A Journal of Ramblings Through the High Sierras of California by the "University Excursion Party by Joseph Le Conte
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
"The Sierra Nevada was the scene of the first meeting, in August, 1870, of two men whose names and memories will forever linger in these mountains -- John Muir and Joseph LeConte. It was LeConte's first summer in the Sierra, and Muir conducted him and his party over the route which he himself had traced out for the first time only a year before."
~~Ralph S. Kuykendall
I was so disappointed in this book! I thought it would be a vivid description of Yosemite, and John Muir -- be filled with conversations between the two men, talk about the development that had taken place in Yosemite, etc.
But no. It was a journal, and recorded how far they traveled each day, what they ate, how the chores were on a rota, etc. There was some description of the various falls in Yosemite, and of Mirror Lake (as it was). There certainly were paeans to sunsets & sunrises & the majestic scenery (not well described but very much appreciated.) But overall, it was a pretty dry & boring recording of the statistics of the trip: what trails they took, how steep they were, how many days it took to get from this place to that place. Absolutely no description or information on the Native Americans they encountered, which was particularly frustrating to me as an archaeologist and anthropologist.
And frustrating that so little was said about John Muir.
Impossible Things by Connie Willis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Here are eleven of Connie Willis' finest stories, surprising tales in which the impossible becomes real, the real becomes impossible, and strangeness lurks at every turn.
The end of the world comes not with a ban but a series of whimpers over many years in 'The Last of the Winnebagos.'
The terror of pain and dying gives birth to a startling truth about the nature of the stars, a principle known as the 'Schwarzschild Radius.'
In 'Space Pogrom,' an outrageous colony in outer space becomes the setting for a screwball comedy of bizarre complications, mistaken identitied, far-too-friendly aliens -- and even true love.
A distraught woman obsessed with the past learns that the simplest choices can lead to madness and death in 'Chance.'
In 'Jack,' the streets of London at the height of the Blitz bring out the courage and cowardice in humans ... and in creatures of the night."
Classic, vintage Connie Willis! Acerbic, witty, pungent -- she's a unique talent and one that never fails to send me howling with laughter, thinking about the world from a different slant. This book of short stories was no exception -- it's a gem, and be sure to make a nice cup of tea before you start -- you won't want to put it down.
A House Unlocked by Penelope Lively
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Penelope Lively takes us on a journey of her familial country house in England and as her narrative moves from room to room, from object to object, she paints a moving portrait of an era of rapid change -- and of the family that changed with the times. As she charts the course of the domestic tensions of class and community among her relatives, she brings to life the effects of the horrors of the Russian Revolution and the Holocaust through portraits of the refugees who came to live with them. A fascinating, intimate social history of its times, A House Unlocked is an eloquent meditation on place and time, memory and history, and above all a tribute to the meaning of home."
~~from the back cover
I am rather at a loss to add anything to the above review. This is a brilliant book -- the author has the certain gift of easy navigation between now and the past, and the ability to bring objects and memories to vivid life with an economy of words and phrases. Coupled with her unerring sense of how an ordinary household object or piece of furniture is connected by gossamer threads to the social issues of the time, and the struggle to come to terms with the enormous changes thrust upon them by both the World Wars, the author's fond memories blend with her clear-eyed assessment of a once and future house and family.
I found it fascinating, compelling, entertaining -- everything a good book should be.
