The Song of Roland: Unknown

If you like history and you like the style of someone who writes like Sir Walter Scott, you'll enjoy this book! The author is unknownand the original writings were written in old French; now we just have copies and transcripts. This particular one from Signet Classics was beautifully translated by Robert Harrison. He also has a wonderful introduction that gives you background to the current history of the times, the culture they lived in, and discusses questions that are raised from the text- both historically and literary.

Some background- Charlemagne is conquering Spain during the time of Marsilla's rule. Marsilla is in cahoots with one of Charlemagne's men, Ganelon, who plot to supposedly surrender to Charlemagne, and the plan to rebel when he isn't looking. As news comes to Charlemagne that Spain has surrendered, Ganelon suggests that his step-son, Count Roland (who is also the favorite nephew of Charlemange) be sent with a troop of men to keep watch over Spain.

Count Roland- for whom the book it titled- is a knight in every sense of the word. Chivalrous. Brave. Just. Patriotic. A courageous leader and a man among men- unlike his traitorous step-father, Ganelon. As Roland and his group of faithful men watch over the Saracens of Spain, they find themselves in the battle for their lives as the Saracens turn against them. If you have every seen or read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, this whole book is like all the war scenes from LOTR. Great, heart-tugging action.

What I Liked:

I love the way Robert Harrison translated this. You always loose something in translation, but you can tell he worked hard to get the essence across. He also laid out the poem very well, making it not only easy to read, but to keep track of where you stopped. And the intro, the intro! Don't think of skipping it. Even though it took me more time to read the intro than the rest of the book, it was well-worth it! Wonderful discussion of the history of France during this time, the history of this piece of work and how it came to be what it is now.

What I Didn't Like:

Not much. What I didn't like is actually more funny than anything. For the sake of not spoiling it for you, I'll just say one of the character's who dies has a very long drawn out death. Phrases like, "Wounded unto death" (1990) and "realizes death is near" (2259) are used... but he doesn't die for another 50 plus lines. I just felt sorry for him- let him die and be put out of his misery!

Favorite Quote:

"The Count [Roland] says: God, I don't know what to do.

Your [Olivier] valor was for naught, my lord companion-

there'll never be another on like you.

Sweet France, today you're going to be robbed

of loyal men, defeated and destroyed..."

Half Off Books: Whittier

A gloomy day, lower 70's degrees, and drizzly.

Perfect for some bookstore hunting :D

Today I sought out Half Off Books in Uptown Whittier. After driving around for about 10 minutes looking for the shop and trying to find a parking spot, someone pulled out of one right in front of the shop! I walked in, pulled off to the side out of everybody's way, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I probably look funny, but that's what I do when I walk into a bookstore I've never been in.

This one smelled of pledge. Probably because there was a girl to the left of me cleaning the bookshelves. Yeah, that would account for it.

The shop itself is very warehouse like. A tall ceiling, bookshelves 10ft high. The floor creaks everywhere you walk, it's like a built in burglar alarm!

H.O.B. has Open Poetry Mic Night every 2nd Wednesday of the month and they feature work from local artists. I figure it's geared to draw a younger generation with those and the pop music that they play. It's like a young soul in an old body.

I spent a lovely hour searching through the yards and yards of books and found these two beauties! Both in really good condition, the hardback being very well-bound!

Jane Austen's Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon

$1.75

H.W. Longfellow Selected Poems includes 60 pieces of work, among which is the famous Song of Hiawatha

$7.50

The Hunt Is On

... for decent bookstores in the area! A place that smells of fresh and old paper without the crazy loud music and a comfy chair to sit in and read the book you are about to buy or have already bought :)

This is a list of bookstores in my area that I want to check out and evaluate. I'd like to hit at least one a month, so we'll see how it goes.

If there is one you know of that's not on my list, let me know!!!

• Copper Penny Bookstore: Brea
• Apostrophe Books: Long Beach
• Gatsby Books: Long Beach
• Redux Books: Yorba Linda
  
• The Corner Bookstore: Santa Ana
• The Bookman: Orange
• Half Off Books: Whittier
• Secret Passage Bookstore: Long Beach
• E&A Cogan Books: La Mirada
• Grace Book World: Fullerton
• Book Baubles: Fullerton
• Bucks 4 Books: Fullerton
• Aladdin Books: Fullerton
• Nused Books: Long Beach
• A Castle of Books: Long Beach
• Acres of Books: Long Beach
• Open Books: Long Beach
• Little Professor Book Center: Fullerton

Bauman Rare Books

I've been doing some research for bookstores. See, I have this fantasy in my head of starting a penpal - like relationship with someone in a shop like this. Someone I can go to with questions on the classics, someone who shares the same love of the smell/feel of old books, someone like Frank Doel from 84 Charing Cross Rd. Haha, if you get that movie reference then props to you!!! I'll send you a box with eggs, ham, and raisins ;)

Here's a place I've written to, Bauman Rare Books, to see if they have a small book of Yeats poems containing Cloths of Heaven. I've found many mass manufactured, glue bound, blindingly white paged books containing this poem; not that those are bad, just not my style. I want a book that smells like my grandfather's attic, pages slightly yellowed with age, with no picture of the author plastered on the back. A book that's been around the block a few times so that it not only contains a story, but could probably tell a few stories itself. Is that too much to ask?

The Borrower: Rebecca Makkai

Not to be confused with The Borrowers *wink*

This woman, Rebbeca Makkai, was either a librarian or she really did her research! She thinks like a librarian- quoting from movies and books, making fun of Penguin Classics and Mr. Popper's Penguins, referencing movies like Music Man with Marian the Librarian and It's a Wonderful Life when George's wife turns maiden librarian in the world without him, and she even pokes at the type of shoes that librarians wear... this woman's got the stereotype down!

The Borrower is a story of a children's librarian, Lucy, who has a soft spot for a boy, Ian, from a strict family. One day he decides to run away, and in a sense the Ian kidnaps Lucy... but the police would see it more as she kidnapped him! As they drive, and drive, and drive some more, Lucy starts off thinking of it as a small adventure, like the ones she reads as she sits behind her desk in the Children's Center. But the more they drive, the more she realizes she likes sitting behind that desk... and now she can never go back to that life. A funny and thought-provoking story of ethics and morals. I was yelling at Lucy in my head for the last half of the book! And the question remains... who borrowed who?

What I Liked:
How the life of a Children's Librarian was depicted. So true- down to your legs itching from the material of the chair you sit in! Rebecca has a way of captivating your attention right from the beginning and holding it throughout the entire book. The relationship between Ian and Lucy is so natural, too. Seeing what parent's do to their kids and you want to help the kid out as much as you can in your way.

What I Didn't Like:
The sense that Lucy had no choice but to help the kid run away. The sense that it was OK to lie to everyone. The way Christianity is depicted as a group of people forcing their beliefs on you- though sadly many are that way. A funny book, but the morals and ethics are rather skewed. Makes you think and argue with Lucy in your head. Lucy pays for her crime in that she never goes back to work at that library, moves out of the city, and has to restart her life, but she never gets caught in her web of lies and doesn't truly repent of what it is that she's done.

Favorite Quote: (that isn't even from the book, it's from the acknowledgements!!!)
"Although I've had to demolish my childhood fantasy that Penguin Books is somehow run by Mr. Popper's Penguins, I've happily replaced it with the knowledge that it is populated by wonderful people who were willing to arrange an editing and production schedule around the birth of my second child."

The Librarian Strikes Again!

Did you know that Border's is/went out of business? Such a bittersweet time for Bookhuggerz everywhere! Today our family went to pay our respects to the well-loved store with one last fling. I went in with a line-up in my mind: something French- language, history, what have you- and anything Anthropologic. If there's one thing I was reminded of today, it was never go in search for something specific, you'll miss what's right in front of your nose!

After about an hour or more of slowly walking, head tilted sideways, fingering the shelves and spines, I found a few that may turn out to be treasures :) None of what I was looking for, but they still have promise.

Take a look at this line up!!!

-The Song of Roland

-Master and Commander

-Isaac's Storm

-The Borrower

-Wading Home

-Terrific Majesty

-Anthology of Western Reserve Literature

7 books for a grand total of....

$13.78!

Borders, you shall be missed, but...

Oh happy, bittersweet, lovely day!

Something Fresh: P.G. Wodehouse

I love the way this man writes. I need more of his books and more authors who write in this style in my life! One thing that I see a lot in the 3 books of his that I own is the individualistic spirit and fairy-tale endings; though I'm sure that living through both World Wars developed the desire to write books with happy endings instead of sad ones.

My Synopsis: In typical Wodehouse fashion, the characters all have their quirks, interesting pasts, and the book is filled with the mandatory Wodehouse Cast of butlers, aunts, younger sons, detectives, lovers, and imposters. The center of everyone's attention? A Scarab- a Cheops of the Fourth Dynasty, to be exact- which has been stolen from a certain Mr. Peters who is now offering a 1,000£ to the person who retrieves it!

Favorite Quote: WANTED: Young man of good appearence, who is poor and reckless, to undertake a delicate and dangerous enterprise... Good pay for right man.