Book #85: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
April 29, 2014
What motivates people? How do people find purpose in their lives? I've always believed that a life without purpose is tragic. If a person isn't living for a reason, then what's the point of it all? The message of this book (which is essential; I believe that Steinbeck is most powerful when he is brief) is just that: a life without purpose is a life of despair. George, against the odds, had a reason to live, and when that reason was gone, he was just like every other guy bumming around the country, looking for temporary work wherever, because what else could any of them do?
George's reason to live is Lennie. Lennie is a fascinating character; this book was published in 1937, long before people knew much about the mentally handicapped, so I wonder how audiences in Steinbeck's time would have reacted to him. It's clear that they, like the other men in the book, would probably think that Lennie, whom George has known forever and whom he has sworn to look after, is just a burden to his caring friend. And yet while Lennie does cost George some of his freedom, and several previous jobs, he also provided him with a purpose. Without Lennie to see to, to care for, all George had was his wages to spend on booze and cheap skank pussy. He knows that that's no kind of life.
To be sure, Lennie is dangerous, though it's society's misunderstanding and intolerance that often gets him into trouble. In some ways, even though George has good intentions, he sometimes puts Lennie into these situations. I wonder now if lonely George wasn't selfish not to leave Lennie in the care of other people, some kind of hospital or home with a less stressful environment for big but fragile Lennie. But then again, who would really care about Lennie as much as George himself?
I'll keep this post brief. This book connected with me, and it broke my heart. I wish I'd read it years ago. It was actually part of the curriculum in some of the sophomore English classes at my high school, but not in the section I took. And my teacher that year was a dotty old twat who was one semester away from retirement, so was basically checked out professionally. I might have enjoyed that class more had I read this book.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Book #84: Thérèse Raquin
Book #84: Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola (translated by Edward Vizetelly)
April 17, 2014
Two translated books in a row? Yup. This was another book that I picked up, on a whim, while at the library with my nephew. I like to check something out when I get books for him. Sets a good example, I think. No one else in my family really reads, so who else will do it?
Anyway, I picked this book up from the "new fiction releases" shelf. This edition was published as In Secret, to go along with the film that apparently came out just a couple of months ago, starring Draco Malfoy and Mary Kate & Ashley's little sister, who both seem too young to play Camille and Thérèse, respectively. The cover to the film, used on the paperback cover, doesn't match the book all that well. Jessica Lange's Madame Raquin looks healthy, alert, and fairly young, not at all like Madame Raquin in the book. The lovers on the cover depict a passion that is never shown to the reader, though it is spoken of.
Okay, so I guess Zola had a message on morality and guilt in this book, but the characters are so stupid and lugubrious that I just don't give a shit. This book was boring, even as it tried to be shocking. Basically, Thérèse conspires with her liver Laurent to kill her husband (and cousin!) Camille. The two spend the rest of the book wallowing in their anguish before killing themselves. I wish they'd died sooner! I found myself thinking that Zola's message would have been more effective in a short story (and Poe told a story about guilt and psychology, much better than this book and quite shorter..."The Tell-Tale Heart," anyone?). As is, this book, though not very long, feels tedious and repetitive.
None of the characters are remotely likable. Zola make them all despicable. At first, I felt bad for Thérèse, stuck in a loveless marriage and a dull life. But she judged others as being "half-dead," like her aunt's friends who come over weekly to play dominoes, when she herself just sits and stares blankly all the time. What a dullard. At least Camille, spoiled man-child that he is, has some ambition.
Laurent is Camille's friend who begins a passionate affair with Thérèse. They conspire to kill Camille, with Laurent throwing Camille into the Seine, to drown...but not before a panicked Camille bites a chunk out of Laurent's neck, which leaves a haunting scar.
The descriptions of Laurent and Thérèse's sufferings are ridiculous. When the scene of their first night as a married couple is described, a imagined a Spoils of Babylon-esque scene with fuzzy lighting as the couple throw meaningful, terrified glances at one another for hours on end. And I realize that the idea of Camille's corpse sleeping in their bed is meant to be metaphorical, but Zola takes it too far. This might have been an okay book, but it's not very well written. Perhaps the French original is better; this is lauded by many as Zola's "best" novel, and I've never read anything else by him. I think this translation was poorly done as well. You don't have to literally translate "le cadavre de Camille" into "the corpse of Camille"..."Camille's corpse" will do just fine. And this was every possessive phrase. That got annoying as shit. Some sentences were translated in a way that hardly would have made sense, almost as if, in some places, it was translated word for word. There was bad editing, too. This wasn't a new translation; I downloaded the same one on my Kindle for free, public domain. It was just repackaged to support the movie.
Bottom line: next time, I'll go to the library with a plan. But I'll allow myself to deviate if I find anything that really catches my interest. This book was maybe a bit too French for me; the characters doing nothing to better their situations, just wallowing in their misery and living for nothing else, seemed so stereotypical. It definitely didn't give me any desire to see the movie.
April 17, 2014
Two translated books in a row? Yup. This was another book that I picked up, on a whim, while at the library with my nephew. I like to check something out when I get books for him. Sets a good example, I think. No one else in my family really reads, so who else will do it?
Anyway, I picked this book up from the "new fiction releases" shelf. This edition was published as In Secret, to go along with the film that apparently came out just a couple of months ago, starring Draco Malfoy and Mary Kate & Ashley's little sister, who both seem too young to play Camille and Thérèse, respectively. The cover to the film, used on the paperback cover, doesn't match the book all that well. Jessica Lange's Madame Raquin looks healthy, alert, and fairly young, not at all like Madame Raquin in the book. The lovers on the cover depict a passion that is never shown to the reader, though it is spoken of.
Okay, so I guess Zola had a message on morality and guilt in this book, but the characters are so stupid and lugubrious that I just don't give a shit. This book was boring, even as it tried to be shocking. Basically, Thérèse conspires with her liver Laurent to kill her husband (and cousin!) Camille. The two spend the rest of the book wallowing in their anguish before killing themselves. I wish they'd died sooner! I found myself thinking that Zola's message would have been more effective in a short story (and Poe told a story about guilt and psychology, much better than this book and quite shorter..."The Tell-Tale Heart," anyone?). As is, this book, though not very long, feels tedious and repetitive.
None of the characters are remotely likable. Zola make them all despicable. At first, I felt bad for Thérèse, stuck in a loveless marriage and a dull life. But she judged others as being "half-dead," like her aunt's friends who come over weekly to play dominoes, when she herself just sits and stares blankly all the time. What a dullard. At least Camille, spoiled man-child that he is, has some ambition.
Laurent is Camille's friend who begins a passionate affair with Thérèse. They conspire to kill Camille, with Laurent throwing Camille into the Seine, to drown...but not before a panicked Camille bites a chunk out of Laurent's neck, which leaves a haunting scar.
The descriptions of Laurent and Thérèse's sufferings are ridiculous. When the scene of their first night as a married couple is described, a imagined a Spoils of Babylon-esque scene with fuzzy lighting as the couple throw meaningful, terrified glances at one another for hours on end. And I realize that the idea of Camille's corpse sleeping in their bed is meant to be metaphorical, but Zola takes it too far. This might have been an okay book, but it's not very well written. Perhaps the French original is better; this is lauded by many as Zola's "best" novel, and I've never read anything else by him. I think this translation was poorly done as well. You don't have to literally translate "le cadavre de Camille" into "the corpse of Camille"..."Camille's corpse" will do just fine. And this was every possessive phrase. That got annoying as shit. Some sentences were translated in a way that hardly would have made sense, almost as if, in some places, it was translated word for word. There was bad editing, too. This wasn't a new translation; I downloaded the same one on my Kindle for free, public domain. It was just repackaged to support the movie.
Bottom line: next time, I'll go to the library with a plan. But I'll allow myself to deviate if I find anything that really catches my interest. This book was maybe a bit too French for me; the characters doing nothing to better their situations, just wallowing in their misery and living for nothing else, seemed so stereotypical. It definitely didn't give me any desire to see the movie.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Book #83: The Alchemist
Book #83: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (translated by Alan R. Clarke)
April 12, 2014
The last couple of days have finally felt like springtime. I've been trying to get out and enjoy it with my dog. The problem is that when the weather changes, that's when I get sick. All winter long I'm totally fine, but right now I'm fighting a cold. It's not that bad; my throat hardly hurts anymore and I should be fine by Monday, just in time to go back to work. Yay.
Crashing out on the couch with my Kindle helps. This book is another that was on my ebook "wish list" for a while, and from the description, I was expecting a much longer book. It's actually a short, pleasant read. There's definitely a religiousy message about following God's path for you and communicating with God through nature, but the overall message if living life to the fullest and without fear is one that everybody can relate to.
The main character is Santiago, but after he is introduced, he is known as "the boy" throughout the rest of the book. The boy is a shepherd, and he took the job to be able to travel. A dream and the advice of two mysterious strangers sends him from his home in Spain to Egypt. I had an idea of how close Spain and Africa are from the descriptions in Don Quixote, but I was amazed to learn that it only took the boy two hours by ship to reach Egypt.
Even though the two lands are so close, with such intertwined histories, the Arab world is strange at first for the boy. After a couple of mishaps, he falls into a job as a crystal salesman, and he begins to see that things happen for a reason, and we must all make the most of the opportunities we are given, even if they seem to be accidents or inconveniences. That's one message that was powerful for me in the book. While I've envisioned my life going in a certain direction, unique opportunities have put me in unexpected but satisfying positions. Like the boy, I am ready to trust in life a bit more, and live more in the present. I feel like I have been letting opportunities pass me by in certain areas if my life, but I am ready to stop that . I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and the carpe diem tone of this book only reinforces that.
The title character shows up in the middle of the book. He, like the boy, listens to the world and watches for omens. He helps the boy travel across the desert, through the battlegrounds of warring tribesmen, to the Egyptian pyramids. The boy encounters more obstacles and lessons, but keeps his faith in his destiny. He ultimately finds his treasure in an unexpected place.
This book is uplifting, to be sure. It's like the cure for Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. If the translator was true to the spirit of Coelho's original, the book is simply written, but at times very complex. I think it would be a wonderful book to teach. I don't know that I gained anything from reading it; the lessons in the book aren't new. But they are true, and many of the boy's observations show true insight into the human spirit.
April 12, 2014
The last couple of days have finally felt like springtime. I've been trying to get out and enjoy it with my dog. The problem is that when the weather changes, that's when I get sick. All winter long I'm totally fine, but right now I'm fighting a cold. It's not that bad; my throat hardly hurts anymore and I should be fine by Monday, just in time to go back to work. Yay.
Crashing out on the couch with my Kindle helps. This book is another that was on my ebook "wish list" for a while, and from the description, I was expecting a much longer book. It's actually a short, pleasant read. There's definitely a religiousy message about following God's path for you and communicating with God through nature, but the overall message if living life to the fullest and without fear is one that everybody can relate to.
The main character is Santiago, but after he is introduced, he is known as "the boy" throughout the rest of the book. The boy is a shepherd, and he took the job to be able to travel. A dream and the advice of two mysterious strangers sends him from his home in Spain to Egypt. I had an idea of how close Spain and Africa are from the descriptions in Don Quixote, but I was amazed to learn that it only took the boy two hours by ship to reach Egypt.
Even though the two lands are so close, with such intertwined histories, the Arab world is strange at first for the boy. After a couple of mishaps, he falls into a job as a crystal salesman, and he begins to see that things happen for a reason, and we must all make the most of the opportunities we are given, even if they seem to be accidents or inconveniences. That's one message that was powerful for me in the book. While I've envisioned my life going in a certain direction, unique opportunities have put me in unexpected but satisfying positions. Like the boy, I am ready to trust in life a bit more, and live more in the present. I feel like I have been letting opportunities pass me by in certain areas if my life, but I am ready to stop that . I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and the carpe diem tone of this book only reinforces that.
The title character shows up in the middle of the book. He, like the boy, listens to the world and watches for omens. He helps the boy travel across the desert, through the battlegrounds of warring tribesmen, to the Egyptian pyramids. The boy encounters more obstacles and lessons, but keeps his faith in his destiny. He ultimately finds his treasure in an unexpected place.
This book is uplifting, to be sure. It's like the cure for Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. If the translator was true to the spirit of Coelho's original, the book is simply written, but at times very complex. I think it would be a wonderful book to teach. I don't know that I gained anything from reading it; the lessons in the book aren't new. But they are true, and many of the boy's observations show true insight into the human spirit.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Book #82: Boston Noir
Book #82: Boston Noir edited by Dennis Lehane
April 10, 2014
I found this book, like many others, on my library's ebook site. I put it on my wish list months ago, and as I was deciding on my next book, I went through that list and saw this one available. I thought that a bunch of crime stories set in Boston would be a fun read (and it was), but I didn't realize that there are like dozens of these Akashic Noir books, all set in different cities in the U.S. and around the world. If this book follows the same theme as the others, they each have a story set in a different neighborhood or district of that city, and the stories often involve ordinary people who find themselves in some kind of situation with a crime. The authors of the series are all accomplished, though I was not previously familiar with any of them. They all seem to have ties with Boston, and the flavor of the city and its people and history are in all of these stories.
In most of the stories, the details of the characters and their situations are revealed gradually, which was as exciting to me as the details of the crimes themselves. I love good short stories, with complex characters. In my opinion, the very first story, "Exit Interview" by Lynne Heitman, was the most fascinating, definitely an appropriate pick for the opener. An anorexic, workaholic loner, after having to shoot her beloved horse dead and getting turned down for a promotion for the sixth year in a row, kills her boss and takes the man who was promoted over her hostage. The story consists of her conversations with the hostage negotiator, and her bitter recollections of her lonely, desperate life and her worries about what her mother will think. She ultimately shoots herself in the head.
Another story, "The Cross-Eyed Bear" by John Dufresne, is about a pedophile priest who is brought to justice, you might say. It is haunting; one Goodreads reviewer said she thought it was horrible. I think that, considering my professional experiences this past year, I am not so shocked (though am sickened) by the descriptions in the story. It is brief but heavy; it'd make a fascinating movie. The title made me think of that Alanis Morissette song, but it comes from the priest mishearing a joke from one of his killers; he'd really said "the cross I bear," of course.
Not all of the stories were great, but most were entertaining. I may have to check out another one of these Akashic Noir books sometime. The second Boston edition came out relatively recently. I would read D.C. Noir, Dublin Noir, Las Vegas Noir, Paris Noir, Indian Country Noir, or Moscow Noir. Maybe I could get to them all at some point! I also intend to check out some works from the mentioned authors. I also enjoyed the editor 's contribution, "Animal Rescue." I'd shoot somebody in the throat if they threatened my dog, too. Apparently Lehane wrote Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone. The films were both acclaimed. I have never been into the mystery genre as a whole, but the authors in this collection have my interest.
April 10, 2014
I found this book, like many others, on my library's ebook site. I put it on my wish list months ago, and as I was deciding on my next book, I went through that list and saw this one available. I thought that a bunch of crime stories set in Boston would be a fun read (and it was), but I didn't realize that there are like dozens of these Akashic Noir books, all set in different cities in the U.S. and around the world. If this book follows the same theme as the others, they each have a story set in a different neighborhood or district of that city, and the stories often involve ordinary people who find themselves in some kind of situation with a crime. The authors of the series are all accomplished, though I was not previously familiar with any of them. They all seem to have ties with Boston, and the flavor of the city and its people and history are in all of these stories.
In most of the stories, the details of the characters and their situations are revealed gradually, which was as exciting to me as the details of the crimes themselves. I love good short stories, with complex characters. In my opinion, the very first story, "Exit Interview" by Lynne Heitman, was the most fascinating, definitely an appropriate pick for the opener. An anorexic, workaholic loner, after having to shoot her beloved horse dead and getting turned down for a promotion for the sixth year in a row, kills her boss and takes the man who was promoted over her hostage. The story consists of her conversations with the hostage negotiator, and her bitter recollections of her lonely, desperate life and her worries about what her mother will think. She ultimately shoots herself in the head.
Another story, "The Cross-Eyed Bear" by John Dufresne, is about a pedophile priest who is brought to justice, you might say. It is haunting; one Goodreads reviewer said she thought it was horrible. I think that, considering my professional experiences this past year, I am not so shocked (though am sickened) by the descriptions in the story. It is brief but heavy; it'd make a fascinating movie. The title made me think of that Alanis Morissette song, but it comes from the priest mishearing a joke from one of his killers; he'd really said "the cross I bear," of course.
Not all of the stories were great, but most were entertaining. I may have to check out another one of these Akashic Noir books sometime. The second Boston edition came out relatively recently. I would read D.C. Noir, Dublin Noir, Las Vegas Noir, Paris Noir, Indian Country Noir, or Moscow Noir. Maybe I could get to them all at some point! I also intend to check out some works from the mentioned authors. I also enjoyed the editor 's contribution, "Animal Rescue." I'd shoot somebody in the throat if they threatened my dog, too. Apparently Lehane wrote Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone. The films were both acclaimed. I have never been into the mystery genre as a whole, but the authors in this collection have my interest.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Book #81: True Grit
Book #81: True Grit by Charles Portis
April 8, 2014
I've never been into Westerns. I think of Westerns, and I think of old men. Westerns were big when my parents were kids, but they seem to have made a comeback in the last decade. I watched the remake of the film True Grit with my former housemate a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed it. A student of mine, a 7th or 8th grader, read the book and told me about it. I've been wanting to read it ever since.
The heart of the story is, of course, the narrator, Mattie Ross. She is 14, and admirably cool and pragmatic. She kept the family's books and had a relationship of mutual respect with the family lawyer; she liked to toss his name around whenever she thought it would be useful to her. She is not an adventure seeker or a tomboy. She is out for revenge, plain and simple, and she will pay to see it done.
The title of the novel (a satisfyingly quick read) originally refers to Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn. He is the fat, drunken, one-eyed federal marshal whom Mattie hires to go after the man who killed her father. She is told that he has "grit" (essentially, a badass), and she really wants this scoundrel Tom Chaney dead. But honestly, besides Rooster's drunkenness and his sordid past, he's a likable character. He and Mattie have a strong bond; he calls her 'sis' and with only a couple of exceptions near the beginning of the journey, he looks out for her and genuinely wants to help her. LaBoeuf, after Chaney for reasons of his own, starts out as a thorn in Mattie's side, but their connection is obvious before too long as well. All three of them, who join up to hunt down their man in the Indian Territory west if Arkansas (this was about a decade after the Civil War), all have grit. Obviously Mattie, who manages to shoot Chaney twice (though Rooster delivers the deadly blow) and loses her left arm to poison from a snake bite, had true grit herself. She is quite a badass.
But wasn't she all along? In her dealings with people, she is determined to get what she wants and not get fucked around with, even though she's still a kid. Mattie is just a larger than life character. She is true to her nature as she matures, never marrying but getting wealthier. She's seen as a cranky one-armed old maid, and I'm sure she comes off that way to people who don't 'get' her. She's religious, but reasonable. She judges Rooster as a thief but respects him anyway. I'm sure that while she's a shrewd businesswoman, she would be perhaps a little compassionate in her dealings, as she does mention people coming to her for loans.
I had thought that this book was a classic, but apparently it was obscure for some time until about 15 years ago (it was published in the 1960s). Of course, the original movie is rather famous, John Wayne's performance as Rooster won him his only Oscar. I'm shocked that this book isn't more widely read; I may use it in my own classroom, if possible. It's easy to read, certainly, and Mattie is such a unique character. Her interactions with various characters, like the bitching and moaning Stonehill or the illiterate outlaw Lucky Ned Pepper (awesome name!) are brilliant. I loved this book. If all Westerns were this funny, insightful, and clever , I would get into it more. Hell, maybe they are. I've debated reading something by Louis L'Amour...
April 8, 2014
I've never been into Westerns. I think of Westerns, and I think of old men. Westerns were big when my parents were kids, but they seem to have made a comeback in the last decade. I watched the remake of the film True Grit with my former housemate a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed it. A student of mine, a 7th or 8th grader, read the book and told me about it. I've been wanting to read it ever since.
The heart of the story is, of course, the narrator, Mattie Ross. She is 14, and admirably cool and pragmatic. She kept the family's books and had a relationship of mutual respect with the family lawyer; she liked to toss his name around whenever she thought it would be useful to her. She is not an adventure seeker or a tomboy. She is out for revenge, plain and simple, and she will pay to see it done.
The title of the novel (a satisfyingly quick read) originally refers to Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn. He is the fat, drunken, one-eyed federal marshal whom Mattie hires to go after the man who killed her father. She is told that he has "grit" (essentially, a badass), and she really wants this scoundrel Tom Chaney dead. But honestly, besides Rooster's drunkenness and his sordid past, he's a likable character. He and Mattie have a strong bond; he calls her 'sis' and with only a couple of exceptions near the beginning of the journey, he looks out for her and genuinely wants to help her. LaBoeuf, after Chaney for reasons of his own, starts out as a thorn in Mattie's side, but their connection is obvious before too long as well. All three of them, who join up to hunt down their man in the Indian Territory west if Arkansas (this was about a decade after the Civil War), all have grit. Obviously Mattie, who manages to shoot Chaney twice (though Rooster delivers the deadly blow) and loses her left arm to poison from a snake bite, had true grit herself. She is quite a badass.
But wasn't she all along? In her dealings with people, she is determined to get what she wants and not get fucked around with, even though she's still a kid. Mattie is just a larger than life character. She is true to her nature as she matures, never marrying but getting wealthier. She's seen as a cranky one-armed old maid, and I'm sure she comes off that way to people who don't 'get' her. She's religious, but reasonable. She judges Rooster as a thief but respects him anyway. I'm sure that while she's a shrewd businesswoman, she would be perhaps a little compassionate in her dealings, as she does mention people coming to her for loans.
I had thought that this book was a classic, but apparently it was obscure for some time until about 15 years ago (it was published in the 1960s). Of course, the original movie is rather famous, John Wayne's performance as Rooster won him his only Oscar. I'm shocked that this book isn't more widely read; I may use it in my own classroom, if possible. It's easy to read, certainly, and Mattie is such a unique character. Her interactions with various characters, like the bitching and moaning Stonehill or the illiterate outlaw Lucky Ned Pepper (awesome name!) are brilliant. I loved this book. If all Westerns were this funny, insightful, and clever , I would get into it more. Hell, maybe they are. I've debated reading something by Louis L'Amour...
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Book #80: The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt
Book #80: The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt
April 6, 2014
I think this is the first full-length autobiography I have ever read. I've read a few memoirs, but Mrs. Roosevelt's story literally spans her entire lifetime. Her final chapter discusses the election of John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon (who she did NOT like very much at all) in 1960; she died in 1962.
The simplest way to describe Mrs. Roosevelt's philosophy of life (and to use her own words): she wanted to make herself useful. She even uses her life story, this autobiography, to express her views and give advice to future Americans, with regards to how they can best be useful themselves in keeping the U.S. a free, thriving nation, and keeping the spirit of democracy alive in the world. It was interesting to read Mrs. Roosevelt's views on the threat of communism, as she became familiar with the Soviet Union when it was thriving. Today, of course, it is no more. I wonder how Mrs. Roosevelt, so insightful and open to ideas, who feel about today's issues. I feel like she'd not only have things to say about Putin and about the state of the Middle East (clever lady, she could sense trouble there), but also on human trafficking and the treatment of women the world over. She would definitely encourage young Americans to be more informed, and involved.
Mrs. Roosevelt was at times guarded in her descriptions of her personal life and relationships. But there is raw emotion in her recollections of her father, President Theodore Roosevelt's brother. Both of her parents died when she was quite young; she had a brother who died quite young as well. Her father was an alcoholic who left her in the care of her mother's wealthy family, and drinking ultimately killed him. Poor young Eleanor Roosevelt (because of course, this was her name all of her life as Franklin D. Roosevelt was her distant cousin, a fact that some of my U.S. History students kept harping on), an awkward, self-described "ugly duckling" had to be strong for herself and her surviving brother. She had many advantages growing up, to be sure, but even with money and an education at a fancy boarding school in England, with many excursions all over Europe, nothing can make up for the loss if one's parents.
Mrs. Roosevelt's descriptions of herself as an awkward child, eager to please and obedient, reminded me of myself when I was young. I also feel like I, too, live my life with a purpose. Politically, I am more passionate about issues with education and poverty on a more local level; while Mrs. Roosevelt encouraged becoming involved in struggling nations, times have changed and we aren't, perhaps, the very best examples if the successes of democracy. We need to fix ourselves, our own issues, before we try to tell any other country how to run things. I think Mrs. Roosevelt would agree with me there.
When it comes to Mrs. Roosevelt 's personal feelings in her adult life, a bit of reading between the lines is required. See, she focuses most of the book on the kind of work she did on a day to day basis. I've expressed to my students that she's the First Lady who truly set the precedent for how to be a First Lady. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Hillary Clinton owes her political career to Eleanor Roosevelt, but she did pave the way. Mrs. Roosevelt, in turn, was inspired by Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson's second wife (the guy was widowed and remarried while in office, yeesh). While Franklin D. Roosevelt was running a Depression-stricken, and later a warring, nation, his wife was quite busy herself in a number of political and social pursuits. She is not boastful, but describes frankly her busy schedule. She also had a disabled husband, the leader of the free world, to assist, and foreign representatives and royalty to entertain. She definitely made herself useful.
But the most personal she got, with regards to her family life, was in describing how she felt she shorted her children by trying too hard to raise them up "correctly." She acknowledges that all of her life, she was constantly developing as a person, which is so true for everyone. Her genuine modesty and quiet bravery and wisdom make her great. But she is secretive even as she is revealing. Regarding Franklin, she at one point describes a series of nightmares that he had when they were first married. She doesn't get into much detail, but I found the inclusion of that personal tidbit fascinating. Or her fights with her teenage daughter, or her fears at seeing four sons in service during World War II. As much as I admire her achievements, and her modesty of these, I enjoyed the book most when she was honest about her personal life.
Now, there is popular speculation that Mrs. Roosevelt was a lesbian. She doesn't describe any such thing in this book, of course, but I think I'd believe it. But really, who cares? What bearing does her sexuality have on the other aspects of her life, one way or the other? She was born in the 1880s...I don't think she was fully aware of her sexuality, and being "out and proud" wasn't an option. I had a conversation with a couple of colleagues recently about an individual who, in a professional setting, kept making it a point that she is gay. In annoyance, I declared that you don't have to wear your sexuality on your sleeve. I debated whether stating that I'm gay would strengthen or contradict my previous statement, so I said nothing. I don't state my sexuality but I don't hide it. I think my colleagues suspect and are fishing for it now, which is amusing. I want to think that we are past the point of "coming out." I'm gay, whatever. What damn difference does it make?
Mrs. Roosevelt represented herself just the way she wanted to be remembered. Her descriptions of the U.S.S.R., and my own recent readings of Russian literature, make me want to learn more about
Russia's history. Mrs. Roosevelt is wise when she states that in order to deal with people, you must attempt to understand them. For a rich white girl from New York, she was remarkably unpretentious in her views of people of all races, classes, nationalities, and religions (she practically declares herself an atheist). She doesn't even give herself credit here, claiming that her husband had her beat when it came to empathy for others. It's unbelievable to me that anyone could ever criticize or dislike Eleanor Roosevelt. Of course, she was often her own harshest critic.
April 6, 2014
I think this is the first full-length autobiography I have ever read. I've read a few memoirs, but Mrs. Roosevelt's story literally spans her entire lifetime. Her final chapter discusses the election of John F. Kennedy over Richard Nixon (who she did NOT like very much at all) in 1960; she died in 1962.
The simplest way to describe Mrs. Roosevelt's philosophy of life (and to use her own words): she wanted to make herself useful. She even uses her life story, this autobiography, to express her views and give advice to future Americans, with regards to how they can best be useful themselves in keeping the U.S. a free, thriving nation, and keeping the spirit of democracy alive in the world. It was interesting to read Mrs. Roosevelt's views on the threat of communism, as she became familiar with the Soviet Union when it was thriving. Today, of course, it is no more. I wonder how Mrs. Roosevelt, so insightful and open to ideas, who feel about today's issues. I feel like she'd not only have things to say about Putin and about the state of the Middle East (clever lady, she could sense trouble there), but also on human trafficking and the treatment of women the world over. She would definitely encourage young Americans to be more informed, and involved.
Mrs. Roosevelt was at times guarded in her descriptions of her personal life and relationships. But there is raw emotion in her recollections of her father, President Theodore Roosevelt's brother. Both of her parents died when she was quite young; she had a brother who died quite young as well. Her father was an alcoholic who left her in the care of her mother's wealthy family, and drinking ultimately killed him. Poor young Eleanor Roosevelt (because of course, this was her name all of her life as Franklin D. Roosevelt was her distant cousin, a fact that some of my U.S. History students kept harping on), an awkward, self-described "ugly duckling" had to be strong for herself and her surviving brother. She had many advantages growing up, to be sure, but even with money and an education at a fancy boarding school in England, with many excursions all over Europe, nothing can make up for the loss if one's parents.
Mrs. Roosevelt's descriptions of herself as an awkward child, eager to please and obedient, reminded me of myself when I was young. I also feel like I, too, live my life with a purpose. Politically, I am more passionate about issues with education and poverty on a more local level; while Mrs. Roosevelt encouraged becoming involved in struggling nations, times have changed and we aren't, perhaps, the very best examples if the successes of democracy. We need to fix ourselves, our own issues, before we try to tell any other country how to run things. I think Mrs. Roosevelt would agree with me there.
When it comes to Mrs. Roosevelt 's personal feelings in her adult life, a bit of reading between the lines is required. See, she focuses most of the book on the kind of work she did on a day to day basis. I've expressed to my students that she's the First Lady who truly set the precedent for how to be a First Lady. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Hillary Clinton owes her political career to Eleanor Roosevelt, but she did pave the way. Mrs. Roosevelt, in turn, was inspired by Edith Wilson, Woodrow Wilson's second wife (the guy was widowed and remarried while in office, yeesh). While Franklin D. Roosevelt was running a Depression-stricken, and later a warring, nation, his wife was quite busy herself in a number of political and social pursuits. She is not boastful, but describes frankly her busy schedule. She also had a disabled husband, the leader of the free world, to assist, and foreign representatives and royalty to entertain. She definitely made herself useful.
But the most personal she got, with regards to her family life, was in describing how she felt she shorted her children by trying too hard to raise them up "correctly." She acknowledges that all of her life, she was constantly developing as a person, which is so true for everyone. Her genuine modesty and quiet bravery and wisdom make her great. But she is secretive even as she is revealing. Regarding Franklin, she at one point describes a series of nightmares that he had when they were first married. She doesn't get into much detail, but I found the inclusion of that personal tidbit fascinating. Or her fights with her teenage daughter, or her fears at seeing four sons in service during World War II. As much as I admire her achievements, and her modesty of these, I enjoyed the book most when she was honest about her personal life.
Now, there is popular speculation that Mrs. Roosevelt was a lesbian. She doesn't describe any such thing in this book, of course, but I think I'd believe it. But really, who cares? What bearing does her sexuality have on the other aspects of her life, one way or the other? She was born in the 1880s...I don't think she was fully aware of her sexuality, and being "out and proud" wasn't an option. I had a conversation with a couple of colleagues recently about an individual who, in a professional setting, kept making it a point that she is gay. In annoyance, I declared that you don't have to wear your sexuality on your sleeve. I debated whether stating that I'm gay would strengthen or contradict my previous statement, so I said nothing. I don't state my sexuality but I don't hide it. I think my colleagues suspect and are fishing for it now, which is amusing. I want to think that we are past the point of "coming out." I'm gay, whatever. What damn difference does it make?
Mrs. Roosevelt represented herself just the way she wanted to be remembered. Her descriptions of the U.S.S.R., and my own recent readings of Russian literature, make me want to learn more about
Russia's history. Mrs. Roosevelt is wise when she states that in order to deal with people, you must attempt to understand them. For a rich white girl from New York, she was remarkably unpretentious in her views of people of all races, classes, nationalities, and religions (she practically declares herself an atheist). She doesn't even give herself credit here, claiming that her husband had her beat when it came to empathy for others. It's unbelievable to me that anyone could ever criticize or dislike Eleanor Roosevelt. Of course, she was often her own harshest critic.
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