What I Read in December Part I . . .
Marjorie's New Friend by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction
The irrepressible Miss Marjorie Midget Mops Maynard is back for another
adventure. This one picks up where the last left off with Christmas and
continues to early March. While I love the Maynard family and their
closeness, this book wasn't as charming as Marjorie's Busy Days.
Her hijinks were less memorable and entertaining. There's also a strong
sexist slant to the story at times, which in 1909 was becoming less OK.
That was the year woman suffrage became a big issue again but it
doesn't show in this novel. Marjorie's new friend is a spoiled,
manipulative brat who learned from her spoiled, weak, manipulative
mother how to get her own way. I didn't like her very much.
Marjorie's in Command by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction
When Mr. and Mrs. Maynard go on a trip, Marjorie and her siblings are
left to the care of Miss Larkin, a middle-aged spinster who is not used
to children. The children don't know what to make of Miss Larkin and she
isn't sure what to do about their frolicking and teasing.
The
story in this book was compelling enough to keep me reading later than I
intended. It's less episodic than the first two books because of the
Miss Larkin plot. I didn't know what to think about Miss Larkin.
Sometimes she's fun and sometimes she's stuffy. I don't know why the
Maynards would leave the children with a spinster in the first place but
Miss Larkin proved to be a surprise for me. I felt some sympathy for
occasionally and worried the children's "hi jinks" would upset her.
There aren't too many "'Jinks" in this story. The children mean well and
everything turns out all right. As with the other books, I enjoyed the
detailed descriptions of childhood and life in turn-of-the-century New
Jersey for an elite family. What ruined the book for me was the elitist
attitudes of the adults. They come across as completely uncaring and
rude towards a poor family who has lost everything. The solution to the
problem even has an elitist slant. I know this was common for the period
but it still really bothered me, especially since the children were so
innocent and honest in their motive. It wasn't good of the adults to be
so snobby. There is also a sexist slant to the novel. I wouldn't let the
attitudes of the period stop you from enjoying the series though.
They're fun and though not as timeless as Anne of Green Gables or Little
Women, fans of those classics will enjoy this series.
The Google Books edition is a faithful scan of the original book. No errors whatsoever.
Marjorie's Maytime by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction
The Maynards go touring in their new motor car. Marjorie gets up to hi jinks and they make some new friends.
I
really liked seeing Marjorie's hi jinks. She's so bad but so funny.
She's as irrepressible as ever. I also liked seeing the difference
between city life on Fifth Avenue vs. "country life." The Maynards are
indulgent parents - probably more than most - but it was interesting to
note the city kids' view of people who live outside the city. I just
love their new friends who are more indulgent than the Maynard parents. What
I didn't like were the dated racist depictions of gypsies and playing
Indians. The section with gypsies is so improbable and stupid but it's
integral to the plot. There's also a section on playing Indians which I
skipped. These attitudes were common at the time and I think
unfortunately prevent this series from being a timeless classic.
Marjorie at Seacoate by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction
The
Maynards go to the seaside for the summer. The children make new
friends and form a new club but their fun is threatened by a jealous
rival.
The description of their vacation reminds me of my
childhood at the beach. They always manage to have fun wherever they go.
Their new friends are boys, who I don't usually care for, but Marjorie
is such a tomboy that she like the company of boys. Their inventive
games and newspaper remind me a lot of Little Women. The introduction of
Hester shows the Maynards to be just a bit too good to be believable.
Hester is one crazy, messed up girl. She's downright crazy but she's
more real than the Maynards. The Maynards have good hearts and I can't
help but love them though. They're not perfect at any rate. There's
another impossibly good girl introduced who makes the Maynards more
balanced. I despise perfectly good children in novels.
The only
section I didn't really like was when Marjorie overheard something that
was SO obvious to me but she misunderstood and then took it upon herself
to solve her problem. She's shown to be naive and trusting here when
normally she's so outrageous. I didn't like that side of her. I also
found that section a bit elitist.
What I Read in November Part VI . . .
Murder at Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell -- Historical Mystery, Historical Romance
Only a few days after Emma Cross solves the mystery of the murder at The Breakers, she receives a mysterious phone call from her cousin Consuelo Vanderbilt. Consuelo is distressed and needs someone to talk to. Upon arriving at Marble House, Emma is confronted by Consuelo's mother Alva who insists Emma persuade Consuelo to marry the Duke of Marlborough... or ELSE is the implication. Cowed, Emma tries to reconcile her cousin to the idea of marrying the Duke. This only succeeds in alienating her eighteen-year-old cousin. Consuelo wants to be free to marry the man of her own choosing, a much older "old money" friend, Winthrop "Winty" Rutherford. Alva has even hired a fortune teller to tell Consuelo's fortune the way Alva wants it ... or ELSE is the implication... When the fortune teller ends up dead with Alva's new maid Clara standing behind with the murder weapon, Emma is distressed. She was the one who helped Clara find the job and is certain the girl didn't do it. When Consuelo goes missing, Alva begs Emma to find the girl and be discreet about it or else the Vanderbilts' reputation will be tarnished. Emma plunges head long into an investigation which brings her into close contact with Derrick Anderson once again. She can hardly deny her feelings for him, but she's determined to be her own woman.
This is another excellent book set in Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island. The mystery has so many suspects with plausible motives yet they have alibis so I was unable to figure out who the murderer was. I did figure out they were lying about something but I didn't guess the extent of their perfidy. I was really surprised. I was also surprised at Consuelo's plot. I didn't really like how the author tweaked history a bit. It makes the story improbable, but I liked it anyway.
The setting is amazing. It's very different from the tourist Newport I know. I especially like that the author takes us to different parts of the island where tourists don't usually go. Since I visited Marble House over the summer, I loved the descriptions of the house, which is slightly different from the way the museum is decorated today. I have a love/hate relationship with Alva. I admire her dedication to women's rights but she scares me. I was looking forward to seeing Emma go toe-to-toe with Alva and I was not disappointed. Emma is the only one strong enough to stand up to Alva. I love that about her. I also love that Emma is determined to be an independent spinster. I admire her very much and like to think I would be like her if I lived in 1895. There's just enough romance to satisfy my inner romantic. Derrick is a bit cocky and I am not sure I like him but I think he is a good match for Emma and they could work things out. Consuelo is a sympathetic character. I felt bad for her but at the same time, I felt she was just so naive and sheltered, she wasn't able to make her own decisions. I just read her memoir All That Glitters so I'm aware of her story. I think readers will empathize with her and feel for her.
What I Read in November Part V. . .
Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd--Young Adult historical fiction
It's the summer of 1925 and hot as you know where in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. Frances Robinson beats the heat by sipping ice cold Coca Colas in her father's drugstore and following her crush, Johnny Scopes, a teacher, around. Frances has grand visions of Johnny coming to appreciate her and love her one day soon. Her loyalty to Johnny is tested when Mr. Robinson, a member of the school board, questions Johnny about his teaching. Johnny admits he may have taught evolution when he was substituting for the usual science teacher. Even though it's in the textbook, teaching evolution is against the law in TN. Mr. Robinson and his friends decide that Johnny is the perfect person to test the power of the ACLU and see how the law holds up to a trial. Mr. Robinson is convinced that no harm will be done to Johnny and that the trial will bring in much-needed tourists and publicity. As the "trial of the century" begins, Frances begins to question everything she's been taught and understand that her father may not be the superman she always believed him to be. Before the summer is over, Dayton will be shaken to the core and nothing will ever be the same again.
I went into this book thinking I knew everything about the case from having studied Inherit the Wind in Junior High. The English, Social Studies and Science teachers combined to have us act out the play as we studied the play, government and evolution. It is one of my only happy memories of that time. I was quite shocked and sad to discover that the play is a highly fictionalized account of what actually happened! The real story is a bit less dramatic. The author of this book had to add in some drama to make it interesting. Though it's almost 90 years later, I feel the story is very relevant - more so than when I studied it in Junior High 70 years after the fact. I can easily see this happening again and I know that the questions raised in the novel are still relevant. I really liked how the author based the story on a real life woman but made the character a young adult instead of a little girl. It made the impact of the story more realistic and relevant to teens.
Frances is a complicated character. I wanted to like her but I didn't really. I found her annoying and selfish at first and very naive and silly at times. Yet, I did like her coming-of-age plot. I could relate to some of the questions she felt and coming to terms with the fact her Daddy has feet of clay. The author portrays a teen girl very accurately. Frances grew on me as she started to question everything.
Johnny Scopes is a minor character in the story. He's kind and friendly and rather bland. He isn't a fighter and he worries mainly about his job security. I felt bad for him because he was a victim in the whole thing.
I did not like Frances' father or the other men in town. I saw Frances' father as egotistical and a big dreamer. He came across as kind of slimy to me. On the other hand, I actually liked H. L. Mencken. Some of what he said was cruel but mostly he told the truth. I don't know much about him but he would be at home in today's world of tabloid journalism and snarky Twitter comments. At the same time, I liked how Frances got to know him and see a different side of him and how he made her think about the world around her.
I was hoping for more Clarence Darrow vs. William Jennings Bryan. My favorite part of the trial is when Darrow puts Bryan on the witness stand. I was surprised and sad at Darrow's feelings on the outcome of the trial.
If you don't know anything about the Scopes Monkey Trial then I would recommend this book. I would also recommend it to young teens. They could learn quite a lot from it.
What I Read in November Part IV . . .
Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer -- Historical Mystery
Arnold Vereker, a wealthy businessman, is found dead in the stocks in the village of Ashleigh Green, his weekend getaway, and no one much cares. His much younger half-sister Antonia, is the chief suspect, having spent the night alone in her brother's house unexpectedly and she was engaged to Arnold's employee, Rudolph Mesurier, whom Arnold loathed. If Tony didn't do it, surely her brother Kenneth, an eccentric artist did it. He claims he doesn't care about the money except that he's hard up right now. He just wants to go on being a bohemian artist and marry his fiance, Violet Williams. The rest of the family all hate Violet for being a gold digger. Tony's cousin Giles Carrington acts as solicitor and friend to his eccentric cousins and right hand man to the baffled Inspector Hannasyde who is on the case. When an unexpected person shows, another suspect is added to the growing list. Arnold was clearly murdered for his money but which one of them did it?
The mystery in this novel is engaging. The mystery is not as obvious as her Regency mystery type plots. I was certain I knew who the murderer was right away and then there were so many red herrings that I only figured it out just before the characters did. It came as a bit of a surprise but the clues were there. I had a hard time putting the book down but managed to make it last two nights. I enjoyed all the twists and turns but this is a very intellectual story and there isn't a lot of action. It's not a traditional murder mystery in that sense.
The writing style isn't bad but not as lively as her Regency novels. She inserts some period slang that is just as archaic as her Regency slang but readers familiar with the time period will recognize some of the words. (My favorite is "pimple"). I had no idea there were so many different ways of saying drunk in the 1930s. The contemporary 1930s setting is very much in evidence in this novel. It's a good thing they aren't American subject to Prohibition or the story would be a lot different and lose some of the color that makes it good.
The characters are unlikeable at first but they grow on you. Heyer seemed to have a set of stock characters to populate her mysteries and this unloving family is no different from the rest but they're a bit more eccentric and likeable once you get to know them. I did like Tony, being a fellow dog lover, I think we would get along. She's a bit impetuous but she's young. I liked her story though it seemed a little out of place. Her fiance Rudolph is not as likeable. He's weak and cowardly. He's hiding secrets but it quick to spill when confronted and is the most bizarre person of that sort I've ever encountered. Kenneth, Tony's brother, is the least likeable of the bunch. He's supposed to be an eccentric artist but I would label him as mad. He's temperamental and has really bad taste in art and women. His fiance Violet seems like a do-gooder but she has hidden depths that her fiance can not see. The other characters think she's a gold digger and that may be, but she's also struggling to get by during the Great Depression and she is engaged to Kenneth, who is not wealthy. I did really like the surprise character (who wasn't much of a surprise to the reader). He/She was charming and added some humor to the story. Giles is a good man but a little on the boring side. He doesn't have a larger-than-life personality like his cousins but I liked him.
This is the first of the Inspector Hannasyde mysteries and Inspector Hemingway makes an appearance too. Hannasyde didn't strike me as very bright but he has a wry sense of humor.
I liked this mystery the best of the three Heyer mysteries I've read but it doesn't compare with her Regency novels.
What I Read in November Part III . . .
Marjorie's Busy Days by Carolyn Wells-- Children's classic (Middle Grades Historical Fiction)
This children's book first published in 1908 is about a mischievous 12-year-old girl Majorie (also called "Midget" or "Mops") and her daily escapades with her friends and siblings. Marjorie can't help but get up to hi-jinks but she always listens to her parents' scoldings and promises not to do it again. Then she goes and does something else... To tell you what she gets up to would spoil the plot but it's very charming and funny. I really liked Marjorie. She's a real little girl who isn't perfect by any means and doesn't really want to try. She means well but ... she just can't help herself. Her whole family is loving and close-knit. Her parents may despair at some of her antics but they always have a hug and a kind word for their children when needed. I don't know why this series hasn't become a classic the way Anne of Green Gables did. It's a lot of fun and good slice of life for a wealthy girl living in the New York area in 1908.
Read this if you love Anne of Green Gables, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and the American Girl Samantha books.
Return to Thrush Green by Miss Read-- Historical Fiction
Spring comes to Thrush Green bringing changes to the sleepy village. Miss Fogarty is happy in her new classroom and content with her lodgings. She's thrilled when an old friend decides to move to Thrush Green. Miss Watson is a lovely supervisor, but the two women just aren't that close. May 1 brings Ma Curdle's fair back to the village but Ben notices that adults crave more sophisticated enjoyment and many of the rides have become too expensive to fix. Should he sell to a big-time promoter or should he limp along with his grandmother's fair? Molly is in favor of moving back to Thrush Green where she can keep an eye on her father. Albert Piggot has grown more dirty and cantankerous since his wife left him. Joan Young and Ruth Lovell receive bad news from Ealing- their father is ill and unable to work. He'll be returning to Thrush Green to recuperate and will want his house back. What will the Youngs do? Harold Shoosmith, a recent comer to the village, is upset by all the gossip surrounding the lovely widow who is searching for a place to live. Attracted by her car, he endeavors to help her find a place to stay in Thrush Green.
This series came back to it's roots in this book. I love the depiction of village life, unaltered in the last few years since we left the characters. There are three incredibly Victorian sisters to satisfy convention when modern life intrudes. I got caught up in the plot right away and wondered how everyone would work everything out. My favorite character is Dotty Harmer and her endless menagerie of animals. I can actually see myself as the crazy old lady of the village taking in stray animals. She adds a lot of humor to the story. I was pleased to catch up with Molly and Ben though I feel sorry for Molly to have such a nasty father. All the plots are predictable but no less enjoyable. The romance is very sweet.
What I Read in November Part II . . .
Penelope's Postscripts by Kate Douglas Wiggin-- Historical Fiction
This is the first and last episode in the Penelope series. It takes place just after A Catherdral Courtship and features cameos from the characters of that novel. As Penelope and friends travel through Europe, she jots down impressions in her diary. These impressions are not as polished or as amusing as her other extracts. The descriptions are not as detailed and the story focuses a lot on other characters. It concludes with Penelope telling us what she's up to now in 19__.
Penelope's Irish Experiences by Kate Douglas Wiggin-- Historical Romance
Penelope, now a matron; Francesca, happily engaged and Salemina, still single; ate traveling together once again. "Himself" (Penelope's husband) is busy with business matters back home and Ronald Macdonald can't leave his parish. The trio of friends travel through each of Ireland's 4 provinces and encounter a noted scholar, his children, a tragic romance and several notable locals. Traveling with them is Brenella, a young woman from Salem traveling to Ireland in search of her relatives. After collapsing on Salemina's trunk, the older lady took the younger one under her wing and employed her as a maid. Brenella will do anything for her beloved employers, but where will she go once the summer ends?
This book starts off great, with a tongue-in-cheek scene where Penelope realizes that she and her friends are like characters in a three volume novel! Salemina refuses to have anything to do with such stuff and nonsense but Penelope knows better. Past events coupled with the charm of Ireland may work their magic on her. As with the previous books, there's tons of local color which is very charming and funny. However, this time the author footnotes her literary references, explains things in the text and sometimes focuses too much on Irish poetry and not enough on the plot. There's also a fair amount of social commentary. During this time the Irish question was foremost on every Briton's mind and the author has Penelope wonder philosophically on why the Irish are so poor and ragged and an entire section is devoted to Irish grievances against the English. All that was a bit too much for me. The plot came to a very slow conclusion. I would have liked more in the romance department, including more of an ending. It was very abrupt.
I would recommend this series to armchair travelers and those who love late Victorian era literature. If you L.M. Montgomery's novels I think you will like these. They're very charming and fun for the most part. I'm sad to leave my traveling companions behind but thanks to several universities and Google, we can read digital versions of these forgotten stories. Do try to find the versions with illustrations by C.E. Brock. They really add to the story and are very charming.
What I Read in November Part I . . .
First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen by Charlie Lovett-- Historical Speculative Fiction/Contemporary Romance/Austenesque
This dual narrative novel tackles Jane Austen's life, the history of printing and publishing, modern romance and intrigue. In 1796 in Hampshire, a clergyman's daughter named Jane Austen happens across a rumpled old man sitting on a stile hunched over reading. Her first impression is that he is a comical figure to be put in a novel she may write one day. His first impression is that she is a rather dull and impetuous young lady. Happily their first impressions are wrong and they soon discover they have a lot in common. They both love to read novels and Mr. Mansfield is also a writer. He has written one book of dull allegorical tales for children but he knows what it takes to be a great writer and he sees it in Miss Austen. The pair soon become close as Mr. Mansfield advises Jane on her writing and provides life advice as they share long walks and cups of tea. Jane trusts him with her darkest secret and Mr. Mansfield comes up with a plan to atone for Jane's feelings of guilt. This plan may alter the course of literary history forever. In present day Oxfordshire, Sophie Collingswood has just completed her Masters' Degree in nineteenth century literature and is wondering what to do next. She's looking forward to some advice from her beloved, bibliophile Uncle Bertram. When she encounters Eric Hall, a brash American who mocked her favorite author (Jane Austen, of course), she's prepared to dismiss him, but as Jane Austen knew well, first impressions may not be entirely correct. Sophie's world is shattered when her uncle dies. She takes comfort in the fact he left her his extensive library, but she is shocked to learn his books were sold to pay his debts. She's determined to get them back one way or another. Her search leads to her a rare book dealer who gives her a job. On the day she's hired, a hunky young man comes in the store to chat her up. He's searching for the second edition of Mansfield's book. When it becomes clear Sophie can't find it right away, he's content to be with her. Then another customer calls looking for the exact same book and he is not so friendly. He threatens Sophie and makes her fear her uncle's death was not as innocent as it seemed. Why are they searching for this particular book? When she finds it, she receives the shock of a lifetime and discovers her favorite author may have plagiarized her most famous novel. Sophie sets out to clear the name of her beloved Jane Austen no matter what; then she can figure out her love life and what she wants to do with the rest of her life.
This is a thrilling book with lots going on. A summary can only scratch the surface. I loved the bookishness of the contemporary plot. Rare books, libraries and history centers are my true love so the setting of the novel appeals to my nerdy heart. The biggest strength of the novel is Jane Austen's plot. I feel the author was true to what we know of her. I truly appreciated the love story. It's a nice change to read a love story that isn't romantic or familial. I hope Jane did have someone like that in her life. We know she was close with Madame LeFroy, but I liked how Mr. Mansfield mentored her and helped shape her writing. The description of life in 18th century Hampshire was excellent. The author didn't try too hard to make Jane's novels inspired by real life. There are some places and incidents that influence her writing but in a natural way. It didn't feel forced the way most novels about Jane's life do. The story almost made me teary eyed towards the end.
Sophie is a great heroine. She's very real. She's not perfect. She's been hurt, she's made mistakes and she's aware of her faults. She's insecure outside of the world of academia and trying to figure out how to be a grown-up. I can really relate to that, being in the same place in my life. She's tenacious, and though I don't approve of some of her methods, I can see me doing many of the same things. I found her relationships interesting. The Mr. Darcy love interest was so swoony - I fell in love with him and the Willoughby suitor was just too obvious to be believable. I found Sophie far more believable and well-written than the contemporary male characters. The men were very two-dimensional and not fleshed out enough. I wanted a bit more character development for one of the two boyfriends. Sophie does shag a man but nothing is really described but how it made her feel. It's mentioned a few times and there's a tiny bit of skin in a second shagging scene, but nothing is described in detail so I rate this as a clean read but not kisses only.
The weak parts of the novel made me bump it down from 4 stars. First, it was obvious which one of Sophie's boyfriends was Mr. Darcy and which was Willoughby. She should know that by now. She chose to ignore what her beloved Jane teaches her readers. The villain was also rather cartoonish. Another thing I didn't like were the obvious inaccuracies about book collecting, rare book shops and libraries. Not only were there inaccuracies, I didn't approve of Sophie's methods of obtaining what she wanted. As a librarian, she should know better. The story also relies too much on coincidences. I also found sections on the history of printing that were from the point-of-view of the printer very boring and unnecessary.
Even with all the faults, I found the mystery so compelling that I had to keep turning the pages to find out how Sophie solved the mystery. It's a real page turner. I also liked the parallel between Sophie's relationship with her Uncle Bertram and Jane's relationship with Rev. Mansfield. I loved reading the (imagined by Lovett) first draft of First Impressions. It was pretty poorly written and if it had remained as such, no one would be reading it today. It really showed what a skilled writer Jane was.
This review is based on my first impression. I need to read it again to see if my opinion changes. I highly recommend it to Janeites, bibliophiles and fans of "chick lit."
Marjorie's New Friend by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction
Marjorie at Seacoate by Carolyn Wells -- Middle Grades Classic/Historical Fiction 
