BookWyrm

Jenny Jaybles reviewed The Master Letters by Lucie Brock-Broido

Lucie Brock-Broido: The Master Letters (Paperback, 1997, Knopf)

Lovely

5 stars

I absolutely love these poems. I want to reread these over and over.

Jenny Jaybles reviewed Prince of Annwn by Evangeline Wilna Ensley

Evangeline Wilna Ensley: Prince of Annwn (1974, Ballantine Books)

Beautiful

5 stars

This was truly so beautifully imagined.

Jenny Jaybles reviewed Stories by Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov: Stories (2000, Bantam Books)

Called the greatest of short story writers, Chekhov changed the genre itself with his spare, …

The Greatest.

5 stars

Jenny Jaybles reviewed Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway (2002, Harcourt)

Virginia Woolf’s novel chronicles a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a politician’s wife …

I really loved parts of it

4 stars

If the entire book was just about Septimus, the young man with trauma from being in the war, and his wife and their story I would have thought this the greatest book ever. For some reason most of the book is about some snobby rich people and the two most interesting people are just a little side plot. Yes it's absolutely beautifully written and I cried about Septimus; but, I think this is going to be my least liked of Woolf's books. I have a feeling I might enjoy her other books better. I understand why people rave about it but I just could not bring myself to feel nothing but irritation and sometimes loathing for Mrs. Dalloway and the terrible people around her. If that was the point of the novel than it was well done but somehow I think I was supposed to feel bad for Mrs. Dalloway …

If the entire book was just about Septimus, the young man with trauma from being in the war, and his wife and their story I would have thought this the greatest book ever. For some reason most of the book is about some snobby rich people and the two most interesting people are just a little side plot. Yes it's absolutely beautifully written and I cried about Septimus; but, I think this is going to be my least liked of Woolf's books. I have a feeling I might enjoy her other books better. I understand why people rave about it but I just could not bring myself to feel nothing but irritation and sometimes loathing for Mrs. Dalloway and the terrible people around her. If that was the point of the novel than it was well done but somehow I think I was supposed to feel bad for Mrs. Dalloway for some reason, even though she's just an awful person. It is impressive how such tremendously beautiful and skillful writing could make character's I care nothing about make me feel interested enough in them to keep reading. A lot of authors are just not capable of this.

Jenny Jaybles reviewed Fairfield Porter by Justin Spring

Justin Spring: Fairfield Porter (Hardcover, 2000, Yale University Press)

"Fairfield Porter, a twentieth-century painter who produced realist work in the midst of the Abstract …

Just okay

3 stars

It's okay. Some parts are a bit dry but the thing I have the most problem with is the author's conclusions made about how Fairfield Porter treated the people around him. He seemed to be trying to paint him in a better light than he deserved and making poor excuses for his behavior. I severely question the author's insinuations about James Schuyler. The author seems to have no awareness about power dynamics and how a severely mentally ill person can be preyed upon which is what I think Porter did to Schuyler. Enough information is given for me to read between the lines and make my own thoughts though. I did like learning about the different poets and artists from this time period. I've become more fascinated by these other people and pretty much think Porter was a jerk and no longer want to read anything else about him.