All posts by Dona

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Reading, ,

I’d never heard of Susan Hill until Andrea, Clare’s boss, told me about Hill’s book Howard’s End is on the Landing ((which I am still reading)) when I told her I really should not buy any books from her wonderful bookshop and concentrate on the books I already owned. Of course I bought the book in her hand. How could I not?

I started reading Howards End is on the Landing right away and my first thought was, what an insufferable book snob (the author, not Andrea). I’d never read her work and here she is going on and on about fancy-pants books unlike the kind I like to read. It wasn’t until her chapter on ghost stories that I began to take more notice (although I did buy a book she mentioned in an earlier chapter) and when she mentioned that she’d written a ghost story I looked it up and realized I’d heard of it: The Woman in Black.

The book was available as an ebook at the library so I promptly downloaded it and hesitantly began reading it after reading some reviews stating it was the scariest book some reviewers had ever read.

It was pretty good — a well-written, gothic ghost story, not unlike The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (ohhhh! I see that’s being made into a movie!) which I adored. I didn’t find The Woman in Black very scary at all.

As soon as I finished the book I watched the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. Very different from the book, completely different ending. I didn’t like the movie very much at all.

 

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrick Backman

Reading,

I read this book in a few hours shortly after I discovered the “Libby” app on my phone. I downloaded this book to try the app out and ended up being entranced by it. I read A Man Called Ove, also by Backman a few years ago (and blogged about it), so I was familiar with the author.

But to be honest I barely remember what this book was about — so, as much as I enjoyed it at the time, it doesn’t have staying power for me.

Lassies Reply to the Laddies’ Toast to the Lassies: #metoo version

Events,

Our friends, Alison and David, hosted another wonderful Burns’ Supper a few weekends ago and I volunteered to present the Lassies Reply to the Laddies’ Toast to the Lassies. Here it is:

Thank you, Dean, for that poetic and surprisingly woke toast to the Lassies.

I would also like to thank our gracious hosts, David and Alison. You never fail to blow me away with the feasts you provide your guests for the fun events you host.

Full disclosure here, I volunteered to give this reply to the Laddies after a couple glasses of wine. I really need to learn to not volunteer for things after a couple glasses of wine. The last time I had the honor of giving a lassies reply to the laddies toast to the lassies was 7 years ago. If I recall correctly, I replied to Scott’s toast which, as the saying goes, was a tough act to follow.

Before I begin, know that I appreciate each of the laddies in this room.

  • David – I love your sense of humor and have enjoyed being your friend for these past fifteen or so years. Also don’t be mad at me about my reply.
  • Scott – you have such a wealth of knowledge and I always look forward to hearing your stories.
  • Kumar – I don’t see you often, but when I do it is always a joy to talk to you.
  • Peter – I’ve enjoyed watching you grow up into a kind, loving, smart young adult.
  • Brandon – You are extra special to me for so many reasons. I am delighted you are visiting and are a part of tonight’s supper.
  • And Dean – yeah, you’re okay too (actually you’re pretty terrific and I am still glad that 38 years ago you were sitting all alone at that table in that bar when I walked in. With Marcia.)

It’s been a tough year for most of us here. We’ve had to watch as ideologies and values we’d taken for granted – like kindness, common decency, diversity, scientific evidence, etc. were devalued by the laddie who lives in the White House and his groveling sycophantic republican members of congress.

But let’s talk about other laddies:

It’s been a disastrous year for some laddies – not any of the laddies here, you are all true gentlemen. The laddies I mean are those laddies that were publicly called out for sexual harassment, and worse, by some very brave lassies (and a laddie or two).

But I imagine it has been an uncomfortable time for all laddies, even maybe for some of those in this room. Maybe you remembered something you said or did in your youth that could have been construed as harassment – or might be interpreted as harassment today. Or maybe you were just ashamed of your fellow laddies.

When I was thinking about what I would say tonight, and decided its theme would be hashtag metoo, I remembered the many informative Immortal Memory speeches that – usually Laura – has given over the years and it occurred to me (with Andrew’s input) that the laddie we honor tonight, given today’s mores, could be considered a champion sexual harasser – and worse.

So I asked Professor Google and depending on which article you read after searching “Robert Burns Me too“, you will discover that Burns was either a possible rapist, a “sex pest,” or simply a “ladies man.”

In a letter Burns that wrote to a friend he describes having his way with Jean Armour, his heavily pregnant (with twins), soon-to-be wife in a manure-filled horse stall. Yet in his poem “The Rights Of Woman” he assures women that he and his buddies are “well-bred men” who were glad that “those Gothic times are fled” “when rough rude man had naughty ways, Would swagger, swear, get drunk, kick up a riot, Nay even thus invade a Lady’s quiet.”

In years past, listening to the Immortal Memory, especially the parts about Robert Burns’ sexual exploits, his illegitimate children, his many affairs, was funny – like a “nudge nudge wink wink” kind of funny. When I thought, this past week, about my reaction those stories, I was ashamed of myself because I was not thinking about the women in the stories – only about the randy laddie.

The articles I read were inconclusive – and as one article so wonderfully put it:

“So what should we make of this? If you’re like me, you have a hunch that the incident described was both painful and degrading. Certainly, if Jean Armour were my friend, I would not hesitate to suggest dumping her boyfriend. But in any case, the jury has been out on Robert Burns for 230 years. Armour, alas, never shall reach out of her grave and carve #MeToo upon her tombstone.”

So now, I don’t know what to think except that I really need to stop dissing Rabbie Burns or I won’t be invited to one of these again.

Thank you. To the Laddies!