Notes from a reader

Though the day has been long and one where I have felt more like a slave than a mom, and I would like nothing better than to curl up on the couch with a book, I cannot give up my continuing participation in the Blogathon just yet. I am to share my thoughts on a book recently read or a movie recently watched. Since my husband went and saw the Hobbit with all the guys, I have not been to see the one movie I was interested in viewing so movies are out and books are in.

I am still less far along in Les Miserable than I would like to admit and the reason being that the book I have in my collection is not only a hardbound of the fifteen hundred pager but a compilation of Hugo’s works. The book is like thirty pounds heavy so for someone who journeys everywhere with a book at all times, taking every spare minute to read a few pages, this ton of bricks is not a great traveler and consequently has been read infrequently. I only open its worthy pages on the couch.

 

 I have in the interim been reading The first in the Game of Thrones series, per the request of my brother. We have found in past instances, immense enjoyment over dialoguing about characters and plots, and my reading his recommendations gives me grounds for my requesting he reads some, shall I say, more culturally enhancing works. 400 pages in and I still have yet to feel an empathy or even a strong liking to any one character. Though the style is engaging, I cannot appreciate the heart of the story, though I have read my fair share of fantasy and science fiction. The crux of it is, I cannot find in the characters a goodness that shapes a true hero, or an honor that gives nobility to the knights of war, too much darkness and evil for my taste, but I will finish it first before my final judgment.

This current work of fiction creates a glaring contrast to the most recent book I finished called “Blind Love” By, Wilkie Colllins. I was first introduced to Wilkie by reading “The Woman in White” and having enjoyed the experience with his most famous work I have continued to collect his less known writings and enjoy each individual one.

 

This is not your common romance novel despite the title. Wilkie was good friends with Charles Dickens and his writings reflect a depth and continuity that is truly worthy of the friendship. Blind Love is the story of Iris, who having fallen for a man, better called “an adventurer”, who though charming and seductive, is given to vice and inconsistency’s of character, is conflicted between marriage for love to him or a preservation of her good judgment by resisting his appeals. Love triumphs as it often does but not to the changing of the man as it usually won’t. Intrigue and romance at its best, well developed and unexpected characters that you love and hate.

The story was great…. but my intense satisfaction comes in the language, the dialogue, the vocabulary of a well learned and thinking writer, the verbiage so subtle yet so eloquent that my soul is affected as my mind is engaged. The true hero of the book is the childhood friend, who loves with the love of a gentleman and whose goodness goes deeper than a superficial suitors who gets the girl at first try. Read it. I am not here to tell the story only to say that any book written by Wilkie Collins is worth a read. There are many works of fiction that could potentially make us dumber by their perusal but this is not one. So says a reader.

My Jolly Little Life Blogathon