Tia Johnson Johnson itibaren Muddinakoppa, Karnataka, Hindistan
Good for a laugh if your a geek. I especially like her take on what it would have been like if twitter existed in Star Wars. ;)
I can certainly understand why people dislike this book. It is pretty dark - in many ways. I was hoping that at some point there would be some indication that there would be a turning point towards something positive, at least in the middle of the book. But good grief - generation after generation follows suit. However, even though I prefer to read fun and uplifting plots, I definitely appreciate the literary style and approach of this author. For one thing, the way the story narrates utilizing first person and then intertwining second and third person points of view is not that easy to achieve. Therefore, I ultimately recognize the structure of the novel with its clever story-telling techniques, especially for its time. In terms of character analysis - i was rooting for Heathcliff all the way (being the devil's advocate, eh?) I mean, I was seriously anticipating that he would redeem himself because he started off as an orphan undergoing some estrangement and abuse - which to me would be all the more reason he would turn himself around. At least perhaps gain a sense of understanding through the "future Healthcliffs" or the likes through either his son, Linton or Hareton. But then again, by allowing Nelly and Cathy to reunite at the end may have served as a way for him to repent. Not sure...that's probably left up to the reader to decide on the ultimate ending of this novel. Meanwhile, the darkness of this novel goes hand in hand with the weather, climate, decor/ambience of the interior house, all the way to the personalities and dreams of every single character. It's like every aspect of this novel was somewhat linked with some dismal detail. ok, maybe the father in the beginning of the novel who took home the orphan baby and also the fate of Hareton and Cathy at the end). Overall, I enjoyed reading this book because it was filled with a highly regarded writing fashion of the Victorian times. Yay!
I've very much enjoyed the other Margaret Laurence books I've read, but I found this volume of short stories a bit blah. It's a pretty standard coming-of-age/becoming a writer story, and to my mind, while ot was an OK read it lacked the emotional depth and spirituality of her other work.
Review coming on Night Owl Reviews site.