FOUR QUEENS. Goldstone, Nancy. Viking, 2007.

Subtitled "The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe".

I learned a lot from this book, but I was disappointed in the writing style, which is that of a long-winded, repetitive, high-school research paper. The subject matter is incredibly interesting, however, and propelled me forward to finish the book.

The book narrates the lives of the four daughters of Raymond Berenger of Provence (southern France) in the mid-13th century. The daughters were, from eldest to youngest: Marguerite, who wed Louis IX (Saint Louis) and endured two seperate crusades to the Holy Land; Eleanor, who would wed Henry III of England; Sanchia, who wed Richard of Cornwall, Henry III's brother and eventual Holy Roman Emperor; and, finally, Beatrice, the youngest, who would inherit her father's lands and title in Provence. Beatrice wed Charles d'Anjou, Louis IX's younger brother.

All four sisters did, in fact, become queens - of France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and of Sicily. Which means they were married to kings, whose lives were, of course, much more interesting. The depiction of the queens' lives unwittingly highlights the limited roles of women, even powerful women, during the Middle Ages. There is much conniving, back-stabbing, second-guessing, and whispered manipulations from these women, mainly because it was not acceptable for them to do anything outright. In Beatrice's case, even her own sisters and mother begrudged her inheritance of her father's estate, believing it could not be rightly hers, being both the youngest and female. Beatrice stood up for herself and was subtly ostracized for it.
At least, none of them were dragged through the streets by a wild stallion, the fate of that other "powerful" queen from Southern France, Brunhild. And it would be another three centuries before Elizabeth I of England would prove herself more than capable of ruling the most powerful empire in the Western World. But, of course, she kept all her male suitors at bay.

Overall, a so-so read, and not even as full of information as I'd like. I feel a lot was glossed over and maybe even "dumbed down" for a mainstream (possibly mostly female?) audience. I would have liked more details about everyday life, such as dress and cuisine. Reading this, however, has piqued my interest in Louis IX and Beatrice of Provence, as well as the Holy Roman Empire. And of course to fill in the gaps between the Merovingians and 13th c. France.
I recommend this to anyone interested in European History and the roles of women in 13th c. European royalty.

TWO OF US. Giuliano, Geoffrey. 1999, Penguin Studio.

The subtitle reads: "John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Behind the Myth."
I'm not sure what the myth(s) the author's referring to. That they hated each other? That they co-wrote each and every song together? That they themselves were the myth?

Anyone reading this who's known me for a while, also knows I'm slightly obsessed with the Beatles for reasons I, myself, cannot explain. Well, except I love their music, and unlike some of the music from my youth, when I replay any given Beatles CD, it sounds fresher than ever.
I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one evening and the following morning. I could not put it down. The book portrays both the professional and personal relationship between Lennon and McCartney. Despite having listened to their songs for years, I found the author's insight enlightening and refreshing. Most of the information was gleaned from interviews over the past thirty years with the subjects, as well as their peers and family. It follows the two songwriters from the time they met as teenagers until the formal breakup of the Beatles.
After I finished the book this morning, I played almost all of my Beatles CDs through. I found THE WHITE ALBUM immensely refreshing, esp. the Lennon songs that I hadn't cared for all that much when I was thirteen. I have to still, after all this time, disagree with my Dad in his assessment that the Beatles' best stuff was pre-1966. No way, Dad. It is amazing how innovative, even today, the post-1966 music is, and how original and unique. There's still nothing like it.

Currently Reading:

FOUR QUEENS, by Nancy Goldstone.
and soon to read: SAVAGE KINGDOM, a book about settling Jamestown.

The World Without Us. (August 2007)

Peeling the Onion. Grass, Gunter.

Gunter Grass's infamous memoir revealing details about his involvement with the Waffen SS during WWII.
That's right, folks. The author of one of the most beautiful novels ever written and a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature served in the auxiliary for the Waffen SS. Ain't life rich?
Ok, well he was drafted into the SS and pleads ignorance on having known about the real dirty work of the SS at the time - his service was at the end of the war, as the Russians invaded Germany, including his hometown of Danzig, now part of Poland again. The real scandal about his memoir was that Grass had never revealed this information before. I understand his reasons for doing so, but I'm not sure I agree with his choice to keep it secret all of these decades. However, that may be easy for me to say, having never been drafted into anyone's war, much less the SS, and never having had my mother and sister raped by foreign troops, and my homeland completely devestated and annihalated. I, for one, see THE TIN DRUM as Grass's redemption.

I recommend this to only die-hard Grass and TIN DRUM fans, as it may be boring otherwise, even the parts detailing the war.

Books Read for the Summer Reading Program

There is no theme here.

Books read between early June and early August. I'll expand commentary later this week.


1. THE HARD WAY. Jenkins, Mark. Personal essays about travelling, trekking and the outdoors. The author is primarily a mountain climber.

2. THE PLAGUE. Camus, Albert.

3. BACKWOODS ETHICS. Waterman, Guy and Laura. The most boring book ever about Leave No Trace hiking and camping. Still relevant, but it ha ssince been written about in a much more interesting manner. Read THE COMPLETE WALKER by Colin Fletcher (may God rest his wandering soul) instead.

4. THE MAN FROM THE CAVE. Fletcher, Colin. Hard to put down. Read this in three days. Fletcher narrates his decade-long quest to discover the identity and origins of a man who left his camp and some belongings in a desert cave near Las Vegas in the nineteen tens when Fletcher discovered it on a solitary trek through the same area in the mid 'sixties. Definitely recommended.

5. THE LAST SEASON. Blehm, Eric.

6. THE BEAN TREES. Kingsolver, Barbara. Fiction. Her first novel.

7. UNCOMMON ARRANGEMENTS. Roiphe, Katie.

8. INTO THE WILD. Krakauer, Jon. A 2nd read for me.

Ethan Fromme

Read sometime after Age of Innocence, and before June. Maybe in March.

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

by Edith Wharton. 1920. Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize.

This is the first book I've read by Edith Wharton and I was so pleasantly surprised. I confess that I saw Scorsese's film first - which is very faithful to the book, I found - and love it so much I watch it almost every time it's on cable.

The book is even better, though, really.
This is the story of Newland Archer, a very young attorney in very old New York. He leads a slow, stale and ultimately unsatisfactory life amidst incredibly sumptuous surroundings. Wharton writes in such fluid, rich detail, the reader sees and feels the glow of fireplaces in large, shadowy rooms lit only by candlelight; the clamminess of pale skin sticking to a satin bodice in the summer.

It is also the story of Newland's attempts to alleviate his boredom and fulfill his desires, and how the rich trappings of his own heritage thwart him at every turn.
The ending in the book is even more devastating than Scorses portrays it in the film.

I would also say this is Wharton's comment on social institutions and traditions that seem to have forgotten their original purpose - and those citizens that blindly follow them.

I rate this novel - excellent. I defintely want to read more Wharton (and since I received three collections of her work for my birthday recently, I shall).
Recommended for those who like period fiction, probably more for older people (I doubt I would have felt the sting of some events in Newland's life if I'd read this before my thirties.)

Note to Jenny

Jenny,

Bless your heart for checking out my blog. I've been busy this winter with a respiratory illness, a torrid love affair, and an ongoing search for the perfect anti-aging cream. For once - and this cannot last long, I know - my own life is as exciting as a Fitzgerald novel.

I have, however, been reading - Hurakami's latest short fiction, Borges essays in SEVEN NIGHTS, and the advice column at salon.com. No re-reading of Fitzgerald, though I'm sure it'd knock some sense and fresh air back into me.

Just for you, though, Jenny, I will take a few peeks at THE GREAT GATSBY today and make some comments. I may even finish the Hurakami anthology. Comparing those two would be interesting. . .

Take care, and thanks again for checking in.

SEVEN NIGHTS

I am re-reading SEVEN NIGHTS by Borges with a friend. I wonder if he's making any progress. I may urge him to write his comments here, as I'm obviously too lazy to do so myself.

I hope to take some time soon to finish the Top Ten. SEVEN NIGHTS is on the list, simply for the one lecture, "Nightmares".

"I, for example, always dream of certain corners in Buenos Aires. . . I know exactly where I am, and I know that I must head toward some far-off place. These places in my dreams have a precise topography, but they are completely different. They may be mountain paths or swamps or jungles, it doesn't matter: I know that I am on a certain corner in Buenos Aires. I try to find my way."
- "Nightmares", SEVEN NIGHTS. Borges, Jorge Luis.

Click title above for more info on Borges and his work.