A little bit bitter, a little bit bored...

So, I was clicking through my blogs that I read, appreciating the thoughts of my friends, but wishing that there were more interesting things to read on the internet, and that certain people (*ahem! Blythe! ahem!*) would update more often, and then I realized that I haven't updated in two weeks, and the last post I did was not even very meaty, but really more of a tease- telling you all that I'd read some books and seen some movies, but not telling you what they were or if I liked them.

oops.

I really enjoyed the posts Ben and Christine did on the books they recently read, and I always enjoy Katie's book reviews... so then I thought, why don't you do a book review, too?

but alas, even though I have been quite the busy little book worm lately, I've been mostly re-reading the books that defined my childhood, in an attempt to identify "who i thought i was and what influenced me to be that way" and to reconcile that person with the person I find myself to be today... psychobabble psychobabble psychobabble. Needless to say, the Gutenberg Project is awesome, because I can read many of the vintage children's classics that provided fodder for my youthful imagination online! For free! Without having to put on pants or leave the house! Magic!

I am sure no one is really interested in a dissection of the ideology I must have digested along with these stories, and an essay as to how this may or may not have affected my neuroses, and I'm proctoring an exam today and thus have a headache, so I will summarize.

Books by Louisa May Alcott: The Little Women books are good, in others, plot and character are overshadowed by firm messages about Rich Little Girls Being Charitable and The Value Of Having Old-Fashioned Values. Everyone sews all the time. The representation of Irish and African-American characters is racist and disturbing. You will never be as perfect as the people in these books.

The Five Little Peppers Series: These are terrible books. Never let your children read them. Everything is an extreme in these books. The children are either elated or despondant. They are either being extremely good or feeling extremely guilty for some small sin of omission, like not brushing their hair properly. Again, the representation of Irish and African American characters is racist and disturbing. Also disturbing is the fact that it is considered wrong to cry- on almost every page, someone is distressed and struggles to hold back tears, and usually only suceeds in doing so when they are reminded that if they cry, someone they love will either also cry or get sick.

Anne of Green Gables and other books by LM Montgomery: these are beautiful, beautiful books. No one is too perfect (except for maybe Anne after she grows up and gets married) and all the people who think that they are perfect are generally justly ridiculed. The nature descriptions are breath-taking and fanciful. Perhaps too fanciful... trees and plants are always a little too pristine.. there are never any bugs or critters in the woods that the heroines walk in... only imaginary faries and other sprites. These are humorous, sensitive, thoughtful, idealistic books, perhaps a little over-sentimental but soothing and enjoyable nonetheless.