PRABE - reading enjoyment = self fullfillment

I can honestly say PRABE (pleasure reading and blog entries) was a great assignment.  Not only did I get to read books I loved (well mostly) but I got to write or express my own opinion of the book, and no one argues with me.  What could be better than that?  I have always loved reading and this assignment only emphasized that.  In fact, I found myself interested in researching other books I wanted to read (creating my books-to-read list) and thinking a bit deeper about the characters, the setting, the theme.  As far as changes, I like others to see me as a well-versed reader, I like that I can read something and formulate an intelligent summary about it.  I like to explore where the story is going to take me.  Are you ready for the ride?  I know I am!  Happy reading!   

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain continued...

This novel keeps getting better and better the more I read it.  I love reading historical fiction too, because I find out more about history, settings, events, and in this case; people.  Let's see, where did I leave off?  Hadley and Ernest become engaged, have a short engagement and then get married.  As newly weds they struggle financially, but finally Ernest, through one of his writer contacts, is given advice to head to Paris to further his writing career.

It doesn't take long before Hadley and Ernest become engulfed in Paris life.  Through his letters of introduction Ernest begins associating with the likes of  Lewis Galantiere, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein.  Ernest starts to build his writing career by writing articles for the STAR and INS (under a pseudo name) and then going on location and writes about the Greco-Turkish war, then meets Mussolini and writes a piece about him as well.  Meanwhile, Hadley is very homesick but slowly adjusts to life in Paris.  She is a bit disengaged because she feels she has no special talent or passion like Ernest does with his writing.  She becomes very troubled when Ernest leaves for a time to do his writing.  Finally, she finds that she wants to have a baby and even though Ernest does not want this now, she becomes pregnant.  This is where I have left off.

I am really enjoying reading this novel.  I try placing myself in Hadley's shoes and I can see how she is disenchanted with life.  She does not have anything to call her own.  No driving passions, talent or career.  No close friends or family nearby.  And I assume most women did not in the mid-1920's.  But at the same time, I do not see her character as being weak.  Naive maybe, but not weak.  I am about halfway through, so I must get back to reading....

November 28 - 20 minutes
November 30 - 20 minutes
December 2 -    30 minutes
December 3 -     30 minutes