Tag Archives: Bleak House

The 30-Day Book Meme – Day 9 and 10 Book Meme Questions

In today’s post, I am going to answer the next 2 questions of this book meme.

Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book

I started reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens because I was in a bit of a reading funk. I was not enjoying the bestsellers of the day, and badly needed a change. I certainly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Reading Bleak House also rekindled my love of classics, and now, I regularly add a couple of classics into my reading list to shake things up a bit.

However, my favorite classics have to be those that I read as a child/teenager. I have blogged before about how much I enjoyed Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson as a child. To me, it’s the original pirate saga, and no book/movie will ever come close to recreating the combination of magic, madness, charm, and menace that was Lord John Silver. I still remember the creepy factor of the Yo,ho,ho and a bottle of rum ditty and the chills that the mention of The Black Spot gave me. Such a superb children’s classic! I must revisit it again.

I also enjoyed the gothic mysteries of Wilkie Collins – The Woman in White, and The Moonstone. Lovely reads! Who ever said classics are boring or for the old?

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A Passage from Bleak House

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I have been so tied up with work and life in general that reading is taking a bit of a backseat…however, I had marked a couple of passages from Bleak House that were particularly affecting and I thought I’d share one of them here.

In the below passage, Dickens comments on an illiterate boy who lives on the streets, and verbalizes what the boy may be thinking or feeling.

It must be a strange state to be like Jo! To shuffle through the streets, unfamiliar with the shapes, and in utter darkness as to the meaning, of those mysterious symbols, so abundant over the shops, and at the corners of streets, and on the doors, and in the windows! To see people read, and to see people write, and to see the postmen deliver letters, and not to have the least idea of all that language—to be, to every scrap of it, stone blind and dumb! It must be very puzzling to see the good company going to the churches on Sundays, with their books in their hands, and to think (for perhaps Jo DOES think at odd times) what does it all mean, and if it means anything to anybody, how comes it that it means nothing to me?

To be hustled, and jostled, and moved on; and really to feel that it would appear to be perfectly true that I have no business here, or there, or anywhere; and yet to be perplexed by the consideration that I AM here somehow, too, and everybody overlooked me until I became the creature that I am! It must be a strange state, not merely to be told that I am scarcely human (as in the case of my offering myself for a witness), but to feel it of my own knowledge all my life! To see the horses, dogs, and cattle go by me and to know that in ignorance I belong to them and not to the superior beings in my shape, whose delicacy I offend!

I don’t think I have read a better-voiced and humane thought on illiteracy.

Finally Finished Bleak House, Whew!

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The Bleak House Readalong

It took me almost one and a half months to finally complete my reading of Bleak House. Really, it feels like such an accomplishment!

I would have ended up taking much more time, however thanks to the unexpected long weekend in India, and absolutely vegetating at home for almost 4 days helped me complete almost a quarter of this novel, and make up for my earlier slowness.

Anyway, in this post, I try to combine all the notes I made during my reading into one coherent post…

Unlike some other participants in the readalong, I had never seen any movies, or TV shows based on the book. So, I pretty much entered my reading blind so to speak. And, I think that’s what actually kept me going through these 900 odd pages – the need to know what was going to happen.

As I mentioned earlier, the courts of Chancery and the endless Jarndyce vs Jarndyce case set the scene for all the many characters to play out their lives. The main character (and one of the narrators) is Esther Summerson. Unfortunately, she is also one of the most boring people in the book. Her self-effacing nature and her goodness sometimes made me want to gag. Although she tries to come across as self-effacing, I found her constant rambling about how much people loved her quite nauseating. For all her humility, she does not hesitate to recount the many compliments that are paid to her.

Esther’s background is rather mysterious. By mysterious, it just means that nobody knows who exactly her parents are. In today’s day and age, such a plot device would seem very outdated. And when so much of this chunky book is devoted to this mystery, it did drag the book down a little. However, the other characters and story lines make up for this lack. Dickens has written this book in a typical soap-opera style – dragging things out just a bit longer, and just when you are starting to get restless, things happen! In fact, a lot of things happen in the second part of the book – spontaneous human combustions (something I heard of only after reading this book), murder, secret marriages, melodrama, wild-goose chase, and a final resolution of the wretched court case – it all happens at a breakneck speed (as compared to the snail’s pace of the 1st 300 pages or so). The second part of the book has hardly any superfluous writing…it is just plot, plot, and more plot…and I enjoyed quite a bit of it.

That said, there are some aspects of this book that fell flat for me. I found myself quite uncomfortable with his portrayal of women in the novel. Although, I have no sympathy with his characterization of Mrs.Jellyby (a woman who neglects her family because she is involved in charity work related to Africa), I did wonder if this was his thoughts/opinions on working women in general. His ideal woman seems to be one who is focussed on home and family, self-sacrificing, suffers without complaint the various injustices she has to face (think Ada). While it is nice for a woman to be all these things, I can imagine the toll it might take on her, and it makes me FURIOUS, MAD when men idealize such angelic women without acknowledging how much of herself she might be losing out in the process.

Another aspect I absolutely HATED SPOILER ALERT!!

Once Esther’s mother’s past is exposed, she runs away from home in the middle of winter snowstorm, and walks from London to Lincolnshire!! I am not sure about these distances, but surely that is not walkable – especially considering she is an aristocrat who is only used to pleasure walking. Then, she comes to visit her lover’s grave in London (still walking) – a man whom she had not seen in more than 20 years and then she proceeds to die there. Waves of melodrama leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Especially when her actions turn out to be totally meaningless. Her husband dotes on her, and is only too willing to forgive all her sins and take her back. I find it hard to condone such a cowardly act on her part. Such a foolish thing to run away causing so much harm to herself, her daughter, and the husband who adores her. I really did not have much patience with this part of the story. It’s so predictable, and so boring. Every classic book I read has the fallen woman committing suicide, or dying some miserable death. I hate that UGHH!!!

Other than that, overall I like the book, I like the perspectives that Dickens brings to Victorian England, and how he brings that period so remarkably to life. I also love his humane way of writing about the more unfortunate characters in his book. I plan to go back and refer my notes for my favorite quotes. I may even post them here

Thanks to Amanda of The Zen Leaf for conducting this readalong.

My First Tag of 2010

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My reading efforts and my life in general has been pretty lacklustre of late. Nothing eventful to blog about. Couple of weeks back, the snubnose was down with pneumonia. In the ensuing worry, leave from office, and so on, I have had to do some massive catch-up with work, and it is not over yet.

I have also had to ~~slow down~~ completely halt my reading of Bleak House. I stopped reading when the snubnose fell ill, and I have just not been motivated enough to pick it up (or even any other book) again. Strange for me! I must really be feeling the blues…

Anyway, I saw this interesting meme on Mae’s blog, and I liked the questions enough to take part myself. So, without much ado, here we go:

Favorite childhood book?
If it was early childhood, I would agree with Mae and list The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. By the time I was ten though, I was headlong in love with Robert Louis Stevenson … in particular Treasure Island and Black Arrow.
What are you reading right now?
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
What books do you have on request at the library?
None
Bad book habit?
Spilling food/water/tea on my books. I always munch when I read.
What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Bleak House by Charles Dickens, and Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I am on a classics kick now.
Do you have an e-reader?
I have an iPad, and I do use iBooks for reading.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?Strictly one book at a time.
Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I pay more attention to the book, I think…I note down sections that I like. I make the effort to check up certain facts mentioned in the book to see how accurate they are. Basically, blogging has made me a more conscientious reader…or that’s what I’d like to think .
Least favorite book you read this year (so far)?
That’s easy…Witch & Wizard by James Patterson
Favorite book you’ve read this year?
The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky comes close, but I have to admit that my favorite book was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. I love books with dogs.
How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
A lot. I love variety when it comes to books.
What is your reading comfort zone?
There are some authors – unfortunately most of them dead who always do it for me. My favorite authors I turn to are Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, and Victoria Holt (gothic romances). Generally, any well-written mystery with a dash of romance will do the trick for me.Of the living authors, I think Sophie Kinsella is creeping up on me.
Can you read on the bus?
Nope…not on bus, train, airplane…nothing. I tend to fall asleep when the vehicle is in motion.
Favorite place to read?
Sofa
What is your policy on book lending?
I have no problems with it…no problems when it is not returned either…I just go ahead and buy a new copy if it is a book I particularly like. I generally bargain hunt a lot while book shopping, so monetarily also it’s not a huge loss.
Do you ever dog-ear books?
All the time. I am not precious with books ever…my dad keeps complaining about how he knows exactly which books in his massive collection that I have read just by the number of dog-ears!
Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Never…my dad would kill me if I ever did that.
Not even with text books?
OK, that I do…
What is your favorite language to read in?
English. I can read Hindi and French, but it’s really a struggle. I’d just cave in and read a really good translation. I do wish that I could read Bengali. Kal’s blog with its frequent references to Tagore’s poetry and books makes me wish that I could read them in the original language. Our Indian languages are extremely rich…something always gets lost while translating into English.
What makes you love a book?
It’s really hard for me to say. I think the plot must be interesting enough to span the length of the book. Some books lose out when they are needlessly long, while other books end rather abruptly. I think a well-plotted, and well-edited book regardless of the genre will always win with me. I’m being rather vague with this answer, but that’s how best I can explain it.
What will inspire you to recommend a book?
In person, I rarely recommend books. One man’s meat is another man’s poison, and I believe that strongly. Mostly friends read my blog for recommendations. Also, in real life…very few of my friends are bookish.I do sometimes recommend books to my mom, though
Favorite genre?
Thrillers and Fantasy
Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Non-fiction, philosophy
Favorite biography?
Nothing in particular comes to mind. There was a mad phase when I read a bunch of stuff on the life of Marilyn Monroe. I outgrew that pretty fast. I am not very much into biographies in general.
Have you ever read a self-help book?
Ah, no…I read strictly for pleasure, not to improve myself ;. Also, some of the more obnoxious people I know are heavily into the self-help style of reading, so I have always felt self-books are rather dangerous . Plus, I am really not that interested in knowing who moved my cheese
Favorite cookbook?
Nah…I just filch recipes off from the internet or from my favorite cooking blogs. Not that I ever actually cook them . They are just saved up for the time when I retire and have all the time in the world to really cook, rather than the 20-minute slap dash fare I make now.
Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?Inspirational? Nothing this year. Last year, I read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and felt very inspired by the strength of the two women protagonists.
Favorite reading snack?Chocolates
Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I won’t say my reading experience was ruined. Ruined is too strong a word. I will just say that I did not enjoy The Swan Thieves as much as I expected to. I don’t think the book really lived up to the hype. Not that it’s a bad book…but just overhyped. I also think the Inkworld series by Cornelia Funke was way overhyped.
How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don’t always agree, but I like and respect the different perspectives that people bring to a book review
How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
If it’s a book I bought or borrowed, I don’t have a problem with negative reviews at all. I do struggle though when authors/publishers give me bad/mediocre books to review. Then I really struggle .
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
There are so many. I would choose French because how awesome would it be to read Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas in French. But, I would also choose Bengali for its rich regional literature, and Tamil – also rich in local literature, and it’s my native tongue and I can’t read it. Shame on me!!!
Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Mason and Dixon by Thomas Pynchon. Indecipherable and BORING. The fact that I finished it is a true tribute to my will-power and persistence.
Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Nothing really. I don’t get intimidated…I start off and then get stuck.
Favorite Poet?
Edgar Allan Poe
How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
4 because that’s my library’s limit.
How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Hardly ever. I’m persistent, remember .
Favorite fictional character?
Current faves are Harry Bosch – the detective from the Michael Connelly series, and Vish Puri – the detective in the Tarquin Hall books.
Favorite fictional villain?
Long John Silver from Treasure Island. Also Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair.
Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
A book based on the place I am going to. Or, at least as close as it gets.
The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I did neglect reading during my school board exams – for about 2 years, I read nothing but textbooks. During my college years, I partied a lot and read very little. That’s the only time I can remember when books took a back seat in my life.
Name a book that you could/would not finish.
War and Peace is a book I never managed to even get halfway through, forget about finishing. I hope Bleak House does not end up in this category!
What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Nothing, really. I tend to get engrossed. My family members get really annoyed sometimes.
Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Lord of the Rings, and Silence of the Lambs. Generally, most thrillers make good movies as well.
Most disappointing film adaptation?
The Harry Potter movies – especially the later ones seemed to miss a lot of the richness and wonder of the books.
The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I’m quite thrifty when it comes to book buying. Mostly second-hand for me. I don’t think I have ever spent more than Rs.1000/- at any given time.
How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I don’t skim. I just go ahead and read.
What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Usually, if something much more attention-grabbing happens in real life, and I end up having to stop reading, or if it is blah, blah, blah like War and Peace.
Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, Organizing my book shelf is actually a comforting activity for me. Though, I always end up leaving it half-finished and starting on some book that has caught my interest there
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I would keep some – the ones I loved, the author-signed ones, etc. The others I wouldn’t mind giving away.
Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
I am avoiding books 2 and 3 of the Stieg Larsson series and the Hunger Games trilogy. I want to take my time and read those books long after the blogosphere chatter has died down, and I am no longer as influenced by the hype.
Name a book that made you angry.
I think the sloppy writing on The Dangerous Days of Daniel X made me very angry. My book review also reflects that I think
A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I expect to like most books, that’s why I read them
A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I know I am flogging a dead horse here, but I really expected to like Twilight and the rest of the books in the series. I find vampire fiction fun as a rule, but these books were damp squibs.
Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Victoria Holt

Whew! I finally finished this meme. Anybody else want to take it up? Go on, do it, and then link to me after

Update on my Participation in the Bleak House Readalong

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The edition of the book that I am reading (Penguin Classics)

I am happily chugging along with my reading of the Bleak House. At the moment, I have managed to complete around 10 chapters without any flagging of interest.

Bleak House is a monster of a book – almost 1000 pages or so. When it comes to the overall book, I have barely made a dent. The first 7 chapters merely serve as an introduction to the various characters whose lives we will be following. And there are plenty of them. The major character and one of the narrators is Esther Summerson – a young, orphan girl whose background is a mystery.

Two other characters – Ada and Richard are distant cousins (and orphans). All three of them are under the guardianship of John Jarndyce and come to love with him in Bleak House. John Jarndyce is currently battling a decades old lawsuit, which is the bane of his existence. By the way, Bleak House is in no way bleak at all, but rather a rambling, adorable house on top of a hill.

Apart from these major characters, there are tons more minor characters who are introduced. I can already appreciate how difficult it must be to connect the dots between all of them (for both the author and the reader).

My thoughts on the book so far:

I can’t begin to explain how clever this book is terms of writing. Although I have read less than a quarter of the book, I am very impressed.

The book starts with a description of the London fog. Very quickly we learn that the fog is also a metaphor for the state of the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce court case. I know there is some writerly/editorial word to refer to this sort of clever writing (is it allegory? allusion? no, I don’t think so). But whatever it is, it’s really well done.

Apart from this, Dickens uses satire very cleverly to make a gentle (and in some cases, not so gentle) mockery of the characters. See his description below of the Dedlock family – one of the oldest and most reknowned families in England:

It appears…that there is no end to the Dedlocks, whose family greatness seems to consist in their never having done anything to distinguish themselves, for seven hundred years.

There’s plenty more stuff like this. He lampoons do-gooders, lawyers, beedles, and many more people both high and low. I wonder if this book might have ruffled a few feathers here and there when it was first published?

Another part of the book that I can relate to is the basic story of the never-ending court case. The court system of 18th century England is alive and well in today’s India. I personally have witnessed my grandmother battling a court case for a number of years; she has even passed on, but the court case continues with the settlement nowhere in sight…it’s rather scary how little progress has been made both in our personal court settlement as well as the justice system (which has been very kindly handed over to us by the British) in general.

Anyway, that’s how far I have progressed on the book. More posts and updates to follow.

I have also decided to start a hash tag on Twitter (#bleakhouse) to record any thoughts as they occur to me. I invite you folks who are reading this book to use the #bleakhouse tag if and when you want to tweet about this book.

Amanda from The Zen Leaf is hosting this readalong.

Decided to Participate in the Bleak House Readalong

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The Bleak House Readalong

Hosted by Amanda of The Zen Leaf, this is exactly the kick in the butt that I needed to go beyond Nabokov’s excellent foreword of this massive chunkster of a book penned by Charles Dickens.

I don’t know why I have been strangely reluctant to start on this book. Somehow, this book intimidates me more than The Brothers Karamazov that I read and enjoyed three months ago.

Is it the size of the book? Is it the bleakness of the title? Is it because the concept of a never-ending lawsuit (a major plot-point in this book) seems interminably dull? No, shamefully, I think the reason for my reluctance in picking up this book, is that it is not going to add much to the tally of books that I read this year.

I could read this one book, or I could read and review 6 books within the same timeframe…and the knowledge that this is what is preventing me from picking up this book is just making me feel so ashamed .

What happened to the girl who read just for the love of reading, and not for blogging alone? Through this readalong, I hope to discover that girl again, and also hopefully enjoy a lovely, leisurely read in the process.

So, coming up on my blog will be a lot of posts – but not necessarily related to books as such. I will be frequently updating regarding my progress on this book, but not much else on the reading front.

I hope you are interested enough to cheer me along on this venture and hopefully not too bored with my ramblings on Dickens. I may also be able to squeeze in some lighter books along the way…who knows?

Of course, if you are really interested, you could choose to participate in the readalong as well. Just check in with Amanda.

Wish me luck or rather determination