Category Archives: Reading

Next Classic

Posted on 02/06/2008 by chick

The next classic I’ll be reading for 2008 is Thoreau’s Walden, which I will start any day now.

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The Truth About Tolkien

Posted on 02/06/2008 by chick

The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien Grade: C The tale of the children of Húrin is one of mythical proportions. A hero refuses to reveal a secret to a dark and powerful being. For that, he and his family … Continue reading →

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Persuaded to Watch a Movie

Posted on 02/05/2008 by chick

On Saturday I watched the movie version of Persuasion (1995) starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. It was highly rated, so I thought it would be the best of the available adaptations to watch. On the positive side, it showed … Continue reading →

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A Reader’s Demand

Posted on 02/02/2008 by chick

One of the characters in John Fowles’s The Magus says, I burnt every novel I possessed. . . . Why should I struggle through hundreds of pages of fabrication to reach half a dozen very little truths? I sometimes feel … Continue reading →

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Not Persuaded

Posted on 01/30/2008 by chick

Hooray! I finished the first of my 10 must-read books for 2008—Jane Austen’s Persuasion. What took me so long to read Persuasion? I read it twice! Why would I do such a thing? The language was such a distraction from … Continue reading →

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Next at Bat

Posted on 01/24/2008 by chick

I picked up a couple of books from the library today. One is the next book in the Vonnegut Marathon, Galapagos. I struggled with the temptation to buy this book because it was cheap and readily available. However, one should … Continue reading →

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An Affair to Remember

Posted on 01/16/2008 by chick

And now, to balance the less-than-cheery insights from the last post, I present to you the other book that I read recently. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde Grade: A My love affair with The Eyre Affair has … Continue reading →

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Q&A With Vonnegut

Posted on 01/16/2008 by chick

Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut Grade: B Of Deadeye Dick I have not much to say. The final scene took place in a cemetery and one of the characters raised a ghost. For me, the real ghost was Kurt Vonnegut, … Continue reading →

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And How Old Are You?

Posted on 01/13/2008 by chick

Faithful Reader kidded me the other day about my propensity for reading children’s books. He said, “And how old are you?” I don’t think he meant it too seriously, but he did have a point. I had been reading an … Continue reading →

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A Book’s Last Chance

Posted on 01/12/2008 by chick

I own a book called The Magus by John Fowles. It came into my hands in an unusual way. The library was giving away a sad-looking collection of books that hadn’t sold at the last book sale. I don’t know … Continue reading →

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