I meant a privilege for me to read. Oh dear, words!
A midden is a heap of garbage. It also has an archaeological meaning , which I can be bothered to cut & paste.
Nursing some bumps and bruises for a while gave me a lot of relaxation time and for the first time in years I read a book in one day.
It is an autobiography - written by Constance Briscoe and I found it very shocking.
A tale of the most horrendous abuse perpetuated throughout her childhood it beggars belief that nobody stepped in to help the little girl and it disturbed me a lot. Constance therefore achieved what she set out to do. I could not put the book down and resented any intrusion because I wanted something to happen to bring the child's mother to book.
Despite Constances final triumph over evil and ultimate success at the highest level, I couldn't sleep that night and am left wondering...did her mother live to read about herself? I really hope so!
It is an autobiography - written by Constance Briscoe and I found it very shocking.
A tale of the most horrendous abuse perpetuated throughout her childhood it beggars belief that nobody stepped in to help the little girl and it disturbed me a lot. Constance therefore achieved what she set out to do. I could not put the book down and resented any intrusion because I wanted something to happen to bring the child's mother to book.
Despite Constances final triumph over evil and ultimate success at the highest level, I couldn't sleep that night and am left wondering...did her mother live to read about herself? I really hope so!
Reading your post brought back memories,
If Constance Briscoe had lost the libel action pursued by her mother it would have swept away her entire life. Not only would she have faced an estimated £200,000 in damages but also an end to her legal career as a criminal barrister and judge. Moreover, it would have discredited Ugly, her bestselling childhood memoir in which she recounts the beatings, neglect and psychological cruelty at the hands of Carmen Briscoe-Mitchell, now 74.
Years ago I read the book " The Bell jar" by American writer and poet Sylvia Plath.. It tormented me for years but I have to say that if you have not read it it's a must.
The novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed. The book is often regarded as a roman à clef, with the protagonist's descent into mental illness paralleling Plath's own experiences with what may have been either bipolar disorder or clinical depression. Plath committed suicide a month after its first UK publication.
OK, I know it sounds depressing but it's a eye opener.
She describes her depression as a feeling of being trapped under a bell jar, struggling for breath. She makes several half-hearted attempts at suicide, including swimming far out to sea, before making a serious attempt. She leaves a note that says she is taking a long walk, then crawls into the cellar and swallows almost 50 sleeping pills that have been prescribed for her insomnia.
She is discovered under her house after a rather dramatic episode in the newspapers has presumed her kidnapping and death, all taking place over an indeterminate amount of time. She survives and is sent to a different mental hospital, where she meets Dr. Nolan, a female therapist. Along with regular sessions of psychotherapy Esther is given huge amounts of insulin to produce a "reaction", and again receives shock treatments, with Dr. Nolan ensuring that they are properly administered.
Esther describes the ECT as beneficial in that it has a sort of antidepressant effect, lifting the metaphorical bell jar in which she has felt trapped and stifled. Her stay at the private institution is funded by her benefactress, Philomena Guinea.
I Know it's not a light read but having said that it did in someway shed light on a system that was wrong and went down the wrong road.
ncn.
PS Just Hope my post hasn't upset anyone it was not my intention.
Perhaps reading of others misfortunes can help us see how lucky we are.
If Constance Briscoe had lost the libel action pursued by her mother it would have swept away her entire life. Not only would she have faced an estimated £200,000 in damages but also an end to her legal career as a criminal barrister and judge. Moreover, it would have discredited Ugly, her bestselling childhood memoir in which she recounts the beatings, neglect and psychological cruelty at the hands of Carmen Briscoe-Mitchell, now 74.
Years ago I read the book " The Bell jar" by American writer and poet Sylvia Plath.. It tormented me for years but I have to say that if you have not read it it's a must.
The novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed. The book is often regarded as a roman à clef, with the protagonist's descent into mental illness paralleling Plath's own experiences with what may have been either bipolar disorder or clinical depression. Plath committed suicide a month after its first UK publication.
OK, I know it sounds depressing but it's a eye opener.
She describes her depression as a feeling of being trapped under a bell jar, struggling for breath. She makes several half-hearted attempts at suicide, including swimming far out to sea, before making a serious attempt. She leaves a note that says she is taking a long walk, then crawls into the cellar and swallows almost 50 sleeping pills that have been prescribed for her insomnia.
She is discovered under her house after a rather dramatic episode in the newspapers has presumed her kidnapping and death, all taking place over an indeterminate amount of time. She survives and is sent to a different mental hospital, where she meets Dr. Nolan, a female therapist. Along with regular sessions of psychotherapy Esther is given huge amounts of insulin to produce a "reaction", and again receives shock treatments, with Dr. Nolan ensuring that they are properly administered.
Esther describes the ECT as beneficial in that it has a sort of antidepressant effect, lifting the metaphorical bell jar in which she has felt trapped and stifled. Her stay at the private institution is funded by her benefactress, Philomena Guinea.
I Know it's not a light read but having said that it did in someway shed light on a system that was wrong and went down the wrong road.
ncn.
PS Just Hope my post hasn't upset anyone it was not my intention.
Perhaps reading of others misfortunes can help us see how lucky we are.
Thank you ncn on both counts. I'm intrigued by 'The Bell Jar' but must confess to feeling apprehensive about reading it.
Hi fellow readers,
Once in a while , you may come across a book which makes an impression on you , and becomes etched in your memory.
I'm speaking of 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold. Susie Salmon is speaking from 'her' Heaven, from where she both looks down on , and visits her family.
Susie was murdered, aged fourteen by a member of the small community she and her family were part of , and the police are getting nowhere and Susie's family are falling apart.
Why would you want to read such a book ? Well I didn't ! It was published in 2002 , so it's only taken me eight years to finally listen to a friend's recommend and read Susie's story.
I'm so glad I did. The book is hopeful, imaginative and intelligent. The narration coming from the dead girl herself , is delivered in a short , economic way. It's both graceful and surprising.
Susie's observations remind us that even when things go wrong , there is still love, humour and fun around if we look, and the simple message from Susie that miracles do exist even when tragedy has knocked on the door.
Give it a go , you may be surprised !
I'm reading now 'Lucky' , Alice Seabold's memoir. I'll report, I think it'll be affecting.
Happy reading.
Once in a while , you may come across a book which makes an impression on you , and becomes etched in your memory.
I'm speaking of 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold. Susie Salmon is speaking from 'her' Heaven, from where she both looks down on , and visits her family.
Susie was murdered, aged fourteen by a member of the small community she and her family were part of , and the police are getting nowhere and Susie's family are falling apart.
Why would you want to read such a book ? Well I didn't ! It was published in 2002 , so it's only taken me eight years to finally listen to a friend's recommend and read Susie's story.
I'm so glad I did. The book is hopeful, imaginative and intelligent. The narration coming from the dead girl herself , is delivered in a short , economic way. It's both graceful and surprising.
Susie's observations remind us that even when things go wrong , there is still love, humour and fun around if we look, and the simple message from Susie that miracles do exist even when tragedy has knocked on the door.
Give it a go , you may be surprised !
I'm reading now 'Lucky' , Alice Seabold's memoir. I'll report, I think it'll be affecting.
Happy reading.
Lorna - I have just finished 'Song of the Humpback Whale'. The audio version. 5 different (excellent) readers. I understand that in the book different fonts are used?
I found it confusing, annoying & unnecessary, especially as the wife's character chooses to tell her story in reverse order.
I also didn't like the older characters who seemed immature & because of their resistance to change, condemned the younger ones to their sad fate.
Was this Jodi Picoult's debut novel?
I found it confusing, annoying & unnecessary, especially as the wife's character chooses to tell her story in reverse order.
I also didn't like the older characters who seemed immature & because of their resistance to change, condemned the younger ones to their sad fate.
Was this Jodi Picoult's debut novel?
Hi Abd.
I'm afraid I couldn't get into the book you've just mentioned , and didn't continue. I enjoyed her other book , My Sister's keeper, however.
Lately , have been dipping into Mark Twain's autobiography, and have enjoyed reading Tom Sawyer. Have got The adventures of Huckleberry Finn, on my bedside table, and read Toast over the New year.
How about others ? Any new discoveries or recommends ? Can be fiction or non- fiction.
Happy Reading.
I'm afraid I couldn't get into the book you've just mentioned , and didn't continue. I enjoyed her other book , My Sister's keeper, however.
Lately , have been dipping into Mark Twain's autobiography, and have enjoyed reading Tom Sawyer. Have got The adventures of Huckleberry Finn, on my bedside table, and read Toast over the New year.
How about others ? Any new discoveries or recommends ? Can be fiction or non- fiction.
Happy Reading.
Mark Twain's autobiography, is so interesting. 
I have just re- read a book that I found in a charity shop.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad, 1967), by Gabriel García Márquez.
It is a novel that narrates the multi-generational story of the Buendía Family, whose patriarch José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, the metaphoric Colombia. The non-linear story is narrated via different time frames, a technique derived from the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borgs(as in The Garden of Forking Paths).
The widely acclaimed story, considered to be the author's masterpiece, was first published in Spanish in 1967, and succeeded so well that it has been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold more than 20 million copies.
The magical realist style and thematic substance of One Hundred Years of Solitude established it as an important, representative novel of the literary Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970's that was stylistically influenced by Modernism (European and North American), and the Cuban Vanguardia (Vanguard) literary movement.
A must for anyone. Who has read it years ago or has never read it.
Not a bad choice in my opinion for 30P.
I'm sure your local library has it in stock.
Enjoy>
I have just re- read a book that I found in a charity shop.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad, 1967), by Gabriel García Márquez.
It is a novel that narrates the multi-generational story of the Buendía Family, whose patriarch José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, the metaphoric Colombia. The non-linear story is narrated via different time frames, a technique derived from the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borgs(as in The Garden of Forking Paths).
The widely acclaimed story, considered to be the author's masterpiece, was first published in Spanish in 1967, and succeeded so well that it has been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold more than 20 million copies.
The magical realist style and thematic substance of One Hundred Years of Solitude established it as an important, representative novel of the literary Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970's that was stylistically influenced by Modernism (European and North American), and the Cuban Vanguardia (Vanguard) literary movement.
A must for anyone. Who has read it years ago or has never read it.
Not a bad choice in my opinion for 30P.
I'm sure your local library has it in stock.
Enjoy>
Whew! Hello to you all! Have just (speed) read your conversations from the beginning of October; missing out around Christmas. I dont often log on to the Forum, but couldn't put this one down! What a well read lot you are. One of my favourites is 84 Charing Cross Road (I know; not very learned but a delight.) And your exchanges put me in mind of that.
I struggle with books (diagnosed ten years ago) but was delighted with a set my sister gave me for Christmas from Penguin called 'English Journeys'. 20 very slim volumes including: Henry James - 'Castles & Cathedrals; Vita Sackville West- 'Let us now praise famous gardens'; Ronald Blythe- 'Voices of Akenfield'; William Cobbett - 'From Dover to the Wen'; Simon Jenkins - 'Country Churches' Dorothy & Wiliam Wordsworth - 'Life at Grassmere' Ideal for shorter attention spans.
Please keep reading & reviewing. One day I'll get to the end of something good. (I've got Winifred Holby's 'South Riding' on the go at the moment).
I struggle with books (diagnosed ten years ago) but was delighted with a set my sister gave me for Christmas from Penguin called 'English Journeys'. 20 very slim volumes including: Henry James - 'Castles & Cathedrals; Vita Sackville West- 'Let us now praise famous gardens'; Ronald Blythe- 'Voices of Akenfield'; William Cobbett - 'From Dover to the Wen'; Simon Jenkins - 'Country Churches' Dorothy & Wiliam Wordsworth - 'Life at Grassmere' Ideal for shorter attention spans.
Please keep reading & reviewing. One day I'll get to the end of something good. (I've got Winifred Holby's 'South Riding' on the go at the moment).
Hi fellow readers,
At 6.30 am today I was in the waiting area in my place of work , distributing books to people who don't know the joy of reading !
You may have noticed some extra programs on book themes these last few days, on the t.v. Well Friday night was World Book Night, and there will be some more spin offs to that , later in the year. Watch out for them.
How did i get to be involved ? I'll tell you. One night last December , when i couldn't sleep , and there was no one on 'Games' to play with, i was idly exploring book sites , and noticed the publicity for the event.
To be one of the givers of the books ,( they were aiming to give a million books away) you had to write a review of a book you'd liked reading , from their selection of 25 books, nominate a particular group of people who may benefit from the gesture and who don't have the reading habit.
I saw 'Toast' by Nigel Slater , was in the group , so i nominated the book for my poor queueing patients , and today was my big day for giving them away.
It was surreal standing there , not working and talking about one of my favourite things i like to do, reading , while my colleagues were all hard at work.
I should explain that it was in my own time and i'll be doing my afternoon shift as usual later today ! It was heartening just how many people really love books , and enjoy talking about them. I was amused at the people who refused the free books , saying they never had time to read . You'll always find time if you really want to !
Anyway, lets hear some more book choices from you , if you can, I'm waiting, off you go !
At 6.30 am today I was in the waiting area in my place of work , distributing books to people who don't know the joy of reading !
You may have noticed some extra programs on book themes these last few days, on the t.v. Well Friday night was World Book Night, and there will be some more spin offs to that , later in the year. Watch out for them.
How did i get to be involved ? I'll tell you. One night last December , when i couldn't sleep , and there was no one on 'Games' to play with, i was idly exploring book sites , and noticed the publicity for the event.
To be one of the givers of the books ,( they were aiming to give a million books away) you had to write a review of a book you'd liked reading , from their selection of 25 books, nominate a particular group of people who may benefit from the gesture and who don't have the reading habit.
I saw 'Toast' by Nigel Slater , was in the group , so i nominated the book for my poor queueing patients , and today was my big day for giving them away.
It was surreal standing there , not working and talking about one of my favourite things i like to do, reading , while my colleagues were all hard at work.
I should explain that it was in my own time and i'll be doing my afternoon shift as usual later today ! It was heartening just how many people really love books , and enjoy talking about them. I was amused at the people who refused the free books , saying they never had time to read . You'll always find time if you really want to !
Anyway, lets hear some more book choices from you , if you can, I'm waiting, off you go !
What a grand day to spend a morning Lorna! Isn't it odd how suspicious people can be? You might encroach upon their precious free time with your free book!
And thank you Chrissie W for reminding me that there are alternatives to epic novels & short stories. It prompted me to hunt down the boxed set of The First 10 Penguins. However, as well the pages being yellow with age, they are not exactly short novels.
One short novel I read many years ago and would highly recommend is "Chronicle Of A Death Foretold" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The same author of "100 Years of Solitude" mentioned by ncn. But this is a much, much shorter book! The reader knows from the outset that, this day sometime in the past, a man met his untimely death. With efficient prose GGM analyses the motives of the inhabitants of an entire Columbian village. Insights into their lives show how they can all be considered accessories to the crime. They are compelled to act as they do because circumstances leave them no choice.
Inspired by Greek Tragedy, this little book is rich in symbolism & the supernatural The ending is a suprise
I am off to find out something about Gabriel Garcia Marquez
And thank you Chrissie W for reminding me that there are alternatives to epic novels & short stories. It prompted me to hunt down the boxed set of The First 10 Penguins. However, as well the pages being yellow with age, they are not exactly short novels.
One short novel I read many years ago and would highly recommend is "Chronicle Of A Death Foretold" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The same author of "100 Years of Solitude" mentioned by ncn. But this is a much, much shorter book! The reader knows from the outset that, this day sometime in the past, a man met his untimely death. With efficient prose GGM analyses the motives of the inhabitants of an entire Columbian village. Insights into their lives show how they can all be considered accessories to the crime. They are compelled to act as they do because circumstances leave them no choice.
Inspired by Greek Tragedy, this little book is rich in symbolism & the supernatural The ending is a suprise
I am off to find out something about Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Hi Lorna
I have just finished reading 'Trespass' by Rose Tremaine.
Her writing style appeals to me. Easy reading. Set in the south of France with a bit of Britain thrown in, the subject matter was, as ever by her, fascinating. The frightening lengths people will go to when their kingdom is under threat.
Her descriptions of the areas she chose for her story were so good I could breathe the scents, feel the ground beneath my feet and visualise the scenery and buildings. Loving the S of F and with a smattering of the language I suppose I had a head start. The characters were simply described, so that I remembered every one (not easy with neuro probs) and liked the way she drew them together to make sense of the storyline.
However I found the sex scenarios quite brutal. Not in the usual sense of the word but I'm beginning to realise that I'm a bit of a romantic. Strange! I thought that experiencing the school of hard knocks for so long had driven that out of me.
I have just finished reading 'Trespass' by Rose Tremaine.
Her writing style appeals to me. Easy reading. Set in the south of France with a bit of Britain thrown in, the subject matter was, as ever by her, fascinating. The frightening lengths people will go to when their kingdom is under threat.
Her descriptions of the areas she chose for her story were so good I could breathe the scents, feel the ground beneath my feet and visualise the scenery and buildings. Loving the S of F and with a smattering of the language I suppose I had a head start. The characters were simply described, so that I remembered every one (not easy with neuro probs) and liked the way she drew them together to make sense of the storyline.
However I found the sex scenarios quite brutal. Not in the usual sense of the word but I'm beginning to realise that I'm a bit of a romantic. Strange! I thought that experiencing the school of hard knocks for so long had driven that out of me.
Thanks you two !
Am getting ready to go now - oh how i'd love to snuggle down with a book of anything escapist , am getting into poetry a bit more lately, especailly enjoy the Liverpool poets like Roger McGough and others from that area. Carry on reading!
Am getting ready to go now - oh how i'd love to snuggle down with a book of anything escapist , am getting into poetry a bit more lately, especailly enjoy the Liverpool poets like Roger McGough and others from that area. Carry on reading!
Another little book: Lady Into Fox by David Garnett
I was prompted to request this book from the library by a late night radio adaptation. It is just 91 pages & 1 chapter. The clue is in the title. A young wife turns into a fox. Her adoring & adored husband goes to great lengths to retain their marital bliss.His love for her becomes a darker form of possession. As she becomes more & more fox, she operates ouside his view of what she is The problem is not so much her transformation but his attempts to retain his view if the wife he once knew.The ending makes this explicit.
The obvious theme (at least to me) being if you love something set it free, but also tale of a woman coming into her own identity.
It s never comic, but rather sad & tragic.
I understand that this book an be downloaded without charge.
I was prompted to request this book from the library by a late night radio adaptation. It is just 91 pages & 1 chapter. The clue is in the title. A young wife turns into a fox. Her adoring & adored husband goes to great lengths to retain their marital bliss.His love for her becomes a darker form of possession. As she becomes more & more fox, she operates ouside his view of what she is The problem is not so much her transformation but his attempts to retain his view if the wife he once knew.The ending makes this explicit.
The obvious theme (at least to me) being if you love something set it free, but also tale of a woman coming into her own identity.
It s never comic, but rather sad & tragic.
I understand that this book an be downloaded without charge.
re Mark Twain Autobiography
I read a few pages each day. I do have a few grumbles:
It won't fit in my book stand
Nearly 1/2 the book (the rear 1/2) is editors' explanatory notes
The memoir bit is full of *s
He does go on a bit
But I am enjoying it. I also like the pics.
I read a few pages each day. I do have a few grumbles:
It won't fit in my book stand
Nearly 1/2 the book (the rear 1/2) is editors' explanatory notes
The memoir bit is full of *s
He does go on a bit
But I am enjoying it. I also like the pics.
Hi Fellow readers,
I'm feeling very guilty because I've not contributed to this thread for a long time. But , I have been reading !
The book I wanted to bring to your attention is called 'Room' by Emma Donohue.
It's on the Richard and Judy Reading recommends and is also on the Orange Prize short list.
It's a remarkable book , as the story is told through the eyes of a five year old child , and - it works !
" Jack is five, he lives in a single locked room with his Ma. "
Don't be put off, this is a book you'll remember for a long time. Original, affecting, compelling. Go on , take a chance and see if I'm right !
All the best,
and happy reading.
I'm feeling very guilty because I've not contributed to this thread for a long time. But , I have been reading !
The book I wanted to bring to your attention is called 'Room' by Emma Donohue.
It's on the Richard and Judy Reading recommends and is also on the Orange Prize short list.
It's a remarkable book , as the story is told through the eyes of a five year old child , and - it works !
" Jack is five, he lives in a single locked room with his Ma. "
Don't be put off, this is a book you'll remember for a long time. Original, affecting, compelling. Go on , take a chance and see if I'm right !
All the best,
and happy reading.
I think the problem lies in the fact that there are two threads called READING, in different sections. I'm getting similar problems with DURTY NELLIE'S.
Morning fellow readers,
I'm asking for your help !
This very interesting thread , which was originally started by Abd. last August, keeps disappearing !
This morning. I nearly gave up looking, but eventually found it on page 17 , of all the older material we'd written !
So , in order that we may keep the thread fresh , and easily seen, we're going to have to write more, and to write more often !
I'm relying on you. Several people are back getting pleasure out of books again , this is great. So I ask everyone who's currently halfway through something that's demanding their time and transporting them to a different place , to please , Share !
Thanks, and Happy Reading.
I'm asking for your help !
This very interesting thread , which was originally started by Abd. last August, keeps disappearing !
This morning. I nearly gave up looking, but eventually found it on page 17 , of all the older material we'd written !
So , in order that we may keep the thread fresh , and easily seen, we're going to have to write more, and to write more often !
I'm relying on you. Several people are back getting pleasure out of books again , this is great. So I ask everyone who's currently halfway through something that's demanding their time and transporting them to a different place , to please , Share !
Thanks, and Happy Reading.