I can't believe this has never been made into a film! We have a million adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma", even Bronte's own "Jane Eyre.I can't believe this has never been made into a film! We have a million adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma", even Bronte's own "Jane Eyre." But not even one film or TV mini-series for "Villette." Knowing that it was considered less of a "crowd-pleaser" than "Jane Eyre", I figured "Villette" would be like an independent film that you see on the Sundance channel: slow, plodding, dreary, and without any real plot. Wrong. Villette is full of all the same stuff found in "Jane Eyre." Lots of romance, a major love triangle with some extremely high moments followed by intense reversals and sadness. Like Jane Eyre, Lucy Snowe doesn't usually get to enjoy her high moments for very long. And if you thought Rochester was crotchety, wait till you meet Paul Immanuel!
Still, this book is not for everyone. Lucy sometimes waxes poetic on certain subjects, which makes for harder reading. Also, the story is hinged at many times on some extremely large coincidences. Some people roll their eyes, but I didn't mind, since these chance occurrences only made the love triangles more juicy. Also, the book has many, many cultural and historical references that could only be understood by consulting the notes at the back of the book. A lot of dialogue is in French, as well, so again, you will need to read a version that contains the notes and translations, or you will be lost. The Penguins Classics version is the best in this regard.
"Jane Eyre" is my favorite book, but "Villette" now seems to be on the same level, so maybe I now just have a favorite author!...more
I give this four stars because the writing is great and the characters memorable and interesting, books are definitely not written like this anymore. I give this four stars because the writing is great and the characters memorable and interesting, books are definitely not written like this anymore. Minus one star only because of personal taste in stories - this one is too gloomy for me, too much hate and vile, not enough redemption by the end....more
I enjoyed the first half of Demonglass more than Hex Hall - the characters were deeper, less cliche. The overall tone was more adult. The night club sI enjoyed the first half of Demonglass more than Hex Hall - the characters were deeper, less cliche. The overall tone was more adult. The night club scene is amazing; the joint venture with Sophie and Archer is totally awesome, more please! Oh yes, and then in the end! There's that big climactic... oh wait... there is no ending. The first half of Demonglass was pushing me up into the higher four-star range, but by the end of the book, I had dipped down to 3.5 stars. So disappointing. The story literally pauses with nothing resolved, no real climactic moment, no showdown between good and evil. Just a big fat "To Be Continued". We don't have time here to get into the whole debate over the now-common practice of cliffhanger endings in YA books. I just say: "I paid full price, I want a full story." This is only 3/4 of a story, at most. We are purposefully left hanging in order to guarantee sales of the next book. I don't appreciate being yanked out of a great fantasy story by an obvious real-world corporate move. While they're at it, why not leave all the editor's red pencil notes in the book's columns, just to further shatter the illusion of being wrapped up in another world. The missing ending is what could have made Demonglass a five star, amazing ride. As it is, though, you finish with just a "Hey, where's the rest? Really?"
Bottom line: Despite that last little rant, I definitely recommend this series to everybody....more
Hex Hall is a solid piece of writing - 4 out of 5 stars. Even if it doesn't really do anything new or take readers to any great heights, this book is Hex Hall is a solid piece of writing - 4 out of 5 stars. Even if it doesn't really do anything new or take readers to any great heights, this book is extremely well-polished. All the tools of good creative fiction are wielded effortlessly by Rachel Hawkins. The characters are likeable and funny, but nothing new for YA novels (the average girl protagonist, the impossibly hot guy every girl crushes on, the nasty popular girl, the spunky best friend, etc.) The setting is great, and the idea of a reform school for supernatural kids provides the book's one unique spin; rather than some life-changing event or revelation, it is the setting that provides the hook for "Hex Hall", much like the first "Harry Potter" book (in fact, I refer to "Hex Hall" as "Harry Potter for girls" - even though girls love Harry Potter, too, but you know what I mean). The plot is solid, but typical, bordering on cliche. For me, it is the actual writing that puts this book above the line. Like I said, Rachel Hawkins is very polished. She makes telling a good story seem completely effortless - I don't think there's one sentence in this entire book that doesn't either move the story along, provide some bit of great insight into the characters, paint some vivid picture of the atmospheric setting, or make the reader laugh out loud. And many times, it's all of these at once. If you've ever wondered what a critic meant by calling a piece of writing 'crisp', this book is what he/she meant.
Bottom line: this is the book equivalent of comfort food, you just can't go wrong with it, and even if it never reaches Harry Potter-like super blockbuster status, I still can't imagine anybody NOT liking this book. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, nor does it take readers on an epic, nail-biting, world-changing adventure, like The Hunger Games or the Mortal Instruments series (so I hear); this is a much smaller story about a girl coming of age at a new school, dealing with rivals and crushes, while trying to solve a mystery that is putting other students at Hogwar-- er, I mean Hecate Hall -- in danger. The one big advantage Hex Hall has over Harry Potter is that it is written much older. Thankfully, Sophie Mercer is much older than Harry was on his first year in wizarding school, so we get to all the blushing and "snogging" right away!...more
EPIC. 1300 pages, three affluent Parisian families spanning generations, handfuls of secondary characters coming and going, criss-crossing a dozen stoEPIC. 1300 pages, three affluent Parisian families spanning generations, handfuls of secondary characters coming and going, criss-crossing a dozen storylines, and all coming together with the super-human guidance of the agent of Providence himself, the Count of Monte Cristo. Might be the best book I've ever read. ...more
An excellent adventure/romance that seems way ahead of its time. Several times while reading I would stop and think, "Wait, are you sure this was writAn excellent adventure/romance that seems way ahead of its time. Several times while reading I would stop and think, "Wait, are you sure this was written over a hundred years ago?" Much of the adventure/spy plot feels very modern, not to mention the amazing lead female role.
I was so glad that I came into this experience without even one detail of knowledge about the story. For a while I was just sure that "Sally" from "The Fisherman's Rest" was the main character! Haha. The author kept describing how pretty she was, so I thought, "Oh, nice, pretty young bar wench, she's gonna fall for some rich aristocrat. Cool." Then the Blakeneys show up and you don't like them at first. What a bunch of silly, stuck up rich people! Imagine my surprise and delight, then, to gradually find the Blakeneys at the center of this story, and before long the author has peeled back the foppish outer layers of these characters to reveal deep, flawed, romantic personalities that simply put on masks of indifference when in public! I found the love story to be gripping and heartbreaking (but in a good way, if that makes sense). I think that one hundred years ago people in general understood much more about love and relationships than we do now. With all our technological advancements, we seem to have taken a few steps backward with relationship know-how. It seems to me that love stories used to deal with real human issues, like pride, arrogance, honor, committment, prejudice, and other flawed personalities we all struggle to keep in check. But now days the typical love story just shows two young people who think each other is especially hot, or else there is just some weird connection they feel, but can't explain (because the author can't explain it either!). "The Scarlet Pimpernel" may be considered a fluffy, B-movie type story compared to the likes of, say, "Pride and Prejudice" or "Gone With The Wind" (btw, Marguerite Blakeney reminds me a LOT of Scarlett Ohara), but it is still head and shoulders above most adventure/romances that come out today, especially from Hollywood. It's true, they really don't make them like they used to....more
Amazing characters! This isn't really a plot-based book. All the twists and revelations come as character moments or secrets that are revealed in darkAmazing characters! This isn't really a plot-based book. All the twists and revelations come as character moments or secrets that are revealed in dark places. I felt really bad for Dimmsdale, but I took some evil delight in watching Chillingworth do his work. For me the best scenes were between these two men. The scene in the woods, though, when Dimmsdale and Hester finally get an hour of "freedom", is as good as it gets, as far as romance stories go. I couldn't remember (from having read the book in high school) if the story would have a happy ending, but somehow I could feel that things weren't going to work out as the two lovers planned in those woods.
Great writing, fascinating characters, and an intriguing study of many aspects of human character. I think that anybody who is actively religious in life (as I am) can sympathize with many of Dimmsdale's inner tumult, especially the rationalizations he uses to justify keeping his sins secret. Nathaniel Hawthorne definitely understands the constant, relentless gnawing of guilt on the heart and mind of a hypocrite. ...more
Awesome series, and a satisfying conclusion, even if this one still felt like an episode in a still-going series, rather than the epic finale I hoped Awesome series, and a satisfying conclusion, even if this one still felt like an episode in a still-going series, rather than the epic finale I hoped for. Kelley Armstrong is definitely consistent in her writing. If you like the first two books, you will feel right at home with this one. The truth is, these three books are meant to be read all the way through as one big book. By the end of the third book, still only a few weeks have passed since the beginning of the first book! The characters and pacing are all spot on, once again.
So why four stars instead of five? I guess I just felt it all a teeny bit anticlimactic. We don't really get to see all the characters let loose with their powers and really show the world who's boss. Like I said, this felt like just another episode, rather than a finale. Many new things were set up right at the end, and loose ends were left wide open for further adventures.
But I definitely will be reading those further adventures. Looking forward to "The Gathering"!...more
This book takes all the elements of the first book and improves on them. Characters develop more and relationships ebb and flow, the action is more inThis book takes all the elements of the first book and improves on them. Characters develop more and relationships ebb and flow, the action is more intense, there is more at stake. But through all of the action and suspense and supernatural intrigue, it is the complex relationship between Chloe and Derek that really stands out. I can't think of any other book that features such a fascinating friendship/romance (I haven't read the third book yet, so I'm not sure it will become a romance, but I definitely hope so!).
Also, one more big shout out to Kelley Armstrong and her amazing handle on PLOT PACING. While reading "The Summoning" I commented on the great pacing, and the same skill is on display in the sequel. Good pacing doesn't mean lots of stuff happening quickly. Fast and full of action does NOT always equal INTERESTING. Scenes need time to breathe. Ideas need to play out to maturity before moving on to new set pieces. I remember one point in "The Summoning" when I literally said to myself, "Okay, I got it, she sees ghosts and is freaked out. We've explored a lot of that idea and theme, I'm ready to move on to the next big idea..." And in the very next chapter the story moved on with a major new development that spun the story in a new direction. It's like Kelley Armstrong is reading our minds and knows exactly when we've had enough time to soak things in before moving on.
In contrast, just before reading "The Awakening", I read "Mockingjay" and "Paranormalcy", which both suffer (imho) from the same pacing problem: way too much, way too quickly. "Mockingjay" offends the worst. Pacing? What's that? Throw it out the window! We get a string of a few HUNDRED scenes that are all crammed into a 400 page novel. It's enough material for three more books, but all smashed together in an attempt to feel "epic". I never felt like I was being taken by the hand and led through a STORY. Instead, I was just talked at. "And then this happened, and then THIS happened, and THEN, and THEN!" "Paranormalcy" does this, too (see my review), but is much less offensive, since it's just supposed to be a light and fun story anyway, nothing deep.
Anyway, it was interesting to read those two books, then to start "The Awakening". After ONE CHAPTER I literally exhaled loudly: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh." Like I could breathe again. Like somebody was giving me a back rub after a long and difficult hike. I remember a FOUR PAGE (at least) dialogue scene between Davidoff and Chloe near the opening of the book. Another "Ahhhhhhhh" moment. A real conversation! The give and take, cat and mouse, ebb and flow of a real conversation between protagonist and villain! Something you do not get in "Mockingjay."
I'm expecting more great "Ahhhhhhhhh" in "The Reckoning."
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I read this book in high school, but I couldn't really remember any details, except for the bitI enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I read this book in high school, but I couldn't really remember any details, except for the bit about his "retreat" from battle. Somehow in my mind I had remembered this book all wrong. I thought it was about a cowardly kid who runs away from battle and then journeys back home to his mother and has various adventures along the way. Huh? I don't know where that came from. Anyway, I was shocked to find that while Henry "the youth" Fleming does indeed run from battle early on in the book, he eventually finds his way back to the fighting and even becomes a real war hero by the end! How did I not remember any of that? LOL.
The prose in this book is amazing. "Hauntingly beautiful" is an over-used description these days, but it really does apply to Stephen Crane's work here. His writing reminds me a lot of Tolkien's when it comes to describing battles and war. Crane, however, is definitely more graphic (example: the visceral depiction of a man's jaw being shot off, exposing his tongue and raw, pulsating throat - nasty).
But what really impressed me about this book was the exploration of Henry's psyche. The transformation from a naive, immature youth to a humble, pragmatic man (in just two days!) is flawless. Henry is sometimes ridiculous, sometimes pathetic, but also sometimes selfless and heroic. By the time we've reached the climactic battle scene, Henry is more of a war hero than he ever could have dreamed, but we are more impressed by his matured outlook on life. By the time he actually earns the hero's credit, he is wise enough to know how empty such achievements can be. He has become a real man.
Okay, but I do understand how some people hate this book because of the dialogue. There is not much of it, but for some reason all dialogue is written in slang and horrible spelling that emphasizes the accents of the soldiers. All the men come out sounding the same: like campy, ridiculous parodies of gap-toothed hillbillies. It's hard to take them seriously whenever they open their mouths. But this book's prose is so smart and sophisticated, and it wasn't written that long after the war, so why such a huge difference between the way Crane speaks and the way these men speak? Men who would have been Crane's contemporaries? I haven't read any commentaries on the book, so maybe there's a reason for it, I don't know.
This is a quick read and was emotionally gripping from start to finish. If you want an action film, a few scenes will fit the bill, but otherwise this is not for you. But if you enjoy playing voyeur to the moral debates that rage inside a man's head during the supreme trial of war, this is a must-read. I will definitely be coming back to it on occasion. ...more
An enthusiastic 3 stars. But like "Paranormalcy" I would give this a 4 or maybe even a 5 if we're just recommending to younger teens or tweens. ObviouAn enthusiastic 3 stars. But like "Paranormalcy" I would give this a 4 or maybe even a 5 if we're just recommending to younger teens or tweens. Obviously the book was not meant for thirty-somethings. I don't know any lyrics to Ludacris songs and I can't picture most of the wardrobe because I don't know what half of the fashion terms mean!
I enjoyed "Monster High" the same way I enjoy watching great teen-friendly family movies with our kids (or without them!). The Disney films "Hocus Pocus" and "Sky High" come to mind. Fun, creative, silly, and yet there's enough heart to keep it all from feeling too shallow. I would love to see Disney make a big budget production of "Monster High" and release it just in time for Halloween so we could all go to the theatre dressed up as famous monsters and buy frosted sugar cookies shaped like bats and pumpkins from the lobby.
What impressed me most about "Monster High" was how much better it was than it SHOULD have been. I mean, this book was commissioned from Hasbro toys, based on their new line of dolls. That is, the dolls came first, and this book was written to boost sales, not the other way around. It's like when "Pirates of the Caribbean" came out. Everybody's like, "Wait, they made a movie based on an amusement park ride? Laaaaaame." But then we were all surprised to find that it was actually pretty good (although I didn't really like it myself). "Monster High" could easily have been something that felt like a rushed Saturday morning cartoon adaptation, but instead Lisi Harrison elevated the material into a fun and heart-felt story dealing with themes of personal identity, friendship, and tolerance. I was definitely left hanging at the end with a very juicy cliffhanger that guarantees I'll be reading the sequel. This book feels like just the tip of the iceberg for a campy fun Halloween world just waiting to be explored....more
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