The Classic Hundred Poems: All Time Favorites Edited by William Harmon

360 pages
Published in 1990, reprinted in 1998
by Columbia University Press

I FINALLY had a chance to pull together my thoughts about The Classic Hundred Poems: All Time Favorites edited by William Harmon which I read this past summer for my book club. I am very excited to report that my write-up has been posted over at 5 Minutes for Books!!!


So after you check out my write-up please be sure to stop back here to read a few interesting "Did you know" facts about some of the poems and poets contained within this collection.

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DID YOU KNOW:

- The song Auld Lang Syne most famous as a New Years Eve song is actually based on a poem by 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. Burns was also famous for his poem: A Red, Red Rose.

- Poet Percy B. Shelley was the husband of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Mary penned this famous novel while on vacation with her husband and several literary friends. Apparently one evening Percy, Mary and their friends challenged each other to see who could write the scariest story. Mary won hands down. So who were some of the others present? One of them was Percy's friend and fellow poet, Lord Byron. Talk about a collection of literary giants!

- Most fans of the novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery are already familiar with how The Lady of Shallot by Lord Alfred Tennyson was one of Anne Shirley's favorite poems. But that wasn't the only poem or poet that Montgomery references within the Anne books. Readers should also take a look at Robert Louis Stevenson's poems as several are woven through the Anne books.

Want to know more about how poetry has influenced literature and culture? Check out The Classic Hundred Poems.

Poetry: Emily Dickinson

"The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry's cheek is pumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on."

~ Emily Dickinson

Behind A Mask by Louisa May Alcott

Anyone familiar with Little Women (the book or the movie) will recall how Jo March took to writing "sensational" or "blood-and-thunder" tales under the assumed name of Joseph March. So many aspects of the character Jo March are reflective of her creator, Louisa May Alcott. Case in point, in addition to the numerous novels penned under her real name, including Little Women, Alcott also wrote a few thrillers under the masculine sounding nom de plume, A. M. Barnard.

And she fared quite well. At one point Alcott's novels (both the sweet and the sensational) were in such demand among readers and by publishers that she taught herself to write with her left hand so she could write twice as much and for twice as long. (I leave it to another reader to determine if this was a bad idea or one of pure genius. I have not read enough of Alcott to form an opinion at this time.)

Behind A Mask (a.k.a: A Woman's Power) is a thriller novella that was published in 1866 and originally credited to A. M. Barnard (but now republished under Alcott's real name). I first came upon this book last summer while browsing the local library's online catalog and blogged about it during a Friday Finds post.

I found Behind A Mask (a total of 128 pages) to be a fast paced read -- one that I could hardly put down once I had begun. From the opening lines the reader is swept into a tale of mystery, love, betrayal, and deception. Jean Muir, a demure and somewhat pretty young Scottish governess, has come to stay with the Coventry family and tutor the only daughter, Bella. Almost immediately she wins over the affection and loyalty of Mrs. Coventry, Bella, the youngest son Edward (or Ned), and Sir John, their uncle, with her sweet nature and many talents. But not everyone is beguiled. Miss Muir is met by suspicion and haughtiness in Gerald, the lazy elder brother and master of the home, and Lucia, his cousin and assumed fiance...

"For several weeks the most monotonous tranquillity seemed to reign at Coventry House, and yet, unseen, unsuspected, a storm was gathering. The arrival of Miss Muir seemed to produce a change in everyone, though no one could have explained how or why..." (Chapter iii)

To some Behind A Mask is a multi-layered story. Yes, there is the thrilling plot with twists and turns and a surprise ending, but also throughout the story are lessons learned and an underlining of what was considered in the 19th century as "forward thinking" or feminist ideology. Personally, I viewed Behind A Mask as pure entertainment, more of a Gothic tale than a social commentary. As is the case with most "blood-and-thunder" tales, Behind A Mask involves a willful and narcissistic protagonist who causes emotional and relational injury to those encircling them.

Although not quite the same it is a little reminiscent of the more happily ending Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon or perhaps even more modern works like Daphne Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel that leaves the reader a little mystified.

For a reader who enjoys a story of mystery and mischief Behind A Mask is a great little read. And oddly enough, even though I'm usually the type that prefers happily-ever-after endings, I actually liked this story!

On a scale of one to five, one being horrible and five being excellent I would rate Behind A Mask a 3.5. It was an intriguing read that I enjoyed and would recommend readers borrow from their library. For those curious, a free downloadable version is available online and inexpensive paperback copies can be found at Amazon.

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P.S. If you like the sound of Behind A Mask you might also like: Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Lady Audley's Secret, Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, or Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel. All are excellent reads.

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

My review must begin with a brief walk down memory lane...

My introduction to the House of Seven Gables came by way of a 8x10 framed print of the house, which hung in the living room of my grandparents home when I was a child. Because my grandparents home had four gables I mistook the house in the picture for that of their own home. When I expressed this assumption my grandmother quickly corrected my error. It was at this time that I learned a little of the real house, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I was able to see the house for myself. I believe it was also at this time that I first learned of Nathaniel Hawthorn’s novel named after the house and indeed the reason that the house has become so famous.

For some reason I was intrigued by the house. I knew one day I had to read the book.

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Through the years since I have often thought of reading The House of Seven Gables, but it was only this month that I finally undertook the task. I say task because reading Hawthorne is a task. I used to think Charles Dickens was a wordy author and his goal in life was to bore a reader to death. I’ve since learned to love his works and also realize that he was not the only author who loved to write a good long narrative... Nathaniel Hawthorne was another.

The House of Seven Gables was a hard start. As the novel begins the narrator must acquaint the reader with many details of the past before the reader can proceed with the story of the present. It is here that I found myself bogged down. So when I reached the second chapter (32 pages into the book) I couldn’t help but laugh when the narrator states, "All this time, however, we are loitering faint-heartedly on the threshold of our story..." Yeah, that about sums it up... It takes 28 pages just to get to one of the main characters and another half dozen pages before any action starts (chapter III). But if you push through you will be rewarded!

Like a train the story starts off at a very slow pace, but it gradually gains speed and within a few chapters I found myself caught up in the story and chugging along a decent speed. But don’t let this scare you away from reading this book. It is a classic that should not be missed! One critic wrote in 1851, “Every chapter proves the author to be, not only a master of narrative, a creator of character, an observer of life, and richly gifted with the powers of vital conception and combination, but it also exhibits him as a profound thinker and skillful metaphysician.”

If that's not enough to convince you than maybe this excerpt will:

"Never had the old house appeared so dismal to poor Hepzibah as when she departed on that wretched errand. There was a strange aspect in it. As she trod along the foot-worn passages, and opened one crazy door after another, and ascended the creaking staircase, she gazed wistfully and fearfully around. It would have been no marvel, to her excited mind, if, behind or beside her, there had been the rustle of dead people's garments, or pale visages awaiting her on the landing-place above. Her nerves were set all ajar by the scene of passion and terror through which she had just struggled..."

Now how's that? It was worth wading through the first few chapters just to get to chapters like that.

So what exactly is the story of The House of Seven Gables? It is more than the story of a house, though the way Hawthorne writes one certainly feels as though the house itself is a lead character in the story. It is the story of the Pyncheon family who is haunted through the generations by a dark family history of fraudulent dealings (which brought them into possession of their gabled home), the Salem Witch Trial, and even murder. It is a story of romance; it is tale of mystery and unexplainable events; it is a dark drama that ends as night does right before the dawn of a new day.

The copy of The House of Seven Gables that I borrowed from my library was 274 pages. It also included end notes and a few pages for commentary and a biographical introduction on the author bringing the book page total up to 312. It was as I mentioned a slow start, but picked up to average out to a steady read finished in less than a week’s time.

My final thoughts: I truly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. The House of Seven Gables is a classic that should be on everyone’s “Books To Read Before I Die” list. If you’re not a fan of Dickens you may not become a fan of Hawthorne, but that’s no excuse to skip this book. If you can’t bear to read the book, borrow an audio version from your library.