Classic Review - Boy by Roald Dahl

I don't know how Roald Dahl did it! He made a childhood memoir from the early 20th century suitable for children to read.

Dahl may have grown up privileged but it doesn't mean he didn't suffer. "Boy" is mainly full of the horrible stories of pain that he had to endure throughout his younger years - beatings, surprise operations, loss and homesickness. But, somehow, he has made it light and almost fictional. If I was reading this as a child I probably would have found some of it funny, without the understanding that I have as an adult that these things were real and painful. Don't get me wrong, there are also some lovely memories there of family and, of course, various types of sweets (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory anyone?!)

A lot of the stories really display where he got ideas from for his later publications: terrifying headmasters, Oslo, his grandmother, lolly shops etc. As I was reading along I really enjoyed having little bits flick through my memory of his books and wonder if that was the inspiration. I'm super curious now about his time aboard and his time as a pilot. I might have to pick up the second installation "Going Solo" to find out more.

-@becandthebooks

Sweet Read Review - One Illumined Thread

Imagining the lives of real people from history will always be a fascinating pasttime. Hence the popularity of historical fiction. There were very few biographies before print was invented and even then they are limited to factual accounting. We can only guess how they were feeling and what went through their minds.

The Bible, in particular, is scant on detail. Though as it spans thousands of years of history and includes hundreds of characters, it is necessarily so. Elizabeth or Elisheva, John the Baptist's mother, gets a very brief mention in the Bible. Though thinking about it and what it must have been like for her as a woman, unable to do the one thing women were prized for at the time, then to get pregnant at an age that even now would be unusual and finally, to know that your beloved and long-awaited son would live a spectacular but short life. Her life must have been very eventful and emotional.
 
One Illumined Thread was inspired by a real painting the author saw, "Visitation", by Mariotto Albertinelli, 1503, which depicts the meeting between Elizabeth and Mary.

The theme of childlessness is repeated in all three women's stories - Elisheva in 1st century BC, Antonia in the 16th century and Dr Reed in the 21st century. Though each woman is childless for different, equally heartbreaking reasons. Each women goes through the trauma of losing or knowing she will lose the child she fought so hard to have. They each also have to forge their paths despite the men and the male-driven society in their lives. 

This was a delight to read and I blazed through it, connecting with each woman for different reasons. The facts in Elisheva (Elizabeth)'s story followed the Bible somewhat loosely. The supernatural part was significant enough that I wondered why the author would choose to omit some parts of it, such as Mary's divine conception, or Elisheva's vision when she met Mary. It makes me lose confidence in the author's historical accuracy. Although this is a work of fiction, it is based on historical fact and it doesn't do well to change things because it may turn some readers off. 

The part that rang loudest for me was when Herod sent his troops to kill all the baby boys under the age of one. In the Bible it is stated very factually. Yet it had to be such a terrifying and emotionally charged event. 

Each woman also has a strained relationship with their mother for different reasons. So in effect, we have six mothers in this book. However, I'm not sure how I feel about how mother-daughter relationships seem to be portrayed as so much more fraught than mother-son relationships.

Dr Reed's story is the briefest because this book is more about the women in history and how their stories are not so different from a woman from our own time. 

It is not tied up neatly at the end, which I usually do not enjoy. However, you know how Elizabeth's story ends with tragedy and I felt it was appropriate that Antonia and Dr Reed's stories are left somewhat open-ended with only a hint of what's to come. So for me, there was much satisfaction to be had and I closed the book with a smile on my face.

Classic Review - Treasure Island

One of the best things about the book community is how accepting we are of diverse opinions. Books, like all other art forms, are subjective to the consumer. There is not a single work of art that is universally loved. I’m sure even the Mona Lisa has haters.

So it is with classic books. Here are two diverse opinions of our February 2023 Classic pick - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

2.5 ⭐️
I really wanted to love this book. I love a high sea adventure as much as the next guy, but this was so incredibly hard to connect with. Perhaps it was choosing the audio format rather than reading the physical book, or perhaps it would have been the same no matter how I read it. It just wasn’t for me.

I found the narration was sort of diary like and felt quite dry. The “I went here, he went there, I did this, then he did that” style of writing should have made it easy to follow along and visualise, but instead, I found it hard to focus. There was a lot of action happening and I wanted to be swept away, but I just couldn’t feel anything in it. With all that was going on, I still found myself bored and unable to grip onto the action.

I’m truly disappointed that I didn’t end up liking it as much as I thought I would. I was really excited when I first received it in my Classics Subscription because I hadn’t ever read it - or seen any adaptions, including the Muppets (unpopular opinion, I don’t like the Muppets 😬). I think I’ll put it down to a lack of emotional connection to the story. I’ve seen such good reviews for this one, so I think I’m in the minority.

Better luck next time, Classics!

-@thebookishkimmy (thanks to Kim for the photo above!)

5⭐️

I love a good swash-buckling adventure tale, particularly one that involves dastardly pirates, mutiny, treasure and sword fights.

I first read Treasure Island as a child and also watched the movie. It left an impression on me and I’ve since had a fondness for the morally grey yet lovable character. Long John Silver is all that though I did wish he was described more like Luke Evans. 😜 Who BTW, reads an abbreviated version on Audible. 😁

Listening to the full cast audio version was like a combination of reading and watching it. It was action-packed from the get go and I enjoyed followed young Jim’s adventures. The characterisation is a bit cliche but I feel like this was the book that originated the cliches so that’s excusable.

It helps that it is short and easy to digest for a classic.

Sweet Read Review - Unexpected Serendipity

This is not the sort of book I usually enjoy. I don't really go in for contemporary family drama such as Jodie Picoult, Cecilia Ahearn, etc. However, Kylie Ladd has simply blown me away with this book.

I selected it as the Feb Sweet Read book almost purely for the cover and thinking it would appeal to many of our subscribers but not necessarily me. I read it mainly because we received an extra copy from the publisher.

I could not put it down.

"Three years after the death of their beloved brother, all Daniel's sisters have left of him are their memories. They know he's helped others by donating his organs, but as miracles come true for the recipients, his own family are struggling with their devastating loss.When Clare suggests that they find the people Daniel's death saved, her sisters have their doubts. Will meeting them help to bring the sisters back together, or will old tensions and surfacing secrets splinter the fragile family ties forever?"

I was genuinely involved in every one of the characters' stories from the start. Each sister and even the deceased Daniel are so very different, each has their own unique struggle or tragedy. Each sister misses Daniel equally and he seemed to be the gel that bound their separate orbits together. I actually teared up at the end, which says a lot. 

I designed the bookmark before reading the book and I’m inordinately chuffed that it turned out to be so appropriate: "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden."