The End of...The Old Curiosity Shop

Author: Charles Dickens

Rating: Who are we kidding of course its 5/5!!!

     So I know I was going to write a post for every 100 pages of The Old Curioisity Shop that I finished but then I decided (about two weeks ago) that seeing as I was nearly finished (though I really wasn't, I only finished reading it yesterday) I would just write a post when I was actually finished. Which of course leads me to this post. There is only one word to express the wonder that is The Old Curiosity Shop; amazing.

     From page 1 to 555 I was riveted. Every twist to the story was entirely unpredictable and masterfully implemented. Every single character was woven so beautifully that I feel as if I have personally met all of them. Even the most seemingly shallow character (cough Richard Swiveller) was given a depth that I really wouldn't have dreamt possible. The complexity of each character was truly astounding, Dickens has truly made me appreciate character development in a way that much of today's literature never could have. Don't get me wrong I love reading books written today but I have always felt there is a certain something about classics that goes above and beyond all other literature; a feeling that reading Dickens solidified.

     Another thing I loved about Dickens writing style was how he told the story. Throughout the novel Dickens switched from the viewpoint of one character to the next, only to return back to the character he had originally started with when I was full to the brim with suspense. By switching viewpoints, Dickens ensured that the "big picture" of the story was told and that no character was percieved through one bias. And then, to complete the perfection of his novel, everything was neatly wrapped up. Though the story had to of course end from a single viewpoint, Dickens ensured in the epilogue that no character's fate was left out.

    I thoroughly encourage anyone who is too afraid to try reading a classic to cast aside their fear and plunge head first into The Old Curiosity Shop. It doesn't matter if it takes you a day, a week, a month (or several months like me) to finish the novel, it is most definitley worth it! To all those lovers of classics out there who have read The Old Curiosity Shop or another Charles Dickens novel I'd love to hear what you think of Dickens Classics!

Faelorehn

Rating: 5/5 Quills

Author: Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Official Smashwords Plot Description:

     Meghan Elam has been strange her entire life: her eyes have this odd habit of changing color and she sees and hears things no one else does. When the visions and voices in her head start to get worse, she is convinced that her parents will want to drag her off to another psychiatrist. That is, until the mysterious Cade MacRoich shows up out of nowhere with an explanation of his own.

Review

     I can honestly say that I am very glad Faelorehn was my first ebook. Yes, you read that right my first ebook. At first I was a bit apprehensive about the whole ebook craze, I was a bit of a traditionalist in the sense that you should be able to hold a book in your hands and flip the pages; Faelorehn proved me wrong. Perhaps it was the handsome and mysterious Cade or the quirky Meghan Elam with her shifting eyecolour and strange 'visions' that hooked me on Faelorehn. But there is certainly no doubt about how much I loved this book. A good book should give you chills and goosebumps, while immersing you so deeply in the story that you can't help but turn another page. If this is the definition of a good book then Faelorehn is the epitome of a great book. I got chills following Meghan on her journey to discover who she actualy was and couldn't help but turn the page. Johnson effortlessly wove in Celtic mythology, giving the story a touch of reality in fiction. Yes, I know mythology isn't exactly reality but it certainly has a basis in reality and its role in Faelorehn certainly added to this richly woven story. I would definitley recommend reading Faelorehn and experiencing the magic Johnson weaves yourself!

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The Old Curiosity Shop 2/5th's There!

       As you may have noticed, classics take me quite a bit longer to get through, though I am getting there, really I am!

      It honestly astounds me just how much happens over the course of 100 pages in The Old Curiosity Shop. It amazes me just how well Dickens develops his characters and the plot.

~~~Spoilers Warning~~~

The Pilgrimage Begins

      I need to start off by saying thank goodness, Grandfather and Nell are finally out of that horrid house and Daniel Quilp's grasp...for now anyways... But the way Quilp is now plotting with Nell's wretched brother and Mr. Swiveller I'm sorry to say that I have a feeling that Nell has not quite seen the last of them. While we're on the topic of Nell's brother, and Quilp, in the past 100 pages I found out that Quilp's wife had some sort of romantic relationship with Nell's Brother. WHAT!!?? I mean where did that come from I'm not even sure I can fully comprehend that, that poor woman being stuck with Quip was unimaginable enough but Nell's brother as well! Its all just too horrid!

At the School Master's Porch



    Going back to Nell and Grandfather, I have to say I am more than a little concerned for that child. Grandfather is totally dotty! He is completely unable to make any decisions and is always looking to Nell for help and guidance; so much for him trying to protect Nell! He was so entirely useless, getting Nell sucked into that theatre troup of vagabonds and then leaving her with the responsibility of planning an escape. My sympathy is seriosuly running out when it comes to grandfather, I already had issues with his character but now that he's pretty much become Nell's dependant I am fed up with him. Nell should not have to be concerned with any of  this, she's only a child for crying out loud! At lest Nell is smart enough to manage and get them to rest at the schoolhouse; if she wasn't as mentally equipped as she was her situation would simply be to depressing of a travesty.

Grinder's Lot (The theatre troup)

    If anyone else out there has read The Old Curiosity Shop, I would love to know what you're thoughts are about this story. Did anyone else find themselves losing their patience with Grandfather?!

     

Dark and Light: A Small Collection of Poetry

       Though I do love my classics I am also a hugh fan of poetry, being a part-time poet myself. So, I decided to embark upon the journey of reviewing a poetry collection for the first time.

       Dark and Light is a short collection of poetry (there are 5 poems in the collection) that was published in 2011 by, K. W. McCabe.True to its title, the collection moves from darkness to light
taking you from the depths of despair to the edge of the tunnel where you are just beginning to see the light again. I enjoyed McCabe's writing style and how the despair of the poems at the collection's beginning was interwoven with hope at the end in what was my favourite poem of the collection; Butterfly. To me Butterfly stood out from the rest of the collection as the strongest poem, the imagery of a butterfly in its cocoon solidified the dark theme of the collection and the diction brought to life the sense of hope and light that the title suggests should accompany the darkness. I would have appreciated a few more poems being included in the collection mainly because I believe it would have enhanced the emotionally journey of the collection. Overall I thought Dark and Light was an interesting, if short, collection of poetry.

The Old Curiosity Shop 1/5 of the way there...

      The version of The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens which I am currently reading has about 500 or so pages. Since my last post I've gotten to page 95, considering this is my first time reading Dickens I'm pretty happy with the 95 pages that I've read since last week. However, since I do take longer to read classics I've decided to post everytime I read another 100 pages.

Little Nell is Anxious

     Only 95 pages in and Dickens has me completely hooked! At this point in the novel I can already appreciate why Dickens is one of the most famous authors in the world. The characters simply come to life with his words, they are so vivid I feel like I am right there with them the entire time!

Spoilers Warning!

Little Nell as Comforter

    So, I've figured out what the whole secret is with the grandfather. And I can't say I condone his ideas for saving for Nell's future at all. His excuses are so typical of a gambling addict; I didn't do it for the pleasure, I did it just to make money. I mean come on! I get that he really cares for Nell and wants to look after her best intentions but it annoys me that he seems to be viewed entirely as this tragic person who was just a victim of his circumstances. Though he likely didn't have many other options, a little planning could have changed all that, had he maybe considered that they would need money to save for  the future maybe he would have spared a couple of dimes for the future! That being said, I really do hope that he does ok for himself and Nell as the book progresses.

The Legal Gentleman named Brass

    Nell is such a darling herself, she pines for her grandfather in the loneliness of her rooms all day. I think I like her so much because she is so relatable as a character, she has something that everyone can relate to; the struggle between staying hopeful and giving in to sorrow. I really hope that she and Kit (who might I add has been treated very unfairly) do get the chance to reconcile in future.

A Cool Proposal

     As for her brother, what can I say, I hate him! He is such a fiend trying to get her married off to some snobbish friend so they can steal the money the believe she has! Lets just say he and Daniel Quilp that nast little man that abuses his wife and steals from those who are already down; make my skin crawl!




   
    

Chase the Lightening

      This post was originally meant to be published about a week ago; when I actually finished reading Chase the Lightening but, due to a nasty computer virus my computer would crash every ten minutes... such a drag! Anyways... my computer is up and running so I can actually publish this post now!

    Chase the Lightening; I'm not even sure I know where to start! This book written by Madeline Baker, is a marriage between, science fiction, westerns and romance. It can definetley not be confined to a single genre, so if you do not like a book to stray from one genre to another then this is probably not a good choice for you. That being said, I loved it! I'm a big fan of the power of imagination and the way Baker wove these three genres together made my imagination tingle with excitement.

     The timeless romance between Amanda and Trey captured my heart as they travelled between Amanda's modern day country house and Trey's Wild West. It didn't hurt of course that the story was set (in part) in the Wild West and filled with page turning horse races that made it near impossible to put the book down. The magic of this Wester, Sci-Fi, Time Travelling, Romance gave me chills down to my toes; proving itself to be a heart-racing read!