Last Thursday:




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Today:




( Toady! )

If there is one person, or more, on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

As the weather was lovely I took the (or rather 'a') scenic route back home from the library this afternoon.



( 3 more )

Blue skies and fluffy white clouds



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On my way back from the library this afternoon:



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Today What Was Lost arrived from the Book Depository, the UK edition with the original cover illustration. Many people seem to dislike it, but it happens to be my favourite of all the different covers I've seen. I can actually imagine Kate looking like that, something I can't with the girl in the American cover's photograph. Inside the American edition looks better though: nice font and chapter headings, and easy-on-the-eye spacing.



Checking the books side by side I quickly noticed that not only the spelling had changed. Here is a paragraph from page 5 (both editions):

She realized that it was Wednesday and that she'd forgotten to buy that week's copy of the Beano from her usual newsagent. She had no choice but to go to the dingy kiosk in the centre to get it. Afterwards she stood and looked again at the True Detective magazines on the shelf. The woman on the front didn't look like a detective. She was wearing a trilby and raincoat... but nothing else. She looked like someone from a Two Ronnies sketch. Kate didn't like it.


She realized it was Wednesday and she'd forgotten to buy that week's copy of the Beano from her usual newsagent. She had no choice but to go to the dingy kiosk in the center to get it. Afterward she stood and looked again at a current True Detective magazine on the shelf. The woman on the front didn't look like a detective. She was wearing a fedora and a raincoat... but nothing else. She looked like someone from a Benny Hill sketch. Kate didn't like it.

As far as I can tell (I haven't checked beyond the first few pages — yet! I am curious now) the American editor has done a good job, but I'm still completely bemused by it. Is it common practice? Does it happen to all (beginning) authors? If so, are they notified? Do some publishers do it but not all? Does it depend on the target audience? (My copy contains a reading group guide, including questions for discussion.) Questions, questions...

The name of this boat (ship?) is Anomalia, which I thought was quite funny.



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I saw a kingfisher this morning! I don't think I've ever seen one in the wild, and certainly not around Amsterdam. I understand kingfishers are especially vulnerable in severe winters, so I hope it will survive.

Unfortunately it did not want to wait around until I got my camera ready. It flew from one of the overhanging branches on the left to the shrub in the middle, and quickly became invisible.




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changeitback : a community for those who are dissatisfied with the new LJ profile page and would like to have it changed back, or at least to be given the choice to opt out.

Please join this community. Even if you like the way the profiles currently are, please join and support those who are upset. This is about more than how profiles look: it's about the lack of respect LJ has been showing its users by ignoring their opinions and not listening to their complaints. We just want to be heard, acknowledged, and have our thoughts taken seriously.

(And the rest of the world!)

I took the photo this morning, but the haze lasted all day.




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And I already saw a christmas tree, all done up, in a house I passed this afternoon.

Yesterday I finished book #6, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I liked it, but not as much as I did Coraline.

After someone has murdered his family, a toddler is taken in and lovingly raised by the inhabitants of an old graveyard. "Bod" is to stay there until he is grown and it's safe for him to go and live in the outside world (because his family's murderer is still out there and wants to finish the job).

The first chapter and last two chapters were very good, I thought. The ones in-between felt a bit uneven. There were some improbabilities that bothered me: f.e. when Bod goes into town to sell a jewel, because he needs money to buy something for a friend. He is 8 years old, has never been outside the graveyard, has never seen money or shops — how would he know where to go, what to say, what to do? Also, in his reasoning he often seemed older than he actually was.

I thought it was a pity that none of the dead were really scary. Even the ghouls were rather comical, with the Bishop of Bath and Wells giving me a right Blackadder moment. The only threat to Bod's existence is posed by living people. It gave me the impression that the book was written for a slightly younger age group than Coraline was.

I didn't much care for Dave McKean's illustrations, I think I would have preferred Chris Riddell's (was that the UK edition he did?). Something I did like: the way the dead are introduced by what's written on their headstone, f.e.:

'Bod's left ankle was swollen and purple. Doctor Trefusis (1870-1936, May He Wake to Glory) inspected it and pronounced it merely sprained.' (p.96)

All in all I give the book 3/5.


#7 is not a book but a short story. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a mere 6 pages long (in print-out). I read it this morning, so officially it doesn't count I guess, but let's pretend that in the U.S. it was still 31 October, even if it was after midnight.

I already knew The Lottery from a film I saw on TV, but even if I hadn't I would have seen what was coming from a mile away. Still, it was a good story. I've nothing to say about it that hasn't been said a hundred times before. 3/5


So this wraps up the R.I.P. III Challenge for me. This was my initial list:

Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the Castle — read, 3/5
A.A. Merritt: Burn, Witch, Burn! — read, 2/5
Poppy Z. Brite: His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood and other stories — read, 1/5
Shirley Jackson: The Lottery — read, 3/5

Albert Sánchez Piñol: Nachtlicht (La pell freda/Cold Skin), and
A.M. Homes: The End of Alice — still going to read these two, as I may not wish to keep them and desperately need to make some room on my shelves

Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White — saving for winter
Marghanita Laski: The Victorian Chaise-longue — saving, for the next R.I.P. Challenge perhaps?
W.F. Hermans: De donkere kamer van Damokles (The Darkroom of Damocles) — saving for now


Not on my list, but also read (and bought, ack!*):

Chris Priestley: Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror, 3/5
Neil Gaiman: Coraline, 4/5
Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book, 3/5

Also watched the TV film of The Woman in Black — not as scary as I had hoped/feared, but very atmospheric and nicely done; 3/5.


Having so many books as yet unread, or read so long ago that I don't remember a thing about them, I am rather spoiled for choice. A challenge like this helps to narrow down my choices. I really enjoyed the R.I.P. Challenge and I'd like to thank Carl for hosting it. I hope to join again next year!


*It had not been my intention to buy more books, and having no place on the shelves for these three, I made a firm resolve not to add to the pile until I had gotten rid of a respectable number. Next thing I know I'm reading an email by Persephone Books informing me that the new catalogue and Biannually are on their way and my first reaction is "Ooh! Ordering time!"
Somebody save me.

Book #3, His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood and other stories, reconfirmed my idea that Poppy Z. Brite is not an author for me. I do not want to read graphic descriptions of decay, rotting corpses and burrowing maggots. Gore makes me nauseous. The last of the four stories, "How to Get Ahead in New York", was the least unpleasant, and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. Out it goes. 1/5


Book #4, Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley, was not on my initial list, but after reading Cornflower's great review I immediately ordered a copy for myself.

During the school holidays Edgar often visits his uncle, who lives in a house beyond the woods and knows many scary stories. The book relates one of those visits. The structure is simple: after an introductory chapter in which we meet Edgar and his uncle, each chapter consists of a cautionary tale linked to one of the many objects in Uncle Montague's study, and a preamble to the next object and tale. Gradually the reader begins to sense that all is not well in Uncle Montague's house, and that the tales may actually be more than just stories.

Inevitably in a collection of tales some appeal more than others. My absolute favourite is "The Un-Door", very creepy and scary. A story like "The Gilt Frame", on the other hand, felt rushed and sketchy to me. While I found most of the tales quite original, "The Path" seemed strangely familiar, as if I had seen a variation of the story on TV once, but as I only thought that after I finished it, it may have been a "déjà-vu" trick of the mind.

Priestley writes with a subtle sense of humour. The illustrations by David Roberts are very atmospheric and fit the tales perfectly. Overall I give the book 3/5.


Book #5, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, was not on my initial list either, but I had heard good things about it and when I saw the cover of the Subterranean Press edition on Quixotic's blog I fell in love. (Yes, I know it looks creepy and corpse-y, but the double image reminds me of a playing card, and I collect playing cards.) After some deliberation (because £30 is rather expensive for a book you don't even know you'll like) I ordered it from Amazon UK and waited. And kept waiting. When two weeks after the estimated arrival date the book still had not arrived I ended up getting a refund rather than a replacement, because it had gone out of stock in the meantime. I couldn't find it in Canada either (to console myself I bought The Graveyard Book there) and eventually bought a very good second-hand copy for about half the price from an American seller via Amazon UK. I thought I wouldn't get it in time to read for the challenge, but it arrived in less than a week, right after I finished Uncle Montague, so perfect timing.

Coraline's parents are busy with their work and don't pay her much attention. The neighbours are friendly enough, but can't even get her name right and insist on calling her Caroline. One day when Coraline is bored she discovers that the brick wall behind an unused door in her flat has disappeared and the door now opens onto a dark hallway. Through it she enters a flat that looks almost exactly like her own, but more interesting. She meets her other parents there, two people with buttons for eyes who would love nothing better than for Coraline to come and live with them for ever and always. They want to sew buttons on her eyes too, which is where Coraline draws the line and leaves. Back in her own flat she discovers her parents have disappeared, abducted by her other mother, and the only way to get them back is to return to the other flat once more. There she will need all her courage and resourcefulness to outwit her other mother, rescue her own parents and the lost souls of three children that had been captured before, and return safely home.

I loved this book. I devoured it in one sitting, and can see myself re-reading it soon in order to catch all the details that I missed the first time around due to reading too greedily. I've seen complaints elsewhere that there are no layers to the story, and that not everything is explained. I wasn't bothered by any of that. Not all questions need to be answered, I like it when things are not spelled out but left open to the interpretation of the reader.

One gripe: never before have I seen a book printed on such ultrawhite paper. I don't know if this is the paper normally used by the Subterranean Press, but if it is, stop doing so people! It looks downright tacky. Off-white or cream-coloured paper looks much better and is easier on the eyes. That said, I'm not such a sourpuss that I detract points for the paper a book is printed on, so I give it 4/5 (finally!).

Up next: The Graveyard Book.

RIP Paul Newman

Yesterday I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I had wanted to finish The Fortnight in September before starting on the R.I.P. Challenge, but I was in the mood for something more exciting and even though the afternoon had been reasonably sunny, it was chilly enough that I had to turn the central heating on for the first time again, which helped create the necessary autumn feel.

So I picked Shirley Jackson's book to read first. I had expected it to be really scary, but it wasn't at all, probably because it was a thriller and not a horror story, as I had thought. It was full of suspense and creepy, but not in a "leaving me wanting to sleep with the lights on" kind of way. In fact, when I rolled into bed after finishing it at 1.30 a.m. I slept like a baby.

I did enjoy it. Jackson writes very well, she knows how to create an atmosphere and a sense of foreboding, and while reading I thought it must surely deserve 4 stars (out of 5), but in the end I was left feeling slightly disappointed. Yet another 3-star book. (But funnily enough, in some ways it reminded me of my favourite Ruth Rendell, Heartstones.)

It is true that I would have liked to know more of the "why", but I suspect it is not so much Jackson's fault as it is my own frame of mind at the moment. I'm starting to think I have lost the capacity for unbridled enthusiasm concerning the books I read. I gave The Dolls' House 4 stars recently, but that was a re-read and perhaps more for old times' sake, because I had loved it as a child and spent many years tracking it down. The last newly read book I gave 4 stars to was Sylvia Townsend Warner's Letters, and that was in May. Oh, well. It'll pass, I hope.

By the way, if you plan on reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle for the first time and come across it in the Penguin Classics Deluxe edition, be sure to do as I did and save the introduction until last, as Jonathan Lethem happily reveals way too much. Even while looking for the first page I couldn't help catching a word here and there which made me deduce a couple of things I'd rather found out about while reading the actual story. The less you know about it, the more you'll enjoy it.

(received from silly_narziss)

The rules:

1. There are 30 questions, which I have in my possession, but only my answers are published below.
2. Next to each number, using only those individuals who appear on your flist, write the user name of the person who best fits the question.
3. Answer each question with only one user name.
4. Don't reveal the questions to anyone who hasn't agreed beforehand to publish their answers in their LJ. In other words: If you request the list of 30 questions from me and I send them to you, you must answer the questions and publicly post your answers in your blog.
5. Never reveal the questions publicly.

My answers:

1. xbrokenx
2. maldeluxx
3. n/a
4. _benedicte
5. testpatern
6. motodraconis
7. silly_narziss
8. heartofdavid
9. trop_vaniteuse
10. prrrtalieloe
11. reallybadpoetry
12. lisadarling
13. acatsslave
14. delphizyx / edbook
15. sammason
16. callmemadam
17. staybeautiful
18. ankhgrl49 / saintgeorge
19. castallia
20. jackiejj
21. ...
22. ...
23. n/a
24. mallorys_camera
25. bezigebij
26. ...
27. summer_smile
28. ?
29. n/a
30. Have a great weekend!

Summer has returned for the weekend, it was a beautiful ending to an otherwise grey and wet August. Back to cooler weather tomorrow.

Danielle's post on Carl's R.I.P. Challenge made me aware of this yearly event running from 1 September through 31 October, when participants read one, two, or four books fitting into the following categories:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

Usually these challenges don't appeal to me because all too soon it starts to feel like homework, but reading one book of your choice must be doable for anyone and as I had planned on reading a few scary novels this autumn anyway, I decided to join and do Peril #2: read two books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories.

Scouring my shelves I was surprised to find at least 25 books that fitted into these categories. Here is my shortlist of 9 titles:


Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the Castle — a recent addition to my library

Marghanita Laski: The Victorian Chaise-longue — also bought recently

Albert Sánchez Piñol: Nachtlicht (La pell freda/Cold Skin)

A.A. Merritt: Burn, Witch, Burn! — pulp, but a R.I.P.ing yarn nevertheless. I tore through this twice when I was a teen (in the Dutch translation, with the less sensationalist title De poppen van Madame Mandilip), and probably will again. Public domain.

W.F. Hermans: De donkere kamer van Damokles (The Darkroom of Damocles) — this is also a reread. The English translation that appeared recently is very good and I urge everyone to read it, because this brilliant Dutch classic deserves a wider audience.

Poppy Z. Brite: His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood and other stories

A.M. Homes: The End of Alice

Wilkie Collins: The Woman in White

Shirley Jackson: The Lottery — a (very) short story, also public domain.


I hope to be able to read four of these, but as I had already planned on reading some other books in September, I will be happy with two.

Oh yes, and I intend to watch The Woman in Black (based on the novel by Susan Hill), and A Bucket of Blood. Finally!