11/22/63- Stephen King



Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2011
Pages:  849
ISBN:  9781451627282
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Thriller

Started:  Jan. 11, 2012
Finished:  Jan. 30, 2012 (20 days)

Where Found:  Xmas 2011 gift
Why Read:  It's the latest Stephen King book...um, do I need any other reason? ;)

Read For:  What's in a Name 5 Challenge--Something on the Calendar (1/6)

Summary:  A high school English teacher in 2011 steps through a time travelling portal to 1958 with the intent of rewriting history by intervening in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Review:

Marketed as a reimagining of the socio-political day the music died, November 22, 1963, you may be surprised to find that the assassination and events leading up to the shots fired from the Book Depository in Dallas, Texas with suspicions surrounding the grassy knoll plays a supporting role.  The story is more about the butterfly effect: how a single decisive event leads to countless outcomes in unfathomable ways.

The book is highly ambitious with a seamless transition from 2011 to 1958 where Jake's journey begins.  He discovers other tragedies and problems that he has the influence to change for the better...as long as he doesn't inadvertently change the outcomes of other people's fate.  Cultural, political, and social atmosphere is tweaked for historical accuracy in such a way that contemporary readers who may not have lived during that time (including yours truly) can get a close-up glance of attitudinal contrasts between past and present.

I really enjoyed where the story went and wasn't at all disappointed that the story of Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK's assassination blended into the background as Jake's imprint on other, fictional characters' fates made up most of the book.  His relationship with Sadie was a lovely touch and just how (if he even can) prevent the assassination against the obstinate nature of time and space keeps you guessing.

It was written in a way that stretched the scope of what constitutes a Stephen King novel, often to the point of forgetting that he wrote it, much in the way I thought of Bag of Bones.  I was impressed with it for very different reasons than other books of his I've read and reviewed, and I would count it as a definite must-read.  The Green Mile still remains my favourite King book with Bag of Bones, Different Seasons, and Carrie up there as well, but this is one fine addition to his catalogue.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1847
Length:  352 pages
ISBN:  9781441412645
Genre:  Classic

Started:  Jan. 1, 2012
Finished Date:  Jan. 8, 2012 (8 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Read For:  Back to the Classics Challenge--19th Century Classic (1/9) and Mixing It Up Challenge--Classic (1/16)

Summary:  An orphan girl named Jane Eyre comes of age after a miserable childhood raised by a wretched aunt, schooled in a decrepit education system, settling into her role as a governess for a girl under the care of the rough-edged Mr. Rochester.

Review:

Jane Eyre is considered one of the greatest gothic novels ever written.  To give you an idea, it reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca meets Jane Austen (though the book was published a good 30 years after Austen's work, it has similar social formalities, though you notice the characters have a more relaxed language and use some familiar slang).

Jane's life is presented in stages, from her childhood with the Reeds, a family that doesn't want her and makes her miserable; Lowood, a school that doesn't want her and makes her even more miserable; Thornfield, where she finds her greatest happiness despite the sharp moods of Mr. Rochester; and the small family she encounters that brings her life around full circle.

When it came to the characters, I didn't really like Jane until she came to Thornfield.  Mind you, I did sympathize with her situation as a child but I think once she grew into herself, she became a stronger, better character, and I found her more admirable as a governess and teacher.  Her friendship with Helen Burns at Lowood was touching, given the rest of her time at the school was dark and certainly makes me appreciate the school system I teach in--it may not be perfect but it beats Jane Eyre's any day!

Rochester was downright hard to like, much like du Maurier's Max de Winter, but (*SPOILER ALERT*) in the end, both end up being respectable, loving men, despite first impressions and choice words and actions.

What was a little off-putting to me were the religious hyperbole and deus ex machina coincidences occurring near the end of the book.  On the upside, it lead to an ending that I liked and added romance to the book's gothic tones.  It is thisclose (really, thisclose!) to an A+ for me but it's a smidge too overdramatic at times for me to put against my other A+s.

Great quotations:

"Make my happiness and I will make yours."

"I know what it is to live entirely for and with what I love best on Earth."

"And as for the vague something--was it a sinister or a sorrowful, a designing or a desponding expression?--that opened upon a careful observer now and then in his eye and closed again before one could fathom the strange depth partially disclosed."

By the way, the most recent movie version is from 2011 with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender as Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, which I saw just after finishing the book and thought it was a beautifully rendered adaptation. 

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret- Judy Blume

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1970
Pages:  149
ISBN:  9780440404194
Genre:  YA, Classic

Started: Dec. 30, 2011
Finished: Dec. 30, 2011 (>1 day)

Where Found:  Xmas 2011 gift
Why Read:  A classic I missed reading in childhood.  Better late than never, right?

Summary:  A young girl entering puberty moves to a new city where she struggles to adapt to her change in surroundings and changes in herself.

Review:

So...I wondered about something that everyone who read this book years after its publication and initial controversy wondered: What exactly was controversial about this book that isn't a fact of life for young girls (always has, still is, and always will be)?  If this isn't an example of censorship going overboard, I don't know what is.

I loved reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (a character I really connected to, being a klutzy tomboyish girl) years ago and was amazed how engaging Margaret was to me as an adult reader.  I will admit that I cried when Margaret gave her teacher the letter instead of her project and she thought she had failed.  It was a beautiful piece of the story.

It was also interesting to me how Margaret explores the concept of God as a figment and not as an omniscient figure (I could see how the censorship racket would jump on that one quick-like) and the discovery of alternative ideas of thinking and feeling as she becomes her own person and not an extension of her parents, while at the same time she doesn't feel like she has a toehold on how to go about doing this with the flexible (maybe too flexible) attitudes of her parents.

I would put this book into the hands of any girl age 11 or 12, especially when questions start coming about growth and development--it would make a great gift!

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

It- Stephen King

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1980
Pages:  1090
ISBN:  9780451169518
Genre:  Horror

Started:  Nov. 13, 2011
Finished:  Nov. 30, 2011 (18 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  Was recommended from several book bloggers

Summary:  A group of 7 childhood friends come together again as adults in their haunted hometown of Derry, Maine to ward off a shapeshifting demon who has terrorized and killed over generations and was thought to have been vanguished but has returned after remaining silent for 25 years.

Review:

I was surprised to find that this novel is nearly as long as Stephen King's most massive undertakings, The Stand and Under the Dome yet in relatively the same number of pages, he weaves a story more focused on the gang of seven and less varied than the other massive doorstop novels with casts of characters bigger than a Kennedy family reunion.

Without the undertones of supernatural phenomena, It reads like a serial killer novel, but definitely not a typical one.  The seven childhood friends all grow up to have successful jobs but each have a troubling personal problem that has lingered with them for most of their lives, from stuttering to psychosomatic disorder, to sexual abuse, and in a terrifying cycle, all are bound to relive the hauntings of their childhood at the hands of an otherworldly creature they thought they had vanquished.

Stan and Mike were my favourite characters: both awkward, shy, introverted outsiders to the gang of seven, yet vital to the story's progression, and the only two of the gang to have the strongest memories of their childhood encounters with It. 

The ending comes off like a fairy tale (a bit dopey but it made me smile) and you come away thinking that things are bound to cycle back around again.  It is a worthwhile read with an exciting and layered story.  At least one character should remind you of someone you know from childhood--King has a penchant for writing diverse child characters so accurately.  It didn't wow me as much as my follow-up read, Bag of Bones, but was a solid investment.

Rank:  (A)- Very Enjoyable, Highly Recommend

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1940
Pages:  359
ISBN:  9780618526413
Genre:  Modern Classics

Started:  Oct. 29, 2011
Finished:  Nov. 13, 2011  (16 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Summary:  Set in the small-town American South during the Depression, a lonely deaf-mute man named John Singer stays at a boarding house where his encounters with a whip-smart tomboy, a sickly black physician and his estranged children, a widowed restaurant owner and a drunken intellect lead to unforeseen changes influenced by his penchant for listening.

Review:

Like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, childhood and coming-of-age in the Depression-era American South is fently rendered in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter through 12-year-old Mick Kelly, an awkward, lanky young girl who you simply ache for as she seeks the Keatsian truth and beauty of the world while stuck in a poor, small town with troubles of its own.

If Mick is the mind of this novel, John Singer is the heart.  A lonely deaf mute separated from his only friend by circumstance, he becomes the go-to listener of the town, unintentionally and even sometimes regretfully as his own problems are never brought to bear (not that anyone offers the same comfort he provides in return) as no one seems to know how to listen to him or, sadly, even tries to.

I saw the movie before reading the book and although it was touching, very well acted by Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke, the book has layers of character development, both painful and wonderful, not seen in the movie.  On the other hand, the relationship between Mick and John Singer is given a strength and depth in the movie that fails to launch in the book.  Their friendship via her love of music and her determination for him to experience it in his own way is a determining factor in the movie's development but is mostly left undescribed and imagined in the book. 

I would recommend the movie as a companion to the book.  I'm not sure how I would have taken the movie if I had read the book first but I'm glad I came away from both feeling fulfilled by its story and its harsh, emotional edge.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

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Published:  1952
Pages:  93
ISBN:  0684830493
Genre:  Modern Classics

Started:  Oct. 28, 2011
Finished:  Oct. 28, 2011 (>1 day)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  On my TBR list
Read For:  Back to the Classics challenge (8/8)

Summary:  A poor, frail fisherman in the Cuban Gulf seeks one last big catch in a solo expedition without his young companion.

Review:

Apparently this book, even at a slim 93 pages (in my Scribner Classics hardcover edition with gorgeous illustrations) has bored many readers to tears and turned them off other Ernest Hemingway books, because it's...get this...about a fish.  Well, yes, it is, but you don't really believe that even a heavyweight like Hemingway could draw much depth from just a fish, do you?

I read it in one sitting, which is unusual for me, but was part of a rare literary experience--that a book I didn't expect to like because of so many others' misgivings turned out to be a bright although tiny gem of a book.

Hemingway contrasts age, infirmity, and desire through the unusual friendship between the old fisherman and the young boy--one having the wisdom of life experience, the other with the energy, fearlessness, and youthful exuberance to rekindle feelings of optimism and love in his old friend.  And the fish is not merely a fish, but represents the essence of the fisherman's passion.  But this is the obvious connection that is as clear as a fairy tale moral.  What is tougher to grasp is why the fisherman insists on striving for the seemingly impossible: catching a super-sized fish without his young friend.

**Minor spoiler**
Why doesn't he simply let the fish go?  My impression is that he can only do what he has always loved and risk everything to accomplish this feat, or he would die miserably, wondering what could have been.  It's not an easy concept for anyone to understand but if you can at least sympathize with his plight for strength to succeed in what every caper movie I've seen would call "one last score" before retiring for good.

As much as many others have struggled to stay patient with this story and not feel bogged down by the irony of its heft for such a slim volume of work, complaints about the book seem hyperbolized to me.  For someone who has never fished and has no interest or skill in it, the story spoke to me through its treatment of powerful, familiar themes and metaphors of life and death that are simple, straightforward, but not as obvious as they seem on the surface.  Hemingway stays away from the repetition and monotony that makes some literary fiction seem to scream "This is the point!  Get it?" on every page.  The beauty of the story is in its subtlety that reads like a fable.  I encourage you to set aside what you've heard about it and read it for yourself.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Stand- Stephen King

Purchase: Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1978 (the complete & uncut edition which I read was published in 1990)
Pages: 1141
ISBN: 9780451169532
Genre: Horror/Fantasy/Science Fiction

Start Date:  Oct. 6, 2011
Finished Date:  Oct. 19, 2011 (14 days)

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: For the SK Challenge but also because it's one of SK's most beloved books and I'd never (*gasp*) read it!
Read For:   Stephen King Challenge (6/6)

Summary:  After an apocalyptic virus wipes out most of the world's population, a scattering of survivors, including a quiet Texan, a pregnant college student, a nerdy teenager, a one-hit singer, and a deaf-mute,  who all have dreams involving an evil Dark Man and a prophetic woman, form a progressive group to rebuild some form of society and order.

Review:

Finally...I read the book deemed to be Stephen King's magnum opus.  Like his similarly plotted but more contemporary Under the Dome, it's a massive, complex undertaking but the 1100+ pages fly by in waves, and I finished it in no time.
Stephen King fans will recognize a number of motifs: dreams, premonitions, hidden motives, shadows eclipsing seemingly decent people with the mask of an evil presence.  Oh and there's cultural references, too, with song lyrics cropping up in an epitaph for each of the book's three parts.  I dig King's taste in rock and roll music :)

The plot is impossible to explain without spoilers, so instead I'll make a short list of thoughts.  I will try to be discrete with spoilers but please note the *SPOILER ALERT*:

• Nick was by far my favourite character.  I love unlikely heroes and how they deal with being thrust into a role they didn't foresee or even want.  His friendship with Tom brought out his best qualities as a sympathetic person.  I thought his death was a bit cheap and written off too quickly, but his ethereal presence later on in Tom's mind made up for it.
• I wasn't that taken with Larry, though many readers like him.  He didn't have very much going for him in the way of a personality.  His relationship with Rita dragged on and it could have been better if it was Nadine he met from the start (which I read was how the movie showed it).
• The twist near the end with the Trashcan Man was fantastic!  His role in the book puzzled me for some time, but never failed to fascinate and then it becomes clear.
• Nadine and Julie were just creepy.  They almost made Randall Flagg sympathetic.
• I liked the idea that not all survivors had good intentions (how boring would it have been otherwise?).
• A lingering question remains with me...What is the condition of other countries post-virus?  There are speculations about Europe, China and India (if I recall correctly) and there is a suggestion that Canada is in better shape than the U.S. (I think someone wanted to head that way), but the rest of the world's status is unknown.

I haven't seen the 1994 TV miniseries with Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Ray Walston, Rob Lowe, and Laura San Giacomo.  Supposedly, there is also a movie remake in the works to be directed by Ben Affleck.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1991 (3rd edition)
Pages:  324
ISBN:  0140170960
Genre:  Literary Reference

Started:  Sept. 29, 2011
Finished:  Oct. 6, 2011 (8 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  I knew that James Lipton had written this book but I thought it was a novel.  When I found the book and skimmed through it, it turned out to be a unique piece of literary reference!

Summary:  The history of venery, a linguistic term referring to collective nouns, is rendered in this handy reference book that traces the origins of centuries-old terms and reflects on more contemporary, unofficial examples.

Review:

First things first: James Lipton is great at writing introductions.  I've read two of his books and they both have intriguing prologues that open up a Pandora's box of fascination with academic integrity and a string of analogies that make clear the intent and heart of the project he undertakes.  An Exaltation of Larks appears on the surface to be a dictionary but it's a very satisfying experience to read chronologically. 

Lipton uses sophisticated vocabulary and his trademark dry wit in publishing nearly exhaustive research supplemented by resources hundreds of years old in a glorified reference book that traces the linguistic history of collective terms from the most common (e.g. a pride of lions) to the lesser known (e.g. a rascal of boys) to the creative puns thought up by academic contemporaries (e.g. under the category of academe: a dilation of pupils!).

The book is a handy reference for teachers and makes for a good icebreaker.  The gorgeous illustrations, designed by Lipton's wife Kedakai, are included on nearly every page and provide further insight into the origins of the terms.  This is one unique book.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Teacher Man- Frank McCourt

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2005
Pages:  258
ISBN:  9780743243780
Genre:  Memoir

Started:  Sept. 28, 2011
Finished:  Oct. 5, 2011 (8 days)

Where Found:  Xmas 2010 gift
Why Read:  Being a teacher, I'm always on the lookout for books about teaching & until I came across this book (not previously knowing that Frank McCourt had been a teacher), I thought it would be interesting to read about his experiences.

Summary:  A memoir by the author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, the third in a trilogy, recalls his 30-year career teaching English and creative writing in New York vocational, technical, and trade-focused high schools.

Review:

When I was in teacher's college, a principal who mentored our group of teachers-to-be gave us a packet of information that included a stationary template titled "Teaching is Aardvark" with a poor aadvark grasping a pointer and its students standing on their heads.  Yup, I've had days like that and so did Frank "Teacher Man" McCourt.

What was the most refreshing about this book is that his experiences aren't preachy, sugar-coated or self-satisfied vignettes.  They don't even represent "coming full circle" as memoirs tend to show.  McCourt understood how students on a path to technical vocations loathed bookish subjects such as English and how he had to ignore stubborn curricular directives from adminstration in order to strike a light under his students and keep them interested.

McCourt has numerous teaching stories, from taking his class to the park for a picnic of multicultural foods to spice up their vocabulary, accompanying the reading of cookbook recipes with musical instruments, and my personal favourite: eating a sandwich thrown on the floor much to the dismay of the students and swishing the wrapper into the wastebasket.

Thinking outside the box is not only a popular method of teaching in order to reach the kids, but McCourt simply accepts it as the only way to teach.  He is not one to mince words with administration and has a modest outlook on his career.  To "Teacher Man" he was only a listener and a silent partner.  To the few students who told him so, whether in class or years later, he created highly unusual, unconventional experiences for them (and him) to not only write about but to remember that the best stories are lived experiences.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

"We Are Two Wild & Craaazy Guys!" (Steve Martin & David Sedaris)

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Born Standing Up- Steve Martin

Published:  2007
Pages:  207
ISBN:  9781847391483
Genre:  Memoir

Started:  Aug. 22, 2011
Finished:  Aug. 27, 2011 (6 days)
 
Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Summary:  A memoir of the creative process in writing and performing stand-up comedy with the trademark sardonic wit of Steve Martin, who went on to star on SNL and in comedy classics The Jerk, L.A. Story, Roxanne, and Father of the Bride.

Review:

I remember first encountering Steve Martin in a lesser-known movie of his called A Simple Twist of Fate and I especially remember a scene where he had to describe to a social worker why he would make a good father to an orphaned girl he has been a guardian to.  He has a knack for delivering the funniest lines with a deadly serious facial expression that never fails to get a laugh.  And his banjo-playing is pretty good, too :)

Martin recounts his beginnings in stand-up comedy with sharp recall and a reflective humbleness that is particularly refreshing for a memoir, bereft of ego in a genre in which is nearly impossible to avoid it.  He has a fascinating educational background in philosophy and had early starts in performing magic tricks, vaudeville, and writing jokes, all given a respectful place in starting and contributing to his career as a comedian. 

One of my favourite stories is how Martin often performed in venues with audiences so small that he used to take them outside and improvise bits on a walking tour!  Then when his audiences grew into auditorium sizes, it was a part of the show that he missed the most.

This is a book impossible not to enjoy.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris

Published:  2000
Pages:  272
ISBN:  9780316777728
Genre:  Humour

Started:  Sept. 8, 2011
Finished:  about Sept. 14, 2011 (about 7 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot
Why Read:  There were so many positive reviews from book bloggers, I had to give it a try.

Summary:  A series of vignettes surrounding themes of family, growing up, mistakes, and learning.

Review:

Where have I been all this time that I haven't read or even heard of David Sedaris?!  Once I started book blogging, his name was cropping up on nearly every blog I followed and it was Melissa @ Avid Reader's Musings who suggested Me Talk Pretty One Day was the best book of his to start with.  She was absolutely right--I was taken with it immediately and it was a laugh-riot to the end.

I had to keep reminding myself that Sedaris is from North Carolina and not Britain, because his humour reminds me of the self-deprecation of comics like John Cleese and Dudley Moore...and I just couldn't fit him with a Southern accent.  Then again, I haven't heard the audiobook version (that would probably clue me in right away).

These stories were my favourites and are guaranteed side-splitters:
Big Boy--at a party, he goes to use the bathroom and tries to fix a clogging toilet
Me Talk Pretty One Day--learning French from a sadistic teacher
Picka Pocketoni--he and his boyfriend are mistaken for pickpockets by tourists in Paris
...and any story about his parents, wickedly funny sister, and their dogs.

His humour may take adjusting for readers new to his books and can sometimes tease the borderline between acceptable and going too far, but if you take it all in stride--that is, if you realize that his humour is not hateful but just written with a poison pen--it's a wildly funny ride.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1811
Pages:  336 (excluding appendices)
ISBN:  9781593080495
Genre:  Classic

Started:  Sept. 14, 2011
Finished:  Sept. 27, 2011 (14 days)

Where Found:  Book Depot (I have the edition pictured here, but I really love the Penguin Classic hardcover edition I've linked to at Amazon--they've been on sale at Chapters lately and it would match my edition of Emma and close enough to Pride & Prejudice.  *Thus ends the rant*)

Why Read:  I enjoyed P&P and was in the mood for a proper civilized romance novel.

Summary:  In the English countryside, sisters Elinor and Marianne struggle to solidify their relationships with the men they love...but first they must understand who it is they actually do love.

Review:

This book surprised me in so many ways.  For starters, it's the most suspenseful romance story of its time or even among contemporary books not of the thriller genre.  Just when things are looking clear-cut, a new twist occurs, turning the whole story around several times before reaching a pleasant, though tidy conclusion.

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sweet, lovable characters that you want every happiness for, except neither truly knows what will make them happy, or rather who will make them happiest.  Col. Brandon is by far the most likable character--loyal, sincere, and genteel, regardless of misguided rumours surrounding his personal life.  Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are a hoot to read about, being such complete opposites you wonder what the mutual attraction is.  Unfortunately the two main male love interests, Edward and Willoughby, are not so enjoyable--I found Edward to be just plain uninteresting, (though I thought his reaction to Elinor's question near the end was one of the best reactions and lines of dialogue in the novel) and Willoughby, you will learn soon enough, is far from sympathetic and comes across as an immature rat.

Austen's humour and criticism of social dynamics is much more explicit in Sense & Sensibility, whereas Pride & Prejudice makes us read between the lines to find subtle hints of the same nature.  The styles are similar and even the storyline is familiar, if a bit more risque with a small but more complex set of characters.  You may disagree, but I actually found myself more taken with Sense & Sensibility than Pride & Prejudice.  Some day, I would love to re-read P&P, especially now that I'm more familiar with Austen's style.

What stops the novel shy of an A+ for me is the slim details of the ending.  I'm not aware of the history behind the novel's publication, but it ended so abruptly it was as if Austen was under pressure to submit it or was under a page count restriction.  I definitely could have done without Willoughby's exasperating speech near the end and seen more of the Dashwood sisters' romantic couplings which are held in suspense for a great majority of the novel, only to come together within the last ten or so pages!

Emma Thompson adapted the novel into an Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1995 film adaptation, also starring as Elinor with Kate Winslet as Marianne, Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon, Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars, and Greg Wise as Willoughby.  I haven't seen it yet but it looks fantastic :)

Update:  I have seen the movie now and absolutely loved it.  The script is loyal to the book but Emma Thompson's own touches and the purposeful, gentle direction of Ang Lee makes it a wonderful viewing experience.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HP series, #6)- J.K. Rowling

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2005
Pages:  607
ISBN:  9780747598466
Genre:  Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date:  July 24, 2011
Finished Date:  July 29, 2011 (6 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Summary:  In his 6th year at Hogwarts, Harry makes a false impression on the new Potions teacher by using an edited textbook formerly belonging to the mysterious "Half Blood Prince" while Dumbledore confides in Harry secrets of Voldemort's past.

Review:

Like The Order of the Phoenix, much is revealed in The Half-Blood Prince that ties together many loose ends and brings forth new perspectives on prior characters.  What seems to be missing from HBP that OotP has going for it is subplot.  HBP does not renew Prof. Umbridge, who was the central villain and creator of conflicts in the previous book, leaving a lot to be desired in the 6th installment of the series.  The Potions textbook's former owner (and title character) was too predictable and only the revelations of Voldemort's past through the eye of Dumbledore's Pensieve made the book worthwhile.

Not to say that the book doesn't have its rightful place in the series.  Like The Chamber of Secrets, which for me and many other HP readers feel is the weakest link in the 7-book series chain, The Half-Blood Prince has several important pieces that further the development of the big picture story.  Also, the ending of HBP is one of the most powerful in the entire series.

It is difficult to weigh the individual importance of each book in this series, and undoubtedly all seven books are must-reads in order to appreciate the wealth of the entire story.  Let's just say that OotP wowed me more than HBP, and HBP is very close to The Goblet of Fire in my order of favourites, but just barely pales in comparison.

So, I am placing Half-Blood Prince in 5th place just before Chamber of Secrets in my list of favourite HP books. Even though a critical phase of the series takes place in this book and lots of sacrifice ensues, the lead-up to this scene & other subplots were not as effective for me as GoF were.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (HP series- #5)- J.K. Rowling

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2003
Pages:  766
ISBN:  9780747591269
Genre:  Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date:  July 15, 2011
Finished Date:  July 24, 2011

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list

Summary:  In his 5th year at Hogwarts, everyone is on edge after the events of the Triwizard Tournament while Harry suspects that Voldemort is exerting even more control over him, Dumbledore appears to be ignoring him, and the new DADA teacher is wreaking havoc over the school inch by inch.

Review:

It seems that many readers find this book, the largest in the series, to have little to show for it by its end with the last two books revving up the story.  I was surprised then to find that by the end of OotP to find it much more eye-opening than I expected.

For starters, the tension left over from the tragedy at the Triwizard Tournament leaves many distrusting Harry and he feels very alone, despite continued support from Ron and Hermione.  This tension is incredibly influential on the book's mood, sending Hogwarts into a cataclysm after the new DADA teacher, Dolores Umbridge, begins exerting a poisonous influence on the school, starting with Harry.  The challenges and changes that Harry faces in this book are reaching a boiling point as he feels lost without Dumbledore's direct support and that his parents were perhaps not everything he expected them to be.

Mind you, Quidditch is once again absent from the book (also from Goblet of Fire, though the Quidditch World Cup more than made up for the loss), replaced with the OWLs, and battling is kept to a minimum, but evil lurks in the despicable Umbridge, whose syrupy demeanor was pitch perfect by Imelda Staunton in the movie version.  The history and influence of the Order sets the template for the next two books and we are introduced to the funky Advance Guard, including the sassy Tonks :)

All in all, I would place Order of the Phoenix as my 3rd favourite after Philosopher's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban, very close to Goblet of Fire which takes 4th place in my favourites now due to the sheer amount of revelations in OotP.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1891
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9780007351053
Genre: Classics

Start Date: July 6, 2011
Finished: July 10, 2011 (5 days)

Where Found: Book Depot
Why Read: On my TBR list; I also loved Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest

Read For:  Back to the Classics Challenge (6/8)

Summary: In a high society London town, a young, narcissistic man obsessed with youth and influenced by his peers becomes enamoured with materialism, beauty, and desire as his painted portrait ages and he remains young in appearance and demeanor.

Review:

First of all, how smokin' is that cover?!  Dorian Gray has a Johnny Depp look going on :D

Having read The Importance of Being Earnest for a 19th century lit course several years ago and absolutely loving it, I have been sadly ignoring Oscar Wilde since then.  The reason probably is based on the fact that Wilde only wrote one novel (this one) and the rest of his writing career is made up of short stories and plays.  *Sigh*  Not to knock those genres (there is always a time & place for them) but it's sad that a naturalized writer like Wilde only wrote a single novel and so many other writers had the fortune of churning out several classics in a single career.  Perhaps this is also part of the reason why The Picture of Dorian Gray is so well-regarded.
The story is a moralistic fairy tale for adults set in stuffy, social-butterfly laden England where Henry, a pleasant but often dryly cynical royal, and his compadre, Basil, a painter whose personality is not as charming as his art, encounter the latest man to sit for a portrait: Dorian Gray.  Everyone is immediately drawn to his youthful naivety, his wandering nature, his little-boy-lost lack of purpose, and most strikingly, his handsomeness.  Brewing inside Dorian is a deep resentment of a future in which his looks will fade and he will have very little left to show for himself.  Hence, the moral dilemma of the story begins as Dorian loses control of his emotional faculties while retaining his youthful looks and a dangerous psychopathic mentality.

Wilde's writing, like in Earnest, has a rich vocabulary, witty style, and a dry, satirical slant on British society, but remains remarkably accessible amongst 19th century classics, keeping a modern sensibility that appeals equally to 21st century readers.  While sometimes meandering, especially in a multi-page description of Dorian's acquired wealth of jewels and tapestries, The Picture of Dorian Gray is addictive, enjoyable, and by far one of the best classics I've read in recent years.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter series, #4)- J.K. Rowling

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2000
Pages: 637
ISBN: 1551923378
Genre:  Series, YA/fantasy

Start Date:  June 25, 2011
Finished Date:  July 4, 2011 (10 days)

Where Found:  Part of a birthday gift from several years ago
Why Read:  I've been meaning to read this for ages & finally got around to it!

Summary:  In his 4th year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter is suspiciously nominated into the dangerous Triwizard Tournament while battling dreams of Voldemort's return to power.

Review:

The Goblet of Fire is the first whopper of the series, clocking in at 637 pages! It also seems that with the violent undertones of the previous book, The Prisoner of Azkaban, the three Hogwarts heroes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer children but gradually transforming into the true spirit of their house, Gryffindor.  The whizz-bang chapters at the Quidditch World Cup get the story moving, and make up for the lack of Quidditch at Hogwarts due to the mysterious Triwizard Tournament. This event reminded me of the obstacles in the chamber of the first book, The Philosopher's Stone, only much more dangerous. The gasp-worthy ending to this book makes your hair stand on end and I immediately had to get my hands on the Order of the Phoenix to see how things transpired after the tragedy.

The introduction of wizard characters from other countries was a clever analogy of the United Nations and opens the story to countless possibilities for extended adventures if J.K. Rowling considers expanding on the series.  Some new characters (Mad-Eye Moody) were great additions to the cast; others (Rita Skeeter, Viktor Krum) I could have done without, and even more (Madame Maxime, Cornelius Fudge) seem to be just getting warmed up. 

So, here is how I would rank my favourite books of the series so far:

1) Philosopher's Stone (#1)--I still love how the series starts off with all its magic

2) Prisoner of Azkaban (#3)--Terrific plot and innovative new tricks & secrets

3) Goblet of Fire (#4)--Not as complex or well-executed as PoA, the Triwizard Tournament makes up for it

4) Chamber of Secrets (#2)--A weaker mystery & less intrigue, but still very enjoyable

Onward ho, to the Order of the Phoenix!

P.S.  When I finish the series, I'm going to post a top 10 list of my favourite things from each book.  Spoilers will ensue but at this point, I think I'm safe to do so :) 

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2003
Pages:  544
ISBN:  0385660049
Genre:  Nonfiction, Science

Start Date:  May 31, 2011
Finished Date:  June 17, 2011 (18 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list; also, I was curious about Bill Bryson's brand of nonfiction

Read For:  What's in a Name 4 Challenge (5/6)

Summary:  The origins of the Earth through the lenses of various fields of science are explained in layman's terms, laced with ironic humour and an enthusiasm for discovery.

Review:

Now this is a science book like no other.  Textbooks from science class were never this interesting.  Bryson's thesis is simple:  to explore and explain the origins of the Earth through various scientific fields of research and translate them for those of us who didn't go beyond mandatory high school science class.  These fields include astronomy, meteorology, geology, biochemistry, physics, mathematics, volcanology, seismology, cellular biology, paleontology, and anthropology, not to mention sprinklings of natural history and psychology.

The result is like exploring an unfamiliar cave with a flashlight whose bulb gets brighter as you go through it.  At first, the jargon was a bit...jarring (he he), even with Bryson's often hilarious use of analogies that could give this book the subtitle Science For Dummies (guilty as charged, says moi).  Once past the initial chapter on astronomy, which is interesting but sometimes difficult to manoeuvre, you become used to Bryson's style and even start to like his eccentric intellectual humour.

Facts are given a back story, which in turn often has a back story, with a focus on biographical information of its discoverer and his or her eccentric lifestyle, struggles for public understanding & acceptance of findings, and oftentimes, an impoverished means.  Theories are not completely diluted just to appease the reader and make us feel smart enough to understand them, but are compared to recognizable things and often analogized by scientists for pleasure, much like the hilarious meanderings of characters on TV's The Big Bang Theory.

By Part III, I was hooked and all the factoids became less random (i.e. fodder for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader) and served more of a purpose for passionate learning about the formation, gestation, and constant fluctuation of planet Earth.  Home sweet home.  It would be terrific if this book was required reading in a course for humanities undergrads needing a science credit.  Otherwise, it certainly fills many gaps in the average person's science education.  I highly recommend reading it.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1999
Pages:  317
ISBN:  1551924781
Genre:  Series (Harry Potter, book #3)

Start Date:  May 30, 2011
Finished Date:  June 6, 2011 (7 days)

Where Found:  Birthday gift (the first 4 books)
Why Read:  Re-reading for fun & to finish off the series

Summary:  In his 3rd year at Hogwarts, Harry is threatened by the escaped convict Sirius Black, a former follower of Voldemort, while discovering more secrets about his parents' past.

Review:

I had forgotten how much darker this book is than the first two in the Harry Potter series.  Murder, capital punishment...but then there's a flying griffin, a secret passage to a candy store, mysterious happenings with Hermione, and a nail-biting Quidditch championship to lighten the load.

From the beginning, I could remember why this book was not my favourite of the three.  It does take some time to get the plot rolling, then at about the time where *spoiler* (highlight here:  the Fat Lady portrait gets slashed), the story breezes on to a fantastic finish, more than making up for what seemed to me to be a bit of a sluggish start.  Then again, everything prior to the spoiler incident above was intentional and comes into play later on.  So maybe it was just me & my impatience :)

What I loved most about book #3, and forgive the cliche, is the thickening of the plot.  There is much more risk and even greater reward.  The chapter covering the Quidditch match was written with great excitement and was exhilarating to read.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione are getting a little more mature with age, a little less trusting (at least immediately) of new faces at Hogwarts given their past encounters, and even more secrets of the school & Harry's parents come to light.

So far, 3 down, 4 to go with the series.  I haven't read The Goblet of Fire before, so I can't wait to dive into it as many bloggers count it among their favourites of the series.  I would count Prisoner of Azkaban as my 2nd favourite so far.  It was better than The Chamber of Secrets but still doesn't have the same effect for me as The Philosopher's Stone.

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Night Shift- Stephen King

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published: 1979
Pages: 326
ISBN: 9780451170118
Genre: Short Stories, Horror/Fantasy

Start Date: May 22, 2011
Finished Date: May 29, 2011

Where Found: Chapters-Indigo
Why Read: It's no secret that I love Stephen King's books!

Read For: Stephen King Challenge (3/6)

Review:
I've split up my reviews into short segments, one for each of the 20 stories in the collection, then give an overall impression at the very bottom.

Jerusalem's Lot
Summary: A series of letters and diary entries from 1850 tells the story of a rich heir moving into a house with a sordid past and how he & his servant investigate the house's mysteries and noises.
Review: King gets the ball rolling (and starts a rat motif that occurs in a few stories) with this spooky period horror/mystery. The epistolary structure adds to the eerie atmosphere. A solid beginning.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Graveyard Shift
Summary: A group of mill workers are assigned the task of cleaning up the basement when an enormous army of rats begins attacking.
Review: A chilling story with a potential hero and a nasty boss who cuts corners one too many times. When the rats attack, things get ugly. If you have a phobia, you might feel like skipping this one. It's nasty but King enthusiasts won't be able to resist.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Night Surf
Summary: A group of teenagers come to terms with their dwindling existence on a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Review: I was a bit disappointed in this one. I found the characters too shallow and they showed some pretty disturbing behaviour. The plot falls flat and the only envitable thing that comes out of the story is the obvious fact that these people are doomed.
Rank:  (C)- Average

I Am the Doorway
Summary: A wheelchair-bound astronaut reflects to a friend on his failed mission to Venus and some ill-gotten effects from this trip.
Review: First of all, it's an awesome, intriguing title. The story builds up from the instigating incident to an amazing end. It wasn't as terrifying as the first two stories were but it really hit home at the end.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

The Mangler
Summary: A cop investigates a series of brutal attacks at a laundromat by a maniacal, possessed ironing machine.
Review: If the summary doesn't sound cheesy to you, think again. It really is. It was farfetched, even for a fantasy/horror story. And despite pushing all that aside, it still didn't sit well with me. And the ending seemed like a cheap cop-out. Oh well.
Rank:  (C)- Average

The Boogeyman
Summary: A man receiving therapy after the deaths of his three children confides in his psychiatrist that they died from a Boogeyman hiding in their bedroom closets.
Review: This story had a great turn of events on the classic "Boogeyman" figure of childhood terrors. The circumstances of the children's deaths are frightening and leave you guessing right up to the twist ending.
Rank:  (B)- Very Good

Gray Matter
Summary: The young son of an alcoholic who becomes housebound and vegetative seeks help at the local tavern when he finds his father has transformed into a spider.
Review: A slimey creepfest. The description of the spider's ooze alone is enough to make your skin crawl. Fans will enjoy it. Any arachnophobics may want to stay clear ;)
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Battleground
Summary: A mild-mannered hitman fights for his life from a Vietnam-era footlocker full of toy soldiers with live ammo.
Review: Awesome! This was my favourite story of the anthology. It was quick-paced, fun, exciting, and has all the qualities of a great, smart action movie. Turns out it was adapted into an episode of a fascinating TV mini-series based on Stephen King short stories, Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
Rank:  (A+)- Fantastic

Trucks
Summary: A group of strangers at a deserted truck stop diner fend off attacking trucks that demand refuelling or every vehicle on Earth will take over.
Review: This reminded me of Legion, an awful horror/action movie I saw a while back that took place at a diner in the middle of nowhere when things attack. This story was much better. The idea that technology is taking over humans in the chain of existence on Earth is tested in an action setting. It blends a little fun with a lot of scares.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Sometimes They Come Back
Summary: A high school teacher is haunted by three new students replacing three dead ones who remind him of childhood bullies who killed his brother.
Review: A strong plot with a sympathetic protagonist (not really a hero but close) and what appears to be paranoia and hallucination becomes something much more terrifying. A solid story.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

Strawberry Spring
Summary: A serial killer at a college campus during a foggy "Strawberry Spring" season is recurring in the present.
Review:  Predictable ending and not a lot of detail to this story. Somewhat of a bummer.
Rank:  (C)- Average

The Ledge
Summary: A man having an affair with a crime boss's wife partakes in a bet that involves him navigating the perimeter of a building's upper floor along a 5-inch wide ledge.
Review: Fascinating idea for a story though it's a bit limited on details. I would have loved to see this extended into a novel with more backstory on the characters and the circumstances they have gotten into in
The Ledge. Nevertheless, as short a story as it is, it's enjoyable and has bite.
Rank:  (B)- Very Good

The Lawnmower Man
Summary:  A man hires a mowing company to cut his grass but is shocked to find out just how the job is done.
Review:  The title character is just revolting but the story works very well in just a few short pages. It was better than The Mangler, which was longer and less effective, though it had more detail. I guess it depends on what you prefer from a short story. It was even funny in parts. The only thing that bothered me was the ending which had no hints about what became of the Lawnmower Man or gave any backstory. But still, it's a good addition to the freakshows of Night Shift.
Rank:  (B)- Very Good

Quitters, Inc.
Summary: After a recommendation from an old friend, a man goes to an agency to quit smoking, only to learn that their methods of curing his addiction are quite disturbing.
Review: A deliciously dark tale with many twists and quite a take on stop-smoking aids. It sure packs a wallop. Next to Battleground, it was the best story in the bunch.
Rank:  (A+)- Terrific

I Know What You Need
Summary: A college girl reluctantly falls for an unusual young man with a highly acute photographic memory.
Review: Great buildup with an end that I didn't see coming. I didn't have much sympathy for the girl as she didn't come across as very likeable to me, but the story wouldn't have worked otherwise. The story's structure was pitch perfect with every detail in place.
Rank:  (B)- Good

Children of the Corn
Summary: A couple who accidentally run over a child in a seemingly deserted corn farming town are soon haunted by a number of evangelical otherwordly children.
Review: Of all the titles in Night Shift, I bet this one is the most familiar to you. It was to me too, though I wouldn't categorize it as the best story. It felt a bit incomplete as I was really hoping to see a more extensive ending. As it is, the story is tres creepy as King tends to be when dealing with crude evangelist characters in a middle-of-nowhere setting. This story alone would keep me out of a cornfield.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

The Last Rung on the Ladder
Summary: A man struggling to communicate with his father reflects on the summer his sister nearly died from falling off a broken ladder on a hayloft.
Review: This was the most heartrending story in Night Shift. It felt so innocent, then startling, then distressing and finally solemn. You definitely come to care about all the characters involved. It reminded me of King's stories that don't feature an obvious villain but have eerie undertones from the actions good characters get involved in, such as Stand By Me.
Rank:  (A)- Excellent

The Man Who Loved Flowers
Summary: A man who buys a bouquet of flowers catches everyone's eye as he wanders the streets alone amid the various goings-on in the neighbourhood.
Review: Short, sharp, and unexpected. I can't say much more than that without spoiling it. It's like a photo or painting with one abstract part to it that you're not too sure fits with the rest.
Rank:  (B)- Good

One For the Road
Summary: A stranger wanders into a tavern during a blizzard, seeking help to save his wife and daughter who are trapped in the area surrounding haunted Jerusalem's Lot.
Review:  After reading "Jerusalem's Lot," you get a better perspective on exactly what haunts the area in this follow-up story (though with completely different characters).  It had a taste of old-fashioned storytelling to it, though it took place in the recognizable present.  It doesn't disappoint but it doesn't stand out either.
Rank:  (B)- Good

The Woman in the Room
Summary:  A man contemplates assisting his mother, who is dying of cancer, to die.
Review:  The story concept was terrific and the characters are interesting, but I found what bogged it down was the description, which tended to drag on and slowed the pace down.  All in all, not very much happens in this story but the one event that occurs is powerful enough to make it memorable.
Rank:  (B)- Good


To wrap it up, Night Shift is worth reading for two amazing stories, Battleground and Quitters, Inc., a few excellent tales, such as Trucks, Sometimes They Come Back, Children of the Corn, Jerusalem's Lot, and The Last Rung on the Ladder, and even some decent stories, such as The Boogeyman and The Ledge.  While far from perfect and, in my opinion, not as powerful or well-crafted as his collection of novellas, Different Seasons, King does as much as he can with as little space as he can, creating terrrifying snippets of fantastical horror in a few short pages at a time.

It's hard to read some stories back-to-back as they are very different from each other.  I found it effective to read a story, then put the book down, even for just 10 minutes, to reflect on the story, then open yourself to a new one.  It was much too difficult to digest them by reading many in quick succession like you would with another of Stephen King's pageturners.

Overall:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters


Published: 1979 (originally)
Pages: 323 (with movie tie-in edition pages)
ISBN: 0330457984
Genre: Sci-Fi

Start Date: May 4, 2011
Finished Date: May 8, 2011 (4 days)

Where Found: Campus bookstore
Why Read: On my TBR list

Read For: 1st in a Series Challenge (5/6)

Summary:  A dull-witted Earthling is swept away by his friend (who turns out to be an alien being) as the Earth is destroyed where they catch a ride with a multi-headed dimwit (who turns out to be President of the Galaxy) to search the galaxy for answers to deep thoughtful questions...and riches beyond (or maybe in?) their dreams.

Review:

Science fiction is a tough genre for me to crack.  I love many of the classic sci-fi movies:  Star Wars, Aliens, The Day the Earth Stood Still...just not 2001: A Space Odyssey (the space shots with the classical music were tremendous but the rest made me snooze).  So why do I falter when it comes to sci-fi novels?  I really don't know.  I guess it's the genre I grab last off the shelf.  But to live up to my reputation of being eclectic (thanks again Jillian @ Random Ramblings for the sweet compliments), I really need to expand my (universal) horizons more.  Maybe there's a sci-fi reading challenge out there for me?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the first in a trilogy written by the late Douglas Adams.  Once I got started, it was hard to stop.  I loved taking it outside on the deck on a brilliant spring day, sipping a cold drink, often risking it spurting out my nose as I laughed out loud at some random comment.  Let's face it: the entire book is all about random moments.  In short, it's oddly captivating.  Imagine Monty Python meets Lewis Carroll in space.  There you have it.

The plot is absurd and so much fun to lose yourself in.  Forget about logic and flow--it jumps gears randomly at breakneck speed that it's much more enjoyable to go with the flow.  The characters are a blast--I love Arthur's dry British wit, Marvin the depressed robot's sharp intellectual banter, and as for the villain (who's more of a dope than a bad guy), Zaphod Beeblebrox takes the prize for most eccentric character I've encountered in recent years.

My one beef with this book is that it ends so abruptly that two pages from the finish line there is still so much up in the air that it screams for a sequel and PRONTO!  I'm not too taken with it to move immediately into reading the sequel (and the next 3 Adams books, plus one more written after Adams' death by Eoin Colfer), but it was, to literate the British accent, a hoot and a "hawf" :D

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend

Rebecca- Daphne du Maurier

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1938
Pages:  448
ISBN:  9781844080380
Genre:  Suspense/Mystery

Start Date:  April 22, 2011
Finished Date:  May 4, 2011 (13 days)

Where Found:  Borrowed from my mom
Why Read:  It's my mom's favourite book and I wanted to see what it was like.  It was also on my TBR list.

Summary:  A young, impressionable woman is swept off her feet by a rich older man who brings her home to his estate, Manderley, where she feels compared to and less favourable than his dead first wife, Rebecca.

Review:

There is something charming about a story set in England, even if it is a mystery shrouded in deceit and deception like Rebecca.  The language is so crisp and the characters so familiar that it feels as if you have known this book and are instantly drawn to its story.  Nothing is ever quite what it seems and it becomes so complicated that trust is a slippery slope for the reader.  Characters make decisions that are awkward, cringeworthy, even shocking.  What is most fascinating about the plot is how little actually happens but what does occur is presented with such depth and analysis that you sometimes forget how isolated and small the story actually is.

The story moves along at a somewhat slow pace but very soon, things begin piling up and every occasion has a hint to consider in solving the mysteries of the Manderley household, both past and present.  I especially enjoyed Beatrice and her down-to-earth wit.  She cracked me up and really let the tension of the story subside when she visited.  Of course, Max de Winter cannot help but be considered rather partriarchal and overprotective, but then again, the new Mrs. de Winter is quite naive and often completely unaware of what she got herself into.  This may shock those of you who have read Rebecca or seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie (being a huge fan, I'm saddened to say that I haven't yet watched the movie, though I highly intend to), Mrs. Danvers was not quite as villainous as I expected her to be...at least from the onset.  After a certain *ahem* wardrobe malfunction in the story is when I really loathed her.  Now don't get me wrong...I didn't ever find her likeable, but she didn't come across as the essential villain either.  I think the unconventionality of her as an antagonist was clever and added to the deception of the story.  As for the title character, the first Mrs. de Winter was mysterious, powerful, and literally drop dead gorgeous...what could ever be wrong with her?! :D

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely re-read it to catch all of the subtle nuances that I missed prior to the very surprising twist (or two...or maybe it was three?).  I would highly recommend it to mystery lovers and literature lovers alike.  I've never really been able to say this about any other book I've reviewed (though not to say it isn't true about many other books), but it is universally appealing, timeless, and very few books have a literary style comparable to Daphne du Maurier.

If you have read du Maurier before, I would love some further recommendations.  I'm interested in Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel.  Are they just as good?  Better?  Worse?  Please advise!

Rank:  (A)- Excellent, Highly Recommend