This is part of Diane's American Literature Course Series Owen Wister’s The Virginian Oh, that old thing? Why, yes, it’s been one of my favorites for many years. I noticed, though, while doing research for our American literature class, that it seems to be going out of style. Too trite and formulaic, perhaps? Wait! Please note that … Continue reading The Virginian
My Life in France
In 2015, my husband and I watched the film Julie and Julia. I thought that “Julie” was whiny and unlikable. Despite all of Amy Adams’s efforts to make Julie adorable, I thought that the real life character being portrayed on the screen was dull and forgettable. But, I loved her concept. I thought that her … Continue reading My Life in France
The Great Train Robbery
On May 15, 1855, the crime of the century was perpetrated by turning lead into gold. Enacting a highly sophisticated bait and switch, Edward Agar, William Pierce, Jeremy Forsyth, and James Burgess were able to steal £12,000 in gold which was being transported from London to Paris. This highly publicized crime, the Great Gold Robbery, … Continue reading The Great Train Robbery
Anne of the Island
In this review, I lament how disappointed I was in Anne of Avonlea after having loved Anne of Green Gables so much. I am happy to report that I found Anne of the Island to be a vast improvement on Anne of Avonlea. Still not as good as the original, it is a worthy follow-up … Continue reading Anne of the Island
Thoughts About The Benedict Option
In this speech, the author of The Awakening of Miss Prim says that only a minority of readers see her story as one of a spiritual journey and conversion. I was shocked when I read that. It seemed so obvious to me that that was the only thing it could really be about. In talking … Continue reading Thoughts About The Benedict Option
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of Green Gables is pretty nearly a perfect book. Even if you don't love the story or the character, it is hard deny that Anne Shirley, in her debut novel, has been an international sensation for more than 100 years. According to Wikipedia, Anne of Green Gables has been translated into 36 languages and … Continue reading Anne of Avonlea
The Chosen
“When Mendal was already the far-famed and much-hated rabbi of Kotzak, he once returned to the little town in which he was born. There he visited the teacher who taught him his alphabet when he was a child and read five books of Moses with him. But he did not go to see the teacher … Continue reading The Chosen
A Tangled Web
Oh, such a tediously tangled web! I considered taking notes as I read so I could keep characters straight. I kept thinking the cast would eventually resolve into a few manageable main characters and I would figure out which I was supposed to care about. It didn’t and I didn’t. In three generations sixty Darks … Continue reading A Tangled Web
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The movie is better. Much better, in fact. In 1903, Baroness Orczy wrote a successful stage play about a foppish English noble who mastered the art of “disguise and redirect” in order to save the lives of French royals destined for the Madame Guillotine during the Reign of Terror. Building on the success of The … Continue reading The Scarlet Pimpernel
What If: Serious Scientific Answers
A few years ago some friends recommended What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe because I have a very science-minded little boy who loves “what if” type questions. Munroe started his career by building robots for NASA. He is the author of a very popular webcomic and science Q&A blog: … Continue reading What If: Serious Scientific Answers