Recent reading

[luzula]

I went out hiking this weekend, and camped out overnight. It was my first night camping for this year, and I'm glad I took my winter sleeping bag, as there was frost on the tent in the morning! But the sunshine was warm during the day. The bright yellow coltsfoot flowers are out and the chaffinches and wrens are optimistic, but that's about it for the spring: no other flowers in the woods, nor any leaves on the trees. Oh, I did also hear my first chiffchaffs of the year, but no willow warblers yet.

Vinternoveller by Ingvild H. Rishøi (2019)
Original in Norwegian. Contemporary Scandinavian literature--not something I read every day, but this was a Christmas present from one of my best friends. It was also a very quick read; 'novell' means 'short story' in Swedish, not 'novel'. This is social realism, mostly about the relationships between struggling parents and their children, from both sides: one of the short stories is about a single mother who has no money and her daughter, another about an alcoholic father who has just come out of prison and is now going to meet his son. It was actually quite page-turney, but in general I suppose I prefer more escapism in my fiction. Not in order to stick my head in the sand--yes, I know about poverty and inequality, this is why I am active in a union--but to have a space in my life that is about enjoying myself, so that I can also have the energy to engage in the world.

The Captain’s Lady by D K Broster (1947)
Broster’s last book! But I still have two of her books left to read. I was annoyed with how the romance was handled in the conclusion of the previous book, but in this sequel, I like their relationship better. In the previous book’s climax, the male love interest has to save her from her own stupid actions, whereas in this book, she is the one to take action to save him. Charlotte, a refugee from the French Revolution, has married her English Navy captain and moved to England, but previous events in her life come back to haunt her, and her French connections cause problems for her husband's career. The book ranges from serious to almost screwball comedy, with a terrible brat of a child who is quite different from Broster’s earlier earnest children. On the whole, I enjoyed the book, but I do prefer Broster’s earlier slashy books.

Comments

[regshoe]

Aww, that sounds like a lovely time camping. Hmm, the order of birdsong seems to be quite different to here: wrens are an early singer here too, but besides that it's robins and song thrushes who tend to be heard earliest in the year, and I don't think chaffinches are especially early. We do have singing chiffchaffs but no willow warblers yet too, though :D

The Captain's Lady sounds good, and I'm very glad it is :) I've just finished reading The Sea without a Haven—I'll write up a review later today—and I agreed with you that the getting-together at the end was pretty annoying, so it's good that the relationship improves. And is the terrible brat Arabella making another appearance? I was very amused by her in contrast to Broster's previous child characters.

[luzula]

Yes, the robins are early here too, I just failed to mention them! Haven't heard any song thrushes yet, though.

Yep, Arabella will be back! : D Looking forward to your review.

[hyarrowen]

Glad you're getting out and about again!

If The Captain's Lady is the one where even an infant could have seen the problems forthcoming, that's a new angle on it for me; it never occurred to me to see it as a comedy! Perhaps I should give it another try.

[luzula]

Have you finished the book? I did not see the problem coming from the start, but I immediately knew what it must be when the letter from Toulon arrived. And well, that part of it is not a comedy, but there's another letter which Broster goes to great coincidental and amusing lengths to keep from reaching its recipient.

[hyarrowen]

Might be a different book, by the sound of it. It's been a while, I must admit. My reaction was, "Not as good as FotH," which admittedly is my reaction to a lot of books, but the one I'm, thinking of was particularly egregious!

[luzula]

My reaction was, "Not as good as FotH," which admittedly is my reaction to a lot of books
Definitely a valid reaction! : D

[nnozomi]

there was frost on the tent in the morning! But the sunshine was warm during the day. The bright yellow coltsfoot flowers are out and the chaffinches and wrens are optimistic, but that's about it for the spring: no other flowers in the woods, nor any leaves on the trees. Oh, I did also hear my first chiffchaffs of the year, but no willow warblers yet.
WOW. I would hesitate to camp outside at night here, and we're months ahead of you in terms of spring! But it sounds like a lovely way to clear your head and get some alone time. (And "chiffchaffs," a new word to me and an adorable one!)

[luzula]

For camping, you just need the right equipment! And a habit/experience of doing it, perhaps?

a lovely way to clear your head and get some alone time
Yes! And, strangely enough, a way to get more reading time. : )

In German, the chiffchaff is the zilpzalp. Both onomatopoeic names. : )

[author_by_night]

Yeah, I prefer more escapism as well.

[luzula]

I did have a period where I read a lot of serious non-fiction, so I guess the preference for escapism comes and goes for me!

[chestnut_pod]

Chiffchaff is such a cute common name.

[luzula]

It is! And it's the zilpzalp in German. The Swedish name is boring; it's 'gransångare', or 'spruce warbler'.