Austenites, Adulterers, and Being a Grown Up

Now is the summer of our discontent. G has been traveling for a week, getting all the details worked out to put our VA house on the market. Being a grown up completely stinks and the next couple of months are going to be...stressful. Really, really stressful. He got home last night, finally.

Wife of the year: I made the strawberry "poke cake" that he likes so much to welcome him home.

And then I made a little somethin' for me:

My books of late have been somewhat disappointing.

G raised a very good point last night. He said that, for all the books I've put on my summer reading list, I don't seem to be enjoying them very much. The man has a point, but it's not like you can know these things in advance.

A little book that the Austenites will certainly enjoy:

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Here's how I feel about Jane Austen: She was a brilliant writer and I will re-read all of her books. The off-shoots, though? The movies and book spin-offs? No thanks. I think it's a testament to her genius that she (like any amazing writer) was able to create texts that had both an entertaining story and enduring themes. The spin-offs, in my opinion, are soppy romance. I say this, you know, without having read any of them, so take my words with a grain of salt.

Death Comes to Pemberley, though, was mentioned in one of my classes so I decided to give it a whirl. It was entertaining, for sure. It's clear that James not only knows Austen texts, but has studied them in-depth. Six years after Lizzy and Darcy get married, they are in the midst of planning an annual ball when word reaches them about a gruesome murder that has taken place on their grounds. The prime suspect: Willoughby. Dun Dun DUNNN.

It is well-written, and I have to say that I liked reading a good mystery mixed into the Pemberley world. But my theory was indeed confirmed: I don't like spin-offs, even if they are really good ones. So, now I know.

****A note: James does a really good job working in characters from other Austen stories. You would think that would be a bridge too far but I found myself smiling a few times at how well she does it. If these books are your thing, you'll like this one!****

Aaaaaand in other news, I read this one:

Adultery by Paulo Coelho

I read this because a peep recommended it. She was like, I don't know if it's good or bad or just weird? She wasn't sure. And now I'm not sure, either.

So, Coelho is famous for his book, The Alchemist, (I haven't read it), and from everything I've ever heard or read, he's a talented writer. This book, though? Lame. Adultery is about a thirty-something woman who has it all: the career, the husband, the money, the dream house, and the 2.5 kids. A few years into her marriage, though, she realizes that she is not "happy" and finds herself in an affair with an up-and-coming politician who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend from high school.

Lame, though! There are a couple of good twists, and you could make the argument that Coelho deftly weaves the themes of "what is love, really?" and "what is happiness, really?" throughout the book. He's a good writer but this book? Ugh, I don't recommend it. It was easy to read, so at least I'm done and can move on.

But I will say that if you've heard about this and are intrigued, you may want to see what I missed. :)

Please buy our house. That is all for today.