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Monthly Archives: October 2012
One Pound, Nine Ounces: A Review of Jon Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman (by Bethany)
TBCWL So Far: 3 pounds, 1 ounce I know people who hate war but love football, and I don’t even want to think about the kind of cognitive dissonance that has to happen inside their heads to make that weird … Continue reading
On Madwomen in Attics and the Defence of Personal Boundaries: Pre-Reading Notes on Jane Eyre (by Bethany)
At seventeen I had a terrible track record with nineteenth-century novels. I only occasionally attempted one for pleasure, and while I had been assigned a few along the way in my first few years of high school, I’m pretty sure … Continue reading
Final Thoughts on Madame Bovary (by Bethany)
I think Madame Bovary is the wisest, most beautiful novel that ever bored me to tears. Structurally, it’s flawless: the establishment right from the start of Charles Bovary as a harmless buffoon who ever since childhood has been separated from … Continue reading
Yarn Along (by Bethany)
The first sweater I ever knit could stand up by itself. Putting it on was like wearing a suit of armor. I was a freshman in college then, and my roommate and I were both taking the same knitting class … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Yarn Along
7 Comments
A Review of J.M. Coetzee’s Foe (by Bethany)
I’ve never read Robinson Crusoe, although of course I know the basic outline of the story. It’s been on my to-read-soon list for a long time now, and I’d always planned on reading Coetzee’s Foe after I read Robinson Crusoe. … Continue reading
Bethany’s Top Thirteen (and a Related Reading Challenge)
Back when I was teaching, people asked me all the time what my favorite books are. English teachers are expected to have answers to that question right at their fingertips, just as kids are supposed to say what they want … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews by Bethany, Uncategorized
13 Comments
More Bookcase Art (by Bethany)
Maybe someday I will get tired of taking artsy pictures of my bookshelves. But I don’t think it’s going to be today.
I Really Am Reading It: Thoughts on Part I of Madame Bovary (by Bethany)
I know it’s taken me a while to get started, but I’m reading Madame Bovary actively now and am enjoying it. I do think Lydia Davis’ translation is the best I’ve ever encountered, although I’m also willing to blame my … Continue reading
Bookcase Art (by Bethany)
Bookcases are more than just functional furniture for me. They’re part of my aesthetic of what a living space should look like: they’re about covering large expanses of wall space with infinite combinations of color, about parallel and perpendicular lines, … Continue reading
Yarn Along: The Sumo Sweater Saga (by Bethany)
After almost a week of total radio silence here on the blog (to mix a metaphor), I’m back for Yarn Along. I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted. Apparently it’s hard to concentrate on reading in the weeks … Continue reading
Posted in Yarn Along
4 Comments
Postcards From Purgatory 