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D.H. Lawrence Tour! 16 January 2024. I am just starting into The White Peacock tonight. Then I will be reading "Lucky Jim" by another author; however, after that (like my little Wilkie Collins tour of The Woman in White, The Haunted Hotel, and My Lady's Money). I have already read a couple of works by D H Lawrence: Lady Chatterly's Lover (which was a saucy and banned book of sorts; although not nearly as saucy and naughty as "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" by John Cleland which was from a much earlier time period). The other one I read of his was The Apocalypse. You can find my thoughts on that one and the Wilkie Collins works referenced in the complete list or the link to the 2023 year and the main literature page. So after, the short diversion with Jim who apparently has had some luck in some way or another, I will be going on the DH Lawrence tour which will include the following: 17 January 2024. Just FYI at this point I am just past page 100 in The White Peacock. The end page number is 410. This book has that rustic quiet life like that in "The Country of the Pointed Firs" which I read last year. 19 January 2024. Hope you like the sketches from yesterday and today. Which do you like better I wonder? haha. . . Just updating that I am at this point just passing page 145 . . . hope you have a great weekend froggies! 25 January 2024. I am now to about page 275.  >Questions for Thoughts / Reactions Inspired by My Reading of "The White Peacock" as I go: Before you answer the next two questions, if you are not familiar you should look up Mozart music and Tchaikovsky music to listen to. Then you should answer: * if you are angry, which one (Mozart or Tchaikovsky) would you listen to? or play on the piano if you could I suppose. * if you are down in the dumps which one (Mozart or Tchaikovsky) would you listen to? or play on the piano if you could. . . One of the characters in the book was born in September and averred that that was her favorite month of the year as well. . . whatever month you were born in, is it too your favorite month of the year, or no? There are 4 rabbits in your yard, are you happy about it or do you want them out of there? Have you ever seen the Northern Lights in person? How did it make you feel? what did it make you think? This is an extremely rare occurrence these days I am sure: but do you or do you know anyone who is living in a house that multiple generations of their family has lived in? and if so, I wonder how that affects their life? At one part is the following statement: "It is rare now to feel a kinship between a room and the one who inhabits it. a close bond of blood relation."(P404). Now, think of the rooms in your house, or rooms of others' houses you have been to and how they are decorated / appointed . . . are there many among them in which the way the room is set seems to match perfectly the person who mainly inhabits it? Of the two do you like Strauss or DeBussy better? How do you feel about Sunday nights? Thinking over your life, what would be your "badge of life" (P338). . . one character said hers was a lonesome single crow . . . "one for sorrow." What would be yours?  quick sketch of Lettie while she was out in the field with George and admires his big muscles. . . did she really touch them? I guess you'll have to read the book. . . Letttttttiiiiieeeeeeee!!!!!! |
if you do not have the original of it hanging in your drawing room, I apologize but I will not be coming to tea this afternoon. In addition to listening to Mozart and Tchaikovskey you should listen to the song "The Ash Grove" to really get into the book. Maybe request it the next time you're at a bar or restaurant listening to a live metal or fusion jazz band.  I made this quick sketch of my take of Lettie in "The White Peacock" as she is bringing her stack of books on art to George, a hunk of a man but of a more simple farming type. My Thoughts on "The White Peacock" - 28 January 2024Hello Froggies: I just finished reading "The White Peacock" by DH Lawrence as published by Penguin Twentieth Century Classics. It was written or first published in 1911. It takes place in rural England in that time period and through 15+ years prior to that. It is the turn of the century when on the roads in towns you would have both horse drawn carts as well as motor cars. I started reading the book on Jan 16th and finished it today, Jan 28th. Of that time period I actually read on 10 of those days. The most pages I read in any of the days was 75. The book was an enjoyable read. However, for me it lacked the level of conflict or tension that I like and it really didn't have any overly unique characters like Wilkie Collins likes to throw into his works. It is kind of a cool and easy rolling read really about relationships and who people end up with and how their lives turn out as compared to how they may or may not have turned out.The book is told from one character's point of view who is informed by the various parties involved (relatives and friends) of the going ons in their lives. His name is Cyril. He seems to be a more effeminate type guy who really is attuned to nature, birds, trees etc. He is of a fairly well to do family in the rural area surrounding a mill pond. His best friend who it seems at one point he was taking a romantic interest in was George who was this super manly muscular guy who worked in the fields on his family's farm around the mill pond. I do not want to be a spoiler so I will speak in generalities from that point on. This is largely a book of one who is engaged to be married to another who is physically attracted to someone who is a little lower on the social ladder than her and her family. . .It is also a story of waiting too long to pursue the one you want to marry until the chance is lost. . . it is the story of a couple of different marriage dynamics . . . so if you are someone who likes books about relationships and marriages and all the things that go along with marriages you will very likely like this book. If you get irritated with overly done descriptions of scenery, you are probably going to want to breeze through certain pages of this book. I like such descriptions to a point, but even for me, and even for my being a lover of nature, birds, trees, etc. I found some of the passages in that regard somewhat tiresome but pushed through. A true birder or a flower lover would find the passages enjoyable I am sure though. It was overall though an enjoyable read and I jotted done many quotes of note and obviously you see here many questions for thought / discussion. When I get so much material from a book it is definitely more enjoyable to me. With that I will leave you with one notable quote from the book that I jotted down: The best part of love is being made much of, being first and foremost in the whole world for somebody." (p312). If you read it, let me know what you think. I enjoyed it. Not in my favorites of all time, but still enjoyable. On to the next one froggies! be well!  |
