About Her
Elle E. is 26 and teaches in a state overrun by the spawn of yuppies. Therefore she is a full-time heretic much afflicted by spleen.
the colour green, reading, scribes and orators, ruffs, cuffs, Machiavellian villains and vindictive heroes.
Previously...
What I'm Reading Now
The Other Queen
Philippa Gregory
Mary Queen of Scots is in flight from rebels in Scotland, and puts her trust in her cousin Elizabeth. But she finds herself imprisoned as the enforced guest of George Talbot and his determined new wife, Bess of Hardwick.
Reviewed
The Virago Book of Ghost Stories
Richard Dalby (Ed.)
Rating 
Out of 31 ghost stories, I liked a mere 7. None of the stories are frightening and all are penned by female authors. I don't know if that's the reason behind the rather sedate 'thrills' on offer here. Margaret Oliphant's
The Open Door is the best in the collection.
The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett
Colleen McCollough
Rating
Wondered about the 'ever after' in Lizzie and Darcy's marriage? McCollough constructs quite a believable state of affairs between almost everyone's favourite Austen couple - and you might not find it to your liking. Still, that's about the only thing I enjoyed in what proves to be a far-fetched plot centered around the no longer plain (but of course!) Mary Bennett. If you like your Dickens, you might just be able to appreciate the barrage of coincidences found in this book.
A Classical Education - The stuff you wish you'd been taught at school
Caroline Taggart
Rating 
I can't stop myself from picking up titles such as this. It's one of the books for people who like to bluff their way through the classics.
Personal Days
Ed Park
Rating 
If you've worked in an office environment before, you'll be able to identify the situations in this novel. The characters might seem typical but they certainly strike a chord. Especially astute is the examination of the prospect of getting the sack. They want to get fired (to pursue something more 'worthwhile') but hate their boss's guts anyway when it actually happens. That's real life... Heh.
Harry Potter & the Half-blood Prince
David Yates
Rating 
Utterly forgettable. The worst in the franchise. I've decided I shall not be watching the last movie when it hits the theatre - I see no good coming out of a Yates film. Give me HP movie #3 anytime.
Blogroll
Monday, September 03, 2007 - 6:16 PM
Title: The Hours
Authors: Michael Cunningham
Genre: Fiction, General Fiction, Prize-winning
Publication: Fourth Estate; New Ed edition (3 Feb 2003)
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN: 184115783X
Endcap: 3/5
Details at Amazon.co.uk
I did want to give it a four, but I thought, 'Chunks of good paragraphs doesn't make a good book. Why must it all be gays and lesbians? Why no straight main characters?' The world is obsessed with being gay-friendly that everything else doesn't seem mainstream anymore. What a full circle we have come.
Is Michael Cunningham reading too much (Freud) into women's behavioour? Granted, I'm all for bisexuality. And I thought Clarissa had much honest bits that touched something in me. 'Ah, here is another who feels as I do sometimes!'
Why did the movie's producers alter the relationship between Virginia and Leonard? Made them so conventional.
This book did stir thoughts in me - made me wonder vaguely about honesty.
