Booknotes 3.29 — Blog

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson, published 2020. I don’t have much of a taste for military history (battles, etc.), but reading about other parts of WWII fascinates me, and this book very much hit the spot. Compelling throughout. It reminded me of Sofia Purnell’s Clementine, which was also a worthwhile read. Looking forward to continuing my tour through Larson’s books. Thinking maybe Dead Wake next.

In Search of Lost Time volume 1: Swann’s Way, by Marcel Proust (translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff), published 1913 (translated 1922), fiction. I tandem read this with a friend and had a delightful time of it. All I knew going in was that In Search of Lost Time is super long and thus daunting, but it (well, the first volume, which was not super long) turned out to be fairly easy to read. It’s very poetic, very philosophical, and frequently funny. Really enjoyed it. Bloch and the narrator’s aunt were both hilarious, as was the scene where Swann taps on the window. Quite enjoyed Dr. Cottard and the other characters at the Verdurins’ salon, too. And the tiny, spot-on observations of human behavior. And the poetic imagery.
A Woman of No Importance, by Oscar Wilde, published 1893, play. I read this for book club. While I enjoyed the witty barbs, overall the play didn’t resonate with me as much as I was hoping it would, sadly. Oh well.
An Ideal Husband, by Oscar Wilde, published 1895, play. Another book club read. Liked this quite a bit more than A Woman of No Importance. Blackmail and intrigue! The wit seemed to taper off as the plot got going, which I didn’t mind. Not sure that I’m itching to read more Wilde anytime soon, but maybe I’ll reread Dorian Gray now that I’m old enough to get more out of it.