The Literary Sense, by E. Nesbit

Before our travels to pick up Bookworm5 I found myself scouring Amazon for free books on Kindle. Most free books on Kindle are a nice thought that I'm not interested in thinking about. However, I did discover that there are a plethora of E. Nesbit books available at no cost and so I proceeded to download every single title of hers that I saw. One such title was The Literary Sense which I recently completely.

Now, I have grown to adore reading Nesbit's books both by myself and with my kids. She was a fairly prolific writer which is an exciting fact if you love her books. I repeat: most of her books (if not all?) are available for free download on the Kindle which is a double treat and one that I highly recommend you take advantage of. I'd not heard of The Literary Sense before but I don't feel very badly about that seeing as how hardly anyone else has either. (Not even one Goodreads review?! And nothing on Amazon. Tsk, tsk!) I launched into the story, oblivious to what I mind find, and found myself delightfully surprised.

The Literary Sense is a collection of short stories definitely not intended for children. There are adult themes running throughout this book and its clear from things that Nesbit found a great deal of merriment in poking fun at her fellow human being. In these stories, which function more as character sketches, Nesbit tickles her own funny bone by pointing out the irrational behaviors of others who suffer from a case of having a "literary sense" (aka a sense for the dramatic). The people she wrote of are always just a little bit over the top in their beliefs and actions towards the realities of life. With Nesbit's typical wit the reader can easily see how silly some folks can be when desperately in love. There is a certain degree of the preposterous running throughout which makes for entertaining reading. Nesbit most certainly had to have chuckled her way through the creation of this book and there seems nothing better to do than to laugh right along with her. If you don't, you'll miss out!

If you like Nesbit in general, you'll want to check out this title because it offers another side to her as a writer. Whether the characters are likable or not is a matter of debate. They aren't really meant to be liked so much as humored. The romances of the foolish generally produce wry smiles so its fair to suggest that you expect to have a wry smile on your face as you read along.

I loved this title because it was unique and somewhat unexpected. Nesbit pokes fun at human nature in a way that hits the nail right on the head without being the least bit offensive. From this title I would deduce that Nesbit was a careful study of human behavior and loved a good laugh. If we are to write books which we ourselves would enjoy, I think she did that for herself with this one. I felt more as if I was reading something she took delight in and caught wind of an inside joke somehow. The joke was so funny its worth passing along and so, with that, I'd recommend The Literary Sense to you. (Remember, it's free! What's to lose?)

"All the same, he was nice, which is something: and she loved him, which is everything." (The Force of Habit)

Other books by Nesbit which we have devoured:

• The Book of Dragons
• The Phoenix and the Carpet

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

Is It Just Me? by British comedian Miranda Hart might not prove to be everyone's cup of tea. I'll tell you that right up front. I will confess to you though that despite her sometimes crass humor, I find her to be absolutely hysterical.

I had no idea who she was for the longest time (having formerly been a Call the Midwife hold-out). When I started watching CtM someone (I forget who) mentioned to me that the character of Chummy, who I professed to like, had her own television show. The person who told me this wasn't familiar with the show or anything, they just happened to know of its existence. Curious, I looked it up. (You can watch the first episode free on Vimeo.) Again, I do warn you that her humor is regularly crass so avoid it if you'd rather not be exposed. (So why am I watching it, you wonder?) I can't really explain why I like Miranda Hart. I just do. I've never been a "cool" and "with it" person and neither has Miranda. I guess in someways I just "get" her (so no, it's not "just her"). It's humorous to me the specific ways in which she pokes fun at society and also herself. She definitely takes note of the behavioral quirks of people which is something I do also. At the same time, she's a jolly person who absolutely loves life and enjoys enjoying it with others.

After having barreled my way through the available three seasons of Mirandra, I was missing her humor. When I discovered she had a book out I was very interested to read it and I am glad that I ultimately did, even though I can't fully recommend it to others.

I was sorting of having a "bad day" when I picked up Is It Just Me?. It had been a long week with its own frustrations and I just felt the overwhelming need to laugh. (You know how that goes, I assume....) Enter: Miranda Hart. Her book reads off very much like her sitcom. It certainly helped to be able to "hear" her voice and understand the facial and body expressions she describes herein. It made all the difference.

The only mistake I made in reading this book was beginning it in public. There I was sitting in a restaurant happily cracking open the cover and reading those first pages. First there was a chuckle. Then there was a full on body shaking laugh. Then came the tears of laughter. Then came the overwhelming and desperate desire to try not to draw attention to myself. Then my nose started running for trying to hold the laughter in and I realized it was only going to continue to get worse. I had to quickly set the book down in order to make the effort to compose myself, but the giggles kept coming and I eventually had to get up and leave.

I came home and finished reading the book while my children were down for naps. I was laughing so hard that when my daughter came out of the room she said, "What were you reading today? Can you read it to me? It sounds funny!" No, I did not read it to her but I thoroughly enjoyed it for me.

In this book Miranda Hart talks through life's many and varied trials, from advances in technology to going to the hair dresser. (She hates going to get her hair cut and I identified with every word she spoke on that topic. I probably laughed the hardest at that part. Stomach clutching laughter.) I find that my attitude matches hers when it comes to diets, beach vacations, weddings and what it's like not to be the "hippest" person in the crowd (but possibly the most comfortable one).

It's hilarious. I loved it. And it was just what I needed when I needed it. If you're curious to learn more about the comedy of Miranda Hart checkout her self-named show. That's a good starting point.

Jeeves in the Morning, by P.G. Wodehouse

I'm catching up so that I can get ahead. Yes. That's the plan!

Last week I wrapped up reading my Wodehouse pick (read for the April edition of the Reading to Know Book Club), Jeeves in the Morning. This title was originally published as Joy in the Morning and is being published under that title again. (Apparently it was titled Jeeves in the Morning for  brief period of time in America only and I own a copy as that.)

Some critics have hailed this title as Wodehouse's finest. That's not why I read it. I read it because it was the Jeeves & Wooster title on my shelf which I had not read. And I think you'll find reasons to quibble about which Wodehouse work is his best as everyone seems to enjoy a different character or storyline. The one thing most people tend to agree on is that Wodehouse must be read because his writing is delightful. I think this is true. If you didn't read along with the book club this past month, I hope you'll make time for a Wodehouse at some point. I can't imagine you'll regret it.

In Joy in the Morning characters Bertie Wooster and his servant Jeeves are being called to Steeple Bumphleigh, a country village where Bertie has no desire to go. His Aunt Agatha lives in Steeple Bumpleigh and he does not like his Aunt Agatha and makes objections to the visit. However, Jeeves' logic persuades Bertie that he has a duty to travel to Steeple Bumpleigh and assist his uncle in arranging a secret business meeting. Bertie is cheered to discover that his aunt will be out of town and so off to Steeple Bumpleigh he and Jeeves go.

Of course, as is the usual for Bertie, he runs into a female (in this case, an old flame) who wants to marry him but whom he has no wish to marry. Romances are falling apart everywhere and growing in places that no one wants. Life becomes a complicated mess and it is Jeeves - and only Jeeves - who can apply some thought and logic to bring about happy resolutions to everyone's problems. Jeeves is the hero and Bertie is appreciative. Even if this particular story about Wooster and Jeeves sounds similar to others, you don't mind reading about the particulars in this one because Wodehouse has a delightful way of turning a phrase in order to make the reader laugh.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

"It has been well said of Bertram Wooster by those who enjoy his close acquaintance that if there is one quality more than another that distinguishes hm, it is his ability to keep the lip stiff and supper and make the best of things. Though crushed to earth, as the expression is, he rises again - not absolutely in mid-season form, perhaps, but perkier than you would expect and with an eye alert for silver linings." (Chapter V)

"Well, go on."
"Where was I?"
"you were saying you made a bloomer in trying to be bright and genial."
"Ah, yes. That's right. I did. And this is how it came about. You see, the first thing a man has to ask himself, when he is told to be bright and genial, is 'How bright? How genial?' Shall he, that is to say, be just a medium ray of sunshine, or shall he go all out and shoot the works? I thought it over and designed to bar nothing and be absolutely rollicking. And that, I see now, is where I went wrong." (Chapter VII)

Wodehouse wrote this particular title when he was living in Germany. If you are unfamiliar with the person Wodehouse, he has a rather fascinating history. He was born in England and all of his books have a very British feel to them. However, most of his adult life was spent outside of England. Shortly before the second world war, Wodehouse moved to France to escape double taxation on his earnings from England the U.S. Of course, Germany occupied France and Wodehouse was interned by Germany for the remainder of the war. What was likely a poor choice on Wodehouse's part was that he prepared and delivered five radio addresses during his time in Germany which caused his countrymen to distrust his loyalties. Wodehouse rather severely underestimated the British mindset towards Germany. He never did seem to realize or understand why Britains were displeased with him for his radio broadcasts which apparently made him sound too jovial and friendly towards the Germans. As a result of this kerfuffle, Wodehouse never again returned to England. After the war, he and his wife moved to New York where he lived until his death in 1975.

Despite the fact that Britain was less than pleased with Wodehouse immediately following the war, he was eventually knighted. In an interview he gave later in his life he said he had no further ambitions after he had been knighted and had his likeness made into a wax figure at Madame Tussauds. Would that we could all say that of ourselves, hmm?

Wodehouse tickles my funny bone. I've not read a biography (all info about him gleaned from various online sources) but I would be very curious to do so. I imagine it would be fascinating!

Again, if you haven't read anything by him yet - do! I'm glad to have had an opportunity to visit with his most famous characters again. It was reading time well spent!

Where Am I?

Uh, hmm. So I had all of these great plans for the weekend and some of them happened but most of the ones involving books, reading and getting ahead did not.

That said, I did . . .

. . . have a date night out with my husband. (We went to go see a somewhat local production of The King and I which was remarkably well done and great fun.)

. . . provided lunch for a crew of friends who were helping some friends move into a new (and magical!) house (that I love)! Very happy for their blessing of a new (fabulous) home. I look forward to spending time there.

. . . canned 13 jars of pickles with my husband. (Overkill.) We also tackled 25 lbs. of tomatoes. And we're still married, yes, we are!

. . . had an outrageous attack of allergies - which I have never had before. So right now I'm holing up indoors, medicated, and trying to remember not to open any doors to the outside.

Since nothing happened on the reading front this weekend, I'll point you to some that I wrote for 5 Minutes for Books which have appeared over there within the last few months. (I'll point you to my favorites at any rate!)



Review of Hank the Cowdog

Please tell me you've read Hank. If not, please tell me that you will give it very serious consideration! I read this one several months back with the Bookworms, but just never got around to posting about it. Until now. Over at 5 Minutes for Books.

By the way and for the record, Bookworm2 just walked up to the computer and saw this picture of Hank. His response? "Oh, he's a funny, funny dog!" A ringing endorsement!




Review of Where's Waldo: The Search for Lost Things

I can't say I'm a big fan of Where's Waldo because some of the illustrations are inappropriate for young kids, in my opinion. (I refer to the scantily clad females I've seen in some pictures.) However, I didn't see anything that bothered me in this new puzzle book which features Waldo and his friends. I've set aside my review copy of this book to give to Bookworm1 when he's ready for it.



Review of The Backyard Homestead

Months (and months) ago, I mentioned that I had received a copy of The Backyard Homestead and liked it. I shared my garden-ish thoughts in this review. You'll have to excuse me if I am amused by my own gardening skills (or lack thereof). Up until this year, I've killed everything that I've ever tried to grow. The tide has turned and our thumbs seem to be turning a shade of light green. (And as for our zucchini plants?! We planted FOUR but only one has lived and is producing. It is enough.)

;)

P.G. Wodehouse :: Reading to Know Bookclub

Tim (yes, a name!) at Diary of an Autodidac is leading this month's book club selection. He encouraged us to read a P.G. Wodehouse title of our choosing and had these concluding remarks to make:

~~~~~

Wodehouse’s humor depends on its absurdity. A nobleman excessively devoted to a pig is funny enough. But what about if the pig was to be stolen to protect it from another crazy nobleman who likes to throw eggs at the gardener? Or perhaps we should have people pretending to be other people. Maybe there should be a scene with a pig in the bathroom and an accidental discharge of a gun. How about all of the above?

Or perhaps another idea: what if people believed golf was the most important thing in life, and actually acted that way? How about a story wherein a golfer keeps talking while his girlfriend tries to tee off? How should she handle it? Maybe she should hit him with her niblick. And then, his friend should agree with her approach.

Wodehouse is the master of taking things to a painful extreme in the pursuit of humor. In the process, like all great humorists, he reveals human nature. I enjoyed reading Uncle Fred in the Springtime (linked to review) for this month’s book club selection. I hope that the rest of you have as well, and that you will add Wodehouse to your own libraries.

~~~~~

So, who picked up a Wodehouse title this past month? I hope you chose to. If you did and have written up a post talking about your Wodehouse experience, please leave a link down in the comment section.

If you are planning to read along with the book club in May, it's time to pick up a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Amy at Hope is the Word will be hosting the discussion.

Summer Lightning, by P.G. Wodehouse

I started laughing in the Preface of Summer Lightning. Wodehouse writes:

"A certain critic - for such men, I regret to say, do exist - made the nasty remark about my latest novel that it contained 'all the old Wodehouse characters under different names'. He has probably by now been eaten by bears, like the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha: but if he still survives he will not be able to make a similar charge against Summer Lightning. With my superior intelligence, I have outgeneralled the man this time by putting in all the old Wodehouse characters under the same names. Pretty silly it will make him feel, I rather fancy."

In this particular novel, Wodehouse takes his readers back to Blandings Castle to visit with various old friends. (I am pretty certain that this is the first time I've visited Blandings Castle myself. However, I cannot be too sure because, to be honest, I have a hard time remembering sometimes which Wodehouse books I've read and which I haven't.) I rather side with the critic mentioned above in part by saying that Wodehouse recycles characters and traits and just renames them. When people ask me for my suggestion of a good Wodehouse title to start with, I simply feel forced to say: "Choose any! They are all good!" And that they are. (I'm never bored, no matter the title.) Although Wodehouse's humor is "trademark" in that it runs the same throughout all of his books, I have to think that a reader well-versed in Wodehouse can likely distinguish between his characters very well. I'm versed in Wodehouse, but I wouldn't say I'm well-versed.

Getting back to Summer Lightning though - the story revolves around a lot of romances, a memoir that family members do not want to see published, and a stolen prize pig. Not having very much to add to a scholastic discussion about Wodehouse, I'm not going to write up a "review" which tells you more about this particular story or it's place in the Wodehouse line-up. For me, reading Wodehouse is all about the dialogue between the characters and Wodehouse's humorous explanations for it. I think this is hysterical:

'Hugo?'
'Millicent?'
'Is that you?'
'Yes. Is that you?'
'Yes.'
Anything in the nature of misunderstanding was cleared away. It was both of them.
(Chapter 15, Over the Telephone)

Then again, it's not just the dialogue which I love but the way that Wodehouse sets up scenarios and then seems to mock them as he goes about his story telling business.

"A man who has been ling under a bed for a matter of some thirty minutes and, while there, has been compelled to listen to the sort of dialogue which accompanies a lovers' reconciliation seldom appears at his best or feels his brightest. There was fluff in Baxter's hair, dust on his clothes, and on Baxter's face a scowl of concentrated hatred of all humanity." (Chapter 18, Painful Scene in a Bedroom)

That just cracks me up, that's what!

Wodehouse is a must read because one really needs to relax and laugh with a good book from time to time. We can't be all about historical tomes and Hard Times with Dickens and fluffy diaries of wimpy nothingness. We must learn to lighten up and snicker a bit without feeling like the literature that has made us laugh is mind numbing filler. Wodehouse may seem a lighthearted affair, but it's serious hilarity and I think it important to distinguish him as an author worth reading.

If you're reading along with the Reading to Know online book club this month, take note of the fact that we'll be posting our wrap-up post this Friday, April 27th. I hope you've taken some time to get to know Wodehouse if you were previously unfamiliar with him!

Learning about Wodehouse

Diary of an Autodidact posted about Wodehouse the other day, explaining more about the historical relevance of this particular author and introducing us to some of his more popular characters.



Here is a portion of what he wrote, which I'm posting with permission:

******

The first half of the 20th Century was not kind to the British aristocracy. The Empire was on the decline, and was eventually lost. Land, once the source of wealth and power, was becoming secondary to capital and manufacturing. What was once the source of an independent income for the young, feckless nobleman had now become a drain on the finances.

Various authors documented and commented on this earthshaking change in society. E. M. Forster and John Galsworthy wrote serious novels. H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw explored the new atheism and pessimism. Yeats and Joyce replaced Tennyson and Dickens.

And then there was Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (pronounced WOOD-house), who saw in the decline of the aristocracy a golden opportunity for humor. Remarkable for both his long life and his prodigious output, Wodehouse was one of the greatest and most memorable humorists of all time.

******

To read the rest of Diary of an A's post on Wodehouse, click HERE.

I hope you will consider snatching up a Wodehouse title sometime this month! If you are already in the middle of one, I trust you are enjoying yourself!

Hank the Cowdog, This Week in Words, and Birthdays on Mondays

Every week Barbara hosts This Week in Words over at Stray Thoughts. This is a meme which allows people to share quotes from things that they've read - in books, online, in magazines, devotions, etc., etc. As I mentioned last week, I don't normally participate because I tend to put quotes from the books I'm reading in my reviews but since I started running, I've also done the unthinkable (to me) and started listening to words while I run. In audio book form. Which is crazy insane and I vow never to do it off the treadmill because I don't want to start any bad habits, removing myself from handling the written word in actual book form.

Like last week, I quoted from Hank the Cowdog, the original story. A good number of you have been familiar with Hank and I was glad to see that, oh yes I was. He's a good cowdog to know, being charming, witty and generally amusing and stuff and everything. I highly recommend him to anyone over the age of 8 and under the age of 108. Which is to say, he's a good book companion for just about any age.

Here were some quotes the tickled my funny bone this past week . . .

This, upon meeting with two turkey buzzards, Pa and Wallace:

". . . I try to be friendly and all of that, but there's just something about a buzzard that don't sit right with me. Maybe it's because they're so ugly. Looks ain't everything in this life, unless you happen to look like a turkey buzzard, and then they're pretty crucial. It's hard to be friendly to something that ugly." (Chapter 6, Buzzards, page 40)

Hank, on women and cowdogs:

"I'm not one to gush or be overwhelmed. Let's get that straight right here. My years in the security business have trained me to look upon most things as mere facts, facts to be gathered and studied and analyzed.
I mean, I'd seen women before, lot's of 'em, scads of 'em. I'd been through times in my life when women were hanging all over me, and I literally couldn't take a step without bumping into an adoring female.
If you're a cowdog, you get used to this. It's common knowledge that cowdogs are just a little bit special. Read your dog books, ask anyone who knows about dogs, check it with the experts. They'll tell you that women flip over cowdogs." (Chapter 7, True Love, page 49)

Again, Hank makes me snicker. I highly recommend giving him a chance if you haven't yet done so. I'm so glad I'm re-reading him. (I'm going to say re-reading even if I am listening just because it makes me feel better, ok?)

And on a completely different note . . .

Here are some words we are singing around these parts today:

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, Dear Bookworm1!
Happy Birthday to you!

Bookworm1 turns FIVE today! Be still my mother's heart!!!

So today is all about party and play. Not a bad way to spend a Monday, wouldn't you agree?

To check out some other words that are being shared today, visit Stray Thoughts.

Hank the Cowdog :: This Week in Words

Every week Barbara hosts This Week in Words over at Stray Thoughts. This is a meme which allows people to share quotes from things that they've read. I keep thinking it's a neat meme but it would be a bit overkill for me because I save my quotes for my reviews. However, this week I'm doing something a little different.

I'm listening to an audio book. Oh you think that's shocking do you!?!? What if I told you I was listening to an audio book while I was running?!

You don't believe me, do you?

I barely believe myself.

For one thing, the only reason I'm listening to an audio book is because I only have a tape recorder (the "old fashioned" sort) to listen to while running. The only book I have on tape is Hank the Cowdog. I already said I wanted to re-read Hank the Cowdog this fall. This way I can run and listen to a book at the same time. Hank is funny which helps me when I'm running because running is distinctly not funny at all. I find the ability to laugh while running helpful. If I could laugh outloud, that is. Mostly I'm just heaving in as much air as possible to make sure I don't accidentally faint and fall off the treadmill. But it's something.

So anyway, I'm listening to Hank on audio and having my mind tickled. I thought I would then go and looked up particular passages to share with you so that you could be equally amused and maybe start to think that you and Hank have a future reading destiny together. If you believe that, then you must only pick up one of his books (or, now, the CD of John R. Erickson's recordings of his books - hilarious) and give him a try. Because Hank really is worth a try. Running? Well, I'm not too sure about that...



Hank, if you are unfamiliar with him, is a cowdog who believes himself to be hot stuff. He takes himself all together too seriously and you groan, you laugh, you cry, you feel bad for him and you generally find yourself snickering at his antics.

"It's me again, Hank the Cowdog. I just got some terrible news. There's been a murder on the ranch.
I know I shouldn't blame myself. I mean, a dog is only a dog. He can't be everywhere at once. When I took this job as head of ranch security, I knew that I was only flesh and blood, four legs, a tail, a couple of ears, a pretty nice kind of nose that the women really go for, two bushels of hair and another half-bushel of Mexican sandburs.
You add that all up and you don't get Superman, just me, good old easy-going Hank who works hard, tries to do his job, and gets very little cooperation from anyone else around here." (Chapter 1, Bloody Murder, page 1.)

After a trip into town with cowhands Slim and Loper, Hank summarizes the feeling of returning to the farm after a day away:

"When we crossed the cattleguard that put us back on the ranch, I felt a change come over me.
In town I had been just another happy-go-lucky dog without a care in the world. But back on the ranch, I felt that same crushing sense of responsibility that's known to people in high places, such as presidents, prime ministers, emperors and such. Being head of ranch security is a great honor but also a dreadful burden." (Chapter 5, Another Bloody Murder, page 29)

I really do prefer to read books instead of listen to them. Looking up the quotes and enjoying the illustrations made me rather long to read ahead of the tape. I won't let myself get ahead though because Hank is the best distraction to the idea of running that I've found thus far! I'm not an audio learner and I tune things out fairly easily. When running though I've discovered this enormous desire to focus on anything - anything! - but running and so my senses are fine tuned to Hank. A fact I'm most certain he would appreciate.

Really, if you haven't yet introduced yourself to Hank, you should make the time. The audio books are fabulous, as far as audio books go as they are all read/performed by the author himself who uses different voices and really brings his unique ranch characters to life. Absolutely entertaining and come with a high recommendation from this corner of the book blog-o-sphere.

More quotes to come soon, I'd imagine, for there is more running to be done.

****

And on that note, if you're curious about why I'm running, it's because my friend "made" me by starting to work out C25K herself. She started in on the glories of running and got me all inspired. She talked about how she felt like her spirit was soaring when she ran and how accomplished she felt after doing it. Then another friend started the C25K and she said, and I quote (because we are quoting things for This Week in Words, after all, "I feel alive when I run." Well, I don't know what they are talking about. I'm on week two and I can truthfully say I hate every single second of running. I have no passion for it at all. Found this C25K version for the treadmill and I do that while listening to Hank, as mentioned. While I have noticed a distinctly positive physical change as a result of running, I would rather find a magic pill that I could take that would put me at post baby weight instantly and would require absolutely no self-sacrifice or discipline in achieving said goal. Alas, I meet with my humanity and I discover the need to sweat it out. My spirit does not soar. I do feel alive but only barely. Mostly I feel the keen need to stay alive and maybe finish the run.

The 13 Clocks, by James Thurber

Weird.

Then it gets a little weirder.

Weirder still.

I'm in the middle of Churchill and was pausing to read something short. I decided to pick up The 13 Clocks because it was a quick and easy read. (And, trust me, in the middle of Churchill one desires something quick and easy.) I hardly know what to say about this book so I'll just give you the spiel from Amazon:

Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales.

So begins James Thurber’s sublimely revamped fairy tale, The 13 Clocks, in which a wicked Duke who imagines he has killed time, and the Duke’s beautiful niece, for whom time seems to have run out, both meet their match, courtesy of an enterprising and very handsome prince in disguise. Readers young and old will take pleasure in this tale of love forestalled but ultimately fulfilled, admiring its upstanding hero (”He yearned to find in a far land the princess of his dreams, singing as he went, and possibly slaying a dragon here and there”) and unapologetic villain (”We all have flaws,” the Duke said. “Mine is being wicked”), while wondering at the enigmatic Golux, the mysterious stranger whose unpredictable interventions speed the story to its necessarily happy end.

Apparently Thurber wrote this book while on a trip to Bermuda. He was supposed to be finishing up another of his books (I don't know which) but took a break to write this one. He says of it that it is " . . . an example of escapism and self-indulgence." He also thanks his wife in the Forward for reading several drafts while he was working on it. He also thanks her, "for constructive criticism and for waking me out of nightmares, some of them about the Todal, I suppose, but the worse ones, on the darkest nights, about thew whole enterprise in general."

I do think he was on some sort of trip when he wrote this book. Now, grant it, I've only read his short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty before (which was turned into a movie starring Danny Kaye that I, alone, in my family could ever stand to watch.) Thurber is kind of...well...weird. Hard to take. Fanciful. Writes in choppy sentences. (Wait...!?) He has an intriguing style of writing. The more enjoyable parts are when he starts to describe a character or a place in one of this book. Take this description of the Princess Saralinda for example:

"The Princess Saralinda was tall, with freesias in her dark hair, and she wore serenity brightly like the rainbow. It was not easy to tell her mouth from the rose, or her brow from the white lilac. Her voice was faraway music, and her eyes were candles burning on a tranquil night." (Chapter 3, page 40)

I like the way that sounds but the story itself seems to be so rushed, choppy and, at times, nonsensical that I have a hard time recommending it on the whole. This is certainly not a book to pick up in spare moments, here and there. If you did decide to read this, I recommend doing so in one sitting. It's so bizarre that it's better to keep the flow going as best you can in your own brain. I'm not sure what flow, if any, existed in Thurber's.

While I read, I had the nagging fear that this book had been turned into a movie or something. According to all-knowing Wikipedia, the following occurred following publication of this, er, rather unique tale:

The story was set to music by Mark Bucci and appeared in 1953 as the 5th episode of The Motorola Television Hour, with Basil Rathbone as the evil Duke. It was also adapted and produced by Stephen Teeter for use in the 1960s in a production in Berkeley, CA. Later it was adapted and produced by Frank Lowe for stage, and published in 1976 by Samuel French, Inc. Audio recordings have also been produced, performed by Lauren Bacall, Peter Ustinov and Edward Woodward. The BBC produced a radio version of the story with Heron Carvic as the Golux.

Christopher Theofanidis wrote an opera based on the story in 2002.

An opera! That just makes it even more amazing in my simple little brain!

I suppose you could call this story humorous but you sort of also have to force yourself to laugh. Or, dare I say, be very, very drunk when you read it. I'm not sure Thurber wasn't when writing it. As I say, the story flows but only if you read it from start to finish without any interruptions. Don't even stop to go to the bathroom. If you do, I make no promises as to what you'll find when you come back to it.

Weird is the only word I'm left with. (I think Churchill has a much more refined, developed sense of humor, truth be told. Back to World War II for me! Somehow strangely more amusing. How's THAT?!)

Your Daily Affirmation

One final note for today -

Smile. This is a short video of a very, very happy little girl.



I'm laughing wondering what Jonathan would think if he caught me in front of the bathroom spouting off in the same manner! Ha! Ha! Hmm...maybe that's not such a bad idea (every now and again.)

Sharks, and Puffers, and Whales! Oh My!

I've talked about the Smithsonian Institution animal books, published by Soundprints, before (over at 5 Minutes for Books.) After the Book Expo in NYC earlier this May, I was given an opportunity to peruse a few more of their titles and you can bet I jumped on them! Non-fiction books on sea life have been Our Thing this past year (we're slowly moving on into dinosaurs, if you can believe it!) and the Smithsonian Institution collection of books is like none other!
We started with Great White Shark: Ruler of the Sea and it was an instant hit. In this book we meet a two day old great white shark who smells some blood and takes her to a feeding frenzy. (Ok, here's where I admit I wasn't sure how Bookworm1 was going to take to the blood and guts but it didn't seem to phase him.) Through this book we kind of follow along her explorations in an almost documentary type of way. We discover the animals most likely to cause the great white shark injury and we see how she grows and wises up in order to feast upon her favorite prey. I like how at the back of the book they include facts about the animal you are reading about and the facts tie into the fictional story that they are sharing to inform young readers about the animal world around them.

We have long been a fan of whales and one of our favorites is the sperm whale. Why, you ask? In a word: Monstro. Therefore we enjoyed reading Giant of the Sea: The Story of a Sperm Whale where we meet a pod of whales swimming together off the coast of Hawaii. (See? Already this conjures up beautiful and peaceful pictures, does it not?) We find a mama whale caring for her baby, teaching it how to breathe and watching her dive and hunt for food. We learn about how she makes sounds which produce echoes which help her to navigate in the waters and yes, there is a picture of the whale eating a giant squid. There are THREE WHOLE PAGES of the whale, uh, "interacting" with the squid. (Whale 1, Squid 0) We love this book. Again, at the very back there are a couple of paragraphs which include additional facts and information about the sperm whale.

Lastly, we read Puffers Surprise. When Jonathan and I were in Washington D.C. we found this little toy puffer fish (the size of a dime) which Bookworm1 carries with him e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. and so, as you might suspect, this is our favorite book of the moment. It is to be read with our little friend "Puff Puff!" For most of this story, puffer isn't puffed. He is calmly hunting for food and going about his business. But then a sea bass comes a'callin' and PUFF! (We love saying this. "PUFF! PUFF! PUFF!" I need to get it out of my system, ok?) I really don't think I can recommend this book, or any of the others in the Smithsonian Institute series on animals, more highly if your child or classroom is studying any particular creature. What better way to teach a child scientific facts than through a story (and all of their books are beautifully illustrated.) I love the inclusion of facts at the end, which we always faithfully read to increase in our knowledge of oceanic life. The books are also incredibly and very reasonably priced ($4.95-$6.95 on Amazon from what I see in searches.)

Of course, not all of the Smithsonian Institute books focus on sea life, but since that's what we focus on - that's what we read. We read a lot of sea life-related books.

For example, for the adults on this sea creature adventure, you might be interested to note that the Fifteenth Sherman's Lagoon Collection has recently been released and is entitled Discover Your Inner Hermit Crab. Sometimes I think Sherman is far more entertaining a read than the factual books that Bookworm1 is so very fond of. My favorite character is, by far and away, Fillmore, the literary sea turtle. He makes me chuckle the most. I had read some Sherman before but I hadn't read a complete collection. (This is in keeping with my rediscovery of the love of comic strips. I'm enjoying the short amusements they provide.)

Bookworm1 sat beside me, begging me to read this to him. I kept brushing him off, saying he was perfectly welcome to look at the pictures but that it had jokes that only mommy or daddy could understand. He begged and cajoled until I finally found a kid-worthy one and read it to him. He didn't get it.

So, if your kid is sea life crazy, I recommend you find a way to read Sherman on your own time. It's a much more pleasurable experience that way!

Thanks, Andrews McMeel Publishing, for allowing us the opportunity to giggle with hermit crabs and sea turtles and to Soundprints for allowing us to get our facts straight!

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes, by Nevin Martell

This book kind of took me off guard and affected me in a rather surprising way. Of course I was initially intrigued at the thought of reading it. Bill Watterson? Calvin and Hobbes? What could go wrong? The full title of this book is Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip As many of you are likely aware, cartoonist Bill Watterson has opted to live an extremely private life and there is little to find out or know about the man behind Calvin and his best friend, Hobbes. A thirst for knowledge about Watterson drives Martell forward as he is writing this book. I kinda of thought it would be a curious and fun read but here's what happened instead . . .

Martell opened Looking for Calvin and Hobbes up by reminding his readers how intensely private Watterson is. He tells us that Watterson has refused all interviews and thinks people are making too big a deal out of the cartoonist. He wants to be left alone and he doesn't understand the hoopla. Watterson has never enjoyed giving interviews and keeps whatever public comments he does make focused on the comic strip and leaves out any personal details of his life. That's how he likes it.

Martell then launches into an explanation of how he absolutely adored comics as he was growing up and how he fell in love with Calvin and Hobbes. Martell tells his readers that he enjoys writing but wanted to write a book about a.) something that he loved and b.) something that he didn't know very much about. After a little reflection he landed on the idea of writing about Watterson and he set out to discover as much as he could about the man.

I promptly lost interest in most of the book.

Why's that?

Watterson wants his private life left alone. He doesn't want us to know about him and he doesn't offer up information. Live and let live (but truly live!) seems to be the motto he goes by and the only information that is to be gotten must be coerced/requested out of friends and loved ones. I have to say, I have very little respect for someone who goes about asking for information from acquaintances and friends about a person you care to know something about. To me that kinda boils your conversations down to gossip. "Spill the beans! Tell me all you know!" If the direct source isn't interested in talking - don't push it. Let it be.

Now, I did enjoy the little historical tidbits of information that Martell gave us about Calvin and Hobbes the comic strip. I found myself skimming the book, looking for that information. If he got too personal in his information about Watterson - I pretty much skipped and skimmed. What Watterson doesn't want me to know, I don't want to know about. I don't need to know about it. It's not my inherent right as a human being, an American, or a lover of Calvin and Hobbes. Watterson was born, he led a quiet life, he got married, and he's alive and enjoying life as best as he can. If I were him, I'd want to fade into the background as well. I understand his desire for privacy and I think that should be honored. We Americans tend to think we "need" to know everything there is to know about everyone and everything. We think we were born with rights to dissect and rule the lives of others but we simply are not in possession of that right. I found myself becoming more perturbed by the idea of this book and therefore was unable to sit back and just enjoy it for whatever it was that Martell wanted it to be. A work of devotion? A fan's journey trying to get as close to Watterson as possible?

Now, like I said, I did enjoy learning a bit of the history behind the comic strip and how it came to be. I liked the interviews with original editors and Big Wigs who helped birth Calvin & Hobbes. It's fascinating to hear about how Watterson brought these characters to life and I would enjoy a more thorough work on that subject matter. But learning about Watterson just so that we can say we learned something he didn't want us to know about him? That's... not so very cool in my book.

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes probably won't effect everyone the same way it did me. In fact, I've had to sit on this review for awhile and determine whether or not I really wanted to publish it! It will most likely come across as negative and I do have that intent in writing what I've written. I struggle against gossip and my feathers are ruffled when people hunt around for information after the direct source has declined to offer any. I feel like this book, although I know it is not the author's intention, shows a lack of respect for Watterson and his wishes. Because I knew Watterson wasn't the one giving out the information and refused involvement with the book, I couldn't read about anything personal. I wasn't invited to do so.

I get rankled by Hollywood - wanting to dissect human beings before our very eyes so that we can feast on other people's lives. I get rankled by the public who demands to know specifics about our military operations when our military is trying to stealthily and swiftly win wars. I miss the respect people had during World War II and the good old slogan against gossip and rumors: "Loose Lips Sink Ships." I think that is very true. Our speech and what we choose to investigate and talk about should be edifying and uplifting and I don't think Martell manages to pull that off with this book. So I take issue with it, without knowing Watterson at all. If I were Watterson, I would be rolling my eyes at this book- at the very least!

I'm happy knowing Calvin and Hobbes and that truly is enough for me. If you want to talk about the history of the strip - hey! I'm all ears! But about Watterson? Let's just enjoy the humor of the characters he created, what say?

And if you are looking for Calvin and Hobbes? Well, here they are, just as Watterson would want you to find them:


I would be remiss if I did not thank Continuum for sending me a copy of this book for review. Although it isn't typically my policy to publish a negative review of a book, I had such strong feelings about the means of creating this one that I felt I had to voice them. So I must send both my apologies and respects to Continuum and would want to quickly note that these opinions belong only to myself and I fully recognize that many other fans of Calvin & Hobbes are going to be interested and intrigued. Obviously - I was!

This Time Together, by Carol Burnett

Fun. Funny. An enjoyable reading experience. (Definitely something that I kinda wanted to read on the tails of yesterday's book! I needed something lighter! It was the perfect follow up.)

These words sum up my feelings about This Time Together, by Carol Burnett.

Now, I have to confess that my exposure to Carol Burnett is limited. I've seen bits and pieces of comedy sketches she has done. My most vivid memory of her is as Miss Hannigan in the movie Annie. She is always spoken so highly of though, and seems to have made the whole world laugh at various points in time that I was very curious to read this book.

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection is a quick and easy read. The book is a collection of short stories based on Q&A sessions that she has hosted with studio and theater audiences around the country. For anyone familiar with the Carol Burnett Show, she would host Q&A's to warm her audience up and get them ready for the show. Essentially, this book reads as a series of short stories that she would give in answer to people's questions regarding her early career, interactions with other television and movie stars, etc.

I so enjoyed hearing about her relationship Jim Nabors (aka Gomer Pyle), CARY GRANT (my personal favorite), Lucy (of the I Love fame) and many, many others. I laughed over her interchanges with fans and got a kick out of hearing some of her early New York experiences. Carol Burnett has a way of telling a good story and getting a laugh. I've come to realize this through reading this book and have since parked myself in front of Youtube watching various Carol Burnett Show clips. And it's FUNNY! But then, I don't really need to tell that to any long time fan of Carol Burnett!

Most Hollywood memoirs (especially those published more recently) are distasteful and I leave them feeling like I learned more than I wanted to. Not so with Carol Burnett! I thought she was (mostly - as in 95% of the time!) tasteful and simply humorous. Burnett did write a book called One More Time that is memoir about growing up in a "dysfunctional but loving family." This Time Together isn't a life story, so I think it stays light, fluffy and, well, funny. She writes in the introduction:

"This time I'm emphasizing episodes and anecdotes that have brought me to the present time, although I've also included a few stories from childhood that bear repeating.
Originally I began writing this book as a simple series of anecdotes, but as I got into it I found that I went into more detail than I usually do onstage." (Introduction, page 2)

If you like Carol Burnett and her sense of humor, then I can't think as to why you wouldn't like this book. I'm glad to have read it as it made me more interesting in learning more about her. She's not just Miss Hannigan. She's that and so much more!

I keep using this word - but thanks to The Crown Publishing Group for the FUN of this read - for keeping it clean and for making me laugh!

Oh yeah, one last thing....

You might like this.

You might not like this.

I've watched it X amount of times (not admitting the actual number) and can't quit laughing and snickering.

One thing is for certain: you WILL have an opinion about it!



. . . I know I do.

Tim Hawkins on this Wednesday

It's the middle of the week. It's time for a pick me up in the form of some laughs.

Someone(s) who I will not name -tho they are celebrating a birthday today! - (in case you feel the need to lecture them in the comment section) introduced us to Tim Hawkins and, well, here we are!







And before any home schoolers get mad at me - I was one, Jonathan was one, and our children will be. Which is, perhaps, why we laugh so hard whenever we see this:



To our benefactors ;) - we thank you! And we say Happy Birthday to you! =)

Friday Laughs

One more for the weekend...

We find this amusing in light of our wedding photography (side career) and love of Monk:



See, I DO have other interests outside of books. I just...never talk about them! =D

For Your Monday