How Well Read Are You?

I saw this post on Universe in Words and found it quite interesting.

The idea is to highlight the books that you have read.

The BBC apparently predicts that on average an individual will only have read 6 of these 100 books.

So here goes....

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The King James Bible
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) – George Orwell
His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch – George Eliot
Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
Emma -Jane Austen
Persuasion – Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne
Animal Farm – George Orwell
The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
Atonement – Ian McEwan
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Dune – Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold  
Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
On The Road – Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick – Herman Melville
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
Dracula – Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
Ulysses – James Joyce
The Inferno – Dante
Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
Germinal – Emile Zola
Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession – AS Byatt
Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
The Color Purple – Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
Watership Down – Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet – William Shakespeare
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
Les Miserables – Victor Hugo


So, that makes 27 out of 100 for me (some of which were studied at college and under duress!).  The list is interesting though. There are some on there I didn't expect to see, and some which are my favourites. And of course, I may not have read some of these classics but I have certainly enjoyed watching them on TV. Does that count?!!

Thank you to Universe in Words for the post which can be found here http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-well-read-are-you.html

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

It is 17th Century Amsterdam, during the midst of tulip mania, and young Sophia and her husband Cornelis are posing for a portrait by a talented young artist named Jan van Loos. Cornelis, a successful merchant, is much older than Sophia. He is a collector of beautiful things, and his wife is his pride and joy. But Sophia is young, and has married Cornelis to save her family from destitution.  She feels no passion for him, only a lifeless marriage further disappointed by her inability, so far, to produce a child.

But Jan van Loos is watching her, and Sophia is uncomfortable. Feelings stir within her that she has only ever imagined, and when she receives a love letter from the young artist, she embarks on a passionate affair. But where will this lead Sophia?  Will she be happy with her deception, or will it lead to tragedy?

Tulip Mania is an enjoyable fast paced story of passion and deceit. But that is about it for me. It's enjoyable, but it isn't great. I liked the narrative. I liked the short sentences, the short chapters. It was atmospheric, and I was intrigued with the setting of 17th Century Amsterdam, but that is where the enjoyment ended. It didn't quite develop enough for me.  I wanted to understand the characters better; to feel sympathetic to the plight of Sophia, but I just couldn't. I wanted to feel absorbed by the tulip mania in Amsterdam, but I just didn't. In fact, the tulips were hardly integral to the plot at all, and I feel there should have been more historical reference to them.

The plot was interesting, but predictable in places. The ending was a little abrupt. But that may be my fault, as I could only manage to skim read the final fifty pages or so. By that point, I was losing the battle with this book but I still wanted to know how it ended.

To conclude, an enjoyable book for the passionate romance and atmospheric setting, but poor in the historical content and depth.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting by Ha Jin

Lin Kong is a dedicated army doctor employed in a military hospital in the city of Muji. It is there that he meets and falls for Mannu Wu, a student nurse. Manna, full of energy and life, is a thoroughly modern woman, and Lin wants nothing more than to spend his life with her. Lin, however, already has a wife and daughter back home in Goose Village. But Lin did not marry for love, but for filial duty. His arranged marriage has always been a  disappointment to him, and he is ashamed of his wife's simple-minded ways and bound feet.

Every year Lin returns to Goose Village to ask Shuyu for a divorce. And every year she agrees, only to back out at the very last minute. Constrained by the regulations of Mao's Cultural Revolution, Manna and Lin are unable to consummate their relationship. They are not allowed to kiss. They are not even allowed to be alone together outside the hospital boundary. So Manna and Lin are left waiting. Waiting for seventeen years until Lin is awarded a divorce....

Waiting is another of those novels that has left me wondering.

It is very simply written, and its plot is minimalist. And to be honest, I was expecting something far more complex and passionate. So initially I was disappointed. The pace, at times, was slow moving and there were occasions when I really questioned why I was reading it. However, I persevered, and I am glad that I did.

It is the development of the characters that enrich this story. Not the plot. Nor the ending. It is the way that each of them grow and change, intertwining in this story of relationship during a period of significant political and cultural change. Whilst Manna Wu represents the modern 'New China' in Muji, the character of Shuyu embodies the 'Old China' in Goose Village.  It is Lin that is the bridge between the two, at times enjoying the sophistication and energy of the modern world whilst craving the peace of mind and simplicity of the old.

Lin Kong is a contradiction himself. This new, modern man is repelled by the ways of the old world, its fashion for bound feet and folk remedies. But he also desires its traditions and its simplicity, he needs its folk remedies despite being a modern, medical man. Alternatively, he admires the educated women of New China, their freedom of speech, their energy and passion, yet is left disappointed with the restlessness, the upheaval, the secrets.

It is the development of Shuyu that most interests me. Initially described as unattractive, skinny, and old before her time, it is apparent that she is not considered 'good enough' for her husband Lin. No wonder that Lin will not share a bed with her. She is simple-minded, uneducated, almost ignorant. However, Shuyu is a loyal and faithful wife, a good mother and cook, she embodies all that is homely and safe. And slowly throughout the book she transforms into a character who is not considered so ugly, nor so old looking. As Lin and Manna Wu deteriorate with age, Shuyu appears younger, healthier, happier. She is a sympathetic character, embracing modern China whilst maintaining the traditions of the old.

Whilst political and cultural change are integral to the plot, it is not a political text. Ha Jin portrays its influence without forcing it, and in doing so keeps the story simple and honest. It is this simplicity that, for me, gives it its charm.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Tough Love. It's a hard act to follow

This morning, the school run. Oh, how I love to drop my little 'cherub' off to school every morning at 8.45 am prompt. But not today. No. The said little 'cherub' decides he does not want to get out of bed today. Certainly not to go to school. Not now that Christmas is coming. Never mind missing out on his acting debut for his class nativity play, he is far too tired to attend school today.

The remonstrations begin. And despite knowing what I ought not to do, I go ahead and do it anyway. The idle threats, the bribery until finally....

"If you don't get down here now young man, Christmas will be cancelled!"

Of course, it does the trick (for now), and slowly but surely, down the stairs trundles my beloved little man, complete with tatty bear, mis-matched pyjamas and seriously bad bed hair. But that's not the end of it by any means, because then I have to brace myself for round two of this battle- to get some decent breakfast down him. His choice? Chocolate from the advent calender and a strawberry flavoured jelly vitamin. Not the ideal start to the day.

Time is ticking....my eldest has already left for school, and my young little 'cherub' appears to be avoiding me. Stupidly, I presume he is getting himself dressed, and at 8.25 am, I am standing by the front door, coat in hand waiting to leave. 'Where are you?' I ask. No response. 'Come on, we are going to be late'. Again, no response. 'Do I have to come up there and get you? Are you choosing a toy to take to school? What are you doing?'.

And slowly but surely, I hear the shuffle of stroppy(!) feet, as my beloved little man trundles down the stairs complete with tatty bear, mis-matched pyjama's and seriously bad bed hair.

My reaction -Not good. My son's reaction -Guilt trip.

At 8.50 am I am in my son's classroom, helping him to get ready for his acting debut. He's on a go-slow, and if I leave it to him, he won't be ready until lunchtime. He shows me where he has found the gloves that went missing weeks ago. 'That's good', I say,  ' But can we please get on with the task in hand?'.

'The what?' he says.

Minutes later, its done. He's ready. Costume assembled and intact. I stand back to admire my handy work. He makes a remarkably handsome looking sheep.

He heads for the mat, where the children sit when they are ready. I sigh, and in doing so, take the first deep breath I have been able to manage since those dreaded words 'Time to get up boys'. I feel surprisingly calm for a moment, and for a second or two, I pause to reflect.... I have won the battle. I have managed to mobilise the little 'cherub'. Success against a six year old.

And as I attempt to leave the classroom, secretly pleased with my triumph, I note the teacher making her way towards me. She speaks quietly but confidently just two little words. Two words that have haunted me since my very first parent teacher consultation, when I was kindly but firmly advised that I needed to use more of it.

'Tough Love Mrs S', she says. 'Tough Love'.

Success with Toe by Toe!

I have had some recent good news, and I think it only right to give a mention to this fantastic book that was recommended to me by my son's school teacher. It is called Toe by Toe and is a reading manual written for children and adults who have difficulties reading. I think it has been devised with Dyslexic children and adults in mind, but is suitable for learning difficulties too.

And, for us, it is working!!! I have been tutoring my twelve year old with it for approximately six months, and I have just been advised that he has made five months reading progress. Bearing in mind that he is in his ninth academic year at school, and with a reading age of just five years eight months (now six years and one month), a five month progress is huge for him and I am so pleased. This is fantastic progress!

So, thank you to the writers of Toe by Toe. We will continue to use it, and although I don't expect any major miracles, the improvement so far is success in itself.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I picked up a second hand copy of this title almost by accident. I had wanted to read it for ages but never got around to it, but there it was, in the middle of a 'job lot' of second hand books I had managed to get hold of.

It is a tatty copy, complete with student notes written inside. That didn't put me off though. It reminded me of English A Level when I used to have to do the same thing. It took me ages to get out of that habit. To stop analysing the text so much and to enjoy the books for themselves.

Love in the Time of Cholera is a love story of sorts set beside the Caribbean. It is the story of Florentino Ariza, who in his youth, falls passionately in love with the beautiful Fermina Daza, and wishes to marry her. Fermina's father, however, has other ideas. Florentino, an apprentice in the Postal Agency, is an illegitimate child and is not considered a worthy enough match for Fermina. He forbids their alliance, and whisks his daughter away for a sufficient period of time to allow their love to cool.

Unbeknown to her father, Fermina and Florentino continue their love affair through the exchange of letters, and they agree to marry. Upon her return home, however, Fermina realises that she does not love Florentino and brutally rejects him. Instead, she marries a wealthy doctor of good social standing, thus commencing a 51 year, nine month and four day obsession for Florentino. He cannot forget this woman. Not a single day passes where something does not remind him of her. He resolves to wait for her, until the day her husband dies, and makes the decision to win 'fame and fortune in order to deserve her'.

But Florentino does not embark on this lonely, unhappy life alone. He takes a large number of lovers, of various ages and various circumstances, and of course, he still has his books and love of second-rate literature.

I really don't know what to think of this book. I finished reading it about 2 weeks ago, and I am still unsure how I feel about it. It is beautifully written, and most certainly thought provoking. The themes that weave in and out throughout the book are simple yet relevant; love, death, marriage, age, all of which we will all experience in our own way.

The author's vision of marriage, for example, was at times comical, and at others times sincere. Love, well, I would personally substitute that word for 'Sex'. The concept of 'Love' in this case, is not of your classic, soul-searching variety, but more based on carnal desire. Whether Florentino really 'loved' any of the women in his life, I am unsure. I feel the author is allowing you to make your own mind up, and I'm still pondering on that one.

The characters of  Love in the Time of Cholera are well presented. The fact that I am left disliking all of the main ones in the novel is irrelevant. They are interesting, three dimensional, appealing, yet at the same time, appalling. Florentino is by far the worst. His behaviour is obsessive, so much so that he is more of a 'Stalker'. He describes himself as a 'solitary hunter' (of women). A possible understatement I would say. And when, as an old man, he manages to have sex with a 14 year old of whom he is considered a guardian, well, it just makes your skin crawl.

Despite all that, the content of the novel feels real. It has also given me much to think about. And even though I am unsure if I love it or hate it, I think I'll go and rent the movie just in case.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I finished reading  The Book Thief a few days ago, and it still lingers with me. When I am in the kitchen making dinner. When I put a load in the washing machine. When I take time out for a coffee. Scenes from the book push their way into my mind and don't seem to want to let go.

I love it though, when a book does that to me. I find that I can't help but make references to it. I talk to people about it, even those who are probably not interested. I think about it, internalise it, try to make sense of it, and what it means to me. How it makes me feel.

 The Book Thief  is based in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. It is a tale about Liesel Meminger a young, illiterate girl, who faces tragedy at the outset; the death of her younger brother whilst on a journey to meet their new foster family. Whilst at his graveside, Liesel discovers a book, half hidden in the snow entitled 'The Gravediggers Handbook'. This is her first find, and her first act of thievery. It is the beginning of a passion for her, a love of books and words, and her desire to steal more. 

The Book Thief, narrated by Death itself, takes us on a journey into Nazi Germany in the prelude to, and during the Second World War. It invites you to see it not only through the eyes of Liesel, but also through the narrative voice of Death. Daily life. Rationing. The Fuhrer. Hitler Youth. The hidden Jew in the basement.  

It is a tale that envelops you in its sincerity, that takes you through the highs and lows of love, trust, faith, happiness, fear, hunger, loss, hatred and despair.

It is an amazing read, and one that will be read by me over and over again. I thoroughly recommend it.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars