Time for an Update

I've been reading!

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. (audiobook)

I almost gave up on Tom Jones. What a mistake that would have been! I started off thrilled about the prose, but then lost some of the excitement as the story wore on. At about the half-way part, I was almost resigned to not purchasing the 3rd installment of this audio book. In fact, I only did so because the second installment ended with a promo for the "exciting conclusion in part 3!" I bit. And I'm the better for it. The last part was good, and exciting, and full of plot twists. Plus any classic that contains a chapter where one of the characters, Squire Western, repeatedly exclaims, "fat ass bitches" isn't your typical staid classic. Ultimately, this book in which there are no perfect characters is currently one of my favorite books of all time, and is likely to remain there. I liked it so much that I'm going back and re-listening to the whole thing. The first time through, I missed some of the humor, some of the foreshadowing, and some of the story. Parts are laugh-out-loud funny. What a commentary about life among the classes back in that day. I now get why this book is so well-loved by so many readers.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (read)

If I hadn't read The Count of Monte Cristo, I doubt that I ever would have picked up this book. With all of the sword fights--the only thing I associated with T3M--it seemed like such a boy book. I suppose it is, but it is much more. Love, intrigue, manipulation, conspiracy, and one of the evilist female antagonists I've run across in a long time. Milady--what a biatch! I now get why this book endures. I guess I'll get around to watching one of the many movies. But my concern is that the main focus is on the action, and not the other parts of the story. Or if the movie includes more, I'm afraid it still won't be complete because it will likely gloss over all of the romantic liasons that are occurring between all of the main characters. I doubt that the Micky Mouse verson includes the trysts between d'Artagnan and Milady, or d'Artagnan and Kitty, or Porthos and Madame Cocquenard, or any number of others.

The only other comment I have is, why is this book called the Three Musketeers. Seems to me it should more accurately be titled the Four Musketeers. But who am I to tell Dumas how to name his books.


Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

A quick but interesting listen about behavioral economics. It's really kind of a cool discipline. Ariely studies the way people make decisions and behave and how often, we are easily manipulated into making irrational decisions. The experiments about "free" and how the word free distracts us from what might be better options. The effect of a 50 cent aspirin versus a cheaper version is an extension of the placebo effect. Decision-making in the heat of passion was particularly interesting. Ariely offers an explanation of why "Just Say No" sounds good to the dispassionat mind, but is a whole 'nother story for even those with the best of intentions.

I burned through this one pretty quickly because at bottom, I miss the fact that I ultimately didn't take the psychology route.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (read)

I've owned this book and intended to read it forever. My trip to NYC finally provided me the opportunity to do so.

How difficult must it be to have one's eyes opened to a new and exciting world unconstrained by traditional expectations, as does Newland Archer when he meets Countess Ellen Olenska. But ultimately, Newland ends up in the same place, where life is as choreographed as the various ball dances. Newland always seems to be at the edge of breaking out for good, but never quite gets there, always missing by just a bit. If only he could have married Ellen when they were still young and both single. If only he hadn't convinced May to move up their planned wedding. If only he hadn't dissuaded Ellen from divorcing her husband. If only he'd escaped with Ellen before May told her of her pregnancy. If only he'd been born a generation later, when the narrow world of high society New York had essentially crumbled.

I suppose I should be accustomed to the fact that Wharton's novel never have a happily-ever-after ending (long sigh).