Crossing to Safety, The World According To Us, & The Miniaturist

I'm trying to get caught up on my reviews before the end of the year! These are 3 adult fiction novels that I read all on my own. I mean, not even for book club or anything. Whoa, weird!
Let's go from what I liked most to what I liked least, shall we?

Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner

4 stars: Generous and insightful profile of enduring marriage and friendship.

Larry and Sally are young, poor, and in love. He's starting his first "real job" as a creative writing professor. It's a temporary position with the possibility of becoming more permanent. He's also writing a book on the side. Sid and Charity have 2 children, and Sid is also in the English department--not tenured yet, but hoping to be soon. The two couples immediately hit it off and become best of friends. Charity and Sally both become pregnant, so they have that to bond over, as well. While Sid and Charity have quite a bit of money and influential family connections, the disparity in their circumstances doesn't ever make them shy away from Larry and Sally. Their friendship spans more than 50 years.

They spend many happy summers at Charity's family's lake house together, doing projects, going on hikes, swimming (and night swimming), and writing. The book begins and end at the lake house, as Sally and Larry have come back one last time to be with Sid and Charity, while her battle with cancer comes to a close.

* * * * *
This is not a flashy story. There's a fair amount of trouble and angst, though not over the types of things you tend to find in other such stories: affairs, betrayal, big secrets that come to light, etc. It's just two couples muddling through the best that they can. None of the four are perfect, though Charity's flaws probably have the brightest light shined on them, but still their marriages and their friendships endure.

One part of the book I still think about actually didn't have to do with either couple. It's the way Charity's mother ran summers at the lake house in Charity's youth. I loved how she didn't care what the children were doing, as long as they were doing something purposeful. If they wanted to swim all day, that was great! Same for coming up with projects to do, or hikes, or reading, or playing games.

She just couldn't stand them hanging about, or wandering aimlessly, or worst of all, complaining of boredom. Then, when they had come to a stopping point, or needed a little extra guidance, she would gather up whoever was around to the front porch and teach them French or discuss literature with them.  Maybe I could take some hints for patterning our summer after that! Have some learning opportunities or outings in reserve, but as long as the kids are purposefully doing their own things, let them go at it!

My rating of this one has grown in hindsight. When I first read it, I was probably at a 3: I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. As I'm thinking back on it, though, I'm remembering more and more scenes from it that impacted me--big and small--and it makes me want to sit down and discuss it with someone. (Maybe I can get my book club to read this one!)

Perhaps it could be written about any 2 couples. We all have personality conflicts in marriage that we have to work through or work around if the marriage is going to endure. My husband and I also have a few really close friends that I expect (hope) will still be our friends when we're old and gray. I am sure they have seen our flaws up close more than once, but it hasn't changed their regard--at least, not that we can tell. Ha!

Maybe that's the genius of this book. It's hard to believe it's fiction, because it feels like these people are all real. Almost like you might know them if you passed by them on the street.

Content: There are mentions of marital sex, and a few other intimate moments, but it's not the focus or graphically described in any way.

Recommended for adults. I don't know that most teens would be interested, anyway!
(I think I would have been bored stiff reading this as a teenager! Now that I've been married for awhile, though, I appreciate new perspectives on how other couples have made it work over a long period of time.)


 (Finished reading Nov. 5)

The Truth According to Us, by Annie Barrows

3 stars: A slow-paced, character-driven exploration of a southern town and its secrets.

Layla Beck is a spoiled rich girl, the daughter of a Senator. When she refuses to marry Daddy's choice, a rather dramatic spat ensues. The upshot is that she has been cut off from his money and must work for a living. Specifically, the Senator manages to get her a job on the Federal Writer's Project, writing the history of a small town in West Virginia. Layla has inherited her father's stubborn streak and will not back down, so off she goes to a humble boarding-house in Macedonia to begin interviewing townsfolk.

Meanwhile, the permanent residents of the boarding-house have their own troubles to deal with. Twelve-year-old Willa has recently discovered that the grownups around her don't always tell the truth--she suspected it of her fly-by-night Daddy, but even her Aunt Jottie has shown some signs of it. Willa is determined to get to the bottom of the mysteries in her life (why isn't Aunt Jottie married? for one) and develop her 2 favorite virtues: ferocity and devotion. She would looking after her younger sister Bird to that list, but Bird doesn't tend to need much looking after.

Most of the family mysteries revolve around a fire several years before, at the American Mill sock factory that Jottie's father managed, and which killed the man Jottie loved--who was also Felix's best friend. Felix has a host of secrets of his own. When Miss Beck starts in on her history, all the secrets are going to come out, for better or worse.

* * * * *
Written in alternating viewpoints, mostly between Jottie, Willa, and Layla. There are some letters to and from Layla interspersed as well, which add some humor and a different perspective to all that's happening.

Overall, I liked it, though not as much as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I enjoyed the writing, the characters with all their peculiarities, and the various townspeople all vying to get their version of history written. Willa was my favorite character, Felix my least favorite. It really bothered me that because of his charm and good looks, Felix never really had to face consequences for any of his bad choices (which were consistently the type he made.) Even Jottie, who knew him best of all, constantly made allowances for him in a way that was aggravating!  I thought the ending was fitting.

Content: A non-explicit love scene.

(Finished reading Nov. 15)

The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton

1.5 stars: Gritty historical fiction dealing with GLBTQ issues.

It is 1686, and 18-year-old country girl Petronella has somehow managed to secure a marriage with Johannes Brandt, one of Amsterdam's prominent businessmen. Soon after her marriage, she discovers all is not what it appears to be in the Brandt household. She encounters coldness and hostility right from the beginning, particularly from Johannes' sister Marin.

Not only that, much to Petronella's embarrassment and distress, Johannes has no interest in consummating their marriage. He treats her somewhat kindly, but holds her at a distance, too. When she walks in on him with another man, Petronella's ideas of the world take a sudden and dramatic shift. Little by little she gets to the bottom of all the secrets in this strange house and must figure out her role in it all.

* * * * *
I probably should have read a few more reviews before going into this one. Everything I read focused on the cabinet of miniatures and how that played in to the secrets being kept in the house. The cabinet was interesting, I suppose, but it was really more of a sidenote in the whole thing. I could see why the characters would find it a bit unsettling, but it certainly didn't predict anything that was going to happen, the way some of the reviews I read alluded to.

Instead, something traumatic would happen, or a secret would be revealed, and Petronella would later on discover that the evidence of those things was already part of the miniature people or furnishings of the cabinet. Okay. Weird, yes, but not like a horror movie sort of weird. Just strange, with an undercurrent of "Is someone stalking us or what?" Plus, there's never really a resolution for that part of the story, so what was the point of including it? Using the miniaturist in the title seems almost misleading after reading the book. I mean, the woman never even makes a physical appearance in the story!

I was really taken off-guard by the focus on gay issues. It was just not what I was expecting to encounter in this book. Once Petronella understood her husband better, she was able to make peace with who he was and what that meant for their relationship. Incidentally, I'm not sure that would have really happened in that time period, with her upbringing and inexperience, but okay I guess. There was one tender scene between them when he was in jail, where she just held his hand for a long time; to give him what comfort she could, and to show her support in all he was going through. That was probably the best scene of the whole book.

I can't say that I really liked any of the characters all that much. Petronella grew up pretty fast (she had to), and came into her own, but I never really related to her. Johannes was a weak man who let his big sister basically run his life and couldn't seem to control his sex life or even be careful about it. He had to know what was at stake, but that apparently didn't factor into his decisions at all. Also, for supposedly being this great businessman, he didn't seem to care that he had a warehouse full of sugar rotting out from under him. Why he couldn't just sell it was beyond me. Marin was a piece of work--completely hypocritical and mean for no reason. Since she orchestrated it, you'd think she would actually try to make Petronella's marriage work, but no, instead she consistently treated Petronella like trash, while acting self-righteous at the same time.

Sad ending. Pretty much a downer of a book all around. I did finish it, but I won't be recommending it to anyone, nor will I ever re-read it.

Content: There's a gay sex scene, a public execution, and graphically described childbirth. For adults.

(Finished reading Oct. 18)

Tales from the Limberlost

We read A Girl of the Limberlost for Book Club this month. I had a copy of Freckles, so I read that one as well. Of the two, Freckles comes first.

 Freckles, by Gene Stratton Porter

4 stars: Heroes to cheer for and villians to hiss at!

Freckles is a foundling with just one hand, who has escaped an abusive foster father to strike out on his own. He comes to McLean's logging camp, frail, starving, desperate for work. McLean gives him a job as guard for 2000 acres of valuable timber in the Limberlost--a section of swamp and forest full of animal life. He has to walk the line--a 7-mile circumference of barbed-wire fence around the perimeter twice each day.

Even though he is a city boy and not used to so much activity, he is utterly determined to succeed at his task and prove himself worthy of McLean's trust. It helps that he's staying with a couple who treat him like a son, with plenty of good food, warmth, and kindness. Over the course of his year, he goes from absolute terror and jumpiness at every sound to loving the Limberlost and all its denizens. He particularly loves the birds and takes delight in finding out about them. Then a marvelous girl comes along--he calls her the Swamp Angel--and his world is transformed.

*****
This was an inspiring book.  Freckles was a hero! McLean and the Duncans were just as good, loving Freckles and taking care of him when he needed it so badly.

My only hesitation in handing it to my kids is that you have to wade through quite a bit of brogue in some places--written out, so that you have to almost speak it to understand what the characters are saying. I don't think they would stick with it through those parts. Maybe I could find an abridged version though, that would be easier to read.

Content: clean

A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton Porter

4 stars: A girl who succeeds and finds happiness against all odds!

Elnora is determined to go to high school, even though her mother mocks her and refuses to help her, and she knows that she will stick out like a sore thumb. She doesn't have the right clothes, the right kind of lunch box, and worst of all--she thought books were provided, but she's going to have to buy them herself. The money required might as well be a fortune, for how difficult it will be for her to obtain. Then she sees a sign that will become her salvation: the Bird Woman will pay for specimens of moths, butterflies, cocoons, and more.

Elnora has been collecting things from the Limberlost swamp for years. As she presents her specimens and receives payment for them, it would seem that all hurdles are past for the present. Of course, that is not how life really works. She still has troubles to pass through, big and small, as she perseveres in her dream to get her education. However, the further she goes along, the more allies she finds to help and support her, until one day even her mother may be included in that number.

*****
It has been such a long time since I read this! I remember loving it as a girl. This time through I was struck by the way the characters grow and change. Elnora's mother, in particular, was fascinating to me. The interactions between the neighbors--the Sintons--and Elnora's mother were pitch perfect. 

Elnora is another character of Porter's to emulate. Somehow retaining a tender heart, despite rough treatment from her mother most of her life, then being able to forgive her mother after all that and build a beautiful relationship with her--that's amazing to me. Also, her absolute, unwavering determination to go to school and better her lot in life, no matter what sacrifices she had to make. How inspiring!

The plot slowed down considerably once Elnora and her mother mended their relationship. There's a whole lot of moth catching with "we can only be friends" Philip, before it finally came about for him and Elnora to get some romance. Enjoyable, but without the edge it had earlier in the book.

I thought one of the most tender scenes in the book was when Wesley Stinton took Billy home to stay. It made me want to look into foster care all over again! (All in due time, I keep telling myself. All in due time.)

Also, I'm glad I read Freckles first. You don't need to, but there are several references--particularly toward the beginning of the book that make a lot more sense having read it.

Last thing. Is it just me, or do a lot of these older novels have characters that work themselves into brain fevers over things? I have never heard of that happening in my lifetime, but it seemed to happen fairly regularly back then, if the books are any indication. Maybe nowadays they would just get a prescription of some sort...? Anyway, seems odd to me.

I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.

Content: clean


Have you read either of these? What did you think?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo

3 stars: Beautifully written, but tragic and depressing.

Do you know the basic story? I did not know much going in, beyond my fuzzy recollections of the old Disney version (which I only watched once, I think, because of the creepy priest.)

So there's a deformed hunchback named Quasimodo, who rings the bells of Notre Dame and is the ward of the archdeacon there. The archdeacon is Claude Frollo--more on him later. There is a beautiful, graceful, young, gypsy girl named Esmerelda, who dances and sings like an angel in the square down below. There's a poet and playwright named Gringoire who continually just escapes the noose, and Claude's younger brother Jehan, who is a thoroughly likeable scoundrel. We can't leave out Phoebus, the handsome, womanizing dirt-clod soldier. Did I forget anyone?  Oh yes. Crazy lady in the Rat-Hole. I can't remember her name at the moment. Plus a host of lesser characters.

Let's talk about Claude for a moment. Do you remember how scary he was in that animated film? Yikes! Times that by ten, and you'll have about how creepy he is in the book. He starts off well (before the book begins), by taking care of his younger brother once they become orphans, and later on adopting Quasimodo as a squalling foundling laid on the church bench. But as Hugo explains, over time he has grown bitter, disillusioned, and severe. Then he sets eyes on the enchanting Esmerelda and he is forever lost. It's a singularly unhealthy fixation. He stalks her, attempts to kidnap her (with Quasimodo's help), and just lurks. Then does something nasty and laughs about it. Yes, that really happens multiple times. Then he throws himself at her and when she refuses him, he goes even further off the deep end.

Understandably, Esmerelda is terrified of him. Plus she loves handsome Phoebus, who saved her from the kidnapping attempt. Claude finds out about this one-sided affection--it is simply a dalliance to Phoebus, who is engaged to be married--and determines to destroy them both.

There's a little incident with an enormous spider catching a bewildered fly that seems to sum up the entire story. Claude is convinced that he is the fly and Esmerelda the spider, while we all know that really those roles are reversed. Poor innocent Esmerelda, caught in the web of evil Claude Frollo.

The web first catches Esmerelda when the priest pays for Phoebus to rent a room for a tryst with Esmerelda. Then Claude hides (with Phoebus' knowledge) up in the attic space and watches what happens. (What?!) Things don't get too far, however, before he simply can't take it anymore and throws a knife at Phoebus, hitting him in the neck and nearly killing him. Unforutnately for Esmerelda, Phoebus certainly seems dead when the policemen come, and since she's the only other one there, and also is covered in blood, she's arrested for murder. The archdeacon is long gone by that point (of course). Well, it all goes downhill from there. Way, way down. Just when you think you've hit the bottom of the pit, it all slides just a bit more for good measure.

* * * * *
I had a hard time getting through the first 100 pages. There's several pages (chapters, even?) where Hugo describes the Paris of the time, building by building. It was excruciatingly tedious. Perhaps if I lived in Paris, or had ever visited, it would have been fascinating. As it was, it did nothing for me, except put me to sleep. (By comparison, I couldn't put it down for the last few hundred pages, just to find out what happened to everyone.)

Despite the downward spiral of the plot, there are glimmers of humor. Jehan, Claude's ne'er-do-well younger brother, provides a few of them, like this gem:

[Claude has just asked what he has come for.] "A little lecture on morality, of which I stand greatly in need," Jehan did not dare to add aloud, --"and a little money of which I am in still greater need." (Location 4430, Chapter 4 of Volume II.)

Hugo is a master of characterization. His characters are so finely drawn I feel sure I would recognize them on sight. Quasimodo, in particular, is a deeply-faceted character. Even with the abuse he has endured his whole life, he manages to love a few things deeply and even tenderly: the bells, Claude Frollo, and Esmerelda.  The fact that the only two people who have ever showed him compassion are such opposites is one of the great ironies of the book.

The part where Esmerelda has sanctuary in the cathedral and Quasimodo cares for her--even giving up his own pallet so she can lay on something soft, was really quite beautiful. A brief, much-needed reprieve before that train wreck of an ending. I was telling a friend about it last night, and she said, "You sound kind of traumatized." Yes, that describes it pretty well. Just don't get too attached to any of the main characters; that's all I'm saying.

Although the many tangents slowed the plot down considerably, I quite enjoyed one of them. Hugo talks at length about how cathedrals were the precursor to print. Prior to Gutenberg, he argues, the only outlet for artistic endeavors was architecture, specifically cathedrals--hence the sculptors made the gargoyles, the painters the murals, and the poet, the prayers. Then along came the printing press.

"All the life which is leaving architecture comes to it. In proportion as architecture ebbs, printing swells and grows. That capital of forces which human thought had been expending in edifices, it henceforth expends in books." (Location 3042 in my ebook copy, towards the end of the 5th Book.) [I miss page numbers.]

As a humanities major, this really caught my attention. I would like to delve into it further! I had never thought about architecture battling it out with print (and losing). Now we have the internet and social media, which may be the death of print at some point...as I type this for a blog post. What do you think?

Finally, I have to say it: Disney had no business making this into a children's animated movie!! It must have only a passing resemblance to the book, which included all kinds of kid-friendly ideas, such as:

racial and religious bigotry
torture
kidnapping
murder and attempted murder
public executions
Infidelity
Battle of the cathedral (many, many deaths)
Suicide
lustful imaginings (oh wait, they did put that in, didn't they!)

Need I go on?

I'm not sorry I read it, but I'm definitely ready to move on to some lighter fare. Have you read it? Let's chat! There's plenty more to talk about.