The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  1985
Length:  368 pages
ISBN:  0770428207
Genre:  Dystopian/Speculative

Start Date:  Nov. 8, 2010
Finished Date:  Nov. 14, 2010 (6 days--I was home sick most of this week & zipped through it!)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  I've always been interested in Margaret Atwood's books and (surprisingly) didn't have the opportunity to read her work in university (and I'm Canadian!).  I decided to start with The Handmaid's Tale, which seems to be her most beloved book (though Oryx and Crake is also highly recognized--I may read this next).

Review:

I have not read this kind of fiction in recent years.  To the extent that Atwood examines the potential for imminent disaster if certain "isms" continue to influence our society, I never have.  Previously, I would plead blissful ignorance to the horrific outcomes of a dystopian future.  I just don't wanna know.  That may not be too proactive of me, but like the child who covers his eyes to hide himself, I figure anything I can't imagine has a chance of not occuring.  Wrong.

Atwood is one of the most metaphorical writers I have had the pleasure of reading.  Michael Ondaatje is another, both Canadian (go figure).  The language of The Handmaid's Tale is breathtaking, malleable, yet steadfast in its often poetic analysis of a frightening evolution in our society.  Offred's voice is trusting, truthful, but ultimately doubtful as we witness the atrocities of the warped, once American, nation of Gilead under extremist rule by the wavering hand of the Commander and his band of Aunts who oversee the seclusion of fertile women known as Handmaids.  Dastardly fates are served to resistant, infertile, gay, and elderly men & women who are executed or sent to the Colonies for toxic waste cleanup.  The ruination of civil rights & government are due to a Presidential assassination and upheaval, and the mass elimination of all literary materials & cultural or religious practices deemed blasphemous is ordered, leading to the extermination or deportation of ethnic groups.

The novel's plot is designed as if in a spiral formation, beginning with an idea that is circled around with a different perspective with each go-around, the pace quickening with each curve.  Premonitions of paranoid surveillance, sociopolitical extremism, and religious evangelism are eerily accurate to trends that escalated from the time of the book's publication in 1985 and are just recently struggling to be curtailed.

As for the cover, it is such a powerful image and I feel it is the best representation of the book's message.  This is a book that every woman must read and everyone should read.  It is one of the most important books I've ever read.  I am looking forward to reading more of Atwood--it has been suggested on other book blogs that an Atwood "newbie" begin with The Handmaid's Tale and perhaps move on to Oryx and Crake.  I just may do that.  Anyone read Oryx and Crake, or any other Atwood books to recommend?  Of course, any comments on The Handmaid's Tale would be welcomed as well :)

Rank:  (A+)- A must-read!

Harking Back...Part III: University (Year 4)- The Last Frontier

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend

The end

~ The Doors, "The End"

As the song says, this is the end of my university reading career and the last post on the series "Harking Back" in which I recount & review books from the courses that, for the most part, I felt privileged to be a part of.  So, here's the last of them:

17th Century Literature
We mostly read poetry and I grew to love Ben Jonson. The only book we read is below.

Paradise Lost- John Milton
Considered the most long-winded poem in literary history! Being an agnostic, it’s difficult for me to weigh in on this. Let’s just say most people who read it sympathize with the devil, who has much more fun (as the saying goes) and Milton’s god is highly vengeful, Old Testament style. Interesting that the movie The Devil’s Advocate, which has some killer special effects & a great end twist was inspired & very, very loosely adapted from PL. So while I read this, I had Al Pacino in mind as the devil all the way through…if I finished this, that is. Which I probably didn’t.

Rate: (C)- Just Okay


Modern British Literature
Very few books on the reading list, which left a lot of room for discussion and less scrambling to finish them on time for the lectures!

A Room With a View- E.M. Forster
Forster creates pleasant, if hilariously dull, characters amid quaint, delicate Italian surroundings in this enjoyable novel that was his first foray into the early 20th century British literary canon. Room is like Jane Austen meets Oscar Wilde: a cherubic romance embedded in social satire and laced with opinionated views of upper class society. His follow-ups, Howards End and A Passage to India are perhaps more popular & recognizable, but Room is like the appetizer before the entrée: it services the meal by allowing you to enjoy a small but tasty introduction to the chef. I’m sorry to end this with a clichéd conclusion, but I can’t resist: bon appetit.

Rate: (A)- Highly recommend

Brighton Rock- Graham Greene
Firstly, the cover is rather striking—it seems appropriate & yet somehow out of place. The portrait of the protagonist, Pinkie (wow, unintentional alliteration…try saying that 5x fast!) is drawn like a cartoon, but look closer: ragged scratches on his skin, oversized ears, and especially his muddy eyes with the evil, pinprick gaze. Despite the odd style choice that makes him appear like a caricature (but then again, aren’t all characters a caricature?), this is Pinkie, the darkest fictional reflection of a dictator figure I’ve ever read. You cannot possibly sympathize with him, and you become used to that. Like the character of Col. Hans Landa (brilliantly played by Christoph Waltz) in Inglourious Basterds, he is cold, calculated, and the most interesting character in the story (to explain the reference, I have just recently seen the movie and noticed the connection).

It’s hard for me to recount the events of the story, as its mystery is as complex as a Raymond Chandler yarn and even makes a number of references to these types of films, as well as Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks. The reasons for Pinkie’s disturbing behaviour are a mix of alienation, misogyny, distrust, and downright hatred of any living being, including himself, and especially of women. As mentioned earlier, it sounds difficult to read from the perspective of such a despicable character, but it is highly possible to become absorbed by Graham Greene’s rich language and inventive dialogue.

I highly recommend trying it (at least). If you start to think twice about continuing, I urge you to keep at it. If you’ve read Greene before, you won’t be disappointed by (arguably) his greatest novel.

Rank: (A+)- Excellent

Regeneration- Pat Barker
This novel is the first in Barker’s historical fiction trilogy about shellshocked British soldiers during WWI being treated by psychiatrists at an Edinburgh hospital. Many characters are based closely on real people, however like most novels of this nature, events are altered for optimal artistic integrity. Barker’s writing is sharp, sometimes bitter, especially with regards to the public’s misconception of psychological damage caused by warfare to soldiers, often young men whose mental health is compromised to the breaking point. I haven’t read the two follow-up novels, but from my perspective, Regeneration stands alone as the best novel about the detrimental effects of war since All Quiet on the Western Front.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend


Contemporary Fiction
A terrific book-per-week seminar that unfortunately I couldn’t keep up with, except to read two for my seminar & essay assignments. There are several I haven’t yet read but kept for interest’s sake, and I’ve listed them below. I welcome any insights on these books for those that have read them.

Flaubert’s Parrot- Julian Barnes
I absolutely love this novel. It is unbearably unique, in that there isn’t a single piece of work I’ve read or even heard of that resembles it. I remember in the seminar I gave on the novel that it borrows from a number of genres, making it impossible to bracket it into any one category. A Flaubert scholar vainly explores museums in France to find a stuffed parrot that was an inspirational symbol during the writing of Un Coeur Simple. It sounds preposterous, but the story is embedded with facts, anecdotes, and biographical tidbits on Flaubert, who is defended and admired unconditionally by the protagonist. I knew absolutely nothing about Flaubert when I read this novel (and I still don’t have much knowledge about him that stuck with me since reading this), but I admired the character’s appreciation for him and sympathized with his quest to learn an impossibly hidden truth. I highly, highly recommend reading this, even if you are far from a Flaubert aficionado.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

Funny Boy- Shyam Selvadurai
Here’s a sad fact: I read this in a week just in time to call in sick on the one day that our class would be discussing this. My immune system’s lack of timing could not have been worse, because I spent a lot of my commute to school during the week reading this over all my other course materials, only to miss discussing it. The author’s debut novel is a coming-of-age tale (a genre I really enjoy reading & experienced quite a lot of in university English courses) set in Sri Lanka through the eyes of a young, privileged Tamil boy maturing and recognizing his gay sexual identity amidst parental discouragement in the few years prior to the 1983 riots against the Sinhalese in the capital of Colombo. The novel is somewhat based (it’s always hard to know how much in these types of novels) on Selvadurai’s childhood & his family’s eventual immigration to Canada.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress- Dai Sijie
A coming-of-age story with a gentle, gradually developing plot that changes in point-of-view between two boys growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution (Mao Zedong dictatorship) where they are “re-educated” in the Phoenix mountainside and fall in love with a treasure trove of classic (translated) literature, which they share with their competing love for the tailor’s daughter. There are many visually impressive moments that translate well to the film version, directed by Dai, who made films before novels. His own experiences with “re-education,” in which professionals, such as businesspeople, lawyers, doctors, and teachers, were sent to a form of rural prison camp where they did hard labor in farming, mining, and other such industries, are represented semi-autobiographically. Dai doesn’t shirk from posing tough historically-based questions about the political climate of China and experiences during the Cultural Revolution, which ended only to be followed by the Tiananmen Square massacre.The novel is a gem, weaving romance, literary culture, mysticism, medicine, and theatre/film performance.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!


These are the unread novels from the course that are currently on my TBR shelf. Please let me know if you’ve read any & how you felt about them.

Tales From Firozsha Baag- Rohinton Mistry

The Woman Warrior- Maxine Hong Kingston

The White Hotel- D.M. Thomas

Moon Palace- Paul Auster

Small Island- Andrea Levy

Canadian Literature

Huge reading list, but insightful (albeit short) discussions on a variety of works over a broad history.

Wild Geese- Martha Ostenso
Told through the perspective of a visiting teacher staying with a farming family during the 1920s in the Manitoba prairies, this stark, absorbing tale of complex relationships against the backdrop of peaceful simplicity broke away from overly sappy popular literature of the time with themes of blackmail, familial detachment, fiery sexual awakening, growing into adulthood, shirking forced responsibility, and ultimately being freed from burdensome chains that withhold necessary truths to be spoken. I found the depth of Ostenso’s language breathtaking, to the point where I was so taken with the novel, not a single page was underlined or highlighted—in hindsight, I think that is the sign of not overanalyzing what is read, but simply enjoying the experience of it.

**SEMI-SPOILER—YOU’VE BEEN WARNED**
There is an amazingly vivid scene in which the oldest daughter Judith, a maturing, fiercely independent young woman, who I should note is so anti-stereotypical that I was impressed by the complexity & realistic (yet still interesting nature) of the character (whew…that’s a run-on sentence if ever I wrote one, LOL!), makes love to Sven amidst a small oasis of reeds, blooming flowers, and rushing water. While I’ve probably made it sound like an atypical scene from a romance novel, I have never read a better love scene, or even watched a better movie love scene as I had pictured in my mind when reading this novel.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder- James De Mille
Oof…this one was an old clunker, somewhat out of place in the course as most of our reading selections were modern. It even seems to precede its published date (1888) in style & language. It was serialized, which would have made the book more digestible as it’s quite a read at nearly 300 pages (keep in the mind that the font is small & white space is limited). The concept is a story within a story: a shipwrecked sailor finds & begins narrating a [insert title here]. I was never sure if the story was meant as a Tolkienian fantasy or, as most critics see it, a satirical adventure tale reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe, yet after a fantastic voyage excitedly written, the tale falls flat and I could not be seduced to finish it. It’s been taught & re-taught according to my alma mater’s course calendar, but it’s not a quintessentially Canadian work, so why it seems to be a favourite text is beyond me. It was only one of two texts in this course that I didn’t like, so that’s an impressive batting average.

Rank: (DNF)- Did not finish, Don’t Recommend

Roughing it in the Bush- Susanna Moodie
Here’s the other text I couldn’t get into. Moodie is a Canadian pioneer novelist who wrote several diaries that translated into several novels and memoirs about adjusting to the culture of Canada. Moodie comes across as privileged and often snooty in her observations of Native culture in what she calls “the bush,” echoing reflections of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. It is hard to swallow her writing when she makes harsh comments about a race she barely knows or has been exposed to. Ironically, she seems to think less of them than the Natives do of her, but like Conrad, her perspective is the only one presented. Unlike Strange Manuscript, Moodie is not out of place in the course, but was the equivalent of reading Heart of Darkness in my postcolonial lit course: somewhat disturbing & quite one-sided.

Rank: (DNF)- Did not finish, Don’t Recommend

Obasan- Joy Kogawa
Part epistolary novel, part semi-fictional memoir, and part children’s book, this is the story of Naomi, a young Japanese-Canadian girl separated from her mother during WWII as she is imprisoned in an internment camp, remembering that time now as an adult. The events are recalled through a box of letters & diary entries where Naomi learns some sad truths about her mother’s death as she cares for her ailing aunt after the death of the uncle who helped raise her.

Rank: (A)- Very good

The Diviners- Margaret Laurence
The beautiful opening line “The river flowed both ways” is a metaphor for the ebbs & tides experienced by the 1st person protagonist, Morag Gunn, a writer approaching a calm period of her life, contemplating how to address her autobiographical novel, much like Laurence did while writing this one, and piecing together a sketchy past in order to set the story she wants to tell.

There are so many themes in this novel that intertwine seamlessly: family history & genealogy, Native culture, self-identity, marriage, and coming to terms with change at all stages of life. Supporting characters play pivotal roles in Morag’s life and reappear either in person or mind at various turning points—the garbage “scavenger” who adopts & raises her, a Metis lover whom she cannot admit to truly loving, the runaway daughter also trying to find a sense of identity, a patriarchal husband, neighbours devastated by a tragic fire, and a roommate with a pet python (!). All become the partial subjects of three semi-autobiographical novels (within the novel), a living that Morag uses as the medium to both express & ultimately pinpoint her self-identity with forays into Montreal for college and Scotland for family history searching, but finding her home is the diverse rural town of Manawaka, Manitoba.

Reading a nearly 500 page novel in my honours year when I was overloaded on English courses wasn’t the most practical time to finish it, but I was adamant to, because I had never been so absorbed by a story that told so much about a single person. This was Laurence’s final novel, often a sacrificial lamb at the stake of Canadian censors who banned the book from many high school libraries for being “obscene” and “vulgar” (likely due to one sex scene that is tame by even older standards). I, for one, could not have appreciated this book in high school and will need a long period of time if I decide to reread it, but it is a remarkable, involved journey that took Laurence a lifetime to experience and four years to set on paper. It is a work that any author would wish to finish their career with writing.

Rank: (A+)- Instant favourite

In the Skin of a Lion- Michael Ondaatje
There is no doubt that Ondaatje is a fascinating writer, telling novels as if they were extended poems and creating unforgettable images. The plots are often mazes that even a strong reader can get lost in, but Ondaatje gives us permission to. Perhaps it’s even his wish. Set in Toronto during the 1920s & 1930s, a number of characters, the most stunning being Patrick, the anti-hero protagonist. Ondaatje presents a criticism of the city’s development and how the minority builders who contributed to its construction were eliminated from the history books. Patrick’s work as a dynamiter offers amazing descriptions of his work, coupled with a lingering sadness of his father’s death and memories of the logging & milling workers he witnessed in his youth. I’m finding it difficult to recount the story precisely, but the symbolic imagery of the story will stay with you long after reading.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

Truth & Bright Water- Thomas King
Had to skip reading this, but kept my copy so it’s TBR.  Any experiences with this one, readers?








My Best Friend is White- Klyde Broox
Odds are you haven’t heard of this one. Broox is a Jamaican-born “dub poet,” who writes, rhymes, and performs like a politically, racially & culturally-charged material in the style of Bob Marley meets Allen Ginsberg. My Best Friend is White is a compilation of dub poems that ring even truer in performance with his smooth voice and exciting tempo. I had the privilege of seeing him perform in university, and got his autograph on my copy, with the cool inscription: “To Megan, Your name rhymes with ‘vibration.’ Keep the vibes flowing!” Broox, being a former teacher, was also generous enough to perform for a class of grade 7 & 8 students in my student teaching practice, and even taught a poetry workshop with them! We had read & practiced “A View Beneath a Hard Hat,” a poem that I felt they would best relate to about the tiring effect constant hard labour has on “hard hat” workers. But seeing & hearing him perform in person captivated the students, and made me feel like I had provided them with an experience they had never seen or felt before. Broox made that happen & I could not thank him more for it.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend


Children’s Literature
A disappointing, harsh lecturer but you can't complain about this list of classics.

Anne of Green Gables- L.M. Montgomery
Every young reader, especially girls, have heard of this book for many generations. If you’ve never read it, it is a timeless classic that still creates a feeling of nostalgia for childhood. That being said, reading the series as a child is very different from reading it as an adult. Anne Shirley was my favourite literary character, forever pictured in my mind as Megan Follows who played Anne in the equally adored Canadian TV movie adaptation. Additional characters, such as Rachel Lynde and Marilla Cuthbert, were supporting players in the Canadian TV series Road to Avonlea, which expanded further into the Ontario town, often through the eyes & experiences of young Sara Stanley, who is similar in nature to Anne.

My favourite memories of the story are Anne’s imaginative naming of the fields surrounding Green Gables, her defensive reaction to Mrs. Lynde’s initial judgment, her dress with puffed sleeves, and breaking the slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head.  This beloved classic makes me proud to be Canadian :o)

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
An epic adventure of childhood escapism and an unwillingness to grow up in the late 19th century American south. Mark Twain is a classic humourist and social satirist who has an accurate read for childhood hopes, dreams & fears. The plot is not too important—the characters are the story, especially young Huck’s tense, tested relationship with the slave Jim and their travels along the Mississippi river on an idyllically pictured raft on the glowing front cover of the Bantam edition. This is a relaxing read that will allow you to escape right with the characters. If you were wondering, I haven’t read the follow-up, Tom Sawyer, yet, but it’s on my TBR list.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

House on Mango Street- Sandra Cisneros
A series of short vignettes set in a poor Latino neighbourhood told by a young girl witnessing & experiencing a number of hardships as she learns the truth of growing up, persevering & coming to terms with one’s home turf. It’s a short, digestible read that broke ground for Cisneros and other Latin-American writers who were grossly underrepresented in the literary world.

Rank: (B)- Recommend

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang- Mordecai Richler
An often hilarious, always honest portrayal of childhood as an adventure in which stereotypes of villains are turned on their head and revealed as simply misunderstood people who can be reformed if the right person charms them. I had never read this book as a child and the TV movie version was too scary for me (I was very averse to even the mildest form of fright), but I fell in love with this cute story and I have saved my copy to read to my class some day.

Rank: (A)- Highly recommend

The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein
A classic children’s book written by Silverstein, the king of kid lit who makes poetry fun and less intimidating. The black-and-white pictures (who someone in this class brilliantly suggested may be deliberately blank so children may colour them in to become the illustrator) frame a simple morality tale of true love, sacrifice, childhood innocence, adult greed & selfishness, and even environmentalism that children of all ages can relate to, appreciate, and see beyond to the bigger message. Read & reread this to your children, your grandchildren, and yourself—you won’t regret a second of it.

Rank: (A+)- A must-read!


The Oprah Effect
Yes, that Oprah (who else?). This seminar covered some novels from Oprah’s book club and academic criticism about her show, her image, and her effect on pop culture, business, journalism (is she even considered one anymore?), media, and self-help therapy. This course was far more challenging than the content it suggests, but because everyone has heard of her, it was impossible to not contribute to the discussions.

Song of Solomon- Toni Morrison
Like many postmodern novels, this book is written with a loose structure, focusing instead on character development and descriptive language, allowing the cards to fall where they may. Morrison, known for writing themes of black identity and post-slavery dysfunction, pens a story about a family with (sometimes ironic) Biblical names and the oldest son’s struggle to identify himself amidst the violence between his parents, an obsessive great-niece, and a best friend jealous of a hidden family fortune that promises him freedom. It was a tangled read, full of mysterious characters and messy truths. It may not be for everyone, but I suggest attempting it, especially if you have read Morrison’s novels before (I haven’t, by the way), such as Beloved and The Bluest Eye.

Rank: (B)- Recommend

The Corrections- Jonathan Franzen
It’s hard to like a book with such unlikable characters, but it is proven possible. I feel uneasy ranking this book as merely “okay,” because it is an impressive tome that Franzen and some of his male counterparts deemed too good for Oprah’s book club (granted, they were probably right as Oprah’s choices are popular but rarely the critical best of contemporary literature). It portrays family dysfunction in the queasiest of details that often made me physically squirm in my seat. Judging by its press releases, Franzen’s hopes of reaching a male audience were successful as the women of the story had a certain offbeat tone that can subsequently be attributed to a male author (arguably repeated in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina). It has been some time since I read this novel, so my arguments may not be wholly justified (and without a copy, even backed up…ahem), but I am merely recanting my feelings at the time of reading this novel for the course.

Rank: (C)- Just okay

A Million Little Pieces- James Frey
There was a lot of intrigue about this novel, but frankly, I didn’t catch onto it. It’s (ironically) addictive to read, much like watching a bad movie, but needing to know how it ends. This was only half that experience as I didn’t finish it. The style was jarring and very scattered, which perhaps was deliberate, but The Basketball Diaries covered a similar experience coherently, didn’t it?

Frey received a lot of flak (mostly from Oprah) for his dishonesty surrounding how much of this memoir actually happened to him. To me, it doesn’t really matter. Lots of memoirs tell falsehoods or hyperbolize about events that weren’t as significant as the author writes. On the same note, lots of fiction comes off as autobiographical when it scarcely is. Okay, so he lied. But, you might counter, he lied to Oprah. Well, so did Mike Tyson, but she didn’t have him back to say “shame on you.” Does the follow-up make Frey’s novel any worse? If anything, it draws more publicity to it. And to Oprah.

Rank: (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don’t Recommend

Harking Back...Part III: University (Year 1)

“Time it was, and what a time it was
It was a time of innocence
A time of confidences…”
~ Simon & Garfunkel, “Bookends”

To give you an idea of my background, I started my first year at university taking about 1-2 courses from different humanities departments, plus a stint in psychology (don’t know what I was thinking there?!?). I soon realized that my original goal of going into communications & multimedia was not working for me and I soon discovered what I had known all along: I ought to be an English major. This explains why Year 1 only has one course in English lit, but soon it became the most comfortable arena of my 4-year experience.

My memory of Years 1 & 2 are sketchy as I had some growing up to do and became more dedicated to succeeding in my courses. Plus, I got a full-time spring/summer & part-time fall/winter job at the campus library, and volunteered in a Gr. 4 class in my 4th year to apply for teacher’s college, so I learned a great deal about balancing schoolwork with everything else life throws your way. It was the best time of my life so far and I’ll always think of it as the beginning of my bildungsroman.


Longer Genres
My one & only English course of my 1st year was a focus on modern novels & plays.  I would have gotten more out of this course as a 3rd or 4th year student. It’s too bad in a way as I had a wonderful, passionate professor and I was lucky to have her again in a 4th year seminar when I was more dedicated, but the material was (overall) quite challenging at the time for me.  Here's what I remember reading:

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
This was a brilliant novel to start a 1st year English course with as it appeals to young adults and makes many references to music & movies in popular culture. Hornby is one of the best contemporary British writers around and has great admiration for musical taste without hesitating to criticize the mundane. I’ve gone on to read About a Boy and enjoyed it equally. He makes excellent contrasts between vapid, self-centred protagonists, their strange & sometimes bitter friends, and the free-spirited, admirable strangers that are gradually accepted despite and because of their flaws, ironically by the most flawed individual in the story.
Rank:  (A)- Highly Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

The Concubine’s Children- Denise Chong
A memoir about the generational gaps between a Chinese-Canadian family prior to, during, and after immigrating, and the divisions between cultures. I could not get into this book, but don’t remember my reasons. Ironically, I wrote an essay on a book with similar themes (see Year 4) in Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, which I enjoyed much more.
Rank:  (DNF)- Did Not Finish, Don't Recommend

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Running in the Family- Michael Ondaatje
This became a notorious bane of the course. Nobody seemed to understand this novel. I may try it again down the road but I had a much better experience with In the Skin of a Lion. Have yet to read The English Patient, but the movie version bored me, so I may need a lot of convincing to try it.  The only vivid image I have of Running is a woman holding onto a handrail bannister during a hurricane.  It's an unforgettable image.  Enough to get me to try, try again.  Maybe...
Rank:  (C)- Didn't Finish, Just Okay

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A Taste of Honey- Shelagh Delaney
I think this was from this course...Controversial at the time, this play featured the interracial relationship between a teenage white girl and a black man, the pregnancy that results, and her friendship with a gay roommate all in 1950s Britain. Being naïve to issues of censorship in decades past, I could not understand the shock value of this play, because I believed in its reality in the present. Delaney was brilliantly ahead of her time, but the play seemed locked in place and was difficult to slog through.
Rank:  (B)- Recommend

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Who Do You Think You Are?- Alice Munro
A short story from a collection of the same name. Munro is revered as one of the greatest Canadian writers in the country’s literary history, but I’ve never been particularly fond of her. I much prefer Margaret Laurence. I don’t remember much about this story, except an unforgettable image of the female protagonist feeling liberated by going topless onstage during a play performance. I’ve since read & reviewed the short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain, adapted by Sarah Polley for the film Away From Her, which I liked much better but I am not likely to read any more Munro.
Rank:  (C)- Just Okay

…Oh dear, there were more texts read in this course but I can’t remember them! I was not the most studious in my first year, though I did find time to reread 2 John Grisham novels…ouch, sorry Professor.

Update:  Thought of one more.  I feel like I just added another coin to my memorybank :o)  I came across Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett in the college-bound list & remembered this one:

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Endgame- Samuel Beckett
We only read Endgame as far as I remember and it is such an unusual, satirical play that you cannot possibly forget it.  My favourite line is the eerie "It's finished, it's nearly finished," the opening line that echoes suggestions of the ultimate "Endgame," whatever that may be.  The play is minimalist in nature: one act, four characters (two of whom spend the majority of the play hidden inside trash cans), and only one of whom is able-bodied, all trapped in the dank basement-like room with a faint orange glow outside, what many critics interpret as the aftermath of an apocalyptic "endgame."  It's a weirdly wonderful play and I highly recommend giving it a try.  If you don't understand most of it, you're not alone, and that is intended to be, in the tradition of Theatre of the Absurd, the penultimate point.
Rank:  (B)- Recommend

Coming soon...Year 2.

The Bear Came Over the Mountain- Alice Munro

Purrchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Also available for free in at The New Yorker.  It prints out to 14 pages.

Published:  1999
Length: 14 pages
ISBN: 9780143055389
Genre:  Short Story, Canadian Lit

Start date:  Aug. 17, 2010 
Finished date:  Aug. 20, 2010

Where from: The New Yorker
Why Read: I thought the film was lovely and was interested in reading the story.

Summary:  A retired professor reflects on the effects of memory loss on his wife of many decades who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and how their relationship changes when she enters a nursing home.

Great Quotation:  "Do you think it would be fun if we got married?"

Review:

I must admit that this short story sat unread on my catch-all table (not even on my nightstand with other TBR books) for a few years before a spring cleaning job reintroduced me to it.  Every time I spotted it peeking out from under other miscellaneous papers, it reminded me of the stark snow-covered ski hills in Sarah Polley's beautifully filmed adaptation and nearly enticed me to read it every time.  Once I cleared off the clutter, it was free to be read.

I had previously read Alice Munro's Who Do You Think You Are? in university and while I found her writing to be admirable and her word choice unique in a tone that only she could create, her characters struck me as rather unemotional and stiff.  I could not sympathize or even relate to the cardboard cutouts I imagined them being in my head.  This story improves on that.

The Bear Came Over the Mountain is an odd title for the story, and I would be interested in knowing what the inspiration was for it, as well as a metaphorical connection I am not catching on to.  Polley's adapted film title works off the beautiful quotation of the storyteller, Grant:  "I wanted never to be away from her," which thankfully appears at the end of the first paragraph, enticing me to continue and changing my mind about Munro's character development.

Grant and Fiona are a love match that is reversed by the sad condition of her memories as Alzheimer's disease forces them apart.  As Fiona moves into a nursing home, away from the house and husband she once knew, she forms a companionate relationship with a considerably weakened resident, Aubrey.  I found it remarkable that the feelings Fiona once showed Grant are remembered but transferred to another man, whom she may be mistaking for her husband.  This circumstance is obviously distressing to Grant, who decides to seek consolation from a similar viewpoint: Aubrey's wife, Marian.

Short stories are often one of two things: underdeveloped because of its limited length or developed more acutely because the author is aware of the limited space in which to write.  Munro's story is the latter and she gives a sense of dignified grace to the four characters without embellishing the emotions that come with the harsh changes occuring in their intertwined lives.  It is ironic that often emotion comes naturally when it is not presented so obviously.  Maybe this is what I expected of Munro's other work and felt cheated out of being told what the character is feeling.

Munro's style may feel bland to those expecting a rich tapestry of description, but this is not the point of her work.  I recommend previewing Polley's film before reading this story, as having the gorgeous backgrounds of the Canadian winter landscape in mind while reading makes it come alive.

Overall, I still feel that Munro sometimes writes description rather stiffly, but minimally, so she can reflect on how the appearance of surroundings and the perception of events changes a character psychologically, a strength that comes forth in this story necessarily as the relationship between Grant & Fiona is at once weakened by her memory loss but strengthened by her sporadic recollection of beautiful moments they have shared.

Ranking this story is tough, because I feel that simply "recommending" it is a cop-out, but then again, it is not the most life-changing work I've read, so I'm just going to write that you should read it and try not to pass it up, even if it gets buried under a four year mountain of other things to do.

Rank:  (B)- Recommend