Who is Your Literary Crush?

In my last post, I mentioned that Edward Fairfax Rochester from Jane Eyre is my favorite literary crush (with Brandon from Sense and Sensibility in 2nd, and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice in 3rd). But, how about you? Ladies, do you dream of Darcy or Heathcliff? How about Bingley? Gentlemen? Would it be Elizabeth, or Catherine, or someone else entirely? We're not just focusing on Austen and Bronte here.... I mean anyone from classic literature! Please share! :)

Rochester:

Brandon: Mr. Darcy:

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I have just finished watching one of the best movies I've seen in a long time! Movie Boy actually made the recommendation to me, telling me that I would probably like it because of the literary references, however, he cautioned me to not get my hopes up too much, since he was afraid that it was cooler in theory than in action. Well, I'm happy to report that it was just as epic in actuality as it was in theory! I was so pumped the entire time I watched this movie! Normally, I'm not a fan of action films, but this was the perfect mix of action and literary references!

For those of you who are not familiar with the story, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a tale of epic proportions. When Europe is on the brink of a potential world war, a mysterious figure named "M" gathers together the ultimate team to save the world from destroying itself:

Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery)

Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah)

Mina Harker (Peta Wilson)

Rodney Skinner, the Invisible Man (Tony Curran)

Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend)

Tom Sawyer (Shane West)

Dr. Henry Jekyll (Jason Flemyng)

This is a movie that you just have to see to believe! It was AMAZING! And actually, this has prompted a summer reading challenge for myself. I'm going to make it a point to read all of the books that inspired these characters:

• Allan Quartermain: King Soloman's Mines (H. Rider Haggard)
• Captain Nemo: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne)
• Mina Harker: Dracula (Bram Stoker)
• Rodney Skinner: The Invisible Man (H.G. Wells)
• Dorian Gray: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
• Tom Sawyer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)
• Dr. Henry Jekyll: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Lewis Stevenson)

This summer, I hope to be able to give you all exciting reviews of these books :) I'll be a bit brief when it comes to Jekyll's book, however, since I just reviewed it last summer. (I'm sure many of you remember my crazy "Jekyll and Hyde phase". Still, look forward to seeing reviews about all of these! It's going to be great :)

On a side note, I would like to make one small complaint about the film. I felt the tiniest bit annoyed that the writers took obvious creative liberties with several of the characters. The most notable for me, (with what I have read), would be Mina's vampirism (a fate which she is spared in Dracula), Dorian (no more information to be given...don't want to include spoilers here), and the appearance of Edward Hyde. Strange as it may seem, Hyde is actually supposed to be smaller than Jekyll, not the hulking brute that he is in the film. This is not to say that I'm complaining....I agree that the changes work well for the film, however, the stubborn English major within me protests that this is not how it was supposed to be.

Oxherding Tale

I've just finished reading Oxherding Tale (Charles Johnson), for my African American Literature class....and I must say, it was quite an experience. We approached the book from a completely different angle than I normally would; namely, we tore the book apart, analyzing every little detail and countering every argument we proposed with another. Everything had two answers; it could be this, but it could also be that. I was fascinated.

Another big thing this professor stressed was to "destroy those virgin pages" (or, in my humble opinion, RAPE those virgin pages).....Basically, write all over them. That was really hard for me...I couldn't believe he expected me to write all over my books, to leave notes in the margins and smears of yellow highlighter over passages and quotes. But, after I got past the initial stress of the situation, I really started to enjoy it....A lot. That's not to say I'm going to write in all my books, but it makes it a lot easier to understand and focus on things in the class if I allow myself to write on the pages.

Oxherding Tale was a fascinating experience. I'm going to have to read it again, because there is so much that I have missed, but I feel like I've also picked up on a lot. I know that I would never have gotten this experience if it wasn't for my professor. He brought the book to life; which is what a good professor does, right? ;)

Oxherding Tale is the story of Andrew, a slave with a black father and a white mother. Because of his mixed blood, he is able to pass for white, so he escapes from slavery and tries to make a name for himself. The book carries a weird, almost ethereal quality to it, like a dream at parts. One character in particular seemed to fade in and out of reality; at times, it was hard to tell if he was even a real person or the incarnation of some dark force. This is the Horace Bannon the bounty hunter, also known as "The Soulcatcher".

There is not a lot I can say about Bannon without giving stuff away, but this is a book you should definitely, read. Just make sure to give yourself the time to read it before you do. It's a book that deserves your time and attention, and needs you to look it over bit by bit. If for nothing else, read it for Soulcatcher....he fascinated me throughout the novel.

How Beowulf Should Have Ended

One Down...Three to Go...

Yes, that's right...I have finished my first final! I am now completely done with Arthurian Literature!!! :D I can't even begin to think about what that means...one of my hardest classes is now over, and my second hardest final is also out of the way. I have three more finals to go, but I'm feeling much better about everything.

Also, I got back my Arthurian Literature essay...the one about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I GOT AN A- ~!!!!! I can't believe it! I was so certain that I was going to fail, because I started very late, was functioning on very little sleep, and this professor is a beast on grading essays. But no! I did it!!! :D

And, to celebrate this final being done, I'm posting a video version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's in the modern idiom, easy to understand, and beautifully presented. I hope you enjoy.

My Arthurian Hero Doesn't Wear Armor; He Wears Glasses!

It really is true that people can be so different from what everyone else thinks of them. For example, this guy from my literature class. Willoughby knew him in high school, and tells me constantly how much of a player and a tool this guy is. And, I guess, just like Elizabeth Bennett, I was inclined to believe Wickham over Darcy. Not saying that the case is as extreme as that, but its a similar story: "I knew this guy and he's bad news, stay away!" and it turns out that he's a pretty nice guy after all. I mean, he's helped me out a heap today, and without me even having to come to him for assistance!

Basically, it was this: I lost some of my notes for one of the books in my literature class, and I need those notes for the stuff that's going to be on the final. So, I sent out a mass email to everyone, saying "Could you please give me a copy of your notes?" No one did. Then, out of nowhere, I run into this guy at the library, and he's like, "Hey, do you still need those notes?" (which of course, I did) and not only did he get me a copy of the notes, but he used his own money for it. I mean, I know it wasn't a lot (like 50 cents) but still, that was really, really nice of him, and I appreciate him trying to help me out like that.

I really wish there were more guys like him out there: just nice guys who are willing to help someone out just because they can. (And I feel as though I've learned an important lesson right now. I mean, I always thought he was a nice guy, and I tried to ignore what Willoughby was saying, but this just cemented in my mind all that I was trying to believe). So, I want to send out a huge thank you to Pete, who will prolly never read this post, but thank you! You are my hero for this class!!! :P

Finding Odysseus

Okay...So I know I haven't posted too many literary thoughts lately, but today, the moment has presented itself. My official student status is that of an English Major/ Classical Studies Minor, and so the Classical Mythology course I'm taking perfectly supplements both requirements. For the past few weeks, we've been reading The Odyssey by Homer. And, I think I've found my Odysseus....

It's not like I put him into this position on purpose, or that I was looking for someone to play the role in my mind's eye as I read, but it seemed that one day, I just looked up and *poof!* he just slipped into the character so perfectly! This, however, is different from how things went down with Willoughby. For Willoughby, I consciously slipped him into that role, because he was the embodiment of the character. For my Odysseus, I can't say if he would be the perfect man for the role, but there's something about him that makes him so fascinating; just like Odysseus has always been.

Do I like him? I really can't tell you that. Perhaps? Maybe he just makes me really happy when he's around, and that's all there is to it; nothing more. But, he's quirky and funny...and I love to listen to his voice...

~"Penelope"

"I am Odysseus son of Laertes, known before all men for the study of crafty designs, and my fame goes up to the heavens." ~The Odyssey

Sick and Searching for English Translations

Being sick for the past three days, I've had plenty of time to sit around and reflect on literature (can't say I'm complaining, but I wish the sore throat would go away...) But, I can't seem to be able to keep my attention on ONE book, or even TWO books...I've been jumping back and forth between no less than FIVE! D: And, to be honest, I'm a little tired of it...I really just want to be able to settle down and enjoy one piece of literature, and one only! Does anyone have a recommendation for me? *hopeful expression on face* Also, does anyone know if there is an English translation of either Voyage au bout de la Nuit by Céline, or Les Fleurs du Mal by Baudelaire? A French friend recommended both to me, and since I can't speak or read French to save my life, I have no hope of reading two wonderful literary works, and it greatly saddens me... :'( Please be merciful on a pitiful English Major with no hope of learning a foreign language!

Happy Monday!

Hello everyone, happy Monday!

I'm so excited to announce that this is my FIRST blog post EVER! I can't wait to see how this turns out!

Ummm...okay: a little about myself... My name is Emmy, and I am a college student between the ages of 18 and 30. I'm IN LOVE with literature, and as I'm sure you'll be able to tell, this is going to be a blog devoted entirely to books. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to work this, but I would say there will be a bit of my literary "insights," and of course, my ramblings. If you like books and want to talk about it, post me a comment with opinions, suggestions, etc. :)