The Seance - John Harwood

I've been seriously NEEDING to read this book ever since I heard about it from Jackie and Simon. I loved The Ghost Writer, also written by Harwood, and I needed some spooky reads for my RIP reading challenge as well.

The book opens in 1889 with an introduction to Constance Langton, a teenage girl who, probably because of her distant relationship with her parents, has always imagined herself to be adopted. After her parents die, she inherits a crumbling old Gothic mansion from a relative she never knew she had. She is warned by the family's lawyer to stay away from the hall, as it has been associated with deadly accidents, mysterious disappearances, and rumors of ghost sightings. She would be better off to sell it and move on. But Constance is a headstrong girl, and persists in exploring the history of her long-lost ancestors, and eventually receives from the lawyer several diaries with clues to the hall's sordid past. Has she found the key to determining her suspected parentage? Have there really been disappearances associated with lightning and a suit of armor? Are all the ancestors really dead? Are there malevolent spirits at work, and can they be summoned through a seance? In order to solve the riddle of her own ancestry, she must also find the answers to these questions.

I had a tough time getting traction with this book until about halfway through. (I am prepared to accept full responsibility, and blame it on real life distractions.) This isn't a long book, only a little over 300 pages, but it took me about a week to read. With that said, I did enjoy it. Atmospheric down to the last word, this is a book that could have been written in the Victorian era by Wilkie Collins himself. Every nuance screams "sensationalist". So if this is your genre, you must add this one to your list. I can't say that it was all that scary, but it certainly was creepy and spun an intriguing mystery. The mystery, however, was dispelled fairly abruptly, over the last 50 pages or so, which I think took away some of the aura of the book. On the other hand, with these mysteries solved, Constance finally gets the answers for which she has always yearned.

I wanted to share the following video with you, which features Harwood talking about The Seance, his inspirations for the characters in the book, and his love of Victorian mysteries. (Rest assured - no spoilers.) It is a little over 5 minutes long, but it is worth it. Take a look:





4 out of 5 stars

Rebecca Read Along - Week 2 Discussion

Welcome back again to Week 2 of the Rebecca Read-Along! Our goal was to have finished the book by this week. If you are running behind, no worries. We have no deadlines here at my house...we are a happy, laid-back group! (For my brief summary of the book, and discussion on the first half of the novel, click here.) Just as a reminder, here are my friends that are joining in the read-along. You can answer the questions in comment, or link to your own post:

Michele @ Reader's Respite
Carrie @ Books and Movies
Jackie @ Farm Lane Books
Frances @ Nonsuch Book
Molly @ The Bumbles
Donna @ From Little Acorns
Another Cookie Crumbles
Alice Teh @ Hello My Name is Alice
Heidenkind's Hideaway
Susan @ Bear Swamp Reflections
April @ Good Books & Good Wine

ds @ Third-Storey Window

Kaye @ Pudgy Penguin Perusals

Kathleen @ Boarding in My Forties

Amy @ The House of Seven Tails

Paperback Reader

So how are you all feeling now, after finishing this roller-coaster ride? Personally, I was completely enamoured with this book. It reminded me of a recent meme question (Booking Through Thursdays I think!) about the most fun you've ever had reading a book. This was FUN, people. All out, heart-pounding, reading-until-the-wee-hours, top-10-books-of-all-time kind of fun. So to explore the last half of the book, where the action really gets rolling, here are some questions (spoilers occur - beware!):

1. There is a drastic change in the second Mrs. de Winter (whom I will call DW2 from hereon) mid-way through the book. Talk about what caused the transformation. How did you feel about DW2 after this happened?

DW2 grew up quickly after being played a fool by Mrs. Danvers at the ball. (OK let's all admit it...we knew what was going to happen, didn't we? You could see it coming a mile away, so shame on her.) That, combined with the discovery of Rebecca's boat on the ocean floor, gave DW2 an edge of maturity almost overnight. She was no longer intimidated by Mrs. Danvers! She began running the house with a firm hand! SHE EDITED A MENU! I thought it was quite refreshing! Nice to see the girl grow a pair! I fear, however, that down the road, this change in personality may be the marriage's undoing.

2. Although it was not explicitly discussed, what do you think was the true nature of the relationship between Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers?

I recall a scene when Mrs. Danvers was putting ALL the men in their place by telling them how Rebecca sneered at each and every one of them behind their backs, informing them that they had all been used. That is when it came into focus for me. I believe Mrs. Danvers was not only loyal to Rebecca, but was in love with her. Rebecca knew this, of course, and being the user that she was, manipulated Mrs. Danvers' emotions accordingly. The servant's emotions were way too intense for it to be any other way.


3. In the discussion questions last week, I asked how you felt about Maxim de Winter. Has your opinion changed? Why?

Once Maxim confessed his wrong-doings to DW2, he certainly did an about face in the personality department, didn't he? All of the sudden, he was loving towards DW2, physically and emotionally affectionate...all those things DW2 just knew would happen at some point. See, thing is, I'm not buying what he's selling. The bastard was just scared, and needed someone to cling to. So while I disliked the moody bi-polar Maxim in the first half of the book, this one really got my dander up. Not only that, but I started to question his ability to control his homicidal tendencies. I'm not sure I'd have turned MY back to him after that.


4. Were you satisfied with the ending? Did you have closure? Did you have to go back and re-read the beginning?

My mom (who just listened to this book on audio) and I discussed the ending recently, and she was not satisfied. She likes her endings wrapped up nicely, with a red bow on top, as many do. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised. No, there is no finality, no summary telling us what happened to all the characters, with a happily-ever-after flourish. But there is cosmic karma, just deserts, payback hell...whatever you want to call it. I like that. And the loose ends were long enough that I could grasp them and have some fun weaving my own ending.

I did have to go back and re-read the first chapter again. It helped me solidify the answer to the next question...

5. If you could write the sequel to this book, how would you envision the lives of Maxim and DW2 after the story's end? Do you think they'll be happy together?

I don't think their life after Manderley was a happy one. Maxim hinted at his discontent at the "new" DW2, the jaded one. I believe his initial attraction to DW2 was her innocence and childlike qualities, which were the antithesis to Rebecca. Once she lost that, the appeal would be gone. When you re-read the beginning, it seems he has completely shut down, and she still lives half of her life through her fantasies and imagination, fawning over what once was.

6. How would you classify this novel? Love story? Ghost story? Tragedy? Murder mystery? Some have called "Rebecca" one of the greatest gothic romances of all time. Do you agree?

I would classify this story as a gothic murder mystery. It isn't a ghost story per se, although Manderley is shrouded with the memory of Rebecca. I'm not sure if I'd call it a romance, because in my mind, there isn't much of that going on except in DW2's mind.

**********
There is an interesting thing that happens to me in these read-alongs. Opinions and ideas bubble to the surface as I answer my own questions. I don't always know the answer when I sit down to write. For example, I had not realized how much I didn't like Maxim until I started really thinking about it.

When I read back through my answers last week and this week, it seems that I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, so you would conclude that I didn't like the book, right? But no! I LOVED this book. Despite the characters' flaws, they seemed very real to me. The mystery and intrigue was unspooled expertly, and kept me on the edge of my chair. Du Maurier was brilliant. When I read Wuthering Heights, for example, I loathed every character, and thought the story was a trainwreck. I did not have fun reading that one. Big difference between the two, in my opinion. Now I can't wait to dive into My Cousin Rachel...


Rating?

5 out of 5 stars

Wordless Wednesday - Zakopane #2

Taken outside our cabin in Zakopane Poland, looking towards the "sleeping knight". If you look closely, it looks like the profile of a man lying on his back.

For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, click here.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls (audio)

There haven't been many times when I can say that a book turned me into a bi-polar maniac with homicidal tendencies. But it happened with this one. One minute, I felt an uncontrollable rage down in my gut, to the point I was ready to unleash the beast on anyone who crossed me, and the next minute I was laughing. Most of you are nodding your heads, because I am close to the last person on earth who has experienced this wonderful biography "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls.

To the casual passer-by, Jeannette Walls is a beautiful, statuesque red-head, an accomplished journalist who has worked for MSNBC.com among other news agencies. But for those who have read her life story, she is truly a study in the tenacity of human spirit, determination and good old-fashioned hard work. It is all of these things, and by the grace of God, that this woman is where she is today.

Let's just start with Jeanette's colorful parents. Her mother can only be described as a flighty, eccentric, irresponsible flower child. A woman who feels her true calling in life is to be an artist, food and bills be damned. A woman who would rather have an adventure than worry about having a permanent home, distrusts authority and loathes order. A woman who would rather keep some land in Texas in the family than cashing in a making millions. Jeannette's father is a life-loving drunk. He is incredibly gifted and intelligent, has dreams of making it big, but has a hard time holding down a job for more than a month or two. It is always somebody else's fault, you see. THE MAN is dragging him down.

So Jeanette and her three siblings are often left to fend for themselves. At three, Jeannette had grown skilled at making hot dogs for the other children when they get hungry, until she catches her dress on fire and ends up in the hospital with third-degree burns. They never stayed in one place long, often living in their car. While the children eat margarine to survive, their father spends his take-home pay on booze and cigarettes, while their mother paints the next masterpiece, or wanders off to "find herself". These children learn early that they can't get attached to a pet, a toy or even a rock collection. Their father may have to escape authorities and leave town on a moment's notice.

When Jeanette is pubescent age, the family travels from Arizona to West Virgina to stay with her father's family. They soon discover that not only is Grandma a pedophile, but Uncle is too. When Uncle tries to molest Jeannette, Mom just tells her that they need to feel sympathy for him because he is lonely. Jeanette's father uses her to captivate low-lifes in various bars to make it easier to swindle them for a few bucks in a pool game. As the children get older and realize their only hope is to escape to New York, and save all of their money for over a year to make the dream come true, dear old dad breaks their piggy bank and takes everything to buy booze. At this point, I was ready to fly into a rage and claw Dad's eyes out. This is wrong in so many ways!

But how can I continue to feel this way, when at the same time, Dad "gives" each kid a star in the sky for Christmas? Takes Jeanette on a honest-to-goodness demon hunt to make sure it doesn't get her at night? Promises to build them all a glass castle that they will all live in and be happy ever after? Even once Jeannette does move to New York and make it on her own, she continues to love her mom and dad, even though they are basically homeless and get their food from a dumpster.

While all of this sounds like the world's biggest downer, it isn't. Walls' voice is matter-of-fact, unencumbered and very untainted, despite everything she has seen. She keeps her humor, even in the darkest of times. Throughout her life, she was always her father's number one supporter, believing in him to the very end.

The narrator of this audio, Julia Gibson, gives a phenomenal performance. She captures Walls' essence, with a little backwoods twang and a little childlike innocence. Listening to her voice is like enjoying a healthy slice of cheesecake for dessert. Never once did I check my watch, or feel that I had to force myself through a chapter. It was effortless listening from beginning to end.

Serendipitously, I just received the latest EW and found a book review of Walls' latest published work, Half Broke Horses, about her grandmother. I doubt that Ms. Walls will ever be short of material to write about. May this book be just as successful, as uplifting, and as inspirational as her first.

5 out of 5 stars

Fall Festival Recipe Exchange: Wild Rice Dressing

Amy @ My Friend Amy has done it again! Do you suppose after the wrap-up of BBAW, she got bored and decided it was time for all of to get back together again? This time, it is in the name of FOOD!

Today we are all exchanging our favorite fall recipes in the Fall Festival Recipe Exchange. In all parts of the country besides Florida (don't get me started), the leaves are starting to turn and there is a chill in air. It is the perfect time to start making hot drinks, soups, and comfort food.

My recipe is a favorite of ours that we make at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Personally, I've always hated the typical dressing...too much bread. This dressing is unlike anything else you've tried. We always make two batches...one with oysters (for my husband and my dad) and one without. I have no idea where the recipe originated. All I know is that its scribbled on a little slip of paper in my husband's handwriting!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wild rice
• 1/2 pound pork sausage
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 3 TBL chopped parsley
• salt
• ground black pepper
• paprika
• 1 pint oysters, quartered, with liquid reserved (optional)
  

Cook rice for 40 minutes. Drain and place in a shallow pan. Put in 275 degree oven to dry out for a few minutes. Saute pork over medium heat. Drain the pork, leaving a couple of tablespoons of grease. Saute onions and celery. Add oyster liquid and oysters if applicable. Cook 7 to 10 minutes. Drain in colander. Combine all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Monday Movie Meme - True Romance

Today's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles revolves around our favorite romantic movie. (Notice I said favorite, singular?). When I started thinking about this task, I just shook my head. How to decide only one? There are so many wonderful romantic moments out there...When Harry Met Sally? Titanic? Gone With the Wind? The Notebook? Dirty Dancing? Moulin Rouge? But at the end of the day, I decided that the answer lay in the numbers. There must be something to it, when I've seen a movie no less than thirty times and can recite the lines word for word. That would be...


An Officer and a Gentleman

Ah yes, Richard Gere. So many ugly things have been said about him over the years, but you really can't take anything away from him here. I fell in love with him in this movie. A movie about a wise-acre punk who learns about friendship, love and honor. But enough about that, what about that final scene when he confidently strides into the dismal, dark factory in his white Navy uniform and whisks Paula off her feet and carries her out to a happier life, while her friend is screaming "way to go Paula, way to go!". Be still my heart. There were times when this fantasy got me through a workday.

How easy would it be for you to pick your favorite romantic movie? Did one immediately come to mind? Please share!

The Sunday Salon: The heat is on

The theme for this week was HEAT. All records have been knocked out of the park down here in Florida...it has been the hottest week in 100 years. I tend to "glow" with less effort than the next person, so this weather anomaly encouraged my inner slug.

Which was bad timing, since I just signed up for Trish's 100 Mile Fitness Challenge. Simply walk 100 miles between October 1st and December 31st. Walking and running count mile-for-mile. 15 minutes of other exercise is equivalent to 1 mile. I racked up 14 miles, despite the soul-crushing heat. Perhaps this will motivate me into a healthier state-of-mind. My psyche seems to care when I am accountable to others for my actions.

I was able to join my golf league on Thursday for the first time this season. (Season starts in September, but I was otherwise occupied with the Book Fair.) It is kind of hard to putt, however, when sweat is dripping off your nose. We all came crawling in for lunch looking and acting like drowned rats.

I had a fairly productive reading week. On the printed book front, I finished The Seance by John Harwood, as well as The Uninvited (my book club selection for next week) by Steven LaChance. I've started Feathers, my second Jaqueline Woodson read, with Lena coming in close behind. I was able to finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on audio...which was FABULOUS. That is probably the best crime thriller I've read this year. I started The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm a little nervous about this one, since I've read some good reactions and bad ones. I was extremely disappointed to learn that the brilliant narrator for Shadow of the Wind did not come back to do justice to its sequel, but can't take anything away from the one doing the work. The kids and I are also closing in on the final discs of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Here's an exciting news flash. For all of you that have been following me for awhile, you are well aware that I am Connie May Fowler's number one fan. (Makes me sound slightly creepy.) Well, I've now gotten two (count them!) e-mails from her. She is working on a new book that is due out next April, and I'm hoping I'll get a sneak peek. Once she gets the new book published and on its way to all of our anxious, hot little hands, I'm going to have her as my guest on You've GOTTA Read This. I am one excited blogger, guys. This lady is an inspiration.

I'm not sure what I said last week to imply that I'd been sick, but there were a few comments to that effect. I was actually healthy as a horse last week. I can't say that this week though. My son and I both came down with the crud a couple of days ago, and we are fighting through it. I'm hoping that if I ignore it, it will go away and leave me alone. I've got some walking to do!