This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

287 pages

Published by Scribner in 1920

New York, NY

This Side of Paradise was F. Scott Fitzgerald's first novel. He penned it with the sole purpose of and desire for success. It was his belief that if he wrote a novel and had it published he would become a successful author and it would cause his lost love to return to him. Interestingly enough that is exactly what happened. Scribner published This Side of Paradise on March 26, 1920 and the book sold out within three days. Shortly after his lost love, Zelda Sayre returned and they were married April 3, 1920.

Unfortunately for Amory Blaine, the protagonist of This Side of Paradise, there wasn't such a "happy" ending to his story, but then it doesn't appear a happy ending was the goal of Fitzgerald in writing the story. This Side of Paradise  is a coming of age story about a young man, at the turn of the last century, who is in search of himself. In the end he does find out who he is (i.e. what type of person he is, his life motives, etc.), but happiness eludes him.

For those curious as to why Amory does not find happiness I will be so bold as to state that he did not find happiness because he was looking in all the wrong places. At one point in the story Amory claims, "It's just that religion doesn't seem to have the slightest bearing on life at my age." This is the lie that Amory chooses to believe and it is the same lie that many young people choose to believe today. Religion -- or rather faith in God -- has every bearing on our lives at every point of our lives. True faith in God is the beginning of true happiness and finding out who we are and why we are on earth.

This Side of Paradise is certainly not a "happily ever after" type of story, but it is a very real to life story. It is also very beautifully written (though I must admit I did find myself bogged down by the prose from time to time.) Still, I believe this is a book that would make an excellent reading selection for a book club. There is a lot of material to think on and to discuss.

I found it interesting to note how much of Amory's life experiences appear to be patterned after Fitzgerald's own. It was also fascinating to see how Fitzgerald pulled real life events and wove them into the story; some at very key points in Amory's life (i.e. prohibition). Though, I was a tad surprised to find the story glosses over Amory's time at war (WWI), but I suppose it was because in Fitzgerald's opinion the war didn't have the same affect on Amory's life choices that his relationships had.

All in all, I enjoyed This Side of Paradise; not because it was a happy or pretty story, but because it was well written and in its grittiness it depicted what life is like for someone who searches for fulfillment and happiness in all the wrong places. If you're looking for a "modern" novel to read and discuss with your book group I encourage you to take a closer look at one of Fitzgerald's novels (I also read and reviewed The Great Gatsby). I think there's plenty here to discuss even if you don't believe the same as the characters within.

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The Great Gatsby (reviewed)

This Side of Paradise (Free E-Book, Project Gutenberg)

This Side of Paradise (Free Audio Book, LibrioVox)

This Side of Paradise (Spark Notes)

Gerald And Elizabeth by D. E. Stevenson

245 pages
Published 1969 by Holt, Rinehart & Winston
New York NY

As most of you know by now, I have been a fan of D. E. Stevenson novels for a couple years now. My introduction was was in the fall of 2009 when a friend sent me the link to a delightful book titled, Miss Buncle's Book. From the moment I picked up Miss Buncle and began reading I became a life-long fan of Ms. Stevenson and now I look forward to each new title I discover, pick up and read.

Thanks to Hope at Worthwhile Books, who passed on to me a ex-library copy of Gerald and Elizabeth earlier this year, I had the chance to read another delightful tale by one of my favorite authors.


The Plot:
Gerald Brown is young, good-looking, personable, but he holds himself aloof from the other passengers aboard the Ariadne, a small passenger ship returning to London from Cape Town, South Africa. In fact, his behavior is so extremely antisocial that he appears on deck only late at night, rarely venturing from his cabin during the day. Something is troubling him deeply, something that happened while he was working as an engineer in a Cape Town diamond mine that has left him spent and hopeless.

After the Ariadne docks in London, Gerald, desperately in need of a job, decides to contact his sister, the beautiful and famous actress, Elizabeth Burleigh, whose current play is the hit of the London theater season. As he reveals to her his haunting past in South Africa, he learns that she too is suffering, that behind her facade of gaiety and sophistication lurks a nagging suspicion about her mental health that is threatening to destroy her career and her love affair as well.

What are the forces that seem bent on these destroying these young people who have so much to live for? Can the mysteries surrounding their lives be solved -- and in time to prevent irreversible consequences? (Summary courtesy of the book dust jacket.)

My thoughts:
I must admit in spite of reading this jacket summary I was still surprised by Gerald and Elizabeth. I expected from the summary that I knew exactly how the story would turn out... and to a degree I did -- it had a happy ending -- but at the same time there was still plenty of surprises within this story and as a result I really did enjoy the read. It was a light and charming read with a touch of mystery and wit that kept me intrigued up to the end.

That said, I can't say that Gerald and Elizabeth was one of D. E. Stevenson's best works. It was enjoyable, but not a masterpiece. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as good as some of her other books (i.e. Blue Sapphire, Mrs. Tim, Miss Buncle's Book, etc.). Nevertheless, a good Stevenson novel is still a worthwhile read and I recommend it to anyone looking for something new and different to read, particularly fans of Stevenson's novels.

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Related Links:

Happy Birthday D. E. Stevenson
Other D. E. Stevenson books reviewed

Biography - Wikipedia
All Things D. E. Stevenson

A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse

416 pages
Published in 2010 by Europa Editions
New York, NY

The Plot:
A quaint little bookshop called The Good Novel, which specializes in selling only novels that are deemed truly worthwhile pieces of literature by the owners and a secret advising committee, has opened its doors to the world from a quiet corner of Paris, France and is proving to be quite the successful enterprise... Until anonymous threats and mysterious attacks are made upon the owners, the secret committee and the store itself threatening it's very existence. (To learn more about A Novel Bookstore's plot visit Europa Editions for a full summary.)

My Thoughts:
Nearly a year ago I first stumbled upon A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse while browsing the various book blogs I subscribe too. Each review basically said the same thing: A Novel Bookstore is not only a unique read for those who love books, but it is one that should be read. I tucked it away to read at a later date. That time finally arrived this past week when, at a loss for something lighthearted to read, I randomly chose A Novel Bookstore from my library's shelves.

From the vague memory I had of the reviews I had read I thought I was picking up a modern mystery novel that involved a bookstore. A book about books, just the summer read I was looking for... And for the first few pages that's exactly what I believed I was reading. The book opens with three attacks upon members of The Good Novel's secret committee members, but as I read on I quickly realized that A Novel Bookstore is not a lighthearted who-dunit mystery, but rather a mix of drama and philosophy, with a thread or two of a love story woven in.

My only complaint with A Novel Bookstore is that while the plot is unique and exceedingly clever it does tend to plod at several points. There were several times where I felt the author got side-tracked in side stories or little details that mattered little to the story development, but I pressed on because I was curious as to the outcome of the story. Would The Good Novel survive the attacks? Who was behind them? What would become of the owners and the committee members. Of course, to make matters worse for me as I read, the author tossed around dozens and dozens of titles of good novels and authors (of good novels) that were mostly French and most of whom I'd never even heard of. I suppose this was supposed to spark in me the desire to track down these books and read them so as not to be a bibliophile who has read very few "good novels," but for me it just was a bit overwhelming. Perhaps if I'd heard of half of the authors (my fault for not being French???) I might have felt less so.

At any rate, I did find myself finishing this bittersweet story and realizing that even though it wasn't the lighthearted mystery I had expected to read, it was still a book that I had reasonably enjoyed. On more than one occasion it had caused me to stop and think.

For example, the very concept of a bookstore that only sells books that are deemed "good" by the owners (or an advising committee), is this bad? Are they pushing an elitist mindset? No, I don't think so. For anyone wishing to read something not available at such a bookstore they need only shop elsewhere. Who cares if you read a mixture of really good literature and so-so novels. If I could draw an analogy I'd say a bookstore like The Good Novel is similar to an organic food store. If a shopper is looking for a specific organic food item they might find it at a general grocery store, but they will almost certainly find it at an organic food store. That doesn't mean the general grocery store is "bad" for selling only a few organic items or that the organic food store is "best" because they don't sell any generic food items. They each have their own clientele with the occasional cross-over. Bringing it back to bookstores the same comparison could be made between a bookstore selling only "good literature" and those that sell a mixture of the good with the pulp and even a smattering of the bad. To shop at one or the other doesn't make you an elitist, its simply a matter of a consumer shopping at the store where they will best fine what they seek. And if they cannot find what they want they'll simply shop elsewhere for that item.

As I read I did stop to wonder -- if I had access to a bookstore like The Good Novel would I shop solely there? I doubt it. For me, I need to a mix in my reading -- the good and the fluffy. The classic and the best-seller. It's just the type of reader I am.

Over all, I found A Novel Bookstore to be a thought provoking read. Not a classic in and of itself, but a very clever story and one that caused me to stop and think. That's much more than I can say about most modern novels I've read of late.


Related Links:

The Good Novel
Lauren Cosse (Wiki Bio)
Europa Editions

The Belfry by May Sinclair

322 pages
Published 1916
by Macmillan Company
in New York, NY

"Well, that's exactly what he did have. He had my luck, I mean the luck I ought to have had, all the time, from the beginning to the very end. But there is one thing he can't take from me, and that is the telling of this story."

The Plot:
The Belfry, told in three "books" is the story of one Tasker "Jimmy" Jevons. In the first "book" the reader is introduced to Jimmy by the narrator, a friend named Walter. It is 1905 and Jimmy is a young struggling journalist without a half crown to his name, but with big dreams. These dreams include winning the heart of Walter's beautiful secretary, Viola. Much to the disbelief and somewhat annoyance of Walter (and those around him) Jimmy professes great foreknowledge of his future success as well as various events that will occur over the course of the next few months or years. To make matters worse, scandal ensues when Viola is discovered to have traveled to Belgium with Jimmy to see a belfry.

By the second part of the book Jimmy has time and time again achieved exactly what he set out to accomplish, including fame and fortune as a world-renowned author, play-write, and literary critic. Unfortunately the only thing he hasn't gained is the respect of his in-laws, including his wife's favorite brother. And then the darkness settles. Like a shooting star, Jimmy's career seems short-lived, his family life seems to be falling apart, and Jimmy seems to be in a world of his own consumed by wealth. To top this the ominous cloud of war approaches, the very war he foretold!

And then in the last third of the book the whole story turns upside down. And in a heroic moment set on a European battlefield the reader, as well as the narrator, discovers there is truly more than meets the eye when it comes to Tasker "Jimmy" Jevons.

My Thoughts:
It was last September while reading Agatha Christie's memoirs that I first learned of the English novelist May Sinclair. In her memoir Christie said of Sinclair, "I think she was one of our finest and most original novelists, and I cannot help feeling that there will be a revival of interest in her some day, and that her works will be republished."

I considered this as strong a recommendation for reading an author as any, so I set out to find one or two titles by May Sinclair that Agatha Christie had specifically mentioned in her memoir. Unfortunately while I was able to locate a few of Sinclair's novels through my library's ILL program it did not appear that they were the same as those mentioned by Christie. To add to my disappointment none of the books available included any plot information and I was not able to find any further information online. (Oddly enough many of Sinclair's novels are still in print, but no plot summaries or book reviews are available!)

In the end I settled for The Belfry because I liked the opening paragraph (above) and it sparked my interest.

At first I found the story a little slow going as I was unsure which direction the story was taking. And then for a time I thought I knew where it was headed and that it might be a 1916 English version of The Great Gatsby, or perhaps something worse like Evelyn Waugh's depressing novel, Brideshead Revisited. But because Christie had spoken so well of Sinclair's writing I kept reading. It's a good thing I didn't stop and it's an even better thing that I didn't get sidetracked by researching Sinclair as a person, for as if by magic, I read past the hundred and ninth page and suddenly I found I couldn't set the story aside.

I soon realized that The Belfry was so much more than I originally thought. Yes, it is a story of a self-made man and there are some sad elements, but it is also a real eye-opener about relationships (be they family, friends, or marital) and a study of people. As I finished The Belfry I found that I had learned some interesting things about the nature of people just as the narrator discovered some surprising truths about himself and about Jimmy.

In the end I was glad I persevered in reading The Belfry. I have since discovered that it was one of the books Agatha Christie referenced in her memoir, but published under a different name. In fact, it is the one novel Christie declared to be Sinclair's "masterpiece."

So having enjoyed The Belfry will I give Sinclair a second chance? Definitely! She's unlike any other author I've read to date. I enjoyed her writing style, the story she wove and I appreciated that she included hope and happiness for her characters without sacrificing the feeling of realness for the story as a whole.

Would I recommend Sinclair to other readers? To that I am not yet sure. From what I've since read about May Sinclair I can't say that I agree with many of her worldviews, but that doesn't mean that her other novels aren't worth reading. I think I will wait and see what I think of some of her other books before I shout her name from the blogging rooftops. In the meantime I definitely recommend The Belfry (also published as: Tasker Jevons: The Real Story). It is definitely a worthwhile read and one I'm glad I chanced to read. ~

Related Links:
The Belfry (Kindle - Free E-Book)
The Belfry (Gutenberg - Free E-Book)
The Belfry (Google - Free E-Book)

May Sinclair - Wikipedia

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

283 pages
Published 1948
Charles Scribner's Sons
New York, NY

"Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much." (Chpt 12, pg 80)

I knew little to nothing of Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country before picking up a copy to read for my book club, but I looked forward to reading it with great anticipation as I wanted to know why it had been an immediate best-seller upon publication in 1948 and why it continued to sell some 70 years later.

Set in South Africa in the late 1940s, Cry, The Beloved Country tells the heart wrenching story of a Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo and the people of his country. As the story begins Stephen and his wife sacrifice their life savings so that Stephen may go in search of his lost son, Absalom, who they fear is in great trouble. The backdrop for his journey is a land of beauty and rich history, but also one filled with injustice, racism, poverty, and fear. As Stephen hunts for his son he encounters many different people, some whom he is able to help and a great deal more who are able to help him. This story may seem tragic at first, but if the reader stops to ponder the heart of book as a whole it becomes quite clear that it is more than that. It is a story of redemption, of hope and courage, and of God's love for ALL of his people.

From the first page I was drawn in. Paton's storytelling is simple and his chapters brief, yet his descriptions are vivid. It was if I were watching each scene pass before my eyes rather than words. The characters and places are real to life and the plot is tragically moving yet redemptive and thus beautiful. I was likewise fascinated by the social commentary aspect of the book. Much like Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope did in their day, Alan Paton took a fictional story and wove within it serious issues of the day (i.e. racism, greed, poverty, illiteracy, etc.). It is said that Paton's personal motto was "South Africa must be saved one person at a time." I think perhaps Cry, The Beloved Country was his attempt to share his heart's calling with mankind worldwide one reader at a time.

"It is my own belief that the only power which can resist the power of fear is the power of love. It's a weak thing and a tender thing; men despise and deride it. But I look for the day when in South Africa we should realize that they only lasting and worthwhile solution of our grave and profound problems lies not in the use of power, but in that understanding and compassion without which human life is an intolerable bondage, condemning us all to an existence of violence, misery, and fear." (Alan Paton, Intro. ixi)

In retrospect Cry, The Beloved Country is a book I truly enjoyed reading and highly recommend to other readers. It is a classic that is applicable to any person, any country, and at any time. There is always a lesson to be learned if the reader's heart is open.

Feeling thus I was not surprised to learn that Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton is on the list of 1,000 books you must read before you die. While there are a smattering of books on that list that I really believe aren't worth any reader's time to read, this is not one of those. Cry, The Beloved Country is not only a worthwhile read, it is a true piece of literature.

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For those who would like to learn more about Alan Paton or his book be sure to check out the links I've provided below.

* The Alan Paton Centre & Struggle Archives
* Cry, The Beloved Country (Audio Book)
* Simon & Schuster: Cry, The Beloved Country
* Wikipedia: Cry, The Beloved Country
* Wikipedia: Alan Paton
* Cry, The Beloved Country Timeline
* SparkNotes: Cry, The Beloved Country
* Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country: A Tale of Two Media by Dr. Glenn Statile (Word Doc)

Gentlemen From England by Maud & Delos Lovelace

361 pages
Published in 1937
by The MacMillan Company
New York, NY

Although Maud Hart Lovelace is best known for her books for children and young-adults (e.g the Betsy-Tacy series) she also penned a few novels for adults, two of which she collaborated on with her husband, Delos. Gentlemen from England is the second of these two, the other being One Stayed At Welcome, which I read and reviewed for last year's MHLRC.

The Plot:
To Crockett County, Minnesota, in the decade following the Civil War, comes a colony of English gentry to establish great bean farms, at the instigation of a clever promoter who has persuaded them that they can obtain for a pittance vast estates, more beautiful and more profitable than any in England.

The plot centers around Richard Chalmers, third son in an English family, who loves farming and comes to America full of ambition. In Rainbow, he is thrown without preparation into the maelstrom of a new and strange life. How he becomes involved with one woman and falls in love with another; how scandal makes him virtually an outcast in the town; how the land to which he has turned for refuge fails him; how he rescues an enemy from lynching, and how he organizes the Rainbow Riders and comes back into the town's favor make exciting reading." (Summary courtesy of the 1937 edition)

My Thoughts:
Gentlemen From England is a darker story than most that Maud Hart Lovelace fans have come to love and expect. Still, and in spite of this, Gentlemen From England ranks as a favorite read of mine for the year. Sure, some may call it a "pot boiler" for it has a LOT of drama, but I honestly don't agree with that label. Yes, there is plenty of drama, but it is a well researched and well written novel and it makes for an exciting and compelling read; a book that I just didn't want to put down.

The darker aspect of this novel comes in the form of some pretty tough topics, especially for 1937 when the novel was published. Issues like spousal abuse, extra-marital affairs, alcoholism, gambling, animal abuse, teenage pregnancy, suicide, and social ostracization are the most serious. But the story also deals with the loss and failure typical for frontiersmen and women of that era. It thankfully also includes a good share of achievement, redemption, second chances, and of course love. And what makes this such a enjoyable read is that the good and the bad are handled with a fair amount of delicacy. The reader knows what is going on without having to know every graphic detail. It is enough to know that one character kicks a dog without having to read the details of the time he kills a horse. Or that another character falls in love resulting in an unplanned pregnancy without the love scenes so vividly portrayed in modern novels.

The only other "dark" aspects of this book include the use of mild profanity by certain characters and the influence of astrology by one character. The profanity startled me at first, but I was able to overlook it as it felt in character with those who used it. In other words, typical for the time, place and person. As for the astrology, I admit it was a bit of a hang-up for me since its something I don't believe in. I found it distracted me from appreciating the character, but in the end her personality won me over and I was able to ignore the part I didn't agree with.

Within Gentlemen From England the Lovelaces tell a few love stories, some end tragically, others with hope of a future and still others with definite happiness, but what is interesting is that below the surface of these human relationships there is another love story, one more subtly woven, that of an Englishman and the land.

Overall I took the good with the bad and found in the end that I really really really enjoyed this story. It has everything that a general reader could enjoy -- adventure, drama, tragedy, romance, comedy, history. No, it's not a "pot boiler". I think it's an excellent book and worthy of being read by Maud Hart Lovelace fans.

The good news it isn't really out of print. I mean it is, but it isn't. In 1993 the Minnesota Historical Society reprinted Gentlemen From England and copies are still available through their website. This edition includes an introduction by Sarah P. Rubinstein that details the extent of research the Lovelaces conducted in order to write the novel. Although I've yet to read the introduction (my copy of the book is still on its way to me), I think it will only add to the enjoyment of this book.

The copy I read was a first edition borrowed through ILL. I checked online and copies like the one I borrowed are valued over $100 a piece. (Yikes!) Oh how I'd love to own one of these, but just cannot afford one at that price.

For those interested, but not quite committed you can read sections of the book on Google, but be warned this is not the novel in its entirety. Several pages and chapters are missing, including the whole last quarter. But if you ask me just go and get a copy to read. If your library doesn't own a copy, check Inter Library Loan. Even if you have to pay to borrow (as some ILL programs require) it is usually only a couple of dollars. If you are a committed MHL fan like I am you might consider springing and paying the $9-13 plus shipping for your own copy. If you choose the latter I think you'll be pleased.

Happy reading!

Mrs. Tim Gets a Job by D. E. Stevenson

282 pages
Printed in the United States
in 1947 by J. J. Little and Ives Company
New York

It really says something about an author when they not only succeed in writing an enjoyable read the first time, but then go on to succeed in telling it further in a second and third installment. Such is the case with Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, the third story in the Mrs. Tim series by D. E. Stevenson.

The Plot:
"With Tim still with the Regiment in Egypt, Mrs. Tim begins to feel the need of something to occupy her time. But when she jokingly remarks to an acquaintance that perhaps she should "do something," that chance remark brings Mrs. Tim more than she had bargained for. She finds herself working for Miss Erica Clutterbuck whose English Border home has been turned into a small hotel. Here at Tocher House one amusing situations after another develops, with the incomparable Mrs. Tim always unhappily in the middle. Here too are new and entertaining characters that are welcome additions to the Tim circle. Like the earlier books, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment and Mrs. Tim Carries On, the story is told for Tim, and quite unconsciously it shows his wife the amusing, warmhearted, understanding person she is." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
I've said it before, I love the Mrs. Tim books. They are a delight to read and always good for a laugh. With each book I feel as if I am returning to the story of a dear friend. Mrs. Tim Gets a Job picks up a few years after the the last novel, Mrs. Tim Carries On, ends. I was pleased that readers are given the chance to learn how various long-time friends of Hester's were doing since the second world war had ended. Such meetings include Hester's hilarious late night adventure with Pinkey and a surprise visit from my personal favorite, Tony Morely!

In addition readers are introduced to a handful of new characters and settings that add to the enjoyment of this read. I couldn't help but love the gruff Erica Clutterbuck. My favorite scene being when she's reading aloud from a supposed Jane Austen novel to the work party (a group of women sewing clothes for charity) on April 1st. Of course in keeping with April Fool's Day it's not really an Austen story, but none of the women, excepting Hester, realize this. What ensues makes for quite an amusing scene and would be appreciated by any Austen fan. All I have to say is well done Stevenson!

Yes, D. E. Stevenson has scored another winner with Mrs. Time Gets a Job. Her writing style is hilarious, witty, charming, sweet, and all around fascinating. Even the day-to-day tales kept me turning pages until late into the night. Mrs. Tim Gets a Job is another winner. Oh how I would love to get my hands on the complete set of this series. Bloomsbury Group reprinted the first in the series, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment in 2009 (now available in the US for under $10). I'm hoping they will go on to republish the rest of the series. (Pretty please!)

Up next the last installment of the Mrs. Tim series, Mrs. Tim Flies Home. Look for a review in the next month.

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Related Links:

Mrs. Tim of the Regiment - Reviewed
Mrs. Tim Carries On - Reviewed

Tuesday Teasers: Mrs. Tim Gets a Job
Tuesday Teasers: Mrs. Tim Gets a Job
Tuesday Teasers: Mrs. Tim of the Regiment

Other D. E. Stevenson books reviewed

The House At Riverton by Kate Morton

470 pages
Published in 2006 by Atria Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc
New York, NY

The House At Riverton was originally published in Australia in 2006 as The Shifting Fog; it was Kate Morton's debut novel at the age of 30. I've been curious to read this book for quite some time. The cover art and the publisher's plot summary just tickled my mystery-loving readers palette. After reading and enjoying The Forgotten Garden and learning that Dame Agatha Christie makes a cameo (yet fictional) appearance within the story I knew I needed to add this to my TBR list.

Plot Summary Courtesy of the Author:

My Thoughts:
Is it possible to really like and really dislike a book at the same time? Some might call that emotion "lukewarm", but I can't say my feelings about The House at Riverton were that, in fact they were far from it. I really really liked this book and at the same time I really really didn't. And apparently I am not alone in how I feel I've noticed reviews from other readers range from a 1 star "I didn't finish it, too predicable, to cliche." To 5 stars "I loved it! Such a great read, I couldn't put it down."

So what made me feel so strongly mixed in my emotions? Well, on the one hand I did find the story slightly predicable and the characters a little cliche. The plot was unique, but it didn't take me completely by surprise. From nearly the beginning I had figured out a good portion of the mystery. And then there was the characters and settings, they seemed oddly familiar. I finally realized there were two reasons for this. First, Morton tends to make subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) nods toward a handful of 19th and 20th century classics (but more on that later). And second, there are certain characteristics and themes that mirror each other between Morton's first and second novels, something that is obvious to anyone who has read the books close together. I can only hope this will not be repeated too many more times in her novels as it could grow old.

On the other hand, there is something about Morton's storytelling that I just really enjoy. Despite the predictability I still found myself caught up in the story and turning page after page until late at night I reached the end and at last the puzzle pieces all fell into place. It is a compelling story.

Something else that I like about Morton's writing is that she keeps her stories fairly clean. I may not agree with the moral choices that some of the characters make, but there is little to no language and the love scenes are more implied than described and any that are mentioned are void of details. The only exception in The House At Riverton was when two-thirds of the way through I was jolted in my reading when I came upon the single use of the "F" word. I was not expecting it and it felt completely unnecessary and as if the publisher required it to make the book appeal to the masses. Still, if a reader is willing to overlook this, as it only takes up a tiny percentage of the story, I suspect they will find The House At Riverton an engaging read.

At this point I feel I should note to readers that The House At Riverton is not really a love story, though a few characters do get their "happily-ever-after." It is a mystery that revolves around a tragedy and it is a coming-of-age story for both the protagonist and two extremely different social classes during the earliest years of the 20th century. It reminds me a little of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, which I suppose is why I was not surprised to learn that Kate Morton claimed her inspiration for the book sprouted from several sources, including novels by Daphne DuMaurier, the Bronte sisters and Ian McEwan. In addition to the obvious (Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Atonement) I also noticed several other literary hints to such novels as Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I realize not every reader will like The House At Riverton and honestly I'm a little surprised that I did. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it has to do with Kate Morton's storytelling. She just weaves a story that kept me reading.

If either The Forgotten Garden or The House At Riverton are ever adapted to the screen I would be interested in seeing them. I am already planning to check out Morton's third and latest novel, The Distant Hours, which will be available in November of this year. From what I can find on Morton's website this novel will be a little different, but there are still some of the same themes she used in her first two novels. I'm curious as to the reason behind this. Why is Morton inspired to write about these particular types of people? And will she be able to tell a story equally as compelling as her first two yet without echoing the feeling of deja vue? Guess I'll have to wait and see.

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Related Links:
Kate Morton's Website
The Forgotten Garden Reviewed

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

233 pages
Published by Longmans, Green & Co in 1932
Reprinted by Penguin Books in 2006

"Oh Charles. You do have heavenly teeth." Could there be a more bizarre introduction to a novel than that? And yet, that was exactly how I first learned of Stella Gibbons' comic novel Cold Comfort Farm.

One aspect of reading that I love is how you never know when or where you'll stumble upon an intriguing read. It might be while browsing in a library or book store, or while listening to the radio or watching TV. It's sometimes when you read a blog or even while reading a book that mentions another book. But probably one of my most unique introductions was reading a quote within a status update on Facebook -- it was the reference to Charles' heavenly teeth that first intrigued me with Cold Comfort Farm.

So what is Cold Comfort Farm about? Perhaps you're like me and have never heard of this book. If so it might be best summed up as this: A beautiful young socialite named Flora (recently orphaned) decides to move in with her country relatives, the gloomy Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm. Each relative has their own unique problem and Flora soon turns life upside down on the farm as she applies some "modern common sense" to each situation in an effort to bring everyone a happily-ever-after.

Cold Comfort Farm is a comic novel that satires or parodies many of the late 19th century and early 20th century novels, particularly those by D. H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy.

My Thoughts:
At first I found the story to be a bit of a muddle. Not only was I trying to piece together the characters (there are so many!) and settings (see below re: the time), but I was also trying to sort out the deliberately convoluted prose and "strained metaphors" that are supposed to add to the entertainment of the book. I learned later that some of the most "purple" paragraphs are marked with asterisks, which once you know this helps prepare you in your reading. Of course, with some books all of this might be enough to bog me down and cause me to lose interest, but not so with Cold Comfort Farm. Despite it all I still found the book to be a quick read and by the time I reached Chapter 6 I found myself adjusted to the writing style and that the characters and settings were fitting together like pieces to a puzzle.

As to the heroine... I can't say really whether I liked Flora or not. At times I found her noisy and annoying and yet, I couldn't help cheering a little as she tied up the loose ends and set off to her own happy ending. She's not a favorite character, but she was so much of this story I'm willing to overlook the annoying moments.

Looking back I realize it might have helped me if I had watched the movie first, but since everyone who's read the book raves about it I decided to wait until after I'd finished reading. Once finished I did request the movie from my library, I couldn't resist. This book just begs to be adapted to the screen and the 1995 adaptation starring Kate Beckinsale is a fairly true version. There were some modern aspects to the story, but nothing too shocking. (i.e. where something is implied subtly in the book it is semi-subtly depicted or stated in the movie, but nothing graphic.) The only loss is that due to time constraints some of the minor characters are dropped or morphed into other characters. If you want the story at it's fullest you should read the book first then watch the film.

One other interesting note I want to make about the book is its setting in time, which I referred to earlier. While Cold Comfort Farm was written in the early 1930s Stella Gibbons set the story to occur "some time in the future." This future date is not obvious at first, but does appear in some unexpected moments. Like the mention of the Anglo-Nicaraguan War of 1946, characters sending mail by air, and most strange of all when Flora has a conversation with a friend on the phone and he "tunes" in the television screen so he can see her while he talks with her. As I said, these are a little unexpected because so much of the story refers to what one might expect to find in the way of houses and machines, clothing and culture of the 1930s.

In the end I found Cold Comfort Farm a witty and very entertaining read, albeit very bizarre at times. There were numerous passages that I jotted down as they were just too funny not to quote. It is definitely one-of-a-kind novel and yet had hints of other stories. If I had to compare Cold Comfort Farm with other literature or films I'd seen I might describe it as: Mary Poppins meets Emma Woodhouse meets Jane Eyre meets Far From the Madding Crowd. No, it's just not your typical 1930s novel. And yet I found much of the plot predicable. From the introduction of each Starkadder and their peculiar situation I had an idea of how things would be resolved, but this didn't spoil the read. If you haven't read Cold Comfort Farm and you're looking for something entertaining and as they say "wickedly funny" then look no further.

For those curious about the author, Stella Gibbons began her writing career as a journalist, but eventually penned more than 30 novels and books of poetry from the 1930s through the early 1970s. Cold Comfort Farm was her first novel and the book that made her famous. She did write a couple short sequels in the 1940s, but I have not yet read them. For more information check out her Wiki-biography or these news articles.

Related Links:
Cold Comfort Farm (Google Books)

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

271 pages

Published 1939 by G. P. Putnam's Sons

Reprinted in 2008 by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers

New York, NY

Sad Cypress is the 27th mystery novel penned by Dame Agatha Christie. Although the first half of the novel is mostly told through the eyes of the accused, the case solving is once again to the complete credit of the Belgian with his little grey cells, one Hercule Poirot.

When it was first published Sad Cypress received mostly favorable reviews with it's lowest criticism being that it wasn't up to par with Christie's best yet still a thrilling read. I have to say I can agree with this. Sad Cypress may not be a top five, or even ten amongst the numerous novels the Queen of Crime penned, but it is an entertaining and thrilling read.

The Plot:

"At the center of this classic murder mystery is a classic love triangle. Elinor Carlisle always assumed she would marry her childhood friend and distant cousin, Roderick Welman. Instead he fell in love with Mary, whom Elinor and Roderick used to play with on their Aunt Laura's lavish estate. When Mary is gruesomely poisoned by morphine, suspicions naturally fall upon Elinor. Then Aunt Laura, who bequeathed her estate and fortune to Elinor, is also found to have died form a morphine overdose. The murderer seems obviously to everyone -- everyone, that is, except Hercule Poirot. The Belgian sleuth summons all his powers to unravel the intricacies of a case that seems deceptively simple on the surface." (Courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
Although I can't say this was one of my all-time favorite Christie mysteries I did find that this story got better and better with each turn of the page. It is the first courtroom drama to appear in one of Christie's novels and from the first line I was pulled into the drama as I watched everything through the eyes of the accused.

As I mentioned above, the book is divided into two parts. The first opens in the courtroom with Elinor standing trial for the murder of Mary, but then steps back in time to the events that led up to that very moment. The second part leaves Elinor and lets the reader watch first hand as Poirot single handily pieces clue upon clue and lie upon lie until he unravels the whole mystery.

I was especially intrigued by the title of this novel, Sad Cypress. It is also the name of a song contained in William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night which goes:

Come away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O, prepare it!
My part of death, no one so true
Did share it.

Personally I find it fascinating when authors (or publishers) pull the title of a poem or song or the first line of some famous quote and tie it in with the story by making it the title of the book. I find that it adds another whole dimension to the story. And this story had plenty of dimension. The setting is quiet country village with a beautiful, but haunting estate. The characters are different, but not unusual. The murder weapon is poison, Agatha Christie's personal "favorite" if you could call it that. And although by the end of the book I had half-figured the mystery out I admit I was stumped as to the final "why" and had to wait for Poirot's big reveal. Still, it is a well-written mystery with plenty of red herrings and clues cleverly woven. I found the story easy to imagine and this is one that definitely translates well to the screen, although (as is often the case with 21st century adaptations) it hasn't always been faithfully translated, still the adaptations that are available do make for good television.

Although not a top book in my opinion I do still find I really liked Sad Cypress and that it is proof enough that the Queen of Crime just got better and better with each mystery. Sad Cypress is a must read for Christie fans as well as readers who love solving a good ol' who-dun-it.

As a side note, the copy of Sad Cypress I read was published 2008 (cover art pictured in the upper right corner of this post) and was what the library offered when I requested this title. But avid Christie fans, like myself, might find it interesting and fun to view the cover art that this title has been published with over the last 70+ years. To view head on over to DeliciousDeath.com book listings here.

Up next: One, Two Buckle My Shoe.

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Other Agatha Christie Reviews:
*Novels published from 1920-1923 see note below.

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
The Secret of Chimneys (1925)
The Big Four (1927)
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
Peril at End House (1932)
Lord Edgware Dies (1933)
Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)
Three Act Tragedy (1935)
Death in the Clouds (1935)
The A.B.C. Murders (1936)
Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)
Cards on the Table (1936)
Dumb Witness (1937)
Death on the Nile (1937)
Appointment With Death (1938)
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
Murder Is Easy (1939)
And Then There Were None (1939)

Absent In the Spring by Mary Westmacott (a.k.a. Agatha Christie) (1944)

* Christie's novels written from 1920 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) through 1923 (Murder on the Links) I read before I began this blog hence no reviews are currently available.

Mrs. Tim Carries On by D. E. Stevenson

307 pages
Published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston
1941, reprinted in the United States 1973

I absolutely love the Mrs. Tim books by D. E. Stevenson!

Mrs. Tim Carries On is the second in a series of four books chronicling the day-to-day life and adventures of Hester Christie, wife to Captain Tim Christie an officer in a Scottish Regiment. As one might guess from the cover art of this book, the story is set several years after the first book (Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, a.k.a. Mrs. Tim Christie) leaves off. England is now in the midst of another war with Germany (it is the early years of World War II and America has not yet joined in). Throughout the novel Hester and her friends and family must make the best these dark and difficult times as they "do their part" and watch their loved ones, including Tim, march off to battle.

Although Mrs. Tim Carries On is a little darker than its predecessor it is appropriately so; one should expect nothing less of a novel set in the midst of World War II -- and yet, Stevenson struck a balance in this story between the real life struggles, hardships, and loss with the day-to-day normality and occasional adventure that a military wife and mother to two young children might encounter. Of course there is also plenty of witty dialogue, curious characters, and even a romance between two supporting characters to add to the enjoyment of this read. Mrs. Tim does indeed "carry on" in this novel and I found it to be a delightfully witty, interesting and all around charming read.

To add to the enjoyment factor is to learn that the Mrs. Tim books are actually based off D. E. Stevenson's own diaries! Apparently she was inspired to write the books when a friend requested Stevenson jot down some of her experiences as an officer's wife for her friend's daughter, a newlywed to an officer in a Scottish regiment. Stevenson sent over her diaries and the friend's daughter replied that they were so good they should be published.

One might think that books based on a diary wouldn't be that exciting and maybe in some cases that would be true, but not so with but D. E. Stevenson. In her Mrs. Tim books she has weaved fact and fiction together so seamlessly that it's hard to know where one leaves off and the other begins. I find the interesting little snippets of life in England during the early years of WWII absolutely fascinating and surreal. To imagine young children walking off to school with a gas mask slung over their shoulder is so foreign to me. And then there's the entertaining little bits, like when characters mention going to see a movie that recently arrived in the theater -- movies such as Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Rebecca!

The Mrs. Tim books are indeed worthwhile reads and a treasure to anyone who can get their hands on a copy. Thankfully the first book, Mrs. Tim of the Regiment is once again available ($8-$10), but readers looking for the rest of the series will either need to spend a good deal of money to obtain a used copy ($30+) or check with their library or library's Inter Library Loan program. I had to do the latter to obtain this read and any of the rest in the series, but in my opinion it was worth the trouble. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series, Mrs. Tim Gets a Job, which I will be reviewing here, so stay tuned!

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Related Links:
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment (Bloomsbury)
D. E. Stevenson Books

Related D. E. Stevenson Posts & Book Reviews:
Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
Miss Buncle's Book
Miss Buncle Married
The Two Mrs. Abbotts
Rochester's Wife
Celia's House
Listening Valley
The Blue Sapphire

Tuesday Teasers: Mrs. Tim of the Regiment
Tuesday Teasers: The Blue Sapphire
Tuesday Teasers: Listening Valley
Tuesday Teasers: Miss Buncle Married

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope

802 pages
Published in serial form 1874-1875
Reprinted Barnes & Noble Classics, 2005
New York, NY

I can't help but find it a little ironic that a few weeks after I first discovered Angela Thirkell and her Barsetshire novels my book club settled upon reading an Anthony Trollope novel. For those who don't know/remember, Anthony Trollope wrote a series of six books set in the fictional county of Barsetshire, which some 80 years later Angela Thirkell used as inspiration for 29 of her own novels set in that same fictional county. (While Trollope's novels were about the people of Barsetshire in the mid 19th century, Thirkell's were her own creation of the people of Barsetshire in the early and mid 20th century.)

The book selected by my book club was not one of Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire, but one of Trollope's longer stories, The Way We Live Now, which although not popular upon first publication has in recent years come to be considered Trollope's best work.

The Plot:
"Ruthless greed, relentless self-promotion, corporate swindles and scandals on a grand scale -- indeed it sounds like 'the way we live now.' Though Anthony Trollope's title actually refers to 1870s England, his scathing satire of a money-mad culture cuts close to the contemporary bone. At its center stands Augustus Melmotte, a crooked financier whose enormous schemes ensnare an array of avaricious aristocrats, politicians and 'important people.' Among them are Lady Carbury, who earns the family bread by churning out fatuous potboilers, and her spendthrift, ne''er-do-well son, Felix, who sets his sights on Melmotte's dangerously beautiful daughter, Marie. meanwhile Felix's sister, Hetta, falls for Melmotte's partner, Paul, who's encumbered wiht an American fiancee, herself a widow who may have shot her husband. As the frauds expand and the romantic entanglements grow ever more complex, Trollope revels in the antics of his characters while pillorying the corruption of their morally bankrupt society." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The story plot is thick (so much happens within the story over the course of six months) and the characters richly colorful and quirky.

Some readers might liken Trollope to Dickens, but I think in some ways Trollope is actually better than Dickens. The Way We Live Now is a long book, almost as long as Dickens' Bleak House or Little Dorrit, yet not once did I feel the story lagged or that Trollope was rambling as I admit I have felt from time to time with Dickens. Another aspect that I liked about Trollope's writing is that his characters seemed a little less stereotypical. On the downside I can't say that I loved any of the characters in The Way We Live Now. I liked some of the characters and I completely despised some of the others within The Way We Live Now, but none tugged at my heartstrings as in books like Bleak House.

One similarity between Dickens and Trollope is the ending. Both Dickens and Trollope ended their novels with a "happy ending" -- although in the case of The Way We Live Now that doesn't mean every character lives happily-ever-after or has all their problems solved, but it does mean that the reader finishes the book satisfied.

The Way We Live Now is a satire, which means Trollope was writing tongue-in-cheek as he criticized and commented on various aspects of life in England during the latter decades of the 19th century. His writing is filled with interesting and thought provoking snapshots and at the same time is witty and entertaining. Although a long read (with 100 chapters) The Way We Live Now is not a difficult read. I particularly enjoyed the vivid imagery that Trollope's words painted and jotted down many passages in my Book of Books.

Some might be discouraged by the length of The Way We Live Now, as I mentioned it runs to 100 chapters and depending on the publication can average around 800 pages. It took me 25 days to finish, but it was definitely a worthwhile read and one I highly recommend to any reader. I bounced back and forth between reading the actual book and listening to the complete book read aloud with the free LibroVox iPhone application. Having finished and thoroughly enjoyed The Way We Live Now I am definitely planning to explore more of Trollope's works in the future. As for The Way We Live Now, this is one book I'd advise you to buy rather than borrow.

On a related note, PBS Masterpiece Theater produced a mini-series adaptation of The Way We Live Now in 2001 starring David Suchet (Hercule Poirot) and Matthew Macfadyen (Pride and Prejudice). I watched this series in 2007 at a time when, sadly, I'd never heard of Anthony Trollope. The movie is fairly true to the book. Some aspects of the story did not transfer to the screen, others did not transfer very well, which means you don't get the full depth of this story by watching the movie alone. But I do believe watching the adaptation does help a reader gain a better understanding of the story as a whole and also helps keep who's who amongst the characters clear within the reader's mind while they read.

I will add that the movie ending and the book ending are different, but only slightly so and both still end happily. The only objection I had to the movie was the addition of some bedroom-type scenes, though not obscene were enough to leave the viewer without doubt as to the intimacy of the character's relationships. Upon further reflection I believe this interpretation is typical of society's views within the 21st century, but not what Trollope intended in his book. It just doesn't work with the social views of the 19th century. Yes, affairs occurred, but not for characters of these types. Still I enjoyed the miniseries and recommend it to anyone who has read the book or requires some assistance in understanding the story before setting out to read the novel.

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Related Links:
* Anthony Trollope Society
* Anthony Trollope.Com
* Anthony Trollope USA
* PBS: Masterpiece Classics: The Way We Live Now
* E-book: The Way We Live Now (Project Gutenberg)
* Audio-Book: LibroVox: The Way We Live Now

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

275 pages
Published 1939 by G. P. Putnam's Sons
Reprinted 2001 by Penguin Putnam Inc.
St Martin's Paperbacks

And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians) is probably one of the most recognizable of Agatha Christie's mystery novels amongst readers. It has been called the best selling mystery novel of all times and is currently the 1oth best selling book of all times with 100 million copies (and counting) sold worldwide. It has been adapted into movies and plays and converted into video games. It is even said to have inspired the 2009 TV show Harper's Island.

And yet, I actually dreaded the moment when I would read this book. It is, in my opinion, the scariest and thus perhaps the best of all Agatha Christie's crime and mystery novels. But then, maybe I am prejudiced.

My first encounter with And Then There Were None was when I was a child of ten or eleven and I watched the 1945 film adaptation starring Barry Fitzgerald and Judith Anderson (to name just two of the many famliar faces you'll see). It was not a horror story. It was a B&W murder mystery film with a happier ending than the novel it was based on and yet I remember it being very scary. So scary that I had nightmares any time I watched it, which normally would mean I wouldn't watch the movie.... Yet I had this bizarre love-hate relationship with the story. I loved aspects of the movie and would watch it periodically over the years, but every time I did (even if I watched it in the middle of the day) the very next time I went to sleep I would be bothered with bad dreams.

So you can imagine why I had butterflies when I picked up a copy of this book from the library. Would reading it give me nightmares? I already knew the ending and that it would be worse than the 1945 movie so maybe reading the story wouldn't impact me in the same way watching the movie had? One thing was for certain, I needed to read And Then There Were None if I were to truly complete my personal Agatha Christie challenge (read all of her mystery novels by order of publication). And so, I was determined to slay this dragon once and for all.

The Plot:
"Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they start to die..." (Summary courtesy of AgathaChristie.com)

My Thoughts:
To answer your question, yes, I did have a very bad dream the night after I started reading the book. Mercifully it only took me 24 hours to finish this quick read so I only suffered loss of sleep for that one night. Looking back I still believe And Then There Were None is the deadliest, darkest, most intense read of Agatha Christie's mysteries. It is a thriller. It is a puzzling mystery. It is a very intruiging study of human psyche and the depraved and decieved mind (and heart). And it is also a commentary of sorts society's views on crime and punishment. And Then There Were None is excellently well written, the characters are colorful and the plot is well crafted. I'd like to think the mystery would have puzzled me to the end had I not already known the answer.

I asked a friend who had watched Harper's Island if he'd be interested in reading And Then There Were None. I wanted to know what it would be like for someone to read the book with fresh eyes. Would they be able to solve the mystery before the end? My friend had his suspicions, but in the end he admitted that he was left guessing until the last few pages when the mystery is revealed to the reader. Yet again proof that this is Agatha Christie at her best.

So it should follow that this is my favorite Christie novel of all times, right? Not so. Even though it has all the elements that make for a thrilling read and puzzling mystery I didn't like it because of it's lack of happy ending. There is no Hercule Poirot or Jane Marple to save the day. This was the best mystery I've read in a long time and worthy to be on any mystery lover's reading list. But at the same time I have no desire to read it again. Once was enough. I have slayed this dragon and I plan to let it lie.

Up next: Sad Cypress.

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Other Agatha Christie Reviews:
*Novels published from 1920-1923 see note below.

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
The Secret of Chimneys (1925)
The Big Four (1927)
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
Peril at End House (1932)
Lord Edgware Dies (1933)
Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)
Three Act Tragedy (1935)
Death in the Clouds (1935)
The A.B.C. Murders (1936)
Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)
Cards on the Table (1936)
Dumb Witness (1937)
Death on the Nile (1937)
Appointment With Death (1938)
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
Murder Is Easy (1939)
And Then There Were None (1939)

Absent In the Spring by Mary Westmacott (a.k.a. Agatha Christie) (1944)

* Christie's novels written from 1920 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) through 1923 (Murder on the Links) I read before I began this blog hence no reviews currently