Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Short and Sweet

I usually am not a short story person. Oh sure, I enjoy the ones I've read in English classes, but I don't generally seek them out. Unless those stories are written by an author named Agatha Christie. Because I only own full-length novels, I haven't read any of Christie's short stories for awhile. So on my most recent library trip I grabbed a handful of her short story collections at random from the shelves. I ended up with 1 Poirot collection and 2 Marple collections and several hours of enjoyable reading.

Murder in the Mews
This is the Poirot selection of the short story collections. And really, I would label these stories more as novellas - there are only 4 in the collection and some are quite long. The 4 stories are "Dead Man's Mirror", "The Incredible Theft", "Murder in the Mews", and "Triangle At Rhodes". I'm sure I've read them all before, (and, in fact, I own "Murder in the Mews" in my omnibus collection - now I know where that story is from!) but not very recently so the twists and turns are quite enjoyable. While I really enjoy Christie's full-length novels, she can quickly create and resolve a mystery with a few deft phrases and turns of plot and this gift makes her short stories very enjoyable. She can create memorable characters and situations very quickly, and then have Poirot swiftly resolve the mystery with his little grey cells! Of course, there's not always room for murder in short stories (or more than one!) but reading about, say, the theft of valuable and top secret bomber plans still makes for interesting reading.

The Tuesday Club Murders
This is the first of the Miss Marple story collections, and is one of the best, I think. Instead of trying to twist her plot into all sort of contrivances to bring the murders to Miss Marple, Christie brings Miss Marple to the murders! It all began as a dinner party discussion on unsolved mysteries and ended up as a sort of club. The 6 people would meet once a week, at which time one of the members would tell a story of an unsolved murder that the member had come across. Of course, the murder would really be solved, but the challenge to the other club members was to come to the correct solution. At first, the club members humoured Miss Marple, but she bested them every time!

The first 6 stories in this collection comprise the first gathering of the murder-solving club. These stories are: "The Tuesday Night Club", "The Idol House of Astarte", "Ingots of Gold", "The Blood-Stained Pavement", "Motive v. Opportunity", and "The Thumb Mark of St. Peter." The remaining 7 stories represent the reunion of some members of the club with new members, and an actual murder in the quiet village of St. Mary Mead. These stories are: "The Blue Geranium", "The Companion", "The Four Suspects", "A Christmas Tragedy", "The Herb of Death", "The Affair at the Bungalow", and "Death by Drowning". Again, Christie has a knack for telling a good story in a short period of time, and these short stories are charming. The reader is given all the same facts as Miss Marple, but Miss Marple bests us (or at least me!) every time. (That said, I don't really read the stories and try to solve them - I like to be surprised with the fictional audience as Miss Marple reveals the solution and see all the clues I missed.)

Miss Marple's Final Cases
There are so many different editions and collections of Miss Marple stories that I am not sure if these are really stories that chronologically fall towards the end of Miss Marple's life, or if they were just all published towards the end of Christie's life (they were published in 1979). At any rate, the first 6 stories are excellent. The last 2 stories in this collection are not quite as good.

The first 6 stories, "Sanctuary", "Strange Jest", "Tape-Measure Murder", "The Case of the Caretaker", "The Case of the Perfect Maid", and "Miss Marple Tells a Story" are all cases which involve Miss Marple and involve actual crimes that Miss Marple helped solve, as opposed to stories which she solved (as in the above The Tuesday Club Murders). Again, not all involve murder, but there are some excellent puzzles for Miss Marple to solve. In one sense, that is why short stories can sometimes be more enjoyable than the books - there is more an emphasis on solving a puzzle in the short stories which doesn't have to include murder, as opposed to the novels which almost always involve one or more murders. Plus, you can read quite a few at one sitting and have the satisfaction of solving a number of mysteries, instead of having to read through an entire novel for the climax at the end. "Miss Marple Tells a Story" is an interesting short story in that it is narrated by Miss Marple. Usually in the Miss Marple stories and books Miss Marple is discussed in the third person; that is, the narrator is either an omniscient narrator or is a first-person narrator who is not Miss Marple. As far as I know, this is unique to the Marple cannon - I cannot recall any other stories narrated by Miss Marple, so it is interesting to get her perspective on how she solves the murder in her characteristically fluffy and muddle-headed speaking style.

The last two stories in this collection are not Miss Marple mysteries. They are not even mysteries at all, really, but more of Christie's forays into the supernatural. I generally dislike Christie's supernatural stories because I'm not interested in her views on the occult - I read her because she is an excellent puzzle creator and I enjoy the setting up of the puzzle, the clues, and the amazing finish wherein the solution is revealed. It's all very logical and one feels that one could have solved the crime if one had only applied one's self. Putting the supernatural moves it outside the realm of the logical and solvable and is not what I read Christie for. The first of these two supernatural stories (which I, not realizing that it wasn't a Marple mystery waited in vain as I read through it for Miss Marple to pop up and set everything right.) is "The Dressmaker's Doll" and is not very good and doesn't really seem to have a point - it's about a mysterious doll who haunts a dressmaking establishment. Nothing really happens and then the story just ends. Not my favourite. "In A Glass Darkly" is better - the narrator seems to experience a supernatural phenomenon which influences the course of his entire life. Nice twist at the end too. But not a mystery.

I quite enjoyed my read through some of Christie's short stories, and I will be looking to add her short story collections to my already extensive Poirot and Marple omnibus collection. I will also be looking soon to buy a new bookshelf for all the potential acquisitions!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Historic Houses

My next non-fiction history pick, Cavalier: A Tale of Chivalry, Passion, and Great Houses, sells itself as a book about the romantic life of a true British Cavalier in the time of Charles I and the Civil War. And yes, while the book is about one such Cavalier, the real story of the book is a little more complicated.

Cavalier is written by Lucy Worsley, who has the envy-inducing job of Chief Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces (including Hampton Court and the Tower of London) (seriously - my dream job!). Her very detailed knowledge about the inner workings of the great castles of yore is seen throughout the book.

This history proceeds in a slightly different way than most histories I've read. Instead of an overall look at a person's life from beginning to end, Worsley takes snapshots of 10 different days in that person's life and goes into the day in great detail. I'm not sure this approach entirely works, but I'll explain why I think that in a minute.

The subject of the book is one William Cavendish (grandson of Bess of Hardwick [famous for marrying up the social chain by having 4 husbands, building lots of beautiful castles with lots of windows, and whose last husband was the English jailer of Mary, Queen of Scots.]). William Cavendish will eventually become the Duke of Newcastle but began life as a regular landowning gentleman of means. Both William and his father, Charles, inherited the Hardwick love of building, and there was constant building going on during William's lifetime (1593-1676). The first two chapters of the book clearly demonstrate the love of building: the first chapter is set in 1617 at the deathbed of William's father in the manor house of Welbeck Abbey (one of the decommissioned abbeys given to landowners during Henry VIII's dismantling of the Catholic Church in England). Charles' last wishes to William are clear - continue work on the building projects. The next chapter jumps back in time a few years, to 1613, and the building site of Bolsover Castle, a lovely little gem of a castle in the English countryside.

Now, for some reason, perhaps from the subtitle talking about great houses, I assumed that the book would follow the path of Bolsover Castle and we'd see different scenes in the life of the castle. And, to some extent we do - Chapter 4 shows William entertaining Charles I and Henrietta Maria at the now completed Bolsover Castle in 1634. However the rest of the book jumps around and looks at the other houses where William lived. Each day is used as an example of something the author wants to teach us about 17th century life. For example, Chapter 3 (at Welbeck Abbey in 1625) discusses the use of the "closet" in English life (no, not a place to store clothes - more like a study or hobby room of the day, although clothes certainly could be kept in the closet) and Chapter 4 (at the Palace of Richmond in 1638) discusses the structure and formation of the household of the future Charles II and James II (the sons of Charles I). I was more interested in learning more about William's houses in particular, and not just the houses where he stayed in general.

However, this is not just a book about William Cavendish either. He is merely a narrative device who lived in several different palaces (and left a lot of written material!) that the author can use to discuss living in the 17th century: how a manor house worked, what a party was like then, education of princes, horsemanship, servant life, and anything and everything you would ever want to know about life in the 17th century. You do learn about William Cavendish, but he is almost secondary to the story. I see where the author was going with her structure of the book, but I'm not sure it quite works. It's not really a story about William Cavendish, nor is it a story about the famous Cavendish castles (Welbeck Abbey and Bolsover Castle). It's really a study of life in the 17th century.

It's also not really about the Cavaliers at all. Yes, the Civil War does come into play - William loses a battle (his troops showed up late, but fought bravely to the end), but then William flees into exile, leaving his daughters and son to live in an occupied castle while William runs up debts with his new wife in Paris and Antwerp. He is an example of a Cavalier - joyous living, excellent horsemanship, a ladies' man, but that doesn't all come across in this book because William is not the focus of this book. The lifestyle of the 17th century nobleman is the focus of this book instead. It is still interesting - just those who want more history and less interesting facts about how run a large castle should probably look elsewhere.

Just a few other points: for those who may be confused about British history, I will quickly give a brief lesson. Charles I was the second of the Stuart kings. He was an autocratic ruler at a time when England was moving towards a government that shared power between "parliament" and the king. Naturally, there was a conflict: the Civil War. Charles I lost, and sadly lost his head shortly thereafter. England was then a Commonwealth (from 1649 to 1660) ruled by Oliver Cromwell (who really was king in all but name). Charles II was left to fend for himself as best he could at the courts of royal relatives in France and the rest of Europe. When the Commonwealth fell in 1660, Charles II was welcomed back with open arms. Those in England who supported the Commonwealth were known as Roundheads (from the shape of their hats, I believe). They disapproved of the court's licentious ways and favoured sobriety in dress and manner. The Royalist supporters were known as Cavaliers and were fond of accessorizing wildly (ruffles, lace, ribbons and bows everywhere - on the men! Hats with gigantic plumes, ruffle topped boots, and lace cuffs.), wenching, and drinking. The term Cavalier started off as a derogatory term, and ended up being used in a positive sense for the romantic Royalists. (I should point out here that my spellcheck highlighted wenching as being spelled wrong. Apparently those sorts of words are not in blogger's dictionary!)

Secondly, I will say that I would like to try and find an excellent book or books about England's aristocrats. Nobles are always popping up throughout English history and I always want to know how they are related to each other. Are these Dukes of Norfolk related to the other Dukes of Norfolk mentioned 100 years earlier? What happened to the great de Vere family? What happens when the Duke of Suffolk has no male heirs and the title's inherited by a distant cousin - where did he come from? How is he related to the others? I think there is a real need for a series of books about the English aristocracy - pick one family (Howard) or title (Duke of Norfolk) and trace it through the family from the inception to the end of the title/family (or the present day - whichever comes first.). Sure, not all the members of the family are interesting - some are duds I'm sure, but it's interesting to see how everyone is connected to one another. There is Burke's Peerage for those really interested in that sort of thing, but I would like something with a little more detail. Wikipedia doesn't always cut it!

At any rate, Cavalier is a very interesting and extremely detailed book. A good choice for anyone interested in the life of a 17th century nobleman.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Next stop on the Christie tour!

I've been reading a lot of Agatha Christie lately, so her novels and stories will feature prominently for the next few weeks. Those who dislike Agatha Christie or mysteries in general may want to take some time off! I do have a couple books on hold coming up at the library soon (I hope) and another history that I've read recently too, so it won't be all Christie, all the time. But most of the time!

Instead of re-reading all my Poirots (which I do anyway generally once a year or so) I decided to branch out and read my Miss Marples. And, indeed, I've branched out even more to read a bunch of Christies not featuring either Poirot or Marple, but that is for another day! Instead of reading the Miss Marples that I own in omnibus edition form, I turned to the giant behemoth of a book - the Seven Deadly Sins omnibus - and read the Miss Marple novel in there which I very rarely read: At Bertram's Hotel.

As a result of very rarely reading this novel, the ending is still a surprise. And right before the ending I am all at sea about how everything is connected and works together. But Miss Marple at the end makes it all clear and the puzzle pieces come together. While Miss Marple may not be as showy a detective as Poirot, she still can figure out murders with the best of them and solve the puzzle.

This mystery novel is really about a place - Bertram's Hotel. It is a lovely hotel in London that retains its pre-War look and charm. And by pre-War I mean even pre-World War One. Lovely English tea is served every day with any kind of eatable you could want: seed cake, donuts (filled with jam), and very buttery muffins. (Yes, you will get hungry while reading the tea scenes!) (As a side note - I need to do a little research into English muffins. I am not sure that Agatha Christie means our kind of muffins - you know, the ones that look like cupcakes but because have no icing are muffins? She may mean actual "English muffins", the ones that hold up the bacon, poached egg and hollandaise in Eggs Benedict, or she may mean something else. Certainly I have never eaten English muffins dripping with butter like she describes. Hmmmm...now I need a snack.)

Miss Marple has come to stay at Bertram's for a treat - the shopping, the plays, the sights and sounds of London. Of course, several other people have come to stay at Bertram's too - the notorious Bess Sedgwick, muddle-headed Canon Pennyfather, and sweet young Elvira Blake, just recently finished school in Italy.

Christie takes these typical British characters and mixes them with another plot - that of a crime syndicate causing a lot of trouble in England at the moment. All kinds of major robberies are taking place and the police cannot find the criminal mastermind behind the plots. Further, there is a strange happening occurring at every crime - a double of some reputable public figure is seen at the crime. Who is the criminal mastermind? What is the point of the doubles? And how does this connect up with Bertram's Hotel? Christie manages to tie these two plots together believably, along with creating some good characters in Bess and Elvira. (Although I'm not entirely clear on the purpose of the doubles.) Elvira in particular is a rather unlikeable young lady - she seems really like a spoiled little rich girl who could have used a good spanking when younger!

This is one of Christie's later books (published in 1965) and while not perhaps as good as those she wrote in her prime, it is still a good read. As Christie got older herself, she really was able to write well about being elderly and the problems that face people as they get older - missing the past, uncomfortable chairs, worries about money. With Miss Marple being an elderly woman, Christie is really able to portray the elderly very sympathetically. Most of the books I tend to read seem to be about young or younger people. It is interesting to read a book with an elderly woman as the main character - nowadays one feels that the publisher would have asked Christie to make Miss Marple a little younger and sexier to make the books more hip! I am glad that Miss Marple is Miss Marple and that through her, Christie is able to give some sort of perspective on age, wrapping it all up in a neat little mystery.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Spies and Ciphers

Since reading the history of MI5, I've been a little obsessed with finding out more about the mysterious shadowy world of spies, codes, agents, double-crosses, and more. And not the fictional world either; the real world of spies - which sometimes seems a lot stranger than fiction!
To that end, I got two books out of the library the other day while browsing through the spy section; The Emperor's Codes: The Breaking of Japan's Secret Ciphers by Michael Smith, and Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre.

The first of the two books that I read was The Emperor's Codes. I have always been interested in secret codes and messages and how to crack them. This book is written by a former British Military Intelligence codebreaker, so he really knows his stuff!


What I hadn't realized, however, was that codes are so mathematical! Basically, you need to be some sort of genius level math savant to crack them. Also, given that the author was a code-breaking expert, sometimes I found the vocabulary a little too technical and without explanation. However, he does include a handy appendix which shows how that code breakers would have cracked a sample Japanese message, so that was quite helpful - if, again, very mathematical!

Another thing that hampered me a bit was my lack of knowledge of the Pacific/Indian Ocean theaters of war during World War Two. I tend to take a long-term view of history anyway - anything after 1900 is current events! I studied both wars in high school and further in university, but I'm not a war buff by any stretch of the imagination. Plus, I am more Europe-oriented in my history, so I would have focused more on the European theater of war, perhaps to the detriment of the rest of the world. Fortunately, the author included a map of the region with the major towns highlighted and a line showing the extent of Japanese occupation. I always like to learn stuff when I'm reading books, so I enjoyed learning about this particular aspect of the War.

What I most enjoyed about the book was the personal touch. The author interviewed numerous ex-code breakers, both women and men (lots of women worked on code-breaking), for the book, and their stories enliven and personalize the otherwise broad and far-reaching narrative. You care a little bit more about the Japanese advancing on Singapore when you here about 3 WRENs' secret marriages to other servicemen before the fall. You get the human side of code-breaking, which can be a very mathematical and analytical discipline.

As usual, the book leaves me wanting to know more: Australia and the War, the Japanese occupation, Bletchley Park (the chief code-breaking center in England). I was also furious throughout the book at the reluctance of the American and British High Commands to share intelligence and help each other to crack the codes, instead of selfishly hording messages and refusing to share. Neither side, however, can take any responsibility for Pearl Harbour - neither side was able to crack any codes relating to that terrible event. The author also has some interesting things to say about the intelligence related to the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan and the necessity of that deployment.

For anyone interested in the Pacific Theatre of war, and/or the breaking of codes, this is a very interesting book. It is also a good book for anyone who wants to learn a little more about the personal stories of some the veterans. I enjoyed it.

The second book I got out the library focused on a spy instead of the codes. Agent Zigzag is a biography of the notorious Agent Zigzag - one of the key spies in England's famous Double-Cross system of counterintelligence against the Nazis during World War Two. This lead to the famous D-Day deception where the Germans were successfully deceived that the pivotal attack to take back the continent would happen at Calais, instead of where it did happen (as we all know) in Normandy.

Agent Zigzag was born Eddie Chapman, in England in 1914. Sadly, Eddie was not one of the brighter lights of society - he turned early to crime. His first detention was for desertion - when he deserted his army regiment to live with a woman in Soho for several months. Eddie was fascinated by the bright lights and seedy underworld of Soho and as soon as he was dishonourably discharged from the army he went right back. He was captivated by crime and by women. He was arrested numerous times, but also joined a gang which very successfully robbed a number of stores.

Finally young Eddie made his way to Jersey Island with a young lady by the name of Betty Farmer for a relaxing holiday off his ill-gotten gains. (Jersey Island is one of the Channel Islands located in the English Channel between England and France.) However, it was not really a holiday - Eddie was a wanted man in England and he was trying to escape the police. He failed, and was arrested, only to escape the Jersey jail, commit another robbery and be re-arrested. Because he had committed a crime on Jersey soil, he was subject to the criminal law of Jersey (apparently different to that of England) and was sentenced to do time on Jersey instead of being sent back to England like his confederates. He escaped jail once more, but found it hard to escape the island and was sent back to jail. By the time he finally got out, England was at war and the Channel Islands were occupied.

It is a little known fact that the Channel Islands were the only part of England to be occupied by Germany during World War Two. Eddie was desperate to get off Jersey and so he and a friend (met in jail) one Anthony Faramus, sent letters to the German High Command stating that they would be willing to spy for Britain. However, Eddie and Anthony were arrested for crimes they (for once!) did not commit and shipped off to the notorious Romainville prison in Paris. Fortunately for Eddie, High Command was interested in using his criminal talents for espionage. Unfortunately for Anthony, they weren't interested in him - instead keeping him as hostage for Eddie's good behaviour. What happened to Anthony later makes for chilling reading, so I will not spoil it here.

Eddie successfully trained as a spy in German-occupied France (living and training in a villa, whose original Jewish owners were "mysteriously" absent) and eventually was parachuted into England, where he was turned and worked against the Germans. The deception was so successful that the Germans never even suspected a thing and awarded Eddie the Iron Cross. Eddie traveled to Portugal, France, German-occupied Norway and even Germany. His story makes for fascinating reading, so I won't spoil it by revealing any more of it here.

What also makes the story fascinating is Macintyre's writing style. He is a fabulous writer (I am going to look up his other books) and you feel like you are reading some incredible spy thriller - except it is all true! You feel sympathy for this strange character of Eddie Chapman - reprobate, womanizer, spy - willing to spy for Germany, but equally as willing to turn against them and spy for England. All the characters are fully realized - Eddie's numerous women, his German spy handler (who is remarkably sympathetic), and the British agents who controlled and ran this complex double agent. But the story doesn't end there - Macintyre adds an epilogue which explains the fate of all the major characters: Anthony Faramus, Betty Farmer, the British agents, and Eddie's German spy handler. I love finding out what happens to people "after the book", but usually have to do most of that research myself. I appreciate Macintyre's thoroughness and attention to detail. Further, you can see that he was enthralled and fascinated by the subject himself and so wanted to present the complete story to his readers.

I highly recommend Agent Zigzag to anyone who is interested in spies, World War Two, the Double-Cross System, spy novels, James Bond, or anyone who just likes a good story. For this is a good story indeed - romance, danger, secrets. It has all the elements of a good spy thriller - except it's all fact. It is true what is said: truth is stranger than fiction.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Seven Sins

Continuing with my love of all things Christie, I recently re-read Sparkling Cyanide. Contrary to my usual Christie, this is a non-Poirot/Marple story. Colonel Race (seen in the Poirot world in Cards on the Table) is in the novel, but only briefly. Because Sparkling Cyanide is not a Poirot novel, it's not in my collection of Poirot omnibus books. Instead, it's in its own mammoth omnibus, Seven Deadly Sins.


This omnibus book is organized by theme. Each of the seven deadly sins is matched up with a Christie novel which particularly represents that sin. The results are interesting. I must admit that I don't read most of the stories in this collection as I have them in smaller, more easily portable novels. But there are one or two that I turn to, as well as one that I don't read at all. The author's grandson has written a preface to the edition in which he says his two favourite novels are Five Little Pigs and Endless Night, both of which are coincidentally included in this omnibus! Sadly, I only agree with him on one of those points.


Pride
The ABC Murders
As already previously discussed, The ABC Murders is one of my favourite Christies. Pride probably comes from the arrogance of the murderer, assuming that he/she would not be caught and that he/she could continue to murder at will. A good start to the collection. I usually read the version in my Poirot omnibus The Complete Battles of Hastings Volume 2.

Envy
A Murder is Announced
This is a Marple novel, and a very good one. It is a village drama, as Miss Marple's cases usually are, but still an entertaining and interesting read. The characters are really well drawn and the mystery is sufficiently complicated but not enough so that the reader couldn't figure it out by putting the clues together. Envy plays in to the character of the murderer and the reasons for committing his or her murder. Again, however, I usually read this one in my Miss Marple Omnibus Volume 1.

Sloth
Sparkling Cyanide
This novel was on my shortlist of favourites and I enjoyed reading it again. The key murder happens before the novel even opens - the murder of the rich and fluffy Rosemary. The character of Rosemary evolves through the points of view of the different people she is involved with: her sister Iris, husband George, lover Tony, lover Stephen, Stephen's wife Sandra, and George's secretary Ruth. Christie ties all of the disparate narratives together into a whole. Also, the murderer is somewhat of a twist - but to say more would be to give away the plot altogether.

In contrast to the above books, in this novel, I believe Sloth comes in to the character of both the murderer and the murdered. The murdered woman is part of the rich upper class. She doesn't have to work for a living and is free to be a social butterfly. The murderer also does not want to have to work for a living and to somehow obtain money through murder indicates a certain amount of sloth. Also a certain amount of ingenuity to plan such a murder!

Lust
Evil Under The Sun
Lust is easy to spot in this novel - it is personified in the character of Arlena Marshall, the distractingly gorgeous femme fatale who ultimately is murdered. Her character and presence is the reason why she is murdered and sets the tone of the whole novel. This is a very good Poirot novel and the murder is enjoyably precise - alibis are calculated down to the minute. I also usually read this one in my smaller Four Classic Cases.

Gluttony
At Bertram's Hotel
This is a Miss Marple novel that I don't have in my two Miss Marple omnibus collections. This takes Miss Marple out of her peaceful village and deposits her in the sheltered echelons of Bertram's hotel, an old-fashioned enclave in the heart of London. However, the village parallels run true and Miss Marple is able to solve the mystery. This is one of the Christie books that I probably have overlooked, as it's in an edition I don't tend to read much. For that reason, I am not entirely sure where Gluttony comes in to the plot, other than probably in the motives of the murderer. I will have to remedy this oversight and make At Bertram's Hotel my next stop on the Christie tour.

Avarice
Endless Night
This Christie may perfectly embody Avarice, but there is little I can tell you about it. I read this novel once, the first time I read the edition, and have never gone back. I disagree with Christie's grandson on his opinion on this book - I do not like it! It is one of Christie's later novels (published in 1967) and dabbles in spiritualism and witchcraft. I don't like any of the characters (no Poirot or Marple here - not even Tommy or Tuppence!) and from what I recall there isn't even very much of a mystery. At any rate, it is not one of my favourites and one I strongly advise you to stay away from.

Wrath
Five Little Pigs
Christie's grandson and I agree here - this is one of Christie's best and is an unacknowledged classic. This is a tricky puzzle for Poirot - he has to solve a crime committed decades ago. The physical clues have vanished, so he is limited to the psychology. He must use his little grey cells to the utmost to solve the puzzle. Wrath here comes from the terrifying rages of the main players, Caroline and Amyas Crale. Wrath also haunts in the book to remind the reader of the consequences of Wrath. Again, I usually read this terrific novel in my omnibus edition: The War Years.



Thus ends the discussion of Christie's Seven Sins. Do you agree with the choices made by the editor? What Christie books would you choose instead? I agree with most of the picks (although I'm not sure what else I'd pick for Avarice), but most Christie books contain elements of the Seven Sins. Now I'm off to explore Gluttony, in At Bertram's Hotel.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Royal Sisters

After finishing up Becoming Queen, about the last of the Hanoverians, I was eager to start Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller, about the last of the Stuarts (the dynasty immediately prior to the Hanovers). While it was an interesting book about a turbulent time period, it sadly could not hold a candle to the amazing storytelling present in Becoming Queen.

Ungrateful Daughters is nominally about Mary and Anne Stuart (Queen Mary II [1689-1694] and Queen Anne [1702-1714], respectively), the Stuart princesses who claimed the throne in the "Glorious Revolution" after their Catholic father, James II, was forced to flee the country. England was rabidly anti-Catholic, and feared a return to Catholicism and interference from the Pope. James II's desertion of the country helped bring in the Act of Settlement of 1701, forbidding an English monarch to be Catholic or to marry a Catholic. This act applies to the Royal family to this day.

I thought the book would be mostly about the relationship between Mary and Anne and their respective reigns, as well as their involvement in the plot forcing their father to flee the country. However, when I began the book I was confused. The author seemed to be going over the same history again and again. After a quick look at the table of contents, I realized why. Instead of presenting a chronological view of events leading up to James II's desertion, the author was going through the histories of each of the major players of the Glorious Revolution. While this makes sense, I would have preferred a chronological set-up. This would have avoided confusion and the re-telling of the same event from different perspectives with different facts added to the event in each telling.

The opening chapters indicated too that the title of the book was somewhat misleading. Instead of being purely about Mary and Anne, the book was also about the other major players of the time: James II, his Catholic Queen Mary Beatrice, and Mary's cousin and husband William III. While I understand that all of these people are major players in the events surrounding the Glorious Revolution, the incorporation of these people as "main characters" (so to speak) lessened the opportunity to explore fully the relationship between Mary and Anne, which seemed to have been promised in the title. And, while Mary Beatrice had a whole chapter to herself with the beginning of the book, she faded in importance throughout the rest of the story - her role as Catholic figurehead and mother of a Catholic heir may have provoked the Glorious Revolution, but she appeared to not have played a major part in any further events. At any rate, I think I will have to check out a book solely devoted to Mary Beatrice. She comes across as warm and sympathetic, successfully making friends with her young step-daughter Mary while making no headway with Anne.

In fact, Anne does not cut a very nice figure in this book. Her spite and pique and willingness to believe the farcical story of the warming-pan baby appear to be the chief reason why James II was forced to leave the throne. She hated her stepmother and father, refused to acknowledge her half-brother and half-sister, and alienated her sister Mary once Mary was on the throne and in need of comfort and assistance while William was away fighting wars. Anne's reign is even given short shrift: the book ends with a brief discussion of her accession to power after William's death and then closes with her death. Her reign is limited to a discussion of her problems with the imperious Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, which, while interesting, surely cannot be the defining moments of her reign!

Mary comes across as a better figure in the book; warm, kind-hearted, in love with her dour and shy husband William and very fond of her adopted homeland of Holland. (William was Prince of Orange - basically from what would become the Netherlands. He was also Mary's cousin; his mother and her father were siblings.) Mary made a kind and effective ruler but, sadly, left no heirs. The book indicates that she had one miscarriage and then possibly had some sort of infection, rendering her incapable of any further pregnancies. However, Alison Weir's Britain's Royal Families indicates that Mary had 3 miscarriages. I think Weir's work is the definitive work on the British Royal Family and so I defer to it here. Whatever the problem, neither Stuart princess had much luck with pregnancy: Anne had a total of 18 pregnancies, most ending in stillbirths with only 5 children living for any length of time. Her longest-lived son, William Henry Duke of Gloucester, seemed to be developmentally delayed, and died at the age of 11. The fertility problems also affected the previous generation: Anne and Mary's mother, Anne Hyde had 8 children, with only Mary and Anne living past infancy. Mary Beatrice had a total of 12 children: only her two youngest survived into adulthood.

William also makes a good showing in this book - he comes across as intelligent and determined, an excellent battle commander and a man who was truly in love with his wife. He was also shy and taciturn and much preferred the company of his Dutch soldiers than of the English peers. The women at the court, used to Charles II's philandering ways, were especially piqued.

For those intrigued by the "warming-pan" baby mentioned above, I will give you a quick history lesson. James II succeeded to the throne in 1685. At that time, he had been married to his second wife, Mary Beatrice, since 1673. The couple had no living children and their longest-lived child had only lived until she was 5. Mary Beatrice's last pregnancy was in 1684. The heir to the throne was James's eldest daughter by his first marriage, Mary (then married to William the Prince of Orange). James had angered the English by becoming Catholic and marrying a Catholic wife. The English people were worried that James would try to make the country Catholic again. However, Mary, the heir, was staunchly Protestant, so as long as James and Mary Beatrice did not produce an heir (and it seemed unlikely), the Protestant succession was secure. However, Mary Beatrice became pregnant again in 1687 and the Protestant plotters set out to discredit the Queen and her pregnancy. Princess Anne was especially vehement about denying the pregnancy. The Protestant plotters were helped in that the Queen or her physicians erred on the calculation of the Queen's due date, so that she gave birth somewhat unexpectedly and without all of the usual witnesses. (However, there still were plenty of witnesses of both the Catholic and Protestant persuasion.) The resulting child was a boy, named James, the Catholic heir so desperately wanted by both James II and Mary Beatrice. This did not suit the Protestant plotters at all, and the malicious and scurrilous story of the baby in the warming-pan was invented. The theory was that Mary Beatrice's child had died at birth and that a live baby had been smuggled in to the room and was being passed off as young James, the Catholic heir. However, testimony of numerous witnesses showed that this story was patently false. However, it was fervently believed in by both Anne and Mary, as justification to take the throne and secure the Protestant succession away from the Catholics.

James II and Mary Beatrice had a further child in their exile in France, Louisa Maria Theresa, born in 1692. And what of young James, the Catholic heir? After an abortive attempt to reclaim his throne, he settled down to exile in France and Italy. Known as the Old Pretender, he married Maria Casimire Clementina, a Polish Princess, and became the father of The Young Pretender, the lad better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.

This is a good history book for those who want to learn about the general events of the Glorious Revolution. However, for those seeking to learn more about Mary and Anne as persons and not just princesses, I would suggest that further research is necessary.

Friday, September 17, 2010

More Christie

Writing about all of my favourite Christies has inspired me to re-read my omnibus collection of Christies. (Although it appears there are a bunch that I need to get out of the library to re-read too!) (And then purchase in a nice edition to add to my collection.) I most recently read The Perfect Murders omnibus and followed that up with this week's selection: Four Classic Cases.



These are four of Poirot's cases that probably don't fit under any other category, thus warranting an omnibus edition of their own. The four cases are: Three Act Tragedy, Sad Cypress, Evil Under the Sun, and The Hollow. The latter three were published during World War Two, but the books do not discuss the war in any detail, nor does Poirot appear to be involved in the war effort at all.

Three Act Tragedy involves Poirot in a lesser capacity. The main role is filled by Mr. Satterthwaite, who may be familiar to some Christie readers. The plot and characters are typical Christie and the mystery is interesting. I do wish for more Poirot; however Christie herself was probably getting tired of her little Belgian detective by this time. The character of the girl Egg Lytton-Gore is similar to many young Christie heroines, but she is still a pleasant and likeable character who helps propel the story along. An enjoyable Christie, if not one of her best.

Sad Cypress I discussed in great detail in my previous post, so I won't go into it much here. It remains, however, one of my favourites. I love the characters of Elinor, Peter, and Mary Gerrard and it is one Christie that has me wishing that the murder had never happened because the outcome is so sad. The book has both a dreamy quality with Elinor's recollection of the past and her thoughts and trial, and a propulsive forward motion when the trial really gets going and evidence is introduced. In most of her mysteries, Christie avoids or bypasses the end result of the justice system - either stopping her story after the murderer is caught but before the trial, or by having the murderer take his or her own life or otherwise not be brought to justice. So it is nice to see the Christie mystery unfold during the course of a trial and have her incorporate the justice system into her story.

Evil Under the Sun is another classic Christie; murder of a notorious woman on a lonely beach with only a limited number of people as suspects. A map is included for the reader as time is important in this novel; both for alibis and the final construction of the crime. It is a good puzzle and features Poirot all the way through, as well as some other good characters like Rosamund Darnley - although with a slight anti-feminist twist at the end where Rosamund promises to give up her flourishing dressmaking business to marry the man she loves. That aside, this is a good book for readers who enjoy a complicated puzzle where time is important.

The Hollow is an interesting and rather dreamy Christie effort. This book involves a murder among the Angkatell clan. Dr. John Christow and his wife Gerda are friends with the stalwart Sir Henry and whimsical Lady Lucy and have come to the Angkatell's country house, The Hollow, for a weekend. Sadly, Dr. John is murdered. Who was the murderer? Was it Gerda, his down-trodden and slightly stupid wife? Or was it one of the other Angkatell cousins who are also visiting: Edward (owner of Ainswick, Lucy's childhood home [entailed away from her to Edward)], David (the heir), Midge Hardcastle (an Angkatell cousin - in love with Edward), or Henrietta Savernake (another Angkatell cousin - and John's mistress). Poirot must fight his way through the Angkatell cobwebs to determine who was the murderer.

In this dreamy novel, the murder is almost an afterthought. The point of the novel really seems to be a story about the Angkatells, the relationships between them, and all of the Angkatell's love for their ancestral home, Ainswick - which is discussed throughout the book but never actually makes an appearance. Centring the novel is the unique character of Lady Lucy. She comes across as flaky and scatterbrained, but is actually very shrewd. The crime seems to be secondary to Lady Lucy - no one need be arrested for it as long as Ainswick is provided for. This is one of Christie's more interesting mysteries - although I prefer mysteries with more of a puzzle, which is why it didn't make it on my top 10.

I think for my next Christie pick I'm going to take a break from the established Poirot and Marple and read another of my favourite stories which - Sparkling Cyanide (one of my few favourites that doesn't feature Marple or Poirot). That's in my giant Seven Deadly Sins omnibus edition, and is actually the only novel in that collection that I read regularly. The others I either have already in a smaller form, or I don't like the mystery. I will discuss the edition further when I've finished Sparkling Cyanide.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Happy Birthday!

Today is Agatha Christie’s birthday. In honour of her birthday, I have decided to compile a list of my top 10 favourite Agatha Christie novels. These are not necessarily her best works of fiction, but are the ones I consider are my favourite. They are in order from 10 at the bottom to 1 at the top.


10. Sparkling Cyanide
Christie occasionally wrote mysteries without her most famous sleuths, Poirot and Marple. This is one such mystery. The novel does, however, feature Colonel Race (seen also in Cards on the Table). Beautiful, wealthy, and silly Rosemary Barton died suddenly one evening from cyanide in her champagne while out at a fancy restaurant. One year later, her fellow dinner guests cannot stop thinking about Rosemary, including her stodgy old husband George and intelligent young sister Iris. While the death was officially called a suicide, George receives anonymous letters stating that it was murder. He decides to recreate the crime with tragic effects – he too is murdered. Who murdered Rosemary and George? Who will protect Iris, now the heiress to her sister’s immense fortune? The mystery is almost secondary in this novel, as it seems to revolve instead around the relationship between Rosemary and Iris and Rosemary’s effect on the other characters. While the character of Rosemary is not alive during the novel, her character permeates the whole book; thereby emphasizing Poirot’s common dictum: the character of the person murdered determines why they were murdered.

9. The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side
In addition to writing splendid weekend country house murders with Poirot, Christie also wrote excellent country village murders with the celebrated spinster sleuth, Miss Jane Marple. Christie adds in some international flavour to this village mystery with the arrival of the famous film star, Marina Gregg. When Heather Badcock, a local village busybody and do-gooder, dies unexpectedly at Marina’s party, Marina is sure the poisoned cocktail was meant for her. Miss Marple must use her extensive knowledge of village parallels to find the killer. Christie writes well and soundly of village life in England and the class structure peculiar to it.

8. They Do It With Mirrors
In this Marple novel, Miss Marple must go to an English country house to help her old school friend, Carrie Louise. Carrie Louise has married (multiple times) and her latest husband is a philanthropist bent on reforming the world. Part of this reformation includes a reform school for troubled criminal boys right on the grounds! When Carrie Louise’s stepson is murdered, Miss Marple must determine if it was the criminal element, or if the usual village parallels will help to solve the mystery. I enjoyed this story because it was a glimpse into Miss Marple’s youth. We usually think of her as a “pink and white, fluffy little old lady”, so it is nice to get some insight into her younger years.

7. Sad Cypress
This Poirot mystery involves a young heiress, her fiancé, a beautiful young village girl, and an elderly and wealthy aunt. What is different about this mystery is that Poirot doesn’t come in until after the suspect, Elinor, has been charged with and put on trial for the crime. Therefore, we get some interesting court drama as Poirot solves the mystery. There is also an unusual, dream-like quality to most of Elinor’s reflections when she thinks about the day of the crime which is intriguing as well.

6. Death on the Nile
Poirot solved several cases in the Middle East, but this is my favourite of them all. It has a wide cast of characters: jilted lover, unhappy daughter, alcoholic mother, the beautiful and wealthy bride, and a shifty lawyer, among others. The crime takes place on a boat going down the Nile. This, of course, limits the potential murderers and makes it a twist on the usual country-house murder. This novel has a larger cast of characters than the usual Christie murder, but she manages them all well and the conclusion is dramatic and satisfying. (Do, however, avoid the 1978 film of the same name – yes it is based on the work but omits a number of characters and Poirot is played by Peter Ustinov. The definitive Poirot will always be the television Poirot – David Suchet.)

5. Five Little Pigs
Christie wrote several mysteries in which Poirot had to go back and solve a crime which had happened years, even decades, earlier. This is Poirot’s best. Carla Lemarchant’s mother, Caroline, was sent to prison for killing her father, Amyas, when Carla was just a child. Caroline died in prison, but not before writing a letter indicating her innocence. There are just 5 other suspects: neighbours and brothers Philip Blake and Meredith Blake; the governess Miss Williams; Caroline’s half sister Angela Warren; and the mistress, Elsa Greer. Poirot must use all his ingenuity to solve a case where the murder happened over 20 years ago. The physical clues are all gone – only the psychological remain. A good story for those who enjoy Poirot’s particular brand of psychological sleuthing.

4. The ABC Murders
Poirot and Hastings (recently returned from the Argentine) must team up to stop a ruthless killer who is murdering victims alphabetically. At first glance, the reader thinks that this is an unusual mystery for Christie, given her penchant for private, in-home murders with a small circle of suspects. However, when the reader finishes the novel, he or she will realize that this isn’t different from Christie’s usual works at all! I enjoy this book because of the more public aspect of the murders, which lends it a more sinister tone than most of her works. Also, Christie departs from her usual practice of having Hastings narrate by interspersing his narrative with excerpts from a strange young man, thereby amping up the tension even further.

3. Cards on the Table
This mystery is a true Christie puzzle. Four sleuths (Poirot, Ariadne Oliver, Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle), four suspects (Anne Meredith, Mrs. Lorrimer, Dr. Roberts, Major Despard), one death (Mr. Shaitana) – which takes place during a game of bridge. One of the four must have killed him, but who? Poirot must work with the other sleuths and use the evidence of the bridge scores to find the killer. A nice little puzzle mystery: very psychological and requires much use of the “little grey cells”!

2. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case
The title here is self-evident – it is the last case on which Poirot and Hastings will ever work. It has it all; several mysteries, an interesting cast of characters, tragedy, and lashings of tension and atmosphere. This is another Christie that will keep you up at night just for the sense of pure evil you get while reading the book. Christie wrote this book during to World War Two to provide an ending to her Poirot series, in case she would be killed in the war. As she became older and unable to write, she authorized the book’s publication in 1975. This leads to some interesting chronological differences, as Christie wrote her last Poirot novel in 1972.

1. And Then There Were None
(Also published under various less politically correct names that I will not mention here.)
For me, this is the ultimate scary Christie. The whole novel seethes with an aura of palpable tension. This is not a Poirot, Marple, or any other Christie sleuth mystery. It stands alone. 10 different individuals are brought to Indian (or Soldier) Island. Each of these 10 individuals has a secret – a dark and dangerous secret. Then the murders begin. One by one the island guests are killed in ways corresponding to the poem 10 Little Soldiers. Who has trapped these 10 people on the island? Who is systematically murdering them? The dark and scary atmosphere of the novel will keep you up at night as you read through it, trying to answer those questions. This novel is my favourite Christie – scary, terrifying, and a nice twisty mystery to boot.


There you have it, faithful readers, my countdown of favourite Christies. Agree? Disagree? Did I miss your favourite Christie? Let me know what you think, and celebrate today by reading an Agatha Christie novel. Next up for me, Sad Cypress.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Charlotte & Victoria

The story of Queen Victoria's accession is familiar to most history students: the race by the Royal Dukes to produce an heir, the birth of Victoria, Victoria's stifled life with her mother, and eventually her accession to the throne at the young age of 18. In Becoming Queen, Kate Williams discusses this well-known story and looks at in contrast with the life of Princess Charlotte, the Princess whose death paved the way for Victoria's accession.


First, for those of you unfamiliar with the Royal Family of England, a quick history lesson. King George III of England (1760-1820) had quite a large family with his wife, Queen Charlotte. (King George was part of the house of Hanover - the German branch of the family that inherited the crown after the extinction [and conversion to Catholicism!] of the male Stuart line.) King George had 9 sons, 7 of whom survived to adulthood. One would think the succession would be assured, correct? No! George's sons were a profligate, wastrel, and promiscuous bunch as has ever been seen. They cared nothing for the country of England and instead focused on filling their voracious appetites for food, fashion, and women. King George had no legitimate grandchildren until the birth of the second-in-line to the throne, Princess Charlotte, in 1796.

This is where Kate Williams begins her story. Princess Charlotte's father was the heir to the throne, also named George. (He did later become George IV, but is probably most remembered for serving as Regent to his father from 1810-1820, therefore I will refer to him as the Prince Regent to avoid confusion, even though this may not be historically accurate throughout.) The Prince Regent was married to a lovely Catholic widow, Maria Fitzherbert. However, this marriage was illegal. First of all, Maria was a Catholic and English royals (to this very day) cannot marry a Catholic without forfeiting their place in the succession. Further, the Prince had not asked the permission of the reigning monarch for his marriage, which he was required to do pursuant to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. (Passed by George III to curb the lustful appetites of an earlier generation of Hanoverians.) The Prince Regent was heavily in debt and wanted to try to get more money from a parsimonious Parliament which found the free-spending Royal Dukes to be a millstone around the neck of the country. In order to get more money out of Parliament, the Prince Regent decided he would have to sacrifice his happy life with Maria and marry, officially this time.

The bride chosen for the Prince was his cousin, Caroline of Brunswick. Unfortunately, the marriage was disastrous. Caroline was just as much a Hanoverian as her cousin. She was large, dirty, and accused of being licentious. The Prince Regent had to get thoroughly drunk in order to face the wedding, held on April 8, 1795. Despite his drunkenness, however, Caroline conceived almost immediately after the wedding and Princess Charlotte Augusta was born January 7, 1796.
The poor little Princess did not have an easy life of it. Her parents separated almost immediately after her birth and never reunited. Charlotte was a pawn to be used by either parent; petted and adored at that parent's whim, only to be thrown off when inconvenient. Charlotte grew up headstrong and willful, but with a kind heart. The English public, tired of the riotous living of the Royal Dukes, hailed Charlotte as the Queen of the future and looked to her for better times ahead.

The Prince Regent was jealous of his daughter's popularity and tried to marry her off to a foreign prince (of the Netherlands) as a means to getting her out of the country for a certain period each year. Charlotte first agreed to the engagement, and then changed her mind. Her father was furious. Charlotte fled to her mother's house, but was persuaded to return to her father's house the next day. One of her Royal Uncles even held a warrant which would have allowed him to remove Charlotte by force, if necessary. Charlotte was then confined to various royal residences until she could persuade her father that she would never marry the Dutch prince.

Despite other royal suitors (including nearly every illegitimate cousin of Charlotte's that was close in age!), Charlotte finally fixed upon Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafield. Her father reluctantly agreed, and the couple was married on May 2, 1816. Much to the dismay of the English public, the Prince Regent had insisted on a quiet evening wedding for the Princess. He knew of the Princess' great popularity with the English people and knew it greatly overshadowed his own. Charlotte was quietly married to her Prince and honeymooned in Surrey, before taking up residence in Charlotte's country palace, Claremont - a gift from her father before the wedding.

Leopold was a good, steadying influence on the impulsive Princess, and Charlotte matured and grew under the gentle regard of Leopold. The young couple fell in love. There was an early miscarriage in the summer of 1816, but Charlotte was pregnant again by the time the first anniversary came around in 1817.

In the weeks leading up to the birth of the child (thought to be due in October), Charlotte was feeling unwell and her doctors thought the child was too large. Her doctors prescribed rest, a reduced diet, and lots of bloodletting. October came and went, and no baby. In the evening of November 3rd, Charlotte went into labour with Leopold at her side. Her doctor refused to let her eat, and Charlotte grew progressively weaker as her labour continued over the next few days and there was no sign of the child. Finally, on the evening of November 5th, Charlotte gave birth to a large, stillborn boy. Charlotte seemed to take the news calmly, and was finally given something to eat by her doctor. He proclaimed that she was doing well, despite her extensive labour and extreme weakness. Early on the morning of November 6th, Charlotte got sick and began to complain of pains in her stomach. She also began bleeding. Her doctor frantically tried to treat her, but it was to no avail. Charlotte died early in the morning of November 6th. She was only 21.

Upon hearing of the death of Charlotte and her son, England mourned. Charlotte had been regarded as the next great hope for England, a sign of prosperity and vitality after the parasitical Royal Dukes. Further, she was George III's only legitimate grandchild. Her death left England without a young heir to the throne.

The Prince Regent was still tied to his unsatisfactory wife, Princess Caroline and their was no prospect of divorce or reconciliation. None of the remaining Royal Dukes had any legitimate children. Either the Duke was legitimately married with children, or was the father of several illegitimate children by a long-time mistress. But, what was a mistress when the Duke could become the father of the next ruler of England? Further, a legitimate marriage may persuade Parliament to pay off some debts. A number of the Dukes turned aside their long-term loves and married Protestant German princesses in a race to secure the succession.

One of the ardent suitors was Edward, Duke of Kent, 4th son of George III. He too sought a bride from Germany. Charlotte's widower, Prince Leopold, despite his grief at the death of his wife, was also distraught at losing his chance to the English throne. However, while he could not marry an English Duke, his widowed sister, Victoire, could. Victoire was understandably reluctant to leave her small German principality which she ruled for her minor son to marriage in England to yet another old man. However, she eventually agreed and the couple was married on May 29, 1818. Edward was 52, Victoire was 33.

Fortunately for Edward, Victoire became pregnant almost immediately and their daughter was born May 24, 1819 - Princess Alexandrine Victoria. (She was named after her godfather Emperor Alexander of Russia and her mother, the Prince Regent having forbid the use of the names Georgiana and Charlotte.) Sadly for Edward, however, he would not live to see his daughter grow up and perhaps be supplanted in the succession by a son: he died of pneumonia on January 23, 1820.

Victoire was widowed and now alone and lost in a strange land. However, she was determined not to return to Germany and lose her daughter's place in the succession. Although Edward was the 4th son, the 2nd son's wife was childless (and the couple was separated) and the 3rd son's children died as infants. Little Victoria was clearly in line to be the next ruler of England, after her "wicked Uncles". And, as seen above with Charlotte, little Victoria began to be seen as the hope for the next generation.

The Prince Regent succeed his father in 1820. He kept Victoire and Victoria away from his court, not brooking any rivals to his popularity. He was succeeded by his brother William IV in 1830 (this being the 3rd son, the 2nd son having died in 1827). William tried to extend an invitation to Victoire and Victoria and to include Victoria in with the royal family. However, Victoire was distrustful of the Royal Uncles and she kept Victoria resolutely away from William, despite Victoria's love for her sweet and gentle Aunt Adelaide.

Sadly for Victoria, she became just as much a pawn for her mother as Charlotte had been for her parents. Victoire and her long-time advisor, Sir John Conroy wanted to be the power behind the throne when Victoria became Queen, and so they schemed and plotted. King William IV was 65 when he came to the throne, and Victoire and Sir John were planning for the Regency to come to them. Victoria's life was tightly restricted in order to bind her more firmly to Victoire and Sir John. Where a kind word and some indulgence would have won Victoria's favour forever, her mother's strict policies instead lead to Victoria's lasting hatred for her mother and Sir John. Victoria had to sleep in her mother's room, was never left alone at any time during the day, and her diary was read by her mother. When Victoria was 16, she became gravely ill. Instead of caring for her daughter at that time, Victoire (and Sir John) tried to force Victoria to sign a document naming Sir John as her private secretary. As weak and ill as she was, Victoria summoned the strength to refuse.

King William hated Victoire and Sir John and was determined to prevent a Regency. He managed to hang on until after Victoria's 18th birthday, dying on June 20, 1837. Victoria, a lovely young woman of 18, succeeded to the throne. Her first act as Queen - an hour alone. Her second act; her bed was removed to a room of her own.

It is interesting to remember that Victoria was only 18 when she became Queen. So often we have this image of an old, widowed, grumpy monarch dressed all in black, but that was not representative of the Victoria who became Queen in 1837. She was a young, fresh, and charming Princess. Williams shows that Victoria's character, while somewhat imperious, was cheerful and lively. It wasn't until she was tempered by her later marriage with Albert and then his loss that she became reclusive and melancholy.

Poor Princess Charlotte never got a chance to be Queen. However, Victoria did, and Williams discusses the first triumph and tragedies of her reign, as well as her romance and marriage with her cousin Albert Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Yes, the redoubtable Leopold was at it again - he set up Victoria with her cousin Albert (the son of Leopold and Victoire's brother). As we all know, this was a happy marriage, producing 9 children (much to Victoria's dismay). Williams ends the book with Victoria's first two successful pregnancies; the births of Princess Victoria and Prince Albert Edward.

As a side note, I think I would really enjoy a book on the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Saafield clan. Leopold and his siblings managed to marry themselves into many of the grand royal families of Europe, including England, Belgium, Russia, and Portugal. Not bad for the members of a small and unimportant German principality!

I really enjoyed this book. I have not read a lot of the life of Princess Charlotte and was fascinated by Williams' account. I am not very interested in the Hanoverians; usually skipping over them to get right to Victoria and her descendants, so I was very interested in Williams' description of Princess Charlotte. It is indeed an intriguing question to ponder: what if she hadn't died? What if, instead of Queen Victoria, we had Queen Charlotte? Charlotte really emerged as a person for me in this book and I enjoyed learning about her and her life.

Williams does an excellent job of discussing Charlotte and Victoria. She does not thump the reader over the head with the parallels between the lives of these two little princesses, but leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Both Charlotte and Victoria grew up destined to be the ruler of England. Both Princesses were used and manipulated by their parents for that parent's own end. Both found happiness in marriage (thanks to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha clan). Tragically, this is where the story ends - Victoria survived her first attempt at childbirth: Charlotte did not. But both young Princesses were seen as the hope of their country.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

SuperFreak!

Yes, the crazy minds behind Freakonomics are back! The new book (and sequel to Freakonomics) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner is SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. (For ease of discussion, I will only refer to the main title when discussing the book.)

This is basically the same kind of book as Freakonomics - various data that one would not normally associate with economics is analyzed in an economic manner. Various interesting and entertaining conclusions are drawn. In this book, Levitt and Dubner analyze such big themes as prostitution, global warming (climate change) and terrorism. Again, like Freakonomics, the book is interesting and intelligently written, without being overly academic. For those who want to check out some more academic work, the authors cite numerous studies in the appendix which they used in their research for the book.

The book is organized slightly differently than Freakonomics. Instead of one or two main stories to a chapter, each chapter seems to be made up of a number of different essays (blog posts, if you will) on different topics and different research and data sets that are all connected to the main theme of the chapter. In this respect, it is slightly less organized and unified than Freakonomics. However, there are some broader unifying economic themes that recur throughout the work; such as incentives, cost-benefit analysis, externalities, and the law of unintended consequences. These themes are not discussed in an academic sense, but explained for the layperson.

For many people, their main criticism of economics is that it often assumes people behave rationally, which is definitely not the case all of the time. Humans' emotions and past experiences affect their decision-making processes, often leading to irrational decisions being made. The authors address this in the book and show how economists are studying emotions like altruism and discuss the emerging field of behavioral economics.

Freakonomics was so entertaining just because it was so unexpected. With SuperFreakonomics, the reader now knows what the conceit behind the book is, and no longer has that jolt of surprise. However, it is still an interesting, entertaining, and thoughtful read.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Mothers and Daughters in India and America

My mother-in-law recently lent me a book to read because she thought I would enjoy it. She's an avid reader as well, so I was happy to take the book and give it a try. And, of course, she was right! I did really enjoy it. The book is Secret Daughter, by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.

The book is about a young married woman in India, Kavita, who has just given birth to her second daughter. This is a tragedy for her and her husband. In India, boys are prized to the exclusion of girls. Traditional dowries are incredibly expensive, so a girl can cost her family a lot of money. Kavita's husband, Jasu, was furious with her when she gave birth to her first daughter, and had the newborn killed. Kavita does not want the same thing to happen to her second daughter, whom she has named Usha. Instead, she makes a long and dangerous journey to Bombay with her sister to give Usha up for adoption.

This book is also about an older married woman in America, Somer. Somer is a doctor who is also married to a doctor, an Indian man named Krishnan. Somer and Krishnan are trying to have a child, but Somer has had a few miscarriages and finds that she cannot have a child of her own. So, Somer and Krishnan decide to adopt, and where better than from Krishnan's home country of India. They adopt a one year old Indian girl with beautiful eyes named Asha.

Of course, Asha=Usha, and the book tells the story of her growing up, her ties to India, her relationship with her adoptive parents, and her quest for her biological parents. The book also touches on broader themes: the role of women in society, women as mothers, adoption, cultural norms, marriage, and family ties. The story unfolds in a rapidly changing series of short chapters told from the perspective of Somer, Kavita, Krishnan, Krishnan's mother Sarla, Jasu, and Asha. I wanted each little element of story to be longer, but the quick changes of narrative help propel the story. It is like a series of moments - each moment telling a story when gathered together in a whole.

This is a very good book. The story is good, the characters are interesting and draw you in, and the book touches on broader themes without beating you over the head or being preachy. My one regret about reading this book? That it is not my month for bookclub and I can't suggest it as a book! So, to all my fellow bookclubbers who regularly read this page, and, indeed to any and all readers out there, I suggest you check out this lovely book.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Lost in a story

Yes, I do realize that this is a blog about books and reading. And yes, I know that television killed the novel. However, I want to step away from books for a minute and talk quickly about TV.

Now, I am interested in story. Whether it be a book, a movie or a TV show, story is what pulls me in and gets me hooked every time. (Especially romantic stories - but I digress...). For me, the medium that has the most good stories is books. That is followed by television and then movies. (I don't really go see a lot of movies - it's rather expensive and watching them in my own home is much more comfortable. Plus, a lot of movies out there aren't very good. A third sequel to the Meet the Fockers movie - really? The world desperately was crying out for another installment of that classic story?)

Television can have some really excellent stories on it. It can also have some really terrible stories - see, for example, nearly every reality show. (Although I do really like some reality shows, namely America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, and anything on the Food Network.) The good thing about television is that, unlike movies, television can be more like a book. You have longer to spend with a series (one episode every week) and you can really develop the characters and storylines much more thoroughly than one would see in a movie. In fact, it is almost book-like! And when the story and characters and acting and writing are all working together, a series can be magical.

The amazing series that I am watching now (and that is seriously cutting into my reading time!) is LOST. What a great story about a bunch of engaging and interesting characters. I do realize that LOST ended this spring. However, I wanted to wait and watch the whole show at once, and not wait week to week or year to year for each episode and season. So, my husband and I started it a few weeks ago and we can't stop! We always end up watching multiple episodes at a sitting. The storylines, mysteries, and characters are extremely compelling. We've just started the 6th season, so we're coming up close to the end. But we're not there yet - so no spoilers in the comments please.

So, if you're looking for a good story that is not in book form, please do check out LOST. It will keep you draw you in to the story in the way that usually only a good book can. You will be glued to the TV!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Fall has arrived

The seasons have changed, and it is now fall. How do I know this? My mailbox is stuffed to overflowing with giant issues of Glamour and InStyle and bookstore shelves are groaning with the new offerings. Here is a selection of magazines I recently bought or came to my door.

As you can see, the InStyle magazine is the thickest of all the magazines. I'm not sure if there's actually more content, or the the ads have just exponentially increased. I have to admit that I'm getting a little bored with InStyle and so won't be renewing my subscription when it comes up for renewal in the fall. It's still a magazine I have to read, but I don't think it's one that I need to read every month.

As you can probably guess from the title, InStyle is about what clothes to wear to be, well, in style. It's mostly a bunch of photos of the new fall clothes and suggestions on what to pair them with. They also have articles on hair and beauty tips as well. Generally, it's a pretty good publication and I enjoy it. The clothes, of course, are too expensive for mere mortals to buy, but presumably one can find the knock-offs down at the local mall.

Where InStyle kind of lost it for me this month was at the end, in the story about designers Dolce and Gabbana and their spacious villa on the Italian coast. After looking through nearly 500 pages of clothes I can't afford, the last thing I wanted to hear about was some designer's summer palace! That said, while the location may be beautiful, the inside style of the mansion is pretty ugly - for designers, they don't have very good taste! (See the photo on page 577 of the guest bedroom tiled in solid gold.)

Of the fashion magazines I do get, I think I prefer Glamour. It is less snarky than MarieClaire, and a lot less sex-focused than Cosmo (which really just repeats the same articles under different titles!). I enjoy the articles about fashion that is achievable and the hair and makeup looks that seem like something I may be able to pull off. I enjoy the other articles about women my age and hearing about what they're going through. Plus Glamour tries to include cheaper fashion that is actually affordable. I enjoyed the September issue and it was a good read as always.

If you're looking for a magazine that includes healthy living tips, try Self. I used to borrow this from a friend of mine and enjoyed it so much that I became a subscriber. The tone is generally a nicer, more supportive tone than in many of the women's magazines today and it mixes a number of articles about diet and exercise with the usual topics: clothes, hair, make-up, and relationships.

The September issue of Self wasn't any bigger than a normal issue, so they weren't previewing all the fall collections. However, there seemed to be a number of new exercise plans for those of us who have maybe fallen off the bandwagon a little bit this summer and want to get back into getting fit. I also like that Self includes a lot of recipes for how to eat healthily. I've tried a few and they've been pretty good.

Another fall must for me this year was The Hockey News: 2010-11 Yearbook. This magazine is packed with enough stats to keep the most rabid hockey fan happy. There are lists of top players, articles about players, and finally stats on all the teams from last year and predictions for the upcoming season. This is one magazine that I will keep around for the year to check back as the season goes on to see how accurate the predictions are!

And, finally, the Ikea catalogue. While technically not a magazine (and not a traditional harbinger of fall [although it did arrive on the same day as my nice fat Glamour]), it still has glossy paper. Less words, perhaps, than a traditional magazine. Still, it provided a happy few afternoons as I looked through the pages and picked out all the furniture I want.

However, despite all this glossy paper to read over the past month, I am still missing my favourite fall magazine of all time: Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV Preview. This has coverage of every show on every network, every night. That is when I truly know that fall has begun.