Sorry for the silent treatment this week, but I just returned from a whirlwind trip to the midwest with my 17-year-old daughter and husband. We visited three colleges that she is applying to--one in Minnesota and two in Iowa. I did have my laptop and a couple of books, but with all the driving, visiting, discussing, and absorbing, there was no time left to read/blog much less twitter and tweet.
I did manage to watch almost all of the next episode of Playing Shakespeare (planning to blog on it soon--topic is playing passion with coolness), finished 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare (can't wait to blog on final thoughts), finished Atonement (but will not blog on it until I watch the movie and do both together) and started The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte (Blecchhh!).
I have thrown down The Secret Diaries in disgust twice now with a "Life's Too Short" speech to anyone who would care to listen, but I feel that if I'm going to blog about it I should actually finish it. Maybe it gets better.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide between starting Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone and Paul Collins's The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World. I don't think I could go wrong with either.
I also want to let everyone know that I am on the Elizabeth Gaskell tour that The Classics Circuit has organized. I am the second stop--November 17--and will be blogging on Gaskell rather than one of her works. I am planning on doing the Collins tour as a blog reader rather than blog writer so that means I'll probably read The Moonstone. Okay, there you have it. Decision made. Gotta run and do laundry, unpack, and make chili for supper.
It's good to be back.
The Moonstone is worth it for Gabriel Betteridge and miss Clack alone, I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to Atonement, reading the book first is definitely the right way to do it. The movie is really well done; almost too well done. I did them in reverse order and felt a little like the book was giving me nothing new until well toward the end.
ReplyDeleteYummy chili! I love making chili this time of year as well, the whole fall and Halloween theme. I haven't see the Atonement, but I thought the book was beautiful and it completely ended way different than what I was expecting for the better and I just love when that happens! I'm also glad you had fun with your family!
ReplyDeleteThis may sound a little odd, but if either of the Iowa colleges you visited was Central College, I'll throw my 2 cents out and give it a huge HURRAH! I'm a quasi-alum...I attended for a year and loved it. Would have finished up, but at the time, finances were too limited for me to afford. Fantastic school though!
ReplyDeleteSo I'm looking forward your next posts. They seem absolutely interesting. I too wanted to post about ATONEMENT. It is my favourite McEwan's - though I've read several of his novels - and I loved the film, too. Then ... a Gaskell tour? I'll have a look at the link you suggest. I'm just reading her Wives and Daughters and I've also read Mary Burton, North and South and Ruth. I'm really interested in her work. Thank you, Jane!!!
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