The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

  

I watched the Tara Fitzgerald tv version.  I had mixed feelings about it.  I liked it but it was too graphic for me.  I liked the ending more in the tv movie because the book doesn’t really have much of an ending.  This was written by the underrated Bronte sister Anne, the first book I’ve read of her.  Her sister Charlotte called this book a mistake.  I wonder if this is because Anne based some of Mr. Huntingdon on their drunken brother.  But then it could have been all imagination.  It’s about an artist Helen Huntingdon who has escaped her alcoholic husband with her kid.  A good guy Gilbert Markham falls for her.  However, she tells Gilbert the story of her nightmarish marriage.  At first, her husband Mr. Huntingdon fools her.  Then she sees what a rotten man he is.  Yet at the end when his health deteriorates she comes to his bedside.   Anne only wrote two books.  What a pity.  I bought the other one and plan to read it sometime.  

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote

I was indifferent to The Complete Stories of Truman Capote at first.  I wasn’t impressed with the first few stories.  There was a gothic Southern feel to them but they didn’t capture my attention.  I felt that the middle of the book brought the good stories.  The best story here is a prison love story called A Diamond Guitar.  I also liked Master Misery about a woman who sells her dreams.  As well I enjoyed A Christmas Memory about a boy and his elderly friend making fruitcakes mostly for strangers.  The only story I didn’t like here was Mojave.  It was cynical and didn’t belong in a collection of stories mostly about small-town life.  Capote was a multitalented writer, writing nonfiction, novellas, and novels.  This shows what he could do in one form.  

Hester

In Hester, John Vernon walks off with the bank’s money.  Catherine Vernon saves the town from ruin.  After this, she is in a position of power and is treated with utmost respect. Later on John’s daughter, Hester and Catherine are enemies.  Hester doesn’t know about the act of her father yet despite this the two mutually hate each other.  Throughout the book, Hester has a number of suitors: Harry, Roland, and Edward.  Edward is the one she wants, although Catherine looks upon him as a son.  It isn’t until Edward does something of a dishonest nature that Catherine and Hester build a relationship.  I read this book because I don’t know enough about female writers from the 1800’s, that is except the Brontes and Jane Austen. Although it was more than 400 pages I got through it in a reasonable time.  The author Margaret Oliphant wrote works about the supernatural as well.  I'll have to look into those. 3/5

The Man in the High Castle

I’m disappointed that the Amazon series of this has nudity as the book doesn’t include that.  I won’t be a viewer of that show as I’m trying to watch the media I see. I’m sad about that as this has much potential.  Philip K. Dick’s book though is amazing.  It’s about a world where Germany won World War II.  American antiques before the war have become a big thing among the Japanese.  An antique dealer Robert Childan discovers that one of his antiques is a fake.  What he doesn’t know is that most of the antiques are fakes and they are coming from the Wyndam-Matson Corporation.  A Jew who has disguised himself named Frank Frink and his friend Ed decade to make jewelry for a living, a business which is first discarded but then is looked upon as a smart idea.  All of the characters are reading this banned bestseller going around called The Grasshopper lies Heavy, an alternate history book about if Germany lost the war.  I also liked the Japanese couple Paul and Betty who treasure the past and listen to old blues records.  I really need to get into that genre.  My sister was into that way back when we were in high school.  I would hear it in the background of our house and tell myself I need to listen to her stuff.  It’s about time I got around to it.  Anyway, I read The Man in the High Castle book within a week. I found it riveting.   I already read Do Androids dream of electric sheep years ago and thought it was fantastic as well.  I like Philip K. Dick and plan to read more of his books in the future.   4/5