and now for something completely different

I love stories. My preferred method of story consumption is either print, or aural. Movies are ok, but not my top.

One thing about stories, is I can get really caught up! Case and point: I was required to read Fellowship of the Ring for my freshman college English class. I had avoided it until then, as my brother liked it. And I'd be derned if I liked what he liked!!

But, to my horror, I loved it! Tom Bombadil, and all.

Needless to say, by Thanksgiving, I was finishing the appendices in Return of the King. Hobbitses were regular guests in my dreams. I even began the Silmarillion.

[Reader's start moving their mouse, begin to close window on this crazy woman....]

Perhaps that was an extreme example, but you get the idea.

As I was driving to work today, I thought, wouldn't it be kinda neat, to continue a story line, from one of your favorite books? Not an important line, mind you. So none of this, rewriting an entire novel from some other main character's point of view. I'm talking, more along the lines of some minor character, that plays a part of minor importance. In fact, they weren't even really necessary. Think more, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and less Midnight Sun. (Give me some credit: I had to verify the names at least....)

What would I write about? I would do a serial about the Distressed Gentlewomen in Ye Cosy Nooke, from PG Wodehouse's, A Damsel in Distress.

What or better yet, who would you right about?

the miserable

[Editor's note: This was my post from yesterday, started right before midnight. I was having problems keeping the post from being too heavy handed. It was not my intent to be all 'change the world, feed the poor' etc. Not that that is a bad thing! I just am not so good at that myself, and I didn't want it to appear as if I was. I've left the post unfinished, as my thoughts are, too, still unfinished. I have a nagging suspicion that the reading of Les Mis shall inspire more heavy handed ponderings, though. You have been warned!]

Do you ever not read on in a book, because you have a pretty good idea what is going to happen? And, perhaps, if you don't carry on with the story, it never happened?

Jean Valjean just stole from the little boy; Fantine is about to believe she must do whatever her 'lover' says.

GAH.

Don't they know that their one choice will badly effect the rest if their lives?

I was chatting about the book today, and mention Victor Hugo's introduction:
I badly paraphrased it, saying, as long as there is inequality, books like[Les Miserables] must exist. Hugo puts it much more eloquently.

So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation which, in the midst of civilization, artificially creates a hell on earth, and complicates with human fatality a destiny that is divine; so long as the three problems of the century - the degredation of man by the exploitation of his labor, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the atrophy of childhood by physical and spiritual night - are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a still broader point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on the earth, there should be need for books such as this. Victor Hugo; Hauteville House, 1862

Perhaps someday Les Miserables will be not be needed. At least as nothing more than a reminder of what used to be. In this someday, we will be judged for the entirety of our self, instead small individual moments of our lives. That others will give us time to change, and grow. To accept the consequences of our actions

, without being defined by our actions.

Such change as Hugo demands, seems quite daunting.

I have this theory. If everyone were to pray for world peace, no one would know if their prayer was answered. We are not aware of the neighbors across the world that have decided to stop quarreling! We never see the results of our actions. And we give up.

Instead, we should look at the Bishop of Digne. Through the simple act of calling the man Valjean, Monsiuer, Valjean began to believe he was more than his yellow passport.

'Monsieur Curé,' said the man, 'you are truly good. You don't despise me. You take me into your house. You light your candles for me, and I haven't hidden from you where I come from, and bow miserable I am.' (76)

fictional friends

I've been listening to my favorite books lately: The Dark is Rising Sequnce. I've read them every summer for as long as I can remember. I first read the series in fifth grade, thanks to my need to be different from everyone else. We received the assignment to write a report about our favorite book and author.

I had originally chosen Madeleine L'Engle, and the Wrinkle in Time books. Then I learned that Jon Harris, too, had chosen her.

This would not do!

I don't know if I had already read these books, or my teacher, Ms. Cooper, suggested the books...maybe my parents? Either way, I fell in love. I can still remember drawing our original book covers, and including all the six signs that Will the Sign-Seeker did find, and choosing which color of prismacolor pencils best represented the different materials.

As I sit here, listening to The Grey King, think how many of my best friends are fictional characters. I read an overall positive review, but the said that it was too bad that the Drew children were so dated! I really couldn't think of any specific instance that dated them, excepting the technology is from the 1970's. In fact, I had earlier been thinking how it would be great to be friends with Jane - well, with all of the Six. I do believe we would get along.

Others from my favorite fiction that I would be friends with would be:
Jane Bennett
Mr. Bingley
Charlotte Lucas
Faramir
Eomir
Edmund
maybe Lucy, Peter Pevensie
Jill Pole
Eustace Scrubb
Tirian
Nelly Dean
Captain Hastings

Probably friends, but not BFF:
Elizabeth Bennett
Mr. Darcy
Esther Summerson
any Elf
Aragorn
Frodo
Susan Pevensie
Catherine Linton
Poirot

Not so sure:
Lydia Bennett
Heathcliff
Caradog Pritchard

If it weren't so late, maybe I'd analyze how, most of the BFFs are not the main characters, but it is late, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep....