Daisy Miller

For our August pick we chose "Daisy Miller" by Henry James. It is a very short story, about 50 pages or so and tells the story of an American young woman visiting Europe as seen through the eyes of an American man who has lived in Europe for many years.  The man, Winterbourne, is charmed by her and surprised at the variety of contrasts in her behavior and nature to what he is accustomed to in Europe.

She is a flirt and very outspoken, while beautiful and wealthy she is clearly looked down upon by European society. The entire story seems to be the author painting a picture of a scene from a little slice of history, contrasting the European culture with the Americans, perhaps Title verses New Money, so to speak. The story ends as many Henry James' novels do, not particularly 'happily ever after' but you are still left with a picture of what a particular family, relationship and person may have been like burned into your mind.

It reflects an interesting commentary on the lax parenting skills of Daisy's mother verses the uptight and strict adherence to cultural mores held by Winterbourne's aunt. We had a lively discussion on whether or not it was just a straightforward little slice of life or 'painting' if you will, or if it had a deeper more seductive meaning in between the lines. We never really could figure out if literature professors were right or if our natural understanding of the story was correct.

The book was the perfect way to end a summer, no pressure for a big, deep and dark novel but full of enough to discuss to feel worth the effort. All in all we enjoyed a beautiful evening, great discussion, spending time with friends and brownies and ice cream. What could be better?

-Merilee

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”
― Henry James

The Thirteenth Tale

In July we reviewed a fantastic debut book by Diane Setterfield titled "The Thirteenth Tale". This engaging read qualifies as part ghost story, part mystery, part fictional biography and perhaps part Gothic tale. The story follows a quiet and introspective young woman named Margaret Lea. She and her father run an antique book store in England and while she is quite comfortable with books and research, she struggles with tense family relationships and ghosts from her past.

She is hired as a biographer to a famous writer, Vida Winter; renowned for her prolific storytelling as well as her tight grip on her privacy. Margaret leaves her comfortable, reliable and quiet existence above the bookshop to stay with the aging author and record the story of Ms. Winter's past. We learn the history of both Ms. Winter's past and pieces of Margaret's own past are revealed, often paralleling the turns of the tale.

The writing is beautiful and lush with a plot and story that is both dynamic and unexpected. The twists toward the end are full of gothic drama, and the many layers the author has created to the tale are often laden with emotion and the satisfaction of a great story from beginning to end.

I know I personally was drawn in to the story almost immediately and craved every chapter to find out what happened. I listened to most of the story on audio, which was captivating with two narrators, one Ms. Winter, one Margaret. But when I happened upon the book at a Library book sale I snapped up the hard copy and finished it on the page-the echoes of the strong narration in my ears.

Definitely worth a read, for the prose alone-and full of little inside winks to those of us who love to read. Mentions of several classic novels and how they reflect a modern story add charm and depth. Those of us who were able to attend all agreed that this book was a great pick. :)

-Merilee

“A good story is always more dazzling than a broken piece of truth.”
― Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale