Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

My book club decided to go back to the classics this month and read (or re-read, or try to remember reading) Jane Eyre.  I still have my 1960 copyrighted edition with my middle-school looking handwriting marking it in my maiden name!!  And yes, it has been about that long since I read it (probably high school in the early '80's!).

I cannot imagine that I understood what I was truly reading then.  It is almost a tragedy that teenagers were asked to read this at that age.  And also a tragedy that they are not introduced to it now.  Oxymoron much??

My teenage daughters will never read Jane Eyre.  They will find it way too old fashioned, maybe even offensive.  There is no sex, but there is some violence.  There is a twist, and there is definitely drama.  There is a rags to riches arc, and an extremely strong heroine.  But would they see Jane that way?  As a strong woman?  Ahead of her time?  Opinionated and not docile?  One of my friends at Book Club asked if I thought this book was even relevant today - asked SHOULD our young girls (and boys) read this novel from 1846?

I say YES.  Because situational content is so important to the girls of today.  How else will they really know how far women have come??  There was NO chance of divorce at that time.  None.  Ever.  A governess position was about all they could hope for if they did not get married super young (usually arranged, rarely for love) or become a nun - what a choice!!  Early sex or none at all???  They rarely owned property and if they did and they subsequently got married, guess who owned it then?  It was very unusual that Jane should travel alone - gasp!!  Not to mention the fact that Charlotte Bronte felt compelled, no required, to publish this under the name of Currer Bell.  So no one would know it was actually written by a woman (another gasp!).

We complain that women are still oppressed, we don't have equal pay, we are marginalized and traumatized especially in this environment of #metoo.  I do not dispute that.  But please, go read Jane Eyre and for five minutes focus on how far we've come.

Yes, the language is flowery and romantic and the story is heartbreaking.  Redemptive, but heartbreaking.  No one but this particular character would have come out ahead - why?  Because she RISKED EVERYTHING.  She left.  She begged. She worked. She stood up for herself and ultimately she held out for love.  She did not settle. And she risked it AGAIN to leave again and go in search of answers.  It worked out great for Jane - thank goodness for fiction!  And yes, the drama levels are extremely high, especially in the break up scene when she first leaves Rochester and again when they are reunited - I could see my kids sticking their fingers down their throats in disgust (and maybe I did too!).

The language here is tiresomely descriptive - the author spends line after line describing the "lineaments" of her characters. And there are several references to the Bible, to high moral standards, to decorum.  This would probably be offensive today (that and, again, there is NO SEX!!!).  Rolling my eyes.

I have to say, I absolutely LOVED reading this again.  I had forgotten parts of it, I substituted a movie scene for what really happened, I confused this one a bit with Rebecca (my other favorite gothic novel - don't bother reading the so-called sequel Mrs. DeWinter - yuck) and with Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily.  But, how wonderful to really let myself go in a classic of English literature, a book which ushered in romance like no one else could.

Hmmm. Maybe Jane got a bit of her gumption, as well as her backstory, from Charlotte herself.

Alex and Me by Irene Pepperberg

Fascinating!

I am not usually one to read memoirs or nonfiction for that matter, but something about this book intrigued me.  Honestly, it has been on my Kindle for a while now, so it was probably a BookBub special!!!!

So, I found myself taking this with a little bit of salt, but Irene, a pyschologist, certainly did develop an amazing attachment/relationship with her African Grey Parrot  Now, I want one!  But they are extremely social creatures, and she spent hours in her lab testing him and working with him and teaching him to talk and doing all kinds of crazy things that seemed to give credence to the fact that we really should NOT be using "Bird-Brain" in a derogatory manner.  She and Alex became famous, and had a banter of communication that was likened to an old married couple.  Irene discusses the judgment she faced for her gender in her field, for her CHOICE of field, and for her work at all.  But she was nothing if not determined.  A very sweet story with some scientific interest - I did not find it overly so.   A fun, and funny, different type of read for me.  Perfect for summer!!!  And, allowed me to stick to my rule that when I traveled this summer, I only took my Kindle!!!

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

Another book I downloaded probably two years ago that I finally got to this summer while traveling.

I immediately bought/downloaded the second AND third books. 

Maybe this is YA, I don't know anymore.  Dystopian, futuristic, oppressive society notwithstanding, this story borrows a little bit from Harry Potter, a tiny bit of green juice from Game of Thrones, and a smidge from The Hunger Games while remaining mostly original and creative.  Automatons, anyone?

Plus, it IS about BOOKS.  Or, rather, the lack thereof.

In the future, the Great Library of Alexandria controls what everyone may read.  It's like everyone has a blank ipad and the Library controls what you are allowed to read, or even know about.  Over the centuries, power has of course corrupted the leaders of the Library, and so here we go with the rebellion.  What I like is that the rag-tag group of teens that are forced together to train at the Library to be Scholars, High Guarda, or Obscurists locked in a tower, are all very different yet they see the faults of the system and with some well placed allies begin the fight to change the world.  There is travel to different continents, there is referral to history both ancient and more modern and how the centuries long oppression of education has affected everyone and created a huge black market for the buying and selling (and ink-licking, gross) of hardback books.  It is illegal to own them - gasp!!!  But Jess Brightwell, himself from a family of smugglers, bands with his German Genius BFF Thomas, the swashbuckling Dario Santiago who annoys him no end, the tough as nails Welsh girl Glain, the braniac and loyal Khalila, the powerful and valuable young Obscurist Morgan and their unlikely allies - their disgraced Scholar teacher and the Elite High Guarda Captain - to try and improve their world and remove the blight and let the light of education and reading back into the world!!!  Whoo hoooo!!!!  I am currently reading the fourth book, and cannot put it down.  Please let there be a fifth, although I will probably have to wait for that one.....ugh!!!!

PS - I would let my kids read this - they are mature readers at 17 and 15 and listen, if they've read The Hunger Games, this one is fine........

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

I knew within the first page of this book that I was going to like this one!  I love a wordsmith!!!

Eskens has a way with words.  This is beautifully written.  Joe Talbert is an English student assigned to write a biography for class.  He stumbles upon a Vietnam War veteran who has been in prison for murdering a child - awesome!  Slam Dunk!  A+ material!!!!

But when Joe gets to know Carl, he begins to understand that there is so much more to his story.  Carl is dying and is ready to tell his side of things - finally.  Joe begins the process of hearing the story, and in the meantime begins to realize that Carl is not what he seems.  Carl, for his part, seems to recognize in Joe a kindred spirit of sorts - he knows that Joe also has a story to tell, and the two men begin a fragile relationship built on honesty and trust.  As the stories unravel, Joe becomes more involved with Carl's tale while also juggling a dysfunctional mother, an autistic brother, and his crush on the literal girl next door.  Joe is in over his head, and sticking his nose where it shouldn't be, but he can't help himself - he's drawn in to what really happened in this life that Carl has buried, and he sees that burying things is not always the answer.

Great, quick read.  Predictable, yes, but worth it anyway, and you might have a surprise or two in store after all.  Loved the relationship between Joe and his brother!!  Brings up questions of responsibility and family and truth and loyalty.  Can't wait to discuss this one at book club!!!

The Edge of Nowhere by CH Armstrong

Very good debut novel, based on the true story of the author's grandmother's life in Oklahoma during the 1920's.  Interesting insight into the life of a farmer, of the lack of choice for women in those times, of desperation and strength.  The writing is simple, but then so were the times. 

Victoria is strong, determined, and dedicated to her family despite the early loss of her parents and the jaded idea she has of love.  The story of her life, told as an explanation for why her grandchildren only see her as a mean old angry woman, has all the qualities listed in the title.  Interesting info on dust storms, tornadoes, farm life and the hardships they all faced not all that long ago. 

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is a good one!!!

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Not what I expected, but a pretty good read.  As I was reading I was thinking - oh, I am not really liking this a whole bunch, but then as with other good books, the ending really wrapped things up in some profound ways that left it somewhat redeemed.  There were actually passages right at the end that I thought, "Oooo, I should copy that down and remember that!"

Lots of flashbacks and forwards here so it can be confusing.  The novel begins with four children sneaking out to learn their date of death from a rumored Gypsy woman.  Each child is then given a date, which affects each of them differently for the rest of their lives.  If you know, what do you do with that knowledge?  Suppress it?  Change your life?  Live your life?  Or live in fear that she was right?

Four children, four perspectives.  I think I enjoyed Klara's story the most during the telling; Daniel was just annoying, yet probably the most introspective;  Simon's story was a tough read but the most probable reaction; and eldest child Varya's story with all the final reveals was best saved for last indeed.  A bit dark - because death hangs over each story of course - but an interesting dissection of the human heart, brain, and emotive life.  Is the knowledge of the date of your death crushing or freeing?  If you know, do you then somehow play into fate's hand and help it to happen with the decisions you make or don't make?  How would their lives have been different if they had NOT gone to see "the woman" that day - or would they have been any different at all?  They each have their own dysfuntions - is that because of the prophecy or despite it?  Interesting premise, interesting study on family and heritage, and a great little twist that made me gasp out loud!!!  I love it when I don't see it coming at all!!!  Not sure I would recommend this to my book club - it is a bit dark and depressed me - but the ending did revive me a bit - like I said, redemptive somehow.  So, four stars.  Not my favorite book of the summer, but I am not sorry I read it.  The writing is good and well presented, I had no problem with that.  Plus, I loved the cover, remember???  ;-)

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane

Wow. 

I have seen Mystic River and Shutter Island (and read the latter - quite different!), and they both left me freaked out, so I was a little nervous about reading this one. However, it was one of those books giving me anxiety because it was still on my shelf from being on my list to read last summer, so in I bravely delved.

I could not put it down.  What started out as what I thought would be another poor victimized woman manipulated by men and doubt and fear of insanity became so much more.  Typical for Lehane, there are twists and turns and quite a convoluted story.  But so worth it.

This book also has one of the best opening lines EVER.  Wow.

But I repeat myself.  I don't want to say too much here, but this is a mystery, a self-discovery, a thriller, a keep you up at night once you get into it story.  Very well done - I did have a few questions about a few plot points, but can't even ask them without spoiling.  Rachel is a great and complicated character.  I would totally read a sequel - if there was one....... the ending is left wide open so you really can only imagine what will happen next!  At first I was shocked by its suddenness; in retrospect, I kinda like it.  Well done.