Catch Up

I am so embarassed that I haven't posted in so long. I have been so distracted with my class and taking the GRE and the Literature Subject Test that I haven' t had a chance to write. I have read many books this semester, some for school and some for pleasure.

Anatole le Vampire: An abridged version of the story of a vegetarian vampire. The publishers combined three books into one. I have read the original three when I took French a couple of years ago. The condensed version I found disturbing because Anatole's love, Virginie, (who he spies on while she is in her bedroom, so voyeuristic, so French) falls in love with him and they have their small half-vampire children so quickly, not giving Anatole's parents enough time to get used to their son's lifestyle change and that he has fallen in love with a mortal. My only complaint is that I don't like abridged books. I do like the story. It's nice to be able to read a book in another language even though it is at a 3rd grade level.

Enna Burning: After reading Don Quixote, I need some Shannon Hale. Enna Burning is a sequel to The Goose Girl. It is also a wonderful story. I love Hale's writing ability and her way of using nature and the elements. Great story. I can't wait to read the next one in the series.

Waverly: My first experience with Sir Walter Scott. I really liked the story because it was about Scotland during the Bonnie Prince Charlie era. I didn't finish the book. His writing is difficult and something I think you have to get used to. I plan on finishing it, but I just don't know when.

Inkspell: The sequel to Inkheart in which the characters from Inkheart return/travel and live in the Inkheart story. I enjoyed it. I know it seems like that I read a lot of books at that 9-12 year old age. It's true; it's a nice break from reading books that are too thick to think about.

The Scarlet Letter: Like this one.

Pierre, or the Ambiguities: And this one, both of which I finished. This was my first experience reading Melville (which I didn't mention in class because my teacher is a Melvillian scholar and probably wouldn't understand why I hadn't read any Melville).

Le Petit Prince: This book we read for French class. It made me want to be young again. I enjoyed how the author made the story philosophical, reminding the readers of the innocence of children and how they should try to be.

The Portrait of a Lady: My first experience with reading James. I know I watched the movie years ago and hated it. I actually stopped watching it because I hated the way John Malkovich's character manipulated Nicole Kidman's. It made me angry. The book is different. I think Isabel's character is stronger. It's a book that I had to read. I don't know how I feel about it yet.

Absalom, Absalom: I like Faulkner, but I'm not sure about the book. It's so hard to enjoy something when you have to hurry and finish it then write a 4-6 page paper. The more I think about it, the more I like it, but I'm still thinking.

The Drawing of the Three: Chapter 2 of 7 in the Dark Tower series. It had some interesting character development. King really spends time developing characters which is something I admire in a writer. I just started reading the next book.

The Sot-weed Factor: I haven't finished it, and I don't think I ever will. It was entertaining with the way Barth wrote it like Tom Jones, but the length made me tired; plus, I was suffering from bronchitus at the time. I wasn't really in the mood. I am mentioning it though because I did read 450 pages. So there!

Princess Academy: I took a break from the Sot-weed Factor with another Shannon Hale. I am thinking that I've read most of her books, and I need to slow down. I think she only has two left that I haven't read. Princess Academy was great. I don't even know what to say about it. Just great!

Enchantment: Oooohhh! This is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story by Orson Scott Card. It was very fun. I really liked how he took Russian folk tales and wove them into the story. The main character was a Russian Jew born in Kiev in the late 1960s. While staying at a cousin's home in eastern Ukraine he goes out to the woods and notices something that looks like a girl on a pedestal. He dreams of that image while growing up. He studies folklore, like his father, and returns to the Ukraine later, and the adventure continues. Wow. I won't say anymore. I enjoyed it a lot.