Book Review: “The Country Beyond”

Genre: classic; romance

Playlist…

Plot Summary: An outlaw living on the edge of civilization falls in love with a girl who is abused by her foster parents.  But how can there be a future for them with him on the run?  When an unexpected killing turns the tables on them, he finds his path marked with loneliness.  He is told his destiny lies with Nada in the Country Beyond, but where will he ever find them?  Told through the eyes of a dog named Peter.

My Book Review: I remember trying to read “Old Yeller” when I was a kid.  I must have tried starting three or four times, and never could get much beyond “Little Arliss…”  I guess it just wasn’t for me.  I haven’t read many dog stories in my life, but this one seemed different from the typical.  For one thing, it wasn’t a children’s book.  Set in the Canadian north woods, this classic contained sweeping descriptions and all the atmosphere one could desire.  You could nearly smell the spruce, cedar and balsam the author talked endlessly about.

The first third of the story was full of action and I made it through quickly.  Unfortunately, the middle lags as the main character named Roger McKay and his dog Peter cover mile after weary mile on foot through the Canadian wilderness, always trying to outsmart and outrun the Mounties.  I don’t want to give anything away, but the last few chapters pick up again and there was no way I could have guessed how the ending would turn out.

I can see why this author is a classic and I don’t believe the dog’s point of view hurt the story any.  It gave it an interesting perspective that elevated it from the ordinary.  However, the plodding middle had me yawning a bit.  It also contains Native American spirituality, and the Christian missionary lacks a solid doctrinal stand which made the book’s philosophy a bit wishy washy.  By the time the book ended, I was just ready to return it to the library and check out something else.

Apparently this book was made into a movie twice (1926 and 1936) but both deviate from the plot drastically.  After doing some research on the author James Oliver Curwood, I learned that he had at one time been the highest paid author per word in the world at his time (he died in 1927 from a bug bite).  I found that he lived not too far from where I do and that he built a French chateau-inspired mansion which has been turned into a museum.  So I’m thinking of planning a day trip and checking this thing out!  You know… some day after COVID. 😉

You can listen to the audiobook for free here.

PS- After spending most of the book trying to figure out what these characters looked like in my head, I came up with the following pair:

Alicia Vikander as Nada Hawkins

James McAvoy as Jolly Roger McKay

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Book Review: “Ashenden,” by Elizabeth Wilhide

Genre: historical fiction

Playlist…

Plot Summary: The history of an old English manor house is told from the point of view of successive generations of owners, servants, and occupants.

My Book Review: I think I might have discovered this book on the shelf at the library, or among goodreads recommendations.  It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that wasn’t a classic or by a Christian author.  I think it’s time I start investigating other books out there and this looked like an interesting place to start.

Split narratives between past and present are it’s own genre now and its nothing new.  But this book looked interesting to me because the main character is really about a house, and how history treats it.  From the time it is built in the late 1700’s through to present day inheritors Charlie and his sister Ros, we are swept through history chapter by chapter.  In one way this kept me from growing close to the characters.  In another it kept my interest in what happened next.  We know a few things from the first chapter about how the house is in it’s present state, but then we are taken back to the beginning and are clued in as to how it happened.  And then the overall question at stake is, what will be its future?

Despite the interesting plot, there were a lot of things that kept me from liking this book.  There is a small amount of foul language and ‘observations’ I could have done without.  Around chapter 2 I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with it, but it takes a lot to deter me from finishing something once I start.  There are several characters who have mistresses or sleep around and have affairs.  In one instance, a man stumbles across a couple having sex which is briefly but graphically described.  So yeah, there are content issues.

However, I liked the conclusion the book makes [SPOILER] in that it doesn’t matter if there is a long uninterrupted line in a single family that owns a place so much as it does if the people who live there are happy and love it and can care for it.   [END OF SPOILER]

I would have to say that my favorite time era depicted was probably when the original architect James Woods goes back twenty years later with his two nieces to visit the house he built.  I liked the idea of Maria carving her initials for Reggie and Bunny to find more than a hundred years later.  They have no idea the context for it, but they appreciate it as being a part of the history of the place as indeed it is.  I wish there were more “easter eggs” like that throughout the book.

You might like this if you enjoy the manor house genre, and especially if you are into Downton Abbey.  Enjoy with a good cup of tea!

I’ve heard that Ashenden Park is based on real-life Basildon Park in Berkshire, but I don’t know this to be 100% certain.  It certainly sounds very similar, featuring honey-color stone and an octagonal room to boot:

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Book Review: “The Blue Castle,” by L. M. Montgomery

*See Note

Genre: romance; classic

Playlist…

Plot Summary: 29-year old Valancy Stirling takes stock of her uneventful life.  All she has ever known is a grey, dull existence with no real love of her own.  Her favorite fantasy is to dream of her very own ‘blue castle’ in which everything is just as she would wish and she entertains a string of handsome suitors.  But then she gets a shocking medical diagnosis that changes her perspective on everything.  What will she do with the rest of her life?

My Book Review: L. M. Montgomery has been a favorite author of mine since way back.  I grew up with her as a teenager, convinced that I was a Montgomery heroine myself.  I’ve read almost all of her novels, but still have a few more of the Anne series and one or two obscure works to cover.  I purposefully waited to read “The Blue Castle” until I was the same age as the main character– I always like to identify with the characters I’m reading about.  However, I’d been a little bored with the last Anne book I’d read (“Anne of Ingleside”) and was not sure how I would like this one, especially since it is less known.

I absolutely loved this, as it turned out to be such a sweet gem of a story!  There are almost three parts to Valancy’s journey but I don’t want to put major spoilers here.  At first I was unsure I would become so attached because the first third details Valancy’s bitterness about life and her lack of familial love.  But a few plot twists I never saw coming changed the whole thing, both for Valancy and for me as a reader.  I began to wonder how I might react to the news that I had a fatal disease, and it was interesting to see Valancy’s attitude go from self-pity to acting on her new self-discovery.  Who might we become if we really acted on what we thought or felt on the inside?

Valancy finds love—not among her joy-robbing relatives that she’s known her whole life, but among the outcasts of society. She decides to spend her life acting on her compassion, and in so doing mirrors Jesus’ actions toward the lepers, the dying, and those of scandalous reputation.  Her blue castle no longer becomes her ideal, but a little ramshackle cabin in the sticks becomes her wonderful reality.  She spends so much time enjoying living in the here and now, that she forgets about her impending sentence.

I found the story to be so beautiful and it gave me much food for thought. Not to mention, I got a good laugh out of some of her relations!  Set during the 1920’s, it’s definitely a lot different from Montgomery’s other tales, but I’m sure it will become a new favorite for you as it now is with me.

*Note- This is one of those instances where you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.  This is not a Harlequin romance novel, like this popular book cover above indicates.  Nor does Valancy have brown hair and wear 1980’s nighties.  And the hero of the story does not look one bit like a Ken Barbie doll!  No, below are pictures closer to what I picture them to look like (even though their dress and age may be a bit off)…

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Book Review: “The Seven Conundrums,” by E. Phillips Oppenheim

Genre: mystery; intrigue; classic vintage

*Playlist…

Plot Summary: A trio of entertainers are down on their luck when a mysterious man emerges out of the night to make them an offer of a lifetime.  Desperate, they agree to do anything he asks of them in exchange for a guarantee of work lineup.  Soon, they are rolling in it and living the highlife while touring England and abroad.  But exactly who’s side are they on—the side of the just or the side of evil?

My Book Review: Although Oppenheim’s most famous novel (The Great Impersonation) had me an instant fan as a kid, I’ve sort of become less enthused about some of his other works since then.  I was hoping this novel would draw me back in, or else I was seriously going to rethink whether I wanted to continue with his canon.

I was pleased to find myself enjoying this very much, especially for the book’s atmosphere.  The seven mysteries, the intrigue, wild characters, and the some of the exotic European locales had my interest.  Although it still did not have TGI beat, I’ve decided to continue on with more Oppenheim novels next year!

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Movie Review: “The Aviator”

Based on the book by Ernest K. Gann.

Version: 1985; starring Christopher Reeve; Tyne Daly

Genre: adventure; classic

Plot Summary: A physically and emotionally scarred US mail pilot is commissioned to escort a young teenager over the lonely Rocky Mountain wilderness during the 1920’s.

My Review: Disclaimer*: I have not read the original book, so this review will not be comparing it to that work.  Only as a story in and of itself, totally unrelated to the book. 

When I first came across this streaming for free online, I thought it was an early version of The Aviator that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett.  I thought it might be about Howard Hughes.  The story turned out to be quite different than I expected and was a pleasant surprise.

Though this movie may be lacking a lot of the frills and fancies of today’s world, the story was still interesting because of the well-developed characters.  Reeve plays a good pilot that is still suffering from a war incident and lives in isolation from those around him.  Tillie is a young teenage girl that on the surface seems spoiled and immature, but when put to the test proves she has courage to survive hardships.

Some beautiful cinematography from the air and accompanying filmscore is lovely.  Acting may not be A1, but there aren’t any scenes you wouldn’t want your parents to watch.  I believe there were a few ‘d’ words sprinkled throughout.  Tillie does confess that she was ‘banged up’ by a boy prior to her plane trip and declares that it ‘certainly wasn’t love.’  She begins to develop a bit of a crush on Edgar, but nothing inappropriate comes of it.  Rather, it was sweet and humorous and Edgar comes to realize that there may be something in him the right woman could love about him.

I believe that the character Tillie was made older in the movie than she was in the book, but I think this was actually in the story’s favor.  If you’re looking for something a little different, I believe you would enjoy this for entertainment.

 

BBC Audiobook: Winnie-the-Pooh

What do heffalumps, woozles, birthday parties, and very tight places all have in common?  Why Winnie-the-Pooh of course!  And autumn is the perfect time to settle in for the evening with some classic Pooh-bear stories read by Alan Bennett.  So grab your children, grandma and grandpa, too and get ready to go on an expotition!  Only available for a limited time.

 

 

Book Review: “The Murder on the Links,” by Agatha Christie

Genre: mystery

Plot Summary: When Hercule Poirot receives an intriguing letter from a foreign millionaire, he sets out right away for the French countryside.  But before he and Captain Hastings arrive the Monsieur Renauld is found dead on a golf course, stabbed in the back.  Who could have done such a thing?  Was it his son, who thought he stood to inherit millions?  The neighbor woman thought to be his mistress?  Or could it be the mysterious girl on the train who calls herself Cinderella?  Soon another body is found dead in a similar manner, and everyone’s theories are thrown out the window…

My Book Review:  Continuing my way through the Poirot series… 🙂

After finishing Agatha Christie’s first Poirot novel (The Mysterious Affair at Styles), I had a bit of a letdown.  I was hoping the second installment in the series would be much more to my liking, and happily I got the suspense I was looking for!  One of the things that really helped me to like this story better was the setting.  A millionaire’s villa set in the French countryside really set the atmosphere and it was fun practicing my French accents!

I felt the plot was cleverly laid out and the details came together and made sense.  What a marked improvement from The MA@S!  There was a point nearing the end when I was afraid the story would end flat, but then came a plot twist that I didn’t foresee and Agatha proves she is the queen of mystery novels.

There are some elements within this book that I love about A.G.’s stories.  One is her huge use of colorful dialogue and different characters.  Another is of there being a backstory that happened years before the book starts, and you have to figure out which of the current characters are the same people under assumed names.

The only thing I didn’t like is that in this particular story, Poirot comes across as very conceited and arrogant.  Sometimes his mood varies from book to book, but in this one he was not as likeable.

I’ve read a few Poirot mysteries, but plot-wise this was my favorite I’ve read so far.  Not my favorite Christie mystery (that honor belongs for Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?), but it makes up for the letdown after The MA@S.

 

Book Review: “Love Comes Calling,” by Siri Mitchell

Genre: romance, historical fiction, Inspirational, 1920’s, humor

Plot Summary: Ellis Eaton is bombing out in her classes at college.  She just can’t seem to apply herself!  What’s more, she feels like she keeps failing everybody she knows and loves– including Griffin Phillips, the boy-next-door.  The only solution seems to escape and go to Hollywood to live out her dream of becoming a movie star.  The only problem is to save up enough to get there.  When a lookalike friend suggests Ellis fills in for her as a ‘hello girl’ telephone operator, Ellis agrees.  But then she accidentally overhears a mysterious conversation implying danger toward Griffin.  What will this mean for him and for her future plans?

My Book Review:  I’ve been interested in trying some of Siri Mitchell’s novels and this is the first one I’ve tried.  I had a lot of fun reading it!  The main character, Ellis, is a lively heroine who keeps getting into scrapes and she reminded me a lot of Anne Shirley.  It didn’t take me long to wonder if Ellis might have had some sort of attention deficit disorder.  Her rambling first person narrative (which I loved) would stop and change on a dime from one topic to another.  Unfortunately for her she is often misunderstood because of this, especially by her mother.  At the end of the book, the author explains that she did purposefully create Ellis with ADHD, but that society would not have recognized or correctly diagnosed it back during the Prohibition era.  I thought this was an interesting angle to the story.

One of Siri Mitchell’s signatures is filling her novels with interesting history so that you’re not only entertained, but educated.  This particular book centered on the Prohibition era of the 1920’s (a decade that’s really popular right now thanks to Downton Abbey!).  We get to see the introduction of crossword puzzles, and references to fashion trends, popular songs, films, movie stars, and other pop culture of the times.  I loved the descriptions!

I didn’t find the book to be a painful, fluffy novel and enjoyed it.  However, there came a time where I felt the plot felt stuck in a rut like it was not going anywhere.  The biggest hitch was repetition.  Ellis was continually reminding us of her goal in trying to protect Griffin, but it became tedious.  Griffin tries to pursue her romantically but can never seem to find a time and place alone with her.  This doesn’t happen once, twice, or three times but many many times during the course of the story.  Instead of creating suspense, this technique caused me to feel the story had nothing more to offer than filler scenes.  I really dislike repetition!

It also became a little confusing as to what Ellis was thinking, –but then I think she was confused herself!  First she says that she disappoints others when she is herself, so she finds it best to pretend to be a different character.  Then she says she can’t be what everyone else wants her to be because it’s not who she is.  ?

This was a fun story that didn’t center so much on romance as it was a coming-of-age story with a heroine who is in a journey of self-discovery.  You don’t have to worry about it getting steamy.  I could easily let my teenage daughters read it (if I had any teenage daughters).  I want to try at least one more book by Siri Mitchell.  Don’t get me wrong, –I liked this book but I have a hunch I’ll like some other of her books better once I get to them.

This book is #7 in the “Against All Expectations” Series, but I think these books are all stand alone.

Have you read this book?  What did you think of it?  Share your thoughts below!

 

Dear Masterpiece

SPOILER ALERT!: The following public letter to Masterpiece reveals some spoilers from the tv series, “Downton Abbey,” but contains nothing from the current Season 6.  No offense is intended for those who find redeeming, personal enjoyment from said miniseries.  These are completely my own opinions, based on my own reactions from the show.

Dear Masterpiece (formerly Masterpiece Theatre),

Like a lot of period drama lovers out there, I love certain aspects of Downton Abbey. The music, the costumes, the drama, the romance, the props, the elegance of the time era…!  It makes this romantic-at-heart swoon.  Truth be told, I was hesitant about watching it when it first came out, because I had my suspicions about it.  I had heard about certain plot elements that went against my spiritual convictions.

However, I decided to give it a try and took the plunge into Season 1. I was able to gloss over some of the parts I winced at (Thomas’ love affair with another man; Lady Mary’s tryst with Mr. Pamuk).  I told myself that Thomas’ story didn’t last long, and Lady Mary’s actions were not celebrated.  So I concentrated on all the lovely details of the episodes.

I determined not to watch Season 2 when I saw the trailers. It seemed to contain a lot of sleeping around and I didn’t feel I could watch the new series with any real pleasure.  But then I changed my mind and decided to flip the channel during sex scenes.  I was glued to the dramatic storyline.

Season 3 was by far my most favorite of all. The acting was superb, my emotions were engaged with every episode, I cared about the characters, and I didn’t have to worry about fast forwarding.  I was highly looking forward to Season 4!

I know many people were upset at the unfortunate turn of events centering around Anna. I, however, was not one of them, since bad things do happen to good people in this fallen world.  I’ve heard Joanne Froggatt’s acting was exceptional throughout this season.  But I decided not to view it, mainly due to the fact that I am very sensitive by nature and didn’t feel I could handle the heavy theme.  I kept up on what happened through the season though, by reading the descriptions of the episodes.  Suddenly having the drama stripped of all it’s heady “frills” and just reading about its descriptions made me realize something.  I could conceive no good that would come of me viewing the rest of Downton Abbey.  Tom has a dalliance with another woman after his being widowed, something that just doesn’t feel true to his character (even if he was drunk).  Viewers are to feel in favor of Mr. Gregson divorcing his mentally disabled wife and taking up with Edith; eventually they have an affair and she becomes pregnant.

It didn’t stop there. Season 5 went on to have one character after another heading to the bedroom, without accurately portraying the hurt and pain these people have deep inside as a result of giving themselves away so flippantly.  I haven’t watched another Downton Abbey episode since then.  Will I change my mind about watching it?  We’ll see, but I highly doubt it.  I’m sure there are bits I’d still love about the show inter-sprinkled among all the offensive parts.  But by now, the sexual perverseness far outweighs the glorious costumes for me.  I’ve stuck through movies or tv shows before that weren’t completely clean, but either I was only committed for 2 hrs and could easily fast forward, or there were more redeeming elements than the occasional “oops! Close my eyes!”.  I cannot say that of Downton Abbey.  It really has become a glorified soap opera.  The heady glamor of the show made me feel sucked into rooting for the characters’ debauched behavior.  I’m not a prude.

Masterpiece, over the years I’ve highly enjoyed many films on PBS. But it has increasingly been leaving lots to be desired.  I don’t appreciate movie adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic novels adding in gay characters to make it more ‘modern’ or other period dramas becoming ‘edgier’ in order to push your liberal agenda.  It just is not true that people don’t want to watch bonnet dramas anymore.  If it is an excellent picture, with characters viewers can identify with, we will be with you.  Classic works of literature are classics for a reason, and they’ve done well enough for a hundred years or more without the graphic bedroom scenes.  I’m not a prude; I just don’t prefer to watch it.  I would look forward to seeing more Masterpiece films and miniseries featuring clean adaptions of classic novels (preferably ones that aren’t remakes of the remakes), instead of ones that are glitzy and glamorous but substantially hollow.

Please give us more wonderful content, and I will be a loyal viewer.

Sincerely,

booklearner

What do you think of Masterpiece’s recent films? Share your opinions below!

 

Book Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie

Genre: mystery

Plot Summary: When Captain Hastings visits his friend John Cavendish at the family estate in Styles, he has no inkling of the tragic events that will soon follow.  Mrs. Inglethorpe, the family matriarch, is seized with a fit in the middle of the night and dies from an apparent case of strychnine poisoning.  Who had a motive for murdering her?  Was it one of her sons, hoping to benefit from the will?  Her second husband 20 years her junior?  Her daughter-in-law, Mary, who is obviously having an affair?  The mysterious foreigner, Dr. Bauerstein, who seems to turn up at odd moments?  This mystery is the first in the Hercule Poriot series, and the first by famous mystery writer, Agatha Christie (published 1920).

My Book Review:  The nice thing about Agatha Christie’s novels is that they are all pretty much standalone stories even if they belong to one of her detective-series.  I’ve read some of the Poirot mysteries before, but I thought it would be nice to go back and start reading them in order.

This wasn’t my favorite Christie mystery, to be honest.  It had a clever ending, but for much of the book I felt sort of bored.  It just lacked something, though I can’t put my finger on it.  I guess it just didn’t have the atmosphere that I enjoyed while reading Ngaio Marsh’s first mystery, A Man Lay Dead.  Actually the two mysteries sort of resembled each other in plot structure, which is interesting.  Although Marsh’s debut had it’s faults, I think I enjoyed reading that one much better than this one.  Then again, maybe if I hadn’t read the two back to back I might have a different impression, but there it is!

This book did include the usual cast of different characters and lots of dialogue, which I always love.  I think that if a person wanted to try out Agatha Christie for the first time, it might be better to start with a different book to really get an idea of Christie’s talent as a mystery writer.  (Personally I would recommend Why Didn’t They Ask Evans or Crooked House.)  But it was interesting to learn a little more about Poirot’s background (ie, what he’s doing in England instead off Belgium?), and if you’re a completist, you won’t want to skip this first in the series.