Nearing the end of summer
Schools have started for the most part. This summer just flew, hard to believe it's Labor Day weekend.
I had a nice "staycation" last week. The highlight by far was watching my parents enjoy their 50th anniversary gift- riding on the Goodyear Blimp. The weather was perfect for it, too. Not quite 70, partly sunny, lovely cloud formations. They were just so happy, and dad got some great photos from up there. Lil sis and my two honorary nieces were able to watch the liftoff, then we went into Hartville to get ice cream. I hadn't been through Hartville in ages, hasn't changed all that much. Still a charming historic town. After my parents landed, the airship they were on got REALLY close to the fence where we were standing. You don't appreciate just how big those blimps are until you see one up close and personal. They rode on the Wingfoot 1. After, we had a nice dinner.
Only small bummer about my staycation is that the Nat was closed. I'd hoped to make it out to Waterworks a couple times. Figured, it's mid-August, temps will be in the mid 80s, like it typically is, right? Well, yeah about that. As I mentioned earlier, Tuesday, the day we went, didn't even reach 70, and neither did Monday. Wednesday and Thursday were barely in the 70s. Only Friday and Saturday were in the 80s, and by that time 1. I'm sure the water would have been chilly, 2. the pollen counts have been obscene, and 3. air quality was iffy both days. Oh well- that was the only setback so I can't complain too much.
Also finished some books (anyone surprised?)
152. A Jury of Her Peers, by Susan Glaspell. This is a Glaspell's short story adaptation of her own one-act play Trifles. If you've read that, this story follows the same plot and sequence and has the same characters, just in short story form. For those who are not familiar with either work, a woman is accused of murdering her husband. Her story is paper thin, but the men in the story - the sheriff, the county attorney and the man who found the husband's body - are trying to figure out a motive for the killing. The sheriff's wife and neighbor's wife, are the primary focus. As they gather things to take to the imprisoned women, their concerns over what the men dismiss as "women's matters" leads them to discover a critical clue. This is a well-written, tight story, with excellent contrasts between the men and their short-sightedness and the women who are ignored.
153. The Mystery of Marie Roget, by Edgar Allan Poe. This short story is the second detective mystery that Poe wrote, and a sequel to The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It's based on a real-life murder (I think this may be the first fictional mystery based on a real case). His three mysteries are a good study on how the genre of the murder mystery started and the tropes you see even now: the brilliant but often eccentric detective, his loyal sidekick, the frazzled and sometimes bumbling policing agency, the need to look for clues to piece together whodunit. So from that angle, the academic one, this story is worth a look. But as a story itself it is really frustrating and it's the weakest of the three. It's a shame because Marie Roget starts out the strongest of Poe's mysteries. But it is so repetitive. Many of the same clues are repeated, at length, at least three times, and the ending is less than satisfactory (and I'm putting that nicely). There are some funny lines, mostly from Poe's detective Dupin, but overall the story is too long, too repetitive and the ending just falls flat. The weak ending might be because the actual case this was based on was never resolved. Still, I have a hard time imagining anyone beyond a die-hard Poe fan and/or mystery fans enjoying it.
154. Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson. Larson again proves why he is considered one of the best history writers out there. This book follows two stories. The first is Guglielmo Marconi, a young man from a privileged family who is fascinated by electromagnetic waves and sets out to create a system of wireless communication. This journey itself is a fascinating one- Marconi is brilliant and dogged but is hampered by several factors. One, he was constantly seen as an Italian "foreigner," and as someone who didn't even have a science degree. There were times he wound up being his own worst enemy as well. He obviously does succeed, and his invention leads to people being able to send messages from across the globe in a matter of minutes. His invention first found success on ships, where captains could communicate with other ships, with ports, and even send out distress calls. One way it was used was to help police find and arrest a killer- and that's the second story. Hawley Crippen was licensed as a doctor but most of his life was spent more in the sales business (mostly in snake oil). Crippen murdered his wife and tried to flee to America with his mistress, but the sharp-eyed Captain of The Montrose, the ship they tried to escape on, started to piece together that this "man and his son" were likely the couple the police in London were looking for. Excellent read, can't recommend it highly enough. I found it hard to put down.
155. Red Stockings, by Louisa May Alcott. Meant to include this in the last roundup. Fans of Alcott's work will most likely enjoy this short story. Some of the rationales involving the two main characters gets a bit convoluted at times but I did like the humor. This story is also not as preachy as some of Alcott's stories can be. Here, a young man visiting with his sister falls for a young lady who likes slightly eccentric fashion (including her red stockings) and long, brisk walks. She introduces him to the ideas of true charity and feeling - but he teaches her a few lessons as well.
Currently reading: The Hard Way on Purpose, by David Giffels, and Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.