Books #55-58
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The BBC adaptation of this book is one of my very favorite miniseries, and the original novel certainly did not disappoint me. Having read Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet too, I knew that I would love the writing style and fiercely connect with the main characters.
Fingersmith tells the story of two girls in Victorian England. Beyond the fact of their shared gender, there is little to connect the two. Sue Trinder is born the daughter of a hanged murderess and is brought up in a den of thieves. Maud Lilly, on the other hand, is raised alongside her mother in a madhouse and then taken in by her perverse uncle to be his secretary in the pursuit of erotic bibliomania. The two girls are from different worlds, but are soon connected by the scheme of a con artist named Gentleman.
Sue is dispatched to the grand Lilly estate to become Maud's lady in waiting in order to eventually defraud her of all her money. As time passes though, the girls become friends and lovers. When betrayal eventually comes, it is not as expected, and the true connection between the girls is finally revealed in all its iniquity.
I found the twists and turns of this novel to be dark and delightful. Though I knew the story beforehand, I nevertheless read the book on the edge of my seat. I thought both Sue and Maud's voices to be incredibly compelling and highly individual. Sarah Waters is a wonderfully skilled writer and I greatly look forward to reading her other novels.
Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I've loved historical fiction ever since I was a kid and stumbled across the wonderful Dear America series. I was always captivated by the stories of those young women struggling and living in those times. In a way, I'm forever thankful that those books introduced me to reading historical fiction. I was accustomed, at an early age, to think about silenced voices and courage in the face of societal restrictions. The girls and women in those books lived through it all, and I followed along, fascinated.
I picked up Ines of My Soul a few months ago, having been recommended Isabel Allende by several friends. I found the subject matter very interesting, as I didn't know much about the conquering of South America, and even less about Chile in particular. Before picking up this book, I had little idea of just how important a role women, and Inez Suarez especially, played in the civilization of South America.
Isabel Allende is a very skilled writer by all accounts, but I could not see anything very special about her writing in this novel. Inez's voice seemed too detached at times, and she jumped about in her own personal timeline too much for my liking. I understand that this was a stylistic choice, as Inez is supposedly writing this memoir as an old woman, close to death. However, I found some sections of the narrative to read almost like a historical textbook, and that disconnected me from the story and emotions of the characters.
However, I do think Allende did a good job of humanizing the conquistadors of South America. Though they did brutal, terrible things, one can see them still as human beings. I don't think this book is reliable as a true history of the period, but it was enjoyable, and introduced me to a history I know little about. I plan to read some of Allende's non-historical fiction in future, and I'm looking forward to it.
This was my fifth POC book of 2011. Though it was written by a non-POC about a non-POC main character, the book deals with issues of native South Americans and features several as secondary characters.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the book that started the longest pop culture obsession of my life so far. I grew up with Harry Potter, literally, as I was 11 years old when the series became popular. Waiting for the later books in the series defined my teenage years. I went to midnight screenings of all the movies, snagged the books as soon as they were released, and spent hours upon hours on Potter websites.
I recently decided to listen to the wonderful Stephen Fry version of the audiobook because I needed something comforting and utterly familiar. Having read this book at least 10 times previous, it was an obvious choice. Stephen Fry does a fantastic job and gives a different voice and spirit to every character.
As to the story itself, I'd forgotten certain plot elements that weren't in the movie, such as Harry and Draco's midnight duel, and Harry and Hermione sending Norbert off with Charlie's friends. Those scenes were such lovely surprises. I also really appreciated Rowling's skill at writing adventure, action, and funny but realistic dialogue. I was not surprised that I enjoyed listening to this book just as much as I loved reading it the first time around. Pure magic.
Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
One of my favorite books growing up was Half Magic by Edward Eager. I loved the crazy adventures the four funny siblings got into, the novelty of the old-fashioned setting, and the peculiar nature of the magic they encountered.
This book, which serves as something of a sequel to Half Magic, continues all of those wonderful traits. Jane, Katherine, Mark, and Martha have concluded their adventures with the strange coin that only grants half wishes, and have gone to the countryside with their mother and new stepfather. While there, they make an ill-advised wish to have "magic by the lake" and are astonished to find cavorting mermaids and talking turtles wherever they go. They pledge to only have adventures every third day to prevent the magic running out, but of course, not all goes to plan.
Though reading Magic by the Lake wasn't nearly as magical as reading Half Magic for the first time when I was ten, I still greatly enjoyed it. The book reminded me of the sense of wonder and imagination I had when I was little.
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