Annie, Persuasion, and Conrad's Fate

Just picked up Annie's antibiotic for her UTI (infection) and remarkably enough, it is bubble-gum flavored. If it isn't enough that this thing is disgusting shade of pink, it is also bubble-gum flavored. Yuck. Surely there's a small child out there that would rather have chicken flavored antibiotic? It would certainly make things easier for the cats of America if the pharmaceutical company would not cater to the children of America. (yes, that's a joke. Sort of.)

Needless to say, I have pink stains on my brown trousers, and Annie refused to be near me for the next ten minutes. (she forgives quickly, but is still wary of being picked up). If you are wondering about this picture, this particular posture is the "Don't Touch My Tail!" look, but it works for the "Don't give Me Antibiotics" look too.

Forgot to add in this quote from Persuasion, which I really liked:

p.154

"Yet, in spite of all this, Anne had reason to believe that she (Mrs Smith) had moments only of languor and depression... How could it be? She watched -- observed -- reflected -- and finally determined that this was not a case of fortitude or of resignation only. -- A submissive spirit might be patient, a strong understanding would supply resolution, but here was something more ; here was that elasticity of mind, that disposition to be comforted, that power of turning readily from evil to good, and of finding employment which carried her out of herself, which was from Nature alone. It was the choicest gift of Heaven ; and Anne viewed her friend as one of those instances in which, by a merciful appointment, it seems designed to counterbalance almost every other want."

I love this quote because it gives a wonderful word picture of a woman who has lost nearly everything, but still manages to be cheerful, to look forward to life, and to enjoy what she can. Austen has some very poor people in her books (people in reduced circumstances) and very often, they bear their misfortunes so very well. She does contrast this with complainers & people who talk too much. ;) Another thought about Persuasion follows.

Much later on, toward the end of the book, Anne & Captain Harville discourse on marriage, love, and the differences (based on gender) in attitude toward both situations. It finishes with Anne saying, basically that women love longest even past all hope. Whether you agree with Anne or Harville, this section really sets the stage for Anne's speaking more openly than she ever has, and her own beloved Captain takes the hint & proposes again. Really beautifully done here. Wish I could write something so well fitted together.

Finished Diana Wynne Jones' Conrad's Fate : A Chrestomanci Book. I love Diana's imagination and her varied characters. Definitely fantasy, probably for the mid-teens & up. Basic summary of the beginning is that Conrad is just a kid when he discovers the magical world of books (he lives above a bookshop, what a dream life!) and also that he has terrible karma. It would ruin the book to say too much more, suffice it to say that Diana's books are that rarity, books that actually make me smile while I'm reading them, and upon occasion she's actually made me laugh. Very few books tickle my funny bone like hers do. She has a marvelously sly sense of humor.

More later....

Finishing Persuasion by Austen (and Gas City)

I have to admit that Persuasion by Jane Austen is probably my least favorite, in part because the character of Anne Elliot is so calm, withdrawn, and reserved. She lacks a certain ardent spirit, which most of (many of?) Jane Austen heroines seem to have.

Yet in this book, there's a great deal of insight into character, personality, and yet again the inconstancy of people (in general) who are so quick to say, "they always knew the bad in someone" even when the previous day, they were talking about how great that someone was. That perception in Jane Austen's writing is probably one of her greatest strengths as an author for me. She is compassionate, but wryly understanding of the foibles of human behavior.

Gas City by Loren Estleman : I've read the beginning & the ending of the book. I find much to admire about Estleman's writing & his cleanly written prose. His plotlines are consistently interesting and hard driven, as benefits a book which is very much centered around hard crime.. The strength of Gas City lies in its clear tally of the evil that can lie underneath a corrupt city government and how truly sick at heart people can become. Some of the changes in one man's heart because of the loss of his wife precipitates a lot of changes in this city, and yet, at the ending of Gas City, you're left with an awareness that there is a certain inertia in the city itself that will be very hard to change.

I am looking forward to Frames, which is Estleman's next book out, and which should be out this coming April, if I recall rightly. It is the start of a new series.