Blast From The Past #5 - Flowers and Henry James

If you look at posts from the first half of October 10 years ago, you'll find several of my wedding photos. I remembered this: people from my real life used to look at my blog. I wonder if they still do. I was asked by friends and family to post photos, so I did. It's not something I do much of anymore. I think I've gotten more private as the internet is.... well, you know. I'm not linking to all the posts. I think there of five of them, but if you want to check out a bit of my wedding day, it's all still there. While I may not post a lot of personal photos anymore, I'm not going to take down the ones that are already here.

I couldn't let this post go by though, without mentioning The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James. This ten-year-old post was written after the second time I read this story. It might be my favourite of all James' tales. I read it first in University and just loved it. This might be another story I have to read again!

Blast from the Past #4 - Daisy Miller

I wish I had written more about Daisy Miller when I read it 10 years ago. She seems like such an interesting and multi-dimensional character. I only vaguely remember the story. I remember Winterbourne. Were there some kind of ruins? I remember his affection for Daisy. I remember Daisy being a unique person for that time. 100 years later, would Daisy's behaviour have been so shocking.?What would I think if I read the story again? I should read it again. I've enjoyed everything I've ever read by Henry James. The Turn Of The Screw is one of my favourite stories. Could Daisy Miller become a favourite too? It's not long. Will it be like when I read Appointment With Death after looking back at The ABC Murders? Don't be surprised if I read Daisy Miller again.

Also, there's a huge spoiler at the end of the post, which I didn't include in the image, because it's about the ending. Sometimes I like talking about endings, because they can be dramatic, but ten years later, I had forgotten the ending and have now spoiled it for myself. Good job, Me.

Looking at these posts from my early blogging though, I'm still wondering when I starting putting pictures in my posts. Or links. Or doing any kind of formatting at all.

About last week, part of me wants to delete it. It feels so personal... I don't know if I'm going to do another post like that for a while.

I'm still very happy I decided to do Throwback Thursdays. I am finding looking back at my old posts quite enlightening.

Blast from the Past #3 - It Is All About The Comment This Time

I had a hard time deciding which post from the first half of September 2006 to talk about. Was I going to look back at An International Episode, a story written by Henry James, or was I going to talk about the time I got "corneal ulcers" (my eyes are fine now, so no worries). On the surface, one definitely seems a little more interesting than the other (I think). However, what left me thinking was the comment someone left on the An International Episode post. It's a comment I never responded to, yet didn't delete. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to handle it. I guess I ended up with the old tried and true, "ignore it" solution. It kind of worked. It went away. I hadn't thought of this specific thing for about 10 years. Now though, I'm doing this thing where I look back at posts from the past and talk about them. I'm looking at how I felt about something and if those feelings and impressions have changed over the years. Like with last week's post, they can influence me now.

I didn't include the name, but you can see it if you go to the original post.

The comment may seem innocuous at first, just someone recommending a book, but it irks me. It's presumptuous. The commenter, whose blog I never visited because of my annoyance, assumes I'm Indian, which I'm not. It's something that's happened to me my whole life. I get it, I know I "look Indian", as explained to me by, like, a hundred people and I'm probably not exaggerating as this has been occurring since puberty. From that tiny little profile picture (which I aught to change, as it's been 10 years), this person assumed I was Indian . Also, I know it's different now, but it used to say in my "About Me" blurb that my parents immigrated from Trinidad and I was born in Canada. Admittedly, I do have some Indian heritage from several generations ago, but you wouldn't know that from reading my blog. The commenter recommended a book to me, entirely based on the presumption of my being Indian (and because the commener apparently lived in her neighbourhood). Not that I don't want to read Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. I actually picked up a copy a few months ago, so I have it, with the intention of reading it. It also sounds like something I would relate to because of the immigration themes, as I have read a a few books from immigrants, Indian and otherwise, and find they often have similar issues. Not because the Indian part will "hit home" with me. Really, this person just sounds like they were trying to make a connection, but they didn't do it in a way that would get me to respond.

Have I blown this out of proportion? Maybe. Maybe the comment just represents something I've had to deal with my whole life. Presumption about my ethnicity, people asking where I'm "actually" from, people not liking or believing the response when I say I'm Canadian, is a decades old battle. Somehow, for some people, saying I'm Canadian is not good enough. Occasionally, I don't get "you look Indian". Sometimes people randomly speak to me in other languages, assuming I would know what they're saying. Just a few weeks ago (specifically, the night of the Tragically Hip concert on the CBC), someone spoke to me in Portuguese because he thought I was Brazilian. Seriously? Yup. I laughed it off. We were at a party and I wasn't going to let someone ruin our time. Though I did make fun of him and tried to point out what a dumb thing that was to do. He was older too. I find I get less of this from people my age or younger.

So, 10 years ago, I ignored the comment and this person, whoever they are. This came just a couple years after two different job situations in which I had to deal with some.... things. One was terrible; the other was more a steady stream of annoyance.

I know I usually don't talk about this kind of stuff; I like that my blog is about books and movies and in general, things that make me happy. I even thought about deleting all this once I wrote it. I don't even know how coherent it all is. It seems like a bit of a rant. The comment, these memories, and even a recent event, brought up such strong feelings in me. I'm a little hesitant to share these feelings on the internet, but today I'm feeling brave.

I feel like I should have some kind of concluding sentence or statement here, but I don't know what else to say. It's not like this kind of thing is going to "conclude" for me. At least it happens (to me at least) with less frequency than 10+ years ago. I guess for today, that's all she wrote.

First Sentences

I recently changed the entire first page of my work-in-progress and that got me thinking of first sentences. The first one that popped into my head was from Pride and Prejudice, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." While I enjoyed Jane Austen's most famous work, part of the reason I thought of this quote was because that line gets a lot of air play. Then I wondered, what were the first sentences of some of my favourite books...

The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as, on Christmas Eve in an old house, a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child. – The Turn of the Screw, Henry James

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. – David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

We slept in what had once been the gymnasium. – The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke’s house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches. – Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo

There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name. – Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Salman Rusdie

The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry. – Undead and Unwed, MaryJanice Davidson

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. – The Gunslinger, Stephen King

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. – Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. – Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf

A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age – regardless of how they look on the outside – pretty much constantly dreams of being able to escape from their lives. - The Gum Thief, Douglas Coupland

My mother thinks I'm dead. - Legend, Marie Lu

All this happened, more of less. - Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Across genres and eras, the first sentence of a novel is important. It can captures a reader's interest or make them roll their eyes in annoyance. I've learned that not all first lines hold mystery, sometimes it takes the first paragraph or first page. I have a lot of respect though, for writers that can take you away, pull you in, grab and never let go, with that first sentence.

Top Ten Scariest Books

 

What do I do about this week’s top ten?  The Broke and The Bookish want to know what the scariest books are.  I decided to look for books that induce a feeling of tension/the creeps or have horrifying events, not necessarily "fear-producing".  Here is my top ten, in no particular order.

1. 1984, by: George Orwell – This one actually scared me. The situation, what’s happening to Winston, the lies, the watching, all of it.

2. Misery, by: Stephen King – I mentioned this one in a previous Top Ten list. It’s so creepy that I haven’t even read it yet.

3. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by: Robert Louis Stevenson – Classically creepy and very interesting.

4. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, by: Mary Shelley – Also another classic. Mary Shelley really knew how to create a compelling Monster. I think any horror fan needs to read this.

5. The Raven, by: Edgar Allen Poe – I know it’s a poem, not novel, but it’s still one of the creepiest things I’ve ever read.

6. The Turn of The Screw, by: Henry James – Are ghosts driving her crazy or is she just crazy? I’m inclined to think the first.

7. Under The Dome, by: Stephen King – I wasn’t scared by the dome itself, what disturbed me was what the people trapped inside were doing to each other.

8. The Handmaids Tale, by: Margaret Atwood – I know it’s not a horror book, but I was afraid for Offred pretty much all the time.

9. A Series of Unfortunate Events, by: Lemony Snicket – I tried to decide which one was the scariest. Maybe it was number 2, or 1 or 6. Even though they are children’s stories, they are all full of tension.

10. Nightmares and Dreamscapes, by: Stephen King – a collection of scary short stories. “Popsy” has stayed with me for years.

I could have put more Stephen King books on the list, but I thought three was more than enough. I also considered Anne Rice, with The Witching Hour and Interview With A Vampire, but I don’t know if I was actually scared/tense when I read those books.

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #4- Frankenstein VERSUS The Turn of the Screw

Vote for your favourite scary tale. Mary Shelley versus Henry James.

The Book Mine Set: The Great Wednesday Compare #4- Frankenstein VERSUS The Turn of the Screw

The Turn Of The Screw

The Turn Of The Screw is definitely the most macabre of James’ stories. It’s good versus evil; living versus dead. It shows the power of trust and belief. The characters are so tangible; you almost think that you could go to Bly and help. Of course, you might just end up running away in terror.

The way James describes the emotions of the characters is amazing. You feel the fear, bravery, anger and possible insanity of the whole situation. Is the Governess crazy? Does she really see ghosts? The way she exactly describes Quint to Mrs. Grose makes the reader think, yes she does see him. She sees Miss Jessel too. The Governess must protect her young charges, Miles and Flora, from these malicious spirits.

If these ghosts are real, do Miles and Flora want to be protected? From there behaviour throughout the stories, it seems not. They want to play with the spirits of their former friends. The children also seem to be absurdly perfect. The have the pretty smiles and the gorgeous hair and the endearing eyes. They are almost ghost like. Their visage has something supernatural about it, casting a spell on the servants who live in the house with them. The Governess also finds herself under their spell. Though, it seems, she sometimes breaks free and becomes suspicious of their every word and action. Especially after she sees Flora’s behaviour at the pond, with Miss Jessel looking on.

Though I think they are brilliantly created, I’m not sure about how I feel towards these characters. Mrs. Grose seems to believe the Governess’s tale of spirits too easily. Yet, without her belief, it would make the Governess appear to be losing her mind. Mrs. Grose gives her validation. Perhaps, Mrs. Grose is just a simple woman believing the words of an educated lady. The Master is oddly distant. It is fine not to care about his niece and nephew, but to refuse contact with the house all together? The house does belong to him. What does that mean? Did he play a part in the deaths of Quint and Jessel? Maybe the unworldly beauty of Miles and Flora are too much for him. He needs to stay away from their unnatural splendor. The Governess also bothers me. She just seems too sure of herself.

I had to read the end a few times. I read over the last page three times before I fully grasped what happened. I knew I read it right the first time, but I thought I had misunderstood. Is what happened to Miles caused by the spirit leaving him and taking his own spirit away? Or did the Governess do something to him in her effort to win Miles from Quint? Was it one of those, if I can’t have you, no one can, kind of moments? It is still difficult to believe that was the end of the story. It was certainly a dramatic finale to a harrowing tale. It also seems quite fitting as to the story’s flow. I suppose I was hoping for a happier ending. Of course, after Daisy Miller and The Altar Of The Dead what else was I expecting?

The Altar Of The Dead

The Altar Of The Dead was strange. Something easily guessed by the title. It is saturated with death. Again, this is something to be expected. Yet, there is more than just death. There is life and perhaps love.

I found myself distant from the story. Distant from the main character. Perhaps it was because I didn’t grasp how old he was at the beginning of the story. I thought he was middle-aged and tragedy just followed him. I didn’t realize that he was at that age when your friends begin dying around you. I realized his eventual age when he described going to the altar year after year.

Of course, I many not have understood because I’ve been sick and everything is kind of hazy. Though, it may be that the story didn’t connect with me. It was well written with interesting characters, who love and hate and grieve. They lived with a very real turmoil. Everything in their lives was in relation to this altar. For some reason, I just wasn’t as affected by this story as I was by James’ other works.

The Aspern Papers

James’ The Aspern Papers was an interesting story that I enjoyed immensely. Passion can certainly lead a person to interesting places.

When I was finished, however, it did not leave me with the same excitement or questions that the other stories did. While I did not predict the ending, nor could I say that it was predictable, I definitely saw it as a distinct possibility. Was it meant to be shocking? The main character was definitely not shocked. If he was, then perhaps I would be too. After all, James did give us multi-faceted characters, with emotional range. Again, you feel as though they could be real people. James makes you empathize with them. So if the main character takes everything calmly, then so do you.

It’s good to have an emotional tie to the story. I think it makes it more enjoyable. Yet, do we lose something if we become too invested? Did I lose some of the excitement of the story by feeling the calm of the main character? It is definitely something to consider in future reading.

Daisy Miller

The second novella in my Henry James collection, a mere sixty pages, was very intriguing. I could tell why Daisy Miller was one of James’ most famous stories. The characters are palpable. You can believe that they exist or at least, existed at the end of the 19th century. They have real emotions, quirks and thoughts. These personality traits feel appropriate, not just to the story, but to the characters as real people.

James uses the title character, Daisy Miller, to discuss the behaviour and customs of Europe. Winterbourne, a man with clear affection for Daisy, questions these taboos. Why is her behaviour so wrong? Why shouldn’t she enjoy the company of her male friend? Why shouldn’t she speak and act as she chooses?

Spoiler

In the end, Daisy Miller dies. Is this punishment for her bad behaviour? Did she deserve death? I certainly don’t think so. Perhaps her death was a punishment to Winterbourne (and to everyone else?) for doubting her. Daisy’s final, cryptic message leaves Winterbourne confused. Why would she want him to know that she was never engaged to the Italian? Daisy cared for Winterbourne. She might have wanted to carry that affection further. However, her reasons for the message might have been more simple or selfish. Daisy may have just been trying to save her reputation. It’s difficult to tell, but the story gets you thinking about an individual’s motives.

An International Episode

What happened? Why was Lord Lambeth so distraught? Why did Bessie Alden make him leave? Did he propose? Did she reject him? Was she really not in love with him at all?

I just finished reading a short novel by Henry James, An International Episode. After my last novel, I decided to turn to the classics. I am reading through a collection of six James Novellas. They were written over the course of his career. Instead of writing one large piece when I’m done the collection, I thought that I would write a little something after I finish each story.

An International Episode is the first story in this collection. I though it was lovely. James showed the subtle and remarkable contrast between Americans and the English. Such presumptions and speculations. First we have two Englishmen visiting America, specifically, New York and Newport. Then we have two American ladies (whom the Englishmen met on their trip), visiting England, staying in London. It is a charming story, with an interesting ending.

I can’t wait to read Daisy Miller next. It is one of Henry James’ most famous stories. It’s always nice going back to an author that you’ve read before and are sure to enjoy.