Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There really aren't any words I can use to fully describe my love for this novel. Nothing I have read since I first took the plunge measures up - in the few months that have passed since I last read it I cannot put it out of my mind. I once said it was one of my absolute favourite novels - I honestly believe I was under-selling it, because I can now state after a time of reflection that no book has, or likely will, measure up in my eyes.

I'm not generally one of those people who rereads books over and over. Even if I love a book I'll probably still never touch it again (shockingly, I've even found difficulty rereading Harry Potter, probably my favourite series - I maybe got halfway through the series the second time before I gave up). All the books in the world, not enough time to get through them, sort of thing. Throughout most of my adolescence I've been on a mission to make my way through as many of these as possible - all types of fictional genres; something about being well-versed. That is, until I got to Jane Eyre in my last year of high school.

Jane Eyre is a small, pale, plain girl with neither talent nor wealth to make up for these flaws. Even this self-prescribed label draws me to her - simply because there are times I have felt (and I'm sure women and girls the world over have felt) that I too fit this description. What she proves to us all though, is that one doesn't need beauty or wealth to make something of ourselves. We don't need to discard our principles to adhere to others. Throughout the novel, she noticeably changes before our eyes; the small, abused and bitter girl becomes a young woman at peace with and with faith in her own morals, as she wrenches back control of her own life from her oppressors. For indeed that is what I find at the core of her - she goes through this journey, these experiences that subjugate her, and comes out freed of all who had shackled her spirit. She at once demonstrates strength and vulnerability, bravery and weakness, and this not only makes her a flawed being, but a real one.

I place all the focus on Jane because that is what the story is all about. Mr Rochester is brilliant, temperamental, flawed and at times a little annoying (I screamed at the book when I found out about Bertha), and I absolutely loved the romance between the two - but I'd prefer not to wax poetic about him. He's the tool that allows Jane to achieve her dreams of liberty from the constraints of Victorian society, not only as a working class member but as a female. She removes herself from him, proving that she is the one with the power after all, and at last returns to him when all illusions of power play between male and female are dropped; he has lost his status as master, and she in turn is a wealthy heiress who proves to herself that freedom isn't necessarily solitude or independence. They come together as equals, and thus childhood Jane achieves her unseemly desires.

I am currently rereading this novel, and for once I am not flipping hurriedly to turn the pages and move onto the next book. No, I am content with rereading this novel to my heart's content, as I know that this certainly won't be the last time I reread Jane Eyre.

First read: 30 August - 3 September 2015

Second read: 19 - 23 January 2016

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Charlotte Bronte: A Life by Claire Harman

Charlotte Brontë: A Life by Claire Harman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first foray into the world of biographical non-fiction. As a general rule I dislike anything that isn't fiction; but, after coming down from my Jane Eyre high, I found myself with a desire to learn more about the author of my favourite book. Sure, I understood the novel from a literary critical perspective, but I wanted to know what it was that influenced Charlotte Bronte to write it. And I found out many surprising things about the novel through this biography.

It wasn't as dry as I expected; I admit to harbouring the assumption that biographies were much like history books, with the date and the event written in simple, stark format. The composition was surprising, with this in mind. It was entertaining, at times sad; it never plodded along, save for the beginning (I was wondering why I was reading about her father when I had no interest in him - it made sense to me later). I was completely sucked in - I was told so many times over the course of reading this to put the book down and join the outside world for a while! The author handled her subject's character with grace and a clear respect for Miss Bronte; even I, with little previous knowledge, quickly became aware how easy it would be to portray Charlotte in a negative light, because certainly some of the things she does are questionable at best, condemn-able at worst.

I cried when Emily and Anne died; I bawled when Charlotte did. Of course, I knew it was coming - I wasn't living under a rock entirely, so I knew the basic timeline of each of the sisters' lives. But it is one thing to see it written as plain fact, and quite another to see it in the evocative, emotional language utilised by Claire Harman. I also really appreciated the consideration of the circumstances of Charlotte's final illness; the research is such that, instead of projecting the general impression that she died due to weakness from pregnancy coupled with consumption, the author produces a modern explanation, with sound logic, that her death resulted due to the pregnancy-related condition referred to as hyperemesis gravidarium, famously suffered by Kate Middleton during her pregnancy with Prince George.

This was a fantastic introduction to a previously unexplored genre. I think I found my niche - author biographies it is for me. I'm definitely going to read more Claire Harman.

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Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George

Rating: ★★★★★

This is the story of Mary Queen of Scotland, the ill-fated ruler of the wild and savage land north of England, the reigning power on the island. It's a frightfully long book, and it covers all of her life, from her birth and the circumstances surrounding it to her death in 1587.

Mary is born in a time when Scottish independence is not secured, in a land fighting for freedom from English invasion. Henry VIII tries to claim her country for his own; she is crowned Queen at only six days old, after her father dies defending the country. She spends her childhood moved around Scotland in order to hide from English troops attempting to capture her and bring her back to England to marry Edward Tudor, the King's son. Eventually she is sent to France, to marry the young French prince Francois.

The novel itself takes readers from her time as beloved princess of the French court, to her short reign as Queen of France, and her return to Scotland. It portrays the political and sexual environment she was forced into, and rehashes over the controversies with her second and third husbands, the Lords Darnley and Bothwell respectively. We are taken on Mary's journey from revered to reviled, to her imprisonment and forced abdication to her baby son James, the future King of England, and her escape and fleeing to England, where she is held by her cousin Elizabeth I for nearly twenty years before finally being executed.

This novel was shockingly brilliant, and haunting. The scope of it takes readers on an emotional journey, and we watch closely as Mary grows to realise that she cannot see the world around her through a child's eyes. We watch as she makes good decisions, criticise her when she makes bad ones (and she makes so many bad ones!!!), and cry when, at the end, we are forced to look on as she comes to terms with her impending death.

Mary's characterisation was a big win for me. Plaidy tended to make her seem too stupid and simplistic; while Mary was certainly naive, there was no reason to  believe she was dumb. She was an incompetent ruler, but a good woman. George highlighted the complexity of her character. When it was over, I mourned. Mourned. As in, full-on crying for fifteen minutes mourn.

This is an epic read for anyone who loves historical fiction and is game enough to work through a lengthy novel of nearly nine hundred pages.

Royal Road to Fotheringhay by Jean Plaidy

Rating: ★★★★☆

"Ever since I was a child I had this morbid fascination with this time period. In particular, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. She was my introduction to the world of Renaissance intrigue, passion and politics. I couldn't exactly say that I related to her - but her story affected me profoundly, to the point that today she is still my favourite history lesson.

Jean Plaidy has become a recent love of mine. I've read few of her books; I started with The Lady in the Tower with Anne Boleyn as the main character. After reading Philippa Gregory's attempt at capturing the Boleyn charm, I definitely found it lacking in comparison to Plaidy's - her interpretation of Anne was weak and somewhat two-dimensional, even outdated. But Plaidy's take on her, portraying her more sympathetically, was far more believable, and it quite honestly made me cry. So I knew I had to look it up and see if she had written anything on Mary Stuart.

The novel itself covers the major events in her early life; from her journey to France and indulging in the rich lifestyle of the sophisticated French courts, marrying the sickly Dauphin and becoming Queen, only to have him die - to returning to Scotland, marrying the awful Darnley, having her son, the intrigue with Bothwell and the Darnley murder plot, to finally being captured and imprisoned by the Scottish nobility.

I was impressed by the novel, and I am deeply surprised that there are so many negative reviews of this book; it is an excellent retelling of the early life of the Queen of Scots, and is quite clearly based on the author's interpretation of the facts, shown through the research done on the subject matter. I am inclined to think Mary was a good woman, if a weak and ineffectual leader, dominated by men who would later cause her downfall. I appreciated the fact that Plaidy didn't attempt to vilify either the Protestants or the Catholics too much (in my eyes, anyway).

I hands-down loved this novel, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. I know I'll have to read Margaret George's version, but, even if it's just for a while, this book will remain close to my heart as a fond remembrance of my early childhood discoveries."

This was my review on Goodreads; after some reflection, and a means of comparison, I have to say that this is an easy introduction to the life of Mary Queen of Scots. If you're looking for a simple way to edge into her world, I'd start with this one. The language is uncomplicated, and the story flows fairly well. I admittedly now have a slight issue with the way she is presented in the novel. She comes off as weak and somewhat stupid, always ready to relinquish control to the men in her life. There's some inconsistencies with her character too, with her displaying strength one minute and doing a complete one-eighty the next. But other than that it is really quite a good novel.  I'd recommend this over Margaret George's rendition, as it is much less daunting and far easier to get through.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Rating: ★★★★★

Tess of the D'Urbervilles was a book I had wanted to read for a long time. I could never find the book in my local Dymocks store, so for a while I read it on a tiny screen on my iPhone, which is not at all useful for reading books, though it is pretty convenient. I finally got around to ordering it online, which was great, and the book arrived in perfect condition, which, for the edition I got, is pretty bloody difficult to achieve!

What first struck me about this book was Tess Durbeyfield's accent - it isn't how I was used to reading it in classic novels. The women are usually classy, proper and elegant - to have a girl with a country farm-town accent was a refreshing experience for me. What was also rather jarring was her home life; it is quite obvious from the get-go that she is rather unimpressed with the elder members of her family group, and seems to assume a role of responsibility over them. I felt sorry for poor Tess, being not at all like the vaguely driven family she grew up in. I was so shocked when the horse just died. It was really quite gruesome to read, too. Poor horsey.

I had mixed feelings about her parents throughout the novel. It felt like their motives honestly weren't for the benefit of their daughter, but rather to gain money and fortune; super fishy, the bar scene too. Tess is very reluctant to go through with carrying out the ambitions of her family, and I really appreciated that she was a character with such staunch morals - indeed, it was her guilt over the death of the horse that led to her leaving to visit the Stoke-D'Urberville family.

The first time Tess meets Alec its obvious she doesn't like him all that much - he is way too forward, and the impression that lasted was that he intended to take advantage of her. And plus, even his family background alerts you to the fact that he's probably a dishonest person. I mean, who lies about their heritage to get ahead? Who cheats someone else out of the esteem of claiming nobility in order to make money? You see the rape scene a mile off, and what sucks about it is that you know its coming, and you can't do anything about it. It's like a triple whammy, first with Alec raping her, then getting her pregnant, after which she has the child and is exposed to public shame as a loose woman. Then, after all that, the baby dies. It seems as though basically everything bad that could happen to a woman in the era happens to Tess in the novel.

I suppose I'm like many others when I say I don't really know which of the two men of Tess's life to hate more. Alec is just despicable; a wealthy man used to getting his way all the time, with no father in the picture and an invalid mother. He's a womanizer, a pervert and a rapist. He seems to think he should just get what he wants from women because he is a man. But, on the other hand, that is all you expect from him; you don't have any high hopes for him as a character because you know all he'll ever amount to is a lowlife.

I really, really wanted to like Angel Clare. He's quite obviously constructed with the aspects of a heroic male figure in mind, the one that should give Tess the happily ever after she so deserves. They meet at a dairy farm, where they both work. After a lengthy and passionate pursuit, Tess agrees to marry him. They do so at the closing of the year, on New Year's Eve; after this Angel confesses that he had been dishonest with her. It is clear throughout scenes with Angel that he is a proper man, with staunch, inflexible morals and principles. So when Tess, in a reciprocal sort of mood following his confession, tells him of her past, the fact that he decides to leave her is utterly shocking for me. I mean, I had such high hopes for him as a character! I almost think he's worse than Alec because you expect so much more from him. In the end he turns out to be a hypocrite, and a coward; the perfect male hero is revealed to be deeply flawed.

The ending was just so sad. I really hated the fact that, even after everything, Tess was still the one who paid. 

I really loved this book. Deep, affecting, and often quite depressing, it had a lot to offer regarding the sexual and moral value of women in society. I appreciate that it was written by a male author, showing that feminism doesn't just have to be carried by the female gender.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves female criticism in classic literature.

Adapting

I didn't really know what to post today, so I thought I'd branch out into other forms of media. Mix it up a little, you know? So I thought I'd ease into the world of cinema today by talking about book-to-movie screen adaptations. Just so I don't give myself a shock by not talking about something book-related. Today, because I'm so heavily into classics at the moment, I'll talk about the very very few classic adaptations I've seen. Watching classic movies is a really great introduction into the world of classics, particularly for those too intimidated to start out by reading the books; its also a great way to get that cultural knowledge to converse with people who have classics on the mind without spending countless hours in a day getting through the actual book, especially if it's a whopper...

So the first one was probably... the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Actually, I think this was what got me into classics in the first place. My aunt lent me her DVD version of the miniseries and told me to watch it - it wasn't till about a month later, the week before she was due to visit again, that I had nothing to do and decided to sit down and watch it. I planned on seeing maybe a couple of episodes so I didn't bore myself silly. Yeah, no. I stayed up till 2:30am finishing it off because I just got hooked. It was absolutely brilliant, and I found myself greatly entertained by it all, which was quite shocking to me as I had always viewed classics with a sense of great trepidation. It inspired me to read the book, which brought me on to reading more classics, to becoming determined to get an all-round understanding of literary culture so that I might understand the inside jokes of the literary upper echelon. Its working so far - really fun to make jokes about literature that no one understands.

Anyway. I just really loved this series. I've heard that there was a Keira Knightley version, but I honestly don't think I can bring myself to watch it because this was just it for me. I see the 2005 leads in movie posters and I always think - they just don't measure up to Colin and Jennifer. And man! I certainly didn't view Colin Firth as attractive before I watched Pride and Prejudice, but I do now (the younger version, anyway) - the lake scene? Mm-hmm. Yes. And I loved the happy ending. Honestly, a really faithful and enjoyable adaptation of one of the world's most popular classics.

I admit with no small amount of guilt that I haven't yet seen Les Miserables as a musical - my first experience was watching the 2012 movie adaptation with a friend. Many faithfuls dislike the actors' representations in the film, but as an inexperienced fan, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Even if some of their voices weren't technically on par, they aren't singers - they're actors, and their job is to act. It's a convenient bonus if their singing voice is passable, and I certainly found them all so - even Russell Crowe, who I actually thought was good. And never mind the fact that it would be hard for them, many not being professional Broadway singers, to sing live on camera and act it convincingly. I believed them all, and cried more than once. It's the imperfections that made it better, honestly - when you're singing a song about heartbreak and sorrow, sure, it is nice to hear the performer hit note after note with perfect technicality, but you lose the emotion. It's convincing to hear the voice break, or the tears, or screaming out the words in anger or passion. It made it real for me, and it was just beautiful. Just my opinion, anyway. And the grand scale of it all was great - the finale, with everyone singing, just made me curl up into a little ball on the floor in my room and cry for half an hour.

I've yet to see the musical live, which is really annoying because apparently they're doing shows in my town at the moment. It sucks being broke. But oh well, maybe when I'm older (and have someone interested to go with - I'm pretty much the only one out of my friends and family who would be willing to watch). But yes - a really really good movie.

 I hit a major classics phase towards the end of last year, when I was going through my Austen kick. I really loved Pride and Prejudice, and I had heard nothing but good things about Sense and Sensibility. At that point in time I don't think I had the book, so I went out and bought the film at my local electronics store - JB Hi-Fi is the best! Seriously, they have everything. Anyway, I really enjoyed it, which I was sort of expecting as it had Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet in it (who are just great all the time). Strangely, I think the relationship I loved the most was the one between Colonel Brandon and Marianne; despite the age gap I actually found it quite sweet. I kinda found Eleanor and Edward Ferrars awkward to watch - they didn't have any chemistry whatsoever to me, which is sad because I really do like Hugh Grant...

So, with that in mind, I went and bought the book. Imagine my surprise when I just couldn't get into it. I'm still really quite disappointed in my failure to get through it - perhaps it is indeed because I watched the movie before the book, so I knew what was going to happen (and wondered why the heck it was taking so long). Oh well. I'll get back into Austen someday - when I do, I'll try again. I know I'll read it eventually. But the movie was really good - I'd totally recommend it to anyone with an interest in classics who doesn't particularly want to go through the experience of reading it. But don't let my bad experiences with Sense and Sensibility ruin it for you!

The most enjoyable one for me would be the 2011 version of Jane Eyre. I first watched Mia Wasikowska in the 2010 Alice in Wonderland movie; imagine my sorta patriotic glee when I found out she was Australian! And young, because there aren't a lot of female Aussie stars closer to my age hitting it big internationally. Nothing against Naomi Watts or Nicole Kidman, both whom I love. So when I discovered she was in this movie, I knew I had to get around to watching it - when I finished the book that turned into an irrepressible urge to go out and buy the movie. I was so excited when I found out Michael Fassbender was in it! I love him.
I found the movie pretty much exactly as I pictured it in my head; the scenery was perfect, and all the characters were pretty much spot-on in my imagination. A lot of people say Mia and Michael had no chemistry, but not me. It was pretty brilliant. I will say, however, that Mia's acting was a little awkward and stilted during some of the intimate scenes - I felt like Michael sort of carried those. But other than that Mia pretty much summed up Jane Eyre. I was a little bit disappointed with the amount they omitted though - I know it wasn't a lot, but as a newfound die-hard Jane Eyre fan I felt they could've skated over some parts a little less than they did. Especially the scene with Mr. Rochester pretending to be the gypsy woman - I didn't see that in the movie or in the deleted scenes! So pissed off, because it was one of my favourites in the book... But the movie was a lot better at demonstrating Mr. Rochester's intentions towards Jane than the book was - it was quite confusing at the time to read that he wanted her to leave Thornfield, then proposes to her. I suppose it's all down to perspective though.

I sat down with my dad the other day and watched the 1980s version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Forgive me for this, but I did find the acting quite cheesy - especially Gary Oldman and his funny accent. It was painfully obvious that he was a British guy trying to imitate a foreign guy. No offense, buddy, but I've seen better work from you. He was pretty attractive in it though, much more appealing than the Harry Potter series or Batman. Obviously because he was younger, but, still an abolutely fantastic actor. In this particular movie, I really believed in Winona Ryder - I found her British accent passable, if not a little lacking, but her emotional depth was pretty brilliant for a character who doesn't get much development given the amount of screen time she had.


Keanu Reeves was... weird. He sounded like he was just saying the words, not acting. His accent was pretty poor too. Come to think of it, were any of the main actors playing characters of their own nationality? But eh. Thankfully he didn't get too much screen time. This actually sounds like a pretty negative review - not really. I actually really enjoyed it, despite all my complaints. It was entertaining. Definitely a recommendation, especially if you're into Gothic, which this movie really emphasised. I loved the Gothic elements.

So, turns out I'd actually watched more than I thought I did. All pretty good, so I'd recommend them if you wanted a little more substance than random people blowing shit up for kicks. Don't assume that the movies are the definitive versions of the classic books - there's still quite a lot to miss from the experience of holding a good classic book and just reading it.

Next time, then!

Classic books...

As a sort of coping device lately I've turned to reading. Surprise, surprise to anyone who knows me. But I haven't been able to rustle up the give-a-fuck to read YA or even adult novels - I wanted some period stuff, some literature with good philosophical musings on the nature of humanity or on the criticism of society, stuff like that. So, in light of my Literature class's profound lack of anything resembling traditionally classic text this year, this is where I headed.

I've got to admit it isn't the first time I've decided to read the classics as a hobby. Last year I read a whole bunch of them - I read Pride and Prejudice, Les Miserables, Frankenstein, some Shakespeares (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing). Actually, looking back, it wasn't all that much. Admittedly though, I got bored. Not with the classics in general, but with one in particular - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I loved the movie - the one with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson - so I was completely surprised that this one almost sent me to sleep. I love books, but this one I just couldn't get into, and it makes me sad because a) this particular Jane Austen is often hailed as her best, and b) I loved Pride and Prejudice so, so, so much. So guess what? I tried again this year, almost (if not more than) a whole year later, in which I've had time to grow, develop as a person and discover a plethora of new things about myself. And what do you know - I only got about a third of the way in and I was. so. bored. I felt myself slipping out of that 'cultural and literary enlightenment' vibe and I freaked, so I put it away - to my great consternation, because I find it really hard to just give up on a book, particularly one with so much promise - and switched to Dracula by Bram Stoker. I'm finding it a little slow, but I've only just passed the 100-page mark and I can feel the tension and Gothic elements ramping right up which is making me super excited.

Anyway - what classics have I read so far in my little phase? So, the first one I picked up was Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. I particularly liked the edition I picked up of it, and I did a whole background check on Goodreads to check what it was about and how good the general public believed it to be. Let me tell you, do not believe the general public. The average rating on Goodreads is fairly unimpressive given the fact that the novel has been hailed as 'the perfect work of fiction' by many a past literary critic. But I've got to admit, my personal review would be pretty damn close to that assessment. I loved it. It was beautiful, and tragic, and quite disturbing at the end. Not a lot of people like the titular character, but I confess I really did - she's flawed, she's frustrating, but she's human, and aren't we all flawed and frustrating? She makes so many stupid mistakes - her worst I believe was marrying the man she did. How stupid is he? I really didn't like him, and quite often sympathised with Emma for the restlessness she felt in living a mundane, middle-class life. I know the feeling of restlessness all too well - definitely not for the same reasons as her, but still. The end was tragic. I cried, but I also found it really well written. Probably not appropriate for the depressed, but it did in a weird way bring back some of that old happiness. I hadn't been able to pick up a book and read in a long time, so to do that and really enjoy it sort of kicked me back into gear a bit. Anyway - read the book. It's brilliant. 5/5.

I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott next, although I had read it when I was younger. Well, sort of. Turns out I had read an abridged edition which basically cut out the last half of the book. I found this out when I had read the book as a young girl, and then proceeded to watch the 1994 film with Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes and Christian Bale (mmm... Christian Bale), only to find that my favourite character died. Why? Why??! So I read the book again this year, and, just like the movie did, the book made me cry. I loved it. It was a beautiful story, and touched on the influence of religious thinking, domesticity and true love, and it was a brilliant introduction to the theme of coming-of-age in classic novels. I really did love this novel, but the ending just haunts me. So sad. 4/5.

I then read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Again, I had tried to read this when I was younger, in grade 5 - we had a mini library in the corner of our classroom with one of the Penguin black editions of the book there. I opened it and tried my hardest to get into it, but I just... couldn't. It was a little boring for me, and I couldn't stand reading about her growing up in such a meandering, linear fashion. But I had heard nothing but good things about it from older readers, and my Lit teacher mentioned it once or twice, and I found the most beautiful edition of it. I decided to read it, and man, I almost wish I had sat through it when I was younger so I had had more time to love it. It was just... everything. I loved it so much. I found I understood it more when I grew older - the tragic story of Jane's early life just didn't have the same impact on me as it did when I was young. I cried when Helen died. When she went to Thornfield I just knew something epic was going to happen. And it did - ah, Mr Rochester. He's supposed to be ugly, but because I always knew of the existence of the 2011 movie I see nothing but Michael Fassbender (yeah... I like him). He was great, and I really enjoyed the interactions between him and Jane. I squeeed when he proposed to her. I freaked out when he revealed his psycho wife. I loved the journey she took after, and I hated her cousin St. John. I really loved the ending - after he'd lost all his power over her, she came back to him and they married as equals. So progressive for the time period. I loved the Gothic elements of the novel too - it brought a creepy, supernatural element to the story that I completely wasn't expecting, given it's label as a coming-of-age romance story. It just added yet another facet to a deep and layered novel. When I finished it, I fell into a book coma of despair for a good half hour, contemplating what my life would be like now that I had finished the book. I loved it so much it made me want to re-read it, which I'm never able to do with a book (flashback to Jake watching a movie he liked over and over and over and over until I could quote it verbatim and eventually ended up resenting it, thus turning me off repeats forever). But I had plenty of other novels on my TBR pile, so I put it away somewhat wistfully. Shame on you if you don't like it, and shame on you if you haven't read it. Go read. 10/10.

A novel I approached with great trepidation was Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Again, I had tried to read this novel when I was younger (in fact, I tried to read it in to same year I was in grade five, in that little mini library of books in the corner). I ended up having to re-read pages over and over to get some sort of gist of what the hell they were talking about. I did not get it. I've tried really hard not to let other people's impressions of this novel get in the way of my attempts to re-read this in future, as I knew I was always going to try again. I know many people hated this novel. When I read this, the first thing that struck me was the fact that my assumptions of this book were all wrong. For so long it has been touted as a great love story between Cathy and Heathcliff - has anyone read this book? If whatever the hell is between them is love, then it's poison at best. This is no love story. It is dark, and depressing, and fifty shades of fucked-up. I hated all the characters - you usually find a character to sympathise with and follow along with and appreciate. Nope. Nada. Zilch. I hated them all. They're all awful, awful people with their various selfish imperfections and disturbing natures. It was a completely tragic novel, with barely a happy ending scraped up. But despite all this, all this, I actually really loved it. In spite of the fact that all the characters are horrible, the storyline is horrible and the ending barely passes as pleasant it is written very well, and the awfulness of this story is what makes it so powerful and brilliant and sad. After a while I actually started to like the evilness of the characters, and crave it more in their confrontations. I loved the creepy supernatural effect implied at the end. It was a haunting, beautiful and messed up novel that I highly recommend to anyone going through a Gothic or depressive literature phase, or even one looking for in depth character studies on the flawed sphere of human nature. 5/5.

It was after this I attempted to read Sense and Sensibility. Nope. Didn't happen. So I immediately switched over to Dracula. We'll see how that turns out.

What am I aiming to read after Dracula? Well, I'm hoping to read Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy; Emma, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen; Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence; Therese Raquin by Emile Zola; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. Oh, and I completely forgot! Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I'll probably do a joint review similar to this one when I've finished enough on this little list. Anyone interested - keep an eye out, or go ahead and subscribe if you've read this far. Thanks.

Clothbound Classics by Penguin/ Word Cloud Classics by Canterbury Classics

Anyway, better study. Thanks for reading!

My first book-related post! And other random thoughts...

I had my last exam for the week today. Yay! It was Chemistry, which sucked. I studied for eight whole hours yesterday for it because I was so fucking terrified I knew nothing. Well, I got in the exam today and I think I did alright; I felt like I understood everything, so that's a bonus, I guess. Chemistry's pretty much my worst subject, yeah. Pretty sure I'm just scraping a pass. I'm finding it really hard to juggle my coursework lately - I might just drop out of Chem, you know? I've been told I don't really need it as a prerequisite, so if the exam didn't turn out well, then maybe that's what I'll do. It'll be hard though, because it's like admitting I can't do something, and I hate that feeling more than anything. Maybe it's a byproduct of the way I was raised.

Ha. My brother's being a little prick. He has this new favourite pastime where he repeatedly says "Em? Em? Hey, hey Em?" over and over in a high-pitched voice regardless of whether or not I answer him. The first few times I threw the nearest non-fatal object at him, and he'd just run away and laugh like a little girl. I try to ignore it, but it's hard! Anyone with siblings - you know that feeling where it's like, no matter what they do, your sister or brother's personality just always grates on your nerves? Is that just me? Our relationship is pretty much built on him pissing me off and me screaming at him over it. Call it unhealthy, but eh...

And woah! Look at the tangent I trailed off into! I started this post intending to do a book post. That didn't work out. I waffle on a bit, if you haven't already guessed :-). 

MY TOP FIVE FAVOURITE BOOKS/SERIES OF ALL TIME

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

 "You're a wizard, Harry."

Maybe this choice is a typical one, but it is by no means less valid. I love this series so much. When I was a child I didn't really feel connected to anyone. I was pretty much a loner - it got to the point where I literally read the dictionary at lunchtimes during primary school to alleviate the boredom and utter depression of being alone. Harry Potter changed that; here were a group of misfit kids who save the day and perform magic! I loved this world so much that I did projects on it, I would play pretend that I was part of the Harry Potter universe (always Hermione), and I would read the books and watch the movies over and over. These books taught me to love other books, and provided me with my ideals. I owe J.K Rowling so much.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

"At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."
"Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.”

 I will admit that I didn't really think much of the first book until I hit the cliffy at the end - super pissed the movie spoiled a plot device that progressed for half the novels, but super excited about the new TV show coming out soon! I love this series. I know a lot of people thought the last three books were unnecessary and just made the series too long, but I think the last three books really established it in the adult-young-adult market. The whole Jace-Clary-Sebastian thing was pretty interesting. Sick oftentimes, yes, but it broached a sect of society that is definitely not talked about in mainstream entertainment (unless you're Jaime and Cersei Lannister). And the world building - beautiful. I really wanted to be there with them, and I totally have Clary envy. Simon and Jace and Sebastian after her?! The humour lifted the dark tones nicely too, so it wasn't a drag at all. I strongly recommend this series to anyone who hasn't read it - young-adult urban fantasy, I believe.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” 

"One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”

It just gives me all the feels. I prefer the extended editions of the movies for Lord of the Rings, but I absolutely adore the novel of The Hobbit. I really love the movies too - they all make me cry like a bitch at the end.The world-building is epic, and I just love everything about. It's another one of those series that just encompasses your entire life. I just love it so much. I love Samwise Gamgee and Bilbo Baggins the most, I think - I always love reading their parts. Love, love, love! Yeah, I love it. :-)

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

“Into the sky to win or die.”

I first read this series when I was ten years old. It took me a week to get through the first two books and I loved them. They were my first dragon series; I've never found any to measure up.

The Inkheart Series by Cornelia Funke

 “Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask for anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly. ”

Probably the series closest to my heart. I shared a bond over this series with my grade 5 teacher; she remains to this day one of my absolute favourite teachers. I fell in love with the concept of the power of words, and the way in which this story portrayed it. I love Meggie, and Dustfinger, and Resa and Mo and Elinor. The entire story was just beautiful and finishing it left me so sad, I have not picked it up to this day. Absolutely beautiful, and I recommend this series absolutely. Go. Read it now.

So, there you go. Get reading people. Next time, then!