Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

3/10

This was the book I chose to read during Christmas break. I finished it up out in Utah. I chose it because, a) I wanted to read a Virginia Woolf book before declaring a boycott on all of her books; and b) It seemed the proper length of book to finish in time for when school started again. After making this decision on these unreasonable grounds, I less than anxiously began. When the first line began thus, "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself," I think I let out an audible, "Oh boy."

In honor of Virginia Woolf (a.k.a. "the semi-colon queen"), I will write this whole paragraph with semicolons instead of periods: The whole book, all 296 pages, covers one day (with random flashbacks); the story will change from one character to another without much hint that it does so; the characters are rarely introduced; instead, they are thrown in there and you have to slowly learn about them as the story progresses; while I typically enjoy reading stories that go deep into a character's thought processes and their methods of analyzing other's behavior, it is less enjoyable when the characters are so serious, not funny and dramatic about everything; I wish one of the characters was likable, not that they were unlikable, just not likable; the whole book was about Mrs. Dalloway getting flowers, how she was in love with this other guy before they got married and he still loves her but they were not right for each other, and there is a boring party at the end; I had to constantly force myself to pay attention while I read; while I did not love this book, I will give credit where credit is due - Woolf did have a pretty snazzy grasp of the English language and crafted some nifty sentences; but, alas, it was not enough to save the boring subject matter, for, style over substance has never been my cup o' tea; and I refuse to say I liked it just because it is "critically acclaimed."

It's true, she did bust out long sentences with infinity semi-colons. I get the whole semi-colon concept and all, but I am of the position that it should be used sparingly. There is a time and place, Virginia.

I also came to the sudden realization that I should have invoked some kind of star system to rate the books I've read. But I haven't. Is it too late? Do I go back and put in a star rating for each book? What a dilemma. But, doing a star system might lead to my ultimate demise because I would constantly second guess my rating in comparison with other ratings of books that are extremely difficult to compare. In conclusion, I will not do it I say. But if I did, I would probably give this book like 3 out of ten or something. Maybe 3.2.

Quotes:

"Communication is health; communication is happiness." Ha! There's that semi-colon...

"It is a thousand pities never to say what one feels."

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

8/10

This is a short little story, a "novella" if you will. I know I will. I just finished this over my Christmas break. I read the first little chapter in Utah and then the rest in the Salt Lake airport/airplane from Salt Lake to Denver/Denver airport/airplane from Denver to Columbus. I liked being able to cross the United States in a matter of hours while reading about grueling Yukon klondike treks that took months to complete. Technology!

You may very well know the story, but I will continue nevertheless. The story is about this dog named Buck and most of the narrative is through Buck's perspective. At first I was a little hesitant to fully commit to reading about the thought processes of a dog. Then I remembered that it was The Call of the Wild and how else would it be told? By random iditarod sledders? Nay. Buck was in a much better position to analyze his own experiences and survival methods. Plus, I loved this opening line: "Buck did not read the newspapers." Ha ha. Anyway, back to the story. Buck is wrenched from his cozy, civilized, domesticated life and sold to Alaskans for some sled-pulling. He pretty much dominates. There is some triumph, some brutal hardships, and other various sad moments. But Buck finds his calling in the end. The call of the wild that is.

I think I enjoyed this book because I have always been a fan of slavery stories. Let me be clear: Not a fan of slavery, but of slavery stories: the Underground Railroad, Roots, Harriet Jacobs, Uncle Tom's Cabin was entertaining, etc. This had that kind of feel to it. Buck stolen, forced into labor, pushed beyond reasonable limits, and eventually free in a new place but he makes it his own. P.S. I hope it's not insensitive to make such a comparison. Sometimes my "sensitve meter" doesn't function properly.

Also, Jack London is a great writer. Really enjoyed his style. How cool is this oft repeated phrase: "The toil of trace and trail." Answer: really cool.