The Devil and Miss Prym (Ulysses Survival Reading #4)

Author: Paulo Coelho
Narrator: Linda Emond
First Published: 2000
Source: Library
Challenge(s): From 1001 List

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3/5

Only 16 pages left of Ulysses!!! I suppose I should just go on and finish, but I need a little break from Molly's "sentence". It reminds me of the 80's song "88 Lines About 44 Women" by The Nails, only it's probably 2,000 lines and (mostly) about men.  Molly has taken TMI to a whole new level in this novel, which I didn't think was possible.  I had no idea Joyce was holding out a little grossness to spring on me in the end.  

Thus I find myself wanting to share some thoughts on this short tale of Paulo Coelho's simply because it is quite the opposite of Ulysses.  Where Joyce's writing is earnestly complicated, and seems to avoid any inkling of a moral, Coelho's goal is simplicity, and to convey a message that will have some sort of uplifting effect upon the reader.  

In the case of The Devil and Miss Prym, the question explored is whether mankind is inherently good or evil.  A man with a tragic past comes to the small village of Visco, and promises a large amount of gold to the village if they will agree to murder just one person.  Discussions and justifications follow, as the people of the town decide if and who will be sacrificed for the future prosperity of Visco, or in some cases, for their own selfish gains.

In the end, the predictable message is that each individual chooses between good and evil within, rather than mankind as a whole being one or the other.  Our choices can be influenced by fears of loneliness, punishment, failure, or loss of reputation, but ultimately we are responsible for our own choices. Forgive me, but my main thought upon finishing this was "Duh!"   Am I taking it for granted that most people feel this way already, or do I live in a bubble?

Whatever the case, I found the story interesting even if it was not paradigm-shifting.  I find myself underwhelmed by Coelho, but it may just be a case of inflated expectations.  On the back flap of the book cover, it says "Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved authors of our time.  With sales of more than 75 million copies worldwide, his books have been translated into 61 languages and published in 150 countries."  With all of that fanfare, I think I just expect more of something.  Not just a reinforcement of something I already believe, expressed through a story that I found somewhat unbelievable.

Did Joyce care about whether mankind was good or evil?  I've done such a superficial reading of Ulysses that I can't be sure, but the overall feeling I get is that mankind is what it is, and that's all there is to it.  We live, we think, we die.   At least that's what I've gotten from the first 917 pages...

Two by Jessica Day George (Ulysses Survival Reading #2-#3)

It's actually been a few weeks since I've read these, but right now I'm in the middle of Episode 15 of Ulysses, which involves prostitutes, a lucky potato, and a generous amount of nightmarish gibberish that I don't understand, all put together in the form of a play with a million characters.  It's time for an intermission.  Refreshments wouldn't hurt, either.

These two books allowed me to escape into a fantasy world much different than that of Stephen Dadelus or Leopold Bloom, thank goodness.  Jessica Day George is clearly first and foremost a storyteller.  From page one until the end, the story (in each book) is engaging, easy to read, and I was rooting for the good guys to win.  In both of these books, the "good guy" is a strong female lead who uses her wits to get the job done.  Not much time is spent on characterization or inner monologues (take that, Joyce!), which may sound like a weakness, but it contributes to the feel of sitting by a campfire riveted to a humorous and adventurous story that lets you escape into a different world.  Which is what I needed.

For more information on what these books are actually about, you can check out the information on the author's website.  I knew next to nothing about these stories before I picked them up, and I liked it that way. I will just let you know that one involves huge polar bears, trolls, and a nameless girl who can talk to animals, and the other includes dragons, a spoiled princess, and shoes that itch.  No lucky potatoes--hallelujah!

Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow

Published 2008
336 pages

Personal Enjoyment Factor:  3.5/5

Dragon Slippers

Published 2007

324 pages

Personal Enjoyment Factor:  4/5

Thank you, Jeeves (Ulysses Survival Reading #1)

Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Originally Published: 1934
Length:  229 pages
Source: Library
Challenge(s): 1001+
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

About Bertie:

"Mr. Wooster, miss," he said, "is, perhaps mentally somewhat negligible, but he has a heart of gold."

About Jeeves:  

I must say I can't see why Jeeves shouldn't go down in legend and song.  Daniel did, on the strength of putting in half an hour or so in the lions' den and leaving the dumb chums in a condition of suavity and camaraderie; and if what Jeeves had just done wasn't entitled to rank well above a feat like that, I'm no judge of form.

One cannot be expected to read Ulysses exclusively, or else one might become mentally deranged.  Consequently,  I've picked up a few reading selections on the lighter side. It seemed a good time to discover the "comic genius" of Wodehouse.

Thank You, Jeeves fit the bill perfectly.  This is my first introduction in any format to Bertie Wooster, who has a knack for getting into sticky situations, and his valet, Jeeves, who inevitably shows up to save the day.  In this first full-length novel of the pair, Bertie's annoying banjolele playing has driven Jeeves into other employment, and Bertie must move into a cottage where he can develop his musical "talents" without the complaints of neighbors.  While there, Bertie encounters (and often creates) situations worthy of an I Love Lucy episode as he tries to bring two lovers together despite the obstacles.  And he wouldn't be able to pull it off without the help of the ever-resourceful Jeeves.

Did it make me laugh?  I found the first three-quarters of the book pleasantly, but mildly humorous.  During the last part, however, I had more than a few satisfying belly laughs, some involving one of my favorite foods--butter.  I immediately added Jeeves and Wooster to my Netflix queue, and I'm ready for more chuckles (and a break from Joyce's epic conundrum).  I would also love to go back and read the short stories that preceded this novel.  I have a feeling it's the kind of humor that builds as you go along.  I am left with only one question:  Where can I get my very own Jeeves?? I need, I need!

Ulysses Readalong - Pride, Humility, and Shock

Before beginning Ulysses, I had this idea that if I really applied myself--took notes, read and reread, researched different commentaries--I would "get" it, all in one go.  Go ahead and have a good laugh at that one.  It took about 20 pages of note taking filled with question upon question to accept that not only do I not have the time for such a detailed reading, but it also was not getting me any nearer to comprehension.  Which was really sad, because during my reading of The Odyssey, I actually took notes on every other page to leave room for what would be my copious Ulysses notes: 

Yeah, I'm pretty nerdy, but I think I'm in good company.

Ulysses, of course, is not so neat and tidy.  It's more of a crazy, chaotic mess.  One that will take more than one reading to make any sense of, and then, I suspect, it will still be a crazy, chaotic mess.

So I threw aside the notebook, shunned any outside commentary, and began to read Ulysses naked.  (Meaning the book, not myself.  Not that Joyce would mind a bit of nudity.  I'm sure he would fully approve of me reading on, say, the toilet or in the bathtub, and then relating all of the details on my blog.)

And then, here comes the shocking thing:  I actually like it!  It's a true Life moment:



What I am most enjoying is the random rhythm of the writing.   I couldn't say exactly what it is, but my brain is entertained by it.  I don't even have to know what he's talking about [sigh of relief].  Something about the combination of short phrases, incomplete thoughts, one-word "sentences", words scrunched together, and playful alliteration all add up to a some sort of drunken party of language.  I've come to look forward especially to phrases that are sort of ticklish:

• "Croppies lie down" (38).
• "Oot:  a dullgarbed old man from the curbstone tendered his wares, his mouth opening:  oot" (116).
• "Lovephiltres.  Paragoric poppysyrup bad for cough"  (104).
• "Boys are they?  Yes.  Inishturk.  Inishark.  Inishboffin.  At their joggerfry.  Mine.  Slieve Bloom." (70).

Other parts I find just plain gross, even more so than the booger and bathroom situations:

Perched on high stools by the bar, hats shoved back, at the tables calling for more bread no charge, swilling, wolfing gobfuls of sloppy food, their eyes bulging, wiping wetted moustaches. . . A man spitting back on his plate:  halfmasticated gristle:  no teeth to chewchewchew it (215).

And some passages I do find darkly beautiful:

A cloud began to cover the sun wholly slowly wholly.  Grey. Far.

No, not like that.  A barren land, bare waste.  Vulcanic lake, the dead sea:  no fish, weedless, sunk deep in the earth.  No wind would life those waves, grey metal, poisonous foggy waters.  Brimstone they called it raining down:  the cities of the plain:  Sodom, Gomorrah, Edom.  All dead names.  A dead sea in a dead land, grey and old.  Old now.  It bore the oldest, the first race . . . (73)

There is one statement that actually sunk in a bit--I can at least pretend I understand what he's getting at: 

"Like him was I, these sloping shoulders this gracelessness.  My childhood bends beside me.  Too far for me to lay a hand there once or lightly"  (34).

I have found that I do not like the conversational bits.  I am not offended by the unconventional dashes, I'm just bored by their dialogue.  I'm more comfortable inside Bloom's brain.  Frightening!

I have also been largely ignorant of the many allusions I've heard about.  Of course I can see The Odyssey intertwined into the plot, and a few things that gave me vague Shakespeare vibes, but that's about it. 

So, for now, I'm enjoying the novelty of Joyce's experimentation.  But I am wondering how long it will take for the "novelty" to wear off.  There are many more pages for it to morph into "been there, done that." (I'm behind in my reading, I'm not even sure where I'm--my edition has no chapters.)  But maybe Joyce has more up his.

Ulysses Readalong - Page One

I'm already behind on my reading schedule for Ulysses, due to a shortage of reading time combined with the complexity of material--is this really written in my native tongue?  But I will not be vanquished, James!

I have moved beyond the first page, but I thought I would show why my pace is so slow by sharing my notes/thoughts  from just page one.  I'm probably admitting a good portion of ignorance on my part, but I'll just lay it all out:

• "Stately, plump Buck Mulligan"--stately and plump don't seem to go together.
• Buck's dressing gown--"sustained gently"  strange choice of words, also kind of oxy-moronic 
• "Introibo ad altare Dei" --what the heck does this mean, look up online
• "he peered down"  the stairs but called "up", then tells "Kinch" to come up.  Huh?  Where are these characters positioned.
• gunrest?  what part of the stairs is this, look up online
• what's the deal with the blessing, gurgling, shake his head?  Is he being critical of religion?  Is it significant that the mirror and razor were "crossed"?
• Stephen Dedalus - I think Dedalus was the one who tried to build wings to fly to the sun but burned up, look up online.  Why does Buck call him Kinch?  Look up in dictionary/online.
• Buck's face long like a horse, hair like an oak.  Untonsured-check dictionary
• Why does he look in the bowl?  Why does he say "Back to the barracks"?
• "Christine" Christian?  Ouns-check dictionary.  White corpuscles?????  I'm pretty sure I know what corpuscles are, but check dictionary to clarify.  What would this have to do with him mocking a sermon?
• Why does he start whistling, and who answers with a whistle?  Why does he stick the word "Chrysostomos" into the paragraph.  Check dictionary or look up online.

Just 932 more pages of this stuff. 

Two general impression I have from the rest that I have read so far are that Buck is an annoying jerk, and I'm really grossed out that he wiped this razor with a dirty snot rag.

Today, thanks to the flu, I have time to read.  One of my ears is plugged up and it's messing with my equilibrium.  Feeling off-balance and reading Joyce should go hand in hand. 

Not that this post is a great selling point, but if you want to join in the fun*, this readalong is hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts.

*For the record, I do honestly find this fun, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it.  Maybe I'm as unhinged as Joyce seems to be. 

North and South: Katniss Everdeen, meet Margaret Hale

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Published: 2008 by Vintage Classics
Originally published:  1854
Length: 547 pages
Source: Purchased from amazon.com

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

"He [Thornton] shook hands with Margaret.  He knew it was the first time their hands had met, though she was perfectly unconscious of the fact."

Sometimes reading does not follow any kind of predictable equation or outcome.

My expectation for North and South:  

The wit and quirk of Cranford + the cinematic and  hottie appeal of the miniseries + brand-new Vintage Classics edition = All that and a bag of Miss Vickie's Jalapeno Chips.

It just didn't quite add up that way, but I still enjoyed it.  It was true comfort reading, which is valuable in and of itself. 

For fans of the Hunger Games Trilogy, remember how frustrating it is to see Katniss' complete cluelessness when it comes to romantic love?  Even when there's bread involved?  Margaret Hale has the same problem.  She receives two marriage proposals from men she has no idea are in love with her.  And her responses are less than gracious.  But like Katniss, Margaret focuses a lot of her attention on taking care of those who traditionally should be taking care of her, with love and marriage being the last thing on her mind.  So I'll forgive both of them, and be entertained by the tension it creates. 

North and South is more than a love story, giving it a satisfying amount of depth, which makes up for the lack of fireworks in the writing.  Social issues are explored through the hardships of factory workers in an industrial town, but you also get to see things from the perspective of the factory owner.  Religion is also touched upon, with the storyline of Margaret's father, who has a crisis of faith and leaves his post as a vicar, which precipitates their move from the south of England to the industrial north.  One of my favorite quotes describes a group prayer, in which Higgins, a frustrated factory worker who has seen his fair share of adversity, reluctantly joins in on:

"Margaret the Churchwoman, her father the Dissenter, Higgins the Infidel, knelt down together.  It did them no harm."

Now that's an equation that adds up just the way it should!

Ulysses Readalong

Joyce has conquered me before, but I'm ready for a rematch:

Sign up at Fizzy Thoughts if you're up for the challenge.  The fun begins in February.