Given how dissatisfied everyone is, I'm a bit reluctant to post! First, I should tell you that I'm not to chapter 5 yet. We are in the last week of classes, so I have not done much reading outside of student work. That said, I am enjoying the quirkiness of the early chapters.
I think it's important to keep in mind that Gibbons wrote this book in 1932 as a parody of novels that romanticized rural life. We can't read it as a modern novel. Some readers are having difficulty with the notion of Flora foisting herself on family. However, relations, even distant ones in this time period would have taken in an orphaned child, even one at such an advanced age. Flora's view that she can set everyone to rights is spot on of the view cultured, urban dwellers had regarding their country cousins. Perhaps the reason I am enjoying this so far is because it is so tongue-in-cheek.
Alright, I need to get back to grading. I hope to get more read this weekend and will post some further thoughts. For those of you not enjoying the book, I hope you find something redeeming before it's over!
I think it's important to keep in mind that Gibbons wrote this book in 1932 as a parody of novels that romanticized rural life. We can't read it as a modern novel. Some readers are having difficulty with the notion of Flora foisting herself on family. However, relations, even distant ones in this time period would have taken in an orphaned child, even one at such an advanced age. Flora's view that she can set everyone to rights is spot on of the view cultured, urban dwellers had regarding their country cousins. Perhaps the reason I am enjoying this so far is because it is so tongue-in-cheek.
Alright, I need to get back to grading. I hope to get more read this weekend and will post some further thoughts. For those of you not enjoying the book, I hope you find something redeeming before it's over!
1 comment:
Thanks, Tricia.
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