Book Review

The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
One of these days I should compile a list of required reading for children. This would be right up there at the top of the list.
It is, in fact, a kid's book written in 1961. But like many classic children's literature, it's so much more. Often compared with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, I think it's actually better. It's much more clever and not a disturbing downer like Alice was. Then I learned it was written by the same guy that wrote one of my all time favorite stories from my childhood as animated by Looney Tunes - The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics and it all made sense. Oh, my heart! That explains why I found myself really enjoying it. The lessons aren't just for kids and the plot is surprisingly relevant to today. Especially to today, if you find yourself searching for Rhyme and Reason. If you've not read it since you were a child you should reread it. If you've not read it at all, I recommend it for adults as well as children. The wisdom is timeless. I can only hope it's not either too smart for modern kids or that modern kids think they're too smart for it. Adults as well. 

Book Review

The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas

Since The Count of Monte Cristo is in my top 10 favorite books, I always wanted to try this one to see if it would be just as good since it's so different. It certainly is! Dumas was a great storyteller. Not dark and tragic like Count, but adventurous and comic but without losing any dramatic tension.

I admit I don't know much about 17th century French history but I know that some of the characters were real with the circumstances around the historical events enhanced by inserted characters and the fictional main plot. Much like Shakespeare's historical dramas, but easier to read. The story is centered around a young man, D'Artagnan, who is fresh off the farm so to speak. He goes to Paris with the intent of joining the Musketeers and trouble follows him everywhere. Even his initial friendship with the three musketeers is a series of mistakes and misunderstandings. I don't know why the king's men fight constantly with the cardinal's men... that rivalry could probably be explained by some of the history I don't know but it doesn't even matter because it's fun. Much of the early chapters are just plain fun as the characters and their servants are introduced. The hot headed dueling and chest beating as well as their exploits with their various mistresses serve as the backdrop for exploring the characters' personalities. Once that's done they become entangled in the political intrigues of the historical characters which is the more intense portion of the novel. It ends with some exciting twists and revenge upon Milady Clarik who wasn't developed early on but who turned out to be a dark and wicked character indeed. I only would have liked to known the history a little better because I think it would've made the ending easier to understand. After all the conflict with the cardinal and his right hand man Rochefort there is a mutual respect won with them at the end for D'Artagnan that I found surprising. Not disagreeable, just not expected. Perhaps further development of the Rochefort character would've helped.

But no matter it was a great, fun book that is on my list of things to reread and my favorite character didn't die for a change. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Book Review

The Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson

It's short and incomplete, but I was aware of that when I bought it. I don't think Jefferson was much interested in putting down his life's works for posterity. Perhaps if he'd started this memoir before the age of 77 he may have gotten more written. That's not to say I'm disappointed in any way though. I chose this edition instead of a biography because I simply don't trust authors to write about the founding fathers, Jefferson in particular, without heavy bias against them. Although I admit the biography I have of James Madison by Ralph Ketchum is pretty good. 

The cons include, as previously stated, that it's evident that Jefferson didn't care to write about himself. So there aren't a lot of details about his childhood and young life. He mentions where he was born, what his father did for a living, the schools he attended, and his marriage with no more sentimentality than one would place in bullet points. However, when he does offer a personal opinion of a mentor or a fellow statesman as well as his notation of the death of his wife, you get a great teaser of what his personality must have been like and makes me wish he'd taken the time to offer a more passionate description of events. Annoyingly, his most animated writing is reserved for his time spent in France. As a Gallophile, he goes into great detail about the early days of France's revolution, his opinion of how he would've acted to prevent the downward turn it took, and his desire to go back and witness it in real time as it was going on. He spends so much time on this that he doesn't even make it to his own presidency or even vice presidency and just gives a brief mention of accepting the role of Washington's Secretary of State.

But the pros outweigh all of this. It's kind of like seeing a diary of our Revolution as it was happening from the viewpoint of the congress as opposed to the battlefield which is certainly different. He offers the unedited edition of the Declaration of Independence in this small volume with the parts stricken out and the parts added in shown in different typefaces. You see a lot of the same arguments that were laid out in the Federalist Papers for how the new government is to be set up with opposing arguments stated by other people in the discussions he had during different sessions. It's fascinating to read about the debate and thought process that went into a monetary system or a redesign of the prison system... things you don't usually think about when speaking of our Revolutionary War. 

I do recommend it but I also think the best way to research Jefferson further is to look into all of his correspondences, many of which have been saved. Not just his personal correspondence with John Adams, but other letters to other people of note in that time. There's a volume out there that has all of these and I may look into it sometime.

Book Review

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

Happily surprised with how much I like this book. I think I even love it. A kind of: where has it been all my life? moment. Of course it's been there the whole time I'm just finicky and procrastination-prone when it comes to picking books.

I'm not as chained to my usual genre preferences when it comes to classic fiction; it's a genre of its own. When reading the classic ladies' novels they're often romances and I'm never sure what I'll get. I adored Little Women and while I liked the Jane Austin novels I tried, they lacked some of the "wow" factor. That's probably why I waited so long to try another classic piece. And I think I see now what makes a classic romance appealing to me... when there's a lot more going on than just the romance. It's the defining portion of this novel too, but the protagonist has many other experiences that shape and define her. The book is about Jane Eyre not just Jane Eyre finding love after a relatively love-starved existence. Her journey of growth before meeting Mr. Rochester is its own story and the journey of faith she takes after she leaves Thornfield Hall is yet another. I didn't read the preface thoroughly so I was still able to enjoy some surprises, although most classic fiction is predictable to a certain degree.

Of course modern society teaches disdain for stories like this... I've seen the "describe a classic badly " jokes - examples: a young governess falls in love with a charming asshole edge lord who keeps his wife in the attic - a comic portraying Rochester complaining about how he's suffered terribly from spending his wife's fortune to sleep his way around Europe, etc. There's a kernal of truth that makes them funny. But the psychology of the characters is actually pretty accurate and the romance is a common fantasy women whether they admit it or not. The woman's innocence and gentle goodness changes the man's hardened, scoundrel nature. There's even instances of unrequited love in there as well which is the kind of love story I like. It's also a wonderful reminder of how marriage should not entered into lightly whether it's a marriage of love, of convenience, or arranged. Not something taken very seriously nowadays.

The pacing is a little slow but when it moves it takes you with it. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who likes classics and romance and just a good story. And don't read the forward if you've not read it before.

Book Review

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

I always try to show the picture of the copy I have. I guess they did something with this on Netflix, but I really wouldn't know. I had this book on my wish list for a long time because it's old enough to be considered a classic and I'm always ready to entertain a classic. I was let down with this one.

I'm not scared by paranormal themed works because it plays to fears I no longer have, and with this being an older novel, I didn't expect it to be full of graphic descriptions of anything hideous anyway. In fact, it had the charm of an older ghost story leaving much to the imagination. The plot was promising - a group of random people come together to stay in and study a reputed haunted house. I liked the main character of Elenor. I think many women could identify with her personality; her suspicions, her fears, her desires. And there was some intense build up throughout about half the book.

But then it kind of nose dived. Nothing came of the tension being built and after the introduction of Dr. Montague's silly wife, it seemed to lose direction altogether. The story is basically about a woman who goes to stay in a haunted house, the house takes possession of her, and she kills herself without any conscious intent. The problem is that all of the characters noted that she was particularly vulnerable to the house's power, but none of them were smart enough to see what was happening to her until it was too late and then they did nothing to protect her. It made it all seem rather stupid and pointless. And it reinforces why I don't get scared or freaked out easily by this sort of thing. I guess it's supposed to produce "feels" in the reader more than a logical breakdown of the material, but this genre isn't where my "feels" lie I guess.

Book Review

In The Night Wood, by Dale Bailey
Not a bad little book. A "scary" story. I put scary in parentheses because haunted/supernatural stories play to fears I just don't have anymore. And also it's about a creepy wooded area, which is hard for someone who lives nearly surrounded by woods to be frightened of.
But it was enjoyable since the dark overtones are of a fairy tale nature. Like the old fairy tales that were gruesome and disturbing. A tale like that is the basis of the plot but it unfolds as more of a psychological thriller. A man moves himself and his strained marriage to England to research the origins of the author who had written the horrific fairy tale that had enchanted him as a child and intersected with different events throughout his life. He discovers that it's based more in real life events than he could've possibly imagined. And yet it's written in a way that leaves the reader wondering if it was real or just the haunted imagination of a man carrying a lot of guilt. Three sets of lives in the past and present are woven together against the backdrop of the morbid storybook and tied together nicely at the end.

It's a well constructed book and those who are into the genre will enjoy it a lot. I like it but I'd have to leave it at just "like" for me. Not because it's bad but because it's not my thing, so to speak. It didn't entrance me and the real-life crises that were unrelated to the spooky book were kind of a downer, although the end indicates that happiness will be found again.
Worth the time to read once.

My Top Ten Favorite Harry Potter Chapters, Ranked.

Not a common topic for top 10 lists. I've only ever seen it once on YouTube from a nice kid (probably in his 20's; I'm old) who decided to tackle it. I liked his choices, but of course I have my own. In order, then:

 10. The Deathday Party, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (book2)
From the second book, this is the sequence in which the Gryffindor house ghost, Nearly-Headlesss Nick, holds a party to celebrate his Deathday and coerces Harry, Ron, and Hemione into attending it. It's completely irrelevant to the plot except at the end when Harry is lead up the stairs by the disembodied voice. But it's just a great piece of comedy that didn't make it into the movies.

9. The Quidditch World Cup/ The Dark Mark, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book4)
It may seem like I'm sneaking in an extra chapter here, but I'm not. I'd own up to it if I was. It's just that these chapters kind of go together and you can't really separate them when selecting certain moments because the thread sometimes begins in one chapter and finishes in another as in this case. This chapter couplet is a wonderful high-low moment in the series. A fantastic creative writing exercise in inventing a grand finale for the sport of Quidditch with the popping of the balloon as the characters are plunged into the chaos when Voldemort's captains begin the build up to his horrifying second coming at the end of the book. It's also the start of a dark whodunit mystery unique to this book and the balance between exhilaration and fear is surgically precise. Very well written.

8. Diagon Alley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book 1)
This is where the magic really begins in the series when Harry is first introduced to a magical enclave with people like him. He interacts with the bank and businesses as he begins his life as a wizard. It's always like opening a present you've been anticipating from slowly untying the bow to peeling off the paper, to finally opening the box. This chapter would likely be in the top ten chapters of nearly any HP fan.

7. Career Advice, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5)
This chapter is about push back and defiance, mostly on the part of the Weasley twins. By this point in the book the tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. This is one of the best incidents of blowing off steam. The way they choose to quit school to start their own business is epic and fun and it makes me want to stand up and cheer every time.

6. The Wandmaker, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7)
This may seem like a strange choice of chapter because there's no action and not much real movement, but I think it's an important chapter because it's the chapter where Harry grows up. Touched off by Dobby's death, he finally gains control of the link he and Voldemort share which sobers up his erratic and obsessive behavior of the last two and a half books. It also thrusts him to the kind of maturity he needed to really become the leader and make measured decisions not just for he and his friends' personal course, but for the course of the resistance at large after he returns for the final battle at the school. A wonderful moment of growth for the main character that doesn't go unnoticed by me.

5. The House of Gaunt, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book 6)
The sad, tragic tale of Merope Gaunt. I suppose the more important chapter would be The Secret Riddle which was a glimpse of Voldemort's creepy childhood, but I confess I like the poetic sadness of this digression much better. Once again, it's not necessary to the overall plot, but it's the kind of depth that only comes from a book versus a movie... maybe it's just the girl in me.

4. The Prince's Tale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7)
Another tragic back story and shocking revelation that changes the readers' perspective of the character of Severus Snape. A horrible person from the beginning to his death, this chapter explains a lot of the unseen help that Harry received throughout the years and enables the audience to forgive Snape as Harry does years later (in the Epilogue) when he names one of his children after him. Powerful stuff.

3. Hermione's Secret, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (book3)
From the book that hooked me on the series, this is one of my top two favorite emotional moments. The whole chapter is great as it gives Hermione the reigns to take charge of saving the day, but the climax in which Harry casts his first real Patronus and realizes that it takes the form of the animal that his father could transfigure into is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. This is the best scene from my favorite book.

2. Out of the Fire/ Fight and Flight, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5)
Another chapter couplet since you can't have one without the other, this is one of Hermione's many great moments and my favorite. They're kids so they make the kid-mistake of thinking they can pull the same stunt twice and end up getting caught. That's when Hermione steps in and gets them out of it. Not by using magic, but simple psychology. She plays to Umbride's ego, cruelty, and lust for power to lure her away and dispose of her for good. An immensely satisfying end to probably the most hated character of the series.

1. After the Burial, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book6)
This is one of the most perfect chapters in my opinion. It is smart and funny, yet serious and emotional all at the same time. Harry uses his luck potion to obtain a memory from Professor Slughorn that he'd been hiding. But that one-sentence synopsis doesn't do justice to the way the luck potion works which seems less like magic and more of a heightening of Harry's instincts and intuition to put him in the right place to say and do all the right things, benefiting others as well as himself. And the Slughorn's motives have no malice which makes his surrendering of the memory a tender and gentle moment that is also the springboard for the climactic story line of the the final book. It's just so brilliant. It's definitely the best chapter of the series.


Of course, there are tons of runners-up because 7 books makes a lot of chapters, but these are the 10 that made the most impact on me. HP fans out there are welcome to share their favorites. It doesn't have to be ten... it takes a while to think it out.. lol.