Of Books and Other Things
"My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit that Pip. So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip."
How refreshing it is to reread one's favorite book. Indeed, I am quoting my favorite book of all time, Great Expectations. I must say that Dickens has this irresistible draw to his writing that just makes it a pleasure to read.
My first time reading Great Expectations was in fourth grade; and while I understood the book better than my father's highschool English students, there was so much of the book that just didn't completely stick or get sifted through my brain enough. I was at a very high level of reading when I was quite little, and while that was and still is true, I think that one should always reread a book such as Great Expectations when one is older, just to make sure one gets all of it. I must confess that there are little details of the book that I don't quite remember; the twinkle in Dickens' eye and his little humors are much easier to pick up almost four years later.
Another thing that I am currently reading is the Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume One. I have only in the past read the Hound of the Baskervilles, but I am much enjoying reading about Sherlock and John and all of their cases. A Study in Scarlet kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't put it down! On the other hand, do not read Sherlock before bed. Please do not make the same mistake that I did.
I also quite recently read Shakespeare's fabulous Much Ado About Nothing. The whole play is a constant series of burns between Beatrice and Benedick. I have seen two adaptions of this other than the play itself; the Globe Theatre version of it is available to buy here for about six British pounds, or about $10-11. It's a wee bit pricy, but it is masterfully done and gives you the feeling that you're actually in the Globe watching it live. The other version that I have seen is a Kenneth Branagh edition. It's done in 1993, but the amazing performance of both Branagh and Emma Thompson make it timeless. They make the movie come to life, snapping at each other in a way that Shakespeare would have loved.
Now I am embarking upon A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is a bit more confusing since I have not seen this performed, but it is still fascinating. What are y'all reading?
Just some news - I have started a story that I actually have a plotline for, which I am quite proud of - I am 10 days away from being done with school for the summer - I have a concussion - I am SUPER tired of rain (at least it's not snow) - and I have three friends who have started blogs! My friend Mikayla started a blog called That Blog Life, which goes into her personal life a bit more than I do. My friend Grace started a blog called That Weird Blog, which she started only about a week ago. And my friend Lily started a blog too, but I don't yet know the URL, so I'll keep you posted.
What's going on with y'alls? I'm super excited for summer, how about you?
~Catharine
(P.S. A man from our church JUST gave us a box of books, including many Shakespeare plays, three unmarked journals which have been bestowed upon ME, and a set that has stage directions/director's edition/etc of The Taming of the Shrew! *inward squealing and wiggling with pleasure*)
