Pride and Prejudice - A Life of Fairytales

Jane Austen

First published in 1813

Trade paperback edition published by Barnes & Noble     
Books in 2004

392 pages

Jane Austen’s love story would not be nearly delicious had it not served us a plate of tasty appetizers that consists of ill-formed first impressions, prejudice and misunderstanding, all of which have caused our heroine, strong-minded Elizabeth Bennet, take a disliking of our hero, prideful and principled Mr. Darcy, right from the start. Not to mention that the ladies’ gossip did not help either.

Elizabeth is as lovable as any Austen’s heroines, and just like the other heroines, Elizabeth is not without flaws. She is very perceptive but sometimes has too much confidence in her ability to read people. When she overhears Darcy criticize her look as “only tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt (him)”, she easily becomes irritated and quickly decides Darcy’s character at face value, without prudently finding out his real strength. When comforting Elizabeth, we find her mild-tempered sister Jane says:

            “We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Women fancy admiration means more than it does”.

            But Elizabeth is too romantic and too stubborn to be sensible, thus began a story of emotional growth.  For Elizabeth and Darcy, pride and prejudice are not flaws but character traits that require minor adjustments, and before long the couple comes to recognize each other’s merits and live happily ever after. Now you may wonder, why are pride and prejudice are not condemned as unacceptable qualities in the Austen’s day? That is because the gentry society considers pride not as arrogance but as a manner worthy of one’s rank in social status. They also see prejudice as a quality of discrimination that is helpful in preserving the order and stability of aristocratic class. New ideas and progressive thinking, which could cause disarray of the upper-class, are quickly fended off by this sense of prejudice.

            The union of Elizabeth and Darcy could not have been more what the readers ask for. Not only is that Elizabeth and Darcy admire each other dearly, but Darcy is also an incredibly wealthy man! In an age when friendship, economic motive and family ties and religious duty are all more acceptable incentive for marriage than romance, Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship is as perfect as a fairytale!

            It is interesting that Jane Austen, the woman who wrote about many happy-endings, remained single her whole life. It is said that she once accepted a proposal from a wealthy man, only to turn it down the next day, reason being that she felt that she didn’t love the man enough to marry him. This action is just as shocking as when Elizabeth refuses Darcy’s marriage proposal. The motives behind these two refusals are very much alike, since neither Jane Austen nor Elizabeth Bennet sees marriage as a mercenary pursuit. It seems like that Austen has written herself into the story. I often wonder whether she used this story, as well as many others, to compensate the loneliness in her non-existent romantic life, but I would very much like to wrong than to accuse Jane Austen to be a lonesome and fragile spinster. Austen chose her to live her life the way she preferred, with a strong sense of self and faith for romance, two virtues as timeless as fairytales, certainly still need to be preached to young women in modern days. In a letter to her niece Fanny Knight, Austen wrote:

                        “Do not be in a hurry; depend upon it, the right Man will come at last….”

Illusion - Edmond Cheng

 

About a few weeks ago, I was contacted by a local Hong Kong writer named Edmond Cheng who asked me if I'd like to review his new novella "Illusion". I was quite excited at the opportunity of reviewing and supporting a local writer's work, so I happily agreed.

"Illusion" is a story of riveting mystery. The protagonist - a happily married young man named Thomas - has a bizarre encounter with his best friend's mother Aunt Wai Ha who informs Thomas that her daughter-in-law, Helen, is having an affair and urges Thomas to warn her son Jonathan.  Thomas doesn't think much of this incident until when he finds out from his wife Karen that Aunt Wai Ha has been dead for months. From this point on, Thomas' life is forever changed. He is haunted by an unknown spirit that repetitively infuses unusual images into Thomas' mind. After a failed attempt to warn his Johnathan about Helen's evil deception, Thomas receives a strange phone call which leads him to Johnathan's dead body. At the same time, his wife has gone missing. In order to get his wife back, Thomas has to summit all courage and goes head on with the two people behind this tragedy: Helen and her lover Brian. After several thrilling chase scenes, Helen and Brian are finally caught by the police. However, Johnathan's journey does not stop here. Another truth of the mystery is revealed to him, and he realize he is the master of his own illusion.

This is Mr. Cheng's first attempt at writing a mystery novel, the effort is worth applauding for as mystery is one of the most difficult genres in literature. The story is a good one, although there are a few imperfections. While the ending the story is suspenseful and surprising, it has taken quite a sudden U-turn and left me a bit bewildered. I feel that somehow it lacks a close connection to the previous development of the plot. As a reader, part of the fun of reading a mystery novel is the constant guessing of what the ending will be, and the success of a great mystery often lies in the writer's ability to end the story at a place that is just inches away from most reader's guess but still within the sensible realm. As for "Illusion", I'd say that the ending has just stepped out of sensible realm, thus the shock has become too far-fetched to have a substantial effect.

I assume that English is not Mr. Cheng's first language, since the writing comes off a bit stiff and even awkward in a few places. I strongly recommend Mr. Cheng engage in intensive reading in English literature so that he can bring color and emotion in his narration.

This novella is included in the book "Unearthed" which is published by Midnight Showcase. Mr. Cheng is an English teacher in Hong Kong. He is currently working on a new sci-fi mystery named "Prison". I wish Mr. Cheng the best of luck on his writing career!

Eleven Kinds of Loneliness - Richard Yates

Title: Eleven Kinds of Loneliness
Author: Richard Yates
Genre: Fiction/Short Stories
Publisher: Vintage 2008
Length: 221 pages

Short Stories Included:
Doctor Jack-o'-Lantern
The Best of Everything
Jody Rolled the Bones
No Pain Whatsoever
A Glutton for Punishment
A Wrestler with Sharks
Fun with a Stranger
The B.A.R. Man
A Really Good Jazz Piano
Out with the Old
Builders



If you are not familiar with the name Richard Yates, I am sure you know of his first novel Revolutionary Road which was adapted into a popular movie in 2008. The movie was nominated for 3 Oscar awards.

This book contains 11 short stories in which Richard Yates explored various forms of "loneliness" that can be found in marriage, friendship or workplace. I have to say that Yates has an ingenious crafting skill. His stories are extremely well-written and leave no room for even the tiny bit of disappointment.

More often than not, the success of a story is not dependent on the story itself but rather on the characters in the story. Characters are hard to develop, and sometimes they take pages and pages of building before the readers fall in love with them. To a short story writer, this task is even more challenging. How do you make your readers like your characters in just a few pages? I am not exaggerating when I say Yates is the master of short stories because, to my surprise, he wasted no words at defining and building his characters who, in most cases, are outcasts, loners or people who are simply unable to connect with another person. With precise and powerful depiction, Yates skillfully showcased their innermost raw emotions which readers can easily relate to, thus making these characters less pathetic but more lovable.

Yates reminds me a lot of Fitzgerald in the way where Yates' stories are also quite grim and often filled with a sense of lost identity and an inner-struggle to connect with the outside world. However, Yates' writing is much more emotional and sarcastic, which adds a bit of an edge to his style.

I always feel that short stories is where writers reveal the most about themselves. After 11 stories, it is not hard to see that Yates is not a believer in marriage. He is rather a pessimist when it comes to love, frequently alluding to the fact that marriage is what kills passion. He even wrote a rather melancholy story about love starting to change in the most subtle ways just two days before a young couple's wedding day. It is not a surprise when I flipped to the first page and read in his biography that he was divorced twice in his lifetime.

My personal favorite is the 4th story No Pain Whatsoever, in which Yates described a young woman riding a friend's car to visit her husband who was checked into the TB ward of a hospital. The story was quite flat and uneventful until we almost approached the end when the woman finished yet another dull visit where she barely conversed with her sick husband. She came out and stood in front of the hospital, in the freezing cold weather of Christmastime, and cried quietly. Yates never mentioned what she was crying for, but it was exactly this kind of crafting that subtly touched the hearts of many.

I am definitely putting Revolutionary Road back on the reading list, and I'm definitely a fan of Richard Yates now.

Have you read any short story collection lately? What are your thoughts?

国境之南 太阳之西

故事其实很普通。主人公始是一个普通中产阶级家庭的独生子。在无人陪伴的童年里，他很孤独，同时也对独生子这个身份感到莫名的自卑。在十二岁那年，他认识了也是独生女的岛本。虽然岛本走路的时候脚有点破，这并没有妨碍他们两人培养出两小无猜的感情。小学毕业后，他们升入了不同的中学。在不同的环境下成长的两个人渐渐疏远，最终成为互不往来的陌路人。始在高二那年交了女朋友，她的名字叫泉。始是喜欢泉的，虽然他说不出为什么。那是典型的十六岁恋爱心情。对于一个少年来说，在前途一片渺茫的时候去爱一个人，必将爱得轻浮而单薄。懵懂的始犯下了不可饶恕的错误，深深地伤害了泉。大学毕业后，始找了一份自己并不热爱的工作。三十岁的时候他结婚了。妻子是一个他很喜欢的女人。之后，他辞去工作，开了两个酒吧。妻子生了两个女儿，全家人生活得安逸舒适。但是，始依旧思念着岛本。可以说，他自始至终都没有停止对岛本的思念。一次偶然的机会，他们再一次相遇了……

这是一本关于初恋的书。一个平凡的男子安静地叙述他从十二岁以来对一个女孩挥之不去的的思慕与爱恋。在书中，始在岳父的鼓动之下，无奈地做出一些违背良心的事情。与此同时，他对岛本的眷恋之情却一发不可收拾。岛本不仅仅是始的初恋，她是始的生命之中一切美好事物的化身。始的生命就像一场穿越繁茂森林的冒险，前方的路越走越阴暗。没有岛本，他会迷路。这个晶莹剔透的女孩，满载着是始对人生最原始最纯洁的向往。

我很喜欢故事的结局，温暖中带着刺痛。美好的东西总会离我们而去，无论我们如何去挽留。也许，这并不是最美丽的结局，但是这个结局却是最真实的。也许在另一场梦中，在一个阳光明媚的周日午后，始和岛本会又一次坐在沙发上，一起聆听“国境之南”那首歌。也许，国境之南的地方不再是荒凉的墨西哥，而是一片没有遗憾的净土。男孩牵着脚有些破的女孩的手，从此再没有松开。

The Descent

Title: The Descent
Author: Jeff Long

Genre: Fiction - Thriller
Publisher: Jove
Pages: 572
Reading Period: September 11 - 29, 2009

Opening:
It is easy to go down into Hell...; but to climb back again, to retrace one's steps to the upper air - there's the rub... --- Virgil, Aeneid


The beginning of The Descent seemed promising enough. A trekker guide named Ike got lost during a trekking journey and led his group of travelers into a cave in the Himalayas where they discovered a self-mutilated corpse named Isaac...or at least they thought it was a corpse. Someone got lost in the cave during the night. The team was separated into two groups to search the missing person. Soon, screaming was heard; blood was smeared across the walls; and then, Ike came upon a pile of terribly wounded bodies of his fellow travelers who were obviously tortured to death. There was an evil force at work down in the cave. And Ike was in for a big surprise.

Essentially the story is about the discovery of a species of alien creatures who populated the underworld. Some scientists were led to believe that our very own Satan actually lived among these creatures. The mega corporation Helios gathered an expedition team that consisted of famous scientists from various fields to embark upon an underworld journey 35,827 feet deep into earth - the deepest known point on earth - to search for the origin of these creatures that we called hadals and possibly, Satan. Unfortunately, only two people came out alive at the end of the expedition - Ali the nun who wanted to re-construct the dying language of hadals, and Ike who was once captivated by hadals - The rest of the team have either been killed by hadals or died from fighting among each other.

I had high hope that Jeff Long would fill the void left by Michael Crichton who had been my favorite thriller novel writer for years. Therefore, my opinions may come off as somewhat biased and more critical as I write this review. The story itself is quite enticing and thrilling. Jeff Long's depiction of the hadals actually gave me nightmares (I'm not kidding!). I have to admit that Jeff Long has acquired abundant knowledge and done enough research for this book. However, in terms of writing style, he does have a tendency to conclude a highly suspenseful chapter with a climaxing note without further developing the storyline, which oftentimes left me feeling very unsatisfied. This kind of writing tactic can work for some readers, but personally it's not my cup of tea.

In the end, they find Satan and what do we know, he is not who we expected at all! But I wasn't surprised because the answer became obvious way earlier in the book. I expect others who read the book weren't surprised either because it was really quite obvious. I have to say Jeff Long did not twist it up well enough for the readers to go, omygod, I can not believe it!

Jeff Long is no Crichton but there is no doubt that he does have the talent at constructing a lengthy thriller story. I am not opposed to reading another book of his.

Have you ever read a Jeff Long's book? What do you think of his book?

Odd Hours

It's only life. We all get through it.

Dean Koontz created Odd Thomas on a whim - a young man haunted by lingering spirits who can also foresee potential disasters - Dean Koontz then went on and wrote four books about this young man and his thrilling adventures. Odd Hours is the fourth installment of these adventures, and possibly the last, as Dean Koontz gravely put it - "I saw the end of his journey".

Odd Thomas arrives at Magic Beach without much of a purpose. The only thing that leads him here is a dream of an blazing red ocean and the face of a woman. On a chilly afternoon, Odd goes out for a walk on the boardwalk of Magic Beach, and there he meets the mysterious lady in his dream. Her name is Annamaria. It is also on that gloomy afternoon when they run into three comic looking villains of the story - a blond gorilla and two skinny redheads - who are determined to chase down Odd and finish him off. After vowing to Annamaria that he will die for her, Odd immediately understands that the mission he is about to embark upon is not like any other he's experienced before. A greater power is at work and it could lead to mass destruction. Odd has arrived at the of his journey, the end of his destiny... (I rather not spoil it for you)

This is my first time reading Odd Thomas, as well as my first time reading Dean Koontz. I humbly admit that as an inexperienced Dean Koontz reader, my opinions could be biased, but I still like to put forth my two cents.

I find it very hard not to like Odd Thomas. He is an absolutely down-to-earth guy who is wise and mature beyond his years, not to mention he possesses the psychic power that allows him befriend the likes of Elvis and Frank Sinatra! Dean Koontz.also injected him with a great sense of humor that is undying even when facing the greatest peril. Annamaria, I don't know what to say about this character. She is a mystery at the opening of the story and remains so throughout the book. Odd meets her the same time he runs into the villains. But is Annamaria the link between Odd and the 'bad guys'? Did she exercise some kind of power to draw them together? There is no clear indication in the book. As Odd drives off with her at the end of the book, I can only imagine the meaning of this woman's existence in Odd's life. It is almost as if Odd could have accomplished everything without her. Was she in the story purely out of the need a female character in the story? One has to wonder...

This book is mostly entertaining and even philosophical at times. There are quite a few passages that discuss the Odd Thomas' Morales and motives for partaking dangerous missions. It adds more definition to the character and shows readers that Odd Thomas, as odd as he appears to be with his premonition power, is in fact a human being just like the rest of us. He has fears and doubts. He questions his purpose of existence. He wonders if he is able to make it... (Well, don't we all?)

When it comes to style of writing itself, I have to admit Dean Koontz lost me. I can't comprehend the reason behind some of the lengthy scenes such as the escape at the pier, the coyotes, and finding the bodies at Sam Whittle's house. There are times when I really wanted to give up on this book because I simply couldn't bear with the directionless plot. And speaking of which, the plot is neither very complicated nor full of suspense. If there is any mystery in the story, it has to be the question of what kind of danger is awaiting Odd? And to be honest, it didn't take me very long to figure it out.

I am not very keen on reading the previous books from Odd Thomas series, but I would definitely love to pick up one of Dean Koontz's older books from the 90's or even 80's as I heard that his writing has been changing profoundly over the years.

Do you have any Dean Koontz's books that you would like to recommend?

Hope you find this review useful. Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book.

Don't get me wrong. I do not seek death. I love life, and I love the world as its exquisite design is revealed in each small portion of the whole.
No one can genuinely love the world, which is too large to love entire. To love all the world at once is pretense or dangerous self-delusion. Loving the world is like loving the idea of love, which is perilous because, feeling virtuous about this grand affection, you are freed from the struggles and the duties that come with loving people as individuals, with loving one place -- home -- above all others.
I embrace the world on a scale that allows genuine love -- the small places like a town, a neighborhood, a street -- and I love life, because of what the beauty of this world and of this life portend. I don't love them to excess, and I stand in awe of them only to the extent that an architect might stand in the receiving room of a magnificent palace, amazed and thrilled by what he sees, while knowing that all this is as nothing compared to the wondrous sights that lie beyond the next threshold.

Until next book...