Dracula

I'm not sure why this is written in the form of letters and journal entries, but it's a really, really good read, if a little long. I especially liked the first part at Dracula's castle. There's a reason this has endured all these years.

Waverley

Scott's first Scottish novel, credited with saving the old ways in Scotland after their culture had been essentially banned after the battle of Culloden Waverley was a very enjoying read. Scott's characters are very well rounded; character definitely dominates plot. And of course since we all know going in what will happen to the biggest character I guess that makes the sense. It makes me want to go back to Scotland.

Phineas Finn

The second Palliser novel, Trollope returns to London and the Houses of Parliament tracing the successes of young Mr. Finn of Ireland and his exploits in that esteemed body. It does make me wonder if our government would improve if we didn't pay our legislators a salary. I only regret that the novel failed to give me more of the characters introduced in Can You Forgive Her, but I look forward to revisiting Phineas in Book 4.

Anthem

I just love Ayn Rand books and this quick, quick read, especially compared to her other two novels is no exception. Unfortunately this book as well as her others probably suffer from being a little too much a product of their times. My 14-year-old niece had to read it this summer, and given her experience of communism, or rather lack thereof, I doubt it resonated with her as much as it did with me, much less with Rand's original audience. I wish though that we knew what became of this new Adam and Eve striking out boldly on their own. I have every hope that they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

Frankenstein

My first Kindle book. I had never read Frankenstein, but am of course influenced by all the movies and other pop culture take on Shelley's monster and his creator. It's really a very good book full of questions about creators and how they treat their creation as well as how the created may turn out without the ongoing influence of the creator. How people got from this book to mad scientist and a guy with bolts coming out of his neck, I don't know, so I'm glad I finally know what Mary Shelley intended her creatures to be.

Kidnapped

Kidnapped was the other book I took to read in Scotland. I did start it there, but didn't finish it until after we returned home. I have to say that these sorts of boys adventure stories aren't really my favorites, and I think that Stevenson glossed over details of place and character that I generally enjoy. But the action was first rate even if the journey overland was a little rushed in my opinion. It was fun to get my map out and trace David Balfour's journey from Mull back to Edinburgh. We didn't go on quite the same route, but the places and sights were familiar enough to put me back in the scenery, and to commiserate with the conditions of such a journey. The Jacobite history listen we'd received also added a dimension to the story I wouldn't have appreciated as much before last week.

Ivanhoe

This was the book I read in Scotland finally finishing it the day before we left. Written by one of Scotland's leading sons as evidenced by the memorial in his honor in Edinburgh, I picked the book because it was all of his that I found at my local bookstore. Waverly or Rob Roy might have been a better choice given my surroundings since Ivanhoe takes place only in England, not in Scotland. But on the plus side, having now read Ivanhoe I want to seek out Waverly and Rob Roy and add them to the list of books I've read.

I'm not exactly sure why Scott named this book Ivanhoe as the title character is one of the more minor characters. The book was fascinating though, from it's descriptions of tournaments, to its assault of a castle to its surprise revelation of the identity of a veiled knight. The inclusion of Robin Hood and his merry band greatly surprised me, and I confess I couldn't help but picture them as the Walt Disney animal characters having recently watched that DVD with Sam.

I can see why people still read Ivanhoe. Despite the plethora of prose that often fills the page, the story with its tales of heroism, chivalry, chicanery and mayhem definitely stands up after all these years.

The Great Gatsby

Another one of those books that they just never made me read. Because I had seen part of the movie I couldn't get Sam Waterston, Robert Redford and Mia Farrow out of my head. I enjoyed the novel. It truly fit it's time and I could even see it fitting the time of the post-9/11 pre-Recession world as well. I can see why people still read this novel after all these years.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I had never read this novel despite growing up in Alabama. And after reading it with it's sensibilities mired somewhere between the 1930s and 1960 I can see why school didn't have us read it in the still not quite settled early 1980s. But boy am I glad I finally got around to it.

I grew up in a series of textile mill towns. While it's not exactly like Maycombe, I can relate easily to Maycombe and the people who inhabit it. Completely leaving aside the issues of justice, Lee does an amazing job painting a picture of Southern life in the 30s. Frankly that kind of life persisted well into the 60s and beyond.

I also like how Lee didn't sugarcoat Tom Robinson's story. I think she handled it with true realism. As for the enigmatic Boo, he reminds me of what Julia Sugarbaker once said. In the South, the question isn't do you have crazy people in your family; the question is what side are they on?

I finally get now why people are so disappointed Harper Lee never wrote another novel. Her prose was infecting, and now I too can be added to that list of many, many disappointed fans.