A while ago, I was at my grandparents' house, when I noticed on a bookshelf an old book. I naturally picked it up, since I love any and all old books. The title was Jack and Jill: A Village Story, and the author, Louisa May Alcott. I have read and greatly enjoyed all the books in the Little Women series, but I had never heard of this Alcott book. Curious, I began to read.
I found the first chapter very fast-moving, and intrigued, I read on. The book is a relatively light read, so ever since, I have been reading it in spare moments when I am tired, but not in the mood for Sherlock Holmes. I recently finished it and decided to share what I thought of it.
Jack and Jill begins with a sledding accident, in which the two main characters, Jack Minot and Janey Pecq (nicknamed Jill for her friendship with Jack) are injured. Jack suffers a broken leg, but Jill's back is seriously injured, leaving her bed-ridden for a much longer time than Jack.
In the months after the accident, Jack and Jill, with their many friends, learn many important life lessons. Jill learns to accept the fact that it will be a long time before she is able to walk again, though very unwillingly at first. Jack learns patience, when his hurt leg, even when nearly healed, prevents him from living the very active life he was accustomed to. The other children also learn many similar things, and experience happiness, grief, fear, and courage, among other things.
Jack and Jill is, for lack of a better term, "very Louisa May Alcott". It is almost preachy in parts, but is delightfully charming. I thought it quite a good book, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
15 December, 2012
10 December, 2012
Centum Miles Somnii
I am writing for the simple reason of telling the readers of Liber Vermiculus that I have a new blog, Centum Miles Somnii. If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please see what you think of the new one. Here is the link: 100-000somnii.blogspot.com Thank you!
04 December, 2012
C. S. Lewis Quotes
Up until know, I have only posted book reviews on my blog, but when I came across these two quotes from C. S. Lewis, I decided that a little variety might be nice. I dearly love The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien, so these quotes mean very much to me indeed; I am able to relate with Lewis' praise of the books. Please leave a comment telling me if the quotes are a welcome addition; if so, I'll post more as I come across them. For now, enjoy!
"I've never met Orcs or Ents or Elves--but the feel of it, the sense of a huge past, of lowering danger, of heroic tasks achieved by the most apparently unheroic people, of distance, vastness, strangeness, homeliness (all blended together) is so exactly what living feels like to me. Particularly the heart-breaking quality in the most beautiful places, like Lothlorien. And it is so like the real history of the world . . . Neither optimism . . . nor pessimism . . . , you notice. No. The darkness comes again and again and is never wholly triumphant nor wholly defeated." ~C. S. Lewis
"Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart . . . good beyond hope." ~C. S. Lewis
"I've never met Orcs or Ents or Elves--but the feel of it, the sense of a huge past, of lowering danger, of heroic tasks achieved by the most apparently unheroic people, of distance, vastness, strangeness, homeliness (all blended together) is so exactly what living feels like to me. Particularly the heart-breaking quality in the most beautiful places, like Lothlorien. And it is so like the real history of the world . . . Neither optimism . . . nor pessimism . . . , you notice. No. The darkness comes again and again and is never wholly triumphant nor wholly defeated." ~C. S. Lewis
"Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart . . . good beyond hope." ~C. S. Lewis
29 November, 2012
Favourite Children's Books
I recently read a perfectly charming retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Cynthia Rylant. It quite surprised me by how good it was, and set me to thinking of all my favourite picture books that I used to read. I don't read picture books very often, now; I suppose I think myself too grown up for them. Thinking about it, though, I found that I'm not that grown up, and besides, who is ever too old for charming picture books? So I thought that I would share some of my favourite children's books, which are enjoyable (in my mind at least) for all.
I find that I must start my list with The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. I have many fond memories of this book. We used to have a recording of it, narrated by Meryl Streep, with music by George Winston, and I would fall asleep listening to this every night. And of course, there are also lovely memories of myself, sitting snuggled up to my parents, as they read this dear book to me.
Another book that I loved when I was small, and now, was A Summertime Song, by Irene Haas. I adored the illustrations in this book, and spent much time poring over them. The soothing, lullaby-like verse that accompanied the wonderful pictures was also very enjoyable to me.
The Mousehole Cat, by Antonia Barber, is another of my favourites. I delighted in the portrayal of a storm as a great cat; I found it fascinating, and still do. Also the setting of the book--the little fishing village in Cornwall--has always held a great deal of appeal for me.
I also liked Miss Rumphius. This charming book, by Barbara Cooney, remains one of my favourites to this day. From the beginning among the tall masts of sailing ships, to the end in the countryside covered in lupines, I love every word, and cannot remember ever not having done so.
I have always enjoyed Tomie dePaola's books, and one of my favourites is The Clown of God. It is a beautiful story, and while when I was young I might not have been able to tell why I liked it so much, I know now that it is because of this. For who does not find miracles beautiful?
Finally, I loved Dear Mili, a lovely fairy tale by Wilhelm Grimm. It is illustrated by Maurice Sendak, who provides a delightful background for a delightful tale. I still love the book, and find the ending even more beautiful than when I was a child. I was fascinated by the tiny details in the illustrations as well; things of that sort have always interested me.
I could go on and on, talking of picture books that I read when I was small, that still bring back comforting and happy memories. But were I to do so, I should, I am afraid, bore my readers to tears with my tiresome lists. So I shall leave my list at these my favourites of all the picture books I have read. I hope that if you have not read any of these, you will read them as soon as possible. May you enjoy them as much as I have.
I find that I must start my list with The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. I have many fond memories of this book. We used to have a recording of it, narrated by Meryl Streep, with music by George Winston, and I would fall asleep listening to this every night. And of course, there are also lovely memories of myself, sitting snuggled up to my parents, as they read this dear book to me.
Another book that I loved when I was small, and now, was A Summertime Song, by Irene Haas. I adored the illustrations in this book, and spent much time poring over them. The soothing, lullaby-like verse that accompanied the wonderful pictures was also very enjoyable to me.
The Mousehole Cat, by Antonia Barber, is another of my favourites. I delighted in the portrayal of a storm as a great cat; I found it fascinating, and still do. Also the setting of the book--the little fishing village in Cornwall--has always held a great deal of appeal for me.
I also liked Miss Rumphius. This charming book, by Barbara Cooney, remains one of my favourites to this day. From the beginning among the tall masts of sailing ships, to the end in the countryside covered in lupines, I love every word, and cannot remember ever not having done so.
I have always enjoyed Tomie dePaola's books, and one of my favourites is The Clown of God. It is a beautiful story, and while when I was young I might not have been able to tell why I liked it so much, I know now that it is because of this. For who does not find miracles beautiful?
Finally, I loved Dear Mili, a lovely fairy tale by Wilhelm Grimm. It is illustrated by Maurice Sendak, who provides a delightful background for a delightful tale. I still love the book, and find the ending even more beautiful than when I was a child. I was fascinated by the tiny details in the illustrations as well; things of that sort have always interested me.
I could go on and on, talking of picture books that I read when I was small, that still bring back comforting and happy memories. But were I to do so, I should, I am afraid, bore my readers to tears with my tiresome lists. So I shall leave my list at these my favourites of all the picture books I have read. I hope that if you have not read any of these, you will read them as soon as possible. May you enjoy them as much as I have.
23 November, 2012
Around the World in 80 Days
A while ago, I tried to read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I am fascinated by submarines, but I found Jules Verne's book very slow going, indeed (even giant sea spiders failed to interest me). I stopped reading about halfway through the book, and checked all other Jules Verne books off of my reading list. I tend to do that if I don't like a book, but I'm trying to stop; it's a very bad habit. Nevertheless, I made the mistake of deciding never to read Jules Verne again.
Recently, however, a friend recommended Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. I decided to try it, as this friend has very good taste in literature. I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the book! It was amusing, well-written, engaging. . . in short, everything that I think a good book should be.
I believe that part of why I enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days was the characters. The main protagonist, Mr. Phileas Fogg, is an incredibly eccentric yet likable Englishman. He undertakes the incredible task of travelling around the world in eighty days as a wager with some of his friends. He is very mechanical, almost to the point of seeming robotic, but he does posses human feelings, as is seen at the end of the book.
Mr. Fogg's servant, Passepartout, is very different from his master. He is a Frenchman, who is engaged by Mr. Fogg on the day of his departure. As a read the book, I found myself often thinking of Sancho in Don Quixote when I read of Passepartout's antics.
The other two main characters are Fix, a detective who is convinced that Mr. Fogg is a bank robber, and Aouda, a beautiful Indian maiden who is rescued from an untimely death by Mr. Fogg and Passepartout. Both are compelling characters, and without them, the book would doubtless lose some of its charm.
The premise of Around the World in 80 Days is also quite fascinating. The book is set in 1872, when all travel must be done by train and ship. These were the fastest modes of locomotion available at the time, yet they were quite slow by modern standards. Indeed, Mr. Fogg is compelled to avoid all possible delays in order to complete the journey in the appointed time.
If all these charming details were not enough to make the book an appealing read, there is also a great deal of suspense in Around the World in 80 Days. After all, Mr. Fogg has 20,000 pounds sterling at stake, that being the amount of the wager. This is half of his fortune, and he spends most of the other half along the way. Towards the end of the book, I found myself on the edge of my seat, feeling the tension growing with every unexpected delay, hoping desperately that Mr. Fogg would make it back to London in time to win the wager.
In conclusion, I enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days very much. It was an excellent book, and I have resolved to try harder than ever now not to write off an author just because I did not enjoy one of their books. I highly reccomend this book, and I am looking forward to reading even more Jules Verne novels in the near future!
Recently, however, a friend recommended Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. I decided to try it, as this friend has very good taste in literature. I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the book! It was amusing, well-written, engaging. . . in short, everything that I think a good book should be.
I believe that part of why I enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days was the characters. The main protagonist, Mr. Phileas Fogg, is an incredibly eccentric yet likable Englishman. He undertakes the incredible task of travelling around the world in eighty days as a wager with some of his friends. He is very mechanical, almost to the point of seeming robotic, but he does posses human feelings, as is seen at the end of the book.
Mr. Fogg's servant, Passepartout, is very different from his master. He is a Frenchman, who is engaged by Mr. Fogg on the day of his departure. As a read the book, I found myself often thinking of Sancho in Don Quixote when I read of Passepartout's antics.
The other two main characters are Fix, a detective who is convinced that Mr. Fogg is a bank robber, and Aouda, a beautiful Indian maiden who is rescued from an untimely death by Mr. Fogg and Passepartout. Both are compelling characters, and without them, the book would doubtless lose some of its charm.
The premise of Around the World in 80 Days is also quite fascinating. The book is set in 1872, when all travel must be done by train and ship. These were the fastest modes of locomotion available at the time, yet they were quite slow by modern standards. Indeed, Mr. Fogg is compelled to avoid all possible delays in order to complete the journey in the appointed time.
If all these charming details were not enough to make the book an appealing read, there is also a great deal of suspense in Around the World in 80 Days. After all, Mr. Fogg has 20,000 pounds sterling at stake, that being the amount of the wager. This is half of his fortune, and he spends most of the other half along the way. Towards the end of the book, I found myself on the edge of my seat, feeling the tension growing with every unexpected delay, hoping desperately that Mr. Fogg would make it back to London in time to win the wager.
In conclusion, I enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days very much. It was an excellent book, and I have resolved to try harder than ever now not to write off an author just because I did not enjoy one of their books. I highly reccomend this book, and I am looking forward to reading even more Jules Verne novels in the near future!
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