A Literary Christmas 2022

It’s that time again! Tarissa of In The Bookcase is hosting another A Literary Christmas Challenge – though “Christmas” and “challenge” should not be in one sentence, right? Anyway, I’m joining again, and this year I’m planning (hoping) to read:

A Very French Christmas: The Greatest French Holiday Stories
French and Christmas in one sentence – now, c'est superb! It’s a compilation of Christmas or holiday stories by French writers such as: Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Irène Némirovsky, and some other contemporary authors.

Miracle on 34^th Street by Valentine Davies
A holiday classic and a novella, yum!

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
It’s not a Christmas reading list without at least one murder mystery, right? And it’s on my list of Agatha Christie Perpetual Reading Challenge anyway, so why not reading it on Christmas?

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
What if Jane Austen investigates a murder mystery that happened at a Regency-era Christmas party? Delicious prospect, eh?

The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Another novella which seems to be charming, inspired by Hamlette's review.

Have you also created your Christmas reading list? I’m even thinking of starting my 1^st book this month, or as soon as I’ve finished my current readings (two books)! If you want to participate in this event, go directly to the sign up post.

 

Mrs. Osmond by John Banville #InspiredByClassics

🖤 Mrs. Osmond is none other than Isabel Archer from Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady. Banville wrote this book to imagine Isabel's fate after her marriage with the deceitful Gilbert Osmond, who actually loved other woman (Madame Merle) and only married Isabel for money.

🖤 Mrs. Osmond starts where Portrait ends, thus making it a sort of its direct sequel. Banville's similarity in writing to James' style is also quite uncanny.

🖤 After Ralph's death in Portrait, Isabel was said to be leaving for Rome, returned to her bitter marriage with Gilbert Osmond. But Mrs. Osmond "revealed" to us that she's actually reluctant to return home, and made a detour, instead, to familiar places in England and France, in order to sort out her own predicament and what she would/could do when she must inevitably confront her husband. Would she continue to live unhappily in Rome, or could she secure her freedom, which Ralph has intended to when he left her the inheritance?

🖤 Reading this book reminded me again of how I was drowned to Isabel Archer's personalities while reading Portrait. Her intelligence, her crave for freedom, and her independent way of thinking. But also her pride and sense of duty to others who depended on her, which eventually led her to bitterness. In a way, I share those qualities, and that's why both Portrait and Mrs. Osmond would forever be two of the most memorable readings for me.

🖤 I would love to share Isabel's final decision here, but I think knowing the ending would lose the charm of reading this book. You need to follow Isabel's psychological struggle, moments of doubts, and her courage, to truly understand and appreciate the ending, whatever it might be.

🖤 A marvelous book, one that I'm sure Henry James himself would have approved!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

🥿 "There are certain humiliating moments in the lives of the greatest of men. It has been said that no man is a hero to his valet. To that may be added that few men are heroes to themselves at the moment of visiting their dentist." - This quote alone might be one reason why One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is quite memorable. It's one of very few times when Poirot ever feels helpless. He seems to be more humane than usual; he's just like us whenever we do have to see the dentist. But for me personally - I'll always remember this book with affection - it's the shoe buckle. I remember that that is Poirot's key clue to solve the murder mystery. And only Poirot (whose appearance is always impeccable - he's a dandy!), who could have paid attention to small details like that.

🥿 So, Poirot's visited Mr. Henry Morley, his dentist. He saw/met several other people at the waiting room, but he's mostly impressed by a foot protruding from a taxi which was just stopped in front of the dentist office, wearing a new but non fashionable leather shoe with a large gleaming buckle. The shoe belongs to a former actress, Miss Mabelle Sainsbury Seale.

🥿 Later after Poirot's visit, Mr. Morley was found dead at the dentist office, shot by a gun he held on his hand. Then one of his patient that day was also found dead, poisoned by overdose anaesthetic. Is Morley's death caused by suicide (after realizing that he'd given an overdose anaesthetic to his patient), or was it a deliberate murder? Mabelle's disappearance later on only helps to further complicate the plot.

🥿 This is one of my favorites from Christie. The ingenious plot and a hint of political influence on the case (the rest of suspects include a fascist, a prominent banker, and a leftist) added to the charm. And don't forget the confusion over a double identity, which Poirot alone can solve, thanks to his attention to small details!

Rating: 4 / 5

Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim

✍🏼 Elizabeth von Arnim, neé Mary Annette Beauchamp was born in Australia. But then she married a German Count, and moved to Nassenheide, Pomerania, as Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin.

✍🏼 Von Arnim wrote Elizabeth and Her German Garden as a mockery to German aristocratic society. It's a semi autobiographical novel, written as a diary of the protagonist, Elizabeth, who was developing a beautiful garden on the estate, though she knew almost nothing about gardening.

✍🏼 I enjoyed the book so much for three reasons: a) At times it's so hilarious, I had often to stifle my laughter while reading in public. b) It talks much about gardening, and though I'm not keen on the subject, I love everything concerning nature. c) I loved most of Elizabeth's unorthodox views on life and tradition, which I can well relate. I quote here some of her entries, which is bluntly honest and hilarious.

“I believe all needlework and dressmaking is of the devil, designed to keep women from study.”

"If you have to have neighbours at all, it is at least a mercy that there should be only one; for with people dropping in at all hours and wanting to talk to you, how are you to get on with your life, I should like to know, and read your books, and dream your dreams to your satisfaction?"

"I never could see that delicacy of constitution is pretty, either in plants or women."

"What nonsense it is to talk about the equality of the sexes when the women have the babies."

"To most German Hausfraus the dinners and the puddings are of paramount importance [...] but, I would humbly inquire, are there not other things even more important? And is not plain living and high thinking better than the other way about? [...] It cannot be right to be the slave of one's household gods, and I protest that if my furniture ever annoyed me by wanting to be dusted when I want to be doing something else, and there was no one to do the dusting for me, I should cast it all into the nearest bonfire and sit and warm my toes at the flames with great contentment, triumphantly selling my dusters to the very next pedlar who was weak enough to buy them. [...] is it not pathetic to find a young woman bravely struggling to learn languages and keep up with her husband?"

✍🏼 It's a short but entertaining novel, and I can't wait to read more of von Arnim. The Enchanted April is next. Maybe next year?

Rating: 4,5 / 5

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov

The Seagull is my second Chekhov's play. The Cherry Orchard is the first - and I loved it - and that's why somehow I've expected the first would be, at least, as good as the later. Unfortunayely, I was wrong.

First of all, I don't really like Chekhov's style of focusing on indirect speeches, instead of dramatic actions, in this particular play. If you haven't been familiar with it, it's like when someone wanted to tell you that a character is dead, instead of dramatizing the death scene, he would write a dialog (that is supposed to happen a week after, for instance), casually indicating that that character (X) is dead:

A: "I don't know how we would ever complete this task."
B: "I know, after X's death, I can't seem to handle anything."

You know what I mean, right? I believe it's called 'subtext'. I'm not a fan of it. It makes the play somehow seems vague or dreamy. Add that to the fact that The Seagull is a considerably short play, and, as usual, with its confusing Russian's names and nick names. In short, it's a confusing little piece that I can't really grasp the meaning. What's it all about? I have no clue...

What I remember from the play is, there's a playwright (Konstantin), son of a retired actress, who was desperately trying to make his mother proud of his theatrical talent, but failed. His last attempt was writing and producing an unconventional play - play within play - on a built-in outdoor stage. The audience failed to comprehend his ideas - especially his mother who continuously mocked him. The play was stopped midway, and Konstantin stormed out with humiliation.

Then there's multiple love affairs between the characters. Konstantin loves the actress performed at his play, Nina; but the actress loves another writer, whom is also loved by Konstantin's mother. Meanwhile, Masha loves Konstantin, but she eventually married the schoolmaster who loves her. Meanwhile, Masha's mother is having an affair with a doctor. Really confusing, and with the shortness of the play, I couldn't really relate to their feelings, or even to the main characters.

I haven't talked about the seagull itself. It is an important factor in this play, as it is meant to be a symbol of something - which I didn't get to solve. The gull was shot by Konstantin, and he gave it as a gift to Nina, who was horrified by the sight. Maybe Konstantin isn't really a bad playwright, but he's certainly a bad lover!

All in all, it's not an entertaining play, and now I'm wondering whether I should move on to Chekhov's other major plays? Or should I just bailed on him? What would you recommend?

Rating: 2,5 / 5

Au Revoir Paris in July, and Welcome August!

I wasn't in the mood to blog the last week updates on my #ParisInJuly, so this post will cover my activities for the last 2 weeks, which was mainly reading, with only one movie watched. It will also serve as my July reading wrap-up.

BOOKS:

📕 The Girl, The Dog, and the Writer in Provence by Katrina Nannestad - ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The girl is Freja Peachtree, a ten year little shy but intelligent and unique girl who spends more time growing up in the nature, and makes friends better with animals than with human.

The dog is Finnegan, an always hungry big dog. It belongs to Tobias Appleby, the writer, a clumsy absent-minded, but kindhearted man, in whose care, Freja was left by her ill mom.

The trio moved to a Provençal hilltop village called Claviers, where an imaginative spirited little boy lives next door, a retired famous pastry chef opens a patisserie, and a charming young woman, Vivi, who steals Tobias' heart, is staying to work as apprentice at the patisserie. (actually..ahem.. that's the main reason of the trio's move to Provence!)

Long story short, it's a charming adventure novel about love, family, and friendship, with Provençal vibes, and a little mystery. A perfect mix for a delicious reading, non?



📕 Toujours La France! : Living The Dream in Rural France by Janine Marsh - ⭐⭐⭐

After finishing the first two book of the series, I was thinking about ending #ParisInJuly with the 3rd book. Wrong idea. This one is less fun than the predecessors. Maybe I should've just stopped at no. 2, and kept this one for next year. I don't know... it's a bit boring. I felt that Janine Marsh has poured out her impressions on this small rural village in northern France in the first two, so that there's almost nothing more to be told, except for some facts or bits and pieces just popped into her mind after the first two've been published.



MOVIES/TV:

🎬 Nothing to Hide (Le Jeu) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Total lunar eclipse. Legend says that when the moon is totally hidden, your sins were washed away. Some old friends are meeting up for dinner with their spouses. To spice things up, they are playing a game where they must put their cell phones on the table, and reveal every call/message they receive during dinner. Awkward things happen when each of their hidden secrets (infidelity 🤫) are out in the open. An intense drama with intriguing topic: "secrets in relationship, hide or no hide?", and a surprising end-twist.


For Tamara and Deb, our two lovely hosts: Merci beaucoup! for hosting #ParisInJuly. It has been a blissful month for me. But for now I must say, au revoir!


📚 What I've Read for Paris in July

📕 My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh
📕 My Four Seasons in France by Janine Marsh
📕 Toujours la France! by Janine Marsh
📕 The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Provence by Katrina Nannestad


🎬 Movies/TV Series Watched for Paris in July

📽 Midnight in Paris (re-watch)
📽 Stuck Together (8, Rue de l'Humanité)
📽 Nothing to Hide (Le Jeu)
📺 Standing Up (Drôle)
📺 The 7 Lives of Léa (Les 7 Vies de Léa)


📚 Statistics

📊 Total books read: 19
📊 Challenge progress:
* 2022 TBR Pile Challenge: 7
* Back to the Classics Challenge 2022: 8
* 2022 Chunkster Challenge: 1


📚 What's happening in August

With no reading challenge/event to attend to this month, I've decided to pick these two I've been wanting to read:

📗 Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
📗 Mrs. Osmond by John Banville

What are you most excited for August?

Four Seasons in France and A Walk in Paris for #ParisInJuly

The second week of #ParisInJuly, and I was celebrating (quietly) le quatorze juillet with these activities:

BOOKS:

📕 My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Following the first memoir from Janine Marsh, The Good Life in France, this book tells Janine and Mark's experiences through the year in their old farmhouse in Seven Valleys, a rural village in northern France, in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Far from the busy career woman Janine had been before moving to France, she is now busy with her farm life, specially with 3 dogs, 6 cats, 16 ducks, 4 geese, and 17 chickens! A lot of hilarious adventures came with these animals, not mentioning how Janine and Mark named them after celebrities. There is Mariah Carey, the high-pitched-squeal duck, for instance.. Then there are also Brad Pitt and George Clooney, the ducks, and many, many more that always trickle me to chuckles. Each of those animals has its own unique personality, just like their neighbors. After two books, I came to love Jean-Claude, Claudette, and all other kindhearted, but sometimes eccentric, people of Seven Valleys.

Not all of the stories are cheerful, though. I was heartbroken over a tremendous hailstorm that hit their tiny village, causing damages and heartbreaks. For Janine and Mark, especially, whose years of hard works of repairing the dilapidated house has just about to finish. I admired these people's caring and lovely spirits, helping each other, and still find ways to have fun through village events, or picnics, or just an outing to nearby flea markets.

Oh yes, I loved this book better than the predecessor. It's funny, sweet, and warm. It made me considering a quieter but more meaningful life after retirement, or like Janine said: "...shrugged off the cloak of detachment as form of protection to preserve some personal space in a crowded environment (in big cities)."



MOVIES/TV:

📺 The 7 Lives of Léa (Les 7 Vies de Léa)
1 season, 7 eps ⭐⭐⭐

A fantasy drama about a girl (Léa), who found the remaining body of a young man who died years ago, a school friend of her mother and father. And for seven consecutive mornings after that, Léa awakes in seven different bodies of people in year 1990, while she tries to solve the intricate mystery surrounds the man's death. A thought-provoking thriller!

🎬 Stuck Together (8, Rue de l'Humanité) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paris. Covid-19. Lockdown. Residents of an apartment building. Stuck together. There.. you can conclude what this comedy is about. It is hilarious, but sweet and heartwarming at the same time.



OTHER FRENCH THINGS

🚶‍♀️A Walk in Paris - a YouTube channel which brings us to take a stroll around a certain area in Paris with him. No commentary, no music, just walking and absorbing the city's dynamic spirit. I picked a walk in Le Marais area (34 mins), and then another along the Seine (26 mins). Now I'm tired after an hour stroll 😛, so... à la semaine prochaine!

What about you? What've you been doing for #ParisInJuly so far?