I blinked and suddenly October is over. That was scarily fast. Maybe it is the month of the darkest (not evil), most mysterious magic. November evenings are definitely dark.
The third of November already. What is happening?!!!
Sunday, 3 November 2019
Friday, 1 November 2019
2019 Calendar Art - November
Dragon Witches, by Nene Thomas:
King Madari with Severeielle
A man on this calendar?! Unorthodox! Just kidding. It's different, yet not so different. A pretty generic fantasy picture overall.
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Sadly I haven't been able to do anything for Halloween this year. Nothing for Samhain this night; this too short and too delicate rift between worlds. I was too ill to go to a Halloween party, and there were no trick or treaters at my door; possibly because there were no pumpkins outside my house. Well, special is as special comes. Or wicked comes. I got to keep whole packets of chocolates to myself (and for my family too) at any rate. And I bought a cauldron mug and a black cat hand sanitizer.
Happy Halloween to all, regardless 💀🝯👻👻
Happy Halloween to all, regardless 💀🝯👻👻
Friday, 25 October 2019
I haven't been with it lately. I've been ill with a bad cold and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being sick. I might suddenly loathe reading again - classics, to be precise. So many disappointments. I'm stagnant. I'm impatient for things to happen. Everything is awful :( Hope I feel better and more fulfilled soon. If this keeps going who knows how I will feel. I'm very lonely, except for my kittens who are a nice source of amusement. I don't really want to live as a lonely cat lady. I want to feel happiness with other people; to be more social. But right now I can't. I'm sick of all of this. I'm sick of the mundane, and sticking to routine. I want a big change to happen. Perhaps I'll find - make - time to write. I think I can find comfort and satisfaction, even though nothing lasts forever.
Saturday, 19 October 2019
Book Review - 'The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Feminine Pursuits #1)' by Olivia Waite
2023 Reread: I admit, I got a little bored of this the second time round. I wasn't feeling the romance, the connection, the chemistry, the, ahem, machinations of it all. Lucy and Catherine are not as strong, interesting, memorable or likeable (as in, I'd have liked them to have some backbone, and be steel-spined and smart) as I had once thought, and I barely remembered what they were like after my first read years ago. Before the reread, I only clearly remembered the groundbreaking twist at the end.
The writing, while not bad, gets repetitive: I am not exaggerating when I say that nearly every page contains either Lucy or Catherine "taking a breath", "holding a breath", "letting out a breath", taking long breaths, inhaling and exhaling laboured breaths, and other descriptors of just about any way a person can breathe in a standard cheesy romance novel - out of nervousness, surprise, anger, desire expressed via flushing, or passion expressed while in ecstasy. In at least a few instances, breathing is described more than once in a single page. The overuse of breathing being written in 'The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' is, if I may be so bold, fragrant and flagrant, and trite and uninspired, and it never has anything to do with the breathing exercises sometimes used to calm panic attacks or anything of the kind. The phrase "slight smile" is also noticeably overused.
And I loathe nearly every male character in the book. Mr. Frampton and Brinkworth the butler are good, though.
I appreciate the all subject matters presented, and the diversity. Writing, characters, and the slow story, not so much.
In conclusion: Maybe historical romances aren't for me, or Harlequin/Mills & Boon-esque romances aren't for me, and there are better, more entertaining LGBTQ+ books out there.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
A positive, wonderful, sweet, dreamy and steamy, and extremely well written queer (w/w) historical fiction romance: between a deceased astronomer's daughter who wishes to be an astronomer herself, the young and headstrong Lucy Muchelney, and a shy yet worldly widow to a travelling scientist who is fantastic at embroidery and other artistic pursuits, the closed off Lady Catherine Kenwick St. Day, Countess of Moth.
Each woman, among many, many others, is well educated, intelligent, talented, hardworking, warm, friendly, supportive, and brilliant. And the world of 1816, England, that only favours men, will turn against them at every turn, simply in regards to their sex, when they could honestly change the world for the better. Think of the giant, progressive leaps in science - and art - they could make, if given the chance.
A chance to shine like the billions of stars and constellations seen through a telescope at night.
Women have always deserved to be recognised and respected.
What a beautifully written romance 'A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' is. This is a harlequin romance pocketbook worth reading, and not just for the LBGTQ rep in historical fiction. The pretty explicit sex scenes are only part of the passionate aspects of the book.
Lucy and Catherine, two opposites but are women of great talent and ambition (though Catherine is more reserved and repressed, not to mention simultaneously scared and bored, as the result of the social conventions she is forced to conform to, and her abusive marriage), are startling and surprising to each other; as well as to the rest of the world, and themselves. They really are adorable together, and bring out the best - and life changing revelations - in the other.
Lucy is a scientist (unacknowledged) and an avid and imaginative translator of a groundbreaking French astronomy text, recovering from a broken heart; and Catherine (coded bi) is an enchanting artist who despite being a countess is deemed a useless widow and older woman in society, who takes Lucy into her home for her to do her work. Their love ignites, blossoms and boldly unfolds in a towering, astronomical ecstasy - from the library to the bedroom. And the astronomy tower. Their star will not die.
Science and art are not so very different from each other, for they both reveal human truths in their own way. Both fields are worthwhile and important for progress, as our queer lady couple will come to realise and understand as they develop.
The side characters are well developed and memorable as well, including the maids, a butler, a female publisher, and Catherine's Aunt Kelmarsh. Lucy's older brother Stephen, who is an artist who can afford to indulge in his passion, is awful, and the men of a London Society of scientific minds are no better. Their way of thinking is not so much progressive as merely an exercise in bragging rights and penis measuring. An excuse to be patronising and superior in their white male privilege. There are some decent men in both the scientific and artistic circles, however. Not all of them are straight, either.
Thankfully there is nonwhite representation, in characters such as Narayan, Catherine's maid, and William Frampton, the genius mathematician and inventor. Sexism, homophobia, and racism are issues that are presented with care and accuracy in this book. Intersectional feminism is key.
Nice to know that LBGTQ lovers could be freer before the 16th-19th centuries. Fact.
The book loses a star for me because I think it gets weaker towards its ending, storywise - like a third act contrivance, and it loses dynamic steam somewhat. A few characters don't receive the most satisfactory final scenes either, when they show up at all; their arcs are a little flimsy and flighty.
'The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' - A celestial joy. Silky, sensual, like it was flung from space, from the celestial heavens. It is hindered only by a weak but nonetheless woke and essential ending (that "twist" is worth it). If you liked Mackenzie Lee's 'A Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy', then you're sure to adore this just as much.
An important edition to anyone's LBGTQ bookshelf.
Final Score: 4/5
The writing, while not bad, gets repetitive: I am not exaggerating when I say that nearly every page contains either Lucy or Catherine "taking a breath", "holding a breath", "letting out a breath", taking long breaths, inhaling and exhaling laboured breaths, and other descriptors of just about any way a person can breathe in a standard cheesy romance novel - out of nervousness, surprise, anger, desire expressed via flushing, or passion expressed while in ecstasy. In at least a few instances, breathing is described more than once in a single page. The overuse of breathing being written in 'The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' is, if I may be so bold, fragrant and flagrant, and trite and uninspired, and it never has anything to do with the breathing exercises sometimes used to calm panic attacks or anything of the kind. The phrase "slight smile" is also noticeably overused.
And I loathe nearly every male character in the book. Mr. Frampton and Brinkworth the butler are good, though.
I appreciate the all subject matters presented, and the diversity. Writing, characters, and the slow story, not so much.
In conclusion: Maybe historical romances aren't for me, or Harlequin/Mills & Boon-esque romances aren't for me, and there are better, more entertaining LGBTQ+ books out there.
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
A positive, wonderful, sweet, dreamy and steamy, and extremely well written queer (w/w) historical fiction romance: between a deceased astronomer's daughter who wishes to be an astronomer herself, the young and headstrong Lucy Muchelney, and a shy yet worldly widow to a travelling scientist who is fantastic at embroidery and other artistic pursuits, the closed off Lady Catherine Kenwick St. Day, Countess of Moth.
Each woman, among many, many others, is well educated, intelligent, talented, hardworking, warm, friendly, supportive, and brilliant. And the world of 1816, England, that only favours men, will turn against them at every turn, simply in regards to their sex, when they could honestly change the world for the better. Think of the giant, progressive leaps in science - and art - they could make, if given the chance.
A chance to shine like the billions of stars and constellations seen through a telescope at night.
Women have always deserved to be recognised and respected.
What a beautifully written romance 'A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' is. This is a harlequin romance pocketbook worth reading, and not just for the LBGTQ rep in historical fiction. The pretty explicit sex scenes are only part of the passionate aspects of the book.
Lucy and Catherine, two opposites but are women of great talent and ambition (though Catherine is more reserved and repressed, not to mention simultaneously scared and bored, as the result of the social conventions she is forced to conform to, and her abusive marriage), are startling and surprising to each other; as well as to the rest of the world, and themselves. They really are adorable together, and bring out the best - and life changing revelations - in the other.
Lucy is a scientist (unacknowledged) and an avid and imaginative translator of a groundbreaking French astronomy text, recovering from a broken heart; and Catherine (coded bi) is an enchanting artist who despite being a countess is deemed a useless widow and older woman in society, who takes Lucy into her home for her to do her work. Their love ignites, blossoms and boldly unfolds in a towering, astronomical ecstasy - from the library to the bedroom. And the astronomy tower. Their star will not die.
Science and art are not so very different from each other, for they both reveal human truths in their own way. Both fields are worthwhile and important for progress, as our queer lady couple will come to realise and understand as they develop.
The side characters are well developed and memorable as well, including the maids, a butler, a female publisher, and Catherine's Aunt Kelmarsh. Lucy's older brother Stephen, who is an artist who can afford to indulge in his passion, is awful, and the men of a London Society of scientific minds are no better. Their way of thinking is not so much progressive as merely an exercise in bragging rights and penis measuring. An excuse to be patronising and superior in their white male privilege. There are some decent men in both the scientific and artistic circles, however. Not all of them are straight, either.
Thankfully there is nonwhite representation, in characters such as Narayan, Catherine's maid, and William Frampton, the genius mathematician and inventor. Sexism, homophobia, and racism are issues that are presented with care and accuracy in this book. Intersectional feminism is key.
Nice to know that LBGTQ lovers could be freer before the 16th-19th centuries. Fact.
The book loses a star for me because I think it gets weaker towards its ending, storywise - like a third act contrivance, and it loses dynamic steam somewhat. A few characters don't receive the most satisfactory final scenes either, when they show up at all; their arcs are a little flimsy and flighty.
'The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics' - A celestial joy. Silky, sensual, like it was flung from space, from the celestial heavens. It is hindered only by a weak but nonetheless woke and essential ending (that "twist" is worth it). If you liked Mackenzie Lee's 'A Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy', then you're sure to adore this just as much.
An important edition to anyone's LBGTQ bookshelf.
Final Score: 4/5
Sunday, 13 October 2019
Book Review - 'The Burning' by Laura Bates
'The Burning' burned me. Quite literally as I was burning with anger, rage, horror, and tearful devastation at the events which take place in it. Events which are absolutely real and are happening to this day. To say I am appalled would be the understatement of the millennium.
Laura Bates' 'The Burning' burned and broke me. And I couldn't be happier that it exists.
Because the issues it raises - to do with social media, revenge porn, rampant and undying misogyny, mob mentality, sexist school dress codes, taking care of loved ones, disabilities, mother and daughter relationships, abortion, and toxic masculinity - are real. The story of Anna, a fifteen-year-old British girl who moves to Scotland with her mum to escape her destroyed life, is fictional, but the abuse isn't.
Laura Bates, the feminist pioneer, journalist and founder of Everyday Sexism, had talked to schoolgirls of today and what they face (and continues to do so), and researched about them when writing her novel debut. She also did her research on the epidemic of witch burnings and hangings in the 17th century (as well as the instruments of torture used back then), and how misogyny still exists; only different methods are used to kill women and girls. Methods like social media.
Revenge porn, porn in general, slut shaming, shaming in general just for existing, humiliation, victim blaming, peer pressure - social media is a tool that has made these so powerful, so prevalent, so easy. Misogyny - linking to homophobia, male privilege and fragility, etc. - is like pollution; like a second layer of the oxygen that we breathe. It is yet another tool for oppression and abuse.
And it spreads, and kills, like a fire.
There are no words: Being a teenage girl at school nowadays must be a nightmare.
They just cannot win. The patriarchy has deliberately calculated it so that they can't.
Really, after reading 'The Burning', it seems to me that the only reason why not all women were murdered during the witch hunt craze of centuries past is because there were women who joined in on the accusations, the taunting and the shaming, as a survival tactic. They were "the good girls", according to the men in charge; no voice, no fuss, no annoyances (seriously, men could have their wives convicted of witchcraft just for being "nags"), no breaking from convention, and therefore they were worthy of living. Internalized misogyny and men's misogyny go hand in hand to ensure the survival of the human race, in a sick, twisted catch-22 situation.
It also seems to me that most males hate females so much it kills them inside. There have always been boys and men who would masturbate constantly over pictures of nude girls (including underage girls) - which says a lot about their own nonexistent sex lives - and at the same time would tell these girls to go kill themselves for being deemed sluts. Replace "slut" and "slag" and "whore" and "bitch" with the word "witch", and see how scarily little things have changed for females in our so-called progressive times. Women are not and have never been witches or sluts or bitches or even rebels; they just exist.
They are girls, and that alone is a punishable offense.
The public shaming and humiliation techniques for oppressing girls - any excuse to oppress, control and even kill girls - are there. Same house, same system, different tools.
Misogyny = girl has body, she deserves ridicule, torment and death; girl has voice, she deserves ridicule, torment and death. It's to keep her down, to keep her small, to make her appear unseen yet seen; for convenient hetero male consumption and perversion (which the men will then blame the women for). It's to make women deemed no longer human in society, and so deserving of literally every horrifying and purely evil thing to happen to her.
For the initiators of revenge porn and other online and public misogynistic abuse practices, there is no line they will not cross. They have no decency, no conscience, no heart, no soul. They are evil, they are monsters, they are criminals, and there is no excusing their actions. They are predators: dead set, determined, and unwavering and relentless in harassing and destroying their prey by any inhumane means. They feed off of their victim's misery and despair. They simply do not care, because they know they can get away with it. That no one can successfully stop them. Because when has anybody ever? If their female prey do end up killing themselves to escape it all, then the misogynists win, and they will positively revel in it, and will consider it a victory. Another slut dead, who cares? and now to find a new target.
Misogyny and sociopathy - I honestly cannot think of a more dangerous and terrifying combination.
(And I've yet to see any evidence which suggests that most misogynists are not sociopaths.)
For all the good that the internet and social media has done for us humans, it has made this possible as well.
Misogyny - the almost universal, irrational, violent, sadistic, perverse, lustful, tormenting and all-consuming hatred of all women - the "lesser" humans - for existing - is a disease, and we must work on curing it for good. We can't keep living like this. It needs to stop, for literally everyone's sake.
In 'The Burning', everything that happens, every issue it presents, is there for a reason. It is very well written for a debut novel. Similar to all good suspense thrillers it starts out calm and slow, but like any fire spark to a gas leak it can explode in a hot, burning devastation when you least expect it; when you are at your most comfortable and vulnerable, unaware of your impending victimhood. All of the characters except for the evil, monstrous schoolboy bullies are well defined and developed. There is female friendship (and moving on from bad friends), rocky, multidimensional and positive mother and daughter bonding (more YA needs this, I swear), grief and dealing with the loss of a parent, befriending a genuinely nice boy (a bookworm, so you know he's good), befriending a nice elderly man and local author in a wheelchair, making lists as a coping mechanism, swimming, and a cat.
As for the reviewers who criticise the supernatural element to the book, involving a four-hundred-year-old necklace that can pass on the previous wearer's memories to its current possessor, and possible real witchcraft? Come on - as if cultural misogyny, slut shaming and victim blaming are any less ludicrous and illogical. It didn't pull me out of the story at all, in fact I found it to be mysterious, thrilling and exciting. And the book makes it clear that the women in it are not witches - they are only called that by the people who hate them and want them dead. The simultaneity of the words "witch" and "slut" is deliberate.
Women, whatever the time period, are just their own full, rich, complex selves. They are human, and that's that: there is no debating it. Why are there so many people who can't seem to comprehend this?
Oh right, the wicked spell of misogyny cast by the patriarchy which is as yet unbroken.
'The Burning' - just read it, even if it will destroy you. Even if it will make you bemoan humanity throughout. That's a good thing. Every issue in it needs to be made aware to everybody, because it speaks the truth. It's YA about rape culture that doesn't end on a downer, nor leave you cold, hollow and hopeless like Louise O'Neill's 'Asking for It'. It is 'Speak' for the 2010s, and a worthy follow up to Courtney Summers' 'All the Rage'.
Anger can be a useful tool for ending the patriarchy, rather than feeding it. Be brave, be resolute. Fuck knows it's not easy, but try. Try not to give up, otherwise they win.
Remember: love - and support - will always be far more powerful, impactful and longer lasting than hate.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Laura Bates' 'The Burning' burned and broke me. And I couldn't be happier that it exists.
Because the issues it raises - to do with social media, revenge porn, rampant and undying misogyny, mob mentality, sexist school dress codes, taking care of loved ones, disabilities, mother and daughter relationships, abortion, and toxic masculinity - are real. The story of Anna, a fifteen-year-old British girl who moves to Scotland with her mum to escape her destroyed life, is fictional, but the abuse isn't.
Laura Bates, the feminist pioneer, journalist and founder of Everyday Sexism, had talked to schoolgirls of today and what they face (and continues to do so), and researched about them when writing her novel debut. She also did her research on the epidemic of witch burnings and hangings in the 17th century (as well as the instruments of torture used back then), and how misogyny still exists; only different methods are used to kill women and girls. Methods like social media.
Revenge porn, porn in general, slut shaming, shaming in general just for existing, humiliation, victim blaming, peer pressure - social media is a tool that has made these so powerful, so prevalent, so easy. Misogyny - linking to homophobia, male privilege and fragility, etc. - is like pollution; like a second layer of the oxygen that we breathe. It is yet another tool for oppression and abuse.
And it spreads, and kills, like a fire.
There are no words: Being a teenage girl at school nowadays must be a nightmare.
They just cannot win. The patriarchy has deliberately calculated it so that they can't.
Really, after reading 'The Burning', it seems to me that the only reason why not all women were murdered during the witch hunt craze of centuries past is because there were women who joined in on the accusations, the taunting and the shaming, as a survival tactic. They were "the good girls", according to the men in charge; no voice, no fuss, no annoyances (seriously, men could have their wives convicted of witchcraft just for being "nags"), no breaking from convention, and therefore they were worthy of living. Internalized misogyny and men's misogyny go hand in hand to ensure the survival of the human race, in a sick, twisted catch-22 situation.
It also seems to me that most males hate females so much it kills them inside. There have always been boys and men who would masturbate constantly over pictures of nude girls (including underage girls) - which says a lot about their own nonexistent sex lives - and at the same time would tell these girls to go kill themselves for being deemed sluts. Replace "slut" and "slag" and "whore" and "bitch" with the word "witch", and see how scarily little things have changed for females in our so-called progressive times. Women are not and have never been witches or sluts or bitches or even rebels; they just exist.
They are girls, and that alone is a punishable offense.
The public shaming and humiliation techniques for oppressing girls - any excuse to oppress, control and even kill girls - are there. Same house, same system, different tools.
Misogyny = girl has body, she deserves ridicule, torment and death; girl has voice, she deserves ridicule, torment and death. It's to keep her down, to keep her small, to make her appear unseen yet seen; for convenient hetero male consumption and perversion (which the men will then blame the women for). It's to make women deemed no longer human in society, and so deserving of literally every horrifying and purely evil thing to happen to her.
For the initiators of revenge porn and other online and public misogynistic abuse practices, there is no line they will not cross. They have no decency, no conscience, no heart, no soul. They are evil, they are monsters, they are criminals, and there is no excusing their actions. They are predators: dead set, determined, and unwavering and relentless in harassing and destroying their prey by any inhumane means. They feed off of their victim's misery and despair. They simply do not care, because they know they can get away with it. That no one can successfully stop them. Because when has anybody ever? If their female prey do end up killing themselves to escape it all, then the misogynists win, and they will positively revel in it, and will consider it a victory. Another slut dead, who cares? and now to find a new target.
Misogyny and sociopathy - I honestly cannot think of a more dangerous and terrifying combination.
(And I've yet to see any evidence which suggests that most misogynists are not sociopaths.)
For all the good that the internet and social media has done for us humans, it has made this possible as well.
Misogyny - the almost universal, irrational, violent, sadistic, perverse, lustful, tormenting and all-consuming hatred of all women - the "lesser" humans - for existing - is a disease, and we must work on curing it for good. We can't keep living like this. It needs to stop, for literally everyone's sake.
In 'The Burning', everything that happens, every issue it presents, is there for a reason. It is very well written for a debut novel. Similar to all good suspense thrillers it starts out calm and slow, but like any fire spark to a gas leak it can explode in a hot, burning devastation when you least expect it; when you are at your most comfortable and vulnerable, unaware of your impending victimhood. All of the characters except for the evil, monstrous schoolboy bullies are well defined and developed. There is female friendship (and moving on from bad friends), rocky, multidimensional and positive mother and daughter bonding (more YA needs this, I swear), grief and dealing with the loss of a parent, befriending a genuinely nice boy (a bookworm, so you know he's good), befriending a nice elderly man and local author in a wheelchair, making lists as a coping mechanism, swimming, and a cat.
As for the reviewers who criticise the supernatural element to the book, involving a four-hundred-year-old necklace that can pass on the previous wearer's memories to its current possessor, and possible real witchcraft? Come on - as if cultural misogyny, slut shaming and victim blaming are any less ludicrous and illogical. It didn't pull me out of the story at all, in fact I found it to be mysterious, thrilling and exciting. And the book makes it clear that the women in it are not witches - they are only called that by the people who hate them and want them dead. The simultaneity of the words "witch" and "slut" is deliberate.
Women, whatever the time period, are just their own full, rich, complex selves. They are human, and that's that: there is no debating it. Why are there so many people who can't seem to comprehend this?
Oh right, the wicked spell of misogyny cast by the patriarchy which is as yet unbroken.
'The Burning' - just read it, even if it will destroy you. Even if it will make you bemoan humanity throughout. That's a good thing. Every issue in it needs to be made aware to everybody, because it speaks the truth. It's YA about rape culture that doesn't end on a downer, nor leave you cold, hollow and hopeless like Louise O'Neill's 'Asking for It'. It is 'Speak' for the 2010s, and a worthy follow up to Courtney Summers' 'All the Rage'.
Anger can be a useful tool for ending the patriarchy, rather than feeding it. Be brave, be resolute. Fuck knows it's not easy, but try. Try not to give up, otherwise they win.
Remember: love - and support - will always be far more powerful, impactful and longer lasting than hate.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Book Review - 'The Addams Family: Wednesday's Library' by Alexandra West and Calliope Glass
Who hasn't had a fascination with Wednesday Addams in at least one point in their lives? The morbid and spooky little goth girl who's obsessed with all things dark and negative like: death, violence, torture, suffering, devastation, misery, gloom, hopelessness, fear and manipulation. And witchcraft. She's arguably more popular than the franchise she came from.
No wonder, since she represents the dark horse and weird social outcast we wish we could be. She is an (oc)cult icon.
'The Addams Family: Wednesday's Library' is a collection of classic gothic poetry and novel quotes, with Wednesday's insightful, sadistic and humourous commentary; on why she loves these literary woes. They include Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, 'Frankenstein', 'The Divine Comedy', 'The Scarlet Letter', 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', 'Les Miserables', 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', 'Heart of Darkness', 'Dracula', 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', 'Paradise Lost', 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights', and the original Grimm fairy tales.
The appeal is strangely fun and intoxicating, even for children. It reminds me of a creepy, ghostly spiritual successor to 'Belle's Library'. Although it is a quick collection read and not anything too special, and on page 57, where Wednesday comments on a quote from 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', there is an illustration from 'Alice in Wonderland' for some reason. There are no other 'Alice in Wonderland' references in the book. Was that a mistake? Also, Wednesday mentions having a school teacher at the beginning, but then later on (page 153) she says she's homeschooled. A teacher for her home?
The accompanying illustrations are nice, simple and eerie, with purple watercolours splashed on to match the purple book cover. They feature scorpions, bats, skulls, ravens, trees, trinkets, snakes, brooms, roses, human organs, and big, staring eyeballs.
Ghosts, vampires, graves, witches, and instruments of torture, oh my!
'Wednesday's Library' - Recommended for the demented child in all of us.
'I never understood why Jane [Eyre] would want to look so... normal. Her looks are perfectly wretched.' - page 133
'Shame, despair, solitude! They are teachers to us all.' - page 125
'This same feeling is typical when you're an Addams. People's fear of the abnormal just makes us stronger.' - page 109
'If there is any goodness inside me, then I'm afraid it is broken. How thrilling.' - page 99
'My sentiments exactly. Why marry when you could satiate your curiosity with things like studying poisonous plants or becoming a country's first female dictator?' - page 87
'The best houses have ghosts living in them.' - page 81
'Witches. Blood. Impending devastation. It's as if William Shakespeare were writing about my life.' - page 45
'I would also follow the directives of insane people. They tend to be the most levelheaded people in the room.' - page 39
Final Score: 3.5/5
No wonder, since she represents the dark horse and weird social outcast we wish we could be. She is an (oc)cult icon.
'The Addams Family: Wednesday's Library' is a collection of classic gothic poetry and novel quotes, with Wednesday's insightful, sadistic and humourous commentary; on why she loves these literary woes. They include Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, 'Frankenstein', 'The Divine Comedy', 'The Scarlet Letter', 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', 'Les Miserables', 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', 'Heart of Darkness', 'Dracula', 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', 'Paradise Lost', 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights', and the original Grimm fairy tales.
The appeal is strangely fun and intoxicating, even for children. It reminds me of a creepy, ghostly spiritual successor to 'Belle's Library'. Although it is a quick collection read and not anything too special, and on page 57, where Wednesday comments on a quote from 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde', there is an illustration from 'Alice in Wonderland' for some reason. There are no other 'Alice in Wonderland' references in the book. Was that a mistake? Also, Wednesday mentions having a school teacher at the beginning, but then later on (page 153) she says she's homeschooled. A teacher for her home?
The accompanying illustrations are nice, simple and eerie, with purple watercolours splashed on to match the purple book cover. They feature scorpions, bats, skulls, ravens, trees, trinkets, snakes, brooms, roses, human organs, and big, staring eyeballs.
Ghosts, vampires, graves, witches, and instruments of torture, oh my!
'Wednesday's Library' - Recommended for the demented child in all of us.
'I never understood why Jane [Eyre] would want to look so... normal. Her looks are perfectly wretched.' - page 133
'Shame, despair, solitude! They are teachers to us all.' - page 125
'This same feeling is typical when you're an Addams. People's fear of the abnormal just makes us stronger.' - page 109
'If there is any goodness inside me, then I'm afraid it is broken. How thrilling.' - page 99
'My sentiments exactly. Why marry when you could satiate your curiosity with things like studying poisonous plants or becoming a country's first female dictator?' - page 87
'The best houses have ghosts living in them.' - page 81
'Witches. Blood. Impending devastation. It's as if William Shakespeare were writing about my life.' - page 45
'I would also follow the directives of insane people. They tend to be the most levelheaded people in the room.' - page 39
Final Score: 3.5/5
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