Lucybird Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Oh I doubt very much you could get everything from a novel, especially a first person one (as you can only really get one point of view), but so long as you take it with a pinch of salt you can learn. I'm sure not all slave owners were horrible to their slaves all the time at least we can take that from it. Have you read any of the sequels, ethan? (I believe there is one told from the point of view of some of the slaves, but there was only 1 review on Amazon which only gave it 1 star, and no product description). I would be interested to see what you think of these if you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 (edited) I have not read the sequels, but my sister has read Scarlett and liked it. I read alot of historical novels, but not of the ante-bellum through the end of Reconstruction period in American history. I have read so many history books of this period it's difficult to enjoy it fictionalized. I prefer to read historical fiction when I don't know much about the era it's set in. A story about GWTW, the movie. I have black relatives through marriage. We recently watched the movie together, and we were all engrossed in the story, but everytime one of the slaves appeared in a scene, my black relatives laughed uproariously at the stereotypes. My brother-in law told me later that when he saw GWTW in the sixties, the portrayal of the slaves made him angry, seeing it as degrading to him and the actors, but times change, Obama is in the White House, now it seemed like it wasn't worth the bother. Edited February 23, 2010 by ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 This is the book I was talking about, The Wind Done Gone, from what the one reviewer says, it tries to be comic but is really just in bad taste, there is no description but I thought it may be from the slaves POV from reading the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Lucy, here's a novel I have read covering the Civil War era and beyond, from a slaves point of view, that is very good - The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines. The Amazon blurb: Miss Jane Pittman. She is one of the most unforgettable heroines in American fiction, a woman whose life has come to symbolize the struggle for freedom, dignity, and justice. Ernest J. Gaines�s now-classic novel�written as an autobiography�spans one hundred years of Miss Jane�s remarkable life, from her childhood as a slave on a Louisiana plantation to the Civil Rights era of the 1960s. It is a story of courage and survival, history, bigotry, and hope�as seen through the eyes of a woman who lived through it all. A historical tour de force, a triumph of fiction, Miss Jane�s eloquent narrative brings to life an important story of race in America�and stands as a landmark work for our time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 That does sounds good, will have to go on my wishlist. Thanks Ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris Synopsis (from Amazon) Sookie doesn't have that many relations, so she hated to lose one - but of all the people to go, she didn't expect it to be her cousin Hadley, a consort of New Orleans' vampire queen - after all, Hadley was technically already dead. But she is gone, beyond recall, and she's left Sookie an inheritance - one that comes with a bit of a risk - not least because someone doesn't want Sookie digging too deep into Hadley's past - or her possessions. Sookie's life is once again on the line, and this time the suspects range from the rogue werewolves who have rejected Sookie as a friend of the pack to her first love, the vampire Bill. Sookie's got a lot to do if she's going to keep herself alive . . . The Sookie Stackhouse books are delightful Southern Gothic supernatural mysteries, starring Sookie, the telepathic cocktail waitress, and a cast of increasingly colourful characters, including vampires, werewolves and things that really do go bump in the night. Review One thing that struck me about this book in comparison to the others was the number of shall we say intimate moments, I'm not sure if they were all strictly needed, but they did probably show something about Sookie's relationship with her new boy. I did find this one particularly slow to get started to, and there was a disappointing lack of Eric or Alcide- although imagining Quinn goes some way to remedying this he doesn't have the personality factor that I enjoy in Eric and Alcide. As for Bill. Well I never really liked him, now I just feel I have a reason! To fool Sookie in such a way is cruel, and any respect I have for him has gone. However I never believed that he didn't come to truly love her, even before he said it. I did enjoy the book despite some of the things I've said, although it's probably my least favourite of the series so far. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris Synopsis (from Amazon) Sookie's beginning to get used to being surrounded by all varieties of undead, changeling, shapeshifting and other supernatural beings - but even she has her limits. She'd really like to take a while to get over being betrayed by Bill, her long-time vampire lover, and get used to her new relationship with the sexy shapeshifter Quinn - but instead, she finds herself attending the long-planned vampire summit, the destination of choice for every undead power player around, as a sort-of human 'Geiger counter' for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana. But the job is fraught with difficulties. Sophie-Anne's power base has been severely weakened by Hurricane Katrina, and she's about to be put on trial during the event for murdering her king. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but she's hardly prepared for other shocking murders: it looks like there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. With secret alliances and backroom deals the order of the day - and night - Sookie must decide which side she'll stand with, and quickly, for her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe. Review Hmm I think this has been my least favourite book so far. There was a fair bit going on, but all the events seemed to be over and done with quite quickly in a way they hadn't been in previous books, it was only in the last hundred pages or so that I actually felt it has got going. On the plus side we seem to have got back to plenty of Eric, which makes me smile, but he's not himself, I wish his relationship with Sookie hadn't changed, but maybe it will go ack, already it's better than the last book. I do wonder about this book and how much of it was planned before Katrina, I think it would have worked without it, maybe it happening just gave Harris a good plot device, but she could hav used something else for the same purpose. 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 Pop Co. by Scarlett Thomas Synopsis (from Amazon) Alice Butler has been receiving some odd messages - all anonymous, all written in code. Are they from someone at PopCo, the profit-hungry corporation she works for? Or from Alice's long lost father? Or has someone else been on her trail? The solution, she is sure, will involve the code-breaking skills she learned from her grandparents and the key she's been wearing round her neck since she was ten. "PopCo" is a grown-up adventure of family secrets, puzzles, big business and the power of numbers. Review Wow. Just wow. I love, love, loved this book. It's probably the best I've read so far this year. From the synopsis I had been unsure, and in fact almost bought it a few times before finding something I thought sounded better to read . In the end I mainly bought it because I had really enjoyed the End of Mr Y which is by the same author. This is really a book which made me think, about corporations, and things we ignore but encounter every day. It talked of how corporations trick people, and how tose in marketing seem to be worth more than those who actually make products- and that's just one issue it talks about. It doesn't feel preachy though, it really does just make you think about things in a different way. It made me interested in alternative medicine, and veganism- and they weren't even key themes! It wasn't perfect though. Some of the stuff about codes and maths really went over my head. Although I don't think it was completely necessary to understand that it would have added something to my enjoyment. There was also a couple of adult scenes which I didn't think were needed (I didn't mind them being there though) which might put some people off, but there weren't as many, or as graphic as in The End of Mr. Y. 5/5 Am thinking I will offer this as a bookring if anyone is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Great review, Lucybird! I've had this one on my wishlist for awhile and I think I just need to buy it and read it soon . It sounds like lots of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickle Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Great Review, I loved this book and thougt it was better than The End of Mr Y I got really addicted and it really made me think about corporations and the way they advertise to us. I loved the maths stuff but I admit it went over my head too makes me wish i was more mathy (made that word up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Thanks both. I thought it was better than The End of Mr Y too pickle, which surprised me because I didn't expect as much from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Sunrise by Rosie Thomas Synopsis (from Amazon) It was a love forbidden but never forgotten. When Harry Cotton returned to Wales, Angharad Owain found paradise - despite her father's violent warnings against the Cottons of Llyn Fair. For she and Harry were in love, untouchable. Until a shocking revelation drives Angharad to flee, pregnant and penniless, to London. There, struggling to make a new life for herself and her child, she resolves to put the past behind her, joy and heartache alike. But neither time nor success can banish her memories. In the end, Angharad must confront the sinister shadows that lie between her and Harry - the man she will always love, but may never have... Review Rosie Thomas seems to really have a skill for setting a scene, I could almost see the Welsh hills and villages as she described them, it was something I noticed with The Potter's House too when I read that. I've lived in Wales which probably helps but I don't think that's all of it. That wasn't the only similarity I saw with The Potter's House. Both had female characters who you half despised and half pitied. I felt more attached to the characters in this book somehow. I thought the main character was rather nieve, even when she had grown up, and I so often wanted to shout that she was making a mistake. Harry I didn't trust, even towards the end when I think the reader was meant to trust him. I never really trusted him, even before the secret got out. Part of this I think is because he reminds me of my ex, so maybe I have insider knowledge! I did find it a little predictable in parts, her relationship with Jamie in particular. And I had a inkling of what the secret may be. I think if we had got the same shock as Angharad it would have been better. 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Wuthering Height by Emily Bronte Synopsis (from Amazon) The tale of Heathcliff and Cathy's ungovernable love and suffering, and the havoc that their passion wreaks on the families of the Earnshaws and the Lintons, shocked the book's first readers, with even Emily's sister Charlotte wondering "whether it is right or advisable to create beings like Heathcliff". Review I have wanted to read this book for years, since I was at school, but somehow never got around to it until now. I guess for that reason I really wanted to like it, so much. Unfortunately I can't say I did. I found the story slow to progress and to read (whether this is to do with writing style or because I wasn't to bothered about reading it I am not sure). I can't say I really liked any of the characters, maybe Cathy was ok, but I don't really feel I knew her. Heathcliff was just mean and self serving. Catherine (Jnr) was spoilt, self-centred and seemed to think she was worth more than anyone else. I quite liked Hareton, although he was a bit rough initially I always had the impression that underneath all he was a genuinely nice person. I can kind of see how the writing can be seen as good writing. The descriptions were good, and in fact it was reading the first description of Heathcliff which made me want to read the book (wow it must be almost 10 years ago, and I still remember), although I found the descriptions of the moors a bit lacking. I think if you've ever been through the moors though you'll agree that the atmosphere is quite possibly impossible to but in to words. I did however find that in the last 20-30 pages the story did pick up, it became more plot driven I think (I know I have criticised writing for this in the past, but I didn't feel it undermined writing quality her). Strangely although I had been looking forward to being able to to read something different I wanted the book to continue when I actually had. Some people have said that this book improves with a second read. Initially I thought that this seemed a bit too much work to put in, I don't really feel I should have to work to like a book. But then I thought about when I read Jane Eyre. On initial reading I didn't really enjoy it, although I found interesting bits I did find it slow, but after we had studied it I saw it in a different light and liked it in retrospect. So maybe it is worth reading again sometime, at least I will not get rid of my copy just yet, 2.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 It's a shame you didn't fall in love with this book like I did, but I agree it is heavy going and hard work in a lot of places. I wonder how I would get on with it if I read it again now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 What Andrea said ^ I just completed my reread of WH this instant, and I cried as per always at the end. That final paragraph is just.... so peaceful, a peace enhanced tenfold by the preceeding turmoil which defines the entire novel. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 I do find it a bit difficult to say I don't like it. At the end I wanted to read more which is usually an indication that I enjoyed a book, but until about the last 20 pages I felt more like I was waiting for it to get going, or finish. I suppose that my rating for just the end would be bigger than for the rest of the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Can someone tell me what happened to my no buying new books until my TBR pile is in single figures rule? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Can someone tell me what happened to my no buying new books until my TBR pile is in single figures rule? You have sadly caught the I-meant-it-when-I said-it bug. Until a cure is found, you will succumb to this condition on a fairly regular basis. But don't worry as you are not alone, and the end result of the condition is more books to savour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Oh no not a bug! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Synopsis (from Amazon, edited by me) When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth a second-rate travelling circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. Jacob, a veterinary student who almost earned his degree, is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. Review. I got through this book more quickly that I expected to, and am kind of disappointed that I can't read it anymore (well I suppose I could start again, but that's not the same). I really enjoyed it, I can't say I knew anything much about the circus before and it was really interested to read about the kind of things the audiences could and couldn't see. I found some of the descriptions really gave me a strong image of what things were like. I found the scenes in the nursing home really entertaining, and the contrast between that and the scenes at the theatre worked really well. I really liked Jacob, I could see the young him in the old him and he made me laugh. I really wanted everything to turn out right for him. I'm not sure I can say anything else without spoilers so I will stop here, and just say read this book if you get the chance! 4.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 24, 2010 Author Share Posted March 24, 2010 From Dead to Worse- Charlaine Harris Synopsis (from Amazon) The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana is reeling from two hard blows: the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, and she's yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires - some friends, some not - were killed or injured, and her were-tiger boyfriend Quinn is among the missing. It's clear that things are changing, whether the weres and vamps like it or not. And Sookie, Friend to the Pack, blood-bonded to the leader of the local vampire community, is caught up in those changes. She's about to find herself facing danger and death and, not for the first time, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood has stopped flowing, Sookie's world will be forever altered . . . Review Much more Eric in this one (although still not as much as I would want)! So I am quite happy. I thought a lot was going on too which I liked, in the past I've found that they take a while to get going. A few loose ends were tied up too, I'm not sure what this means, but I still think there's plenty of story there (having said that certain sudden changes made me think that maybe Charlaine Harris was trying to find a way to keep the series going a bit longer. There were lots of different storylines meeting in this one too, I guess that's why there was a lot happening 3/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 Dead and Gone- Charlaine Harris Synopsis (from Amazon) Now it's the turn of the weres and shifters to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world. Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course - her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she's friend to the local Were pack and Sam, her boss at Merlotte's bar, is a shifter. At first the great Were revelation seems to go well - then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found outside Merlotte's. Though Sookie never cared that much for the victim, no one deserves such a horrible death, so she agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer. But what Sookie doesn't realise is that there is a far greater danger than this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of unhuman beings, older, more powerful and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves is preparing for war . . . Review Lots of Eric in this one, and proper Eric too. I am happy. Must say I expected more from the Weres n this book though and we barely saw Alcide. Again I thought there were a lot of threads all over the place, not a bad thing, it kept the action going. I really don't have much to say. I just hope Sookie's great grandfather was talking about Eric not Bill at the end. 3.5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 Picture Perfect- Jodi Picoult Synopsis (from Amazon) A woman is found in a Los Angeles graveyard, unable to remember anything about herself or her life. No one is more surprised than she when, days later, her husband comes to the police station to take her home - and turns out to be Hollywood's leading superstar, Alex Rivers. Cassie Barrett begins to remember bits about her life: her passion for her career as an anthropologist, the whirlwind romance on location in Africa, her childhood. But she senses there is something troubling in this perfect life that she can't remember; and then, when she sees a pregnancy test, it all comes flooding back - and once again, Cassie feels there is no alternative but escape... Review I must say I have been disappointed with Picoult's writing more recently. I did enjoy the book, and it's still an improvement on Second Glance or Mercy. I did really like Cassie. It's strange I wanted everything to work out with Alex, despite anything, I think that shows some skill in Picoult's writing that she could still give the sense that Cassie really loved him, and that he loved her. By the end I did really enjoy it. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Jodi Picoult is a bit hit and miss for me too, I love My Sisters Keeper but hated the Pact. Sometimes her books are a bit heavy. But this one does sound interesting. I'll add it to my (evergrowing) wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 I've found I really like here older ones but more recently I tend to be disappointed (although I loved Handle with Care). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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