THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

This is a book a read months ago, Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. This book is a memoir and It's really good and sad. I'd reccomend it those who like memoirs.

I love Sharon Kay Penman. I just love sinking into books like that. Reading 'Anna Karenina' at the moment, and is having the same affect. Russia in the 1870's sounds so extravagant, even the French would have stepped back and gone wow.

I am reading The Screwtape Letters (still) and Death at Devil's Bridge by Robin Paige. I am also going to start listening to Firefly Lane tomorrow.

Lauli wrote: "I am currently reading The Blind Assassin because it is the book of the month in one of the book clubs I have joined, but I am enjoying the possibility to get acquainted with Margaret ..."

Lauli, I'll be picking this up at the library today. Like you, it is a monthly read for one of my groups. I'm looking forward to reading Margaret Atwood.

Hi all............I picked up an anthology at a used book store titled "101 Year's Entertainment. The Great Detective Stories 1841-1941" edited by Ellery Queen. It begins with "The Purloined Letter" by Poe and contains some stories/authors with whom I am familiar and some I am not. There is one very strange, compelling story called "The S.S." (this was before the infamous SS of WWII) by M.P. Shiel with a character named Prince Zaleski. The character only appeared in three stories but he is certainly very different from any other "detective" that you have ever encountered. It is the kind of story that you must read at least twice to understand all the nuances of probably the first telling of serial murder. Very eerie. Is anyone familiar with the character or the author?

Sadie wrote: "Justin wrote: "Sadie wrote: "This will be my first Anne Tyler novel. She's my friend's favorite authors as well. I'll let you know what I think."

I'm curious what you think of the Anne Tyler n..."

I have to admit that I am not a fan of Anne Tyler- when I was in College we had to read The Accidental Tourist- and it ---welll- just wasnt my cup of tea!

Jill wrote: "Hi all............I picked up an anthology at a used book store titled "101 Year's Entertainment. The Great Detective Stories 1841-1941" edited by Ellery Queen. It begins with "The Purloined Lette..."

here is some info on this very interesting author

Matthew Phipps Shiel (21 July 1865 – 17 February 1947) was a prolific British writer of West Indian descent. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name.

Shiell moved to England in 1885, eventually adopting Shiel as his pen name. After working as a teacher and translator he broke into the fiction market with a series of short stories published in The Strand and other magazines. His early literary reputation was based on two collections of short stories influenced by Poe published in the Keynote series by John Lane, Prince Zaleski (1895) and Shapes in the Fire (1896), considered by some critics to be the most flamboyant works of the English decadent movement.[3:] His first novel was The Rajah's Sapphire (1896)[4:], based on a plot by William Thomas Stead, who probably hired Shiel to write the novel.[5:]

Shiel's popular reputation was made by another work for hire. This began as a serial contracted by Peter Keary (1865-1915), of C. Arthur Pearson Ltd, to capitalize on public interest in a crisis in China (which became known as the Scramble for Concessions.)

The Empress of the Earth ran weekly in Short Stories from 5 February – 18 June 1898. The early chapters incorporated actual headline events as the crisis unfolded, and proved wildly popular with the public. Pearson responded by ordering Shiel to double the length of the serial to 150,000 words, but Shiel cut it back by a third for the book version, which was rushed out that July as The Yellow Danger.

Some contemporary critics described this novel as a fictionalization of Charles Henry Pearson's National Life and Character: A Forecast (1893). Shiel's Asian villain, Dr. Yen How, has been cited as a possible basis for the better-known Dr. Fu Manchu.[6:]. Dr. Yen How was probably based on the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), who had first gained fame in England in 1896 when he was kidnapped and imprisoned at the Chinese embassy in London until public outrage pressured the English government to demand his release. Similar kidnapping incidents occurred in several of Shiel's subsequent novels.[7:] The Yellow Danger was Shiel's most successful book during his lifetime, going through numerous editions, particularly when the Boxer Rebellion of 1899-1901 seemed to confirm his fictional portrayal of Chinese hostility to the West. Shiel himself considered the novel hackwork, and seemed embarrassed by its success. It was a likely influence on H. G. Wells in The War in the Air (1908)[8:], Jack London in The Unparalleled Invasion (1910)[9:], and others.

His next novel was another serial contracted by Pearson to tie into the Spanish-American War. Contraband of War ran in Pearson's Weekly 7 May—9 July 1898, again incorporating headline events into the serial as the war progressed. It was published as a book the following year.

[edit:] Genre innovator
Around 1899-1900 Shiel conceived a loosely linked trilogy of novels which were described by David G. Hartwell in his introduction to the Gregg Press edition of The Purple Cloud as possibly the first future history series in science fiction. Each was linked by similar introductory frame purporting to show that the novels were visions of progressively more distant (or alternative?) futures glimpsed by a clairvoyant in a trance. Notebook I of the series had been plotted at least by 1898, but would not see print until published as The Last Miracle (1906). Notebook II became The Lord of the Sea (1901), which was recognized by contemporary readers as a critique of private ownership of land based on the theories of Henry George.[10:]

Shiel's lasting literary reputation is largely based on Notebook III of the series which was serialized in The Royal Magazine in abridged form before book publication that autumn as The Purple Cloud (1901). The novel tells the tale of Adam Jeffson, who, returning alone from an expedition to the North Pole, discovers that a worldwide catastrophe has left him as the last man alive.[11:]

Shiel had married a young Parisian-Spaniard, Carolina Garcia Gomez in 1898, who was the model for a character in Cold Steel (1900) and several short stories. (The Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machen and decadent poet Theodore Wratislaw were among the wedding guests.)[12:] They separated around 1903 and his daughter was taken to Spain after Lina's death around 1904. Shiel blamed the failure of the marriage on the interference of his mother-in-law, but money was at the heart of their problems. Shiel was caught between his desire to write high art and his need to produce more commercial fare. When his better efforts did not sell well, he was forced to seek more journalistic work, and began to collaborate with Louis Tracy on a series of romantic mystery novels, some published under Tracy's name, others under the pseudonyms Gordon Holmes and Robert Fraser. The last of their known collaborations appeared in 1911.[13:]

[edit:] Edwardian times
In 1902 Shiel turned away from the more dramatic future war and science fiction themes which had dominated his early serial novels and began a series which have been described as his middle period romantic novels. The most interesting was the first, serialized as In Love’s Whirlpool in Cassell’s Saturday Journal, 14 May—3 September 1902, and published in book form as The Weird o’It (1902). Shiel later described it as a "true Bible or Holy Book" for modern times, in which he had attempted to represent "Christianity in a radical way." This novel was far from hackwork, and besides apparent autobiographical elements (including a minor character based on Ernest Dowson with whom Shiel is rumored to have roomed briefly in the 1890s), contains some of his finest writing, but it was not reprinted in England, nor formally published in America.[14:]

Shiel returned to contemporary themes in The Yellow Wave (1905), an historical novel about the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The novel was a recasting of Romeo and Juliet into the on-going war with leading families of the two nations standing in for the feuding Capulets and Montagues of Shakespeare's play. Shiel modeled his hero on Yoshio Markino (1874-1956), the Japanese artist and author who lived in London from 1897-1942. In February 1904 Shiel had offered to Peter Keary to go to the front as a war correspondent with letters of introduction from Markino.[15:] He may have met Markino through Arthur Ransome who dedicated Bohemia In London (1907) to Shiel and used him as the model for the chapter on "The Novelist."[16:]

Faced with declining sales of his books, Shiel tried to recapture the success of The Yellow Danger when China and Sun Yat-sen returned to the headlines during the Chinese Revolution of 1911-1912. Though a better novel in most respects, The Dragon (1913), serialized earlier that year as To Arms! and revised in 1929 as The Yellow Peril, failed to catch the public's interest. As the hero of the story had oddly predicted, Shiel turned away from novels for ten years.

[edit:] Scandal
It had been popularly believed that Shiel had spent time in prison for fraud. However, it was discovered in 2008 that in 1914 Shiel had actually been convicted under the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1885) for 'indecently assaulting and carnally knowing' his 12 year old de facto stepdaughter.[17:] Unrepentant, Shiel served sixteen months hard labour in prison, complaining to the Home Secretary about his treatment in a letter to the publisher Grant Richards shortly after his release. Shiel's discussion of his crime is disingenuous; he conceals from Richards the identity of his victim in addition to misleading him about her age. Instead he refers to 'love-toyings' with an older girl on the cusp of maturity. Nor does Shiel mention the fact that he had known both the girl and her sisters long before his conviction, perhaps intimately, as contemporary letters from one of the sisters to Shiel suggests. When Shiel was convicted he described himself as a 'clerk and metal worker', presumably to conceal his identity. He appealed the conviction unsuccessfully.

It is too early to assess whether this new revelation about Shiel will have an impact upon his literary legacy. However, as Macleod argues in her essay, young heroines abound in Shiel's novels, where they are romanticised, idealised and sexualised through the eyes of the male author. She cites the example of the two thousand-year-old Rachel in 'This Above All' (1933), who is portrayed as part “child,” part “harlot,” part “saint”, since she still inhabits the young girl's body she possessed when raised from the dead and thus rendered immortal by the Biblical Christ. Lazarus (also a 2,000 year old immortal for the same reason) is warned ruefully against her: “If Rachel and you co-habit without some marriage-rite, you may see yourself in prison here in Europe, since it cannot be believed that she is as old as fourteen.”[18:]

[edit:] Georgian times
Over the next decade Shiel wrote five plays, dabbled in radical politics and translated at least one, though probably more, pamphlets for the Workers Socialist Federation. In 1919 he married his second wife, Esther Lydia Furley (1872-1942). They traveled in Italy in the early 1920s, probably living largely off her income, and separated amicably around 1929, but do not seem to have divorced.

He returned to writing around 1922 and between 1923 and 1937 published a further ten or so books, as well as thorough revisions of five of his older novels. Shiel spent most of his last decade working on a "truer" translation of the Gospel of Luke with extensive commentary. He finished it, but half of the final draft was lost after his death in Chichester.

In 1931 Shiel met a young poet and bibliophile, John Gawsworth, who befriended him and helped him obtain a Civil List Pension. Gawsworth talked Shiel into allowing him to complete several old story fragments, sometimes roping literary friends like Oswell Blakeston into helping. The results were largely unsuccessful, but Gawsworth used them as filler in various anthologies with his name prominently listed as co-author.[19:]

[edit:] Redonda: the legend of the kingdom
Main article: Kingdom of Redonda
As King Felipe, Shiel was purportedly the king of Redonda, a small uninhabited rocky island in the West Indies, situated a short distance northwest of the island of Montserrat, where Shiel was born.

The Redonda legend was probably created out of whole cloth by Shiel himself, and was first mentioned publicly in a 1929 booklet advertising the reissue of four of his novels by Victor Gollancz. According to the story Shiel told, he was crowned King of Redonda on his 15th birthday in 1880. However, there is little evidence that Shiel took these claims seriously, and his biographer, Harold Billings, speculates that the story may have been an intentional hoax foisted on the gullible press.[20:] At this late date, proving or completely discrediting the story may turn out to be impossible either way.

On his death Gawsworth became both his literary executor and his appointed heir to the "kingdom". Gawsworth took the legend of Redonda to heart. He never lost an opportunity to further elaborate the tale and spread the story to the press.[21:]

currently reading SAFER- really great suburban thriller- by Sean Doolittle and the great Captain Blood!! hard to read it withiut thinking- ERROL FLYNN!!

Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Hi all............I picked up an anthology at a used book store titled "101 Year's Entertainment. The Great Detective Stories 1841-1941" edited by Ellery Queen. It begins with "The Pu..."

Rick,
Thanks for providing this information on an interesting and little-known writer. The only part I was familiar with was the Redonda legend--which is a fascinating subject in itself.

Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Hi all............I picked up an anthology at a used book store titled "101 Year's Entertainment. The Great Detective Stories 1841-1941" edited by Ellery Queen. It begins with "The Pu..."

WOW!!! Thanks so much Rick for that information on Shiel. A very interesting man indeed. I am going to find some of his other works, since the short story I read intrigued me.

I'm reading Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair. It's sci-fi romance, lots of action but so far not dominated by romance. Linnea's a friend of mine, and I thought it was high time I read one of her books even though I don't read sci-fi. I have to say, though, that I'm really enjoying it!

Reading a few at once...we're moving so i don't have a lot of time to read right now. Just started Mike Carey's The Devil You Know.

On one of our threads, we've made mention of the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series, written by Elizabeth Peters (whose real name is Barbara Mertz, and who also writes under the name Barbara Michaels); the author isn't British, but her heroine definitely is. I've been wanting for a long time to explore this series; so I'm delighted that as of yesterday, I started on the first book, Crocodile on the Sandbank!

Werner wrote: "On one of our threads, we've made mention of the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series, written by Elizabeth Peters (whose real name is Barbara Mertz, and who also writes under the name Barbara ..."

Is she perhaps related to Fred and Ethel Mertz? :O)

My wife must have read and later listened to the Peabody books a dozen times. She loved them. (I could never get into them, but that's another story).

I just finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and am about to start Wuthering Heights as a part of my book club... Any one who is slightly interested in English literature has to be acquainted with Emily Bronte. Right? That is what my high school English teacher said.

Rick wrote: "Sadie wrote: "Justin wrote: "Sadie wrote: "This will be my first Anne Tyler novel. She's my friend's favorite authors as well. I'll let you know what I think."

I'm curious what you think of th..."

Same here, tried reading Breathing Lessons but didnt get to finish it.

Werner wrote: "On one of our threads, we've made mention of the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series, written by Elizabeth Peters (whose real name is Barbara Mertz, and who also writes under the name Barbara ..."

Oh, I LOVE that series. I've read all the books twice, and listened to them on audio twice as well. It's not my usual genre - I generally prefer literature or history - but for some reason these are just really fun.

I just discovered another series that has similar appeal - the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry (starting w/ The Cater Street Hangman). Interestingly, the author is a convicted murderess (one of the kids featured in Beautiful Creatures).

I love Anne Perry. I am a big fan of hers. I thought that the debut book, The Cater Street Hangman, was what really got me hooked on her.

I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nicholas Blake

I'm currently reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, and I'm into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" at the moment. Why? As is probably obvious, the recent release of the film Alice in Wonderland reminded me of just how much I loved these stories when I was a kid. It's been probably 10 years or more since I last read Carroll, and the film brought his work back to mind.

Donegal wrote: "I'm currently reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, and I'm into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" at the moment. Why? As is probably obvious, the recent release of the film Alice in Wond..."

I really enjoyed the Alice Stories- there was an underlying cynical humor that I realized as an adult reading them- that as I child went right over my head!

Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nicholas Blake"

Rick.....I have enjoyed the Nicholas Blake books tremendously, one in particular that I remember is "The Beast Must Die". Mr. Day-Lewis had some pretty good credentials as he was not only Daniel's father but also the Poet Laureate of England. Pretty impressive!!!

Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nicholas Blake"

Rick.....I have ..."

most definately! I ordered vol. 2 and 3- each have 3 books in them- vol. 1 was too expensive for me to afford

Ivan, I don't suppose Mertz is any relation to Fred and Ethel :-); but I do know that under her real name, she writes serious nonfiction books about ancient Egypt (she has her doctorate in the subject), most recently Red Land, Black Land. (We have that one at the college library where I work.)

Miss GP, I've heard of Anne Perry's historical mystery series, and it's another one I'd like to sample!

Werner wrote: "Ivan, I don't suppose Mertz is any relation to Fred and Ethel :-); but I do know that under her real name, she writes serious nonfiction books about ancient Egypt (she has her doctorate in the subj..."

Wow! I didn't know that. I'll have to see if I can find some of her NF works.

Kind of reminds me of Colleen McCullough. I knew she'd written The Thornbirds, but was surprised to find she's a well-respected Roman historian, and had written a great historical fiction series on it starting with The First Man in Rome.

Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nicholas Blake"

R..."

UPDATE!!!!- I was looking through my boxes of books- and found volume one of Nicholas Blake- so I will now have all three volume- dont ever remember getting it!

Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nichola..."

Let us know how well you enjoy (or don't enjoy) the Blake novels - the sound great. I'm about the start my third Edmund Crispin.

Ivan wrote: "Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen..."

will do- 3 books to read b4 I get to Blake0 but I shall keep you informed!~

Suzanne wrote: "Jennifer*Thank you for admitting to 'Twilight'. It receives great scorn and derision here in GR.

All I can say is, to my absolute astonishment, upon opening the first book in the series ...
I d..."

I personally enjoyed the whole Twilight Series. It/they may not be the best books ever written, but they are enjoyable. Especially if you examine the many tie-ins from one book to the others.

s•u•n•s•h•i•n•e §KENZ§ «mickey» wrote: "Has anyone read Faro's Daughter? I don't remember who it's by (as usual), but I'm gonna go look for it..."

I have always loved Georgette Heyer, but am having a difficult time finding them in eBook form. I am an MR reader and don't purchase DTB (dead tree books any more, if I can help it)

Ivan wrote: "Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen..."

Ivan........I'm sure you will like the Blake books as well as the Crispin series. But save a couple of Crispin's for dessert!!!

Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries under the pen name Nichola..."

Rick.....finding that Blake book is like finding a little treasure. Don't you love it when you discover a book that you forgot you had? Enjoy!!

Jill wrote: "Ivan wrote: "Rick wrote: "Rick wrote: "Jill wrote: "Rick wrote: "I recently picked up some volumes of Nicholas Blake Mysteries- he is actually Cecil Day-Lewis father of Daniel- who wrote mysteries ..."

This is only my third - it sounds delicious - and it should come this week from Amazon. Right now I'm reading (very slowly) My Family and Other Animals.

Donegal wrote: "I'm currently reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, and I'm into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" at the moment. Why? As is probably obvious, the recent release of the film Alice in Wond..."

I love Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass! The movie (with Johnny Depp)is currently running here in the Philippines and i must say it did bring the book to life.

I especially love the poetry within the book and I have always wanted to act out the character of the Queen of Hearts!

VERY MUCH SO!!! A TREASURE!! TO FIND THE BLAKE BOOK!

I'm reading Rick Steves' London 2010 because my husband and I are planning a trip there.

I am still on The Screwtape Letters. I am also reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am also still listening to Firefly Lane.

Screw Tape Letters is one of my favorite books... hope you like it

Joy wrote: "I'm reading Rick Steves' London 2010 because my husband and I are planning a trip there."

I love Rick Steves and his PBS show. He does a European Christmas - which I have on DVD - that is so wonderful - and it really brings the spirit of Christmas to my heart, reminding me its not about spending money, office parties and one-upmanship.

My dream vacation to visit St Ives Cornwall (there's so much to see and do there).

I'm reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Color of Magic. I have been planning to read Terry Pratchett for while and am regretting not reading this author sooner. I love his style of writing and will read more of him.

I found The picture of Dorian Gray in a museum shop while I was visiting Dublin. I was intrigued by the story and also love the way it is written, as it reminds me of the way Britain used to be.

Girl with the Red Dragon Tatoo is excellent as well as the sequel.

Rose wrote "Girl with the Red Dragon Tatoo is excellent as well as the sequel"

That book is on my reading list and I hope to get round to it in April or May.

Kimberley wrote: "Rose wrote "Girl with the Red Dragon Tatoo is excellent as well as the sequel"

That book is on my reading list and I hope to get round to it in April or May."

the film version of Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) is one of the finest book to film examples- wonderful movie

I loved the movie Picture of Dorian Gray. THe story has always interested me. However, I did not like the book at all. Most likelly will not be reading much of Mr. Wilde.

Kimberley wrote: "I'm reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Color of Magic. I have been planning to read Terry Pratchett for while and am regretting not reading this author sooner. I ..."

I love the Discworld books. They only get better as more are added to the series. My favorite, though, has to be Small Gods. Although I've read them all in hard copy, I also own them on audio. Those read by Nigel Planer are perhaps the best recorded books I have (out of more than 400).

Miss GP wrote:"
I love the Discworld books. They only get better as more are added to the series. My favorite, though, has to be Small Gods. Although I've read them all in hard copy, I also own them on audio. Those read by Nigel Planer are perhaps the best recorded books I have (out of more than 400)."

I'm considering buying discworld on audio because I think they would be amazing to listen to on the bus or while doing cross stitch or something like that. Thanks for that Miss GP!

Rick wrote: "Kimberley wrote: "Rose wrote "Girl with the Red Dragon Tatoo is excellent as well as the sequel"

That book is on my reading list and I hope to get round to it in April or May."

the film versi..."

Rick and Rose: I agree that "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a very good movie and is true to the book. Hurd Hatfield, playing the lead, was perfect and George Sanders, as the aristocrat (based on Wilde) was a scene stealer.
I like Wilde's poetry, especially "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" but haven't read many of his novels except for "The Picture of........"

Rick wrote: "Kimberley wrote: "Rose wrote "Girl with the Red Dragon Tatoo is excellent as well as the sequel"

That book is on my reading list and I hope to get round to it in April or May."

the film versi..."

Another great film I've never seen. Isn't George Sanders in it (I know he's not the lead, but he and Angela Lansbury - am I right?).