Battle of Waterloo

Who knew, not me, that there was so much information about the battle of Waterloo and surrounding areas in the book Les Miserables. I am part two of the book entitled Cosette and the first book in this section is entitled Waterloo. It is about 45 pages long going into detail about the battlefield and the plans of Napoleon, number of people who died, etc.  Anyway,not sure where this is going, being that Cosette was born about two years after this battle. I guess if you want to study the battle of Waterloo, then I would also look at this section in the book. Makes me want to find it.

Historians there are monuments including the place mentioned in Les Miserables called Hougemont. In fact on the website for this and other monuments in the area, is a notation about the fact that there are two chapters in Les Miserables that mention this battle. So new things to learn everyday.

Les Miserables a beginning.

I have started the book, Les Miserables, and I realized that my French teacher back in high school, only had us read the parts about Jean Valjean in class. I have seen the movie and we were given the general gist of the book in class, but there is a so much backstory that we did not read in class. Anyway, I am at the pass the part where Fantine has given her daughter to people she thought she could trust and back with Jean Valjean being the benefactor for the M and M district. Though they have not said that it is Jean because he did not show his papers when he was being a hero. Though it is inferred by the way he was dressed and his desire not to be given titles.

I love getting the backstory and can put things in better perspective. I liked the movie but I did not realize how Fantine became with child and what drove her to leave her child with the Thenardiers. Where did the young men and women go that were with Fantine in the book, but I do not recall those scenes in the movie. Anyway, still lots to read.

Where have I been? How many books got read?

I hate to say I was out of country without access to the internet, but unfortunately that is exactly what happened on my trip. It was truly horrifying to be out of touch. While I was away I did read a book and got further into Les Miserables. Here are the books that I read:

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall. This book was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House Company. This is a non-fiction book about the friendship that developed between Carol Wall and her gardener Mister Owita. He helps her look at life a little differently, she is up against cancer and quite frankly scared, which makes her defensive.

This was a good book but brought me back to my days of fighting cancer, we had a different view of people helping. I eventually accepted help and relied on my friends and family to get me through, and I did have days of doubt, but I prayed through these times. However, her cancer was certainly more pronounced due to her history.

A good book, but I caution you if you have cancer depending on your mindset this may help you, but there is the possibility it may make you sad.

The Game: A Mary Russell Novel by Laurie R. King, published in 2010 by Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks. It has a copyright 2004. If you like Sherlock Holmes you will like this book series. The series starts with The Beekeepers Apprentice, where we first meet Mary Russell. The author starts our book by saying she has found or received a set of letters and notebooks written by Mary Russell that the author is putting to print. The book I just read is the 7th book in the series, which sends us on an adventure in India. What I thought was funny was Holmes and Russell set off on their adventure on a ship heading to India, why funny is that I was on a ship and some of Miss Russell's thoughts were exactly what I was feeling at the moment. Nice adventure, especially if you are on one.

The Uninvited Ghost by EJ Cooperman, published by the Berkley Prime Crime Books, 2011. This is the second in a series based on a woman and daughter by a home to turn into a seaside retreat. Unfortunately the house is haunted by a couple of ghosts who had been murdered in the house. One is a detective who was trying to help the previous owner find out who was threatening her. The other, of course,  is the previous owner. We find out the daughter can see them, mom cannot, until an accident gives her the ability to see and speak to them. She solves the murder and this brings us to the second book, in which a ghost at another house has been commissioned to scare and older woman. He is blind and thinks he has killed her, so he goes to see his the ghosts at the seaside retreat to help him find out if he actually killed someone. Interesting book and a very fast read.

Next in line

Finishing Don Quixote left me with mixed emotions, but now I can immerse myself in Les Miserables. In addition, I still have to work on The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing and In Search of Lost Time by Proust. Then maybe if I feel I can tackle The Ambassadors again, I will be finished.

Book Club: I will review a book called Three Wishes, by Liane Moriarty, tomorrow. I will be reading Mr. Owita's Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall, for February.

After I finish the 100 books I will have to decide what else I want to do- continue this blog or start a new one. It has been fun to write down my thoughts about books, but I need to challenge myself. I could make my own list of 100 books to read, hmm. I will think about it as I have several books to complete before making my final decision.

Happy Reading
       

IT IS DONE: Review of DON QUIXOTE

I have finally finished the book DON QUIXOTE, written by Miguel de Cervantes in the early 1600's. I started out reading this in book form, but jumped to my Kindle to finish, since I had to return the book back to the library. As I was reading the book I asked myself the question who had time to read or write such a lengthy book. But then I remembered we are talking about the 1600's. What we know about the writer according to BIO, is that he was wounded in battle with the Turks, who come up on several occasions in this book. Also, that he was imprisoned for 5 years before being ransomed out. Again, this theme appears several times in this book.

I think about what we do today that keeps us from reading and exploring. We have so many connections through electronics that we tend to keep busy playing on computers and phones,instead of exploring the world or reading about adventures. Through history we have the production of newspapers and magazines, but then we added radio, television, and a myriad of electronic devices  Who has time to sit and read a thousand page book? I found it to be a great difficulty to read, as I had many other things to do. I forced myself to finish because it deserved to be finished.

How would I rate this book, 5 stars, because I have to consider the time, the tumult and the life of Cervantes. I think that he certainly had a sense of humor, especially when he talks of burning books, except those he had written. Or when he introduces us to Sancho an unlikely companion to Don Quixote, who imparts to us several words of wisdom throughout his time with the knight-errant. As you read you will come across a few phrases that we still us in modern times, one saying is " the proof of the pudding is in the eating", which many times gets translated into the 'proof is in the pudding."

I enjoyed this book, but it was again too long form me to finish in the original time I had allotted to this book. Though I said I was tired of the adventures in my last blog, now I will miss the characters. In effect, I read two books. The first part was written around 1605, though I have seen some say 1602, the second part was written about ten years later. Probably at the insistence of friends and families and publishers. Or as may be alluded to in the second book, that people were making up Don Quixote adventures and trying to sell them.

If you have the time, it is well worth the read.

Tired of Don Quixote

I am so tired of reading about these adventures and having my computer trying constantly to reboot, that I have stopped reading for a bit. I promise that it will be finished soon, but I started reading Les Miserables just keep going on the 100 and catch a breather from the Don. I have some down time coming up, so I will be able to read more prolifically, I have spent way to much time reading Don Quixote. Anyway, thought I would just catch you up on my status.

Also will blog about another book I am reading for book club, called the Three Wishes. I am going to wait to hear what my book club friends say, it was unique.

Happy reading.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It is often said that when life gives you lemons make lemonade, this is very true in Don Quixote because it seems that he and Sancho have found themselves swimming in lemons and still manage to get out of there predicament.

I am watching a series called the EXPANSE,  and in this series are some direct references to Don Quixote that I find very interesting. The character James Holden has named the Martian ship Rocinante, which makes me rethink who the Don Quixote reference is: Is it James Holden who is finds himself in situations that he put himself in by responding to a distress call. Or is it Miller who is trying to save a girl who disappeared, he is mesmerized by her, and she is not whom she seems to be. So a very interesting contrast as I finish reading Don Quixote.


I hope you all had a great holiday and find yourself on fun adventures.