The Old Books Club

"The Robe" - a wonderful, old book.

2010-04-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings, my fellow old book lovers! My name is India Aderhold, I'm 18 years old and hail from South Dakota! Titmoss recently invited me to join the blog, so here I am! I'm working on my English degree - which means - I absolutely LOVE to read. Especially old books. My Mom is an old book lover as well, so I grew up reading and enjoying all the old, classic books.

I'm going to share a bit about one of my favorite books, "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas. Unfortunately, I saw the movie before the book, and while the movie is good, the book is astounding! It's tells the story of the robe that Jesus wore - the very robe that the Roman soldiers gambled for in John 19:23-24. In "The Robe", a Roman soldier named Marcellus wins the robe, which takes him on a journey that changes his life forever. Although it gets to be a bit long and drawn out in some places, it's a great story of faith, adventure, and finding redemption in Jesus.

My copy is fairly old, it was published in 1942. While it's not in spectacular condition, it's not in poor condition either! Sadly, the woven cover is starting to come apart on the binding, but otherwise it's a pretty sound little book.

The lady who owned it before me put a beautiful sticker with her name on it on the inside cover. Also on that sticker, is a poem which reads:

Books are keys to wisdom's treasure;

Books are paths that upward lead;

Books are gates to lands of pleasure;

Books are friends, come, let us read.

One of My Favorite Old Books: David Copperfield.

2010-03-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Of all the old books I own, my favorite is the copy of David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens I own. It is a blue leather bound book, with gold lettering and nice semi-white pages. Besides the prettiness of the thing itself, it's a charming and moving story. One worth reading over and over...

Here is a little review I wrote on the one character in the book that you would be least likely to think to write about; Miss Dartle. She intrigued me as I read through the work, and so afterwards, I wrote about her.

~*~

Miss Rosa Dartle...

...has an uncomfortable way of extracting information she wants from you by feigning ignorance or misunderstanding and then pleading to be “corrected” aright. What bothers you most about her is that she knows she is pretending in this way and she knows you know this too; but continues to use this tactic and it works because politeness dictates that you cannot refuse her the information she ‘kindly’ asked for.

She is extremely bitter (and consequently vengeful) and this surfaces when ever she becomes to coolly irate to cover behind the ignorance act. Rosa desires the man she watched as a child, Steerforth, to be her own, but for pride does not show it to him except for one way; by lashing out when he tries to humor or caress her.

As, for Steerforth , he cares little for his bitter, mad nurse; though it appears he might pity her sad fate and life. When he runs away with another girl (Emily) Miss Dartle sees this not as an act of Steerforth’s bad character, but Emily’s (even though Steerforth enticed the girl.)Miss Dartle declares Emily ‘ruined’ her Steerforth and that “he was too good for her”, Dartle lashes out with jealousy and other hidden feelings she has harbored against the very man she is jealous for and ‘loves.’ She knows Steerforth does not care for her or even care that she does. Because she so earns the right for you to hate her, you cannot help but feel sorry when she retires from life present to, with extreme bitterness and increased age, tend the mother of the now deceased man she wanted so jealously. She says to the mother often during the rest of their dreamy nightmare like days, “I loved him more than you ever did!” And we wonder if she actually came to ‘love’ her bitterness and jealousy toward Steerforth more than the man himself.

~*~

What piques my curiosity is who (if anyone) was Rosa modeled after? Her character is so distinct and long-remembered in my own mind that I wonder if Dickens has someone to ascribe to in the back of his mind for her character and personage. Who knows? ...
~Titmoss

P.S.- Members: Feel free to post some more here! ;) *Hint-hint*

References:

Dickens, Charles; David Copperfield

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/turkey/turlit14.html

http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/copperfield/section23.html

Book Review: A Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James

2009-10-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

A Portrait of a Lady
Henry James
You can read it here:
(Volume I) http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2833
(Volume II) http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2834

Portrait is a rather sad moral tale. Basically it's about an American woman, Isabel, who was orphaned and thus goes over to live with her only living relatives in England. There, she has many suitors and refuses them all--as she tells her cousin, Ralph "I'm not ready to be tied down yet, I want to see things..." So, she sets out to do that at first, and travels because her uncle ... Read Moredies and leaves her a large fortune. Unbeknownest to her, that same cousin Ralph (who is dying of tuberculosis) convinced her uncle to give her that fortune. So...what does she do? She falls into the snare of a handsome, playboy nobleman. He becomes her husband-dictator; all her free-will and life is gone.
And at the end, when she recieves news that Ralph is dying, though her husband forbids her, she escapes and it is on Ralph deathbed that he tells her all as he dies in her arms. So sad! The best lines are these (said to Isabel on his deathbed):
Ralph : Remember this, Isabel. If you have been hated, you have also been loved.
[He pauses] No. No--adored.

Out of five stars, I give it a 3.

A Bookish Link

2009-08-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Looking for good books for free? How about online?

Click here to see a few of my personal favorite classics.

Everly Pleasant

The Little Lame Prince: An Excellent Story

2009-07-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

"The Little Lame Prince and his Travelling Cloak" (often published under its shorter title "The Little Lame Prince") is a story for children first published in 1875. In the story, a young prince whose legs are paralysed due to a childhood trauma is given a magical travelling cloak by his fairy godmother; he uses this cloak to go on various adventures and develops great wisdom and empathy in the process."

--Book review from http://www.shelfari.com/

I found this little book a very nice afternoon read, and loved how every page of it reminded me of all my favorite fairytale stories... and precisely that, got me to wondering something: do fairytales, with their magic & fairy godmothers, undermine or contradict God's ways?

Just a thought... if you have any thoughts yourself, leave us a comment. :) Discussions like this can be very engaging & fun.

~Titmoss

What to Look For In Old Books...

2009-06-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Look at the binding. Is the spine cracking? or falling apart? You may want to rethink those kinds of purchases. If the book is worn on the outside but still holding together, it should be fine for display, and maybe even reading use.

Closely examine the pages. Are they ripped, heavily soiled or otherwise damaged. If so, then leave it on the shelf. (Unless you don't mind, or you're using it for decorative purposes only.)

Take note of any special, or colored illustrations, especially in books earlier than 1900. If the book is falling apart, but the pictures are fine, you might consider framing the pretty drawings or plates!

Keep in mind specific works or printings that are rare. they may be more expensive, but if you are collecting they could be worth the extra money. (Just keep in mind point 1 and 2!)

And remember, since this will be your book to use and enjoy, you can't be too picky! (That is, unless the book is really rare, which is a special case of course.)

Long Live Old Books!

~Titmoss

Alice in Wonderland...

2009-05-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

“Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?” he asked.
“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, very gravely,” an go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Alice in Wonderland...

If you've never heard of it, you'd have to be either very ignorant, very unwilling, or have had your ears shut since from the time you were born!

Everyone loves Alice, do they not? (Some may contest the idea, but it is generally accepted.) And yet--why is it that we like this strange book written by such a peculiarly singular author?

Who knows! I only know this; that when reading Alice in Wonderland, or any of Carroll's other gleefully serene adventures, you get the idea (after beginning and ending them) that you've been IN the story all along. You were there, watching Alice talk to the Queen, trip over jury box, sneeze at the pepper, and incite the raving madness of the Hatter! What delight, and what fun. I believe, despite your reservations or protestations, everyone (including you) should read Alice in Wonderland at least once in your life time. In order to be properly deposed of as 'culturally literate', you know.

It's a engrossing (but funny) story; you must give it that. However, besides the rumors (they're true) that I've heard of his having an motive of and an underlying social satire throughout it all, I am always amazed at his ingenious wit and intelligence. He actually hid puzzles, riddles, and (very hard to find) tricks in his stories. He asks you to try and find them in the introductions, too. I ahev never found any of them. (That will require yet further study, I suppose.)

So Alice In Wonderland is good reading; great, no doubt. However, if after enjyoing yourself in that one and other you think his Stories are a hoot--and riotously pure brain enjoyment-- you've seen nothing yet. Wait 'til you read a few of his poems. That's what I love to open up to again and again!

I've 'enclosed' a small sampling of my favorites, just os you can see what I mean. (There's more,and I have lots of favorites in them, if not all.) They're long, but read them to the end and you'll be (laughing and ) happy you did.

~Titmoss

THE CROCODILE