Finally finished the Stephen King doorstop!

Well it took me a couple of weeks, but I finally finished 11.22.63. Not bad, although I felt that the later part could've done with a bit of editing. All that stuff before the asssasination about Jake's personal life, when you just want him to get to the assasination. When he does eventually get there, it's over pretty quickly and I think I may have missed some stuff in my haste to move on to the end. The first part of the book seemed to move much more quickly in comparison. 

My library book had the other cover, but I like this one better (Image Link)

SPOILER!!! I must admit I found the ending quite haunting. It reminded me a little of Greek tradegy in the way that Jake hubristically tried to change history but ultimately found himself having spent the last five years doing a meaningless task. All he was left with was the memory of this woman whom he would be unable to form a relationship with. All the friends he made would never even know him, and he couldn't even go back to live in the 50s, a time which he and King were obviously pretty keen on!


I thought the setting in the future was good, and would've liked more of that but on the condition that the build-up was cut down. There is no reason to make the book even longer! I also wouldn't have minded more of the card men, but understood why they and more details about the future weren't included. Although it wasn't supposed to be a horror book, I think there were elements of what I would call the uncanny (or Das Unheimliche if I was to go all 'literary theory'. Nice to know I am remembering some of this stuff). You are going along all nicely with the lovely portrayal of the 50s utopia, then something creepy or unsettling happens.  


Anyway, I think I would probably give it a 4 out of 5 or so, it's not getting 5 out of 5 because of the frustrating build-up to the assasination. On the plus side, I learnt something about the Cuban Missile Crisis and more about the Kennedy Assasination. 


As for Ulysses, I am steadily working my way through Scylla and Charybdis. Not an easy chapter to follow, but I will be writing an update as soon as I finish it. 

Angry to learn I am anti-feminist...

"I swear there can be no greater force against all womankind than Liz Jones. She is inconsistent, bitter, nasty and unhinged." Phillip Schofield. 

Phil was referring here to an article by a Daily Mail Harridan. Yes, that is the official title of all the female journalists from that crappy excuse for a newspaper. As you can probably guess, I am not a reader, although I seem to be in a minority. Women are forever depressing and horrifying themselves with the website at lunchtime. It stands for both things I hate and the things I am simultaneously drawn to and repelled by as a woman: I hate the scare-mongering hate-filled venom of the attitude, I am drawn to and repelled by the nasty rumours and pics of celebrities. I can't trust myself to get drawn into it, who knows where it may lead? I am one of those women the DM hates: Guardian-reading bleeding heart liberal. And today I discover that they are branding me an anti-feminist, rude, arrogant and a playground bully!

Let me get this straight, I am known to wear make-up on occassion and I know I do look better with it. I like to play with it a little when I go out. I have no problem with people who wear it every day, although I do think that people who wear too much look like they are trying to hide something and often look older than they are. I am not going bare-faced because I think I look fab without make-up, it just isn't that important to me. I don't make time for it every morning. I don't go out and buy lots of the stuff as I already own enough and would rather spend the money elsewhere. I simply do not have the cash to buy "Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser and hydrating primer, Chanel Vitalumiere foundation, YSL touché eclat No2, Chantecaille pow-der [sic], Nars blusher, and on and on." Who does? 

Holly makes a living out of looking beautiful. I might feel jealous sometimes of her beauty, but I don't begrudge her having to go through all that faff. It makes Liz Jones look like a jealous bitch going on about her, but then I would like to punch her smug made-up face. Like all Harridans, she is mightily pleased with herself. I have never been so tempted to troll in all my life. Trawling through her previous articles (like wading through sewage, I feel dirty), I see she makes her living criticising clothes, other women and interviewing WAGS. Saving the world there, Liz. 

I don't want my feminist icon to be some WAG or Barbie Doll who competes with others to see who can spend the most, nor would I like someone who was too serious about everything. My icons are the women who are saving the world one day at a time and not judging people based on the way they dress. As women and feminists we should be entitled to dress however we please without being judged, this is a principle I try to live by. I love purple shoes, dresses and eye make-up, but can't live in them all the time. I still want to dress like a nerd tomorrow. People may think I look odd at times, but I'm sure it doesn't bother them that much. I'd rather feel comfortable. 

I suppose we should feel sorry for Liz. Nothing better for her to write about. Obviously so desperetly insecure about her looks she could do with someone weaning her off her products and making her realise there's a life outside of bitching about other people. Liz, you really don't need to wear so much make-up. Get a life, if you don't like Holly don't look at her. I'm sure there's a more appropriately made-up woman you can find to like (or man...).

Mmm, I could actually almost fancy him in guyliner...pity I think he's the most over-rated actor ever 

(Jude Law from the Telegraph.)

Back to my beloved Guardian, with an article saying the complete opposite. I liked a quote from the comments: "The argument for rejecting beauty regimes is really quite simple, I think, and the word "regime" is telling. If you feel you have to do it, then it's oppressive. Whether it's a facelift or eyebrow threading." (Choco, 24th March 2012). Do it because you choose to, not because society or other women think it's normal.

As Mr. OQ sensibly points out, I should stop reading the DM if it makes me angry. I never would've found out about being an anti-feminist if I hadn't found Phil's quote on DS. Good on Phil for lambasting that woman though. 

You, you not only enranged me, you also mucked up my font size! Fab article about her sperm-stealing proclivities

In search of lost plots...

I admit, I'm finding it quite hard to keep up the reading at the moment, guess life is intruding, especially now it's the end of the academic year, which is always a bit fraught. It wasn't that bad getting into it, but I am missing the plot part of it and I am only about a quarter way through (it seems). Not a book that can be picked up and put down at will either. I have been finishing off Rivals and am nearly done with the Stephen King doorstop too, I just have to focus more on the Ulysses. 

Another Bloom Chapter, the Laestrygonians (or Lestrygonians). We are walking through the maze with no guide here, my friends. Ito is not accompanying us this time, although I have found articles by him and on him, including one from Times Higher Education. I am charmed by the description, but must move on from minor crushes on critics.

Many pencil notes popping up in this chapter. I am struck by the imagery: food imagery mingling with birth, sex, death and decay. It is quite a visceral chapter, opening with the innocent children's sweets mingling with the religious 'Blood of the Lamb' then moving straight into more violent religious imagery. 

Politics plays a heavy part with frequent references, this can be quite difficult, sort of like watching Irish Victorian Mock the Week, as Mr. OQ described it. Footnotes are not really that helpful as they gloss over important points, so it can be helpful to read around it. That, or accept that it's going to require far more research than you want to do. I'm going with a mixture of the two approaches here. The Yale article is sufficiently illuminating if we can't have Ito. I have found an interesting image from an odd website called liberateUlysses, the purpose of which is to celebrate Bloomsday 2012. Surprised I haven't found it before. The image was created in 2004 by students at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.
 
 Odysseus and his men meet cannibals, who feed in frenzied greed, much as Bloom meets the disgusting individuals stuffing their faces in the Burton's restaurant. He expresses concern for the large Catholic families who live in poverty and take more than their fair share of resources; comparing their religious customs and perceived greed to the Jewish practice of fasting. Bloom's outsider's perspective allows Joyce to potentially comment. Bloom continues to reveal episides from his past, in this case musing on his relationship with Molly and what happened to them after the death of Rudy.

As previously, images and slogans from advertisments play a part in the narrative, but in this case Bloom reacts more to them, criticising the stuipidity of Plumtree's potted meat. 

Anyway, onto Scylla and Charybdis. Quite an enjoyable part of The Odyssey, although I have never worked out how to pronounce the second one. Reminds me of wine. I'll have a nice glass of Charybdis, please.  

Aeolus - In the Newspaper Offices

This was not my favourite chapter, and in fact, took two goes and a night off reading (I got about halfway through, but really wasn't in the mood so decided to put it down and go back to it). 
I guess I felt on the first reading that I was missing things with the newspaper headlines and the magic rhetorical techniques, which I admit to knowing very little about. This seems to be a quite inaccessible chapter which would benefit from a study guide. I found myself bewildered as to what was actually happening (although this may be due to my current mood), so ended up focussing more of the depiction of the newspaper office and the multiple references to wind in the chaper.







Taken from an American site. 
Reading around the chapter, it looks as if some of the chapter headings aim to confuse as a technique (as if the book doesn't confuse and bewilder enough). I guess I can see here why people dislke it or find it hard to read, but I'm determined to finish it. Some of the headlines add to the chapter, summaring the sections or adding irony, for example, 'unfeigned regret' I thought was quite ironic in tone, some headlines are misleading or don't make a lot of sense to me. The chapter is also full with plays on words, riddles and lymericks. Thankfully, the wonderful Ito has written another article, which has cleared a few things up. He doesn't get to bogged-down in the rhetorical side of things, but again links the writing with the history behind it. I was going to try and look at the rhetric, but on further reflection, I think I'd actually rather spend the time actually reading the book, so I am going to move swiftly on.  

A Visit to Glasnevin Cemetery

Taken from Explow website.
(Originally from www.jochenhertweck.com, but watch out for this site as I had a security warning pop up).

Chapter  6 takes place in Hades/Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin, where we learn more about Bloom's character and background. It carries on nicely from Bloom's visit to the church in the previous chapter as he continues to observe the world around him. Bloom is forced to endure an uncomfortable carriage ride with a group of men who are preparing to attend the internment of a person they knew, but were not really that close to. The carriage ride is evidently meant to represent the boat trip to Hades, allowing the occupants to tell some blackly humourous stories and for them to unwittingly disturb Bloom with their attitude to suicide. He makes some mental observations about people's ghoulish curiosity about death, in particular violent death and remembers both his son's death and  his father's suicide, dwelling on the decay of the body and Catholic funeral customs.  

In both this chapter and the next Joyce uses fresh narrative techniques, in this one a technique he referred to as incubism. This could be a lovley excuse for some dry ramblings, but alas, I am no cultural phenomenologist, just a former English grad with a desmond, so I liked this article better. Eishiro Ito gives a great background, and I particularly liked the way the article analysed the different drafts to show how Joyce intensified and darkened the chapter. Much easier to read than the other article!

 

The Lotus Eaters/Ulysses as a Comic Novel

I haven't done my required reading for the day as yet, but I did manage to read 'The Lotus Eaters' (chapter 5) last night. I enjoyed this chapter and I think it helped me to start to see the connection with the source material without resorting to the many guides method. I have succumed to note-taking within the book though, and I did have to read over the part in the church a few time, as I kept feeling as if I'd missed something.

I was amused by the advertsing slogan:

What is home without
Plumtree's potted meat?
Incomplete
With it an abode of bliss.

Ironic, because of the use of the rhetorical device and the highly poetic hyperbolic language.
 

(Taken from the St. Andrew's Parish Church website where this chapter was set. Note the lack of mention of the novel if you go on the website)

The part in the church confused me a little because I think I was looking for some sort of 'message' that Joyce had hidden in there. However, that way lies getting bogged down I think. I can't look there for Joyce's attitude to religion, what we're looking at is the way that Bloom is observing the Catholic religion as an outsider, and the way that Joyce is using the Church to fit in with the idea of the Lotus Eaters - in this case the church-goers who are sporific from the Latin and receiving the sacrament. There is an air of hypocrisy (on the part of the church-goers) prevading parts of it, for example, Bloom/Joyce describes a woman going to confession: 'Repentance skindeep. Lovely shame' and the listing of various aspects of religion makes it seem inconsequential somehow. There are also hints about church and state being rather too intertwined. 

The little advertising slogan was the first hint, but listening to the first part of the radio broadcast opened my eyes (pun intended). The way that the book is revered and feared makes you forget that it is meant to be a comic novel, not just a weighty tone for masochists! I think listening to it makes it far more accessible, as it is easier to tell between what is dialogue and what is stream-of-consciousness. I have also heard of editions that have been reformatted to make it easy to read. Anyway, I am certainly going to listen to the rest of the Radio 4 broadcast. I'm not expecting the rest of the book to be laugh-a-minute, but it has been a pleasant surprise. 

Suppose I should get back to reading it now. Next part - the funeral (Hades).

Notes on Notes

I managed to read the first three chapters of Ulysses last night and a forth chapter this morning. I had time last night to carry on reading, but felt satisfied after the three chapters I read. When I began, I was using the notes at the back a great deal, particularly with the third chapter (Proteus); however, I found that the notes sometimes interrupted the flow. Sometimes I want to know what it means, other times I just want to enjoy the ebb and flow of the language. At the moment, I am looking up a point if I need to, but I leave the chapter summaries until the end and don’t worry unduly if I don’t really ‘get’ it. I don’t think I’m supposed to, especially on the first reading. All those bloomin’ charts on who is supposed to be whom and the colours and organs and motifs for each chapter/episode? Too off-putting for a first reading. 

My response? I am half dazzled by the magnificent lyricism of the writing, half convinced of its insufferable pretention. I found the third chapter hard as some of the internet reviews warned, but I am not tempted to line up the study guides yet, and the fourth chapter (Calypso) thankfully normal service resumed. I can see how Joyce has influenced other writers, not just of the period but later as well (Infinite Jest springs to mind). It is a stunning use of stream-of-consciousness/interior monologue technique in the way that Joyce’s characters have distinct ‘voices’. 

Studying Classics and R.E at school and Classics modules at University has helped, having little knowledge of Irish history and politics has hindered. Nevertheless, I am pushing on. Glad that I never studied the book in University as I can see that it is not a book to be forced; you have to want to read it, and probably to re-read it time and time again to be able to fully explore the multitude of references.

Internet research has been fruitful and varied. Glad that there are people out there fence-sitting, I am intimidated by the rabid intellectuals screaming that it is the best book in the English language, and by the equally fervent haters who can’t understand why anyone would like it. I’d rather stay out of either camp, and I am particularly not reading it so that I can boast about the experience. Perhaps I am just one of those people out there who enjoy the masochistic thrill of the whole thing. I am bemused by the anecdotes of people treating it like some sort of Bible, making pilgrimages to Ireland.

The text is undoubtedly error-riddled, but I’m glad that I’m reading this particular edition as it is a facsimile of the original edition. It gives the experience of reading it as it was, minus the modern typefaces and corrections. 

I've taken this image from an article on Bibioklept 'How to Read James Joyce's Ulysses (and why you should avoid how to guides like this one)'. 

A helpful, enthusiastic yet not too deferential atricle. I like Blah Blah Bloomsday too (from the same site), good links and pictures.

The First Book

I've been thinking about whether to go easy or hard, or on what basis I chose when to read each book. Anyway, I've decided to set myself a challenge to start with. As there is a new BBC Radio 4 production of this text that aired yesterday, I thought I'd give it a go. Here's the link: Radio 4 Production of Ulysses
I haven't listened to the radio broadcast, but will consider it, although I would like to start reading it first. 
I've attempted Ulysses in the past but not got very far. The last time I tried it, it was a library book, which probably didn't help. Anyway, I have a charity shop copy I bought a while back but can't remember attempting. I also have the free downloaded version on the Kindle, but I've chosen to read a physical copy as this is a specific version of the text and knowing that this book has a reputation for being dense and difficult, I thought I'd be better off with a few footnotes to guide me on my way. 
The book is an OUP (World's Classics) version of the 1922 text published in 1998 edited by Jeri Johnson. The 1922 edition is supposed to be closest to the original text. This can be important, I know from reading D.H Lawrence's Lady Chatterly novels. Lawrence published several editions of the story which are quite different in tone to each other. 

The cover image is interesting, here is a small copy of it, which I have taken from The Tate Gallery Website. 
The name is The Transmogrifications of Bloom by Richard Hamilton (1984-5). Although I haven't found out much about it so far, I suspect that it may have been comissioned for a copy of the book or certainly heavily influenced by it. 
So far, I don't know that much about the book either, only that it is Modernist, set over a day in 1904 and that Joyce was unable to publish in England due to supposed obscenity. I haven't studied any Joyce before either. 
Anyway, I suppose I should start reading it!

The Book List

Okay, so I am starting off with 50 books, most of which I have never read or never finished. The one exception is Can you Forgive Her? which I am including because it is part of a series I've always wanted to finish. I am also slightly unsure about whether I've ever finished Wuthering Heights. All I know is I've always disliked it, but want to force myself to give it one last go in a doomed attempt to understand it now I'm older. This may be way too ambitious, but never mind. Here are the books, in no particular order (I will not be reading them in this order either):

1. Swann's Way Proust (Vol 1: ARDTP)
2. In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower Proust (Vol 2: ARDTP)
3. The Guermantes Way Proust (Vol 3: ARTDP)
4. Sodom and Gomorrah Proust (Vol 4: ARTDP)
5. The Prisoner Proust (Vol 5: ARTDP)
6. The Fugitive Proust (Vol 6: ARTDP)
7. Time Regained Proust (Vol 7: ARTDP)
8. The Warden Trollope (Barchester Vol 1)
9. Barchester Towers Trollope (Barchester Vol 2)
10. Doctor Thorne Trollope (Barchester Vol 3)
11. Framley Parsonage Trollope (Barchester Vol 4)
12. The Small House at Allington Trollope (Barchester Vol 5)
13. Last Chronicle of Barset Trollope (Barchester Vol 6)
14. Can You Forgive Her? Trollope (Palliser Vol 1)
15. Phineas Finn Trollope (Palliser Vol 2)
16. The Eustace Diomonds Trollope (Palliser Vol 3)
17. Phineas Redux Trollope (Palliser Vol 4)
18. The Prime Minister Trollope (Palliser Vol 5)
19. The Duke's Children Trollope (Palliser Vol 6)
20. Clarissa Richardson
21. War and Peace Tolstoy
22. A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
23. Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace
24. Emma Austen
25. Manfield Park Austen
26. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
27. Ulysses Joyce
28. The Jewel in the Crown Scott (Raj Vol 1)
29. The Day of the Scorpion Scott (Raj Vol 2)
30. The Towers of Silence Scott (Raj Vol 3)
31. A Division of the Spoils Scott (Raj Vol 4)
32. A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World Powell (Vol 1 ADTTMOT)
33. At Lady Molly's, Casanova's Chinese Restaurant, The Kindly Ones Powell (Vol 2 ADTTMOT)
34. The Valley of Bones, The Soldier's Art, The Military Philosophers Powell (Vol 3 ADTTMOT)
35. Books Do Furnish a Room, Temporary Kings, Hearing Secret Harmonies Powell (Vol 4 ADTTMOT)
36. Les Miserables Hugo
37. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Hugo
38. Justine Durrel (Alexandria 1)
39. Balthazar Durrel (Alexandria 2)
40. Mount Olive Durrel (Alexandria 3)
41. Clea Durrell Alexandria 4)
42. 1Q84 Book 1 Murakami
43. 1Q84 Book 2 Murakami
44. 1Q84 Book 3 Murakami
45. Wolf Hall Mantel
46. Suspicions of Mr. Whicher Kate Summerscale
47. The Moonstone Wilkie Collins
48. The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne
49. Crime and Punishment Dostoevsky
50. Vanity Fair Thackery

Admittedly, a bit heavy on the Victorian's, particularly Trollope. What can I say? I suppose I am a bit of a book snob, and I do try to read the classics, although I do have wide ranging tastes and read several books on the go. Currently, the main ones are Fifty Shades of Filth (yes, I am on the bandwagon here), Rivals (can't beat Jilly Cooper for a bit of summer fun) and 11.22.63 by Stephen King, a novel about time travel and the Kennedy Assassination, a library book.

I will in all likelihood continue reading other stuff alongside this project, I would be kidding myself if I said I could cope with Clarissa (for example) without something lighter alongside! I will also post about how I'm reading the books, whether I'm using a Kindle or a physical book. Yes, I'm an ebooker. I find that ebooks can be a little less intimidating, but I won't be replacing physical copies of some of the books I'm reading and I fear the translations of some of the free books. So, lugging around War and Peace and Les Mis it is then, at least until I check the translation. I guess if you're going to spend time reading them, it may as well be the proper stuff as far as possible.

Anyway, better go. Happy reading.

Introduction

Okay, so I probably should've looked at that and thought about where I should book my hols to and finally getting some more flippin' driving lessons (may be blogging about that later). However, not having much money and being lucky enough to have a long holiday coming up where I had already decided to read some books I got around to thinking about the many many books I have always meant to read or have started and never finished. Then I thought about how I could inspire myself to finish them. I'm an English graduate who misses writing about what I'm reading and reading around it, so I thought I could write a blog. Don't think I will manage to finish this project anytime soon, and I don't really want to give myself a time limit, I'm just going to try and read one of the books on my book 'bucket list' for at least half an hour a day and blog about it when I feel like it. Along the way, I may end up blogging about other stuff and the other books I'm reading at the moment, but the main purpose is the book bucket list. Don't know if I will be advertising this blog either (I'm not really an awesome publicist of the stuff I do on the internet, and most of the blogging I've done in the past has been more like an online diary) but if anyone ends up reading this, enjoy.

My Inspiration