Have been slowly reading Tom’s Midnight Garden all
along, and with only a couple chapters left, I chose to finish it off in the
luxury of my weekly bath. It had a really satisfying ending, reminded me somewhat
of the charm and pathos of ‘Peter Pan’ and also the historical content of ‘Hitty,
Her First Hundred Years’ by Rachel Field. All three stories were written for
children and involve an element of space or time bopping. Both the characters,
Tom and Peter, deal with the agony of time moving forward and loved ones
growing up and beyond their reach. A very tender story – I’m really glad I heard
mention of it so I knew to give it a try.
[Next
I’m on to the historical fiction of Hilary Mantel, who this week was awarded the
coveted Man Booker Prize – best original full-length novel, written in the
English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or
Zimbabwe. (How Zimbabwe got to be in that group, I do not know! You will notice
this does NOT include America – heck! those guys have a plethora of their OWN
literary awards!!) Quote: This is
an unprecedented year for the Man Booker. Not only does Hilary Mantel become the first British novelist and the first
woman to win the coveted £50,000 literary prize twice, she is also the only
writer in the award’s 43-year history to win for two novels in a trilogy. (Is
their some bribery going on here?! I dunno.) The project that began with Wolf
Hall, soon expanded to become a promised trilogy - Bring Up the Bodies, this year’s winner, and
the third installment of her series on Thomas Cromwell, The Mirror and the
Light, with a completion date for which Ms. Mantel can offer no light.
Photos_
1- doorway to midnight
2- my own midnight garden
2- my own midnight garden
3- another shot of the garden, long and narrow (aka one’s backyard) - taken from the ground, for a change
4- doorway to Selly Oak branch library - can you read what it says overhead? FREE LIBRARY - that's gotta be old (right on
the main street of town- doesn’t even have a parking lot; I guess everybody
just walks there – I know I do. But what I really don’t understand is that
there is always litter on the steps leading up to the entrance, and weeds – is
that any way to show respect to a revered institution, a universal treasure?!)
5- the land that time forgot - really? in this day
and age – a hand-inserted, hand-stamped paper for the return of the book? (Many
of you won’t even know what this is!)
6- Hilary Mantel, author par excellence
