Chance's Corner: The Bell Jar

I've been struggling to find a good book to keep my attention, so in times of great need, I always turn to the classics. One classic that's been in my to-read pile for quite a while is Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. I knew going into it that it wasn't going to be a fun read. The blurb on the back, by Robert Scholes of The New York Times, clearly states that it's "the kind of book [J.D.] Salinger's Franny might have written about herself ten years later, if she had spent those ten years in Hell." Oh, joy....

The Bell Jar starts off on a dour note, the electrocution of the Rosenbergs. Something the main character, Esther Greenwood, becomes somewhat obsessed about, to her own dismay. She's also dismayed to be in New York, wearing fancy clothes, socializing with girls her own age, and attending swanky events hosted by the fashion magazine she's working for during the summer. She tries to fit in, and plays the part as best she can, but overall she's so blasé about the whole ordeal. She knows she shouldn't feel that way, but honestly she just can't help it.

As the story goes along, the indifference, and keenness to the macabre, turns into madness. Suffering from depression, she crawls under her mattress to blot out the light, continuously ponders on how to kill herself, and actually attempts to kill herself via several methods. After a few failed shock treatments, Esther is finally confined to a mental hospital. Throughout this whole experience, you're in her head, hearing her maddening thoughts, and feeling that maybe you're going a little mad, too.

The ending is a little uncertain, not the happiest of endings, but it is hinted at earlier on in the book that Esther grows older and lives a normal life with a child. However, knowing that The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical look at Sylvia Plath's own early life, it's clear that it all ends in tragedy. Plath killed herself in 1963, one month after The Bell Jar was published.

Despite the subject matter, and lingering sadness, The Bell Jar is beautifully written. The images that Plath conjures, about New York, especially, are enticing. One of my favorite lines is:

"My secret hope of spending the afternoon alone in Central Park died in the glass eggbeater of Ladies' Day's revolving doors. I found myself spewed out through the warm rain and into the dim, throbbing cave of a cab... "

Would I ever suggest this book to someone? I'm not sure. It offers great insight into how a depressed person would feel, but it's very, very heavy. If you're willing to give it a try, you can check it out here, at the Franklin County Library.

Julie's Journal : Fantasy

I've said before that I read just about anything.  I like good fiction of all sorts, biographies and narrative nonfiction, young adult books, classics and children's classics, and some science fiction.  Lately, I've been on a bit of a fantasy kick.

I've been asked several times what the difference between science fiction and fantasy is. We shelve the two together, but they are not necessarily similar.  Science fiction usually incorporates some sort of advanced technology or scientific capability.  The story might have robots, or clones, or space travel.  On the other hand, fantasy normally incorporates magic and supernatural powers.  Star Wars is more science fiction, while Harry Potter is fantasy.

I have read three fantasy books lately.  The first was awful.  The second was a re-read because I was desperate for something good to read.  The third was new-to-me and very enjoyable.


I read The Magicians because I heard that there was a show based on it airing on the SciFi channel.  I always like to read the books before I watch the show or movie, and after reading this book, I will not be watching the show.  I don't understand why people love this book.  (And they do.  Just read the reviews on Amazon.)  The main character, Quentin Coldwater, discovers, as he is finishing high school, that magic is real and becomes a student at a secret magical university in upstate New York. After finishing at the University, Quentin and his friends discover that books they had loved in childhood are based on a real place in another world and they travel there to visit.  The first part of the book draws heavily from Harry Potter, and the second part from Narnia.  The author seems to have taken both of those stories and tried to make them darker and more adult.  He only succeeds in proving that his world building is not as compelling as either J.K. Rowling's or C.S. Lewis's.  My biggest problem with the book is that Quentin and his friends are entirely unlikable.  They are always depressed, spend lots of time either getting drunk or recovering from hangovers, and when a decision needs to be made, they can be counted on to make the wrong one.  Obviously, I do not recommend The Magicians, but if you wish to read it, it and its sequels are available at FCL.

Eragon is a re-read for me.  Written when the author was just a teen, Eragon is the beginning of an epic adventure.  Our title character, Eragon, discovers a strange blue stone in the mountains near his village.  The stone quickly reveals itself to be an egg when a dragon hatches from it.  Eragon's uncle is killed by creatures know as Ra'zac and Eragon, his dragon Saphira, and an old storyteller named Brom set off on an adventure to try and find the Ra'zac and avenge Eragon's family.   There are four books in this series and we get to travel along with Eragon as he and Saphira learn what it means to be dragon and rider.  They battle forces of evil, learn magic, and help unite humans, elves, and dwarves in the battle against evil.  Do not bother with the movie as it does not do justice to this story.  The entire series is available at FCL.

I finished The Name of the Wind this weekend.  Kote is an innkeeper, with his friend Bast, in a tiny village off the beaten path.  Trouble abounds in the countryside and a spider-like creature called a skrael is menacing the area.  We discover quickly that Kote is an alias for Kvothe, a legendary hero and magician.  Chronicler has discovered Kvothe's whereabouts and has come to try and convince the legend to tell his story in his own words.   Kvothe was born to a family of troupers and spent his early life traveling from town to town as an entertainer.  At one town they picked up a man called Abenathy (Ben) who began to teach Kvothe on a variety of subjects including Sympathy in preparation for sending him to the University.  Eventually Kvothe's family is killed and after much hardship, he comes to the University to learn more about Sympathy, magic, and the Chandrian who killed his family.  His curiosity gets him into trouble a few times, but he is a prodigy and advances through the ranks very quickly.  He learns to use his musical skills to make enough money to pay his tuition and survive, but remains very poor.  Occasionally the story breaks and returns us to the little country inn, but for the most part we hear about Kvothe's time at the University.  I am excited about reading the next book in this series.  The library does not have physical copies of this book, but I found it on our e-reading service, Overdrive. 

Did you know? : Cookbooks

The library has a TON of cookbooks available for checkout.  I brought a few down and made a display, but this is only a fraction of what we have.

Come check out a cookbook and get creative in the kitchen today!

Poet's Perch : Boa Constrictor

I wanted a poem on the lighter side today so I chose Boa Constrictor.  I loved this poem as a child for the imagery it produced in my mind.  Enjoy!

Boa Constrictor

Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it--one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck,
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff . . .

Shel Silverstein

Movie Matinee : The Intern

If you aren't busy Friday afternoon, why not come by the library and watch The Intern with us.  We will be showing it at 1:30 in the meeting room upstairs.  Light refreshments will be served.  There is no cost to attend this event.

Robert DeNiro plays Ben, a retired widower who jumps back into the workforce as an intern at the successful new online fashion site owned by Jules (Anne Hathaway).  I haven't seen the movie, so I can't give a review, but online reviewers bill it as sweet and funny.

The Intern is rated PG-13. 

Chance's Corner: Children's Graphic Novels

We have a lot to offer at the Franklin County Library, but most people don't know about one of the hidden gems we offer -- graphic novels for children.

Graphic novels are comic-strip style, illustrated adventures that are usually stand-alone, instead of being released serially, and have a more complex plot. Our selections of graphic novels cover both the fiction and non-fiction genres that cover a range of subjects from superheros to mythical heroes, from the history of Indiana Jones to the history of the American Dust Bowl, and from Boxcar Children mysteries to Scooby-Doo mysteries.

The fascinating thing about graphic novels is the artwork put into them, which is oftentimes just as enthralling as the story itself. In the right hands, a graphic novel can be a work of art and can convey more than any words could ever do. With the examples below, which we all have here at the library, you can see that no drawing style is alike.

If your child, or your child at heart, would like to read a graphic novel, they can all be found in our juvenile section. Check them out today!