The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest
[BBC dramatisation (sic) featuring Judi Dench, Miriam Margoyles, Martin Clunes, and more]

Rating: * * *

The Importance of Being Earnest is a classic comedy of manners in which two flippant young men, in order to impress their respected beloveds, pretend that their names are “Ernest,” which both young ladies believe confers magical qualities on the possessor. It was first performed for the public on February 14, 1895 at the St. James’ Theatre in London, and is regarded by many critics and scholars as being the wittiest play in the English language.

- Wikipedia

This BBC full-cast recording covers the third and fourth acts of the comedic play, a fact for which I was grateful. It took me three times to buck up and finish listening to the recording, even if the dialogue was wildly humourous at times. I don’t know if I’d have managed finishing it at all if it had included the previous two acts as well.

I believe the difficulty lay in the rather stilted interlude of dialogue between Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench) and “Ernest” Jack Worthing (Martin Clunes, I believe) in the beginning of the recording. Dench seemed a bit confined, a little slow. “Ernest” felt boring throughout. I’m happy to say, though, that Dench’s part improved in the second half – I’m rather a partial fan of hers. And it pains me that something so celebrated by critics is, in my mind, a bit stale. “A handbag?” for me was not wildly comic, but rather painful. Some moments that should have caused for hilarity were unable to produce the proper reaction from me.

Like many works of the time, the dialogue moves well enough, but the pace of the plot seemed at a stand-still too many times for my own liking, until the middle of the fourth act. [I understand it is considered a classic, but I am allowed to find fault in it according to my own tastes, am I not? Or at least to dislike it on its own standing, rather than the standing given to it by many other reviewers.]

The ending was highly predictable, of course, but by then I had no desire of knowing what would happen with the young couples, for I despised both girls and rolled my eyes at the men. I do not quite think disgust with his characters was the main intention of Wilde, and so I’m left a bit disappointed with my impressions of this recording. I understand the satirical nature of the play, but it didn’t seem to really reach out and grab me through the dramatisation.

When all’s said, certain brilliant exchanges of dialogue save this recording, and are the only reason why I give it a mostly favorable review. People should experience it once, but most likely never again.

On the fence.

& ElizabethC

The Circle of Magic [Quartet] by Tamora Pierce

The Circle of Magic (Sandry’s Book, Tris’s Book, Daja’s Book, Briar’s Book)

Rating: * * * * *

The series tell the story of four children, Sandrilene fa Toren, Trisana Chandler, Daja Kisubo and Briar Moss, who are discovered and brought together by a powerful mage Niko and told that they are “ambient mages,” which means that they use magic from outside themselves. The four youths do not fit in with the other children of the monastic community to which Niko brings them, and are put together in a separate cottage.

Here they each learn of their hidden talents; Sandry with thread, Tris with weather, Daja with fire and metal, and Briar with plants. They live with the two mages Lark, a gentle woman especially attentive to Sandry since she also has thread magic, and Rosethorn, a sharp woman who shares Briar’s ability with plants. Also teaching and guiding them is Niko, technically Tris’s teacher, but available to all four. Daja is mentored and guided by Dedicate Initiate Frostpine, a smith mage. Their teachers, with the exception of Niko, are also ambient mages.

At first it seems that a merchant, a street rat, a noblewoman, and a Trader (a trading race that is often hated by others) will never get along, but an extraordinary circumstance brings them together. They are all powerful individually, but they discover that together they are even stronger. Through an earthquake, they realize their full potential and are bound closely together forever. As children skilled in an uncommon magic, they struggle to earn the respect of the adults they encounter.

- Wikipedia

At first, I was highly reluctant to begin this quartet, as it would probably have dealed with the normal, rather annoying teenage problems many other young adult books seem bound to address (I’ve only just escaped those wretched teenage years, so I’d rather not have to re-live them again, thank you very much). On fourth glance, though, I forced myself to give the books a try, beginning with Sandry’s Book (book 1).

It blew my expectations.

Pierce, in a seemingly brilliant move, placed very little time changes between the four books in this quartet, and begins with four thirteen-year-olds. Normally, that would be cause for a bit of groans and skipped pages, but these highly irregular children are each wonderfully down-to-earth and a joy to read about. Their conjoined abilities and fascinating adventures make each book a page-turner, and the entire quartet a must-read.

The first book and the last book were perhaps the weakest in terms of overall strength, but made up for this in other ways. The first, by producing such a strong connection between the four children and laying down the groundwork for the rest of the novels. The last, for quite efficiently concluding their adventures (at least in this particular quartet) with appropriate attention and plot.

Overall, the quartet was wonderful to read and a joy to discover. The characters remain alive long after the books are read, each magnificent in her – or his – own way.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

Mrs. Pollifax Series, by Dorothy Gilman, Book 2

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
[audiobook version, read by Barbara Rosenblat]

Rating: * * * * *

When Emily Pollifax answers the phone that Sunday morning, she quickly forgets all about her Garden Club tea that afternoon. For the voice on the other end belonged to a man she had never seen, a man from the CIA who asked her if she could leave immediately on a mission that would take her halfway across the world! What could Mrs. Pollifax say but yes?

- Random House

A year after Mrs. Pollifax’s first courier mission to Mexico (and, unexpectedly, Albania), she is called up to travel to Turkey. In this novel, Gilman continues her delightful tale-spinning of the adventures of Mrs. Pollifax, including the elements that made the first book such an engaging read.

The humor and barely noticeable moral explorations are again implemented here, complementing the action and suspense surrounding Mrs. Pollifax’s supposedly innocuous assignment. Her amusing tangents to her mission (involving the admirable Colin Ramsey) produce a constant source of surprise and attentiveness in readers – or, in this case, listeners.

As always, Rosenblat’s narration is amazing, creating a rich source of audio imagery to support Mrs. Pollifax’s writing, and setting a wonderful pace for the novel to unravel beautifully.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep A Secret?

Rating: * * * *

With the same wicked humor, buoyant charm, and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international best sellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious new novel and an unforgettable new character. Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets…until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.

But come Monday morning, Emma’s office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn’t possibly get worse. Until they do.

- audible.com

Written with dry wit and humor, Can You Keep A Secret? is engaging in a light, satisfactory manner. Other reviewers add that the belief in reality must be suspended while undertaking the reading of this particular novel. Once that has happened, however, it is fanciful to suppose that a story like this could happen to someone, and the author spins that fancy into a lovely, sweet romance. Kinsella creates a dashing, charming and highly successful CEO that strives to capture our hearts as well as he has captured Emma’s.

The novel is not without its faults – the “necessary drama” that must always unravel itself in such a novel of course occurs, taking its shape in the spilling of secrets and sudden mistrust. For some, it may create a bit of an unsatisfactory ending (though the story, of course, ends happily). Yet the ride (both literal and figurative) is special and brings to the uneventful Emma’s life much excitement.

Recommended.

& ElizabethC

The Immortals [Quartet] by Tamora Pierce

The Immortals (Wild Mage, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, The Realms of the Gods)

Rating: * * * * *

Wild Magic – Daine, a 13-year-old girl, finds out her knack with wild animals is in fact a rare and powerful form of magic. Under the guidance of the mage Numair Salmalin she learns to control her magic, which proves very important for herself and her companions. This first novel in the quartet also reunites us briefly with the protagonist of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau, formerly Alanna of Trebond.

Wolf-Speaker – Reuniting with the wolf pack she previously lived with, Daine discovers that the destruction of the valley the pack lives in is connected with a treasonous conspiracy against her adopted king and country.

Emperor Mage – Daine joins a delegation of Tortallan diplomats sent to Carthak, where she finally meets the Emperor Ozorne, of whom she has heard so much. Daine is caught up in a strange battle involving displeased gods and strange magics.

The Realms of the Gods– Caught in a mysterious attack, Daine and Numair are snatched into the Divine Realms, where they meet Daine’s parents (her father is a minor god of the hunt and when her mother died he brought her into the Divine Realm) and struggle to make their way back to Tortall, where war is raging again. This book takes place in both the Divine (immortal) and mortal realms.

- Wikipedia

Perhaps my favorite quartet by Tamora Pierce, the four novels track the fantastic adventures of Daine and her interesting companions throughout a span of years and locales. This particular quartet takes place sometime after the Song of the Lioness quartet, drawing up characters (and locations) from the Lioness.

The plot moves well, constantly holding the reader’s attention. At every turn there is something new, something intense, something fascinating that Pierce uses to keep open her connections with readers. We’re so drawn into Daine that we feel for her throughout her rage, discoveries, love, etc.

Each novel is strong in its own way, in addressing different features of Daine and her maturity. She’s definitely not annoying, and she’s a heroine in her own right. Her unique powers, in the midst of the world she’s living in, give her such a human, compassionate feel that it’s difficult to put any of the novels down. Truthfully, I read them all back to back.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC

Mrs. Pollifax Series, by Dorothy Gilman, Book 1

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
[audiobook version, read by Barbara Rosenblat]

Rating: * * * * *

Mrs. Pollifax is an elderly widow who has come to find life dull and is almost ready to end it all out of sheer boredom. Inspired by a newspaper profile of an actress who began her career in later life, she decides to fulfill a childhood ambition and apply for a job as a spy at the CIA. Meanwhile, Carstairs at the CIA is looking for an agent who can pass as a tourist in order to pick up some important microfilms in Mexico City. Due to a slight confusion, he thinks Mrs. Pollifax is one of the candidates and decides that Mrs. Pollifax is ideal; Carstairs decided this assignment carries so little danger that even one who is relatively untrained may be sent. So with minimum explanation, Pollifax is ushered off to Mexico City to meet a bookstore owner/secret agent, exchange code phrases, leave with a book containing the microfilm. Of course, the courier mission does not go as planned, and Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in a prison in iron curtain-era Albania, facing harsh questioning and possible torture. But she proves to be unusually resourceful, and with her companion’s assistance, manages to outwit the enemy and save the day.

This was a highly amusing audiobook, and the narration was absolutely perfect for the characters in the story. The plot moved well in pace and in events, and dialogue was concise without being too curt to be believable. The strength behind the story, in my opinion, is the wit supporting the writing.

Most surprising in this book is that Gilman constantly brings up and comments upon highly moral topics. Throughout the book, these topics subtly enter the story and are explored for both the readers’ interest as well as Mrs. Pollifax’s.

Mrs. Pollifax is lovable, as well as Johnny (especially in his moments of indignation), and even her captors become likeable, in their own ways. Gilman most definitely creates the first book as an addicting window to the rest of the books in her series.

Perhaps the only warning I can mention are that there are mentions of suicide. Also, for any Asians out there, instead of the “now” politically correct term, Asians are addressed as “Orientals,” which some find offensive.

Highly recommended.

& ElizabethC