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Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952-1964 (Concord Library)
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
1
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
1
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon:
You don't have to have read any of Rachel Carson's books in order to fully appreciate the letters she wrote to her best friend. These letters (nearly 3/4 written by Rachel) show the love and intensity of her friendship with Dorothy Freeman; they offer a glimpse of what life was like in the 1950s and 1960s - particularly the world of publishing and environmentalism; they show her fear and courage during her fight with breast cancer. She doesn't go into much detail about the writing process she went through with "Silent Spring," but it's clear that the fact that she wrote it and published it at all is something close to a miracle. Her fight against breast cancer would be an inspiration to anyone. Even with everything that goes on within these letters, what is paramount is her love for Dorothy. Few of Dorothy's letters were saved, but the few that were included in the book show why she and Rachel were such good friends. These letters bring to life many emotions: fear, grief, euphoria, anticipation, dread, anger, confusion, apprehension, appreciation and love.
This book is a narrative of what friendship should be.
Also, the footnotes are absolutely wonderful! Instead of being at the back of the book or at the end of the letters, they are in the margins - so there's no inconvenient flipping back and forth. It's a small detail, but it was one I really appreciated.
You don't have to have read any of Rachel Carson's books in order to fully appreciate the letters she wrote to her best friend. These letters (nearly 3/4 written by Rachel) show the love and intensity of her friendship with Dorothy Freeman; they offer a glimpse of what life was like in the 1950s and 1960s - particularly the world of publishing and environmentalism; they show her fear and courage during her fight with breast cancer. She doesn't go into much detail about the writing process she went through with "Silent Spring," but it's clear that the fact that she wrote it and published it at all is something close to a miracle. Her fight against breast cancer would be an inspiration to anyone. Even with everything that goes on within these letters, what is paramount is her love for Dorothy. Few of Dorothy's letters were saved, but the few that were included in the book show why she and Rachel were such good friends. These letters bring to life many emotions: fear, grief, euphoria, anticipation, dread, anger, confusion, apprehension, appreciation and love.
This book is a narrative of what friendship should be.
Also, the footnotes are absolutely wonderful! Instead of being at the back of the book or at the end of the letters, they are in the margins - so there's no inconvenient flipping back and forth. It's a small detail, but it was one I really appreciated.
Review Date: 1/20/2011
This book really is "compulsively readable." I had a difficult time putting it down for long. It's a very dense book - chock full of lots of interesting information. If you read this and "The Other Mrs. Kennedy," it is really interesting to note what information didn't make it into "America's Queen" but was added as an aside in Ethel's biography.
America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
11
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
11
Review Date: 5/24/2019
This is the book that sparked my love of women's history when I was just starting to try to figure out what direction I wanted to go in. The bibliography is beyond phenomenal and worth getting the book alone.
Review Date: 11/13/2010
This is the review I wrote for Amazon:
I give this book four stars because I honestly do not like Anne Sexton as a person - or as a poet really. I was very curious about her so I read Anne Sexton: A Biography and found that I didn't care for her as a person. I then read Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton and found that I really disliked her (it could be I'm biased because my own mother was mentally ill ...). So ... having said this, why did I feel the need to read her letters?? I LOVE reading women's letters. I suppose I was hoping I might like her after all after having read her correspondence to people she cared about. I was wrong.
I found it annoying that she stumbled upon poetry and suddenly she knows what it's like to be a poet. In her earlier letters, she is constantly apologizing for the incoherentness of her manic letters - and finally ends the letter a page and a half later. It's interesting that she felt harassed by so many people sending her poems and asking for her input and critiques/criticisms and yet throughout her life, she was constantly sending her poems to others asking for their feedback.
What I really appreciated about these letters is that there really is no need to have read a biography on Anne Sexton in order to enjoy them; it would definitely help, but the editors did such a thorough job in the editing process that they were kind enough to fill in gaps between letters, even going so far as to explain who Anne was responding to and why.
While I didn't enjoy these as much as other letters, they are unique and obviously they are appreciated by many people. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend this book to many people, but I wouldn't exactly try to keep anyone from reading it either.
I give this book four stars because I honestly do not like Anne Sexton as a person - or as a poet really. I was very curious about her so I read Anne Sexton: A Biography and found that I didn't care for her as a person. I then read Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton and found that I really disliked her (it could be I'm biased because my own mother was mentally ill ...). So ... having said this, why did I feel the need to read her letters?? I LOVE reading women's letters. I suppose I was hoping I might like her after all after having read her correspondence to people she cared about. I was wrong.
I found it annoying that she stumbled upon poetry and suddenly she knows what it's like to be a poet. In her earlier letters, she is constantly apologizing for the incoherentness of her manic letters - and finally ends the letter a page and a half later. It's interesting that she felt harassed by so many people sending her poems and asking for her input and critiques/criticisms and yet throughout her life, she was constantly sending her poems to others asking for their feedback.
What I really appreciated about these letters is that there really is no need to have read a biography on Anne Sexton in order to enjoy them; it would definitely help, but the editors did such a thorough job in the editing process that they were kind enough to fill in gaps between letters, even going so far as to explain who Anne was responding to and why.
While I didn't enjoy these as much as other letters, they are unique and obviously they are appreciated by many people. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend this book to many people, but I wouldn't exactly try to keep anyone from reading it either.
Review Date: 5/12/2015
I was disappointed with this biography. I felt it was around 3/5 what was already written in the Brandens' memoir and biography; 1/5 synopses of her fiction and their public/critical receptions; 1/5 information that was new to me.
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon:
This book sparked my love of reading letters and diaries. It is a wonderful compilation of letters written between mothers and daughters that spans 232 years (no e-mails in this book). Letters range from everyday occurrences to issues that are relatively unique to that period (such as abortion). The relationships between these mothers and daughters (some well known, others unknown to anyone except the editor) ranges from friendships to antagonistic. It's hard to really describe this book because of the range of these letters. Many letters are anonymous, some do not come with responses, and some sections are devoted to one mother and daughter writing to each other back and forth. When the author of these letters is known, a brief biography is given to shed some light on who the woman was who wrote a letter. Except for some well known American women, most of the women compiled here are from England, some from elsewhere. This book mainly focuses on emotions and not events, but it's a fantastic glimpse into the lives of mothers and daughters spanning a couple of hundred years.
This book sparked my love of reading letters and diaries. It is a wonderful compilation of letters written between mothers and daughters that spans 232 years (no e-mails in this book). Letters range from everyday occurrences to issues that are relatively unique to that period (such as abortion). The relationships between these mothers and daughters (some well known, others unknown to anyone except the editor) ranges from friendships to antagonistic. It's hard to really describe this book because of the range of these letters. Many letters are anonymous, some do not come with responses, and some sections are devoted to one mother and daughter writing to each other back and forth. When the author of these letters is known, a brief biography is given to shed some light on who the woman was who wrote a letter. Except for some well known American women, most of the women compiled here are from England, some from elsewhere. This book mainly focuses on emotions and not events, but it's a fantastic glimpse into the lives of mothers and daughters spanning a couple of hundred years.
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon:
I hadn't read much of the book before I thought that this book went into what Mary Roach's Stiff did not go into - exactly where cadavers come from. And this is exactly what the book is about - it is not about how useful and valuable cadavers are to medicine (read "Stiff" if that's what you're looking for) and it is not telling people NOT to donate their bodies. This book simply illuminates how/where a fair percentage of bodies and parts come to be part of medical science - she is not saying that this is where ALL of the bodies and parts come from. She is merely letting us know that a lot of people who donate their bodies are mislead - if not blatantly lied to - about how their bodies are used; they are especially misled when their donated bodies are capable of turning a nice profit where it was thought no profit would be made. Because people are so concerned about their bodies after death, this is a very valid piece of journalism. It also lets people know that there is a possibility their bodies could very well be harvested without their loved one's knowledge or consent.
While this book was very informative I felt it read more like a crime novel or a true crime book (depends on the author in comparison). This book was more true crime readable than expose readable. I wouldn't call it a brilliant sample muck-racking but it was a pretty well thought out attempt that included plenty of primary sources.
I hadn't read much of the book before I thought that this book went into what Mary Roach's Stiff did not go into - exactly where cadavers come from. And this is exactly what the book is about - it is not about how useful and valuable cadavers are to medicine (read "Stiff" if that's what you're looking for) and it is not telling people NOT to donate their bodies. This book simply illuminates how/where a fair percentage of bodies and parts come to be part of medical science - she is not saying that this is where ALL of the bodies and parts come from. She is merely letting us know that a lot of people who donate their bodies are mislead - if not blatantly lied to - about how their bodies are used; they are especially misled when their donated bodies are capable of turning a nice profit where it was thought no profit would be made. Because people are so concerned about their bodies after death, this is a very valid piece of journalism. It also lets people know that there is a possibility their bodies could very well be harvested without their loved one's knowledge or consent.
While this book was very informative I felt it read more like a crime novel or a true crime book (depends on the author in comparison). This book was more true crime readable than expose readable. I wouldn't call it a brilliant sample muck-racking but it was a pretty well thought out attempt that included plenty of primary sources.
Review Date: 5/8/2018
It's difficult to dislike a memoir of this nature ... but I was expecting ... ... more. Based on the synopsis, I had thought a decent part of the book would have dealt with how her mother's suicide affected her into adulthood ... Instead, she spent roughly half of the book telling us about three - yes - 3 - generations of her family tree on both sides, which was elucidating, but not why I wanted to read the book. Any incite I had hoped to acquire was not found.
Review Date: 4/7/2024
I don't know how to rate this book ⦠If you have an extensive collection, you really don't need this. If you're starting your crochet journey, this is a great find! I just wish it had written as well as ⦠charts/graphs - whatever it's called (with all the symbols â¦).
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I really loved these letters!! They are fascinating to read and it's great to get a Brit's view of America because of her biting sense of humor. I found myself laughing at least once for most of these letters and was completely drawn into the world she was writing about. She writes about the writing process for most of her books and how her life was affected by the racism she encountered towards blacks. Thankfully, only a few of these letters appeared in "Letters Between Six Sisters." I would recommend this book to almost anyone.
Review Date: 1/6/2011
This is my review for Amazon:
These stories are not easy to read; they do not have happy endings and they will not give you a warm fuzzy feeling (well ... I suppose they could give some people a warm fuzzy feeling, if this type of subject matter is inclined to inspire such a feeling ...). If you happen to be a fan of Joyce Carol Oates' or Patricia Highsmith's short stories, you will most likely like Amber Lenore Winckler's stories because of the different types of grotesqueries she lays forth in each story. My only complaint is that there weren't more stories in this collection.
As for the stories themselves: they are all different and give the reader a refreshing new voice with each story. "The Distribution of Fluids" uses a cold, clinical, angry tone as Clara does her professional best with a body who deserves the unprofessional worst while remembering what her mother had told her about the abuses this woman inflicted upon her (the mother) and her siblings. "The Cat Lady" has a paranoid, dirty feel to it as the old woman sinks deeper and deeper into her mental illness (I personally wasn't too fond of the alien bit, but I felt A. L. W. wrote about this mental illness very well - in a not-over-the-top, factual manner). "The Blood (la sangre)" reads like the worst possible outcome for childhood trauma; Jessie inflicts depravities (usually consentual but often times coerced) upon younger men in a way to come to terms with what many would call an unusual addiction. This addiction was inspired by the childhood trauma and would eventually lead to his greatest griefs. I loved "Waste of Skin" ... I found it to be suspenseful and gripping because I had no clue what was going on and I couldn't wait to find out (I at first thought it was going to be "Saw" like in nature, and got a giggle when one of the trapped characters thought the same thing. It's nothing like any of the "Saw" movies). I can't write anymore without giving something away. "Fat" was difficult to read because it mostly colloquially written, but the premise was very interesting and disturbing.
I wouldn't call these horror stories, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who was squeamish. I hope Amber Lenore Winckler has another collection in the works ... hopefully she won't have as much trouble finding a publisher for the next one. If this happens to be your first A. L. W. experience, don't forget about her novels - "The Final Bath" and "Into the Hands of Strangers" :-)
These stories are not easy to read; they do not have happy endings and they will not give you a warm fuzzy feeling (well ... I suppose they could give some people a warm fuzzy feeling, if this type of subject matter is inclined to inspire such a feeling ...). If you happen to be a fan of Joyce Carol Oates' or Patricia Highsmith's short stories, you will most likely like Amber Lenore Winckler's stories because of the different types of grotesqueries she lays forth in each story. My only complaint is that there weren't more stories in this collection.
As for the stories themselves: they are all different and give the reader a refreshing new voice with each story. "The Distribution of Fluids" uses a cold, clinical, angry tone as Clara does her professional best with a body who deserves the unprofessional worst while remembering what her mother had told her about the abuses this woman inflicted upon her (the mother) and her siblings. "The Cat Lady" has a paranoid, dirty feel to it as the old woman sinks deeper and deeper into her mental illness (I personally wasn't too fond of the alien bit, but I felt A. L. W. wrote about this mental illness very well - in a not-over-the-top, factual manner). "The Blood (la sangre)" reads like the worst possible outcome for childhood trauma; Jessie inflicts depravities (usually consentual but often times coerced) upon younger men in a way to come to terms with what many would call an unusual addiction. This addiction was inspired by the childhood trauma and would eventually lead to his greatest griefs. I loved "Waste of Skin" ... I found it to be suspenseful and gripping because I had no clue what was going on and I couldn't wait to find out (I at first thought it was going to be "Saw" like in nature, and got a giggle when one of the trapped characters thought the same thing. It's nothing like any of the "Saw" movies). I can't write anymore without giving something away. "Fat" was difficult to read because it mostly colloquially written, but the premise was very interesting and disturbing.
I wouldn't call these horror stories, but I wouldn't recommend them to anyone who was squeamish. I hope Amber Lenore Winckler has another collection in the works ... hopefully she won't have as much trouble finding a publisher for the next one. If this happens to be your first A. L. W. experience, don't forget about her novels - "The Final Bath" and "Into the Hands of Strangers" :-)
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I was not impressed with this book at all. Although, I have to give Mr. Joyce credit for writing in such a way that kept me reading to the end - the real reason I continued to read was because I was Positive something would happen that would tell me I had indeed not wasted my time. No such luck. The premise was very interesting, the writing was relatively suspenseful (doesn't hold a candle to Patricia Highsmith, but then again, this was his first novel), but the ending was Horrible!! If you are a horror buff, be prepared to be disappointed. If you're a PG-13 type person, you'll probably like this.
Review Date: 12/5/2010
This is my review for Amazon:
I found this book to be very enjoyable. It was easy to read - no dryness, gory details that tripped up the narrative, or terminology that most people can't pronounce let alone know the meaning of. Although, I think that some knowledge of the death industry might be helpful in understanding this fictionalized memoir.
As with most of my other reviews, the plot has been synopsised so I'll just go over my personal reaction: I loved Louise's boundless optimism for the first several chapters of the book; instead of letting hurtles trip her, she just jumped higher. I'm sure that her personal experience has everything to do with it, but I admired the way she sympathetically wrote about her colleagues "burn out."
Maybe I'm just dense, but I didn't see any "spiritual awakening" (which is what the blurb on the back of the book mentioned). What I read into this journey is that she was managing to find a way to handle the emotional aspects of dealing with death and being around grieving people constantly. In the beginning, Lenore struck me as what might be considered a "typical mortician" - very clinical and not very caring. But towards the end, I found her to be more humanized.
This might not matter to most people, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I received the book (new, through Amazon - this won't apply if you buy it used), and saw that it was printed the day I ordered it. I'm sure this is purely fiscal in nature, but it's kind of nice knowing that they are printed on an as-needed basis.
I am really looking forward to reading her other books: Into the Hands of Strangers and The Distribution of Fluids
I found this book to be very enjoyable. It was easy to read - no dryness, gory details that tripped up the narrative, or terminology that most people can't pronounce let alone know the meaning of. Although, I think that some knowledge of the death industry might be helpful in understanding this fictionalized memoir.
As with most of my other reviews, the plot has been synopsised so I'll just go over my personal reaction: I loved Louise's boundless optimism for the first several chapters of the book; instead of letting hurtles trip her, she just jumped higher. I'm sure that her personal experience has everything to do with it, but I admired the way she sympathetically wrote about her colleagues "burn out."
Maybe I'm just dense, but I didn't see any "spiritual awakening" (which is what the blurb on the back of the book mentioned). What I read into this journey is that she was managing to find a way to handle the emotional aspects of dealing with death and being around grieving people constantly. In the beginning, Lenore struck me as what might be considered a "typical mortician" - very clinical and not very caring. But towards the end, I found her to be more humanized.
This might not matter to most people, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I received the book (new, through Amazon - this won't apply if you buy it used), and saw that it was printed the day I ordered it. I'm sure this is purely fiscal in nature, but it's kind of nice knowing that they are printed on an as-needed basis.
I am really looking forward to reading her other books: Into the Hands of Strangers and The Distribution of Fluids
Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
5
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
5
Review Date: 3/21/2011
I wrote this review for Amazon:
Honestly, this book isn't what I thought it would be. But I was enthralled nonetheless. Mr. Laufer is an admirable journalist. He takes a controversial subject and expresses multiple facets of the issue while remaining fair and relatively unbiased. I was very impressed with the way he presented the owners' stories because it would have been very easy to represent them as delusional and ignorant, if not downright stupid. But he told their stories in detail, free of judgment.
One reason I respected Mr. Laufer and enjoyed his book is that he went into this endeavor not knowing how he felt about the issue; he went into it wanting to understand other people's motives - the people who wanted to own exotic "pets," the ones who bred and sold them, and the ones who wanted to ban exotic pet ownership (as well as breeding, buying and selling, of course). He carefully weighed all sides, but the running theme was the desire to understand why people were compelled to share their homes with big cats, apes and long snakes.
He presented facts (many of which were fascinating), observations, opinions, and stories. I didn't feel that he was trying to sway his readers to one point of view or the other, which is refreshing.
Honestly, this book isn't what I thought it would be. But I was enthralled nonetheless. Mr. Laufer is an admirable journalist. He takes a controversial subject and expresses multiple facets of the issue while remaining fair and relatively unbiased. I was very impressed with the way he presented the owners' stories because it would have been very easy to represent them as delusional and ignorant, if not downright stupid. But he told their stories in detail, free of judgment.
One reason I respected Mr. Laufer and enjoyed his book is that he went into this endeavor not knowing how he felt about the issue; he went into it wanting to understand other people's motives - the people who wanted to own exotic "pets," the ones who bred and sold them, and the ones who wanted to ban exotic pet ownership (as well as breeding, buying and selling, of course). He carefully weighed all sides, but the running theme was the desire to understand why people were compelled to share their homes with big cats, apes and long snakes.
He presented facts (many of which were fascinating), observations, opinions, and stories. I didn't feel that he was trying to sway his readers to one point of view or the other, which is refreshing.
Review Date: 1/26/2014
I expected more from this book. While my eyes were opened to things that hadn't occurred to me (such as the part that nurses and secretaries played for instance), so much more could have been written without the repetition. I was so excited about this book and I felt like I got a generalized piece of history instead.
Review Date: 1/6/2011
This is my review for Amazon:
It is very obvious that ALW's writing has matured with this follow up to "The Final Bath." I found myself very engaged with the characters - to the point that I got annoyed whenever certain characters had the floor and wanted to back hand them because I wanted them to shut up. It's a very fine line to write obnoxious dialogue without annoying the reader (so I've found), and ALW succeeded admirably.
Food - consumption - is a running theme throughout the book. Right from the get go, I found myself hoping she'd stick to her diet and when she gave in and went to McDonald's I wished I was sitting next to her to give her encouragement and suggest we go to Subway instead. I appreciated her making the distinction between working in a mortuary and working at a medical examiner's office; it took a completely different type of coping mechanism dealing with freshly dead bodies as opposed to gussying them up for a viewing.
It's impossible not to root for Louise - even when she's being nasty and/or snappy with her family, I found her to be sympathetic simply because she was aware of how she was coming across but she seemed powerless to stop it. Thankfully, things get better and not worse, so I wasn't left wondering how such a person could be married with a child. Her work situation, on the other hand, was appalling. I really hope she was using her imagination in the telling of this part of the story.
Amber needs to write another novel already!! (Also - don't miss out on "The Distribution of Fluids" - fabulous stories!)
It is very obvious that ALW's writing has matured with this follow up to "The Final Bath." I found myself very engaged with the characters - to the point that I got annoyed whenever certain characters had the floor and wanted to back hand them because I wanted them to shut up. It's a very fine line to write obnoxious dialogue without annoying the reader (so I've found), and ALW succeeded admirably.
Food - consumption - is a running theme throughout the book. Right from the get go, I found myself hoping she'd stick to her diet and when she gave in and went to McDonald's I wished I was sitting next to her to give her encouragement and suggest we go to Subway instead. I appreciated her making the distinction between working in a mortuary and working at a medical examiner's office; it took a completely different type of coping mechanism dealing with freshly dead bodies as opposed to gussying them up for a viewing.
It's impossible not to root for Louise - even when she's being nasty and/or snappy with her family, I found her to be sympathetic simply because she was aware of how she was coming across but she seemed powerless to stop it. Thankfully, things get better and not worse, so I wasn't left wondering how such a person could be married with a child. Her work situation, on the other hand, was appalling. I really hope she was using her imagination in the telling of this part of the story.
Amber needs to write another novel already!! (Also - don't miss out on "The Distribution of Fluids" - fabulous stories!)
Review Date: 11/15/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon (a little lengthy, but I just could not shut up):
If I had nothing else to do but write, I would write constantly and would be what is known as 'prolific.' Which, of course, I wouldn't want." (pg. 74) I couldn't help but get a chuckle out of this because it is mindboggling the amount she produced during the decade this journal represents. I lost count, but she writes at least 6 or 7 novels, a couple of which weren't even published because of the "logjam" of manuscripts that her publisher had. And of course in between, she is writing stories, reviews, poetry and letters, in addition to the time and energy she put into her teaching, piano, and socializing. I also chuckled a bit when I read "Certainly there must be something 'queer,' there is something demonstrably 'queer,' about anyone who has written as much as I have ... and on the subjects I have chosen. This is a conclusion I wouldn't seriously challenge ... if I were someone else, someone at a distance." (pg. 380).
(I don't usually quote from books I review ... but the main reason I choose to do so now is because one reason it took me a while to take this off of the shelf and read it is that I was afraid it would be like some of her writings that I wasn't fond of. I was very happy to realize how consistent her journaling voice is and found that it was difficult to put down because of that.)
She writes on page 135: "In glancing through another's diary or journal one cannot help but be struck by the often mundane quality of the entries." A few pages later: "So a journal by its very nature is not representative of its author's life. It represents its author's thoughts - the process of thinking itself" ('thoughts' and 'thinking' are underlined) (pg. 138). And this pretty much sums up the journal's content. Greg Johnson stated that he edited out "family news, or academic gossip" and anything else that might have embarrassed living persons. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading these journals, I found myself wishing more had been included, even though I understood that due to space and time constraints, it wasn't possible.
The majority of the journal we are presented offer descriptions of her writing process and how she feels about her writing (this alone would have been worth buying the journal, in my opinion). She mentioned multiple times her passion and love for language. She asks herself questions and tries to answer them. (I got the idea that she might have been trying to come up with new things to ask her students and she was trying to come up with an answer herself before she posed the question to them.) She also devotes a lot of time and space to trying to figure out who this "Joyce Carol Oates" is and wonders why she can't just be "Joyce Smith." It's very interesting to learn how conflicted she is about the personas she presents to other people (her readers, her friends, family, interviewers, etc.), which leads her to wonder who the real Joyce is.
I am very glad I read this journal. I would recommend it to anyone who is passionate about reading and writing.
If I had nothing else to do but write, I would write constantly and would be what is known as 'prolific.' Which, of course, I wouldn't want." (pg. 74) I couldn't help but get a chuckle out of this because it is mindboggling the amount she produced during the decade this journal represents. I lost count, but she writes at least 6 or 7 novels, a couple of which weren't even published because of the "logjam" of manuscripts that her publisher had. And of course in between, she is writing stories, reviews, poetry and letters, in addition to the time and energy she put into her teaching, piano, and socializing. I also chuckled a bit when I read "Certainly there must be something 'queer,' there is something demonstrably 'queer,' about anyone who has written as much as I have ... and on the subjects I have chosen. This is a conclusion I wouldn't seriously challenge ... if I were someone else, someone at a distance." (pg. 380).
(I don't usually quote from books I review ... but the main reason I choose to do so now is because one reason it took me a while to take this off of the shelf and read it is that I was afraid it would be like some of her writings that I wasn't fond of. I was very happy to realize how consistent her journaling voice is and found that it was difficult to put down because of that.)
She writes on page 135: "In glancing through another's diary or journal one cannot help but be struck by the often mundane quality of the entries." A few pages later: "So a journal by its very nature is not representative of its author's life. It represents its author's thoughts - the process of thinking itself" ('thoughts' and 'thinking' are underlined) (pg. 138). And this pretty much sums up the journal's content. Greg Johnson stated that he edited out "family news, or academic gossip" and anything else that might have embarrassed living persons. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading these journals, I found myself wishing more had been included, even though I understood that due to space and time constraints, it wasn't possible.
The majority of the journal we are presented offer descriptions of her writing process and how she feels about her writing (this alone would have been worth buying the journal, in my opinion). She mentioned multiple times her passion and love for language. She asks herself questions and tries to answer them. (I got the idea that she might have been trying to come up with new things to ask her students and she was trying to come up with an answer herself before she posed the question to them.) She also devotes a lot of time and space to trying to figure out who this "Joyce Carol Oates" is and wonders why she can't just be "Joyce Smith." It's very interesting to learn how conflicted she is about the personas she presents to other people (her readers, her friends, family, interviewers, etc.), which leads her to wonder who the real Joyce is.
I am very glad I read this journal. I would recommend it to anyone who is passionate about reading and writing.
Review Date: 5/12/2015
I was surprised I enjoyed this book as much as I did and even found myself sympathizing with Branden. I liked that his book focuses on his life with AR (as the title states) primarily. [It's been a couple of years since I read Barbara's book, so I'm not sure how many differences there might be when it comes to their marriage and the affair.]
I actually plan on getting a few of his psychology books now.
I actually plan on getting a few of his psychology books now.
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon:
I actually had several of Isak Dinesen's works - "Out of Africa," her seven tales, and her book of letters. I hadn't seen the movie and I honestly wasn't even that interested in Africa or Danish people. But I'm fascinated by women's letters, and that is why I bought this book. I have read these letters and nothing else by her, to be quite honest, and these letters have inspired me to read more of her writings (once I stop finding other women's letters in book form to read).
I share all of the other reviewers' observations and feelings toward this book, so I won't repeat them. One thing I will add is that it is truly fascinating to read passages of her letters that have to deal with hunting game ... I don't know much about Africa or its colonizations, but if I recall, the colonizing didn't start until late in the 19th century - when "game" was more than plentiful. Even with this in mind, I couldn't help but be appalled when she recited the numbers of animals that were killed simply for sport. This bias aside, these letters made it easy to see how animals became endangered and extinct.
Obviously, there is more to the letters than hunting - otherwise I never would have read the entire book. Karen Blixen was obviously a very determined, passionate woman and this came through in her letters. Her voice and her descriptions of her life in Africa made these letters worth reading to someone who previously had no interest in the colonization of Africa.
I actually had several of Isak Dinesen's works - "Out of Africa," her seven tales, and her book of letters. I hadn't seen the movie and I honestly wasn't even that interested in Africa or Danish people. But I'm fascinated by women's letters, and that is why I bought this book. I have read these letters and nothing else by her, to be quite honest, and these letters have inspired me to read more of her writings (once I stop finding other women's letters in book form to read).
I share all of the other reviewers' observations and feelings toward this book, so I won't repeat them. One thing I will add is that it is truly fascinating to read passages of her letters that have to deal with hunting game ... I don't know much about Africa or its colonizations, but if I recall, the colonizing didn't start until late in the 19th century - when "game" was more than plentiful. Even with this in mind, I couldn't help but be appalled when she recited the numbers of animals that were killed simply for sport. This bias aside, these letters made it easy to see how animals became endangered and extinct.
Obviously, there is more to the letters than hunting - otherwise I never would have read the entire book. Karen Blixen was obviously a very determined, passionate woman and this came through in her letters. Her voice and her descriptions of her life in Africa made these letters worth reading to someone who previously had no interest in the colonization of Africa.
Review Date: 11/13/2010
I wrote this review for Amazon:
I am giving this book three stars because I don't recall ever being so frustrated while reading a book of letters. I've read a lot of books of letters by women I know little or nothing about and was able to read the letters without feeling completely in the dark. The first time I picked up this book, I gave up 100 pages in so I could read Simone de Beauvoir: A Biography in the hopes of not being so confused and to get a better feel for Simone's life. The footnotes offer very minimal biographical information - they detail people mentioned, directors of movies mentioned, and more often than not refer the reader to Simone's memoirs (which I have not read) rather than synopsize what the editor/translator, Quinton Hoare, has deigned to cut out. Even after reading the biography, I found myself getting irritated because of the near complete lack of biographical information. The letters end abruptly with one letter from 1963 with no explanation; even a simple "No letters were found after this date" would have sufficed.
I was also irritated because in the introduction, Quintin Hoare states that this translation "represents some two thirds of the French edition" because it "seemed preferable to leave out material overlapping with De Beauvoir's autobiographical volumes or, in particular, her book on the United States." Obviously the original editor of the French edition didn't feel the need to edit the letters in such a way so I'm curious to know why he took it upon himself to make so many cuts.
So - I really disliked the book itself, but I really enjoyed reading the letters. The letters are split up into six sections. The bulk of these letters - 274 pages - takes place between September 1939 and March 1941, when Sartre was mobilized for WWII and subsequently a prisoner of war. These read more like a journal than anything else because she wrote to Sartre daily and told him pretty much everything about what happened in her life on a sometimes hourly basis. The length of these letters and the details are phenomenal - it's as if nothing was too minute to mention. The next largest section - 84 pages - are the letters she wrote while she was in the America. I particularly enjoyed this section because I had previously read A Transatlantic Love Affair: Letters to Nelson Algren and was curious to know what happened during her trips to America and the time she spent with Nelson Algren - these letters filled in the gaps.
Having said all of that, I would strongly suggest reading a biography and/or her memoirs before reading these letters, otherwise you most likely not be able to appreciate them fully.
I am giving this book three stars because I don't recall ever being so frustrated while reading a book of letters. I've read a lot of books of letters by women I know little or nothing about and was able to read the letters without feeling completely in the dark. The first time I picked up this book, I gave up 100 pages in so I could read Simone de Beauvoir: A Biography in the hopes of not being so confused and to get a better feel for Simone's life. The footnotes offer very minimal biographical information - they detail people mentioned, directors of movies mentioned, and more often than not refer the reader to Simone's memoirs (which I have not read) rather than synopsize what the editor/translator, Quinton Hoare, has deigned to cut out. Even after reading the biography, I found myself getting irritated because of the near complete lack of biographical information. The letters end abruptly with one letter from 1963 with no explanation; even a simple "No letters were found after this date" would have sufficed.
I was also irritated because in the introduction, Quintin Hoare states that this translation "represents some two thirds of the French edition" because it "seemed preferable to leave out material overlapping with De Beauvoir's autobiographical volumes or, in particular, her book on the United States." Obviously the original editor of the French edition didn't feel the need to edit the letters in such a way so I'm curious to know why he took it upon himself to make so many cuts.
So - I really disliked the book itself, but I really enjoyed reading the letters. The letters are split up into six sections. The bulk of these letters - 274 pages - takes place between September 1939 and March 1941, when Sartre was mobilized for WWII and subsequently a prisoner of war. These read more like a journal than anything else because she wrote to Sartre daily and told him pretty much everything about what happened in her life on a sometimes hourly basis. The length of these letters and the details are phenomenal - it's as if nothing was too minute to mention. The next largest section - 84 pages - are the letters she wrote while she was in the America. I particularly enjoyed this section because I had previously read A Transatlantic Love Affair: Letters to Nelson Algren and was curious to know what happened during her trips to America and the time she spent with Nelson Algren - these letters filled in the gaps.
Having said all of that, I would strongly suggest reading a biography and/or her memoirs before reading these letters, otherwise you most likely not be able to appreciate them fully.
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