Review:The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleep Hollow
By Washington Irving

Who doesn't remember watching the Disney cartoon version of this tale? It was great because of the ultra dorky Ichabod Crane and it's frightening image of The Headless Horseman at the end. It is another one of those cultural classics that everyone knows about but no one seems to have read. And like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it is so short that there is really no excuse to have not read it.

It is the story of Ichabod Crane. The name just about says it all. He is the extremely tall and slender, red haired and freckled(hey, what's wrong with that?) school teacher to the country bumpkins of Sleepy Hollow, a town that is just a bit more superstitious than your average podunk town. As he is leaving a party "at the witching hour" he encounters the town's most legendary ghost, the Headless Horseman. Is it real or not?

When I first started reading this 45 page story I loved all the descriptions of the county and the people but it soon became much too tedious. Irving is one of those writers who uses twice as many words as are necessary to tell a good tale. What a phenomenal vocabulary! It gives one an extremely clear picture but in the process I lost interest in looking around. But it's only 45 pages, and I knew there was a good part at the end so I stuck with it and was rewarded. It is not a story to make the reader's heart pound but to make him smile at Crain's reactions. There is quite a bit of comical imagery not to be missed. And when all is said and done you can say you've read the story for yourself.

I have seen the Johnny Depp movie but it's been so long ago now that I remember very little except that it was corny and pretty stupid to boot. It was a completely different story from the one Washington Irving tells.

This is the story that I chose to replace Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell on my RIP II Challenge list. There is a significant difference between 830 pages and 45, but that was precisely the point. I want to complete the challenge while being reasonable in my expectations for myself. Besides, I already spent 2 weeks with that I could have read several other acceptable books for this challenge. Now I can concentrate on finishing the two short story collections I'm into before Halloween. I'm not breaking any rules. Carl said I could.

With Reckless Abandon

Today’s suggestion is from Cereal Box Reader
"I would enjoy reading a meme about people’s abandoned books. The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?"

Well, what a co-winkiedink! I decided yesterday to abandon a challenge book. I've been reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell for at least two weeks and am barely halfway through it. I can see that it is a very cute book with lots to recommend it. For whatever reason I am not getting into it. And I've heard that it has a slump in the middle, right where I am. And I would need to finish it in a week for it to count for the RIP II Challenge, which is just not going to happen. So I decided that it is time to give up on it in hopes that I will pick it up in a couple of months. I want to give it all the credit it deserves.

There are many readers out there that shamelessly toss a book aside if it doesn't grab their attention within the first 50 pages but this is generally when I find a book of most interest. It's a fresh new story that I am unfamiliar with, or at least in this specific form. There is a little something in me that says I must finish something I have started. I hate to quit something that I voluntarily chose to do. Somehow I feel as if I have shirked my responsibility or something.

I have of course set books aside to finish "just after this one" only to never be picked up again. When this happens it generally is with a non-fiction. I have an extremely hard time getting through instructional books. If it doesn't have a plot I lose interest quickly.

More Bookshelves

Here are the rest of the shelves in the library. What you can't see in these pictures are the large computer desk and the chair and lamp in front of the bay window. What you can see in the picture is one of the favorite napping cubbies of Dickens.

Short Story Sunday

Kerfol

by Edith Wharton

Kerfol is the name of an estate(a castle to be exact) that our nameless protagonist is looking to buy. On a visit to check it out he is greeted by an handful of dogs. They don't bark; they just watch. Upon returning to the village we are told the story of the mystery of the dogs on the estate. We are told about a young, lonely woman married only 3 years and of her overprotective and ultimately cruel husband and how he lashes out when the maiden makes friends with a neighbor. Then we hear of the apparent murder of her husband and her defense in court. It has everything to do with the dogs.

Unhappy women contemplating an affair or entertaining inappropriate male company and the disaster that follows is a common theme is Wharton's stories. Was she trying to convince society or herself? And some innocent coming along to protect the afore mentioned women is also common. Her women are never confirmed to have committed any sins but the husbands are always portrayed as deserving of their fate. Wharton's pain comes through in her tales. I wonder what her husband thought?

The Triumph of Night

by Edith Wharton

Mr. Faxon, a personal secretary traveling to his position, is forgotten at the train station on a snowy winter's night but is given shelter by the young Mr. Frank Rainer, a man threatened by a severe case of tuberculosis. Mr. Rainer is the ward of one of the richest men in the area. But as Faxon watches the interactions between Rainer and his uncle he is disturbed with the vision of a ghost that looks exactly like the uncle but the uncle's usual benevolent face is replaced on the ghost with one of the darkest hatred. When Faxon flees in the night he is followed by disaster.

I really enjoyed this story. First of all, there were no unfaithful wives and abusive husbands. Secondly, it was well-written and well presented to hold on to its mystery to the end. It was long enough to be engaging but easy to get through in a sitting. And no confusing endings.

Take a Peek at my Books

Finally, my treasured possesses are making an appearance. While we have many many bookshelves around the house, eight in the library alone, these are mine. Keep in mind that I've only been a reader for five years and that I've only been collecting, on a budget, for about two years.

On the shelf to the left you will find the following:top shelf, cookbooks and quilting books; second shelf, non-fiction and poetry; third and fourth shelves, novels written in the last 20 or 30 years; fifth and sixth shelves, compilation sets for kids and homeschool books we are not using this year. The shelves on the right(my favorite) are:shelves one and two, 1909 Harvard Classics I got for $10. and various anthologies; the next four shelves, classic fiction in alphabetical order according to the author's last name.

They are a beauty to behold IRL. I find myself staring at them frequently when I'm feeling uncertain about life. But I barely have any room left. The Theologian says he will not buy me anymore shelves for a while so I had better modify my book buying indulgences soon. But it's a good thing I didn't start today or I never would have found that used copy of Master and Commander for the upcoming Seafaring Challenge. =)

A Nautical Adventure

Halloween is not yet here but that hasn't stopped me from looking to the future, through a telescope no less. =) A new reading challenge begins at the closing of the RIP II Challenge. The Seafaring Challenge begins Nov. 1st and runs through Jan. 31st. Ever since I read in Ex Libris by Fadiman about her love of high sea adventure reading, that and watching the BBC movie Shackleton, I have wanted to read these nautical tales for myself. In fact, last month I bought 2 such books.

The Challenge has several rankings to choose from with different levels of commitment. I will be going all out; it's Admiral for me.

Fourth Rank: Admiral
Read four books, any length, any genre or sub genre you choose.

On top of the usual goal setting there are a couple of optional side adventures to look into. You could add the reading of one of five specific books that Christina has set aside as special(Master and Commander looks good). Added to that is the Short Story Sunday option. If you visit her site you can see the many suggestions for titles that would fit in perfectly with the seafaring life.

I pulled all the unread books off my shelves that might fit into this category. (I left Moby Dick. I am NOT reading that stinker again, thank you very much!) Paring down titles from there was difficult but I managed to get it down to five:

• Endurance by F.A. Worsley-this is the story of Shackleton as told by the captain of the Endurance.
• In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick-this is the tragedy of the whaleship Essex. It is a National Book Award winner and a NYT Bestseller.
• Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham-a Newbery Award winner that my son found very funny. Also from my Newbery Challenge list.
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway-from my Book Awards Challenge list. I've never read Hemingway before but I have a feeling I will like him.
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe-I am almost ashamed that I've never read this classic. It's about time.

If I find extra time on my hands(snort) I will turn to:

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
• Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
• Little Puck is just as excited about this challenge as I am.

I almost forgot to add that I will be reading aloud to the kiddos from The Princess Bride as well. And Dragon Slayer has enjoyed his dips into the Arctic in the past so he has agreed to join me in reading and discussing. This is going to be so cool!

Short Story Sunday

I got my three selections from the Dover Thrift Editions Great Ghost Stories collection. Not all of them are scary but they do all contain ghosts.

The Phantom Coach
by Amelia Edwards
James Murray loses his way in the middle of a storm and takes shelter is the house of a recluse who hasn't seen a visitor in 4 years. After a long conversation about science and the skepticism of man Murray heads back out into the snow to catch a ride home to his new bride in the mail coach. What he gets is more than he bargained for.

This tale wasn't really scary but it was predictable. Well, first it was slow, then it was a little misleading but then it was easy to figure out what was going on. Not a bad story but not a great one either.

The Judge's House
by Bram Stoker
A young student rents a rundown "haunted" house to study in peace. The last occupant was a ruthless judge who kept the hangman's noose as the rope of an alarm bell in his sitting room. As the young man talks with the neighbors about the rats in the walls and the midnight visit from one particularly large rat, they believe him to be studying a little too hard. But can they save him?

This one was the scariest of the 3 tales I read today. All the rat can really gross a person out. And the twist with the picture was unexpected. While I didn't really care for Dracula(sorry, I thought it seemed a bit too corny), there is no denying that Stoker is a fantastic writer. This one's worth a read.

Bone to His Bone
by E.G. Swain
Mr. Batchel lives at the vicarage that the late William Whitehead left his beloved book collection to. He loves the book collection "as a father loves his children." One midnight Mr. Batchel makes a startling discovery in the old library.

The supernatural tendencies of this story contain no malice like the ones in the Stoker tale. The writing is clear and the story is not bad but not really scary either.

Review:The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor

If you are interested in a much better review(that is, a review of a much better book) head over to the Book Awards Reading Challenge site for my review of The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor. There was much to think about with this work.

Review:Vinegar Hill

Vinegar Hill
by A. Manette Ansay
240 pages
First Sentence:

In the gray light of the kitchen, Ellen sets the table for supper, keeping the chipped plate back for herself before lowering the rest in turn.

After her husband becomes unemployed, Ellen's family of 4 moves in with her in-laws, a manipulative and abusive couple. There are secrets in this family that are chilling. These secrets have destroyed each member of the family either directly or indirectly. As the women in the story attempt to better their lot in life the church is always there to guilt them back into their dark, oppressive corners. How will they ever find solace?

I read the book, which had been sitting on my bookself, upon the review of Puss Reboots who says "I come away hating the book but loving the author's story telling". I hated the book and didn't find the writing worth the desent into this Midwestern Hell. I want the book out of my house ASAP. It's a definite do not recommend.

Avert Your Eyes

Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit (ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking for more exactly like them? (grin)

When I was a kid my mom never had to worry about the love scenes on a movie with me around because I would get so uncomfortable that I'd leave the room or cover my eyes and plug my ears. I am still pretty uncomfortable with them but not to the same extent as I used to be. But books are different. The writing makes all the difference. That and my imagination. I can handle love scenes just fine while reading as long as no one else is in the room with me. If someone is present I feel like a pervert.

As far as profanity goes, I don't speak it often and I don't like to hear it. It is the language of the unintelligible. I don't see the need for it in movies or in books in most cases but I don't really have a problem reading it.

Review:The Bronze Bow

The Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare
254 pages
First Sentence:
A boy stood on the path of the mountain overlooking the sea.

Daniel is a boy of 18 who pledges to destroy the Roman rule over his naive land of Galilee after witnessing the death of his father at the hands of Roman soldiers. He is a Zealot who has joined the band of robbers who live in the mountains, pillaging the village to amass goods "for the cause." Along his journey he meets and listens to Jesus but doesn't understand his message. When his closes friend is taken captive and the head of the band of robbers refuses to do anything about it Daniel attempts to fight the Romans himself with a few youths from the town. In the face of what feels like defeat Daniel learns the valuable lesson that Jesus has for him.

This book reads very fast for it's size. I was endeared to Daniel for all he has had to suffer. I rooted for him as he tried to determine what was the right path. I watched him mature in the way most young people mature, through the hard knocks of life. Jesus' message, while personal for Daniel, is a good message for many of us struggling in the world. Each of us has our own sacrifices to make. Until we make them for ourselves we cannot hope to serve God effectively. This story seemed very plausible and was heartwarming and encouraging.

While the book involves Jesus and some Scripture it is not about them. It is about Daniel and how he grows into manhood. I didn't think it preachy but being a christian I cannot have a completely unbiased viewpoint. If you are an Atheist you probably won't bother to read it. But if you are just someone who hasn't given God a lot of thought but you care about self-improvement then you can be encouraged by this book too.

I read this as my 4th book for the Newbery Challenge and the Book Awards Reading Challenge. I'm sure glad I did. Other works by Speare that are good reading are Calico Captive, The Witch of Blackbird Pond(another Newbery winner) and The Sign of the Beaver.

Short Story Sunday on Monday (again)

Where Their Fire is not Quenched
by May Sinclair

Eva's review had me reading this story. I once held the fear that hell would be to put me back into the worst situation in my life and then to replay it for eternity. Now I know it was not an original idea. Ms. Sinclair puts an interesting spin on the unquenchable fires of hell. In this short story we quickly follow the disappointing love life of Harriet Leigh til her death where the story continues to explain her afterlife experience. And what a chilling thought it is.

I had not heard of May Sinclair before but according to Wikipedia she was a popular and prolific writer. She coined the phrase "stream-of-consciousness writing" in regards to Dorothy Richardson who preferred to think of the technique as interior monologues. I like that phrase better myself.

Afterward
by Edith Wharton

"Oh, there is one, of course, but you'll never know it." This is the opening line in regards to the ghost who inhabits an old house that Mary and Ned Boyne will be buying. They are told that the ghost is not discovered to be a ghost til some time afterward. And that is the case in this story. There is a playful guessing about who the ghost is but once all the facts are known it is without a doubt.

I always find it amusing when a short story has chapter breaks. That tells you it is a longer short story. This one is about 40 pages in length. This allows dimension instead of just simple two-dimensional storytelling. And finally, a Wharton tale that doesn't leave you confused at the end. It is all clearly laid out.