Still need to review Long Ago in France by M. F. K. Fisher and busy reading The Moonstone by Collins and the The Art of Eating, another Fisher. Actually, as Dark Orpheus mentioned, The Art of Eating is an omnibus of 5 of Fisher's works, the first is Serve it Forth. This omnibus may take the full 6 months of the Unread Authors Challenge, because it is (at least so far) very different from Long Ago in France, a fascinating and short memoir. Fisher was so young when she wrote Long Ago in France, as new bride.
The nightly marathons continue.I read The Moonstone (eons ago, when in high school). When I reread The Woman in White last year, I was delighted that it did not disappoint. The Moonstone, however, while not disappointing, is so different from my memories. I had no memory of the humor or of so many of the characters; I retained only the solution to the mystery. So...in my rereading, I'm perhaps too much in the know about the mystery, but completely surprised with Collins' character/narrators (Gabriel Betteridge, Miss Clack, Mr. Bruff, Ezra Jennings--a few of the various narrators) and with Collins' view of "do gooders" and religious proselytizers. Have to wonder about who in Collins' real life aroused his sense of the ridiculous and invited his satirical eye.
I can't believe I forgot -- in the "Moonstone", there was a girl with a limp. She's friends with Rosanna Spearman -- what's her name? Her character made the deepest impression on me, and I wondered why Collins gave such fierce energy to a female character that only appeared for a few pages.
ReplyDeleteBut I remember the tracts! The caricature of the overly pious Drusilla Clack was fun. And a name like Drusilla is just too fun for a Buffy fan. Heehee.
Orpheus -- Lucy, sometimes called "Limping Lucy." I don't know...maybe to show that someone of Rosanna's station took a more aggressive stance. Rosanna dreamed, but never really seemed to expect anything to come of those dreams; her love for Mr. Franklin seemed never to quite believe that the class difference could be overcome.
ReplyDeleteCan't you just see Miss Clack hiding all of her religious books throughout the house!
Isn't Collins wonderful? I've read The Moonstone twice already and wouldn't mind reading it again.
ReplyDeleteI found the answer to the question I asked above. You have started Fisher's book.
ReplyDeleteI'm still anticipating my first read of Moonstone. Thoroughly enjoyed Woman in White.
Dorothy -- Collins really is wonderful; I love the fact that he can keep up with all of the details and the narrators!
ReplyDeleteBooklogged -- You'll enjoy The Moonstone!
Yes, I've started The Art of Eating (I'm reading the first book in the omnibus, Serve It Forth, but it is going much slower. A few of the essays reconnect with Dijon and some of the people Fisher met there, but most of the essays in Serve It Forth are a sort of historical view of food and eating.
Oh-that's funny! I read The Moonstone earlier this year, and I've already almost forgotten the solution (I finally remembered after a couple minutes of hard thinking), but I remember all of the characters.
ReplyDeleteI especially remember the Robinson Crusoe obsession, because I hated that book, and I was horrified to see it mentioned on the first page! For a moment, I thought I wasn't going to like Collins.
Eva -- Since I loved Robinson Crusoe as a kid, you'd think I would have remembered that little detail! I can't imagine reading it over and over like Gabriel, however. Glad you were able to overcome your distaste for R.C. and give Collins a chance.
ReplyDeleteI've ordered this one. Darn, whose idea was it, anyway, to make ordering books so easy? My determination to hold off on ordering has gone down the tubes...again.
ReplyDeleteJenclair, I think I caught the bug from you, lol! I just ordered a whole lot of new books from Amazon, including "The Zookeeper's Wife", it looks SO good!
I fortunately only added this to my wishlist instead of ordering, but I sure know what you mean! That evil one-click setup at Amazon doesn't even require you to get out your credit card or memorize the number.
ReplyDeleteLotus -- I'm so looking forward to The Zookeeper's Wife, but I'm going to delay gratification for a while. I'm working my way through a rather large stack right now, but couldn't resist ordering that one!
ReplyDeleteDewey -- I don't even want to know what I've spent on books so far this year!