I come from a family that celebrates, some say to excess, any and every occasion we enjoy. Before you assume that my house is draped in colored lights for every conceivable holiday let me say that there are many different ways to celebrate. For me it often involves reading seasonal books, stories and poems.
Halloween has never been my favorite holiday, but I have enjoyed spooky stories clear back to my childhood. Last year I spent much of October reading science fiction, mystery and stories I consider seasonal in subject or tone. It was a wonderful month to be reading. From the dates and notes in my reading journal October 2010 went like this:
10-3-2010 I began the month with The Last Dickens: A Novel by Matthew Pearl. I had read Poe's Shadow and The Dante Club by Pearl so knew that I would probably like this book as well. I didn't expect it to be quiet as dark or to be written in a style so similar to Charles Dickens. It is the story of the last book written by Dickens but left unfinished, Mystery of Edwin Drood. The color and characters are too much like a Dickens work to be unintentional. Although not chosen for as an October read this book did guide me the books I read for the rest of the month.
10-8-2010 Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly was my next pick. I must say I prefer the alternate title The Modern Day Prometheus, it better describes the main character. Instead of a moaning, groaning creature described as "Frankenstein's monster" I met an agile, god-like creature of intelligence and compassion. He is turned upon by the people and world that he so loves. I think we can all identify with that feeling at some time in varying degrees. Although I have seen the old black and white movie this was my first reading.
10-15-2010 My next selection was a re-read of Dracula by Bram Stoker. I read this book back in high school, it is just as good as I remembered, but different. I remembered Dracula as being more sensual and romantically involved in his victims, not so. Perhaps that image came from the old black and whites. This time around he seems more animal-like and brutal. He seemed vengeful toward Dr. Van Helsing and the other men who helped Lucy to her final rest. Lucy...I would have expected to remember her name but didn't. My final note says "I guess it pays to re-visit those old classics."
10-18-2010 "I thought this would be a great Halloween read because I have often listened to the radio re-broadcast on Halloween night." So begins my journal entry for War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Much to my surprise I was reading a whole different story than the one so familiar to me while growing up. Set in England at the turn of the century this story was a wonderful, and new, read. The Martians are both all-powerful and vulnerable. The reactions of the people predictable by today's sci-fi standards. Orson Welles supposedly based his 1938 broadcast on this book, but very loosely. My anticipation of the radio version is not damaged by Welles' interpretation.
10-26-2010 If one H. G. Wells is good, two must be better, so my next book was The Time Machine. It is better than the movie which in this case is saying a lot. The movie does follow the storyline very closely, especially at the beginning. The Morlacks and Eloiand are different visually from the movie portrayal. At the end the stories take two different paths. In the movie the time traveler goes back to Weena, apparently to help or at least change their civilization. In the book there is a different ending that is well worth the read even if you know the movie by heart.
Pick a book to read during the upcoming holidays. You will need an excuse to sit down, put some soft music on in the background and relax.
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