I cannot believe how long it's been!!!!!

Seriously, this is really ridiculous, but in my defense I've not stopped reading, I've just stopped formally recording my musings on my readings.  There are legitimate reasons behind this lack of thought documentation, however I feel like I may be finally settled enough to resume my scribblings, or rather tappings.

So... since April, 2013, 19 months ago, I've covered a wide swath of literature.  So the last book I mentioned reading was Ford Maddox Ford's The Good Soldier.  Since my last writing I finished that piece, which I remember enjoying, though I do not remember specifics.  I have also read through the following titles, I do not remember the order.

I returned to Joseph Conrad at some point over the past 19 months reading The Secret Agent A Simple Tale.  I certainly liked this piece more than the first Conrad I read.  This novel was originally published in 1907 and was a well told tale of espionage and terrorism.

Returning to the ever popular high school reading list, I also picked up Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage.  I can see why it's a choice for summer reading for most high schoolers.  The presentation of both political commentary and historical fiction is compelling and would serve double duty in any English class.  This novel was originally published as a serial in newspapers in 1894 and then later published in it's entirety in 1895.

A novel that caused me to think about sailing again was Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before the Mast.  Dana's description of life on a board a trade ship in the mid-1800's is based on his own actual two year voyage aboard two separate ships.  Dana captures the experiences of the sailor vividly and his style is pleasant to read while it oftentimes transports the reader to the deck of the ship with Dana himself.  I will certainly reread this book at some point.

Tackling Dickens is never easy, but it is always worth the time and effort.  While dense and sometimes a bit confusing, Nicholas Nickleby proved an entertaining read, one that I feel would adapt well to the screen.  I will most certainly search Netflix for some adaptation.  Originally published as a serial between 1838 and 1839, it became Dickens' third published novel.

An incredibly entertaining novel and one that made a terrific PBS minseries is The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy.  I found this story to have terrific depth and thoroughly enjoyed the intertwining through-lines of each character.  In fact this novel was indeed heavily character driven. This piece was originally published as a collection of three novels in 1922.

I went on a bit of a Thomas Hardy binge, reading Jude the Obscure (1895 - originally a serial) and Far From the Madding Crowd (1874 - originally a serial).  I enjoyed Hardy's style but feel that for the most part these novels borrow heavily from Victorian literature's formula.

D.H. Lawrence's The Rainbow was a novel I completed a considerable number of months ago.  As such. I do not remember much about it except, like all of Lawrence's work, I relished each word.  I do remember visualizing the setting of this novel to be an easy task, thus leading me to believe this story would also make a fine film.  Published in 1915.

Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham is one I really don't remember well.  I do know that I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but cannot remember specifics.  This novel was originally published in 1919.

Like my Hardy binge, I also had a Twain binge.  I LOVE Mark Twain.  My husband had taken a Twain course just before I read The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson (serialized in The Century Magazine 1893-1894; published as a novel 1894) and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889).  I really think that today Twain would be writing for The Daily Show or something similar.  If you've never read any Twain, stop what you're doing and go read some now!

Finally there was Edith Wharton's House of Mirth.  Like other Wharton novels this piece of American Naturalism presents early 20th century life through the lens of various strata of society.  The novel was originally published in 1905 and is considered Wharton's first novel of importance.

I am now moving on Herman Melville's Moby Dick; or, The Whale.  So far I'm in love.  I feel like Ishmael has such a strong voice, I am eager to see what happens once the boat sets sail.  I'm anxious and nervous of these characters and can't wait to see what happens!  This piece was originally published  in 1851.

You know.....

It's been too long. My last post indicated that I was reading The Old Wives Tale, a really great read. I certainly would recommend it as it was truly a good story told through the lives of two different yet similar women. Their lives itersected in so many ways, that their eventual reunion became very tender and genuine. The next novel I read was originally published as a serial from 1899 to 1900 in Blackwood's Magazine and I must say I think it would have been more enjoyable had I read it in the fashion of a serial. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad is an adventure and treachery tale about sailors and seamen. While I did enjoy this tale I would not return to it, and to be honest can't call myself a fan of Conrad's style of narrative. I had a hard time telling who was speaking and from whose perspective the story was being told, frequently throughout my read. The next piece I'll be reading is The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford. Subtitled A Tale of Passion, this novel was published in 1915 and is set in pre-World War I France, at least at the beginning. The small bit of research I've done indicates that this novel is loosely based on Ford's own experience with adultery. This should be a good read and is my first experience with this author.

Finished with Zuleika now onto Constance and Sophia

Zuleika Dobson was an interesting if not disturbing read. I was fascinated by the ending and was very engaged in most of the story. There were times, in several areas of the novel where I found my mind wandering, where I was not completely following the story line, but was able to catch up later on. This novel was much like a soap opera or a crime drama, even if a few episodes are missed the viewer (or in this case reader) can easily catch right back up.

Beerbohm created characters that were believable to a point, however each character continuously towed the line and became at times, unsympathetic simply because he lacked realism. Overall I enjoyed this tale, however I think this was simply due to the twist of the narrator part way through the story. It seems almost as if Beerbohm recognized that his tale was spiraling out control and used his omnipresent narrator to make up for this chaos.

Regardless it was a fun read and one to which, while I won't return to it soon, I will indeed return someday.

The next tale I am conquering is The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett. Originally published in 1908, this novel is broken into four books. The first has it's focus on the early years of the girls of the story, Constance and Sophia Baines. It paints a clear picture of the personalities of these girls and speaks to the opposite nature of siblings. The second book focuses on Constance, the elder sister and the route her life takes. The third book on Sophia the younger sister. In fact I'm eager to see if Bennett decides to tell what Sophia has been up to throughout the time he tells us about Constance, as neither sister exists in the same location as the other. It is almost as if the absent sister does not exist at all, at least in book two. The fourth and final book is entitled "What Life Is;" I am eager to get to this book as well.

Bennett himself was born in 1867 and lived until 1931. He was of English heritage, and was both a novelist, serialist, and journalist. I am indeed curious to see how his experiences come through in this novel, especially considering that Bennett himself is a contemporary of the novel which takes place from around 1840 to 1900.