More Kinsella

I just finished reading The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I have also previously read Remember Me? and Confessions of a Shopaholic (just the first one). Amanda, like you, I think I prefer the other books to the Shopaholic story (even though I've only read one book of the series). I had a hard time relating to Becky because personally I'm so not a shopaholic. I'm unwilling to spend huge amounts of money on things and I don't care about those fancy brand names. I'm sensible, and she made no sense to me.

The Undomestic Goddess made more sense to me. It's about a girl who works too much, and learns to slow down. It's about doing what's good for you, instead of grasping the lofty position that is expected of you. It's about living below your potential because you've learned to value things differently. Of course, a plot summary would look more like: a high-powered lawyer makes a disastrous mistake and runs off to be a housekeeper, despite her utter lack of cleaning or cooking abilities. It is quite humourous.

Still, it couldn't escape all criticism. I found the love story distastefully sappy. And it's unrealistic that she could learn to cook so quickly. She seems to pick things up instantly, whereas I think a more general experience is that things never turn out as well when you do it on your own. I'd expect continuing failures.

Here was my favorite line: "Tasting gravy with your eyes closed is a fairly intimate thing to do, it turns out. I'm not sure I want anyone watching me." It reminds me of a choir practice once upon a time when we sang True Colours with our eyes closed - and I cried. There's something instantly introspective and emotional about blocking out the world around you.

the edible woman

margaret atwood's breakthrough novel and protofeminist treatise considers gender roles and societal expectations in the late 1960s through the metaphors of the hunt, consumption, and cannibalism.

i talked to idris about this book a little bit, and he compared its subject matter to jane austen's discussion of marriage as the realm within which women were ambitious in the early 19th century: it was a matter of survival and was approached almost as career decisions are now. in fact, connecting those dots - austen's elizabeth bennett to ibsen's nora helmer to atwood's marian to me - can induce vertigo! life has changed so much for western women in just two centuries. and - as a cause, effect, and effect of the same cause - for men, too.

in the final analysis, i struggled with this novel. unsurprisingly, the writing itself was lovely in its rhythmic oscillation from poetic description and metaphor to concrete colloquial prose. but when the protagonist, marian, loses it a little bit, her actions aren't nearly as inexplicable as the reactions of others to her. in fact, almost everyone but marian comes across as symbolic rather than real. this isn't a complaint, exactly - after all, most of us view the minor characters in our lives as largely representational rather than authentic. i also found myself wondering if even compensating with the requisite inflation that comes with metaphor, there might be some hyperbole going on. but this is common for me: i have to confess that i really can't fathom what these women went through, both inside and outside their heads. and this journey into one such woman's mind was disorienting and somewhat unsatisfying for me. i wasn't entirely happy with some of her decisions, and i didn't know how i felt about how it all ended. that sort of thing.

this is only the second atwood i've ever read - i finally read "alias grace" last year, and liked it quite a bit. i feel that she's telling important stories, stories that haven't been told before and are therefore mysterious - you really have no clue where it's all heading. it's not always the most enjoyable experience, but it's unfailingly interesting and thought-provoking. and a little humbling. after all, being reminded that there are so many stories unlike my own really puts things into perspective.

Sophie Kinsella

I just finished the recently released novel  "Mini Shopoholic," the sixth installment in the Shopoholic Series by Sophie Kinsella (a.k.a Medeleine Wickham). I have now read every book Madeleine has ever written under her pen name Sophie Kinsella. Strangely I did not enjoy her novels under her real name, but Sophie Kinsella (her alter ego)'s writing is very enjoyable. The series focuses on Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The series highlights her obsession with shopping and its resulting complications in her life. Although being a shopoholic is certainly a large part of her trouble it should be mentioned that many of her misadventures could be avoided if she did not chronically lie to avoid dealing with difficult issues. In this latest book Becky's permissive parenting style gets her and her daughter Minnie into all kinds of trouble and Becky works hard to try to prove herself to her friends and family. It was a fun easy read and the end of the novel left plenty of room for the author to continue the series if she likes. I have also read Sophie Kinsella's stand alone novels ("Can you Keep a Secret", "The Undomestic Goddess", "Remember Me?", and "Twenties Girl"). I think I actually enjoyed the stand alone novels more than her shopoholic series and hope that she comes out with more of these.

previous meals

i changed our "bookstorm" bit on the left column into a list of books we've read and discussed on this blog. could you each add the titles you've brought to the table? i tried to do it but found that a surprising number of them had letters that my keyboard hasn't been able to reproduce since i spilled cornmeal and water all over it two years ago.

thanks, ladies!

the sentimentalists

i received johanna skibsrud's giller prize winning novel, "the sentimentalists," for christmas from my surrogate grandfather. (it was only then that i realized he tends to shop giller alumni for me!) this is the fastest i've ever consumed a book he gave me.

the plot of the story - woman tries to understand her father's experiences in the vietnam war and the impact of those experiences on her parents' marriage and the family as a whole - doesn't do justice to skibsrud's lyricism and thoughtfulness. the novel is occasionally a little over-written for me, but that could just mean i've grown lazy.

one of the things i loved about the book is that a lot of it takes place in casablanca, ontario - a town that doesn't exist as far as i can tell. everyone there knows the script to that hilarious and heartbreaking film inside and out, and the characters quote the film in casual conversation. when someone asks the narrator's dad if it might rain, he puts on his ingrid bergman voice and says, "it's a crazy world, anything can happen!"

i don't know anyone who has suffered the horrors of war, either as a soldier or a civilian. but my family quotes movies, too. we quote "singin' in the rain" and "mary poppins" and "to sir with love." and it was so lovely to hear another family do that. they did math problems and crossword puzzles and quoted classic movies. they were like me and my people. we had a kinship, those characters and i, and that connection made the unfamiliar parts of their story hit home for me. it's kind of magical how that happens.

but maybe i'm just a rank sentimentalist.

Any Takers?

Is anyone interested in a copy of Persuasion by Jane Austen? I discovered tonight that I have three!
You are welcome to any one you would like. Although these pictures are all the same size, the first one is the smallest and hardcover (purse sized, perhaps), the second is a regular paperback size, and the third is a hardcover tome (and it includes all Jane Austen's other novels too - and it turns out I have another copy of all of them!). The first and third have (identical) pen illustrations, and the second has some helpful notes at the end. I think I got the first one first, long ago, then forgetting that I had it I bought the second one because I like that publisher. Then I received the third for Christmas, and that made me look closely at my bookshelf and see the triplication.

I hope someone is persuaded!

Hey Mara...

As the fin de l'annee approaches, I find myself thinking of reading goals for next year. I think I would like you to be my inspiration. So I'm thinking of hoping to read:

1. Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels, something I think I've heard mention as one of your favorite books?
2. The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton, an author you introduced me to.
3. something by Agatha Christie, one of your loves but someone I haven't read since seventh grade.
4. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, something you mentioned reading recently, though to be honest the main inspiration for this one was your Mom.
5. ???

Could you please recommend to me a fifth book? Something you love and think people, me in particular, should read?

Many thanks!
Michelle