Category: Bookish Thoughts
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Making Fun of Readers?
I would never make fun of anyone who loved to read. – Juliet Ashton, in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society People who love to read get made fun of, sometimes. This is probably leftover from childhood, when the bookworms were thought of as kids who sat in the corner and had no…
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Advice for an Introvert in Fiction
“I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,” said Darcy, “of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.” “My fingers,” said Elizabeth, “do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which…
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Concerning Hobbits – Why We Love Them
“You do not know your danger, Theoden,” interrupted Gandalf. “These hobbits will sit on the edge of ruin and discuss the pleasures of the table, or the small doings of their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, and remote cousins to the ninth degree, if you encourage them with undue patience. Some other time would be more…
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The Best Kind of People to Hang Out With
Anne smiled and said, “My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.” “You are mistaken,” said he gently, “that is not good company, that is the best.” – Persuasion, Chapter 16, by Jane Austen Mr.…
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My Favourite Lord of the Rings Quote
Continuing on my Lord of the Rings theme (or, to be honest, just barely remembering to post today), I have decided to share one of my favourite quotes from The Fellowship of the Ring: “For I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours!” I I looked then and saw that his robes,…
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Just Do Something
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.“ – The Fellowship of…
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Why The Hobbit Shouldn’t Work as a Children’s Book (But Does)
Something must be wrong with my brain this holidays. I didn’t realize it was Friday till Friday was over, so… this will be a Saturday post instead. I watched The Hobbit last night, and decided Peter Jackson has my permission to split The Hobbit into five hundred movies if he wants to, and I won’t…
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The Message on Manhood in Young Adult Novels – Or, What Should We Teach Boys?
“But as we debate ad nauseam whether, for example, Bella Swan is a dangerous role model for young women, we’ve neglected to ask the corresponding question: what does it tell young men when Edward Cullen and Jacob Black are the role models available to them? Are these barely-contained monsters really the best we can imagine?”…
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Happy Birthday, Dracula!
I’ve been sick as a dog all week, with some kind of cold which plugs up my head and leaves me unable to think very clearly. However, I can’t leave Stories and Stuff without some kind of post on Friday, can I? So I’ll just note that yesterday was Bram Stoker’s 165th birthday, and Bram…
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