The Warden

I am now officially reading The Warden, the first of the Barchester novels. Finally! It is, so far, as I remembered it. Trollope creates a fully realized town in Barchester, and fully drawn characters. Readers of Jane Austen will feel a familiarity with Trollope, I think.

The criticism in the introduction of The Warden identifies Trollope's comments as the narrator as the only jarring notes in the novel. Occasionally, Trollope self-consciously comments on the action, remarking that such things only happen in novels. I agree with the critic in that it can be a bit jarring, however, it does not bother me. The only thing that bothers me on this reading is Trollope's name choices for his characters - Haphazard for the lawyer is one. It's a very old fashioned choice that reminds me of Pilgrim's Progress. I think it was unneccessary, too. Trollope's characters are so honest and real that the reader doesn't need Trollope's signposting in the form of character names.

Another book I read this week was The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston. It's a children's book, a blend of fantasy and imagination that leaves you enchanted. I saw the book at the local library and was intrigued. I couldn't get my 9 year old interested in the book, so I checked it out myself. I'm so glad I did. Now I have the delightful prospect ahead of 5 (I think) more books to read in the series. The story is about a young boy who goes to stay with his great-grandmother in her ancient country home. As he comes to know the house and his great grandmother, strange things start to happen. He hears children, who turn out to be his ancestors who once lived in the house. Are they ghosts? or his fantasy? And then he learns that his great grandmother is aware of them as well. She tells him stories about the three ghost children, wonderful tales that sweep him up into their world.

I found a website for the author Lucy Boston's home, http://www.greenknowe.co.uk/index.html. There are some lovely photos of the home that was the basis for the home in the Green Knowe stories.

I am also still reading a few pages of Cryptonomicon here and there.