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Sunday, February 25, 2024

BW9: I is for imagery

 



Happy Sunday!  I am in the midst of reading In Sunlight and In Shadow by Mark Helprin who uses a great deal of imagery in his books.   From Winter's Tale to A Soldier of the Great War to In Sunlight and In Shadow, Helprin's use of imagery tickles your senses - what you see, hear, taste, touch, and smell, as well as emotion, and even employ the use of metaphors or similes.  All chunky books, Helprin brings not only the stories of the characters to life, but the settings as well.  

Winter's Tale is an historical, magical realism, romance story about a middle aged burglar and a young girl dying of consumption and how their paths crossed in a city consumed by an arctic winter.  The imagery in the story took my breath away. 

“Winter then in its early and clear stages, was a purifying engine that ran unhindered over city and country, alerting the stars to sparkle violently and shower their silver light into the arms of bare upreaching trees. It was a mad and beautiful thing that scoured raw the souls of animals and man, driving them before it until they loved to run. And what it did to Northern forests can hardly be described, considering that it iced the branches of the sycamores on Chrystie Street and swept them back and forth until they rang like ranks of bells.” ~ Winter's Tale

A Soldier of the Great War is one of those books that once finished, you have to let yourself ponder what it is you've just read, let it sit with you for a time, while you formulate your thoughts. After being immersed in Alessandro's world for three weeks, took me a while to surface. It's epic, poetic, heart wrenching, funny, scary, breathtaking, maddening, and leaves you with much to ponder.

“And then one morning the soldiers grew suddenly still as the heavy latches were lifted and turned. Just before the doors slid apart, a man from Pisa took the opportunity to say, "The air is thin. We're in the mountains." Alessandro straightened his back and raised his head. The mountains, unpredictable in their power, were the heart of his recollection, and he knew that the Pisano was right. He had known it all along from the way the train took the many grades, from the metallic thunder of bridges over which they had run in the middle of the night, and from the white sound of streams falling and flowing in velocities that could have been imparted only by awesome mountainsides.”  A Soldier of the Great War

Which brings me to In Sunlight and In Shadow, a novel set just after WWII, is a romance set in New York between Harry who has just returned from the war and Catherina, a wealthy aspiring actress. 

I had to stop and read my husband a passage when the narrator of the story was describing the female character as he watched her rehearsing on stage. 

"The lenses, plumb-set and perpendicular to the plane of the floor, were a foil to the sharp assertiveness of her nose, which was small, perfectly formed, gracefully projecting.  Her upper lip was larger than her lower, which suggested imminent speech protected nonetheless by careful reticence.  Her teeth, unnaturally white in the glare of the spotlights, were even straight, and large, in alluring palisades that cried out to be kissed."

And his thoughts as he sat across from her at a restaurant: 

"He wondered if women understood that their apparently insignificant attributes often have a power greater than that of armies. It was what he had meant when he had said that the war had been fought for her. Like the atom, which in its internal bonds contains the essence of matter and energy, in her glance, the sparkle of her eye, the grasp of her hand, the elasticity of her hair in motion, the way she stands, the blush of her cheek, sweep of her shoulder, tone of her voice, and snap of her locket, a woman is the spur and essence of existence." 

Helprin's imagery makes me slow down and read the story slowly,  makes me stop and think, takes my breath away, and yes, makes me laugh at what one could consider absurd but also beautiful.  These stories aren't full of purple prose, but descriptive imagery which is very much part of the over arching story.   

What authors or stories come to your mind that are full of imagery that tickles your senses and adds to the story? 

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Sunday, February 18, 2024

BW8: Hubert Horatio Hornblower


Happy Sunday! Some of you may be too young to remember when in 1980 President Jimmy Carter during a speech, in an effort to laud political champions of the past, said "a great man who should have been president, who would have been one of the greatest presidents in history: Hubert Horatio Hornblower,"  then quickly added "Humphrey" when he realized his mistake.  Hornblower was a fictional naval officer in a series of novels by C.S. Forster.  It must an amazing gaffe to say the least.  

Which brings us to Monday February 19th which is President's day in the United States honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in February. 

Tuesday, February 20th is a little know holiday called Hoodie Hoo day in which you must put on a hat, go out at noon, wave your hands all around and yell Hoodie Hoo. If it's too cold, call your family and friends and yell Hoodie Hoo.  

Thursday, February 22nd is Be Humble day in which you must have a piece of humble pie, as they are all humble. 

If you haven't guessed by now, our letter of the week is H and full of hyperbole, history, haiku, handwaving, and hedgehogs. 

Read about a fictional or real president.

Read about a seagoing character.  

Read a book with a character named Humphrey, George, Abraham, or any president's first name. 

Read a book with Hoodie in the title. 

Read a book with Humble in the title or about humility. 

Read any author whose name begins with H. 

Have fun! 


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Sunday, February 11, 2024

BW7: 52 Books Bingo - Earth also known as Gaia

 


Happy Sunday.  Our next 52 Books Bingo category is another element of nature - Earth. 

The Anglo Saxons named her Erda and the German named her Erde which was changed to Old English Ertha, meaning the ground upon which we walk. The Greek's named her Gaia, the mother of all life. The Roman's named her Tellus Mater, the goddess and physical personification of earth. Chi or Tsuchi in Japanese or dìqiú in Chinese.  The planet has many names.  Share unique names you have discovered or read about for the planet Earth. 

The synonyms for earth, the celestial body on which we live include globe, planet, sphere, microcosm. Earth can also mean the surface which include the synonyms land, ground, soil, dust, and landmass to name a few.  

The spiritual element of earth relates to the Chakra that relates to feelings of safety and security. The phrase 'what on earth' relates to surprise and questions of why. 

Read a book set on the planet earth or the discovery of earth. Read a book about foreign lands or wanderlust.

Read a book about the natural world or the element of nature. 

Read a book with Earth or related synonym in the title. 

Read mythological retellings or environmental books. 

As you can see, Earth is a really broad subject in which we can go many different ways or narrow it down to the tiniest grain of sand.   

Our post is sponsored by the letter G and Gaia, globe, ground, and genius. 


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Sunday, February 4, 2024

BW6: February Author of the month - Ben Aaronovitch

 


Welcome to February and Creative Romance Month, An Affair to Remember Month based on the 1957 film, Black History Month, American Heart Month, and as well as Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday, Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon. 

Our author of the month is Ben Aaronovitch who was born on February 22, 1964. Once upon a time, he was a writer for Dr. Who, Casualty, and the soap opera Jupiter Moon.  While working at Waterstones in the Crime and Fiction sections at Covent Gardens, the Rivers of London series was born.  

The series involves Peter Grant, a mixed race detective, for the London Metropolitan Police who works for Detective Chief Inspector Nightingale, the head of a magical and supernatural Special Operations Unit.  A combination mystery, fantasy, and police procedural, the series is both serious and hilarious. 

There are nine primary books in the series, as well as comic books/graphic novels, and numerous short stories.  I fell in like with Peter Grant in the first book Rivers of London in which the rivers are ruled by water Gods and Goddesses, Peter is trying to solve a murder with a ghost as an eyewitness, and learn magic at the same time.  I'm currently reading the second book, Moon over Soho, in which something or someone is killing jazz musicians.  The stories are creative and entertaining and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 


Happy February! 

Please share your book reviews and link to your website, blog, Goodreads, Google+, Tumblers, or Instagram page. If you do not have a social media account, please leave a comment to let us know what you are reading. The link widget closes at the end of each book week. 

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