Here are the chronicles of one woman's attempt to read every piece included in Harold Bloom's Western Canon.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
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.
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Hello! I'm currently reading through the Western Canon as well...right now I'm 200 pages into Clarissa and have about another 1,300 to go...I just read Lord Jim a week or so ago and have to agree with you. The narrative style is tough to follow...and it was hard to empathize with Jim because he felt like a foil rather than protagonist...I read The Good Soldier last year or so and remember it being a quick read...and that's about it. Good luck with the reading! Maybe one of these days we can start a book together and have a longer discussion? My blog is 1001daysofdreaming.blogspot.com
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