The Handmaids Tale

by Margaret Atwood
Along the ideas of The Children of Men, The Handmaids Tale is set in a future where fertility rates have dropped. In this case a small percentage of women do have viable ovaries and they have become the Handmaids. This tale is told first-person from a Handmaid herself, from observations on her current state of affairs to recollections of how the world got this way.
Essentially the religious fundamentalists came to power and women are not allowed to read, or write, speak ill of the government, or have much identity at all. Above all they are not allowed to have sex outside of the monthly "ceremony" to get pregnant. Handmaids are shuttled from one couple to the next trying to get pregnant. If a Handmaid becomes pregnant she has the baby, the Wife keeps it, and the Handmaid is moved on to the next couple.
There's a lot of talk about this society being for the women's "protection." Birth rates declined apparently because of too many abortions and too many abortions came from having too much sex, and having too much sex came from women being harlots. So a government took over where these things were regulated and the men are in charge. Of course if this is the religious right then women, being the cause of original sin, are the enemy. And like most strictly regulated societies there is a underworld of rebellion and revolution. There is even a controlled underworld-the Jezebels, whores who are detained by the government.
This story is told so well by Ms. Atwood. It is a short book but every word is chosen carefully and the telling is very concise. It's chilling to think the world could become like this, but it's also comforting to know that the human sense of rebellion will never die.

Embracing The Mess

A recent New York Times article explaining why it's not so bad to be so messy.....
I recently had a massive cleaning of my apartment-one of those where scrubbing on hands and knees is involved. After weeks of solid work where I was a) not home much and b) didn't have time for cleaning if I did, the place had gotten disaterously filthy.
I'm quite happy with the state of affairs at the moment. Things are clean but the closets, desk, and under the bed are a moderately organized jumble. I was thinking about reorganizing over my vacation but I think instead I will Embrace the Mess! And just keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too out of control.

Good News

J.K. Rowling has announced via her web site that the final Harry Potter Book will named Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Sounds good and creepy. This is so exciting!

I, Elizabeth

by Rosalind Miles
Queen Elizabeth is one of my favorite historical figures. An unmarried woman, pale skin, red hair, promoter of plays, what's not to like? But despite the intriguing subject matter it took me forever and a day to finish the book. The beginning was great, good period detail, Elizabeth's rise to the throne is frought with political intrigue. Unfortunately I had the problem I usually have with all historical royal subject matter. (Fiction or Non) Keeping the names straight, and figuring out who is related to who. Fortunately there is a character index in the back and a family tree in the front to help sort things out. Miles blows full steam ahead through Elizabeth's formative years and the first half of her reign, but she really runs out of gas towards the end.
The novelization is primarily focused on Elizabeth's private life and the handful of men named Robert she falls in love with. (OK-they aren't all named Robert-but it seems like it.) The love of her life being Robert Dudley Lord of Leicester. The lust of her life being Robert Devereaux Earl of Essex. (Stepson of Robert Dudley) Elizabeth did not marry either man for a variety of reasons, mainly because they were already married to others. In the case of Robert Earl of Essex he was half her age. What's sad is in this novelization the Earl dupes the Queen with his flirtations in his own quest for power and the throne, and she pretty much falls for it. (An amorous relationship between the two was never proven but highly specualted.)
Confused? Me too.
The writing get's pretty sloppy as Elizabeth ages. Which I suppose could be intentional. That all the Roberts are running together in the old Queen's mind as well as in the narrative. I had to do a lot of flipping back and forth to the trees and lists to figure out what was going on. It breaks up the flow of reading and I don't care for that. I had high hopes for this book I confess myself disappointed in Elizabeth's character being bamboozled by a pretty young thing. Overall a great beginning ended with a lousy finish. But I did come away with a great quote on being a smart woman:

... those of us whom God has made to think and feel, who are strung out like harps along the wires of our own nature, why, we are rarer music and must content ourselves with smaller audiences.

And Another Thing...

The Animal Quiz is even more fun...it sort of explains the Harry Potter obsession.

You're an Owl!

Old and wise, you have a thirst for knowledge and a reputation for
making the right decision. This can be a lot of pressure sometimes, but you seem
so relaxed and unruffled that it never seems to show. You always keep your eyes
wide open and fixed on your next objective, or on the Harry Potter books, which
you love. The only question you ever ask is "Who?"


Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Book Quiz

The Blue Pyramid Book Quiz is suprisingly insightful....

You're Cat's Cradle!

by Kurt Vonnegut

You believe quite firmly that free will deserted you long ago and far
away. As a result, it's hard to take responsibility for anything. Even though you show
great potential as a leader of a small 3rd world country, the choices are all made ahead
of time. You're rather fond of games involving string. Your fear of nuclear weaponry is
trumped only by your fear of ice.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

The Looking Glass Wars

By Frank Beddor
So after the publication of Harry Potter the market has been saturated with Young Adult Series. People's interest has also piqued with this trend, which is a good thing-I'm all for getting folks to read more. I recently heard about The Looking Glass Wars and after a little hunting around found it at a local library. It is written by Frank Beddor who is interestingly enough a Hollywood producer stunt skier who was in Hot Dog: The Movie. I really loved the book and am excited for the next in the series.
The conciet is that Alyss (correct spelling) is a real girl from a real Wonderland. She is heir to the Heart throne and has the strongest imagination in Wonderland, therefore destined to become a great queen. Her Aunt Redd takes over Wonderland in a violent coup. Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears and ends up in Victorian London. She eventually meets and befriends Lewis Carroll, tells him her life story, which he publishes but with significant dramatic liscence. The book has many references to the original books, like Alyss's tutor Bibwit Harte which is an anagram for "White Rabbit." And the caterpillars are hookah smoking soothsayers for the royal family. I always enjoy clever things like that.
What's really interesting about the book is that it has trailers and a soundtrack. Check out the website www.lookinglasswars.com. There are a few illustrations in the book but many more on the website. All of them have a very sci-fi feel to them, which is so different from our usual perception of the Alice in Wonderland world.

Marie Antoinette...DITCHED!

by Antonia Fraser
Poor Marie Antoinette first she get's beheaded, and now I've ditched her. First it should be said that I rarely ditch books, although the majority of the books I have ditched have been non-fiction. In this case the subject matter was interesting. The writing style just did not grab me. I found I could easily put the book down and leave it in the corner for a few days (or weeks). If I ever procured a copy I probably could get through it over the course of a few months, but the book had to be returned to the library.

Update

Sadly I have been unable to update Ye Olde Bloge for the last (gasp) three weeks as I have been so busy with the costume world. I did manage to finish The Looking Glass Wars a couple weeks ago but have not even had time to blog. I've been designing costumes for a holiday extravaganza of a cabaret and the current show at the Yale Rep is huge. I've been getting no sleep, therefore have very little time to read, yadda yadda. But soon I'll be back in the swing of things and hopefully finishing I, Elizabeth and Marie Antoinette. Also looking forward to trying out Margaret Atwood and the Outlander series. I can't wait for Christmas break...