Readalong: Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence: Post 2

This is the second, and final, post for the Lady Chatterley's Lover readalong, hosted by A Literary Odyssey. My first post can be found here.

I generally liked the second half of this book more than the first half. I did not connect with any of the characters right away, but in the second half, the characters become more personable. This is especially true of  Mellors, the gamekeeper and Connie's lover. We know very little about him from the first except that is very reserved. In the latter half of the novel, we see that he really does care about Connie and wants her as she is, she is not just a sex object for him but a person. We also learn more of his history, which I thought was interesting. Mellors served in the army for a while.  He also was separated from his wife, who tried coming back, but she was crazy and just tries to hurt him. One of the things I liked the most was that Mellors could talk both like a refined, intellectual gentleman and with the common dialect of the region. I thought that was interesting way to sort of bridge some of the gap of  classes between him and Connie.

Class differences is definitely an important topic in Lady Chatterley's Lover. Many characters were not shocked to find out that Connie had taken a lover, but they were shocked or upset when they found out that was the gamekeeper instead of a nobleman. Connie's sister is particularly upset with this news, although it does not stop her from allowing Connie to see him.

One of the aspects of Lady Chatterley's Lover that I liked most was Lawrence's notion of the importance of both the mind and the body in creating a fully functional and fulfilled person. Lawrence believes that you can't live well through just the mind (such as Clifford) or the body (such as Bertha Coutts, Mellors estranged wife). Through Connie's sexual reawakening, we see that she becomes a more fully developed person because she fills the needs of both her mind and her body.

Overall, I enjoyed Lady Chatterley's Lover. I thought it was fairly easy to read with some interesting, apparent themes. The history behind the publication/banning of the book is also interesting to learn. I didn't love this book though, I think the characters were still a little too distant for me.

Book Review: Catching Fire by Sizanne Collins

Synopsis:

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol. (Image and synopsis from goodreads.com)

My Review:

Collins has followed up the first book in the Hunger Games series with another great book. Catching Fire continues the story of a young heroine, Katniss Everdeen. I cannot talk much about the book because I feel that it gives too much away then, especially if you haven't read the first book yet.

I recommend this series so far (only one more book to go!). I think it is exciting, fairly original, and the characters are great. The biggest problem, which was relatively small actually, for me was that I could predict more of what was going to happen in this book than in The Hunger Games. It was still exciting, I just didn't like that I knew/suspected more than Katniss did throughout some of the parts.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars



Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis:

 the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. (Image and synopsis from goodreads.com)

My Review:

Imagine reality TV combined with a dystopic society set in the future North American region. That is what The Hunger Games is about. Collins has created an intriguing and frightening world around the main character, Katniss Everdeen. Every region of their society has two  children selected every year to compete in the hunger game- a fight to the death with only one child left at the end. Katniss is one of the children selected in District 12, her region. Will Katniss survive? If she survives, what will happen to her after the 'game' is over? I can't answer that! You need to read the book to find out.

I rarely read YA books but after my young sister recommended the series and I continually saw them pop up, I decided to give it a try. Expecting to be disappointed in the book and likening them to the Twilight phenomenon, I can honestly say that my expectations were not fulfilled. I found the story original and riveting. I liked the depth of the characters. My main complaint is the idea behind the book- a game where children compete to the death?! Who would want to read about this morbid and cruel plot? Yet, it's okay because it is set in a future that is, hopefully, completely inconceivable for us in the real world and not in a book.

One of the things that I most enjoyed about this was Katniss' character. I thought she was well portrayed in both her strengths and weaknesses. She is a survivor and doesn't give up, but she doesn't always recognize the emotions of the people around her and she has trust issues. All of this gives her a believable character. She is also well portrayed as a coming of age teenager because of the love interests involved in this story. She is always slightly confused and put-off by the boys around her, which is how many young girls feel when they know boys are noticing them but they don't know how to react or feel about it.

I'm excited to start the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars



Book Review: Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution by Holly Tucker

Synopsis:

On a cold day in December 1667 the renegade physician Jean Denis transfused ten ounces of calf's blood into Antoine Mauroy, a madman. Several days and several transfusions later, Mauroy was dead and Denis was framed for murder. A riveting and wide-reaching history, Blood Work shows how blood transfusion became swept up in personal vendettas, international intrigues, and the war between science and superstition. In a foreshadowing of today's stem cell and cloning debates, proponents saw transfusion as a long-awaited cure to deadly illnesses, while others worried that science was toying with forces of nature, perhaps even paving the way for monstrous hybrid creatures. Taking us from the highest ranks of society to the lowest, Holly Tucker introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters, all ruthless contenders in the battle over transfusion. Finally, in a feat of historical research, she reveals the true identities of Mauroy's murderers—and their motivations to kill. (Image and synopsis from goodreads.com)

My Review:

Blood Work is an interesting non-fiction work that chronicles the beginning of blood transfusions in the 17th century in France and England. Scientists started experimenting in blood transfusions long before the knew anything about the composition or purpose of blood- many still did not even believe in circulation of blood throughout the body!

This book describes wonderfully, if that is the right word, the gory nature of blood work before modern practices. Bloodletting was still one of the most common medical treatments for patients and the new technique of blood transfusions was even more 'icky' than bloodletting. Blood Work also describes the political nature of science in the 17th century- especially the feud between protestant England and Catholic France. I found some of this background to be more interesting than the specific blood transfusion debates.

While I think Holly Tucker did a great job of bringing to light this interesting piece of scientific inquiry, I felt like there was too much build up to the end and a little too much background information. Some thingsdragged on, like the description of King Louis XIV when he really had very little involvement in the transfusion debate. The promised murder in the book was also a let down since it was not at all difficult to guess the assumed murderers and their reasons for murder. However, I did not read this because I wanted a thrilling mystery; rather, I wanted to learn blood transfusions in the 17th century, which this book accomplished.

Overall, I think Blood Work was interesting and informative. My main complaint is that there was some extra unnecessary information that bogged down the plot some. Instead of jumping around to explain all of the background, I think it could have been trimmed more to make a more efficient, cohesive narrative.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars



Book Review: The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher

Synopsis:

Still mourning the loss of her husband, Heidi travels with her young, obsessive-compulsive son and her intolerably jaded teenage niece to spend the summer in the south of France. As three generations collide, they'll journey through love, loss, and healing.

My Review:

I think The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted is a beautifully written book with wonderful characters. I connected to the story so much that I had a hard time reading it because I didn't want to know if anything bad was going to happen. I didn't want the characters to hurt anymore or experience any more grief in their lives.

The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted is about a woman's travel to south France to a house that has been in her family for many years and is purported to work great love miracles. Heidi, the brokenhearted woman, lost her husband two years earlier due to a car accident which left Heidi and a single mom of a little boy, Abbot. Heidi brings Abbot and her niece with her to France.

While in France, Heidi connects with her son and niece, as well as the neighbor's son- who she has known since childhood. The Provence Cure shows the joy that come from grief as well as the grief that can come from joy and love. It depicts that pain of losing loved ones and the happiness of a family that comes together.

I loved this story and recommend it to anyone looking for a sentimental story with beautiful themes.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars