Library Haul #1

Few days ago, I took the time to visit the school library. Despite the lack of titles I wanted, I managed to snatch a couple of books that sounded interesting enough from the summaries. Besides, I've told myself to read more of local (Malaysian) literature starting this year, and the school library is just the place to find such books. Without further ado, here's the library haul.

Library haul:

• Budak Beca by Ishak Haji Muhammad

• Glimpses: Cameos of Malaysian Life by Adibah Amin

I have started Glimpses but have yet to finish it since I've been reading another book. Besides, it's an anthology so I've decided to take my time with it.

The Opposite Book Tag: Classics Edition

1.      The first book in your collection

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

2.      The last book you bought

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

3.      A cheap book

The Portable Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton

4.      Expensive book

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Barnes & Noble Hardcover Edition)

5.      A book with a male protagonist

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

6.      A book with a female protagonist

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

7.      A book you read quickly

Evelina by Fanny Burney

8.      A book that took you a long time to read

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 

9.      A pretty cover

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

10.   An ugly cover

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

11.   A national book

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

12.   An international book

Dracula by Bram Stoker

13.   A thin book

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

14.   A thick book

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

15.   A fiction book

Lady Audley’s Secret by M.E. Braddon

16.   A non-fiction book

Cosmos by Carl Sagan

17.   A romantic book

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

18.   An action book

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

19.   A book that made you happy

Emma by Jane Austen

20.   A book that made you sad

The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins

The Books I Want To Read In March

Books to read in March:

1. Selected Stories by Katherine Mansfield

2. Selected Stories by Virginia Woolf

3. Selected Stories by James Joyce

4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

5. Preloved by Shirley Marr

6. Ake by Wole Soyinka

Have you read any of these titles? 

The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins

First published in 1876, The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins was a supernatural novel. Despite the title, most of the events in the book did not exactly happened at the hotel. Instead, it chronicled the journey of Montbarry's relatives as they finally went to the hotel and uncovered a terrible secret.

I'll start by talking about the less than tasteful aspect of the novel. Agnes Lockwood, the jilted lover, was everything that was expected of a gentlewoman of that time ("...but I am only a woman, and you must not expect too much from me."); she honestly bored me to death and I did not even care for her. I also did not understand her devotion for the scoundrel who jilted her. Agnes was definitely suffering from a case misplaced affection. She was even angry at anyone who dared to badmouth (spoke the truth about) Lord Montbarry. That was laughable after what Montbary had done to her. 

Since the events set in Victorian era, a woman didn't have much future prospect especially one of middle class like Agnes. Her future was mentioned as destroyed after jilted by Montbarry, unless she managed to find a husband, which was considered as almost unlikely because of her age (late twenties). Another example can be taken from the case of Mrs. Ferrari, who was Agnes' former maid. She was abused by her husband, whom, through Agnes' help, managed to land a job with Montbarry. Despite the abuses inflicted to her, she always justified his actions and actually thought him a saint after his death. This made me bristle with indignation.

Anyhow, I still enjoy the mystery even though the author kinda spoiled everything to us readers by his constant foreshadowing and mention of destiny and upcoming. The Countess who was supposed to be the wicked villain with no redeeming quality came off as the most interesting character of the whole. In fact, she was the saving grace of this short novel, in my opinion. Her guilty conscience and the circumstances that led to her ruin were well developed. She probably would have had a different fate if she was not attached to her brother as well as married to someone horrible like Lord Montbarry.

I used to like The Haunted Hotel a lot more when I first read it. I found that the story was fascinating and the unexplained supernatural occurrences to be justified as not everything has answer to it. Upon rereading however, my feeling changed for reasons stated above. The book rating went from 4 stars into mere 2 stars, cause you know, even if it's bad, it's still Collins!

Have you read The Haunted Hotel or any novel by Wilkie Collins?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

A timeless classic. I went into this thinking that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz would be something that is deranged and unintelligible. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. It turned out to be an excellent children book, simply written, with a lot mishap and excitement to keep the story going. I think I would've enjoyed this book more if I had read it when I was a child.

Throughout the reading, I was struck by how the characters—Tin Woodman, Lion, and Scarecrow—had low self-esteem. Each wanted something that, in my opinion, they already had. Tin Woodman wanted a heart, and yet he appeared to be the most kind-hearted and sensitive of the four. For someone who was heartless, the Tin Woodman constantly burst into tears if sorrow and regret. Scarecrow wanted a brain when he was the brainiest of the gang and always came up with plans that helped them to overcome their obstacles. On the other hand, the Lion who called himself a coward kept putting his life in the front line to protect his friends from the coming perils.  This was extremely contradictory. I kept hoping they would realize this and accept themselves for who they are but the illusion of having courage/heart/brain were too instill in them that they didn’t believe they would be happy without it.

I also liked the incorporation of puns in the text. They got me chuckled a few times. For example, when Oz removed the Scarecrow’s head and filled it with a measure of bran, he then announced that the Scarecrow will be a great man, for he (Oz) had given the Scarecrow a lot of bran-new brains. The Lion’s “That proof that he is sharp.” further alluded to the pins and needles needed to support the Scarecrow new bran-filled head.

One thing I didn't like, or uncomfortable with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was that it was littered with violence and horrific deaths. The Tin Woodman cut down the wolves’ heads (forty wolves, if I’m not mistaken) in one night, and not feeling a bit of remorse. While the wolves did come to cause them harm, for someone who was as sensitive as the Woodman, I’d expected a less display of savagery. He also cut down trees with no regards whatsoever to them. I was frankly shocked by this. The Tin Woodman’s origin was also grotesque. Cutting down each part of his body one after another and replaced them with tin, that must be extremely painful.

I don’t have much to say about Dorothy. She seemed rather flat character, with a singular goal on her mind. However, she was also the only one who was happy with her lot and recognized her friends’ worth despite their low self-value. Oz definitely was the most interesting character in the story even though he only appeared sporadically in the book. He seemed like an ingenious man who made the best of his situation. He tried his best to help people too regardless of his limitation. So, I, like Dorothy, had learned quite a few lessons from this tale. 

*All original illustrations by William Wallace Denslow.

What is your favourite children classics?

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Written in 1859, A Tale of Two Cities was published in weekly installments in Dickens’s own journal, All The Year Round. It left its mark on my reading history as the first Dickens that I’d read. They did say this was the less “Dickesian” of all Dickens’ books though. I had tried Great Expectation last year but gave up after 10 pages. So, let’s get on with the review, shall we?

The first 70% of A Tale of Two Cities was a build-up to the climax. While written as a story of the French Revolution, Dickens also explored the human emotions, reactions and interactions with each other. These very humane traits are what have been defining us for ages past and still is. Human suffering doesn’t merely happen during the French Revolution, it has happened long before, is still happening amd potentially will persist for as long as violence and inequity continue to flourish.. Just look at the daily news. Dickens delivered all these by writing alternately from the sides of the Manette, the Evremonde, the Defarges, the Crunchers, Mr. Stryver, Sydney Carton and Mr. Jarvis Lorry. The most interesting story among these was definitely the Defarges whom we can see from miles away would definitely play pivotal role in the revolution. There were lots of foreshadowing in the novel and it was chilling because you know things are going wrong and it is only getting worst. 

Once the revolution started, I confessed I can’t put the book down! I actually cheered out loud once the people finally fought for their rights. However, their leaders—The Defarges, the Jacques, The Vengeance—soon abused their power. They became exactly like the people they’d overthrown; not caring on who they punished and murdered. The customary machinery of oppression—prisons, detention without trial, inequality, the abuse of power, complacency, and arrogance—which originally gave rise to the political revolution were again used to suppress the people. Once La Guillotine was erected, they easily sent away aristocrats and poor innocent peasants alike to the national razor. And far from being merciful to their fellow creatures, the people even invented the mad dance of “Carmagnole” to celebrate the death or the release of the prisoner. This further symbolized the chaos and violence of the crowd. Even Dr. Manette’s position as a former prisoner of Bastilles and respected physician in the middle of the revolution was not enough to overturn the cruel, vile Revolutionary Tribunal.

Despite the dark hours, Dickens inserted moral theme to remind us that only kindliness and virtues brought peace in life. This was evident in his writing of Lucie as an angel—nurturing people with true love and inspiring them to do good in return; in Dr. Manette’s ability to heal and look beyond the past affliction; in Miss Pross’ determination to not back down and fought her way through hardship; in Mr. Lorry’s loyalty to the people he loved; in Darnay’s perseverance through bleak time; and in Sydney Carton who gave his all for the best thing in his life, thus leading him to show the best of him—his comforting of the poor seamstress. I admit I sobbed at this.

Note I: All featured illustrations are by Frederick Barnard from the 1872 edition. 
Note II: On the preface, Dickens wrote that he first conceived the main idea of this story was when he was acting with his children and frieds, in Wilkie Collins’s The Frozen Deep. You bet that’s going to be on my to-be-acquired-pronto shelf.

Have you read A Tale of Two Cities or any book by Charles Dickens?