Nothing Special.

     I don't really have anything to report or complain about.  At least none that I can think of.  Though, I did start a new book, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.  I'm only in the beginning pages, but I do think it is a worthy book to read.
     Has an adult ever told you that you should show more respect to your elders? (Of course they have.)  Well I find that to be a remarkable double standard because the majority of the time they don't show any respect to you.  The way I see it, if you disrespect me you bet your vain self-esteem that I'll disrespect you.  It really grinds my gears when adults expect respect but they show none in return.  You don't see me sniffing through your things and taking things off of YOUR desk.  So stay the Hell away from mine.

Fin.

Mr. Darcy's Letter

     Before I get to the point I'm going to take a detour and apologize for that sloppy post yesterday.  I was in a rush the day before and just spat some nonsense out to fill the space.  Today's will be more entertaining and hopefully much more sensible.

   

  SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ MR. DARCY'S LETTER OR PRIDE & PREJUDICE

    
     Mr. Darcy's Letter by Abigail Reynolds has got to be one of the worst Pride and Prejudice adaptations I have ever read.  It had promise, but within the first few pages it's potential got less and less.  The story sets off where the climax of Pride and Prejudice begins.  Kent.  Mr. Darcy had just proposed to Miss Elizabeth Bennet and she refused.  This part is mostly typical P&P and then the story line continues traditionally for a few pages until *DUNDUNDUN* Mr. Darcy gives Miss Elizabeth that eye opening letter.
     Unfortunately, Miss Elizabeth thinks the evil Mr. Darcy is trying to ruin her precious reputation and utterly refuses to read the letter.  In the end, she burns the blasted thing up seemingly never to know it's contents.  This was my first flash of irritation with the novel because in the original P&P that letter is the start of everything and a very important part of Miss Elizabeth's character growth.
     The mischievous Mr. Wickham is still unsuspected and becoming more bold with Miss Elizabeth.  He even secures a few private moments with her without permission or chaperones.  Miss Elizabeth of course is upset and worried about her reputation. Which gets tiring pretty immediately considering that her boldness in the original was part of her charm.  Ms. Reynolds took our fierce heroin and turned her into a sniveling brat with no courage or real personality.  In P&P you can tell at least tell Mr. Wickham is a little shady right from the start, but in Ms. Reynolds universe he's a jolly and fantastic as ever.  He even feels bad for speaking so ill of Mr. Darcy in the beginning once he see's how many people have come to dislike the dashing gent.  Which completely goes against Mr. Wickhams conniving character and puts you through a tale spin later in the book.
     Mr. and Mrs. Gardener come to visit the Bennet relations to deposit the still heartbroken Miss Jane Bennet (Miss Bennet) back to her parents and sisters.  As they are guests among the Bennets they invited Miss Elizabeth to come a trip planned to take them to the Peak District which gets postponed and then shortened to travel as far as Derbyshire -Mr. Darcy's homage.
     They arrive at Pemberley to the expectations that the master of the house won't be crossing there path for he is supposedly in London.  They're able to make it through the house and out to the gardens when suddenly- a wild Mr. Darcy appears!  Well, Miss Elizabeth is already in a tiff with herself over the many praises the housekeeper gave Mr. Darcy and the criticism that Mr. Wickham had received.  She seemingly changed her opinion of the man she could never be prevailed upon to marry in a matter of a few sentences spoken from a well paid servant.
     This is getting rather lengthy so I'll skip ahead to Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth engaged and in his study at Netherfield.  THE GALL OF THIS WOMAN.  She honestly thought that it would be appropriate for Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth to fool around!  Honestly, Mr. Darcy has to much restraint that is proven time and time again to commit such a scandalous act.  And Miss Elizabeth!  She was too uptight to read an extremely important letter, but as soon as the man put his hands on her she loses all sight of propriety!  This is where I lost it and started skipping ahead to find Mr. Bingley.  Alas though, Mr. Bingley has turned into jackass who will not return to Miss Bennet for fear of his sisters place in the Ton and has promised another young woman his hand.  He shall be miserable for the rest of his days unless he breaks.  I can't tell you if he does, I gave up before I got to that.
     The Matlocks (Mr. Darcys aunt and uncle) invited Miss Elizabeth to dine with them in London.  Apparently something went down (skipped again) and that blasted Mr. Darcy did what?  BROKE OFF THE ENGAGEMENT THAT HE FOUGHT SO HARD FOR.  This was the last straw.  Mr.  Darcy would never give up the woman he held so dearly to his heart just because some snot-nosed relatives didn't approve of his intended.
     The only thing I have left is this:  I will never read another Abigail Reynolds novel for as long as I have my sanity.

      I am writing this the day before it is to be published because I won't be here tomorrow. Which is today to you folk. 
     To continue yesterdays discussion about Dear Enemy, I have just completed the novel and am itching for more that will never come.  The Scotchman stole my heart.  The Congressman to be frank, can root in Hell.  He is just like the men who push their wives dreams aside because they believe that they are not full people who as soon as a man comes around should drop everything and devote their miserable life to them.  Disgusting.

Dear Enemy,

     I am currently taking precious time out of my day to write my daily post.  Do you know how hard it is to pull oneself away from something to tremendously wonderful?  I am having that exact feeling.  The thing occupying my mind and time you may ask?  Dear Enemy, by Jean Webster.         
    I am completely captivated by this little trinket.  I don't know what it is, but I am addicted.  Just as I was to its predecessor:  Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster.  Both books amazing, both a work of art. 
     I've realized that I have told to NOTHING about either book and I should be shamed.  I am not however,  you see I dearly hate describing books. And I do mean dearly hate to do it.  It's a little ironic is it not?  That I had set out to write a blog about the books that are currently taking up my main thought and yet I hate describing them.  So, until I feel the desire to describe a book I will copy and paste a summary of the book onto this little insignificant blog. Sited of course.

To begin with I will post a rather lengthy but the best I could find summary of Daddy-Long-Legs:

"I don't think you will be able to guess what this book is about just by looking at the title!

      In the beginning, it is a series of letters, written by an American orphan girl, really just on the brink of womanhood. When we first meet Judy Abbott she is seventeen years old and still living in the John Grier Home for Orphans. She has done well at the local high school and one of the trustees of the orphanage offers to pay for her to go to college. But he insists on anonymity. All he asks is that she write a letter to him once a month to let him know of her progress through college. She is to address him as John Smith, and she is to expect no reply. So, you see, it is a rather one-sided correspondence!      Well, how would you feel if you had lived all your life without any family of your own and without anyone showing the slightest interest in you, and suddenly, quite out of the blue, someone started to shower you with kindness? I expect, like Judy, you would be desperate to know more about your mysterious benefactor:

"'I wish you'd come and take tea some day and let me see if I like you. But wouldn't it be dreadful if I didn't? However, I know I should."'

     Judy has a wonderful time at college. She makes new friends and studies many subjects that are entirely new to her. To begin with though she feels very strange and isolated because she has so little in common with the other girls:

"'I have a new unbreakable rule: never, never to study at night no matter how many written reviews are coming up in the morning. Instead, I read just plain books - I have to, you know, because there are eighteen blank years behind me. You wouldn't believe, Daddy, what an abyss of ignorance my mind is; I am just realizing the depths myself. The things that most girls with a properly assorted family and a home and friends and a library know by absorption, I have never heard of."'

      Of course, over the years of her study at college Judy grows into a lively and attractive young woman who takes enormous delight in the little pleasures of ordinary life. It's easy to see why Jervis Pendleton, her rich room-mate's uncle, finds her company so enjoyable. And it's easy to see why Jimmy McBride finds her fun to be with too. He's the brother of her other room-mate. And do you want to know who she falls in love with?" 

     All I have to say is this didn't really do the book justice.  The book is more about a blooming young woman who is coming into her own and adjusting to the everyday normal life that she was stolen from at such a young age.

Dear Enemy,

      "Daddy Long-Legs is vanilla, sweet and smooth. Dear Enemy is more like mint chocolate chip, refreshing with nuggets of warmth, laughter, bittersweetness. You will be enchanted by the fiery-haired Sallie McBride and her orphans.
     Sallie has been asked by her college buddy, the Judy Abbott of Daddy Long-Legs, to run the John Grier Home, the orphanage Judy was raised in. A cheerful and unabashed socialite waiting for her Congressman boyfriend to propose, Sallie takes on the job on a temporary basis. Armed with her sense of humor and her firm brightness, along with her maid and her Chow doggie, she gets her heart stolen by the 100 sad-eyed charges.
     The book is modeled after Daddy Long-Legs, so it is entirely composed of Sallie's stick-figure-illustrated letters to Judy, Gordon (the boyfriend), and the Home's prickly visiting doctor, whose letters are soon addressed "Dear Enemy." Her letters catalogue her daily adventures with the sweet, colorful kids, a series of cooks and farmers, sexist trustees, and grumpy neighbors. In all of this, there sparkles a strong feminine spirit, blithe optimism, and clear-headed compassion. The letters read so naturally and sure, Sallie's charm radiates whether she is amusing us with a story of orphan mischief or seriously discussing the consequences of hereditary alcoholism."

     This review/summary on the other hand does indeed do the book justice and I am terribly in love with it.  Oh, how I wish someone would read this precarious post and be inspired to read at least one of these novels.  And if you weren't inspired by the first summary, but were by the second do not fear, reassurance is here!  You DO NOT need to read Daddy-Long-Legs in order to read Dear Enemy.  Now, I must stop neglecting my most precious novel.

www.readingmatters.co.uk/book.php?id=130
 http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Enemy-Jean-Webster/dp/0848803248

Friends. The Show.

      Have you ever watched the TV show Friends?  It has got to be one of the most positive things in my life.  It has taught me some of the best life lessons.  Without my 90's sitcoms, I seriously think that I would not know some of the life saving things I do now. 
      For instance, "No!" is always the right answer when it comes to question like "Do I look fat?", "Does my butt look big in these?" and the most important question of all, "Does size matter?"  To the last you should always, ALWAYS say no.  No matter man, woman, black, white, gay, straight, bisexual, Lebanese, or dragon. THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS NO.  Because it you reply otherwise you won't have a tongue to say no with anymore.

Episode: "The One With The Jam"

A Beginning.

I'm not sure if anyone will actually read this, but I'm going to do it anyway.

 My goal here is as follows:

a. I'd like to write what I think about books that I am reading or have read. Exciting right?
b. Not all of my post will be about books because sometimes, I just like to blow off some steam.
and
c. I'm slightly violent, so if- more like when- I talk about a character that bothers me it's very likely that I will threaten said characters imaginary life.

May you all enjoy the show.