Dracula by Bram Stoker

I honour of Hallowe'en I have chosen a spooky book. I always thought that the Dracula character was invented more recently just for Hallowe'en, not that he was a historic literary character. Here is the summary:

Jonathan Harker is travelling to Castle Dracula to see the Transylvanian noble, Count Dracula. He is begged by locals not to go there, because on the eve of St George's Day, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will come full sway. But business must be done, so Jonathan makes his way to the Castle - and then his nightmare begins. His beloved wife Meena and other lost souls have fallen under the Count's horrifying spell. Dracula must be destroyed . . .

I get scared so easily so I am nervous about this one getting the best of me. I guess its time to toughen up though because looking through the list again, I see that there are many other books that look like they are terrifying.

A High Wind in Jamaica - Finished!

I loved this book right through to the very end. I thought that the adventure and plot were really exciting and that it really showed the resilience of a child. Especially in the end when the writer said that there would be no way or telling Emily apart from any of her schoolmates despite what she had been through.

More words I didn't know:

ALACRITY:

1. Cheerful willingness; eagerness.

2. Speed or quickness; celerity.

ENNUI: Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom

TIMOROUS: Full of apprehensiveness; timid.

IMPUDENCE:

1. The quality of being offensively bold.

2. Offensively bold behavior.

Such a great book, easy to read and a cute story. I wish I could celebrate finishing it with a trip to
Jamaica but that is out of the question!

A High Wind in Jamaica - Halfway Point

So far a beautiful and whimsically written book. I love the way that Hughes writes about the children, I feel like he really understands how the mind of a child works.

I was so happy to find out that the original Captains letter to their parents was a lie. I was confused when I read it and then looked at how many pages I had left to read. That would have made for a weird book if what he was saying was the truth. I strongly dislike the original captain. He is weak and self centered and a liar. Its weird that I like the pirate captain much more than the original one.

I was disappointed that the children were not more upset about John's death. I don't this it matters how old you are, if your brother were to die I think that you would have a much stronger reaction than they did. I feel like I, the reader was more upset than his siblings and friends. I also find it weird that the kids don't realize that something is very wrong and that they have been abducted by pirates. I guess that they are in their own little world and without their parents there to tell them they are in danger, they are completely unaware.

This book reminds me a lot of Life of Pi so far. It is mainly about the world of a child, much like Life of Pi and also the writer uses beautiful vocabulary just like Yann Martel. Here are a few words I didn't know, that I hope to remember:

EMANCIPATION: To free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate.

JALOUSIES: A blind or shutter having adjustable horizontal slats for regulating the passage of air and light.

INFERNAL: Of or relating to a lower world of the dead.

APOPLEXY: Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage; a stroke.

MADEIRA:  A fortified dessert wine, especially from the island of Madeira. (mmm.. I want to try this!)

BILIOUS:

a. Characterized by an excess secretion of bile.

b. Relating to, characterized by, or experiencing gastric distress caused by a disorder of the liver or gallbladder.

c. Appearing as if affected by such a disorder; sickly.

Can't wait to see what happens!

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

It's about time I read something off the list that I've never heard of before so I have chosen A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. I'm excited because I've never head anything about this one by the cover looks kinda cute. Here is the summary:

A High Wind in Jamaica - the classic novel of childhood in which Richard Hughes describes with perfect insight not only the adventures of a family of children caught up in the company of pirates but also, with magical clarity, the tropical landscape the children leave behind them and the endless ocean which they must cross.

Sounds like a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Swiss Family Robinson. Time to get reading!

A Farewell to Arms - Finished!

Just finished reading A Farewell to Arms and I am so unbelievably sad. I did not have any clue that Catherine was going to die. I am not happy about it. Mr. Henry and her were so happy and their life together was so romantic.

A part of the book that I loved is when Mr Henry was playing billiards with the old man, Count Greffi, and they were discussing the issue of wisdom. Count Greffi said, "That is the great fallacy; the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful". This really made me think.

It seems like all of the great loves that I've been reading about end in tragedy. I am super excited to finally read a love story in which the couple gets to live happily ever after.

It seems like in order for that to happen, I'm going to go to a whole other set of classics that include Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Thank goodness for Disney!

I love the way that Hemingway writes and I am thrilled that there are three other Hemingway books on the list!

A Farewell to Arms - Book 1 and 2

I am completely obsessed with this book! I have not been able to put it down ever since I started reading. I can even feel myself reading slower now because I don't want the love between the Lieutenant and Miss. Barkley to end. Even the first chapter had me hooked with Hemingway's beautiful and descriptive way of writing. It is almost like reading poetry.

I'm really surprised that I have enjoyed this book so much because I usually hate most stories that have anything to do with war times. However, I love that the war brought these together and yet at the same time is an obstacle for their love to continue. The intense way that she describes how much she loves him reminds me of the love affair between Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights. I just am addicted to that passionate can't-live-without-you love. Even though the book was set back in the first world war, I can relate to their relationship and the way they sneak around to hide it.

As of now Catherine is pregnant and I'm a little worried about her drinking alcohol. I guess they didn't know any better then, but still I am concerned for her baby.

Now he is of to the front and my heart aches for Catherine. She must be so lonely and I hope there is a way that she and their baby can join him shortly.

This book is also making me want to go to Italy so badly. Every time he mentions a new town I am Googling it and then checking out hotels. Most places look gorgeous but I am always slightly disappointed that the actual photos don't measure up the Hemingway's descriptions.

I know I'm not writing my thoughts as thoroughly as I did with my first few books, but I find that I get so swept away that I forget to write my little sticky notes. Afterwards all I remember is how I felt while I was reading. I'll try for the next parts to write my notes but at the same time I'm not going to be severe about it because the whole idea of this project was to enjoy myself!

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Next in my project is A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. I chose this one because the guy that owns the used book shop where I buy all of my books said that this one doesn't come along very often. All I know about this book is that it is a war novel. I've never read one like this but I do know that I am not a fan of war movies. Hopefully this is different. Here's the summary:

The best American novel to emerge out of World War 1, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his love for a beautiful English nurse. Hemingway's frank portrayal of the love between Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley. caught in the inexorable sweep of war, glows with an intensity unrivaled in modern literature, while his description of the German attack of Caporetto - of lines of tired men marching in the rain, hungry, weary, and demoralized - bears comparison to Stendhal's depiction of the retreat from Waterloo. A story of love and pain, of loyalty and desertion, of serene beauty amidst a world of chaos, A Farewell to Arms represents a new romanticism for Hemingway. Richer in language, more subtle in expression, and emotionally astute, it also symbolizes Hemingway's farewell, as Malcolm Cowley remarked, to an attitude, a time, and a literary method.

I'm excited about this one because reading an Ernest Hemingway sounds very smart.

Of Mice and Men - Finished!

This book was the sweetest, saddest story that I've read in a long time. The relationship between Lennie and George was precious and their bond was so strong. Lennie seemed like such a well meaning man and George had a heart of gold for taking him under his wing.

The only thing that I didn't like was that Steinbeck kept using the N word through the whole book, but I do understand that it helped shape the story and kept it true to the time in which it was written.

I hated that Lennie had to die but I think that George did the right thing. Had he not killed Lennie in the most humane way he could imagine, the other men would have ripped him to shreds and caused him immense amounts of pain. I had a feeling that it would come to that when Candy said that he wished it had been him that had shot his dog. I'm glad that Slim had the intuition to know that George was so upset and did what he felt he needed to do to best protect his best friend.

I found it hard to see a lesson in this one. I guess it could be that you should hold on as long as you can until you can't help somebody anymore. Or that although the solution to a problem is horrible, it can still sometimes be the right thing to do.

Not much vocab except for one:

MOLLIFIED:

1. To calm in temper or feeling; soothe.

2. To lessen in intensity; temper.

3. To reduce the rigidity of; soften.

It sure was nice to have an easy read after struggling through some of the previous ones. On to something longer!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Time for an easy read! A girl at work raves about this cute little story so I am excited to get to it. Here's the summary:

This is a great american novel of loneliness, of love and need, of homeless and rootless men who have nothing but each other. It is timeless and as relevent today as two young men on the highway hitching a ride to California.

I love young men and California! Should be a good one!

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Finished!

After reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, I am happier than ever about this little reading project. First of all, this is a book that I never would have considered reading, and second of all, if I had, I am certain that I would have given up on it after the first ten pages. Knowing that by reading this book cover to cover, I was reaching my goal kept me turning the pages.

That being said, it was not my favorite book by a long shot. However, I did appreciate the messages of personal freedom, self discovery, and following your true path. At first, Stephen was a character whose weakness annoyed me but it was cool to see the transition that he made throughout the story. In the beginning of the book he is observing everyone around him in a very meek manner and is quoting the words of famous artists and scholars. I thought that it was so interesting that the last section of the book is written in journal form. Although the writing isn't as polished as the rest of the book, it is very authentically Stephen. After years of struggling and searching for who he is, Stephen Dedalus finally found his own voice.

I love page 65 when Stephen is realizing just how alienated he is and shows his longing to find himself, his own soul.

"He wanted to meet in the real world the unsubstantial image which his soul so constantly beheld. He did not know where to seek it or how, but a premonition which led him on told him that this image would, without any overt act of his, encounter him. They would meet quietly as if they had known each other and had made their tryst, perhaps at one of the gates or in some more secret place. They would be alone, surrounded by darkness and silence: and in that moment of supreme tenderness he would be transfigured. He would fade into something impalpable under her eyes and then in a moment he would be transfigured. Weakness and timidity and inexperience would fall from him in that magic moment."

I thought that he was talking about meeting who he was destined to be and I liked it because it showed that he recognized that he was weak and timid. However, he could also be talking being with a girl for the first time. I can't tell which it is.

It is interesting that Stephen does everything that he feels he is supposed to do and is devoted to the church and lives by all of its principles, but in doing so has become colorless. "I have amended my life, have I not", he says. This is where I began to get excited about the decisions he was about to make.

I think that there are many lessons in this book. I learned to listen to your own mind and choose your own beliefs, ideas, and paths. Do not just accept what you are told. We are all meant to follow our own paths regardless of what you are told and taught. Above all, find your own voice.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Chapter One

First chapter is finished and I am still undecided on how I like this book.

First of all, I'm not a huge fan of books with only a few long chapters. I'd much rather have a tonne of short chapters so that I can read a little bit here and there. Kinda of a weird thing about me but its just the way it is. Deal with it. (Or I will).

I find that its a lot easier to read than Wuthering Heights however I am enjoying the story less. It seems to be based on religion and politics in Ireland in the 1900s. The characters in the book are so intense on their beliefs that I couldn't help but think that there were actually other underlying issues. But as far as I can tell, this is what they are most passionate about. It reminds me a bit of my Pa going nuts and screaming over family dinners about hockey.

I do like Stephen but I feel so sorry for him most of the time. He seems like such a misunderstood, introverted, and dumbstruck boy. I am rooting for him and am hoping that grows into a much stronger and aware man who knows himself much more than he does now.

Back to reading!
I'm hoping that in the next few chapters a love story evolves because once those reveal themselves I can get pretty hooked on a book.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

The next book I'm reading is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I am excited about his one because James Joyce is from Ireland, just like my family on my fathers side is. He is writing in a time when my grandfather James was alive so I'm hoping to get a bit of insight into what growing up was like for him. This is the first book I had to purchase and luckily found it straight away at the used book store. I'm hoping to get all of these books second hand, not only to keep costs down but I love the feel of an old book.

So here's the summary!

Set in Ireland in the late nineteenth century, Portrait is a semi-autobiographical novel about the education of a young Irishman, Stephen Dedalus, whose background has much in common with Joyce’s. Stephen’s education includes not only his formal schooling but also his moral, emotional, and intellectual development as he observes and reacts to the world around him. At the center of the story is Stephen’s rejection of his Roman Catholic upbringing and his growing confidence as a writer. But the book’s significance does not lie only in its portrayal of a sensitive and complex young man or in its use of autobiographical detail. More than this, Portrait is Joyce’s deliberate attempt to create a new kind of novel that does not rely on conventional narrative techniques.

Rather than telling a story with a coherent plot and a traditional beginning, middle, and end, Joyce presents selected decisive moments in the life of his hero without the kind of transitional material that marked most novels written up to that time. The “portrait” of the title is actually a series of portraits, each showing Stephen at a different stage of development. And, although this story is told in a third-person narrative, it is filtered through Stephen’s consciousness. Finally, the book can be read as Joyce’s artistic manifesto and a declaration of independence—independence from what Joyce considered the restrictive social background of Catholic Ireland and from the conventions that had previously governed the novel as a literary genre. More than eighty years after its publication, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man continues to be regarded as a central text of early twentiethcentury modernism.

I'm armed with my glossary of Irish words and Latin phrases and am ready to rock. So excited about this one as it was on all three of the lists that I combined. Must be good if so many people think highly of it!

Wuthering Heights - Finished!

Despite a rough start to the book, once I got into it, it seemed to fly by in no time.

I just love the old style that Emily writes in. Once in a while there were phrases that I didn't understand but most of it I absorbed quite well, especially after the first few chapters. I've even noticed that my thoughts are starting to sound more like the prose in the book. I love it, I feel so connected to that era.

The love between Heathcliff and Catherine is so deep and powerful that it will continue long after they have both died. I find this love to be admirable however both of them possess character traits that are not at all desirable. I've never read a book before where I dislike the two main characters more, yet wish that they could find a way to be together and be happy.

I wish that someday I am able to experience the intense love that they feel, however not the immense torment that goes with it. My favorite quote is when Heathcliff says to Catherone, "I have not broken your heart - you have broken it - and in breaking it, you have broken mine". this must have hit Catherine like a tonne of bricks. The regret that she felt was so intense that I could feel it for her.

I'm shocked by how seriously everyone in this book regards their marriages. Even though Catherine doesn't even like who Edgar is, she never seriously considers leaving him to be with the man that she truly loves, or even to have a sneaky affair with him on the side. And after young Cathy is forced to marry Linton, she tends to him like a dutiful and loving wife, despite the fact that their hate for each other is mutual.

Overall, a beautiful read. I think that the greatest lesson that this book has to offer is that not matter what, above all things, you must always follow your deepest heart when making choices. If you stay true to your soul you will live a life full of peace. Making a choice out of greed or ego will certainly come back to haunt you.

Wuthering Heights - One third read!

Well after struggling through the first three chapters I broke down and bought the Coles Notes. I felt stupid buying it because it means that I wasn't smart enough to make it through the actual book, but now I am so happy I did. It had a plot summary which gave me huge insight into what the whole book was about. Before reading it, I felt like I was watching a movie without seeing the preview first. Reading the Coles version of the chapter after I've read the actual chapter has helped to cement in my mind what went on. This was more important for the first three chapter when I was so confused but as I get into the love story between Catherine and Heathcliff I could understand through only Emily's words. I don't know if I'm just getting used to the aged writing style or that the Coles Notes are really working.

I really began to love the Heathcliff/Catherine relationship when Catherines's father died and the two of them consoled each other and talked of what Heaven was like. That scene was so touching and so pure that it brought a tear to my eye. Their bond seems to be so strong and I love how they always have each other's back.

I said in my first Wuthering Heights post that I couldn't understand why Heathcliff was such a romantic hero. This is because at that time (pre-Coles Notes) I wasn't aware that the love story had already unfolded. Now I can see the charm in Heathcliff that Catherine undoubtedly saw as well. Mischievous, strong, beautiful, fun, and always up for an adventure. I am fascinated by how strong his love for Catherine is. The flip side of that is that as hard as he loves, he hates just the same. He is a passionate man and his emotions are always severe.

The one thing in the book that I will NEVER understand is what the hell Joseph is saying. Even when I read out loud I cannot understand anything that comes out of his mouth. So I just skip it and hope that it wasn't very important.

A character that I have great sympathy for is Isabella, Edgar's sister. I feel like she is a good person but is so second rate. Never the star, never too exciting. always just accepting what she can get. I actually feel sorry for all of the Isabellas of the world that will never be somebody's first choice. It just makes me really sad.

The Coles Notes also had a big section on the life of Emily Bronte which made me want to read Wuthering Heights even more than I had. Learning about what a strong-willed, passionate, brilliant woman she was completely intrigued me and made me want to read every word she wrote out of respect for who she was. She seems like someone who was ahead of her times and some that I would have liked to have known.

I'm not going to do any vocab for this book as it seems quite outdated and I'm sure if I tried using those words in my day to day life people wound think I was out of my mind.

So far I am completely obsessed with this book. I can't get enough of it and I am overly excited to get home from work tonight, pour a glass of wine and dive right back in!

Wuthering Heights - Few chapters in

This book is so difficult to read! I've only just started it but I find that I keep having to reread each page just to understand what's going on. I have read a book this old in so long so I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the language.

I thought that Heathrow was supposed to be this romantic hero but so far, from what I can tell, he is a huge jerk. Old, divorced, and miserable. I'm curious to see how the love story unfolds.

I hope that once I get wrapped up in the relationship aspect of the book, it will be much more fun and exciting to read!