Canada Canada

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Before I start this post – Fair Play Book Group meeting tomorrow, and thus my opinion of it, and whether or not the group agreed… and hopefully all of you will chime in with what you thought!

150th post today, and somehow that puts me in mind of Canada. Don’t ask, cos I don’t know. There is something about Canada that I can’t put my finger on – maybe because, like Britain, it often seems to play second fiddle to the US? Because they have two languages? Because of that lovely maple leaf? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it makes me feel I’ve missed out on Canadian literature. It remains an almost wholly untapped mine for me. In fact, the sum total of my Canadian reading (so far as I know) is Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost, and lots and lots of the inimitable Stephen Leacock. There’ll be more of him at some later date, as I just know you’ll love him – like a Canadian PG Wodehouse, if any comparison is possible for an author who is really only Leacockian. Anyway, yes, Ondaatje and Leacock – that’s it. No Margaret Atwood, Carol Shields, L. M. Montgomery, Alice Munro… ok, I’m out. Whoever else there is, I haven’t read ’em.

This all snowballed when I came across Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. In my unliterary sort of way, it was news of a film adaptation which reached me first. Fancied seeing it when it came out, so went off in search of the novel… lo and behold, Lynne mentioned it at dovegreyreader. Having CRUELLY made me go and find a copy myself, I pulled some library strings and have a copy in front of me now. A couple review books first, methinks, but Margaret Laurence is going to become my next dip into Canadian waters.

So, dear Transatlantic readers (and any others, of course) – where’s best to start with Canadian lit? In my perverse way, I’d rather avoid the Famous Ones listed above – I’d prefer someone fairly big in Canada, but who is a Best Kept Secret. Or someone who’s not even big in Canada, but comes with a recommendation tied to them. Any ideas?

Dear Nancy/Jessica/Unity/Diana/Pamela/Deborah…

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Not the whole Birthday Books list just yet, but shall tease you with the biggest one of the lot, to whet the appetite. I knew this one was coming, as I’d not-too-subtly suggested it as a present option from my library colleagues Lucy and Clare, who have become very good friends in the two months I’ve known them. Both bookish types, and great fun as well.

So, it was without surprise, but with great delight, that I unwrapped The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters edited by Charlotte Mosley. They’d also sneaked in another book – more on that when you get the full rundown – today is just about Nancy and co. My previous acquiantance with the sisters consists only of The Pursuit of Love, and 10, Curzon Street: Letters Between Nancy Mitford and Heywood Hill. Even so, they’ve been on the horizon for most of my life, and I was keen to get my mitts on this beautiful collection of letters.

Haven’t finished (come on, my birthday was only a few days ago!) – in fact, only read the introduction so far, but that was enough to make me want to post about it. Charlotte Mosley explains that the book only represents a small fragment of the extant letters – and only three ‘links’ between sisters are unrepresented at all by surviving letters. My A Level Maths has to be dusted off here – if there are six sisters, each of whom can write to each other… call sisters ‘x’… carry one… divide by the number you first thought of… I think that gives 30 possible letter-routes (taking, say Diana-to-Pamela as distinct from Pamela-to-Diana) and thus 27 combinations covered in the book. Phew! What an amazing collection. Might be a bit tricky to keep track of who’s who, writing to whom, what their relationship is (in terms of temperament – obviously they’re all sisters), but thankfully there are mini-biogs and symbols in a family tree for each of them. The symbols are quite amusing, actually – while Nancy gets a ink-stand and quill, Jessica has her life summarised by a hammer and sickle. Reminds me of The Carbon Copy’s version of Scissor, Rock, Paper, entitled Hammer, Sickle, Stalin.

Anyway, where was I?
With so many letters from which to choose, chances are the most pertinent and entertaining will be here. There’s something to be said for comprehensive editions, but they can be a bit difficult to wade through – for instance, Virginia Woolf’s A Writer’s Diary was much more palatable than Volume One of the unedited thing. I’ll let you know more choice excerpts as I read through – I think this is going to be one I read a small portion from at the end of the day, and may take me til next birthday to finish – so shall just finish with one.

‘I had letters from you & the Lady [Nancy] & Henderson [Jessica] today, wouldn’t it be dread if one had a)no sisters b)sisters who didn’t write.’ [Deborah to Diana]

For you and us both, Debs!

To Goring We Will Go

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A very fun day had by all today – to celebrate my birthday, and my friend Mel’s birthday, we took 15 people off on a Road Trip. Except this trip was by train. We went to Goring, a pretty village in Oxfordshire, had a little ramble and ate an excellent meal in The Bull. This pub was actually in Streatley, over the river, and thus in another county. Gosh, did we travel. Always nice to be in the countryside – though I was slightly chastised for one thing. On an outing with many friends, in part a celebration of my birthday, I still brought a book in my bag… well, for emergencies! Anything could have happened.

Will let you know the scrummy books I got for my birthday another night. Still a few more to wing their way in, actually – I do like protracted birthdays.

Youth is wasted…

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Booking Through Thursday has been absent here for a while, but fills in the mental gap today –

Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less? Why?

Well, even with a birthday having just gone by, I don’t think I could describe myself as old… so I’m going to have to compare to when I was reading children’s books, I suppose. Ironically, I remember finding it quite difficult, learning to read – well, in comparison to The Carbon Copy, anyway. That’s the thing with twins – even a tiny bit of difference is magnified, so the fact that it took me a few weeks longer felt like quite a big issue. Hasn’t held me back too much in the reading stakes.

Let’s see. I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t love reading, when I didn’t have a book on the go. During University I read fairly few books outside the remit of my course, but that was time constraint rather than anything else. As I develop my reading tastes, especially since I started blogging, the tbr pile gets steadily higher and higher. I remember the days when I couldn’t think of anything to read next – so I’d just read the same book again. Right now, I’ve probably got enough to last me until retirement. My book-obsession has only got worse – I would never go anywhere without a book in my bag, usually two, for emergencies. As a child, that probably wasn’t such an issue. SO, I think I read more now than when I was younger, but it’s all relative…

How about you? Has there been a period in your life when you’ve read more or less than normal? Tell us why!

Birthday Reading

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Thank you all so much for your kind birthday wishes! It’s been a fun day, with lots of cake, and not a lot of Proper Food. Oh well, plenty of time for that on the other 365 days of the year. Since November 7th is quite a momentous day in my year, thought I’d repeat what I experimented with here, and see what I was reading On This Day throughout the past few years.

In 2007… at the moment I am reading a book for reviewing, so shall let you know as soon as I can what it is, and what I thought…

In 2006… Rereading one of my favourite novels, Mrs Dalloway by, of course, Virginia Woolf. Partly a birthday treat (!), partly because I was writing my thesis on Woolf.

In 2005… A Book Group read, though a postal group rather than a ‘terrestrial’ one (should tell you about that sometime…) – The Long Afternoon by Giles Waterfield, which is very, very good. Shall probably be appearing on the 50 Books… before long. You’re warned!

In 2004… The Critic as Artist by Oscar Wilde. Check me out. Was actually researching my first-term essay on Wilde and the Morality of Repetition….!

In 2003… Twas another Book Group read, earthbound this time; Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris, and thus far the only Joanne Harris novel I’ve read, though she has been lurking around my reading horizons ever since. Maybe time for another?

In 2002… The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, which are witty and well written, as well as being thought-provoking and incisive. All of which makes it sound like I wasn’t imminently to embark on a Harry Potter reading spree…

In 2001… Having devoured the brilliant series beginning with ‘The L-Shaped Room’, I was reading One More River by Lynne Reid Banks. My main recollection is that this has a donkey named Eeyore…

Dooby-DOO-doo-DO-doooo

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Quite a short post today, just one bit of info to impart.

Assuming that most people will read this ‘tomorrow’ (i.e. 7th November) – although I don’t understand time differences at all – I shall be all subtle and wish The Carbon Copy a very Happy Birthday. See what you can deduce from that…. ! The picture is the wonderful birthday cake Our Vicar’s Wife made last year.

And a good opportunity to say how nice it is to have you all stop by. With the exceptions of the few unpleasant ‘anonymous’ comments (why bother commenting? why read the blog at all, one wonders?) you’re a lovely, lovely bunch of people and it’s a pleasure to know you’ll pop along and share some bookish chat. Currently getting around 110-130 ‘unique users’ a day, according to StatCounter, and each and every one is very welcome. Hope you’ve found something to enjoy and to read whilst you’ve been here!

Pile o’ Books

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Have been feeling a little guilty of late, the number of books which have been flooding into Regent Street with my name on the package. True, quite a few of these have been review books, but most have not… In an attempt to assuage said guilt, I’m going to share the books with you all. Sort of. Yes, a picture isn’t quite a substitute for the real thing, but if it makes me feel better…


There they are, in all their glory. That’s not even the lot, actually, but enough for one post. Let me talk you through the books I’ve bought recently – then you can tell me what you think!

Starting at the bottom…
Charlotte : The True Story of Scandal and Spectacle in Georgian London by Kathryn Shevelow
Couldn’t resist this in Blackwells, as it was on offer – a nice, chunky hardback all about an actress who masqueraded as a man to get into the Georgian theatre scene. Flicked through and saw the name Eliza Haywood, which sold it to me.

Family Life 1939-1945 by Katharine Moore
I really enjoyed her letters with Joyce Grenfell, ‘An Invisible Friendship’, and consequently bought her book about Maiden Aunts in literature. This was another one which intrigued, and might well offer an interesting perspective on wartime. Appears to be a sort of diary format.

The Closed Door and other stories by Dorothy Whipple
One of the latest Persephone Books, and short stories by a favourite Persephone author – shall be reading and reviewing this one as soon as I can.

The Juniper Tree by Barbara Comyns
After loving the surreal talents of Ms. Comyns in ‘Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead’ enough to get it into my 50 Books…, got this one through ebay. Looks great – a sort of fantasy about the effects of a tree on those around it, and how good turns to bad… more surrealism, please!

Fanny Hill by John Cleland
Probably not suitable fare for my bookshelves, but there’s a television adaptation on soon, and I thought I might end up watching it, and so should read the book first. Plus I’ve read far too much 21st Century literature this year; I need to dive back into the past. Perhaps at the end of the year I’ll see how much I’ve read from different periods… something for you all to look forward to.

The Lady in the Van – Alan Bennett
Tiny, but sounds amusing – and after ‘The Uncommon Reader’ I’m hungry for more of Bennett’s inimitable musings and wit.

The Rape of the Lock – Alexander Pope
Sometimes I impress myself with my sophistication… (!) A Hesperus book, so I couldn’t resist, and one I definitely *should* have read during my degree. The world is filled with books I *should* have read during my degree…

Kenilworth by Walter Scott
Look, there’s another! Not read any Scott, which is shameful. Must find out what the fuss is about.

Sun City by Tove Jansson
Fast becoming one of my favourite authors! Have finished ‘Fair Play’ and will talk about it soon. This translation doesn’t appear to be available anywhere in England, so was shipped from US (thanks OVW for your credit card…) and it’s got a beautiful cover. Set in America rather than Scandanavia, which does remove one of the things I liked best about Jansson – the descriptions of her exquisite surroundings – but I daresay it’ll still be wonderful! Plus, I’ve only read on translator’s translations of Jansson, so shall have to discover whether or not her appeal is the same through the pen of another scribe.

But a lifetime burning in every moment

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Every now and then a book comes along which makes you think “wow”, and prevents the normal day-to-day activities taking place without a constant desire to be reading said book. It leads one to read whilst walking to work, often quite perilously, and sneak a copy under the desk in the library. This week such a book reared its head.

Back in one of my earliest posts, I asked people to suggest novels or plays with twins in – as a twin myself, it’s something I find endlessly interesting. Partly because the topic is fascinating, partly because I like discovering how accurate authors are in portraying twinship. Twinhood? Twinicity? Of course I can only compare to my own experience, so it’s not the most objective test. But it keeps me off the streets.

Anyway. A novel nobody mentioned back then was Linda Gillard’s A Lifetime Burning, but it is probably the most convincing portrayal of being a twin that I have ever read. Even more so than The Comedy of Errors. Then again, Topsy and Tim presented rather more verisimilitude than old Billybob. I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot of Gillard’s novel, for three reasons. Firstly, it will ruin genuine shocks and surprises which enhance the reading no end and add richness to the writing; secondly, Linda has said that she doesn’t really do plots – more characters to whom things happen; thirdly, it would sound ridiculous. I don’t mean that as a criticism at all – but a synopsis of the novel would make you think “wow, what a crazy amount of things happen to this family”, whereas reading the novel makes you think “Wow!”

So, not revealing the main plot points – but suffice it to say that the Dunbar family do not live uneventful lives. The novel focuses on Flora, whose funeral is witnessed in the opening pages, and flits between first and third persons, and many different times throughout her life. She is forceful, hopeful and often quite selfish, but with a disarming self-awareness – and great closeness with twin brother Rory. They are not identical personalities, nor are they wholly disparate (the two usual paths taken with twins in fiction) but rather complementing characters; individuals but intertwined.

Though the novel jumps all over the place, I never found it confusing – rather a path towards illumination and comprehension of the characters, understanding (rather than sanctioning) the way they act. Linda Gillard writes with lyrical intensity, beautiful prose which is powerful without being overly ‘flowery.’ I enjoyed her previous novel Emotional Geology, but this is leagues ahead of it – can’t recommend it enough. The subject matter isn’t uncontroversial, but nothing in A Lifetime Burning is gratuitous – and almost every other modern novelist I’ve read could take a leaf out of Gillard’s book.

Working 9 to 5, What A Way To Make A Livin’…

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If you’re not singing Dolly Parton in your head right now, then either a)you’re too young, b)you’re too sophisticated, or c)you’re too sane. Take your pick, otherwise hum along with me…

I’ll confess – yes, I am currently at work. And potentially abusing my internet privileges, though it was positively encouraged by the very nice lady in charge of Circulation, where I am at the moment. Before you get images of cocktail shakers and black tie outfits, this is Circulation firmly without air kisses. Well, I could try to introduce them, but might find myself unemployed. I’m busy checkin’ in and checkin’ out all those books which Science students hoard in their rooms and flick through whilst their test tubes or igneous rocks are busy. It’s quite nice – I get to try out my Happy Smiley Big Fat Beam on everyone, blinding them with joviality – but it turns out I’m the world’s worst person for collecting fines. No careers test ever brought up ‘bailiff’ as a proposed suitable employment option, and there’s a reason. The faintest sign of reluctance to pay, and I’m practically flinging money at them. Oddly enough, it’s the ones with 20p to pay who kick up a fuss – those who owe over £10 are happy to cough up. Strange. Personally, I’d always rather pay a fine – even if I knew I didn’t owe it – than make a scene. How British am I?? See this for more, of course.

What was the point of today’s post… well, just realised I hadn’t posted yesterday, and thought I’d amble through a catch-up of my library activities. Although my first tea-break of the day is coming up soon (since we’re not supposed to drink at our desks – for obvious reasons – we get two half-hour breaks and an hour at lunch. Luxury! And nice reading time) so this may be an abridged version of a catch-up. As I mentioned, I’m now working in Circulation as well as Everything Else – so my days are spent re-shelving, fetching books, checking in and out, dealing with enquiries, a tiny bit of cataloguing (usually editing current holdings info)… so a little bit of everything, nice and eclectic. The thing I do miss most is the opportunity to be creative. It’s that artistic blood in me (thanks Mum…) which can’t quite be content with a 9-5 where I can’t make creative difference to proceedings. So, in long-term plans, do I find a job where creativity in some form or other is at the centre, or one which will allow be enough time to be creative outside of it?? Quandary. Either way I’ll be penniless, so at least I can factor that out of the equation!

Should include something about books to keep you going til next time… Just finished a brilliant, though very uneasy, book – have just started what might well be quite a dull one. Well, dull to me because of my ignorance and apathy in certain areas… but I shall certainly persevere. Will let you into these mysteries sooooon…