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.