Books Read:
The Dark Island by Vita Sackville-West (1934) 4/5 stars
This serious character study shows the life of Shirin in four episodes: one each at the ages of 16, 26, 36, and 46. The writing is wonderful, intelligent, and gripping, but the bleak and grim themes keep it from being a book one "enjoys". It is not a novel I would recommend universally, but it was still a thought-provoking and memorable read.
Audio Books Completed:
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (1927) 3/5 stars
These are less intriguing than earlier short stories, vary in quality overall, and some in particular have not aged well. They do contain some iconic moments, though, and are worth reading for the devoted Holmes fan, if only for completeness.
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| Baroness Orczy |
Lady Molly of Scotland Yard by Emmuska Orczy (1910) 4/5 stars
These fun Edwardian short stories of mystery and adventure feature Lady Molly, one of the female agents of Scotland Yard. In the tales, Lady Molly often depends more on a knowledge of human nature than on physical clues, but her deductions are sensible and logical, and, for the most part, don't strain credibility. Her devoted friend, Mary, narrates the account, and while Mary's over-abundant praise is sometimes annoying, Lady Molly of Scotland Yard is still well-written, nicely plotted, and entertaining.
The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley (1927) 4/5 stars
Though sometimes convoluted, this Golden Age mystery is generally well-written, completely entertaining, and quite intriguing.
The Two Destinies by Wilkie Collins (1876) 4/5 stars (my review here)
That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green (1897) 4/5 stars (my review here)
Lost Man's Lane by Anna Katharine Green (1898) 4/5 stars (my review here)
The Circular Study by Anna Katharine Green (1900) 4/5 stars (my review here)
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1857)
This is a fantastic book -- if translated by Lydia Davis -- and I was looking forward to listening to it on audio. I found, though, that I couldn't appreciate Flaubert's painstaking, detailed writing and his stunning ability to turn a phrase by listening. I wrote a long discussion (here) when I read it 2011, and would encourage anyone that hasn't read this classic to read that post before picking up the book.
This is a group of 36 lectures subtitled "36 Great Women Before 1400" that, having majored in history, I was very much looking forward to hearing. The blurb explains that these lectures will allow the listener to experience a "another side of history" by spotlighting 36 extraordinary women and how they influenced history. Unfortunately, Professor Salisbury does not do this. Instead, a woman is introduced (sometimes from sketchy sources), a bit of general background history given, then that particular historical woman is shoehorned into the discussion, often as a periphery figure. I felt that Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals did not live up to it's promise, nor to the quality I have come to expect from the Great Courses.
