Finished Reading and the Replacements

Just a quick post this morning as Jo and I are going to take a drive over to downtown Courtenay and wander around the shops. I can hear her moving around the kitchen as I write this.

Just Finished

I've completed two books since my last post, one classic and one fiction.

1. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens. This is the 2nd Dickens book I've read in my longish life, the first being Pickwick Papers. I enjoyed this so very much, sympathetic characters, excellent story, with sad, scary and happy moments. My review is below. This is a favourite, I have to say.

"Back during my high school days, and I shudder to think it was 50 years ago, I read The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens and I recall enjoying it very much. However such is my memory I may be wrong. ;0) Anyway, it took me that long to try another book by Dickens. Over the past couple of years I've been exploring the Classics more and in Jul, decided to try Nicholas Nickleby. I had an old book of this story. Not sure when it was published but the illustrations by W.H.C. Groome lead me to believe it was published in 1907.
Anyway, enough administrative details, what about the story? Simply put, I loved it. Dickens' writing style is so accessible and entertaining. He creates wonderful characters who you find yourself becoming very invested in. The story starts off with Nicholas and his mother and sister, Kate, being placed in dire circumstances. Their father has died recently, leaving the family without income. Uncle Ralph, not a nice man, sends Nicholas off to be a teacher at a boys school in Yorkshire and then provides poor lodgings for Kate and her mother, also getting Kate a job as a dressmaker. In both instances, both Nicholas and Kate are treated horribly. Things look so very grim. Nicholas finds the treatment of the boys at the school to be abominable, especially that of Smike, a boy or more rather a young man, who has been at the school for years and is the special punching bag of Squeers and his wife. Nicholas finally can take it anymore and after thrashing Squeers leaves with Smike to return to London.
This is the barest introduction to Nicholas Nickleby, so much more is to happen. You meet such wonderful characters as Newman Noggs, hard worked clerk for Ralph Nickleby, who does everything in his power to help the family, Vincent Crummles, leader of a roving band of actors, who takes in Nicholas and Smike, the Cheeryble brothers who provide so much generous assistance to the Nickleby family, even Miss La Creevy, the lovely lady who is such a good friend. And then the villains, the Squeers, Ralph Nickleby, Mulberry Hawk, who wants to abuse Kate, etc.
Getting to know these characters as the story develops makes it such fascinating reading. Wanting to find out how everything will resolve makes you turn page after page. It's a very long story but it doesn't seem so. I won't say how everything turns out. There are so many varied possibilities. Ultimately I was so satisfied. Dickens is a great writer and story teller. I will have to now try another of his books, and I'll ensure it doesn't take me 50 years to try another. (5 stars)"

2. Night Moves by Mai Zetterling. I'm not sure where I originally heard of this book by Swedish actress / director Zetterling but the story sounded very different so I had it listed in my To-Be-Read book list. Jo got it for me for Xmas last year. It was originally a movie I believe or at least turned into a movie by Zetterling. From what I read, it was fairly disturbing. Anyway, the book was definitely different.

"I don't know if I actually got Night Games by Mai Zetterling. The synopsis sounded very interesting and the story in itself was well - written and easy to read. Basically it is about Jan, a man who is trying to sort out his past and resolve his present. He had many issues growing up with his mother, one who basically ignored him and with whom he seems to have been in love. He finds Mariana and in the course of their relationship goes through his past and tries to sort things out. I guess that is the gist of it all. Is it resolved in the end? That you have to read it for. Not really what I expected. (3 stars)"

Currently Reading

I already had A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (which I am enjoying immensely) and Birds of a Feather, the 2nd Maisie Dobbs mystery, by Jacqueline Winspear, on the go. I have since started two others to replace the two that I have finished.

1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've previously read Neverwhere by Gaiman and enjoyed his unique brand of Fantasy. I read that this book was being turned into a TV series, starring Crispin Glover, Pablo Shreiber and Ian McShane, amongst others so thought it might be a good idea to try it in case I want to check out the series.

"Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.
Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.
He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same..."



2. Dear Fatty by Dawn French. Dawn French is one funny woman. Known as part of the double - comedy team of French and Saunders and also as The Vicar of Dibbley, amongst so many other great parts, I've wanted to read this memoir for awhile now. (Click on the links for examples of her great comic timing and sense of humour)

"With a sharp eye for comic detail and a wicked ear for the absurdities of life, Dawn French shows just how an RAF girl from the West Country with dreams of becoming a ballerina / air hostess / bridesmaid / thief rose to become on of the best-loved comedy actresses of our time."

I'm enjoying both books so far.

The weekend is almost here and it's a lovely day out so I'm going to go sit on the deck for a bit with Jo and enjoy the fresh air. Have a great day!