Monday, February 26, 2018

Jacob's Room is Full of Books - February


The reviews of Jacob's Room is Full of Books haven't been all positive. I don't have an opinion yet, but probably will by the end of December. It isn't much like Howards End is on the Landing. It is less about books and authors, at least so far, but I rather like the rambling from one thing to another.

The words from Jabberwocky popped into my head as I sat down to write about the February entry.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax -
Of cabbages and kings -
And why the sea is boiling hot -
And whether pigs have wings."

I'm not a big Lewis Carroll fan, but I do love this. Susan Hill goes from subject to subject, and I wish I were there beside her so I could say, "yes!" or "I don't agree." She even talks of cabbages (!) in the context of the bright colors at the greengrocer.

She writes of not liking stories with fairies in them, preferring goblins and trolls. She says,
What does our individual taste in matters like this, matters that actually don't matter, say about us? I wish I could understand. I am not keen on folk tales either. Or folk songs. Cecil Sharp must have been a bore.
I don't like fairies or the scarier creatures. And I would so love to have known Mr Sharp. I am very interested in the work he did. It would have been fun to say that to her, and ask if she had liked the Natasha Solomons book (The Song of Hartgrove Hall), and if she has read Electric Eden.

She wrote of a website where various people offer five books on a theme. She was so interested in this, and I just didn't care at all, but then she began writing of Iris Murdoch's Alzheimer's disease, and my metaphorical ears pricked up.
I have always felt that, in writing his [her husband's] memoir of her decline and then in allowing it to be filmed - the whole sad, sad detailed saga of it - he had betrayed her and, above all, betrayed her dignity. She had no say, no opportunity to say no - or, of course to say yes. 
As much as I loved the book and the movie, I certainly understand her view, and even agree with it. It is possible though that they may have helped someone who was going along the same path as John Bayley was in those years. And of course, without the movie, we wouldn't have that perfect Hathaway line in Inspector Lewis when he goes into a cluttered house and describes it as the Iris Murdoch school of decorating!

In Howards End is on the Landing, Susan Hill was living in Gloucestershire, and that house seemed my dream place. Her descriptions were so good that I could see it as I read along. There's a nice piece here that talks about this. In Jacob's Room is Full of Books, she has a new home by the sea in Norfolk. She describes it:
Norfolk is the least horsey of all the counties I have ever known. I don't think there is even a hunt. It isn't much of a sheep place either, though there are a few flocks round here. No horses. No sheep. Instead, pigs. Pigs and sugar beets. And churches. And the sea. The sea. ... If you have been born and bred by the sea, you can be content watching it for hours.
As I read along I wondered why she moved. I understand the appeal of the water, especially if one is born near the ocean, but leaving that house? Well, this article might explain. 

The author does, of course, talk about books.
Not the weather for standing around more than two minutes admiring the spring flowers, the weather for clearing out bookshelves. If we ever leave this house, we will not want to start doing it as the removal men are at the door. I thought I had cleared out all the books I would ever need to lose five years ago, but books breed. They beget second copies because you have mislaid the first and buy another, the day before you find the first. They interbreed, too, so you have The Cambridge Companion to the Bible next to the Oxford ditto, and several copies of Quentin Bell's biography of Virginia Woolf next to the one by Hermione Lee. 
And whenever I go to the shelves to start an hour of de-stocking, I come upon a forgotten treasure. 
Susan Hill's birthday is 20 days before mine, and she says
I found a great quote for a birthday, too, from May Sarton's Journal of a Solitude: 'Do not deprive me of my age. I have earned it.' It gives the lie to all those who want to remain young, and although they surely must know that they cannot do that, they still give it a go, via facelifts and Polyfilla.
Later in the February essay, she attempts to de-stock again. Some of the work is easy, like
...ephemeral detective stories you will never re-read, and duplicate copies, the books that don't belong to me, the books that have had coffee or wine spilled over them, been left out in the rain or fallen in the bath and retrieved, more in hope than in expectation of a good outcome.
 She then goes on to talk of "small collections" she has made over the years.
Most people have obsessions and these usually come and go. Once you have fallen out of love with your passion, you do not want books about it to take up several yards of shelf space, though you may feel fond and nostalgic enough to save one. Or perhaps two.
One of Susan Hill's passions might surprise the reader. Not, of course, Virginia Woolf books, either by her or about her, but an obsession with Marilyn Monroe?!

I ended January's installment by saying that I was going to re-read Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf, and I did begin on her birthday, January 25, but I put the book back on the shelf because I realized that I wanted to read a print book that I haven't already read. I do hope to get back to it, but unless I begin reading more than one print book a month, I really must pick up those unread books.

24 comments:

  1. The rambling about the weather, the countryside, and so on is something I liked a lot about this book. It reminded me so strongly of Hill's The Magic Apple Tree which I've read three times now.

    Thank you so much for linking to that interview, Nan. I too was wondering why she'd moved... meant to Google it and then forgot. It all makes sense now. She certainly is an interesting woman.

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    1. I own The Magic Apple Tree. I had a scheme one year that I was going to read it along with a Gladys Taber book, much as I did that time with a book by Gladys and a book by Rachel Peden. I wrote about it here - https://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-with-gladys-and-rachel.html But by then, I had left the blog for four months and just come back and I just didn't have the spark to do it. I still think about it, though. I liked the idea of it so much. I actually saved a beginning post in a draft thinking I would like to do it. Maybe next winter, since that is when the books begin. And yes, she is very interesting. Not afraid to speak her mind.

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  2. What a wonderful post! I found myself saying Oh yes, I read that too a lot. Any mention of Iris Murdoch and you had me there. In college I had a seminar on her and was hooked. Every book that came out I had to have. I remember being tickled when Hathaway made that comment too. I have read several biographies and knew about her housekeeping style. And although I read her husband's book, I had ambivalent ideas about it.
    Love and own The Magic Apple Tree - I had given it to my mom for a long ago birthday and now I have it. Yes, it's been re-read many times.
    Thanks for a wonderful, well thought-out post!
    Mary

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    1. And I thank you! This comment and Cath's above are what make me love blogging so much. Real and thoughtful conversation. I don't think I have read any IM, except maybe Under the Net. Honestly what I know about her is from the book and movie! But I really must make an effort to read her work. I look forward to reading The Magic Apple Tree - you may read my comment to Cath about my scheme that hasn't happened yet, but still might! I love it that you gave it to your mother and now have it. Such a special connection.

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    2. I love all the Iris Murdoch novels, but perhaps top on the list are "The Sea The Sea," "Nuns and Soldiers," and "The Black Prince." But then, I remember others too (there are SO many) and enjoyed them as well. The writing's very rich,dense, the novels are full of our human follies. Try one.

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    3. Oh, thank you! Will def try one of those!

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    4. I had to chime in here as I'm a big Murdoch fan and I'm running a readalong on my blog (which this blog kindly points to) - there's no need to read everything, anyone is free to dip in and out and share reviews and thoughts or just read everyone else's. They're very worth a re-read and this is my third time going through the whole lot! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/the-great-iris-murdoch-readalong-november-2017-december-2019/

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    5. Third time! I'd like to read at least something by her this year, and will check in when I do. Thanks.

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  3. Some very interesting thoughts there! I do not agree with everything (and I don't have to, of course), so let me just say that I do not think one has to be born and bred by the sea to benefit greatly from watching it for hours.

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    1. I don't think she meant you 'had' to be born there to enjoy it, just that if you were, you 'could' be contented spending time that way.

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  4. Iris Murdoch's books appealed to me for a while long years ago, but I think I read too many all at once, and stopped cold. By the time her husband's memoir came out, I wasn't on that page any more. Also, I didn't (and still don't) think I could face the description of a mind in such a decline. However, I love your quote about the "school of decorating" -- missed that one in Inspector Lewis. You didn't make me want to read that book: I like coherent!

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Just as in Still Alice, the details in Iris weren't easy to read. I wonder if I'll like her fiction.

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  5. I find it so interesting that this is the author that wrote all those Simon Serailler mysteries that I enjoyed so much. Not sure I would enjoy her non-fiction too much, but that's OK. Each of us has our preferences. I am happy to see there will be a 9th book in that series - to be published in the fall. Those mysteries were interesting and thoughtful - the author included a lot of her own philosophies in them, so some tired of that aspect. I was OK with it though.

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    1. I read somewhere that they may be made into television shows in England.

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  6. Well, I am very disappointed that my library (nor any in my county) have either of these books by Susan Hill. They only have her mysteries. I'll have to add them to my Amazon wishlist since they sound so wonderful!

    I love this quote - "The sea. ... If you have been born and bred by the sea, you can be content watching it for hours." So, so true!

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    1. That's why I pretty much stopped using the library. I have my own library here and so many of my books are not the popular or American ones that would be available in the library.

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  7. I did just put in a reserve for Elegy for Iris, though. I've had my eye on it for years and your remarks gave me the push to get it from the library. I have so many books at home and yet I continue to go to the library which does nothing for my own stacks!

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    1. It is a very good book. Have you seen the movie? I thought it just so excellent. I own the DVD.

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    2. No, I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure I will after I read the book.

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    3. I remember whole scenes. It is truly wonderful. Dare I say equal to the book?! I may just watch it again, soon.

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  8. I got a bit cross with Howard's End when she criticised people who keep their books in order - how on earth else do you find them? But I will in the fullness of time end up reading this, I'm sure. And it is pretty. Thank you for adding my blog to your Places I Love to Visit list, by the way - I found my way here after following a link that must have come from your sidebar!

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    1. I do have some of mine in order, but it is probably an order only I would know! My mysteries are all in the same place. I have some stand-a-lone shelves that have just fiction or nonfiction. But then there are a few places where they are mixed. I mostly know where a book is. Though I probably don't have nearly the number Susan Hill has! I bet other people get 'cross' with her for various reasons. She is very opinionated! And happy to add your blog. My bloglist is how I keep track of blogs I want to visit when I can. I don't subscribe to any services that let me know when someone has posted.

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  9. I have enjoyed reading Jacob's Room is Full of Books, better than Howards End is on the Landing if truth be told. Perhaps because I was only an English minor in college, I found the books Hill discussed somewhat obscure, and the book to be too stuffy. I like the variety of thoughts and topics included in Jacob's Room... I'm thoroughly enjoying Gladys Tabor's Stillmeadow Sampler as I've gotten into the rhythm of her writing.

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    1. Thank you so much for writing and telling me this. My favorite, favorite thing about blogging is the conversations. I can see exactly what you mean about the two books, And I am so happy you are liking GT.

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