The Buzz...About Books

Dispatches from the War on the Internet

When Wikipedia darkened it's site last week to protest the passing of laws that would have placed new restrictions on our use of the internet to share books, music and video, I was very glad to have just finished reading two excellent collections of essays by Cory Doctorow on the issues involved.

Cory Doctorow by Derryl Murphy

Doctorow was born in Toronto and has a reputation as an author of fine science-fiction and as a co-editor of the wildly popular blog Boing Boing. He has also been writing marvelously entertaining articles on the internet using down-to-earth, easy to understand language and examples from everyday life.

In his first collection -- Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future he writes in detail about the negative effects of Digital Rights Management (DRM) and other forms of control on the internet.

Doctorow's argument boils down to his belief that whatever we lose in the free exchange of information on the internet, we will gain in innovations which will enrich our culture in ways that cannot yet be predicted. Call him an optimist.

Doctorow has given away free downloads of all his novels from the beginning of his career. He has found that by making these copies free and encouraging his fans to share them online he has expanded the market for the printed editions of his books.

In his latest collection -- Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century he writes about how these issues affect him as a creative writer and as a new parent.

He explains intellectual property, the "information economy", copyright enforcement and digital licensing in clearly understandable ways.

His warnings about the vulnerability of our passwords and our personal data online are frightening and sobering.

He explains why streaming will never replace the downloading of music online.

He also talks about how he manages the hundreds of non-spam emails he gets every day, and why he will never buy an iPad.

Together these books cover ten years of exciting, insightful coverage of these increasingly important issues in a highly readable way.

 

Pemberley Revisited

Sequels to Jane Austen's novels are often greeted by fans of Austen's works with a variety of reactions, which can range anywhere from curiousity and enthusiasm through distain and resentment.  

P.D. James (or Baroness James of Holland Park, to use her official title) is one of a few well-known authors to publish a sequel of one of Jane Austen's books.  P.D. James is one of Britain's best known detective fiction authors.  She has published 19 novels, most of which feature policeman Adam Dalgliesh. 

In Death Comes to Pemberley, she continues the story of  Pride and Prejudice, revealing the six years between the end of that book and the beginning of this story in the Prologue.   I think Austen fans will particulary enjoy this part of the book, as it is quite "Austen-esque".

The story itself begins on the eve of Lady Anne's Ball, with Jane and Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana and the Bingleys' friend Henry Alveston all visiting Pemberley.  Just as they are about to retire for the night, a chaise arrives driven quite unexpectedly.   As the galloping horses come to a stop, a hysterical Lydia Wickham throws herself out of the carriage and screams that her husband Wickham has been murdered in the Pemberley woods.   Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Alveston soon set off, only to discover  Wickham over the body of Captain Denny crying "He's dead! Oh God, Denny's dead! He was my friend, my only friend, and I've killed him! I've killed him! It's my fault".  Has Wickham really killed Denny?

Publishing a sequel to such a enduring classic is not done lightly, paricularly by a well-respected author.  P.D. James discusses her motivation for writing this story in a interview with the Telegraph and in this video interview, which took place in her home in October 2011.

 

 

Quite a number of reviews of this book have been written, including in the New York Times and Globe and Mail.  The Toronto Public Library also has it available in audiobook format.

 

Related Posts:

• Spinning Austen or Jane has the last laugh
• Jane Austen Ruined My Life
• Mashed up Fiction and the "ick" factor

A Spy in the House of Food

When the New York Times newspaper approached Ruth Reichl about becoming their new restaurant critic, she was already reviewing restaurants for the Los Angeles Times and was in no mood to make a change.

Her husband was supportive. 

"Why on earth would you want to work at the best paper in the world?"

The Times hires her and Reichl quickly discovers that every restaurant in New York has prepared for her arrival by putting a picture of her face on their staff bulletin board. So with the help of a theatre make-up artist she creates a well-to-do, but very dowdy, disguise for herself.

Reichl's account of the shabby treatment this unfashionable character gets at the fashionable restaurant Le Cirque is refreshingly scathing.

She returns to Le Cirque as herself, the reviewer for the New York Times, and her account of the splendid treatment she gets is just as scathing. She writes a hilarious review about both experiences , and postitive responces roll in from readers.

One reader praised her as "a spy in the house of food".

So begins Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, her memoir of reviewing restaurants in New York City, published in 2005.

Reichl is good company, never takes herself too seriously and seriously loves good food. I picked this up when I was in the mood for something light, urbane and hilarious, and I could hardly bear to put it down.

Also in Large Print.

One of Many Extraordinary Canadians

Growing up like many young Canadians, I enjoyed reading the Anne of Green Gables novels. After devouring the books, I wanted to learn everything there was to know about this amazing author. Having written such a lovely series of books, with a relatable young heroine, I thought that the author's life must have been just as carefree and uplifting. Upon reading L. M. Montgomery's journals, I was shocked to discover that she had in fact led a very unhappy life and despite living to see the public adoration of her work, had been very unsatisfied with her life and family.

Her biography written by Jane Urquhart, entitled, Lucy Maud Montgomery, explored the fact that Montgomery had been forced to virtually divide herself into different people, her public persona; caregiver and wife to her mentally unstable husband; and author to her many devoted fans. This biography was very enjoyable and readable. Using excerpts from Montgomery's journals, Urquhart's biography examines how the author dealt with many obstacles she faced and the various choices she made, for better or worse.

This biography is part of a series entitled, Extraordinary Canadians, which focus on famous Canadians and are written by well-known contemporary Canadians. The series began in 2008 and three new titles were published this year. There are biographies on artists, such as Emily Carr; musicians, like Glenn Gould; politicians, including Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Elliott Trudeau; and even First Nations People, like Big Bear. These biographies are written by famous Canadians such as, Joseph Boyden, Adrienne Clarkson, Vincent Lam, David Adams Richards, and M. G. Vassanji, just to name a few. More information about this series can be found here.

If you are interested in learning more about Lucy Maud Montgomery, check these out:

Jane Austen Ruined My Life

If the idea of discovering lost writings by your favourite author sounds exciting, then Jane Austen Ruined My Life is the book for you!

Professor Emma Grant has always believed in happy endings, her favourite author, Jane Austen, instilled this belief in her. Emma even believes that she found her own happy ending. However, this all comes to a crashing end when she discovers her husband in the arms of her teaching assistant. Then she loses her job after the same teaching assistant falsely accuses her of plagiarism.

While wondering what to do with her life, Emma is contacted by a mysterious Mrs. Parrot, who claims to have a collection of lost letters written by Jane Austen. Emma, her faith in Austen's happily-ever-afters fading fast, jumps on a plane bound for England. She hopes these letters will renew her academic credibility and possibly prove happy endings just do not exist.

Things do not go as planned, when Mrs. Parrot refuses to simply hand over the letters and instead sends Emma on a series of tasks, to gradually reveal unknown secrets about Austen's personal life. Along the way, Emma also encounters her former best friend, Adam, who she lost touch with after her marriage.

Witty and smartly written, you feel as if you are visiting all the Jane Austen sites across England, along  with Emma.

Also available in: Large Print

If you enjoy this story, you may also want to read Beth Pattillo's next novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, which deals with a similar theme, except instead of long lost letters, an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice has been found.

Posted by Erin

The Last "Ah-Ha"

The last Oprah show has aired - after 25 years on television, the woman behind this daytime institution is moving on. Reading was one of the many areas to which the mighty Oprah lent her considerable power and influence. Whatever one thought of her choices, the Oprah Book Club had an immense effect on readers, publishers, and authors.  Fall on Your Knees, by Canadian author, Anne-Marie MacDonald gained a huge audience through Oprah's endorsement.  James Frey's reputation was blasted into a million little pieces after crossing her; Jonathan Franzen realized the error of his ways after snubbing her.  Watch him come crawling back. 

Crain's New York Business describes the effect Oprah had on the publishing world.  Oprah has hinted that she might keep her book club going in some capacity. The media speculates on the state of reading A.O. (After Oprah). 

At the library, requests for "Oprah Books" have been so frequent over the years, that we consider them an honorary sub-genre. If you haven't read everything on Her list, check out some of these notable titles.

        
   

      

 

 

 
 

Star-Crossed Lovers

After seeing the movie Bright Star I just had to read poet John Keats' letters to Fanny Brawne. Thankfully I found just the book!

Bright Star is a movie that starts slowly and pulls you in. By the end, you find yourself hoping against all odds that things will work out, despite already knowing how it will end. Director Jane Campion and stars Ben Whishaw (Keats) and Abbie Cornish (Fanny) do a lovely job with this movie wonderfully portraying the true love story.

Keats and Fanny are complete opposites, he a poor poet and she a flirty seamstress, interested in fashion. Despite their differences they fall deeply in love, which is a shock to friends and family, who at first try to dissuade the couple. Just when things are looking up for our lovers, Keats falls ill. Due to his worsening health, he must move to Italy and the lovers are kept apart. This separation causes Keats to write some of the most moving and celebrated poetry and love letters of the English language. However, upon his death at the age of 25, Keats was still separated from his love and considered himself a failure. After his death, Fanny went into mourning and secluded herself from the world. She wore his ring for the rest of her life.

So Bright and Delicate: Love Letters and Poems of John Keats to Fanny Brawne is a collection of Keats' letters and poetry, inspired by his love for Fanny. This edition also includes and introduction by Jane Campion. Andrew Motion's biography of the poet, simply entitled Keats, inspired Jane Campion to create the film. It is the first major biography of Keats in thirty years and examines how his works still resonate today.

 

Posted by Erin

The eh List March 15-19

March Break isn't just for the kids.  Come and meet the authors everyone's reading in Toronto Public Library's author series, The eh List. 

Tuesday March 15

Join André Alexis, author of novels, plays and short stories, for a reading and discussion of his controversial new book, Beauty and Sadness, a collection of stories and essays on Canadian literature and criticism. 

Runnymede Branch, 7 pm

 

 

Thursday March 17

Award-winning mystery writer, Giles Blunt will be reading and discussing the latest book in his John Cardinal series, Crime Machine.

Toronto Reference Library, 7 pm

 

 

Thursday March 17

Terry Fallis, author of 2011 Canada Reads winner, The Best Laid Plans, will discuss his adventures in Canadian literature and his latest novel The High Road.

Barbara Frum Branch, 7 pm

 

The Strange Life of Edgar Allan Poe

On January 29, 1845 Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven was published in the New York Evening Mirror.  He was paid $9. 

Poe had a short but eventful life.  Parentless by the age of three he lived with a foster family and was educated in European boarding schools.  He attended the University of Virginia for a short time but left because of gambling debts.  A stint at West Point ended in court-martial.  Unable to support himself through his writing, he worked as a literary editor.  He remained close to his biological relatives marrying his 13-year-old first cousin Virginia in 1835.  Her death from consumption in 1842 is believed to have influenced his writing. 

On October 3, 1849, a delirious Poe was found on a Baltimore street in someone else’s clothes.  He died on October 7 at the age of 40.  Newspaper reports attributed his death to cerebral inflammation, a euphemism for alcoholism.  There is speculation however that he may have been a victim of cooping.  It was a practice in which men of voting age were disguised and coerced into casting multiple votes for a specific candidate.  The victims of this practice were often drugged or physically forced to go along with this plan.   

Poe’s life was brief, but his influence was great.  Considered the father of the modern detective story, he also inspired countless science fiction and horror writers. 

In addition, Poe lives on as a fictional character in these novels.

The American Boy by Andrew Taylor
Nevermore by Harold Schechter
Not Quite Dead by John MacLachlan Gray
The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

Secret Adventures of Authors

Recently, there have been many different novels featuring famous authors as characters, most notably Jane Austen. However, if you are not a die-hard Janeite those stories might not be for you.

Some of today's writers have taken their favourite authors and created wonderful adventures for them. How would these classical authors react, if faced with some of the thrilling tales they wrote?

Being a fan of the Brontë sisters I was pleased to discover The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë. The reader is not only allowed into Charlotte's thoughts on her family, love and politics, but Charlotte actually becomes a spy! Not willingly of course.

In 1848, Charlotte and her sister Anne travel together to London to prove to their publisher that they are not the same person. This trip actually happened because the sisters had been writing under pseudonyms, which the press believed to be one person. This is where fiction takes over.

Upon arriving in London, Charlotte is a witness to a murder. Having met the murder victim on the train, Charlotte is suddenly dragged into a web of conspiracy and espionage!

This novel grabs your attention right from the start and whether or not you are familiar with the Brontë's famous novels or their history, you will enjoy this wild ride. 

Also available in:
Large Print

Also look for Bedlam: The Further Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë.

Visit the Secret Adventures of these Authors: