Tag: Fiction

Review: Charlotte & Emily: A Novel of the Brontës by Jude Morgan

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 31 Comments

Charlotte and Emily: A Novel of the Brontës by Jude Morgan
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin, paperback
Publication Date: April, 2010
Category: Historical, General
Source: Library
Recommended by: Sam @ Tiny Library
I had a hard time finding this at first because in Great Britain the title is The Taste of Sorrow 

Description:
From an obscure country parsonage came three extraordinary sisters, who defied the outward bleakness of their lives to create the most brilliant literary work of their time. Now, in an astonishingly daring novel by the acclaimed Jude Morgan, the genius of the haunted Brontës is revealed and the sisters are brought to full, resplendent life: Emily, who turned from the world to the greater temptations of the imagination; gentle Anne, who suffered the harshest perception of the stifling life forced upon her; and the brilliant, uncompromising, and tormented Charlotte, who longed for both love and independence, and learned their ultimate price. 

My Thoughts:
First, a word about the title: Why? Why do they call these books different things in different countries? And why did they leave poor Anne off of the title in The United States? Sigh, poor Anne. 

I believe that this is the first Morgan book I’ve ever read. I do think that if I’d have read any of his other work I would have rushed out to find the rest immediately. This book was excellent. 

Oh that Brontë family! The awful boarding school, the spoiled drunken brother, the deaths of such young sisters…the tragedies never ended for them. Only Charlotte lived to be 40, and she outlived her 5 siblings by years. Were the novels they ended up publishing to be expected because of their bleak lives? Or is it a miracle that they were able to write at all? 

Keep in mind that this is a work of fiction, but it did bring the Brontë family to life for me. I enjoyed this very, very much and would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction or in the lives of the Brontë sisters.

What Other Bloggers Thought:
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Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 14 Comments

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Publisher: Hyperion Books
United States Publication Date: September 2012

Description:

A reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over…

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn’t interested (and he’d like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, ” The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” has charmed readers across the world.

My Thoughts:

Crazy, silly, sweet, quirky, hilarious. Every page in this book is action packed and you’ll have no idea what is going to happen next. Go ahead and guess, you’ll never be able to predict a damn thing. This was an absolute joy to read…it was like listening to your funny drunken uncle trying to give a history lesson. Delightful! 

FYI, the book was originally rejected by firms in the U.K. and in the U.S. (Fools! Fools, I tell you!)

Read this book. If you have to beg, borrow, or steal it…do so!

I’m serious…what are you waiting for? 
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