A Work in Progress

A few plans for 2008...

As I've looked back over the past year for the last few days, I though I'd save today, the last day of the year, for looking forward.  I don't really want to set forth a list of rigid goals for next year, but there are a few plans I've had in mind now for a while.   

• Read more American literature/classics--particularly from the 20th century.  For the last few years I've tended to be pretty neglectful of more modern fiction, particularly by American authors.
• I know it's sort of silly to follow any of those "best of" lists, as they all have their shortcomings.  I've always been partial to the Modern Library List, however.  This past year I read only one title from the list.  I'd like to read more as it is a good way to read books I might not otherwise choose.
• Read Jane Austen's major works.  Starting with Northanger Abbey (which I will write about this week sometime) and making my way through to Persuasion.  I'd also like to read a biography of Austen.
• Read more Shakespeare.  Or more about Shakespeare.  Or both.  I'd like to read at least two more plays.
• Ten more books in translation?  I just managed it this year.  It would be nice to throw in a few non-European authors, though.
• There is this reading list that I set forth for myself. (And don't be surprised to see more lists, because thinking about reading is almost as good as reading itself and my lists are my way of thinking about reading).
• And then there are those tricky reading challenges.  I am still determined to read at least one book for the Outmoded Authors Challenge.  I'm all set for the What's in a Name Challenge.  I've got Anna Karenina all ready to go for the Russian Reading Challenge.  I'm going to continue reading a short story a week, and hopefully five short story collections (not sure which in particular, but I'd like to read something by Margaret Atwood, and Alice Munro, and perhaps the collection by Jumpiri Lahiri), so I might as well join Kate's Short Story Reading Challenge.  And I might even be swayed to choose a book or two for The International Year of Planet Earth (I need to read more nonfiction).  And if I fail miserably...it's o.k.  I see challenges as jumping off places to expand my reading, so even if I just read one book I see that as a good thing.  I'm always looking to broaden my reading horizons.
• Yesterday I mentioned how I might follow up reading Don Quixote.  I'm not altogether sure.  I would like to choose at least one "big" book, though I haven't a clue what to choose yet.  No doubt something will come along.

So much for keeping things simple.  But these are just plans/ideas. I do want to keep my reading as simple as I can, and the stacks under control.  It's sort of funny as my reading is more or less going to continue on as before, but why is it with a new year everything seems new and fresh?

By the way, I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!  Things are generally pretty quiet in my household.  There are a stack of movies to watch and I hope I can finish the last two rows of this needlework project.  I started it a year ago, so I am itching to get it finished before the end of the year!

Ten Favorites from 2007

I'm never quite sure how to approach these sorts of lists (at least when I am the one making them). I enjoyed all the books I read this past year in a variety of ways.  Some were just comfortable, entertaining reads.  They will not likely win any awards, but I think I'd still enjoy reading them again for the cozy feeling they evoke.  Some were thrilling and have stuck with me and I still think about them and definitely want to read them again.  And some were books I am in awe of due to their place in literature, which I am so glad to have read, but well, might not appear on my list (even though they probably should).  By the way, here are last year's favorites.

1. Cheri and The Last of Cheri by Colette.  I loved this book.  I'm not sure why I haven't yet read more by Colette, but I think I am afraid her other novels will not be as good as this was.  It is the story of aging courtesan, Lea, and her love affair with the much younger Fred Peloux (who Lea calls Cheri).  It is a bittersweet tale, but so true to reality.  I loved the character of Lea--no matter how hard things were, how painful her love for Cheri, she was true to herself in the end. 
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.  This book is a serious meal.  There is nothing fluffy about Tolstoy.  It is probably a cliche to say this is a great novel, but it is.  It has everything--when you read W&P you immerse yourself into a whole, complete world.  And while some of the philosophical sections might have been a bit much (for me), I'd like to read it again as one time around is just not enough.
3. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.  Another epic story--I seem to be very fond of them.  I'm sure you must have gotten tired of all my posts about Kristin, but there is so much to this story.  From birth to old age and death you follow the tumultuous life of Kristin Lavransdatter in 14th century Norway.  Undset writes crisply and clearly and you get a strong sense of character, time and place in this novel.  I hesitate to call this historical fiction, as that smacks of low brow genre, and there is nothing low brow about this book, but it is quality historical fiction!
4. The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies.  Davies writes such elegant, beautiful prose and his characterization is dead on--these could be real people and real events.  And he tells a great story.  The story details the impact a German POW camp in Wales has on a small community and in particular on the life of Esther Evans.  More than that however, the story is about courage and duty.      
5. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.  Why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?  It is dark, yes.  It is not a happy story, no.  Ultimately, though, there is something redeeming about the story.  Tess is such a poignant character--your heart literally breaks for her.  Hardy is an amazing author, and I can't even begin to summarize here what he manages to do in the novel.
6. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.  Damn Sarah Waters is a seriously good storyteller.  I'm not sure how she manages it.  When you slip between the pages of this novel you are in Victorian England.  Aside from the setting her plotting is nothing short of remarkable.   It's twisty turny and full of surprises!
7. Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris.  Another consummate storyteller.  Harris's Chocolat is one of my all time favorite books, so I wasn't sure what to expect from Gentlemen and Players.  It's excellent, but in a totally different way.  It's also a twisty turny sort of novel with a shocking ending that I didn't see coming even though she left a trail.
8. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson.  This is a short, spare book, but very rewarding.  The story is a coming of age tale set partially in post WWII Norway.  He deserves a wider readership here in the US, though I understand he is an award winning novelist in Norway.
9. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym.  Barbara Pym is great.  This novel is witty and amusing and Mildred has to be one of my favorite characters in literature.  She's one of those "excellent women"--single, supportive of all those about her, but also taken for granted.  She has amazing (and often humorous) insight into the lives of her friends and neighbors, however.
10. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor.  This is another sad, bittersweet story, but nonetheless remarkably told.  The Claremont, where Mrs Palfrey has come to spend her remaining days, turns out to be not what she expected.  It's dreary and full of eccentrics, and Mrs Palfrey is alone save for the unlikely friendship she strikes up with, Ludo, a young writer.  Elizabeth Taylor has been one of my great finds this year (along with Barbara Pym).

I feel like my blurbs aren't doing justice to the novels I'm listing here, but they are all excellent reads in their own ways.  I should also mention Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (40 pages left to go) and Anne Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, which I greatly enjoyed, too!  And although I didn't list Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote, it was an excellent novel (in a different way than the others).  I'm glad I read it, as it is such an iconic book in the history of literature.  Of course how do I follow that one next year?  Dante?  Milton?  More Shakespeare?  It will be interesting to see which books float to the top of the pile!

End of the Year Statistics

I'm cutting this a bit close with only three days left in the year, but I thought I would take a look back at my reading year finally.  I am cheating a bit as I am going to count Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, though I still have a bit left to finish.  I could easily finish today, but I hate to rush it as I am enjoying it so much.  As a comparison here's what I wrote last year.   

• Books completed: 88 - I think this is the most I have ever read in one year (due to blogging I'm sure)
• Fiction (not counting mysteries or YA): 56
• Nonfiction: 7
• Classics: 17
• Books from the Modern Library List: 1
• Mysteries: 9
• Young Adult novels: 9
• Books written by women: 64
• Books written by men: 23
• Books written by multiple authors: 1
• Fiction/mysteries by American authors: 15
• Fiction/mysteries by British authors: 43
• Books in translation: 10
• Short Story Collections: 4
• Individual short stories: 24 (approximately--I didn't actually keep track, but I'd like to keep up reading a short story a week)
• Plays: 2
• Virago editions or Persephone Press books read: 9
• Books read that were checked out from the library: 22
• Rereads: 2
• Different books by the same author: 2 (Deanna Raybourn), 2 (Daphne du Maurier), 2 (Joanne Harris), 2 (Elizabeth Taylor), 2 (Shakespeare), 2 (J.K. Rowling), 2 (Lynn Brittney), 2 (P.D. James)

I read more classics last year (I admit I cushioned things a bit this time around by counting two short story collections and the two Shakespeare plays, though they are all considered classics) than this year, which I find a little disappointing.  I'm glad that I finally have read some short story collections and plays, and I think I've done better at reading books in translation, but ten out of 88 is not very much really.  I had a feeling that I read far more British authors than American, and I didn't even count in Irish, Australian and Canadian authors!  And truth be told even some of the American authors I read set their books/mysteries in Britain.  I really do need to read more American authors.  Unsurprisingly I've read more women authors than men authors.  I don't set out to do this on purpose, but it always seems to work out that way.  I don't generally read so many YA novels, but I've read quite a few this past year.  And as usual I'd like to fit in more mysteries and read more fromthe ML list.  Of course there's only so much you can fit in in one year!  You can see a complete list of the books I read on the sidebar on the right.   

They literally jumped off the shelf at me...

I think I've satiated my desire to go new book shopping for a while now.  It's been months since I've been to a bookstore to browse for new books, but as I had a few gift cards and a little time on my hands I had a little splurge of an afternoon yesterday.  Will you believe some of them literally jumped off the shelves and demanded to go home with me and be read?  Well, anyway these should keep me busy for a while.  I found:

A Morbid Taste for Bones, Ellis Peters - This is the first Brother Cadfael mystery set in Medieval Wales.  It's one of the mysteries that was recommended to me (I of course forgot my list at home and this was one of the few authors I could recall).

Roots of Evil, Sarah Payne - This looks like an interesting historical murder mystery in which the narrator looks back at family secrets--first a double murder suicide in a film studio in the 50s and even further back to 1920s Vienna and wartime Auschwitz.  This is a new author for me.

The Tomb of Zeus (A Laetitia Talbot Mystery), Barbara Cleverly - Lost book found!  I hope this lives up to my expectations now that I've got it finally.  It sounds appealing--a British heroine of privilege working as an archaeologist in 1928 Crete.  A mystery with a dash of romance.

The Gathering, Anne Enright - I didn't buy this one so much because it won the Booker this year, but because the story sounds intriguing and I've heard good things about it.

Cover Her Face, P.D. James - The first Dalgliesh mystery.  I want to go back and start at the beginning.

The Scandal of the Season, Sophie Gee - I try to not buy hardcovers, but this was 60% off (with my discount card), so I couldn't pass it up.  It's set in 18th century London.  I hope it is as good as it sounds, but I am always a little leery when a new book ends up heavily discounted.

An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England, Venetia Murray - I was looking for a book on the Mitford sisters, when I came across this.  It's supposed to be a "delightful book, well researched and highly entertaining."  I'd love to know more about the Regency era.

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, Daniel Pool - I've seen this book in catalogs, and I came across it and the Regency book above at the same time.  It's meant to be a companion to Victorian literature, so another good reference book.

The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - I've wanted this book for a long time, too.  Have you noticed how much more nonfiction books cost than fiction books?  This is part of the reason I tend to buy more fiction, but I felt like splurging since I wasn't technically paying.  Another excellent resource for someone who likes needlework.

The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family, Mary S. Lovell - Ah, yes, the Mitford book--I did find it, too.  I want the new book of letters that was recently released, but I thought it might be better to start with a biography of the sisters.  I've read Nancy Mitford, and I'd like to know more about the family in general.

Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan - I'm afraid I won't like what I read here, and I wonder how surprised I'll be.  This is one I definitely want to get to next year!

My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams, edited by Margaret A. Hogan - This was another big splurge as it is a hardcover, but it is a lovely book, complete with color illustrations.  And I've always been interested in Abigail Adams.

I thought I would also mention that I bought a used copy of Magdalen king-Hall's novel, The Diary of a Young Lady of Fashion in the Year 1764-1765.  It sounds like a thoroughly delightful read.  It was written in the 1920s and is the fictional diary of Cleone, a 19 year old woman.  "Cleone's breathless description of her experiences overflows with zest and laughter and transports the reader to an age brilliant with flashing color and abundant life."  This was another recommendation.  One of the things I love about blogging is discovering new (or very old) books!

A Baker's Dozen for 2008: A Thursday Thirteen

Last year I made a list of fourteen books that I would try and read in 2007.  I must have completely forgotten about the list, as I only read three of the books!  Since it is nearly 2008, I guess it's time to throw out all those old lists and start afresh.  I still want to read these books for the What's in a Name Challenge.  And I still want to read a few books from this list over the course of the Winter.  I know I shouldn't probably make lists, but I can't quite help myself. For me part of the excitement of reading is thinking about what I am going to read.  So here are thirteen titles I'd like to try and read next year.

1. Maurice, E.M. Forster - Yes, more Edwardian literature.
2. The Omnivore's Dilemma - I need to read more nonfiction, and I think this sounds very interesting--sort of along the lines of a Fast Food Nation, which was quite good (in terms of our food and how it's processed).
3. Beware of Pity, Stefan Zweig - Both this and the Hartley below were finds this past year and I've had them both high on the TBR pile. 
4. The Go-Between, L.P. Hartley
5. My Antonia, Willa Cather - Poor Willa.  She was thrust upon me in high school and I wouldn't take the bait.  I need to read more American authors and especially some Nebraska authors.
6. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler - I've never read anything by Anne Tyler, which seems very surprising to me.  She seems like one of those important 20th century American authors that I don't ever seem to read these days (I need to change that in 2008). 
7. Rainbow, D.H. Lawrence - I'm going to try this again.  I liked what I read, but it seems to be a book that requires more attention than I seemed able to give it when I tried earlier this Fall.  I still am going to read Lawrence!
8. The Fountain Overflows, Rebecca West - I've heard from more than one reader how good this is, and the story appeals to me greatly.
9. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier - Time for a reread.  I wonder if I will love it as much the next time around.
10. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy - This year was War and Peace, and next year is Anna K.  It is the one book I want to read for the Russian Reading Challenge.  I hope to read a few other Russian authors, but I am not going to tie myself down right now to more than the Tolstoy. 
11. Needle in the Blood, Sarah Bower - I have every expectation that I will greatly enjoy this book once I get going.  History and needlework--what more can you ask for?
12. Aristocrats, S.K. Tillyard - I loved the miniseries and I think a biography sounds fascinating about the Lennox sisters.
13. Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years, Elizabeth Wayland Barber - My newest addition to my library.  Another book that sounds right up my alley.  I'm not sure what took me so long to get it--thankfully someone gave it as a gift.

And one bonus book: The Beautiful and the Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald - I loved the short story I read by him recently, which makes me want to read/reread all his fiction. 

We'll see how well I do with this list next year at this time.  I tend to get easily sidetracked, but my intentions are always good...

The Loot

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by with Christmas/Holiday wishes!  I had hoped to get to everyone on my blogroll, but unfortunately I didn't quite manage it, so I hope everyone had a lovely day yesterday and that you all enjoy the rest of the season!

I spent the day with my family and as usual they were very generous.  I received a few bookish gifts, which I thought I'd share.  A few were on my Amazon wishlist and a couple were surprises.  From top to bottom: Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber.  I've wanted this for a long time--I'm interested in anything to do with needlework and textiles.  No Name by Wilkie Collins--more sensationalist literature--Wilkie Collins has become one of my favorite authors!  In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust--because someday I want to read his work.  I also got The Greatest American Speeches, which is a glossy, illustrated book with over 40 important speeches in American history.  And my sister found a copy of Jane Austen's Complete Novels, which has lovely little engravings along with the text of Austen's six novels.  I also received gift cards for two different bookstores, so I'll be going new book shopping this week as well.  I already have a list of books (mainly mysteries) that I want to search for.  It's been ages since I've been new book shopping, so I am looking forward to it.

My sister works part time at J. Crew and she spotted an unbrella with library/book motifs.  I thought this was quite cool.  It collapses down quite small, so it will fit nicely into my book bag.  The nice thing is, it is well-made (even has a wooden and not plastic) handle--so much nicer than the cheap umbrella that I've been using that tends to hang limply in any gust of wind. 

And because you can never have enough book bags, I also received two new ones.  The one on the left is from my other sister (I have two).  You can check out her I Resolve To... blog, and find the book bag at her Cafe Press store.  Resolving to read isn't the problem so much as how I order my reading during the year (I'm not always very good at staying on track)!  The other bag is from my mom.  I'm not sure where she found it, but the quote on it is from Thomas Jefferson (to John Adams): "I cannot live without books."  Both are quite nice--canvas bags, one with a zippered pocket inside.  I'm sure they will be put to good use!

One last bookish item.  Do you remember I joined in Library Thing's Santathing?  I received two books from my anonymous Santa.  They picked the perfect books for me--both by Elizabeth von Arnim, Elizabeth and Her German Garden and The Solitary Summer.  The thing is--I already own both books (and read the former last year).  What should I do?  I can of course just keep them and have second copies of the books.  I could pass them along to a friend who'd like them.  Or I can exchange them for something else.  I feel sort of greedy sending them back for something different, but it would be nice to have something I haven't already read.  I hate these sorts of dilemmas.  In any case I am very happy with all my gifts.  I hope you received something bookish as well!   

Happy Holidays!

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!"  ~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Reading Notes

Well, it only took me the first five days of my vacation, but I've managed to finally make my way through Margaret Forster's biography of  Daphne du Maurier (though I also managed to read Caro Fraser's book as well).  Keeping in mind of course that I started this last May!  I've done a fair amount of grouching about this book.  It could at times be difficult going, but it was always compelling and very interesting.  Now that I'm finished I am very glad that I kept with it.  The insight into her work is really very valuable.  At first I was mortified that Forster seemed to be so hard (or perhaps revealing) about Daphne and especially her work.  I greatly admire Daphne du Maurier and it miffed me a little to hear the criticisms of her novels, but now I feel like I've got a better perspective on things.  I don't think Forster just pulled judgments out of thin air.  I can tell she did quite a lot of research and quoted Daphne's letters as well as reviews of the times. 

It was interesting to read what Daphne felt about her work and then see how it was received.  What was sad to read was how much Daphne wanted to be accepted as a serious writer and not just someone who wrote 'romances' and bestsellers, yet so often the press portrayed her as just such an author.  A couple of things about Daphne du Maurier I didn't know--her husband Tommy worked for the Royal household (specifically for Prince Philip), and both Tommy and Daphne knew Queen Elizabeth.  They were invited to royal events and the Queen was even a guest at Menabilly.  Daphne was also sued by an American who said she plagiarized parts of Rebecca, which was apparently quite similar to an earlier novel.  Daphne was later vindicated of these allegations.  I think what grated on me about the biography was the constant discussion of Daphne's 'boy in the box' (also known as #2).  She felt she had this duality about her, and it was really the boy that was the writer.  She denied that she was a lesbian, though she did have 'venetian' (basically another word for lesbian) experiences.  I only harp on about this as it was such a constant thread throughout the book.  As you see Daphne was quite a complicated woman (as I suppose is every individual).

After I finished I promptly grabbed by copy of The Daphne Du Maurier Companion edited by Helen Taylor.  Although most of the essays are just reprints of the introductions published in the newer Virago editions of her novels, there is some other essays and interviews that might prove to be enlightening.  I read the introductory essay by Taylor and I thought this was interesting:

"Forster has said that writing the biography was 'wildly exciting' - so much so, she has accepted no subsequent biographical commission.  Daphne du Maurier's children and editor considerably admire the book, though all share a regret that it focuses on the writers 'dark' side rather than her 'life-enhancing' lightness, wicked sense of humour and fun.  Forster acknowledges this, saying that it was the brooding, secretive elements of the writer that most attracted her, and that she may well have contributed to a more serious and sombre portrait than that of the woman they all knew.  However, she shares with scholars the view that further biography--probably outlining the true nature of du Maurier's relationship with her father, children and (particularly) women friends and employees--will need to be written when du Maurier's early diaries, embargoed until 2029, are released for public scrutiny, and when more letters and other materials are openly available."

I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this was all somewhat dark and heavy.  2029!  Another 21 years to wait until more of her diaries become available?!  Of course perhaps it is better that some things are left private?  I'll be reading more of Daphne's work in 2008 including a reread finally of Rebecca.  The Scapegoat and The House on the Strand along with Rebecca are considered by critics to be her best work.  Not many of her books are in print here in the US, but the University of Pennsylvania Press publishes the former titles--now I see why.  Of course I think just about her whole oeuvre is available from Virago Press in the UK.

I've decided to call it quits with the list.  I've managed to finish eleven out of the thirteen titles, which is reasonably admirable I think.  I'll carry over Armadale by Wilkie Collins into the new year.  I'm afraid The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence is going back into the queue (and this is no reflection on the book--only it got pushed to the bottom and at this point it's better to just start afresh with it).  I'm hoping to keep the pile to only six (at most seven) books on the go at once in 2008.  Surely better than thirteen, right?  We'll see how long that lasts, of course.  I'm now working on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.  Wonderful.  It calls for its own post (especially as this is already too long).  And if this is Austen's worst by the way, her worst is actually quite good!  I've got Mary Elizabeth Braddon's Lady Audley's Secret lined up next, and I'm looking forward to getting Jacqueline Winspear's An Incomplete Revenge in the mail soon.  By chance I also happened upon Deanna Raybourn's new mystery, Silent in the Sanctuary over the weekend (in of all places Walmart, where I never expect to actually find a book I want to read).  Her first book was a thoroughly entertaining and fun mystery and I am hoping this will be much the same.  It seems like a perfect candidate for vacation reading, so I've started it as well.  Alas, only eight days left of vacation.  Why does it go by so quickly?

Across the Bridge

Being so close to Christmas I was going to choose a story from a Christmas anthology to read this weekend, but to be honest I am a bit more in the mood for something with a French setting.  As a matter of fact a friend passed along this link to me.  So to put you in the mood as well, click on the link, let the page load and then use your right scroll button to see the lovely Paris skyline at night.  Sigh.  I wish I was there now.

Instead I dug out my collection of stories by Mavis Gallant that I found at a library sale, which I've been meaning to read. I'm not at all familiar with her, so first a little bit about her.  She is Canadian and was born in Montreal in 1922.  She now makes Paris her home where she writes.  She has won all sorts of prestigious awards for her work and is one of a very few Canadian writers whose work regularly appears in the New Yorker.  According to the Wikipedia:

"Grazia Merler observes in her book, Mavis Gallant: Narrative Patterns and Devices, that 'Psychological character development is not the heart of Mavis Gallant’s stories, nor is plot. Specific situation development and reconstruction of the state of mind or of heart is, however, the main objective.' Frequently, Gallant’s stories focus on expatriate men and women who have come to feel lost or isolated; marriages that have grown flimsy or shabby; lives that have faltered and now hover in the shadowy area between illusion, self-delusion, and reality."

I opted to read the title story of the collection, which is set in 1950s Paris.  "Across the Bridge" refers to the bridge from the Place de la Concorde, which Sylvie and her mother are crossing in order to "frank" (to mark a letter, package, etc. for transmission free of the usual charge, by virtue of official or special privilege; send free of charge, as mail.--had to look that one up) the envelopes to her wedding invitations.  When Sylvie reveals to her mother that she is in love with another man, her mother chucks the whole lot of the invitations over the bridge.

"I watched the envelopes fall in a slow shower and land on the dark water and float apart. Strangers leaned on the parapet and stared, too, but nobody spoke."

It turns out that the man she does fancy herself in love with she actually met only once and thereafter formed a sort of epistolary friendship with.  Her father writes to the man (after canceling the wedding), but the man denies any romantic involvement:

"Bernard was ready to swear in court (should a lawsuit be among my father's insane intentions) that he had taken no risks and never dropped his guard with an unclaimed young person, encountered in a public park.  (My parents were puzzled by "unclaimed".  I had to explain that I used to take off my engagement ring and carry it loose in a pocket.  They asked why.  I could not remember.)"

What Sylvie must decide is whether to go back to her old fiance (if he'll have her) and lead a conventional life (well, perhaps I think it sounds like a conventional life).  At one point in the story her mother persuades her to get her hair cut, so she would not look so young.  I like her reaction to the end result:

"I felt nothing but the desire for a life to match my changed appearance.  It was a longing more passionate and mysterious than any sort of love.  My role could not be played by another person.  All I had to do now was wait for my true life to reveal itself and the other players to let me in."

She is an excellent writer, there's even a subtle humor to this story.  "Across the Bridge" was well written and finely crafted.  I get the impression from what I've read about her that Mavis Gallant is one of those hidden gems of a writer.  She is most deservedly worthy of wider attention amongst general readers.

Breath of Corruption

Caro Fraser's Breath of Corruption was just what I needed to start off my vacation--a quick, entertaining read.  I didn't know that a novel featuring members of the British legal profession could be so smart and sexy, but it was both.  This is the seventh in a series of novels about a group of London barristers and their families, friends and lovers.  Now my question--are barristers the equivalent to American lawyers?  I'll have to do a little research into that question.

Once again I've jumped in on a series on the tail end rather than starting at the beginning, but that didn't seem to affect any enjoyment of the story.  I suspect it is nice to have all the back story and know where the relationships began, but I am also under the impression that there are also a few new characters in this particular installment.  The story revolves mainly around Leo Davies the head of Chambers at 5 Caper Court.  He's 40-ish, handsome, very intelligent and attracts lovers of both male and female persuasion.  He's also divorced (and not particularly amicably it would seem) and has a small son.  Around him orbits a cast of characters--fellow colleagues at the chambers, a gorgeous girlfriend, her annoying younger half-sister, his ex-wife, and a few unsavory individuals he'd rather not have any dealings with.

Breath of Corruption is a blend of drama and farce presented in a witty manner.  At the outset of the story Leo's life seems simple enough.  The usual case load at work, an encounter with an old friend and the promise of a new relationship with a model.  But when Leo discovers a fishy invoice amongst his papers things start to go awry.  When he begins questioning it, he has a run in with a Ukrainian thug.  Not only that but his girlfriend's younger sister has set him in her sights romantically.  After a series of mishaps and misunderstandings his world seems to crumble around him.  Besides his personal problems it's havoc at work as well.  The usual bickering amongst colleagues turns nasty when a little illegal snooping uncovers some very unprofessional behavior by another member of the chamber.  There is a lot to work out in this story, but Fraser does it with panache.

I really enjoyed Breath of Corruption, and I've already got the first novel in the series, The Pupil, lined up to read, so I can see where it all started.  Used copies of the earlier books seem readily available here in the US (I've got the second and third coming already as well).  Many thanks to Caro Fraser for passing along a copy of her new novel to me.  I'm looking forward to more adventures with Leo and his fellow barristers.