Books Irene read in fall and winter (last post of 2021 A.D.)

 

Christ is born!
Hello all you people reading this post. It's the last day of December, and subsequently the last day of two thousand and twenty one. This year went by even faster than the year before, gosh darn it. I am pleased to say that our neighborhood and the woods around us did actually look like that picture up there for a few days. In a very unusual fit of cold weather for western Washington (especially the coast), Christmas day and the following two or three days were blessed with heavy snowfall. We had some wild times driving back from church and our friends' house in the dark and snow and ice, but it was totally worth it. I love snow so much. It's melting now, but we'll probably get more in January and February, which is when it usually snows out here. Anyway, I wanted to do a list of all the books I've read this year, but I also want to comment on each one so I figured that would make this too long a post. In a sad but necessary compromise, I have decided to merely list the books I have read this autumn and winter. I was pretty busy, so the list isn't as long as it would be for last winter and spring. Without further ado, on to the books! →

~ September ~

1. The Walk West: A Walk Across America 2 by Peter and Barbara Jenkins
This is an autobiographical sequel to A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins was a fellow living in the 1970's who decided he didn't know much about America, his own country, at all, so he decides to walk across it. Much excitement and gathering of knowledge follows. His wife joins him on his walk west to the Pacific ocean in the second book. They're both very good and I encourage anyone interested in the USA to read them. I think the bit about Lousiana was the most interesting, mostly because of the alligators, mosquitoes, and honest to goodness witchcraft. Very creepy and exciting.

2. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
This was a delightful book. It's a story about a young princess named Irene, so obviously I like it. This princess is never allowed to go out at night because the local goblins have a vendetta against the royal family and would take her away to do who-knows-what. The goblins are hatching a plan to kidnap the royal princess, but their plan is discovered by a young boy named Curdie, who is incredibly brave and awesome. This book is quite deep, but also a children's story, which I rather enjoy. Geroge MacDonald has a sense of humor similar to C.S. Lewis, which tickles me greatly.

3. The Outsider by Irene Cleaton
So I got this book at a garage sale 'cause it had a nice green hardback cover and the author was called Irene. Really people, don't judge a book by its cover. It started out promising. A young lady is in 19th century Scotland and the opening promises a murder to be solved. Well there is a murder, but the book is absolutely terrible lol. I think this is like the first or second honest to goodness dime novel I've ever read. Cheap melodramatic trash, but I read the whole thing through. There is absolutely nothing likable about any of the characters, and to add to that, the heroine is always fainting, feeling sorry for herself, and falling in love with men she thinks are murderers, merely because they are physically attractive and have a bad boy kind of appeal to them. I laughed a lot, but I wouldn't recommend you read this book. It's a waste of your time.

4. The Fool of New York City by Michael O'Brien
GAHHHHH. This book guys. It's beautiful. After reading Ms. Cleaton's sad excuse for a novel, the Fool of New York City was a breath of fresh air. It's about a young man with amnesia who thinks he is a famous Spanish painter. He is taken care of by an incredibly tall fellow, a veritable freak, in New York City. We don't know why he has amnesia, but it's clear to see something terrible happened in the past. Like I said, a beautiful, heart-rending book. You should definitely read it.

5. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
What can I say? This is a great mystery, but you already know that. The premise of a giant, cursed, luminous hound haunting the moors and murdering people is bound to invite excitement and the great detective Sherlock Holmes to the scene. My friend told me to read this (because I foolishly had not before) and I really enjoyed it. A good show indeed.

~ October ~

6. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
A mini book review medium is not the place to discuss Tolkien. I need days, weeks, months, years. But honestly guys, if it's been awhile since you've picked up the Lord of the Rings, like it had been for me, don't hesitate. You need this in your life. I was watching the movies with my dad and then realized I couldn't remember what parts were directly from the book and what sections had been left out, and so on and so on, and it frightened me. What kind of a Tolkien fan was I??? I love the chapter called The Shadow of the Past. Haunting indeed.

7. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
I read this book for a little book club I have with a couple of my sisters and it was super duper good. It's quite short, but masterfully written. Even if you don't like what John Steinbeck writes about, you have to admit his ability to observe and write out human behavior is amazing. The book is about a small town in World War II occupied by the Nazis. We never learn what country it is in. The town's people are initally and apparently subdued by their conquerers, but this state of affairs doesn't last long. The peasants start to retaliate against the Germans and things get spicy. Like most books and movies about totalitarian governments, this book is extremely relevant to right now, in this country. Take notes guys. 

8. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
After my hiatus from the Lord of the Rings due to my book club, I returned for the second installment of this glorious series. The Two Towers has Helm's Deep and Eomer and the Rohirrim and all, which makes it a little better than the first book I think, but still not my favorite. We'll come to that one in a second.

~ November ~

9. Father Elijah by Michael O'Brien
Golly gee. This is another book my sisters and I read for book club and it is staggeringly amazing. It's an apocalyptic, spiritual, supernatural, cloak and dagger, politcally intriguing, religious kind of thriller. Father Elijah is an aging monk who is called to the Vatican by the Pope himself. There is a famous politican entering the world stage, a powerful speaker who seems to be merely concerned with peace on earth and good will towards Men, but the pope suspects a more menacing motivation behind his apparent altruisim. He asks Fr. Elijah to arrange a meeting with the man in which he can plead with him to save his soul before it is too late. This book is complex and absolutely riveting, both in a more typical spy sense (assasinations, suspicious men following you, sneaking into high security areas) and in a psychological and spiritual sense. You should totally read it.

10. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is my favorite book of the trilogy. When you finish it you will be emotionaly exhausted. In the past, I wasn't sure how I felt about the Scouring of the Shire, the chapter in which Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return home only to find their precious Shire taken over by wicked men and foolish hobbits. It seemed like all the danger and death was over with the destruction of the ring and all, and I guess I just felt as tired of this as the hobbits, but this time I loved that chapter. It really belongs. I know it will surprise you to hear this, but Tolkien knew what he was doing. A smart dude, no doubt about that.

~ December ~

11. The Golden Princess and the Moon by Anna Maria Mendell
I wrote a long review about this book here. I have read it many times and it's still one of my favorite works of literature.

12. Secret of Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry
This is a Scottish tale told of a little girl living by the ocean with her grandparents near an island where her younger brother Jamie was stolen from years ago. Stolen by the ocean, but not dead. At least Fiona won't believe he's dead, and as she's seen a little boy riding the waves in a little boat resembling a cradle she has substantial proof to support her hope in him being alive. This book was made into a movie, only the movie is Irish instead of Scottish. It is called The Secret of Roan Inish. Both the book and the movie are haunting and magical, the movie a little more so I would say.

13. Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody
Father and I Were Ranchers is the first book in a series (called Little Britches) telling the real life story of Ralph Moody and his family's life in early 1900's Colorado. It's wonderful. Ralph Moody tells his story simply and entertainingly. What early American pioneers went through and withstood, all while never losing their spirits, is incredible. I laughed, I cried, I sighed with happiness. I recommend the book and its successors wholeheartedly. 

There you have it folks! Only thirteen books in four months is pretty lame, but I shall endeavor to do better in the future! I hope you enjoy the rest of the twelve days of Christmas and may God be with you in the oncoming year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~ Irene

The Golden Princess and the Moon by Anna Maria Mendell

 

~ The Kiss I give claims ownership of the span of thine years.
On the eve of the sixteenth day of your birth
when you were twice born and gifted by faerie kind,
you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel
and so receive your seventh gift.
Death.
Thus may you harden your parents' hearts. ~

Now is the time, my dear readers, when we take a look at one of the best works of modern literature I have ever read. Before we start, I'm gonna lay all my cards on the table. I think the title of this book is a very bad title and I don't love the cover. It looks like it is marketed for a younger audience, but although kids will of course enjoy this book, you have to be older to appreciate the amazing depth. But as Dustfinger put it, "you know what they say about books and covers."

Published in 2016, The Golden Princess and the Moon reached a small audience of readers in its debut, but those lucky people who have read it (myself and my whole family included) are incredibly passionate about it. I have this feeling that we're gonna be like the folks who liked the Beatles before they were popular... wishful thinking maybe, but who knows?
So what's this here book about? We all (I presume) know the story of Sleeping Beauty. Besides the added comedy and simplification of the story, the old Disney classic doesn't do too shabby a job at telling the old fairy tale. But guyzzz, this book makes Sleeping Beauty the most tragic and wonderful of tales, and most importantly, it makes everything make sense. Have we not all taken note of the trend of fairy tale retellings with the infamous 'modern twist'? The old dusty princess stories dragged out of the murky antiquation of the past to be brought up to date and cleaned up, which, ironically, usually involves making them very dirty lol
Anyway, there are some very good fairy tale retellings, set in modern times or no, that I have read, but generally they are missing something. What they are missing is understanding. Fairy tales have a purpose. I'm not gonna explain that purpose really, you should read Tolkien's 'On Fairy-Stories' for that (total cop out, I know). Anyway, because fairy tales were meant to convey a message, to symbolize meaning, the characters in the old stories don't have a lot of character. The characters weren't the point, what happened to them and what they did was the point. Since modern people don't often get the meaning behind the old stories, they take the old stories, use familiar and famous plot points, twist the plot points to make things spicy, and by so doing destory the meaning that was meant to be the whole point of the fairy tale in the first place. They then throw in some attractive and likable, or at least attractive, characters, and voila! Now you have a modern fairy tale.
I understand why they do it though. Old stories often convey timeless truths, and I mean completely timeless, as in never changing, outside the cosmos, firm, solid, and completely ungraspable. So yeah, they are important, but the characters don't have personality, so we modern people want to make them interesting, cause let's face it, Snow White really isn't that fascinating of a character. But you see, everything she does has a purpose! What I have taken all this time to say is that The Golden Princess and the Moon is a book that brings so many things together that should never have been apart. It shows the meaning of Sleeping Beauty, the deep, deep meaning behind every seemingly goofy and weird detail of the story, but it also has characters who feel emotions and that you care about. It's so enjoyable to read, but it also means something! That, my friend, is the definiton of a good book.
-
There will be some spoilers here, but I don't give away the entire book, and most importantly (debatable), the end. I will give a rundown of the book (this post is kinda long, btw) and share a few lines or excerpts... Excerpt is such a funny word, I always feel like I'm spelling it wrong.

~ The Summary ~
A young boy is crying in the woods. An old lady comes upon him and asks him what's wrong. Soon she takes him to her cottage and starts telling him stories. He thinks she might be a witch, but he's also lonely and her stories are ever so interesting... 
The stories tell of a spoiled princess named Rosa. Very spoiled. She wants the moon and when she gets a priceless replica specially commisioned by her father as a gift, she throws it against the wall. Needless to say, her parents are rather terrible and lie to her in order to stay her mad tantrums that are only brought about because they always give her everything she wants. In time, a beautiful and wise lady comes to take the princess away to live in a cabin in the woods for awhile. This lady happens to be her fairy godmother. Fairy is spelled 'faery' in the book, as it makes it more OG, ya know, cool and antiquated. I might interchange the two spellings to confuse everyone.
The princess in the stories grows and the young boy, who happens to be the prince of the 'modern day' kingdom (still medieval-style) grows as well. The kingdom is called Lothene, although it used to be Aurlia. Let me explain that really quick. The time in which the princess lives is very different from the time in which Erik lives. In fact, they are hundreds of years apart. When Princess Rosamund lived the kingdom of Aurlia was a meeting place for two different worlds, that of the mortal and that of the Faery. This was because mortals had married member of the Faery and their offspring displayed traits typical of both races. The Faery are not like the fairies in the cartoon Sleeping Beauty, they're more like elves in the Lord of the Rings, as they were originally in the old tales, ancient, wise, and beautiful, although not necessarily good. As time progresses, and many things happen, the mortal world begins to fear the world of Faery, and eventually the two worlds split and all memory of faery becomes nothing but an old wive's tale, a whispered memory told of dark magic and evil. Not all the tales are evil though. There is one legend still sung of rarely by the more traditional bards, a legend of The Golden King, a man both mortal and fairy, who wanders the land forever, homeless and alone in a hostile world.

The wandr'ing king tirelessly treads
the path of exile.
There is none left among mortal kind
to whom he dares speak.
There is none left to unburden
the treasure of his thoughts.

[...]

The wand'ring king tirelessly treads
The path of exile.
Alone unchanging in a fading world,

he waits for the time
when what was sunder'd is joined by

the coming of the crown.

  The book goes along and two seperate stories, one supposedly 'fiction', the other 'real life', begin to weave together. Also, while Prince Erik (that's his name) is growing older and continues to visit Ninny Nanny (that's the weird old lady's name) to hear stories from her and to receive the human connection he longs for, he also begins to have dreams of a beautiful young lady, lying asleep in a clear stream, with flowing golden hair. But she's just a dream... Or is she?
I usually do not prefer books to jump from one storyline in the first chapter, to another in the second, and back and forth, so on and so on. I just begin to be really interested in one character and his world, and then it just switches on me and I have to get reinvested in a completely different character and world. This does not happen in the GP and the M, despite the two main characters' stories being told intermittently. I think I enjoy reading the parts centered around Erik slightly more, but only slightly. It also helps that both characters are so connected you don't feel too bad when you've grown attached to Rosa's world and then we go back to Erik and Lothene. If you remember, Rosamund's life is told in stories to Erik by Ninny Nanny. And then of course, Rosa's story contains Edmund... Ahh, Edmund, poor, poor Edmund. This young man is the cousin of Rosa, son of Uncle Stefan, the Creep. Not his official title, but he is pretty creepy. Just wait till you find out what he did to his wife! No spoilers involving that little episode though. Anyway, when Edmund is first introduced, he is cynical, a little arrogant, and enjoys making Rosa throw tantrums, because he can. He is surprised when she returns from her fairy godmother's house and is no longer a spoiled brat.

"Good morning, cousin Edmund," she said.
Edmund rose from his reclining position and returned a languid bow.
"Good morning to you, princess Rosamund. I see that you enjoy playing in the dirt." His smile grew larger and even more condescending.
Rosa felt mortified, but sniffed, "Yes, well, I'm having a nice time. I would suggest you try the same, but I am sure you wouldn't want to get your clothes dirty."
Edmund gave the princess a sharp glance.
Rosa pointed down to the bench. "Shall we sit down, so you can tell me why you are here?"
He sat down beside her, and she caught him giving her a sidelong glance.

 He has dark hair curly hair instead of the gold of his cousin, and it reflects on his character. A gloominess seems to follow him wherever he goes, and the servants whisper of a curse. Rosa believes this curse is on her cousin, but little does she realize it is actually her own. In a chapter called 'The Summer Palace', the princess is forced to go on a vacation, without her parents, to a summer palace (aptly named chapter). She meets her uncle and cousin there, which rather disconcerts her. Her uncle doesn't spend too much time with her, and when he does he just stares and smiles rather creepily, but Edmund seems to have grown more friendly. He asks her many questions about her fairy godparents and spends time with her in the library and garden. Rosa begins to hope they can be friends. Hah. She herself is no longer a selfish, spoiled girl, not since she spent those months in the forest with her fairy godmother. Her time spent at the summer palace reveals incredible secrets. She meets another of her fairy godmothers, and the story of the curse is revealed to her in a sort of vision. The scenes of her past and Edmund's, when they were just children, are told excellently. This book has to be made into a movie, it would be epic. I believe Rosa is fourteen years old when she is at the palace, as she is destined to prick her needle on the spindle of a spinning wheel when she is sixteen. The curse was laid upon her by an evil member of the Faery, a tall and dark lady, with blood red lips and a dark staff in her hand. I won't divulge all the details of the curse, just know when and if Rosa falls asleep, the tales say she may be awakened by true love in the form of a kiss, but at the time of her curse and life her family and loved ones aren't so sure this will work out. You can't blame them. With this new knowledge revealed to her, Rosa suddenly realizes why her parents have always been so distant, despite giving her every little thing she could want since infancy. They want her to be happy, but they do not wish to grow attached to her. She's going to die, at least to them. It's really heartbreaking, actually. Her father still wishes to thwart the curse though, so he orders all the spinning wheels in the kingdom burned, thereby stifling the economy and causing many households to grow hungry. Anything to save his little princess.
While all this is happening to Rosa, and much more involving her cousin Edmund, Erik grows older and eventually must leave the castle of his childhood, and thus the woods of Ninny Nanny, to be raised and trained to be a real prince in a fortress by the sea. When he is a man and returns to the castle of his father and stepmother, he is alarmed to find that the king and queen wish him to find a wife. All his life, ever since he saw Princess Rosamund sleeping in the river, no other woman has turned the head of Prince Erik. How could they compare? Erik grows even more troubled when he doubts whether Rosa is even real. He brings his troubles to Ninny Nanny and they have a great exchange:

"An' would ye deny all that now that ye have grown? Would ye cast that all aside?" Ninny Nanny asked.
Erik lifted up a face, feeling worn and tired. "No! But how can I pin my hopes on her either? Dunstan teases me for not noticing other women, and he is right, for how can they compare to her? The king and queen want me to enter into a politial marriage, and they are right, for it would be good for the kingdom. How can I put all of that aside for a woman who may only be a dream?"
"Ye did not have these doubts as a child. Ye were wiser then." 
"Children do not have responsibilities."
"Ye promised ye would save her, that you would risk your life for her."
Erik leapt to his feet. "Give me a dragon to fight, a monster to defeat, and I would do it gladly. But all of this waiting, not knowing..."
"Requires more strength," Ninny Nanny finished for him.
Erik felt himself flush and then stiffly bowed. "Good day, Ninny Nanny. I should return to the castle before I am missed. I will find my own way back."
Ninny Nanny stared at the door after he left and then said Mnemosyne, "He's developed a bit of a temper."

I love it. Children are often more wise than adults, at least in the way of not overcomplicating very simple things. We old people often get too clever for our own good. While Erik is having all these existential crises, Rosa is getting closer and closer to the day of her possibly endless slumber. It's quite annoying, Erik getting all doubtful when we know for a fact that Rosa can't wake up without him.
When Rosa is fifteen years old, Edmund begins to grow kinder, and she notices that he is actually rather handsome. You see where this is going. He loves her, tells her so, and says they should marry because then maybe he can save her from the curse. This sounds all well and good, and Rosa tells herself she believes it and that she returns Edmund's love, but a voice deep down sounds in protest. If there isn't anything wrong with Edmund and her love for him and his love for her (and that's assuming a lot), there is still something awry in the concept of tricking a curse. It won't work. The princess knows this. You can't trick magic.

Rosa shook her head. "No, Edmund, you always try to control magic, and that is why it eludes you. Words and deeds are nothing if they do not come from the heart."
Edmund's face drained to a ghastly shade of white, and his eyes burned. He gave a short laugh. "You have all the answers, don't you, princess. None of this is your fault. It must be my love that is not strong enough. Very well, reject all those who wish to help you. Sleep eternally if you wish."

I wouldn't marry a guy who talks to me like that. Honestly, a little support as one's inevitable magic death/eternal sleep approaches would be nice. But if you read the rest of the book, it is plain to see that there is much good in Edmund, it's just contorted by his bitterness. 
I won't tell you how Rosa comes to prick her finger on the spinning wheel. It's probably the best point of this book. She herself wonders what I was wondering, and what any reader will be wondering. How will she end up pricking her finger when she knows it will put her to sleep? Will she fall into a dazed stupor, irresistably drawn to the wheel by a magic spell? Perhaps physically forced? Perhaps she'll do it in her sleep? Unlike the Disney movie, Anna Maria Mendell doesn't pull a total cop out and just throw her into a magical psychosis. What she does instead is brilliant, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Let me just say: poor, dear, foolish Edmund. Sighhhhhh.
Needless to say, Princess Rosamund of the kingdom of Aurlia does indeed fall into a deep cursed slumber. Now she just needs someone to wake her up. Who shall it be?
-
Erik, despite his initial doubt in the girl of his literal dreams, goes on a quest to find this sleeping princess, wherever she be. Along with him comes Dunstan, his best friend, and a rather flippant soul. I actually really do love Dunstan. He's the only person in this, excluding Ninny Nanny, who's not ridiculously serious and depressing all the time. He often teases Erik for being so serious, and although he does not believe in the princess himself, he follows Erik into the dreaded Shadowood, the place where the tower wherein the princess sleeps is rumored to stand, to find her anyway. His unbelief causes some problems for him, but he's a good sort despite that. I relate to him.

"I am not going anywhere," Dunstan said firmly, "and I did not say I did not believe you." Then he threw back his head and laughed. "Whoever would have dreamed that I would see the day that the serious prince would fall in love? It only stands to reason that she would be no ordinary woman, but  a magical princess under a curse."
"I would rather you stay behind than have to endure your mockery throughout the entire journey," Erik said through gritted teeth.

"I am profoundly sorry. I know you are a delicate soul, and it will not happen again."
Erik smiled in spite of himself, He knew that such a promise would be impossible for his friend.
"Now onward! We journey to rescue a damsel in distress!"
"That is enough, Dunstan."

Lol I love him. Anyway, Erik and Dunstan go on their journey to discover the magical princess, real or not, and encounter trials that are actually difficult, spiritual and physical. One of the most intriguing points in their quest is when Erik goes to the house of the Barden of the Winds, a fellow with faery blood running in his veins, who talks to the wind and all the creatures of the Shadowood. Erik is told to ask him the way through the Shadowood by an old lady who saved him and his friend from a night attack by wolves. She's trustworthy, but he's not so sure about this Barden fellow. Erik is welcomed into his home, if a bit gruffly, and eats with his family, but Erik still doesn't trust him. Barden tells the prince he will reveal the way to the Shadowood, but for a price. Erik tells him he will of course return the favor in any way he can. Ha ha. Not a good idea. Barden asks for nothing that night, but bids Erik good night. As Erik is preparing for bed, one of Barden's daughters comes into his room, her dark and beautiful hair let loose. She looks rather scared and is shaking. She says she will help Erik get ready for bed. The prince immediately knows what's up and kindly sends the girl away. Her father sent her and Erik knows that he has just rejected the Barden's price. He wakes in the morning and his host acts hospitably. He demands no favor and claims that seeing the princess of legend wake will be reward enough for his help. Hah. 

The prince is suspicious and uncomfortable, but what can he do? He leaves the house and takes the way he was told to take. As he is riding his horse Lodestar near a steep ravin, buffeted by strong winds, he believes he sees a dark tower, rising in the mist. As he looks closer, an enormously strong gust of wind comes sweeping from the west and throws him from his horse, down into the ravine. He nearly dies. This was how the Barden of the Winds repaid Erik for rejecting his daughter, the offered price. Later, a strange woman explains to Erik the nature of his betrayal by the Barden. Listen to this:

"I was betrayed and fell into the dark."
The woman studied Erik slowly and then said, "It is the strange way of fate that many bring about what they wish to prevent. For it is true, Erik, Crown Prince of Lothene, that Barden of the Winds wished to betray you to death and oblivion. His heart has become dark and twisted, searching for answers to secrets he does not know, and, when he finds an aswer, he does not understand that it is merely another secret. He thought that a secret would lead to your death. Instead it has led you to me," ...

It strangely reminds me of how Tolkien describes Smeagol before he ever possesed the ring.

'The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Smeagol. He was interested in roots and beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds; and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes were downward.'

I don't know, it just seems like Barden was the same way. He also was interested in the forest and the secrets of it, but he looked deep into the earth and into the dark corners of the Shadowood, instead of at the sun and the leaves on trees,and his heart became dark and twisted like the roots of the trees. It just sounds similiar to me, even though the words used to describe Barden and Smeagol are not the same. Food for thought.
Eventually, through much hardship and trial, Erik does find princess Rosamund, and because his love is as true as tempered steel, he wakes her. The happiness they both feel is unparalleled, but things won't be easy for long, for although the princess has been wakened, there are some who do not look upon this event with joy. Some, like the prince's seemingly gracious and delighted stepmother, have dark plans in store...
Ahem. I will stop there. I have said enough. I have read this book three times, and although it was amazing all three times, nothing will equal the joy and wonder of the first read. I can't bring up all the examples of depth and poetry that I wish, but I don't doubt you'll see many points and deep analogies and thoughts and all that I never even caught. This fairy tale has everything you could want in any book of any genre. It really is one of the best books written in the 21st century, I don't hesitate to say. Until we meet again, God bless you and grant you a very merry Christmas!

Five Underrated Fifties Movies

 So yeah, it's been awhile.

Me feeling bad for being a jerk.

 Anna and I were soooo busy in October and November, for reals. At least I was able to keep reading everyone else's posts and see all the wonderful content that you all have been drawing up. I wanted to write up a list with little mini-reviews of all the books I've read recently, which is actually quite a few, but I think I'll postpone that to December, so we get a more complete list. For now, I'm going to share a few underrated fifties movies that have come to my attention recently or semi-recently, but are surprisingly unknown. Or maybe they're actually super famous, but no one writes about them because there's just this understanding of admiration without words that everyone is aware of except me. I cast aside these unspoken and antiquated conventions and boldy forge a new path. Onward!

1. North West Frontier ( aka Flame Over India) (1959)

This film is absolutely delightful. Set after the turn of the 20th century, this movie takes place in British-occupied India, where an epic British captain (Kenneth More) and an American governess (Lauren Bacall) are tasked with smuggling the young son of a Hindu maharajah safely out of the territory. The local Muslims wish to kill the little prince and would thereby destabilize the whole country (although it's already pretty destabilized). The only way to escape from a surrounded British settlement is by way of an old, almost broken-down train, and with the company of several highly interesting fellow passengers. It's an exciting, just all-round fun movie, with some surpringly intelligent and multi-faceted debates about difficult and fascinating subjects. Like, really, you'll be surprised by how interesting some of the arguments in this movie are. I also love each character (except for the guy you're not supposed to love), especially Lauren Bacall's very American governess and Kenneth More's very British officer. Another plus to this movie is that Lauren Bacall's dresses and cloak are absolutely divine to look at.

       

Miracle in the Rain, 1956

I don't even know why I'm sharing this movie, but I am. It's almost a run of the mill, unremarkable romance/drama, but it's not quite. It has a magic about it that keeps you around till the end, and I did cry when I watched it, so I can't ridicule it too much. Basically there's a young lady, played excellently by Jane Wyman, who's lonely and alone in New York City with no one to love except her depressed and ailing mother. One day, when the tears of heaven are coming down in an exceptionally profuse manner, she runs into a man, a young soldier from Tennesee (Van Johnson). They fall in love (*gasp*) and delightful and sad things happen.Will you like it? I don't know. I just know I did, and it's so very cozy.

It Should Happen To You, 1954                                                                                                                 

I muuuuussssttttt make a list of my top ten favorite comedies, cause I need to put this movie on it. It's honestly hilarious. A young lady named Gladys Glover comes to New York City to make it big, but after two years of trying and not succeeding, she's about ready to give up. But she has one last idea. Seeing an empty billboard for rent, she decides to have her name plastered on it and see what happens.
Her idea pays off, and voila, she's suddenly famous. This, as you can guess, causes a plethora of problems. Judy Holliday as Gladys Glover is probably my favorite performance from an actress in history, and Jack Lemmon does a splendid job as her well-meaning but slightly cynical (with good reason) boyfriend.

 Fixed Bayonets, 1951                                                                                                                               
It's the Korean War and a division of soldiers is widdled smaller and smaller until only a few men are left holding their ground from within a cave on the side of a snowy mountain. This film is in the best tradition of small war films. Each man has his own story, some more in depth than others, and they all have to work together to not die. This story is well made and told well, and all the actors are top notch. My favorite character is Corporal Denno, played by Richard Basehart. You'll see why if you watch the movie (my sad attempt at a review when I don't want to write a review: just watch the movie).

 Decision Before Dawn, 1951                                                                                                                     
This movie deserves its own post, so I won't say too much. It's fabulous, one of my favorite films of all time. The story follows "Happy" (it's a code name), a young German man who turns traitor to his own country to help the allies. This one's a slow-boiler, taking time to get rolling. It's wonderfully crafted, a real work of art. Both Oskar Werner and Richard Basehart shine in their parts. I honestly will write an entire post for it.
                                                                                                                     

And isn't this poster cool??? ↑

So there you go. Five 50s films you may never have heard of. The number of unheard-of amazing 50s films is pretty outrageous, but good for me, as it means I'll always have another good movie to watch. I'm sorry for being away so long. I'll try not to be so terrible again. Have a wonderful end of November (the dreariest of months) and God bless you!

Sunshine Blogger Award 2021... No. 2!

 

Anna and myself were nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award for the second time this year! We're so dang popular, it's flattering. I'll be answering the questions posed to this blog by Rachel at Hamlette's Soliloquy, who kindly nominated this blog. I really do appreciate it so much.
 Now I must list some rules:

1. List the award's official rules
2. Display the awards official logo somewhere on your blog
3. Thank the person who nominated you (thank you ^-^)
4. Provide a link to your nominator's blog
5. Answer your nominator's questions
6. Nominate up to 11 bloggers
7. Ask your nominees 11 questions
8. Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts

Now on to the questions!

1. What was your favorite movie when you were 10 years old?
Ummmm. That was so long ago (though not really). I'm thinking probably The Apple Dumpling Gang, Mission Impossible, or The Avengers, haha.

2. What's your favorite movie now?
Good golly gosh, how should I know? The Magnificent Seven always, but I feel like there's a movie I recently watched that I really thought was amazing. Oh, I've got a good one! On of my favorite comedies that is surprisingly obscure and incredibly enjoyable is 'It Should Happen to You', starring Judy Holliday, an absolutely delightful actress, and made in 1954. I love it a lot.

3. What would be your dream cast for an adaptation of your favorite book?
I have not thought up a complete dream cast for one particular book, but I have thought of actors I think would match certain characters perfectly. Like Hans Gudegast as Baron Dietrich von Schonheim in the Borrowed House, or Skandar Keynes as Edmund from the Golden Princess and the Moon. I know he's already Edmund, but he'd make a good Edmund in that too.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?
Arggghhh, this is so hard! To Kill a Mockingbird is very high on the list, as are the Lord of the Rings, True Grit (1969), The Magnificent Seven, and Big Jake. Love me some Elmer Bernstein!

5. Do you have a favorite movie-watching snack?
I actually am partial to Little Debbie's cosmic brownies while watching a good movie. They're so tasty, even if they do put ingredients in there I don't want to know about.

6. Who is your favorite person to watch movies with?
Well Anna of course. I also have two friends who I've only seen a couple movies with, but they have proved themselves to be excellent movie-goers. Just enough commentary to show they're interested in the plotline, adequate gasps and chuckles, and an intelligent analysis of the film once it's finished. Oh, and they will also quote the film with Anna and me afterwards, so that's aboslutely fantastic.

7. Is there a hairstyle in a movie you've always wished you could pull off?
Not that I can think of. Any hairdo worn by a female in Middle-earth is epic, but my hair is actually long enough to pull them off, so I don't have to wish lol.

8. What movie animal would you like as a pet?
Brego is a wonderful horse. I would like him. I would also like Shadowfax, but I know he wouldn't let me ride him. Dog from Big Jake would be epic, and the wolf from the Journey of Natty Gann would also not disappoint me.

9. What movie house would you like to stay in on vacation?
I'm feeling like any Victorian mansion or colonial farm house right now. And of course the treehouse from Swiss Family Robinson (1960). 

 

 

10. What's the oldest movie you've watched?
Where Are My Children, made in 1916. An incredibly intense silent film about abortion that I should totally review sometime.

11. What's the newest movie you've watched?
Midway, I think. The 2019 version. It was one of the best modern movies I've seen, for sure.



And there we go! Those were really good questions. Now I'm gonna tag a few bloggers!

Megan at the Pen and the Cross

Sarah at Sixty-Something Trees
Samantha at Bookshire

There we go! Three is a great number. Now here are my tag questions... Dun dun dun!

1. Scotland or Italy?
2. Silent movies or 90's rom-coms?
3. Tennyson or Shelley?
4. Ambrosia salad or plain old marshmallows?
5. Cello or piano?
6. Activities with friends or just sitting and talking?
7. Cold weather or hot weather?
8. Writing poetry or writing stories?
9. Texting or talking on the phone?
10. Snakes or slugs?
11. Cheerios or corn flakes?

Until we meet again, have a wonderful September and God bless you! :D :) :D

 

Lawman: "Cornered"

                      A Lawman Episode Review: Cornered

One of my favorite (and my sisters' favorite) western t.v. shows to ever come out of the more-than-plentiful slew of western t.v. shows in the 50's and 60's is Lawman. The show starred John Russell as a seriously serious and stalwart marshal and Peter Brown as his young but more than stupid deputy, Johnny McKay. They work in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, when the city is still young and wild, and they encounter all kinds of problems, because otherwise the show would be boring. Duh.

 In season two, after two other women had been added to the show and then promptly removed because of their lack of chemistry with the rest of the cast, Peggie Castle joined the show as Lily Merrill, the beautiful owner of the saloon nearest the marshal's office, once again proving that three times really is the charm. She added what the show needed to have a 'gang feel' and rounded up the cast nicely. 
Both Anna and I (not to mention our older sister Xenia) like Dan Tropp and Lily well enough, but our hearts undoubtedly lie with Johnny McKay. He's impossible to dislike... in fact, he's impossible to not love. I mean, maybe you won't, to each his own and all that, but really, he's sweet and wholesome, great with guns, and pretty good looking. Pretty perfect.
The episode I want to talk about today is called 'Cornered' and it takes place in season three and is one of the best episodes of the show. Unfortunately, I can't get my usual t.v. show review screenshots cause the episode is not online, but I will share some pictures of the show in general to help quell the grief in my heart.

 

Now onto the plot: It's late at night and Johnny McKay, falling asleep on Marshal Troop's chair, shakes himself awake to complete his duties for the day by taking one more walk around town. Side note: Johnny is really cute when he's falling asleep ^-^ Moving on...

 Throughout the show this is a consistent thing that the Marshal and Johnny do. Every night, they take a walk around town to make sure nobody's shooting anybody else. Usually there is somebody shooting somebody else. This particular night, all seems to be calm, until Johnny walks into the Birdcage, the local saloon owned by Lily Merrill. Jake the bartender quietly informs Johnny that the guy drinking heavily at the bar is in a dangerous mood... big surprise there. Johnny, being smarter than I am, doesn't confront the old codger immediately. He just takes his cup of coffee (another recurring detail in the show: The Gang absolutely loves coffee), and talks a bit to Lily. But, like so many other annoying bad guys in westerns, the man sitting at the bar won't let Johnny be. He starts prodding him, obviously in an attempt to get Johnny to draw. Johnny doesn't realize at first that the man he's now confronting is a man famous for his fast draw. Three town busy-bodies do know this, and watch the exchange in the saloon with great relish.

Are we really gonna do this?

The situation escalates, despite Johnny's attempts to cool things down. I don't know why this particular episode was so well-directed, but the suspense is incredible! Everybody's lines are fire, and the acting is splendid. Anyway, despite his best efforts, the exchange between Johnny and the mean old gunslinger turns into a showdown. They both draw, but only Johnny fires and the drunk gunslinger falls down dead before him. Marshal Troop hears the shots and comes running, and the three busy-bodies I mentioned earlier coming running in as well to congratulate Johnny on the fact that he killed old Jeb Barker, only one of the fastest guns in the west! The young deputy is shaken, more so than any other time we've seen him shoot a baddie. It was a fair fight and the man had it coming, so what's bothering Johnny? Dan Troop congratulates his prodigy as well, only to have Johnny tell him, quite aggravated, that he did not in fact shoot faster than Jeb Barker. He leans downs, picks up the gun, and shows the marshal what the problem is: Mr. Barker's gun jammed and he would've had the time to shoot Johnny several times over if it weren't for the malfunction. No wonder our boy is so shook up! But it gets worse.

The three annoying townsmen who saw the entire altercation take place and think Johnny merely bested Barker because of his own speed, inform the deputy that it's a good thing he's fast, as Jeb Barker's son, Jim Barker, will sure as heck be coming gunnin' for Johnny, now that his father has been killed! And Jim Barker is rumored to be even faster than his father. Oh man, do things get tense fast. Marshal Troop, Lily, and Johnny himself are the only three people in the whole territory who know Johnny only survived that night because of a miraculous gun mishap. Johnny's self confidence is shaken to the core, for good reason, and as the days start ticking by, the tension builds to unbearable heights. Dan tries helping Johnny, who is like a son to him, but there's nothing he can do. He tries to tell Johnny not to sweat, not to panic, but it's not exactly working. As the day when Jim Barker will inevitably appear, seeking revenge for his father, draws closer, Johnny practices his draw almost every minute of every day and his nerves stretch thinner and thinner.

 

I love me some good drama, and this episode is packed full of the best kind. Johnny needs help, desperately, but there's literally nothing his friends can do. It's up to him to saddle this bronc and it's no easy task. There's nothing he can do through the better part of the episode but wait for death to come. It's soooooo good!
Eventually, the day every single citizen of Laramie has been waiting for comes. Jim Barker comes riding into town on an old and dusty horse, looking meaner than heck. He stops at the saloon, swings down from his horse, and enters the building. Johnny, despite the urging of Marshal Troop to ignore Barker, straps on his gun and heads to the saloon, ready for what may be his last few minutes on earth.
And here is where the moment that sets this episode above almost any other western t.v. show I've ever seen comes.
Johnny walks into the saloon. He sees Barker at the bar and immediately joins him. He's not in the mood for dilly-dallying. He straight up tells him he's the guy that shot his father. Jim turns around, looking kind of sad and sullen. He looks at Johnny and Johnny looks at him, ready to die. I believe Johnny also told Jim that he didn't want to kill his father but he was mean as a coyote and looking for trouble. The moment is tense. Everybody is watching the two of them, and then something unexpected happens. I can't remember the lines exactly, but Jim says something to the effect of "I'm glad my father's dead. He had it coming."
And Johnny's like "Whaaaaahhhh???"
Jim tells him he hated his father 'cause he was a terrible and nasty father. Fair point.
He also tells him that he only came into town because everybody expected him to do the whole revenge thing.
There's a lovely bit of exchange here between the two of them. It's absolutely hilarious, and the relief in both of them when they find out that neither of them wants to kill the other is so thick in the air, you could cut it with a knife.
Soon the two of them are laughing together. They discover that they're both twenty-one. Johnny raises a glass of whisky and says something to the effect of: "Here's to maybe making it to twenty-two!"
By this point, Lily and Marshal Troop are practically crying with relief, and everybody's laughing, including me. It's so wonderful! Gosh, I love this episode.
-
That's all I have to say about that. If you're in the mood for a juicy, well-acted, family-oriented, but without an actual family, t.v. show, I highly recommend watching Lawman! Thanks for taking the time to spend this week of western appreciation with Anna and me! Have a great weekend, and may the deck be always stacked in your favor!

 

This has been Anna and Irene's final contribution to the 2021 Legends of Western Cinema Week. Ride on over to the link I left and check out all the other wonderful posts that have been written this week.

Anna's Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag Answers 2021

                             

Hello! I am back for the Annual Anna's Post (yes, I know, it's ridiculous). I may be a failure when it comes to posting, but thanks to Irene's constant reminders I am here to celebrate the wonderful, amazing week that is "Legends of Western Cinema Week". What kind of a western fan would I be if I didn't put time aside for this?
Anyway, enough about me, let's get onto the questions!

The Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag

1) Western movies or western TV shows? 

A: First off, what kind of a question is this? How can one possibly choose between the two most wonderful things to ever grace the movie screen? But as an answer, I really can't choose between the two. It depends on my mood and who I'm with.

2) Funny westerns or dramatic westerns? 

A: Once again, I can't really choose between the two. I would say half of my favorite westerns are funny and half are dramatic.

3) Westerns that focus on loners or westerns that focus on families? 

A: My gut instinct was loner, because who doesn't like a mysterious, gritty stranger riding into town with a weird aversion to people? But then I thought about the perfect combination. A loner finding a family. That, that is where it's at.

4) Male-centric westerns or female-centric westerns? 

A: The only female-centric western I've ever seen was with Irene and we didn't finish it...Why'd you let us down Joel? Why?

5) 1930s to 1960s westerns or 1970s to 2020s westerns? 

A: I would say my favorite time period for westerns is definitely the late 50's into the 60's. That was when they were really getting the hang of it.

6) Westerns that take place in America or westerns that take place internationally? 

A: Considering the only two I've seen that didn't take place in America were Hidalgo and the Man from Snowy River (both fantastic movies), I would have to go with America. 

7) Family-friendly Westerns or edgier Westerns? 

A: That depends on your definition of edgy, but I don't go for the super gory or gross westerns.

8) Straightforward good guy or conflicted hero? 

A: I love both! A nice healthy mixture is what I would say. Too much goody-goody is bleh, and too much conflict-shmonflict is also bleh.

9) Historically accurate Westerns or Westerns that aren't afraid to take some creative liberties?

A: Welllllllllllllllllll, ya see, I am willing to look over some inaccuracies and whatnot, but I would be a lot happier if all westerns were accurate. Too many creative liberties just throw me off.

10) Bittersweet or happily-ever-after endings?

 A: BOTH! It allllll depends on my mood. I love a good heart wrenching ending where you hate everything and cry yourself to sleep, but I also like to have those happy endings where everything is right with the world and the hero and everyone else is happy!

There you have it! Once again, this tag was super fun and I feel like a new person...Not really, but I feel good for finally writing something on here. I hope you all enjoy the rest of this brilliant week and watch lots of westerns.

- Anna

Irene's Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag Answers 2021

Hi there everyone! After being AWOL for a stupid amount of time, I come back just when I'm needed most... Legends of Western Cinema Week! This special, so-far-yearly event is just what I need to get the blogging juices flowing. Westerns are beautiful things, and Anna and I had an especially lovely experience with our favorite western, The Magnificent Seven, when we showed it to a bunch of our friends in Eastern Washington who had never seen it. They had a screen projector so it felt like we were in a movie theatre. Everybody loved it, the reactions were ideal, and the thundering applause at the end was ample proof that the film had been a hit. It made me so happy. This blog party in celebration of westerns and all that makes them beautiful is hosted by three ladies at three great blogs: Rachel at Hamlette's Soliloquy, Heidi at Along the Brandywine, and Olivia at Meanwhile, in Rivendell... I don't know why everybody has such great blog names, but they do. Just a quick note: The absence was actually not my fault! (uh huh, fer sure, yeah right). No, really! Anna and I returned from our trip to Eastern Washington (where there was no wifi). I was rearing to blog, so ready, had one day to answer a couple comments, and then our own internet connection absconded, leaving us high and dry! It was out for about ten days, but we should be good now. I'll do another post later this week, but for now, I'll just answer the extremely difficult tag answers, and I'll try to get Anna to do her own answers as well. 

1) Western movies or western TV shows?
... Both? I know I can't do both... I'm gonna do both for all of them... But honestly, it's both. Stand-alone westerns are of more quality, but I have such fond memories of binge-watching Lawman and the Rifleman, I'm just gonna go with both.

2) Funny westerns or dramatic westerns?
I like a mix of the two, but I would have to say I like it (usually) if they lean a bit more comedic. Big Jake (really not super comedic, but kind of so), Rio Bravo, and El Dorado all come to mind. Then again, The Magnificent Seven, Red River, The Tin Star, and The Searchers come to mind in the latter category... Dang it, I'm going with both again.

3) Westerns that focus on loners or westerns that focus on families?

I would have to say found-families. That conglomeration of different characters with different backgrounds who grow together and eventually form a family that's technically not related. I love the 'gang' feel, as Anna and I call it. Marshal Dan Troop, Johnny McKay, and Lilly Merrill have such a gang feel. Such togetherness, it's absolutely beautiful. I do enjoy epic loners though, but their full potential is only met when they meet a family and have to help them out, so yet again, I like the family theme.

4) Male-centric westerns or female-centric westerns?

I can't even think of a female-centric western... so male-centric lol. Well, I like it best when it has a bunch of different people, but it's still usually male-centered anyway. 

5) 1930s to 1960s westerns or 1970s to 2020s westerns?

1930s to 1960s, I would have to say. I haven't seen a lot of good 30s westerns, the 40s were hit and miss, but the 50s and 60s were just *chef's kiss*. The Golden Era, for sure. I have not seen many westerns from the 70s through the 2020s, but I like older movies in general, so it's not hard to pick. The 70's did have a surprising amount of good westerns, since all the other movies from that time period seem to be terrible most of the time. And of course Silverado was in the 80s, so that elevates that decade to generally undeserved movie heights.

6) Westerns that take place in America or westerns that take place internationally?

Ya know, a western anywhere is good. The Man from Snow River is the only out of country western I can think of, and it's really very good, so I'm open-minded, haha. I do love America more than anywhere else though, so will say American westerns are just a *tiny* bit better. (I almost forgot Hidalgo, which is in Arabia and is epic)

7) Family-friendly Westerns or edgier Westerns?

Family-friendly bruh. I am not edgy. No bueno. 
Like, it can be darker and have a kind of mature theme, but I don't want no hanky-panky or gratuitous violence at play. No-siree-bob!

8) Straightforward good guy or conflicted hero?

I love me a hero who knows good from bad and never flinches doing what's right, but I feel like it's easy to make those characters shallow and cardboard, so I don't mind a conflicted hero, as long as he pulls through in the end.

9) Historically accurate Westerns or Westerns that aren't afraid to take some creative liberties?

What a good question! I'll watch a western even if it's obviously not historically accurate in any way, but I prefer my movie makers to put some effort into authenticity. It adds just that extra teaspoon of hard work that makes a really solid film. For instance, can we just not have the obviously 1968 hairdo? Like, would it be that hard to wait until you were done filming to get the hard done up like a beehive or a perfectly symmetrical beach wave?

Nothing against dear old Audra, but her hair wasn't exactly 1880's

10) Bittersweet or happily-ever-after endings?

😭😭😭 I don't know!!! I love happy endings, but the end of The Searchers is the quintessence of bittersweet and it's the most beautiful thing ever! Same with The Magnificent Seven. I think I'll put bittersweet just above happily-ever-after, but the ending to Big Jake takes the place as my favorite western ending for some reason, and it's as happy as can be.

Just casually inserting a picture from Chisum just after I was talking about Big Jake.

And there you have it folks! Great questions, without a doubt. Have fun with the rest of this western-loving week, and remember: Don't squat with your spurs on (courtesy of Sam Elliot).


                                                                             ~Irene