Classics Club Spin: The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

 

When the recent Classics Spin landed on number 18 I was pleased to see that it landed on The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. There's been a recent TV adapation, it's quite short so I expected it to be quite a quick read! What I couldnt remember was why I added to my classics list in the first place. I don't It's not really my kind of read at all.

Tom Ripley is something of a con man living in a shared apartment in New York. He has the distinct feeling that things are closing in on him so when he is offered an all expense paid trip to Italy it seems the answer to all his problems. In return, he needs to convince his acquaintance Dickie Greenleaf to return home to his family. Dickie has been living in a small town in southern Italy, spending his life attempting to paint, drinking, swimming and generally living the good life. It;s not that Tom wants to live Dickie's life, he wants to BE Dickie. 

What follows is a series of actions which are Tom trying to cover his tracks as he travels around Europe, trying to keep both himself and Dickie's profile

I found it in turns offputting, fascinating, compelling and strange.

I can't think of too many crime novels where the story is told from the point of view of the erstwhile bad guy. Of course, Tom doesn't see himself in that way. He is just trying to improve himself and give himself the life that he feels he deserves. Why shouldn't he have a glamourous life. He had a rough start in life after all. And people should not get in his way

One of the things I really enjoyed was the predominantly Italian setting. I could see the small village of Mongibello, I enjoyed the time spent in Rome, and Venice and more. It's clear that Italy was the country of Tom's heart! It's hard to see him ever returning to America!

I did find myself wondering if this book would be published today. I am not sure that the methods he used for identify theft wouldn't stand up bu tmaybe working out a way to bet all the technology would be interesting. There is an undertow of homosexuality insinuated so that would be more overt. I am not sure if there are modern books being written from the view of the killer, especially one like Tom.

I had no idea that this was the first in a five book series which follows Ripley's life.  Do I want to read more about Tom Ripley? Not straight away but maybe in due course.

I did find myself wondering if this book would be published today. I am not sure that the methods he used for identity theft would stand up but maybe working out a way to beat all the modern technological safeguards would be interesting. There is an undercurrent of homosexuality through the story so that would be more overt if the book was written now, but not given the book was written in the 1950s.  

There were times when I had to put the book down as the intensity built, and as we saw Tom unravelling a bit, then pulling himself back together and once again being one step ahead of everyone, whether it be Dickie's family and friends, or the Italian police who are trying to piece together a puzzle where they have two different sets of pieces all jumbled together!

Ultimately this was a pretty different read for me, and it was satisfying. It certainly had my mind racing as I read each step that Tom took. Now that I have finished the book, I am tempted to watch the recent TV adaptation that stars Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning. Maybe in a couple of week's time!

So far I have enjoyed all three books I have read for the Classics Spin. Bring on the next one!

This week....and last week!

I'm reading

I was in Bali last week, so this week's post is really all about the things that I have done over the last two weeks! Because we deliberately didn't over schedule too much, I did get quite a bit of reading done. First though, how cute is this mural that we saw near a bookshop in Ubud! Ubud is home to the Sacred Monkey Forest so there are references to monkeys everywhere!

Before we went away, I finished reading The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin. I always enjoy Rebecca Raisin's books, and this was no exception. It was, however, exceptional and I loved it! a 5/5 read for me. You can read my review here.

I then started reading And Now, Back to You by B K Borison but I didn't finish it until we were on the plane! My library book went on a plane ride! This book is the second book in the Heartstrings series and I am already looking forward tto the next book which is out in February next year! It was the first book I tagged as Want to Read in 2027! I read this book because I wanted to but also because it fit one of the GR Summer Challenge categories!

Next up I read Kate and Frida by Kim Fay, which is connected to her previous book Love and Saffron, and also was eligible for one of the GR Summer Challenge categories. 

Next up was Italy and Forever by Leonie Mack, the final book in the Wedding Planners series, which I have really, really enjoyed! 

On the plane home I finished reading Three Juliets by Minnie Darke which the last book I needed to read for 20 Books of Winter this year. It is one that I actually started reading for last year's event but I didn't finish it! I had to start again but I sped through it this year! I really enjoy Minnie Darke's writing and this was no exception. 

I then decided to read The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Tokuya Asokura, mainly because I thought it would count for the Women in Translation month. Turns out, it doesn't because the author is a man, but never mind! It still counts for a couple of other challenges!

Finally, I started reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T J Klune! It's early days yet, but I am enjoying being back in that world!

While I was away the Classics Spin selection was announced! I am going to be reading The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith! Just have to go and pick it up from the library so I can get started on it!

I'm watching

I didn't watch anything while we were away, not even on the plane. Before we left we did watch the Masterchef Australia grand final

We also finished watching Bake off the Professionals.

It was exciting to see that the Great Australian Bake Off is back, so last night we watched the first two episodes! Now we have to wait for the new episode to come out each week!

Life

We spent all of last week in Bali. We stayed in Ubud and it was lovely. We tend to have go and out see all the things holidays, but we tried to only have a couple of days where we were busy. The rest of the time it was massages and pool and just doing whatever time, including plenty of reading time!

One of the treatments I had was a Japanese Head Spa and I am now obsessed with where I can go to get another one! It was such an amazing experience! Of course, it costs about a quarter of the price in Bali compared to at home but never mind!

I mentioned on my Weekend Cooking post that Bali wasn't somewhere I was all that interested in visiting until around 18 months ago or so. I saw some pictures and realised that I didn't like the reputation as being full of partying Aussies and that was why I wasn't that interested in going but that I really had no idea about the actual country. It was so interesting to learn about the culture and food. Could have done without the traffic though!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: On this day...
Classics Spin #45
Weekend Cooking: Truffled Chicken with Champagne Sauce
Top Ten Tuesday: Series Reading
Blog Tour: The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin
Weekend Cooking: What We Ate on Holiday: Bali
20 Books of Winter: August recap and wrap up!


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Classics Spin #45

This year I started participating in the Classics Spin and I have really enjoyed both books that I read so I am excited to see what the spin throws up for me this time!

The idea is that you put up a list of Classics you want to read numbered 1 to 20, the spin will happen and that is the number book that you have to read. You can find a much better explanation of the rules at the Classics Club itself, but I am sure you get the idea.

The lucky spin number will be announced next Sunday so not too long to wait to see what book the fates have selected for me. The big challenge will be to see if I can complete the read and share a review by October 4.

Here's my list

1. Jane Eyre by Jane Austen 
2. The Tree of Man by Patrick White 
3. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 
4. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell 
5. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 
6. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 
7. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 
8. The Women in Black by Madeleine St Johjn 
9. Eveline by Frances Burney 
10. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh 
11. Middlemarch by George Eliot 
12. The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin 
13. Tales of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu 
14. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne 
15. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 
16. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier 
17. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 
18. The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith 
19. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 
20. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson

Have you read any of these? Do we have any classics in common? Are you participating in the Spin this time?

Classics Club Spin: Careful, He Might Here You by Sumner Locke Elliott

When I put together my classics list, I deliberately went in search books that were considered Australian classics and included them as part of my list. One of my choices was this book, Careful, He Might Hear You by Sumner Lock Elliott. When the spin landed on this as the selection I was pretty happy. I had no idea, though, that I would love this as much as I did.

I am not sure that this author is one that I knew particularly much about, although I had heard of the movie version of this book which was made back in the 1980s. Apparently Elliott was a very successful writer and well known in the US. This book, which came out in 1963, was very autobiographical and also very successful, winning the 1963 Miles Franklin prize which is our top literary prize.

Our story opens with a glimpse into the life of a young boy named PS, so called because he was a postscript to his deceased mother's ridiculous life. Sinden died shortly after his birth, and with his father being perennially off searching for gold, his Aunt Lila and Uncle George are raising him as requested by his mother before she passed 

They live a very modest lifestyle, but there is a lot of love and Sinden is fondly remembered as Little One. When PS and his aunt go to visit her grave they refer to it as the The Little Garden, planting flowers but never mentioning that it is his mother's final resting place. It might be more whimsical as opposed to truthful, but PS is happy and secure.

When Aunt Vanessa turns up, PS's life is gradually turned upside down. Vanessa was sent to England at a young age to be a companion to a relative and so the life she leads is very different to that of her sisters. Vanessa believes that she too has a mandate to care for PS. In her eyes, this means providing him with the very best of everything including education, elocution correction to get rid of his terrible Australian accent, piano lessons, a big house, and impressive toys. These are all things that the humble Lila and George can not possibly provide

Ultimately this leads to a bitter custody battle over the bewildered little boy who just wants to go home and who doesn't really understand what it going on.

Whilst this is PS's story, we also get glimpses into the past lives of the sisters, including Sinden who was a writer who had received critical claim but not financial success. We also meet the father, Logan, who is irresistible to the sisters and who, ultimately, absconds from all responsibility for his son. One of the fun things for me was that Logan comes from Bacchus Marsh which is just up the road from me. 

Ultimately though, this is a quintessentially Sydney book. We catch the ferry across the harbour and the train to various locations, we feel the heat and witness spectacular summer storms and so much more. It is also a Depression story, with particular reference to the impact of the world financial situation on ordinary Aussie families.

This is a long book, coming in at 495 pages. It was very readable and I read it in a couple of days. I just had to pick it up to read and see what happened next at every opportunity My emotions ebbed and flowed with the story, and I recognised some of the bewilderment that PS felt from my own childhood experiences when my parents divorced. 

Bring on the next Aussie classic!

This book was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter and counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, the Big Books of Summer (hosted by Sue at Book by Book and Melinda from A Web of Stories) and also fits my read on a theme book club theme which is Secrets.

This week...

I'm reading

Even though work is absolutely crazy and I am exhausted at the end of every day, I am still managing to get some reading time in. Being so tired does impact my enjoyment of books. Last year I had many, many more 5 star reads by this point in the year. However, I did have one 5 star read this week which was exciting.

I finished reading A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby. I had previously borrowed a Lynne Shelby book from the library so I went back on to request it again given that I enjoyed this book so much. It seems a bit weird to me, but the book is no longer availabe which is a bit sad. I guess I will have to buy it if I want to read it!

Last weekend we went to see the movie The Sheep Detectives which is based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. I was a bit concerned about reading the book now having seen the movie so recently but I am going to say that the movie is more inspired by the book than based on it. A lot of the story is different to the movie, and it needed to be so that the movie could get a family friendly rating.  I am half way through the book right now so will be interested to do a full comparison of the two versions once I get to the end.

My 5 star read this week was In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont. I had read and enjoyed Beaumont's two previous books set in Paris so I knew I would like it. It felt like the right book at the right time for me as I read it in a day, and I closed it with a very contented sigh. Does the book have some flaws. Absolutely. Will everyone love it like I did. Probably not. Did it leave me smiling long after I finished the book. Yes. And that's what makes it a 5 star read for me!

I did also start reading The Little War Time Library by Kate Thompson this week. I am finding it hard to put it down! It is due back at the library already so I need to hurry up and finish it

I shared my Classics Spin list last week, and the spin landed on number 9, so I am going to be reading the Australian Classic, Careful, He Might Here You. I am looking forward to getting started on it once I pick it up from the library.


I'm watching

We had a date night on Saturday night which consisted of going to a Turkish restaurant for dinner and then watching The Mandalorian and Grogu at the cinema. The dinner was good, and we would totally go again. The movie was fine. The story could easily have been done as a TV series. My husband is a big Star Wars fan so we were likely always going to go and see it.


Life

See last week's comment about work being frantic. It's true again this week with weekend work and late nights. Not sure it is going to calm down yet.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: 20 Books of Winter (Part 2)

Blog Tour: A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby

Weekend Cooking:  A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Classics Spin #44

 

Last Classics Spin was my first time participating and really enjoyed my experience of reading The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa so I am excited to see what the spin throws up for me this time!

The idea is that you put up a list of Classics you want to read numbered 1 to 20, the spin will happen and that is the number book that you have to read. You can find a much better explanation of the rules at the Classics Club itself, but I am sure you get the idea.

The lucky spin number will be announced next Sunday so not too long to wait to see what book the fates have selected for me. The big challenge will be to see if I can complete the read and share a review by July 5! 

Here's my list of 20 books

1 The Sound of Waves Yukio Mishima 

2 A Little Princess Frances Hodson Burnett 

3 A Room with a View EM Forester 

4 Three Men in a Boat Jerome K Jerome

5 The Elegance of the Hedgehog Muriel Barbery 

6 The Plains Gerald Murnane 

7 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Muriel Spark

8 The Moonspinners Mary Stewart 

9 Careful, He Might Hear You Sumner Locke Elliott 

10 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte 

11 Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen 

12 The Talented Mr Ripley Patricia Highsmith 

13 Passing Nella Larsen

14 The Songlines Bruce Chatwin 

15 Wives and Daughters Elizabeth Gaskell 

16 And Then There Were None Agatha Christie 

17 Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maud Montgomery

18 The Tree of Man Patrick White 

19 A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle

20 The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Classics Club Spin: The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa

Earlier this year I decided that I am going to try to read some classics this year. I therefore decided to join in with the Classics Club Spin and the first selection for me was The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa whose titles were 11th Prince of Lampedusa and 12th Duke of Palma. He wrote this book over a period of years but it was only published after his death.

I was pleased that this was the book chosen as it was quite a small book compared to some of my other options! It felt like quite an accessible start to my Classics Club Spin adventure. I then decided that this is was the perfect book to read on my recent long haul flight, which it was and it wasn't. 

The Leopard tells the story of the coming of change to Sicily from independence to being part of the Kingdom of Italy. The Sicilian Prince of Salina is a man who is walking on the edge of a precipice. He is used to a certain way of life, of wealth and the privilege that comes with it. But  times are changing, and the days of Sicily being independent are coming to an end. It is the 1860's and Garibaldi has overthrown the royal family in Naples. The Prince and his aristocratic family needs to adapt and quickly. 

The Prince has several children but really his most beloved is his nephew Tancredi, who he does everything he can to assist. When Tancredi declares that he is joining Garibaldi's army, known as the Red Shirts, the Prince sees it as an opportunity to have a foot in both camps. Later we see Tancredi as he falls in love with Angelica, the beautiful daughter of a nouveau rich neighbour,  which will be extremely advantageous for a man with a good pedigree but no real assets. This leave one of the Prince's daughters heartbroken

The writing in this book was quite dense at times, so it did take me a bit longer to read than I might have expected. I was, however pleasantly surprised by how funny some sections of the book were. For example, there is a funny scene where The Prince is having a bath and the priest comes to visit him and the Prince basically shows him everything! It bought to mind the story of Winston Churchill working while in the bath during WWII.

There were, however, odd little elements of foreshadowing where we find out that things are going to happen, particularly during WWII. 

I am so glad that this was the book that came up for this Spin. Let's hope the next Spin works just as well for me.

This book not only counts for the Classics Club Spin but also for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. It also counts for the Books in Translation challenge as the book was originally written in Italian and is translated by Archibald Duke. The book also includes a few extracts of text that were discovered after the book was originally published. 

Rating 4/5

This week...

 

I'm reading

Before I went away last week I carefully constructed a reading order to decide which books I wanted to read while I was away taking into consideration various challenges, upcoming review books and other factors. It would appear that I was kidding myself as I read on the plane on the way to India on Monday, and then didn't pick up a book again until Friday afternoon once work was done!

I did make a good deal of progress with The Leopared by Tomasi de Lampedusa which is my current read for The Classics Spin. I have enjoyed this one, although it is taking me a bit longer to read than I otherwise might normally.

The other book I finished was James by Percival Everett. This book was everywhere last year and I can see why. It also filled three categories in the current Goodreads challenge!

I am very conscious that I have multiple library books due back that I can't extend and so there is every chance that they will be going back to the library unread. For some of those books it won't be the first time!

I'm watching

I didn't actually turn the TV on while I was in Kolkata. I did, however, have plenty of times for watching movies and I watched four good ones.

On the way to Singapore I watched Rental Family, which stars Brendan Fraser. It is set in Tokyo and is about an American actor who is hired out to play roles in people's lives. For example, he plays a reporter who is supposedly interviewing an elderly actor about his life. It was a really nice movie and worth a watch.

On the flight from Singapore to Kolkata I watched an Italian movie called The Tasters. It is about a group of women who were forced to become the tasters of Hitler's food to check that it wasn't poisoned. The existence of these women and their role only came to light in the 1990s so it was a very interesting story.

On the way back I watched a movie from New Zealand called Tina. It was out here last year and I really wanted to go and see it but I didn't get to it. It was a lovely movie, very sad though. It is about a woman who is depressed following the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquake. She is forced to go back to work as a teacher in a rich school and it is about her providing inspiration to a whole new group of students. 

And finally I watched a French movie called Nun in the City. This is currently showing here as part of the French Film Festival so I was delighted to find it on the movie channel on the plane. This was such a fun movie. A bit silly, but fun nonetheless. A nun named Lucie finds herself discovering what life is like after 20 years in a convent. 

Life


Well...what a week! It started with a good week's wedding last Sunday evening, and then the rest of the week I was in Kolkata in India! I never imagined I would get this kind of opportunity in my line of work so to get the chance was amazing! It was also very intense and tiring. It was so much fun to meet our offshore team in person and they were so welcoming! 

The company that they work for is massive, and at the campus we were visiting there are something like 18000 people working there at any one time, with round the clock shifts, so around 27000 in total. And they have six other offices in the city as well, and then more around the country. It is mindblowingly big!

The hospitality was incredible. We were really looked after very well. We had a driver everyday as well as 3 course buffet style lunch every day and they took us out to dinner at a very nice restaurant as well! On two nights they took us out to see a bit of the city including visiting Victoria Monument, the Ganges River, the Mother House where Mother Theresa lived and worked and more. 

My bosses went home earlier than I did, so I got some extra time with the team and then on Saturday I had a day to myself so I went on a sights and sound tour! There were definitely both of these. I was able to visit the Mother House again and take a bit more time, as well as visit the pottery area of the city, College Street which is where the book markets are, the flower markets and walk on the Howrah bridge.  Here is a short video from College Street. There is a really large area covering several blocks which is just stall after stall of booksellers. 

I will say that it was very humid, which I struggle with but that aside, it was a great trip with lots of great memories created! 

Who knows if I will get to go again, but if not, I am grateful that I had the chance to go this time

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Chronologically Speaking
Afternoon Tea Diaries: Victoria: The place to be at Oxi Tea Rooms
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: February Statistics



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

This week..

I'm reading

In what was a complete coincidence I found myself reading two Christmassy books this week. I started reading B K Borison's Lovelight Farm book because it has been on my shelf for months, and it fits for one of the Goodreads challenge prompts! I really loved it and have requested the next book in the series from the library. 

Then I picked up Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson which is the third book in the Ernest Cunningham series. The fourth book is waiting for me to pick up at the library and then I will be all caught up with this series. 

In answer to the question above, it usually is too early, but in the case of these two books I have made an exception!

I did also finish reading The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton, which I really enjoyed. My review is here.

I also then read a couple of chapters of James by Percival Everett. It is my intention to try and get this read while I am away. 

I also started The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage which I was desperately trying to finish before I left but it isn't going to happen. I have to return the book to the library, so I am going to have to buy it so that I can finish it on the plane. Both James and this book fit Goodreads Challenge prompts too. 

The other book that I am intending to read while I am away is my Classics Spin selection, The Leopard by Tomasi de Lampedusa. The hardest part of travelling is always deciding what you are going to read while you are away!

I'm watching


I started watching Neil & Martin's Bon Voyage which is a British travelogue featuring Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes who starred in a show together back in the 1990s. Morrissey now lives in France, so Clunes joins him and travels to various destinations. So far, it isn't all your normal French destinations. I will watch more at some point.

Life


I went to a library talk for International Women's Day. The talk was about Australian Women's Land Army which operated during WWII, and got very little acknowledgement after the war. They weren't really treated all that well during the war either! It was a very interesting talk. 

On Saturday, I went with some friends to see the Vivianne Westwood/Rei Kawakubo exhibition that is currently on at National Gallery of Victoria. I thought it was interesting, although I don't enjoy the fashion exhibitions as much as I do when it is art. It was interesting seeing so many iconic Westwood looks and some really famous items on display. Of the two, Westwood was more recognisable but Kawakubo was more interesting because her clothes are really, really different. The items there were not anything that you would see someone wearing on the street! Maybe abstract is a word I would use. 

We are also going to a farewell for a friend who is moving to Queensland and a wedding on Sunday afternoon. The wedding is formal and so I have been stressing for a couple of months about what to wear and getting shoes that I could wear for several hours. I have trouble buying shoes because I have big feet and they are very wide. Ankle straps are a no no because my ankles swell so I have ended up with a slingback. I realised at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning that I haven't thought about jewellery. 

I mentioned that I am going away for work. I am headed to Kolkata in India on Monday. I am very excited for several reasons including that I have never been to India and I never imagined that I would get such an opportunity in my line of work. Most excitingly, I am flying business class which is a first for me. Yes, I am going to be that person taking all the pictures in business class!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Cooking the Books!

Blog Tour: The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton

In My Kitchen: March

Six Degrees: Wuthering Heights to The Secrets of the Huon Wren




I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

This week....

I'm reading

It's been  a quiet reading week this week. Work is crazy busy and by the time I get home it is all I can do to stay awake! 

I did finish The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien which I reviewed last week. 

I then started The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. I need to finish it as I have two other books that can't be extended at the library! I have a feeling that one or both of those will be returned unread and reborrowed but we will see!

I announced over the weekend that I was going to participate in the Classics Club Spin this time around. The number that came up for the spin was #2 which means I am going to try to read The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lamdedusa. I am grateful that the book selected wasn't too much of a chunkster! Now I just need to read it by the end of March!

I'm watching

If you need a show to define feel good TV, the Muster Dogs is the show. The idea is that you follow a litter of puppies as they are trained to be working dogs. This series it is a mixture of collie and kelpie puppies. This time, the trainers are inexperienced so they are learning as they go along.

We have watched a little bit of the Winter Olympics. I daresay we will watch more over the next couple of weeks!

I did watch a Filippino movie this week, which is a first. A while ago I read a book called The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World. Whispers in the Wind talks about the same concept, which is that there is a phone booth in Japan where you can go to talk to those who have passed away. This story had a different focus as we met two Filipinos in Japan. Hannah was caught up in the tsunami which killed so many, and Ren is looking for his mother who abandoned him and his father many years before. It wasn't a bad watch, although it had a bit of a strange twist. 

Here's the trailer

Life

We did something a bit out of the ordinary on Friday night and went to see the Victorian Opera performance of Pirates of Penzance. It was lot of fun, and I found myself singing the tune of Modern Major General - cant sing the words because there are way too many!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Interesting Typology

The Girl from Lake Maggiore by Siobhan Daiko

Blog Tour: The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

In My Kitchen: January

Classics Club Spin #43

Six Degrees of Separation: Flashlight to The Stowaway


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Classics Club Spin #43

Just because I have been doing this book blogging thing for a very long time (more than 20 years but who's counting!) doesn't mean that I can't try at new things.

This year, I have decided that I should try to read more Classics, and so I am joining the Classics Club Spin.

The idea is that you put up a list of Classics you want to read numbered 1 to 20, the spin will happen and that is the number book that you have to read. You can find a much better explanation of the rules at the Classics Club itself, but I am sure you get the idea.

The lucky spin number will be announced on Sunday so not too long to wait to see what book the fates have selected for me. The big challenge will be to see if I can complete the read or not. 

Here's my list of 20 books

1. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

2. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lamdedusa

3. Middlemarch by George Elliot

4. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

6. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

7.  All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

9. My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

10. The Tree of Man by Patrick White

11. The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney by Henry Handel Richardson

12. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

13. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

14. The Fellowship of the Rings by J R R Tolkien

15. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (finishing it!)

16.Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

17. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

18. The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John

19. The Plains by Gerald Murnane

20. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

Wish me luck!