bookshelf

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

A Novel Without A Hero
First published 1848 (c) Blackstone Audio, Downloaded from Audible. Narrated by Frederick Davidson (aka David Case) 29 hrs, 49 min, Read 04/29/09 

Orphaned and penniless Rebecca Sharp navigates the treacherous waters of English society in the early 1800s trying to make her own way. She tries to counter the forces of class and poverty through charm, wit, and well-chosen alliances. 

The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester

William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
6 tapes, 9 1/2 hrs, Narrated by the author
(c) 2001, Harper Audio, Recorded Books 04/20/09

 William Smith's biography could have been written by Dickens: a stint in debtor's prison, a victim of plagiarism and class prejudices and a mentally ill young wife afflicted with nymphomania are just a few of the subplots.

Grasshopper by Barbara Vine

15 tapes / 21 hours, Narrated by  Jenny Sterlin
Recorded Books, (c) 2000, Read: 04/09/09, Blog: 04/20/09

This tale of suspense concerns an international assortment of young people crashing in a top floor apartment and their adventures-some criminal, some not-on the roofs of London.

Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin

An Inspector Rebus Mystery Narrated by Samuel Gillies
7 tapes, 9 hours
(c)1992 Ian Rankin, 2001 W.E. Howes Ltd Read: 03/27/09

Inspector Rebus is called "south of the border" to London (disappointingly, there are no sombreros at all).

Middlemarch by George Eliot

A Study of Provincial Life
Written: 1871. Audible download,31 hrs. Narrated by Nadia May
Text: Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8227
Read: 02/02/08

This novel covers a wealth of subjects: the nature of politics, medical advancement, families, education, modernization, inequality, etc. Extremely entertaining, the book illuminates the realities of the past and present and reaffirms that there’s nothing new under the sun. On my list to read again.

Afternoon Men by Anthony Powel

221 pgs, written 1931, Little, 1963
Broward Library Read: 03/15/09

Underemployed museum clerk, Atwater, and his restless Bohemian friends drink and carry on unsatisfactory love affairs in substandard clubs, at the parties of strangers, in the country, and abroad. This satire was written and takes place in England between the wars.

Natives and Exotics by Jane Alison

236 pgs © 2005, Orlando: Harcourt; 2006 Mariner Books
Broward Library Read: 01/02/06

A lovely little book illustrated with 18th century illustrations of exotic flora. Episodic, loosely following an Australian family lineage through their voluntary and involuntary peregrinations of the globe across two centuries. Like the plants, they move or are moved without clear recognition of their predecessors or progeny.

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

ISBN 0553585975
First published in 1776. Narrated: Michael Edwards, 35 hrs.
Purchased from Audible, Read 01/14/08

This fascinating and entertaining book is the granddaddy of capitalist free market thought. Fully fleshed out with examples, observations and conclusions, it provides unique insight not only into our current economic system; but also a window into the revolutionary era of the 18C. Free audio downloads are available at Librivox.com.

Running Wild by J. G. Ballard

104 pgs (c) 1988, Farrar Straus Giroux, New York
Broward Library Read 09/30/08

It's murder and mayhem in an exclusive, monitored gated community near London; all of the adults have been killed at daybreak and all of the children have vanished.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

282 pgs (c) 1945 author, 1994 Popular Library Edition
Checked out of Broward Library. Read 10/9/08

This is a quintessential book of there'll-always-be-an-England genre, a playful amusing romp. The Radlett family lives in relative seclusion in the country home, Alconleigh. The patriarch refuses to visit other people's homes and refuses houseguests. When the odd visitor drives up, the entire family dives below the windows and the father bellows that no one is home. In spite of these difficulties, the girls must, and do marry, and start families of their own.