Comments on: Review: Ms. Hempel Chronicles http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268 Autumn Hiscock shares her daily minutiae, featuring cello, handspinning, and writing. Now with fully functional RSS feeds and a comment box that behaves! Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:36:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Owldaughter http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39288 Owldaughter Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:39:46 +0000 http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39288 We had to read at least three books a week for LAC alone, above and beyond whatever we had to read for our non-LAC classes. Most of us skimmed! We had to read at least three books a week for LAC alone, above and beyond whatever we had to read for our non-LAC classes. Most of us skimmed!

]]> By: paze http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39286 paze Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:10:32 +0000 http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39286 Arghh! Shows you what my memory is like these days. Although, now that I think about it, I suspect that I did a speed reading of it for school and only *really* read it several years later . . . Anyway, that's my lame excuse for misremembering. Never read his second book, though my dad told me it wasn't worth the effort. Arghh! Shows you what my memory is like these days. Although, now that I think about it, I suspect that I did a speed reading of it for school and only *really* read it several years later . . . Anyway, that’s my lame excuse for misremembering.

Never read his second book, though my dad told me it wasn’t worth the effort.

]]> By: Owldaughter http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39285 Owldaughter Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:01:28 +0000 http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39285 Pasley, darling, I do believe that we read together it for LAC third year. And yes, I love it. So much that I was disappointed with the next Ishiguro book I read, which was... the Unconsoled, I think? I couldn't finish it. I don't think I have it any more, but maybe I'll take it out of the library and try again. Pasley, darling, I do believe that we read together it for LAC third year. And yes, I love it. So much that I was disappointed with the next Ishiguro book I read, which was… the Unconsoled, I think? I couldn’t finish it. I don’t think I have it any more, but maybe I’ll take it out of the library and try again.

]]> By: paze http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39283 paze Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:55:33 +0000 http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39283 Hmmm . . . I actually quite enjoy books like this, books that are character driven, where the conflict lurks beneath the surface rather than screaming its presence in the narrative. The Remains of the Day, one of my all-time favorite novels, is much like that: although the conflict is very significant, the movement of the narrative is lovely and slow and the conflict only very gradually reveals itself. Even then, it's arguable that the conflict is actually resolved in the end, which I also like. Have you ever read it? Based on your review, I think you'd enjoy it. (And yes, the film is wonderful, but the novel has so much more depth, particularly since it's in the first person.) Hmmm . . . I actually quite enjoy books like this, books that are character driven, where the conflict lurks beneath the surface rather than screaming its presence in the narrative. The Remains of the Day, one of my all-time favorite novels, is much like that: although the conflict is very significant, the movement of the narrative is lovely and slow and the conflict only very gradually reveals itself. Even then, it’s arguable that the conflict is actually resolved in the end, which I also like. Have you ever read it? Based on your review, I think you’d enjoy it. (And yes, the film is wonderful, but the novel has so much more depth, particularly since it’s in the first person.)

]]> By: Owldaughter http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39243 Owldaughter Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:09:29 +0000 http://www.owldaughter.org/blog/?p=2268#comment-39243 That's one of the things that made the review had to write.There isn't an identifiable conflict or problem. It's the protagonist observing the world around her, particularly the self-expression of her students and her colleagues, that creates a subtle sense of growth or development in the character. If I had to shake it all and pull one thing out that stayed with me conflict-wise I'd say it's the character's need to express herself via challenging preconceived notions... except it's never expressly stated, it's just a suggestion the reader comes away with from observing the character observe. It's a very organic and character-driven kind of story. In the end I think the dual title interpretation is the central story: the protagonist observes, and allows those observations to subtly change her. She chronicles what she observes; the reader if left to observe how her behaviour alters slightly in response. That’s one of the things that made the review had to write.There isn’t an identifiable conflict or problem. It’s the protagonist observing the world around her, particularly the self-expression of her students and her colleagues, that creates a subtle sense of growth or development in the character. If I had to shake it all and pull one thing out that stayed with me conflict-wise I’d say it’s the character’s need to express herself via challenging preconceived notions… except it’s never expressly stated, it’s just a suggestion the reader comes away with from observing the character observe. It’s a very organic and character-driven kind of story.

In the end I think the dual title interpretation is the central story: the protagonist observes, and allows those observations to subtly change her. She chronicles what she observes; the reader if left to observe how her behaviour alters slightly in response.

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