tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post7631381028521238249..comments2024-02-13T12:31:21.829-08:00Comments on Shelf Life: Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks--a reviewGentle Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-41154417174554354572008-09-11T17:26:00.000-07:002008-09-11T17:26:00.000-07:00Why in the world would you call the plague facts "...Why in the world would you call the plague facts "FUN" facts... I mean wtf is so fun about millions of people dying? Not very fun..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-51329704839762200772007-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:002007-06-29T18:52:00.000-07:00joy--it's a really quick read, but in a good way! ...joy--it's a really quick read, but in a good way! Hope you enjoy it :)Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-37845407631337557192007-06-29T17:42:00.000-07:002007-06-29T17:42:00.000-07:00Hi Gentle Reader! I have this planned for the TBR...Hi Gentle Reader! I have this planned for the TBR Challenge. I'm glad you liked it and that it's not a big commitment! :)Joyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00832231139076878401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-6542535019045476022007-06-24T06:32:00.000-07:002007-06-24T06:32:00.000-07:00bellezza--I felt this book had great description! ...bellezza--I felt this book had great description! I was attracted to this more than to March, and March has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. But maybe I'll give it a try at some point...Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-23323493701090692822007-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:002007-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:00This was a great book! I enjoyed it much, much mor...This was a great book! I enjoyed it much, much more than her Pulitzer Prize winner: March. In fact, I didn't even finish March which is something I rarely do. The plague book made me feel, and still does if I think about it long enough, that I may contact it myself. It was so real!Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-68722504574679060742007-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:002007-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00lotus--thanks! You were brave to read this with t...lotus--thanks! You were brave to read this with the flu, LOL. I'm glad I read this while healthy--I'm sure I would have imagined imminent death if I'd read it with even a sniffle :)Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-4221749571224769342007-06-22T08:43:00.000-07:002007-06-22T08:43:00.000-07:00This was one of favorite books from 2-3 years ago....This was one of favorite books from 2-3 years ago...I read it while recuperating from the flu, so it impacted me even more! lol<BR/><BR/>Love your review and all the facts you included....makes for an excellent quick reference.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-23131406572727409812007-06-18T17:28:00.000-07:002007-06-18T17:28:00.000-07:00bookfool--this is the great thing about blogging, ...bookfool--this is the great thing about blogging, isn't it? All the wonderful conversations we have! I haven't read enough historical fiction to know if it's a trend, but it sure seems like it with this book--the ending felt tacked on with "gotta have a strong female heroine" in mind.Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-58456039664584300772007-06-18T16:42:00.000-07:002007-06-18T16:42:00.000-07:00Oh, goodness, what an interesting conversation you...Oh, goodness, what an interesting conversation you and Dewey are having! I almost mentioned that I'd read there are occasional cases of bubonic plague in . . . is it New Mexico and Arizona? Somewhere in the West. <BR/><BR/>The "strong female heroine" concept is, I agree, occasionally carried too far in historical fiction. I have a feeling publishers think the truth is a little too unpalatable to today's female readers and that's probably somewhat accurate to wimps like me. :)Bookfoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08247136634069540446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-17956500380505210162007-06-18T14:44:00.000-07:002007-06-18T14:44:00.000-07:00dewey--you've hit the nail on the head. This is t...dewey--you've hit the nail on the head. This is the big problem with this book. I found much of it well-researched and consistent with the 17th century setting, but the main character just doesn't seem to fit with the times. She's too modern in her sensibilities, probably because the writer wanted her to be "strong". And the ending of the book proves this--it seems very unlikely that this rural woman in the 1660s would strike out on her own like this and head for a completely new culture, even if she has been radically changed by her experience during the plague.Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-25409903268756570342007-06-18T13:57:00.000-07:002007-06-18T13:57:00.000-07:00I see something happening over and over in books, ...I see something happening over and over in books, especially books written by people who are, like me, feminists. They want to show strong, independent, smart women characters. And that's a great thing. In a book about modern times. But if they're writing historical novels, they often show the women characters as SO strong and independent that they are able to overcome the unmovable obstacles that anyone of their gender would have encountered. And I consider that a problem for two reasons. First, it implies that women who were subservient in the 1600s or whatever just didn't have the guts to take the reins of their own lives. Which is unfair to those women, because they saw NOTHING in their entire experience that would even hint to them that they might be allowed to be independent. And second, I can't stand historical inaccuracies. A historical novel with modern worldviews applied to it is not a historical novel at all.Deweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00395712971920800717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-80746573869865702962007-06-18T12:55:00.000-07:002007-06-18T12:55:00.000-07:00iliana--I hear ya about the ending--ugh. Out of l...iliana--I hear ya about the ending--ugh. Out of left field, and so unbelievable. I have "March" sitting on my pile near the bed, and it's another slim volume, so I'm going to try to get to it some time soon :)Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-75218717958459840902007-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:002007-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00The Plauge fun facts was great. I thought this boo...The Plauge fun facts was great. I thought this book was great too except for the ending. Ugh. Where did that come from. I would like to read something else by her though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-73054464624754038752007-06-18T09:24:00.000-07:002007-06-18T09:24:00.000-07:00maggie--I shouldn't be so flip about plague and pe...maggie--I shouldn't be so flip about plague and pestilence, because even though we apparently have a handle on this particular version, I'm sure if a new big flu epidemic hits, I won't be laughing!<BR/><BR/>bookfool--well, I'm going to try to find the Defoe, and if you read it, too, we'll compare notes. My piles are taking over my house, by the way...<BR/><BR/>eva--I love Bookmooch, too--it's such a great idea--wish I had thought of it :)<BR/><BR/>tanabata--it's a fast read, and I really enjoyed it for its atmosphere. But I know how those TBR piles are...I feel like I really need to reorganize and reprioritize my lists, because I'm getting overwhelmed :)Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-48943827600610509782007-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:002007-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:00dewey--how scary about the occasional plague cases...dewey--how scary about the occasional plague cases near you, though I've read that if you get antibiotics quickly enough, it's okay. But yikes! And yes, I really hadn't taken into account how much power the minister wielded at that time--and it was also interesting that, according to Brooks, the village had gone from Puritan rule back to Church of England, so there had been a religious change recently, which might have affected things, too. And the implausible ending bugged me too...Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-26008300965493435222007-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:002007-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:00The facts were really interesting- thanks for post...The facts were really interesting- thanks for posting them. I've had this book in my TBR stacks for ages. I really should try to work it in one of these days/years..tanabatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592550784537825632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-70303246757371292742007-06-17T23:07:00.000-07:002007-06-17T23:07:00.000-07:00I love your fun facts-thanks for sharing!bookmooch...I love your fun facts-thanks for sharing!<BR/><BR/>bookmooch is super fun. It's so crazy, how I can just look up a book, and then magically have it sent to me for free. :) It's great, although addicting!Evahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06703372903532502944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-24891420593297430252007-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:002007-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:00What a terrific, informative post and a great revi...What a terrific, informative post and a great review. I'll have to add this one to the wish list. I've got the Daniel Dafoe book buried around here, somewhere. Someday, I'm going to get all these piles organized.Bookfoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08247136634069540446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-46044676582294733812007-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:002007-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00I loved this one! Oh, your "Plague Fun Facts" tit...I loved this one! Oh, your "Plague Fun Facts" title made me giggle nervously. :)maggie moranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02462439415973311990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-40996663642861356842007-06-17T09:34:00.000-07:002007-06-17T09:34:00.000-07:00We actually have a few plague cases every year in ...We actually have a few plague cases every year in my state from fleas! Fortunately, with today's treatments, people get better and it doesn't spread. <BR/><BR/>Brooks is one of my favorite writers, and I really enjoyed this book, but I liked March even better. <BR/><BR/>I thought the people responded so passively (there were a few exception) because in those times, the minister really was almost considered the voice of God. He was assumed to have prayed and found what God wanted them to do. I was a bit disappointed by the ending though, as it seemed implausible.Deweyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00395712971920800717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-31247154153157482622007-06-17T08:29:00.000-07:002007-06-17T08:29:00.000-07:00liz and marg-- (SPOILER ALERT) Okay, the ending w...liz and marg-- (SPOILER ALERT) Okay, the ending was pretty lame, but I didn't want to be a spoiler and write specifically about it in my little review. What was that about? It came out of nowhere. Since Brooks seems to have done her research pretty well, I wondered what was going on in the rest of the world at the time, and whether there were records of European women entering the Muslim world at that time...anyway, it seemed like pure fantasy compared to the rest of the book, and it didn't work for me.Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-65514277267399662662007-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:002007-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:00sam--that story sounds interesting, too. And it m...sam--that story sounds interesting, too. And it makes me laugh that the town wasn't successful because they needed more booze and women--hee hee!<BR/><BR/>robin--thanks, and I think the plague is fascinating, in a horrible way, so I'll probably try to read Daniel Defoe's book about it, too...Gentle Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102364083044797155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-6374246661392153942007-06-17T05:46:00.000-07:002007-06-17T05:46:00.000-07:00I really enjoyed this book when I read it...except...I really enjoyed this book when I read it...except for the very end....what was that about???Marghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13508430635744720721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-53509493290498900412007-06-16T17:44:00.000-07:002007-06-16T17:44:00.000-07:00I couldn't put it down when I read this book! You...I couldn't put it down when I read this book! Your<BR/>facts about the plague are fascinating.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01857602206725562335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275808567357577735.post-84843095187201237202007-06-16T16:25:00.000-07:002007-06-16T16:25:00.000-07:00what did you think of the end? I loved the book e...what did you think of the end? I loved the book except for the ending. I also loved March, Brooks' more recent book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com