In keeping with my resolution to read all the books my boys are reading at school, I picked up The Hound on Sunday evening...I could hardly put it down, except to throw in a few loads of laundry, and I finished it last evening (Monday).
One benefit of this resolution is that it "forces" me to read works I would otherwise avoid....like mysteries. Well, maybe "avoid" is too strong, but I certainly am not drawn to them. I gravitate toward classic literature, theology, biography and memoirs while ignoring Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey, Chesterton's Father Brown, or Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Maybe I'll have to change, because I thoroughly enjoyed The Hound of the Baskervilles.
New words I learned from this 6th grade Literature book:
dolichocephalic - having a long head
foolscap - writing paper
Phrases to remember: "a scientific use of the imagination" and "an inheritance with a vengeance." I think they represent a clever use of words and ideas.
My favorite quotes: "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." And...
When Watson confidently provides Holmes with an analysis of the clues they have obtained, Holmes responds, "It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it." I paused, thinking, "Yes, maybe that's what I am...absent of genius, but a conductor of light...." Watson feels quite proud of himself as well ...but only momentarily until Holmes bursts both our bubbles; "When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth." :-)
Doyle is a master of mood setting and description, making this an excellent pick for the classroom, providing choice material for stylistic and literary elements as well as critical thinking skills. Besides that...it's simply an intriguing and well-told story!
8 comments:
I have never read this book, but I would encourage you to read Sayers' mysteries. They are well-written, and fun to read. I think they qualify at "literature."
Yeah...my wording implies that all mystery is automatically eliminated from the category of "literature." That was certainly unintentional!
I've had "The Nine Tailors" on my bedstand for about 3 months now, just waiting for me to pick it up and get going!
I am going to get "Kite Runner" today, finish "A Table in the Mist," try to breeze through Thoreau's "Walden" (which Grant is reading right now...), THEN MAYBE I will read Sayers!
Will I ever catch up on all the reading I want to do? EVER?! Will I ever get to RE-read the books I've loved? Sigh...
Jeff Meyers commented on my blog that he found the book Kite Runner to be contrived. Just thought I would let you know another opinion. Also, if you still want to read and haven't bought it yet, he would probably lend it to you :)
Well, I can't help but consider Jeff's opinion...however, he LIKES (and apparently UNDERSTANDS) Russian literature and Walker Percy, so maybe we are on different intellectual planes...actually, I'm certain we are...this is just further proof. :-)
I hope I'm not disappointed with the book. I fail to see how the movie was "contrived." Even in retrospect, distanced from the emotional draw, I can't see it. Sometimes things DO work out...
I thought the movie was beautifully done...even the credits at the beginning were exquisite.
I'll let you know what I think of the book.
I have another mystery genre recommendation (not that you were looking for any!)--Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series. I've enjoyed those. Here is book one.
Great, Angie! Just what I need...!
I think you've blogged about that series before, yes? I'll keep it in mind! Thanks.
I love that book. I am glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, Cynthia. I've briefly visited your blog from Country Doctor's Wife. Are the 6 children in the photo yours? Do you homeschool?
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