Lest you think we’re total nerds here at A Classic Case of Madness, I thought I should clear up a little rumor: We do read things other than the classics. Just this year I read Death at Pemberly and The Eyre Affair.
Fine, whatever. We’re nerds. I own it.
Our good friend Norma, you’ve read her intelligent comments I’m sure, gave me this wonderful mystery by P.D. James as a Christmas present to share with our “classy friends.”
The novel is set at Pemberly, (duh), after Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage. I don’t want to give too much away, but, there is a murder. Don’t worry, all the Bennet girls are fine.
If you like mysteries, and you want to test your ideas of life after P&P against this wise, aged author’s, then you should give it a read. Seriously, P.D. James is 91 years old and still writing novels. If nothing else, you should read it to remind yourself that you are not too old to do anything.
The Eyre Affair is a book I picked up on the handy-dandy display of adult books that our local library sets out in the kid’s area for those of us stroller-tied to the bottom floor. We had just finished up the actual Jane Eyre, and there was no way I was leaving this paperback for some ritzy, Peg Perigo pushing mom to snatch up without understanding the deep Brontë influence.
It’s the first in a series about a female detective named Thursday Next. The book, by British author Jaspor Fforde is, well, um, let’s see . . .maybe the front of the book says it best:
Yeah, it’s sort of unusual, but in that great, “Are you smart enough to get his sense of humor” kind of way. He makes you earn your laughs, and that I can appreciate.
Plus, four of our WEM books were mentioned within the first 14 pages. See?
I will definitely be going back to read more of this time-travel, literary mystery fantasy, but maybe after we’ve gotten a little further down our list. After all, I don’t want to miss any more of the jokes than necessary.
So, what other companion books should I add to my library queue?
Christine
Christina Joy
Jeannette
A Classic Case of Madness 
Adriana @ Classical Quest
May 31, 2012 at 6:40 am
This is so funny — I just picked up my companion books for Madame Bovary yesterday at the library. When I stacked them on the table my husband said “Honey, Isn’t WEM enough?” I think reading through WEM is making other good books BETTER.
I picked The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin (In contrast to Emma Bovary’s unhappiness), and something I plucked off the new release shelf b/c I liked the cover — No Cheating, No Dying, I Had a Good Marriage and I Tried to Make it Better — by Elizabeth Weil.
Christina Joy
May 31, 2012 at 1:58 pm
THP is the one that really jumped out at me off Anne’s Summer Beach Reading list, but I haven’t put it on hold yet. I’ll be interested to hear what you think. And I agree, this WEM reading makes me more aware of subtle things that I think I missed in good books before.
jeanlp
May 31, 2012 at 9:49 am
Funny you should ask–I finished Shannon Hale’s “Midnight in Austenland” about 15 minutes ago. 🙂 I’m not a fan of Austen spinoffs, but I do love Shannon Hale, and her stories are not set in the Austen universe.
I LOVE Fforde’s Thursday Next novels. The are insane and wonderful. Read them all!
Christina Joy
May 31, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I’ve never read any Shannon Hale – guess she’ll have to go on my queue, and I really am looking forward to more Thursday Next.
Tonia
May 31, 2012 at 10:28 am
Love Jasper Fforde! Those books are great. I haven’t read anything by P.D. James yet. Guess I better add her to my list.
Christina Joy
May 31, 2012 at 2:00 pm
This was the only P.D. James I’ve ever read, I’m not usually a huge murder-mystery kind of girl, but her sheer capacity to continue writing into her 90’s blows me away.
Carol Ann Weaver
June 1, 2012 at 6:03 pm
I see you finished Moby-Dick! Congratulations. 🙂
Christina Joy
June 1, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Thanks! There was a general sense of relief I think, except from my husband, he misses ol’ Melville.