Kaseys Korner

The Yellow Wallpaper

"If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression---a slight hysterical tendency---what is one to do?”

ummm, well, confinement on the 3rd floor of an old mansion ~ in what was once a childrens nursery ~ with bars on the windows and torn yellow wallpaper sounds like just the ticket to good health, doesn't it? NOT!

Holy cow. When I think women haven't come far enough, this piece of chilling literature makes it seem like we've reached the pinnacle. I cannot imagine why anyone would think a world devoid of stimulation was the answer to hysteria (whatever that is?)

When the description of the wallpaper first came up, my first thought was that someone had hung it wrong. The more the narrator perseverated on it, the more I realized she was deteriorating mentally for lack of anything else to do. and rapidly too since the mansion was only rented for the summer! That was quick. I want to hate her husband, that lauded, esteemed physician, for leaving her alone all day long and even quite a few evenings. I think being in the Covid pandemic has shown all of us how difficult it is to be in isolation and we have many more tools available to us to reach out than this woman did. This woman knew better than her husband how to help herself ~ she suggests taking one of the downstairs rooms, that was more appealing in every way and more connected to outside life. She wants to visit her Uncle and his wife. All of these things better choices.

Of course I wanted to dissect it & analyze how she saw a face and then a girl and then multiple women behind bars in the wallpaper. I could understand where the bars came from that she thought were imprisoning the girl. The moonlight shining thru the actual bars on the nursery windows created that effect and I'm actually wondering if the face behind the bars was a projection on her part (of herself) since she felt trapped in that lifeless existence?? This would be a great book to discuss!

I read that the author herself was subjected to this kind of treatment and realized it almost caused her to have a complete mental breakdown which was the purpose behind penning the book. I hope it did contribute to changes in treatment. Men definitely had complete control of their wives until not that many years ago (in the scope of time.) It's absolutely frightening to think how many women, over the course of history, were put "away" in this manner or worse. No doubt when her husband recovered from his faint, he immediately hauled his wife to a sanitorium.

This book is a classic which makes it difficult for me to give it only two stars. I really couldn't "like" it or find it "amazing" tho. It's seriously disturbing literature and very disjointing to read. Maybe it deserves higher marks for the visceral reactions it elicits??  I'm happy to have an awareness of this work but I'm not sure I feel better for it??

Hunted

If you've ever thought the story of 'Beauty and the Beast' ~ that enthralled so many of us in childhood ~ couldn't get any better, Meagan Spooner just sledge hammered that notion. Insert the tinkling sound of glass shards hitting a marble floor as that thought breaks...

In 'Hunted' Ms Spooner put a medieval spin on this classic that's so purely magical and with the same transportive powers that bewitched us at first reading. It has the complexity of Eastern fairytales. It doesn't matter that the underlying tale is familiar, the journey to the happy ending is uniquely enchanting and has you racing thru the pages. This retelling is steeped in Russian/Slavic history and to say it has a non-traditional finish is putting it mildly. If fairytales left you starry eyed at some point in your life, or you still believe in them, this book will reignite your love of the genre. If you are a 'Beauty & the Beast' aficionado, it's a "must-read!"

This portion of the authors note at the end of the book particularly spoke to me:
"Male or female, young or old, if you're reading this book, then you're also that child reading by flashlight and dreaming of other worlds. Don't be scared of her, that inner Beauty, or her dreams. Let her out. She's you and she's me and she's magic."

That was totally me, busted so many times for reading under the covers by flashlight! I'm glad no one has the authority to stop me from reading into the wee hours of the morning anymore. This book is easily one to lose sleep over ~ lured by the fresh inventive twist on the story and driven by the need to discover the particulars of how this rendition ends ~ the night could easily slip into dawn.
Loved, loved, loved it.

Daisy Jones & The Six

I *think* this is the first book I've ever read in oral history format?? It felt rather like reading a really long interview ~ the type you see in a magazine, except in that medium it would never have been so wordy.

I was drawn to this book only when I found out it was supposed to be loosely based on the band Fleetwood Mac. Did everyone in America (or around the world) own a copy of 'Rumours??"
Before making that discovery, I'd passed it over a dozen times, thinking it wasn't a subject matter that was overly interesting to me.
Maybe I should have stuck to that intuition?? If you're insanely into the music industry or just want a refresher (or introduction) to the 70's drug crazed music scene, I'd say perfect book for you. Otherwise the business of putting together an album, touring to promote it and all the shenanigans that take place behind the scene may not be all that appealing. It might even dim the wattage on your favorite musician to know that mega watt talent can't even supersede the flaws of being human.

On the other hand, the author could have a whole other career in songwriting judging by the songs she personally wrote (whose lyrics are all at the back of the book.) Now that's some major talent too!!

The Blue

** spoiler alert ** Okay, let's just get this out of the way right off ~ did anyone else want the saucy, ambitious Genevieve to end up with Sir Gabriel??? or is there just something horribly wrong with my romance radar??? It seemed there was an undeniable attraction between them despite his intermittent rogue/deceptive treatment of her?? I really hoped they would find a way to be together by books end. Dang, dang, dang. Nothing against Thomas, I just sensed Genevieve was a great match for Sir Gabriel and a good partner for the deep, brooding place he could descend to, mostly thru no fault of his own. Afterall what's a born noble to do when his inheritance falls thru other than find another way to make coin?? Whether it be by honest or illicit means??

But enough already!! Least I give the mistaken impression that the book belongs in the romance genre!!! It's not the primary intention by all means. What it really is, is a truly interesting fictional story that interweaves the history of European porcelain into it's fiber along with more than a touch of the French persecution of Huguenots. I had no idea how competitive the porcelain industry was? It seemed such a genteel passion, one I love myself, especially antique porcelain (maybe of this period??) That thin, delicate, artistic breakables would be derived from devious/cutthroat means surprised me even tho I'm not sure why?? It makes sense tho ~ has secret stealing across industries ever gone away?? Why would colors or techniques for making porcelain be exempt from those practices??

One thing the author left hanging for me was why, after such heavy pursuit of the color blue, wouldn't it be used?? If King Louis didn't want it showing up in England after Thomas left and he wasn't going to allow it produced at Sevres ~ what was the point??

***Tiny little sidetrack ~ for those with an interest in Madame de Pompadour ~ it was an unexpected delight to have her featured within the story. I didn't see that coming! She's even featured wearing a gown in the "rose Pompadour" color so infamously attributed to her. The passages about her and Versailles were of personal interest.

Very enjoyable read, with or without an interest in porcelain but especially so if there's knowledge or interest in these beautiful collectible pieces.

The Huntress

This is one of those books I truly wish I could have read straight thru ~ it was so good I didn't want to put it down!

Written in triple narrative format with all of the narratives holding their own. You know pretty early on that they're going to converge in one place and even though you can't wait for that to happen, their journeys to that point are not to be missed. I've learned to read Kate Quinn's notes at the end of the book for the true back story on her subjects. Don't skip them ~ those notes (and extra googling) take the book next level. Learning about the "Night Witches" in the Soviet Union during WWII was a truly fascinating side to 'The Huntress.' If you google them, it's heartbreaking how successful they were yet still disbanded and never received the credit they were due.  The more I read, the more blown away I am at women and their contributions during WWII (and WWI.) 

Nina and Ian were my favorite characters and little Ruth totally tugged at my heart but Kate Quinn wrote them all so well, she almost breathed life into them thru the print.
Wonderfully written, immediately engaging and really great read.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

A novel destined to be the ultimate "careful what you wish for" admonishment.

WOW. Beautifully done V.E. Schwab! A thrilling concept and developed in such a way even the "God that answered after Dark" was compelling. I'm not usually a fan of loose ends but in this case, it will be a pleasure pondering all the ways Adeline could possibly outwit Luc.

More to come as I process my thoughts but let me just say this was a book that did not disappoint or fall short of the pre-publishing hype!

Our Hearts are in France

Really, really beautiful book. The same caliber we've come to expect from Victoria.

If you enjoyed "Our Hearts Are in England," this book would be every bit as appealing. Same format: heavily weighted toward gorgeous photographs, which we all love and can never get enough of, delicious looking recipes and minor, easy reading. An all around lovely armchair romp across and around the regions of France. Grace and elegance shine thru in the photos and the country is as beautiful as I romanticized it to be. I'm sure I will reach for it again and again to repeat the experience!

The Jane Austen Society

Any fan of Jane Austen will find this book a delight to read. The many references the characters in 'The Jane Austen Society' make to characters in her novels were fun to recall for fan girls like me.

It's an easy read and great transport to the charming little town of Chawton. I always wondered how Miss Austen got to be such an astute observer of human behavior living as she did in small towns but really what better place?? They're magnified there without any guise of anonymity to hide behind as this story so perfectly illustrated.

Predictable but happy ending.

The Exiles

If I could have read this book in one sitting, I would have! It was just that interesting.

The two biggest takeaways for me were:
1. The story of the Australian Aboriginals. I had no idea what the Aboriginal population was in Australia or exactly what the British government did with them when they started settling that country. I wonder what exactly I learned in school anyway?? Turns out they displaced them & treated them in pretty much the identical deplorable manner the United States did with the Native American population. Maybe that's where we got our Manifest Destiny ideas??! It was appalling the callous way Mathinna was upended from her tribe, solely for the sake of curiosity, then subsequently abandoned. Her loneliness was palpable & by the end of the book, her uniqueness lent itself to a life sentence more heartbreaking than her childhood, hard as that's possible to conceive. That she was a real person (not a fictional character) made her story all the more devastating.

2. That the settlement opportunities in Australia mirrored those in America. I was aware that England shipped prisoners and violent criminals to both America and then to Australia to rid themselves of that unwanted element. If the prisoners could survive the abhorrent conditions aboard ship and then the prison conditions after disembarking, they stood to have more opportunity in their new country (upon completion of their overly harsh sentences) than if they'd stayed in their homeland. Of the three girls whose tales were interwoven in this book, Hazel was the only one who benefited from her transport. They don't all have the happiest of stories but there's a satisfying ending and the book is definitely hard to put down.

Books by Christina Baker Kline have become reliably good reads for me. She makes historical fiction an engaging learning experience in the way she incorporates facts with unforgettable characters. Highly recommend!

 

The Alice Network

I finally understand that even if there are a million books written about WWI (or WWII for that matter), there will STILL be untold stories of grit and courage left to uncover. 'The Alice Network' is another incredible example of the sacrifice citizens are willing to make to preserve the country they love.

The story of these women and what they did was phenomenal. Their bravery will leave you speechless. I can't even convey how much the book moved me. Halfway thru I was googling Louise Marie Bettignies and the true Alice Network. The facts are captivating and awe inspiring. Kudos to the author for doing such a fantastic job of presenting their contribution to the War effort and the operation of 'The Network' in a very engrossing story. Once you fact check, it seems much more heavily weighted toward historical rather than fictional but in a very readable, non "dusty," un-stale manner.

Dual storylines & timelines ~ both really riveting. So glad this book came across my radar and that Kate Quinn gave 'The Alice Network' International recognition. The women in the Network didn't join for accolades but they sure deserve them.

Highly, highly recommend.