-Dick by those who have encountered him.

It's not that it's a bad book, (I can see why it's a classic) it's just that it was such a struggle. When I first started reading (it feels like years ago now), there were parts that I found really funny and clever. Throughout the book this did continue, as Ishmael often tells his story with a brilliantly dry humour and insight. However, I'm ashamed to say that I think a lot of the references flew straight over my head. If I wanted to, I could spend time researching and studying the deeper meanings of events and descriptions in the book, which I hope to do someday so that I can fully appreciate this 'masterpiece'.

It is described as "one of the most expansive feats of imagination in the whole of literature".

While the descriptions often created vivid and detailed images in my head, I found them overly extensive and sometimes quite hard to follow. There were many occasions when I had to re-read whole chunks, because by the time I'd got to the end, I'd forgotten what happened at the beginning of the sentence! As I was reading, I was reminded of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which I studied for A Level English. This is an epic poem, which gives you some idea of the style of Moby-Dick.

I'm finding it really hard to say that I didn't enjoy reading a classic novel, as I feel as though this makes me ignorant. But I guess everyone has their own tastes, and maybe a massively long tale about a man chasing a whale is not really my thing. Of course, I'm not so ignorant that I think Moby-Dick is as simple as this- Melville's exploration of obsession and monomania is thorough and intricate and raises many questions about human nature.

When I finally reached the closing pages, it almost felt as though the previous 660 had been a painfully long introduction to this final scene. However, without the build-up, the outcome would undoubtedly have meant absolutely nothing. So if you want to know what happens, don't just read the last few pages because, a) that's cheating and b) you won't care.

Am I glad that I've read it? Yes, definitely. It's the kind of book that just has to be persevered with and finished. Don't let those whales defeat you!

Harriet x

31 day blog challenge

31 Day Blog Challenge- Day 11

09:32

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- The Wasp Factory

14:35

So I may or may not have taken a slight detour on the "whale-athon" (as nicely put by someone on Twitter) to sneak in a bit of Iain Banks. As I was struggling a little (to say the least) with Moby-Dick, I was planning on interspersing it with a bit of The Wasp Factory, but I quickly abandoned this idea when I remembered that I just can't resist a bit of gothic. So now I'm back to square one with Moby-Dick, only this time I haven't read it for a couple of days...But I refuse to be defeated by a whale!!

Ever since I studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at school, I have been a huge gothic fan. Perhaps this is strange, because I absolutely hate horror films and I'm fairly squeamish, but to be honest, gothic horror is something else entirely. If done well, as it is in The Wasp Factory, I think the reader experiences something more awful than when watching a film, as they process the descriptions and develop them into the images or ideas that scare them personally. It's often our imaginations and our own minds that frighten us the most. I think the fact a few words on a page can do this shows the immense power of the written word.

The Wasp Factory is told from the point of view of sixteen year-old Frank Cauldhame, our first person narrator. I'm not going to give away much of the story line because I want you to find out for yourself, but just by reading the blurb, we discover that Frank has killed three people. It also becomes clear that he has had some sort of "unfortunate accident", although he keeps this frustratingly hidden for the majority of the book, only giving us tantalizing hints in passing. He also gradually unveils the true nature of the Wasp Factory itself, as up to a certain point, we are unable to fully visualise this strange contraption. As well as this, although we find out early on that Frank has a brother who has gone insane, we're left wondering what on earth happened to him to cause this madness. We know it must be pretty awful, but I'm not sure we're quite prepared for the truth.

Essentially, throughout the novel we are presented with a number of incredibly intriguing (yet painfully unanswered) questions about Frank and the people around him. Fortunately, just before the tension gets too unbearable, Banks reveals the truth, often in a way that will make you want to avert your eyes, but simultaneously remain glued to each word on the page. You'll find you can't put it down, just in case the next sentence unveils something huge.

But in amongst all this, what if you're missing something? Something really fundamental?You forgot to ask the most important question...

I shall say no more, otherwise the experience will be ruined. Just read it. Now!

Harriet x

P.S. I'm back to battling on with Moby-Dick- The whales shall not defeat me!

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- The Catcher in the Rye

14:29

This book was not what I expected, despite the fact that I'm not entirely sure what I did expect. I think, for some reason, I'd imagined that it was set earlier than it was and that it would be written in a more formal style. So when, by the end of the first sentence, the narrator had already said, "all that crap", I was rather pleased.

The Catcher in the Rye is in fact set in America in the 1950s and is told from the perspective of a boy called Holden Caulfield. On the first page, you find out that he is currently in some sort of mental institute (we assume), where he has come to "take it easy". The rest of the book is him recounting to us what happened to him the year before, when he was sixteen and had just been kicked out of prep school for the fourth time.

The things he tells us are fairly unremarkable in themselves, but it's the way in which he tells them and the way his mind seems to work that are the fascinating parts. Despite the fact that Holden comes across as fairly peculiar, I found myself (along with many others, I hope) being able to identify with him, as well as agreeing with some of the seemingly strange and unrelated things that he says. I really loved the way that the narrative so cleverly shows how his thoughts drift from one thing to another in a way that at first seems quite bizarre, but is actually very realistic.

I also like how insightful Holden is as a narrator. He seems to have this obsession with blaming everything bad on what he calls "phoniness", which he sees in most people around him, especially adults. This "phoniness" is actually a rather ingenious description for situations and individuals that are superficial, shallow and hypocritical.

Although he's judgmental and tiresome in that he uses the same phrases over and over again, I found myself quite drawn to this odd sixteen year-old boy, who seems to be isolated from the world around him.

In amongst all the weird and wonderful things that Holden says, my favourite was his description of his little sister Phoebe as "roller-skate skinny". I can't really explain how, but I knew exactly what he meant.

I'd love to know what you thought of Holden, as he really is a very intriguing character and this was a very intriguing book!

Next up is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

Harriet x

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- Birdsong

13:24

bbc top 100 books

The BBC Top 100 Books- Brave New World

09:39

book

MyStudentStyle book review- 'The Storyteller' by Jodi Picoult

12:42

book

The book that will change your life

10:36

Before you dismiss this as yet another gushing book review, in which I will inevitably pour out my heart and declare that my life will never be the same again, let me stop you. There is no drama or exaggeration needed; this book will change your life. If you've ever found yourself wondering 'what's the point?', or 'why am I here?', then this is an absolute guarantee.

Firstly, I'd like to share how I came across The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, as I think this in itself is quite amazing. Over the last year, I have been battling various mental illnesses and have been lucky to have the support of a few close friends. One of these friends gave me a memory stick and told me to download the files and listen to the audio version of this book, as my concentration was so bad that I'd pretty much stopped reading all together (something I used to do avidly). This all seemed like a bit too much effort, so a few months went by and the memory stick sat on my desk gathering dust, despite regular prompting and encouragement from my friend. She eventually decided to come round and help me, but of course, my laptop decided to freeze and we didn't get very far. Then, over the Easter holidays, my family and I went to Bath to stay with some relatives. When we got there, my Nana told me that she had something for me. She said that her friend had woken in the middle of the night and started praying for me and my recovery. In doing this, she felt God telling her that I really needed to read this book called The Purpose Driven Life. So my Nana handed me the book, not knowing that its audio version was sitting on my desk at home. I'd always called myself 'a Christian', as that's how I've been brought up, but I didn't really have any real faith, so I was a little embarrassed, but realised that I would be pretty crazy not to read it now!

I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading Day 1 (the book is divided into 42 short chapters, which are intended to be read over 42 days), but I suppose I was quite sceptical; a book that claimed to answer the question 'What on earth am I here for?' on its front-cover was surely going to be full of over-dramatic and generalised statements about 'the purpose of life'. Despite sometimes going to church and calling myself religious, I'd become very doubtful about the existence of God; I just couldn't get my head around it and the whole idea seemed too good to be true. But Rick Warren's powerful opening statement, "It's not about you", hit me hard and I suddenly felt that it was ridiculous not to believe that there was a God. As I read, I did not feel as though I was being 'brain-washed' by persuasive language or religious jargon, I just felt as though questions and doubts that had held me back for so long were being directly answered and cleared up. Everything Rick said just made so much sense to me and I knew for certain that it was no coincidence that two completely unrelated people had felt I should read this book.

I am now on Day 32 and am loving my new routine of reading a chapter while I eat my breakfast every morning. I think when I finish, I'm just going to start again, because there is just so much to take away from it! These last 32 days have been absolutely fundamental in my recovery; I've seen so much personal growth and development and I'm finally starting to feel excited about my future. But while all this self-improvement is great, I don't just want to keep this to myself because, as I've realised, it's not really about me. I have such a strong urge to run around the streets crazily shouting, "Everyone has got to read this book!!!", but that probably wouldn't do much good. So I'm doing the next best thing and writing this in the hope that a few of you will take my advice and read The Purpose Driven Life. Even if one person reads it as a result, that will be great and that will hopefully mean that there will be one more follower of Jesus out there.

Why don't you be that one person?

Click here for a link to the book on Amazon.

Harriet x

To read or not to read- Emma

The BBC Top 100 Books- Heart of Darkness

The BBC Top 100 Books- Memoirs of a Geisha

The BBC Top 100 Books- Moby-Dick

31 Day Blog Challenge- Day 11

The BBC Top 100 Books- The Wasp Factory

The BBC Top 100 Books- The Catcher in the Rye

The BBC Top 100 Books- Birdsong

The BBC Top 100 Books- Brave New World

MyStudentStyle book review- 'The Storyteller' by Jodi Picoult

The book that will change your life

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