Picture of the Day: 

The Eagle and Child in Oxford

Quote of the Day: 

Hello, dearest reader! I have been missing for quite a while, I know. I have been traveling! For the past two and half weeks I have been practicing the art of becoming an Oxonian. 

What is an Oxonian, you ask? A citizen of Oxford, England! Yes, for the past few weeks I have been following C.S. Lewis' and Tolkien's old haunts and exploring various parts of England (mostly in Oxfordshire) in the spirit of an adventurer. The trip was far from perfect--many things happened that seemed to keep my sister and I from enjoying ourselves fully--but over all I saw very pretty things, learned a lot of new facts and customs, and got to sit where the greats sat. Yes, dear reader. The picture above of the Eagle and Child is, in fact, one of the many things I did whilst in dear Oxford. 

In case you haven't a clue, the Eagle and Child is the pub that housed the meetings of the legendary Inklings. If you do not know who the Inklings are, I will give you a moment to look them up and gasp and stare in awe. This band of writers and friends is indeed my favorite, and I was honored to sit where they once sat. So even though the rest of the trip was rocky at best, I can stand fulfilled. I will be posting various pictures from the trip, I am sure, as the days go on, so stay tuned!

Now, that by itself would hardly be an update! So I have two other things that I think I am going to mention before pressing the "publish post" button below this writing box. 

I have picked up a new book to begin reading, and while I have not yet finished it, I thought I would clue you in a little bit on what I have liked and disliked about this--both in light of a "Book of the Month" and for the sake of this being a literary blog. 

I found in the Dunedin Public Library's "Friends of the Library" store a book entitled Labyrinth, written by Kate Mosse. The story immediately caught my interest, I paid two dollars and walked out with the book in hand. I did not really start reading it until recently, but now I am about a quarter of the way through (at 218 pages) and wondering if the story is worth continuing for. 

This woman uses so many writing styles, it is almost like she has multiple personalities. 

In the opening of the book, she literally writes in third person present. Here, I will give you a quote from the very opening page. 

A pale line of blood trickles down the pale underside of her arm, a red seam on a white sleeve.

At first, Alice thinks it's just a fly and takes no notice. Insects are an occupational hazard at a dig, and for some reason there are more flies higher up the mountain where she is working than at the main excavation site lower down. Then a drop of blood splashes onto her bare leg, exploding like a firework on Guy Fawkes night.

Now, reader, I have given you the very first two paragraphs of the novel. Interesting style choice, I must say. I found it difficult to read, though I chalked it up to habit. I was, after all, so used to reading third person past action that I would naturally find a change difficult to accept. That, and based on the premise of the book, I thought it might be a pointed style choice. You see, this novel (according to the inside flap) takes place in two different time periods. Alice is the protagonist of 2005, but Alais is a protagonist that lives during 1209. I figured that perhaps the present tense was used to help the reader differentiate which girl character they were following. So, even though I was slightly slowed, I kept pressing forward. 

I was wrong. The present tense abruptly vanishes by chapter three, and there does not seem to be a reason it was ever there at all. 

Wait, it gets better.

Alice and Alais are seemingly not the only two protagonists. 

What, I hear you ask. Explain.

Every single character that comes into the story gets their own, personal narration. You can start the chapter following Alice, end it following a woman with dark curls named Marie-Cecile, and then pick up the next chapter with a private investigator named Authie. You follow each character so closely that the entire story becomes intricate and detailed beyond necessity, and I, as the reader, become frustrated trying to keep story lines straight. That's right. Most of the time, the characters are not even interacting. 

The book is as mad as a hatter, make no mistake. 

Still, the story sounds like it should outweigh all these stylistic issues. Alais and Alice are bound through time to find the Holy Grail. It may be just my inner nerd, but I was excited to read a book where the Grail seeking was done by females rather than males. 

I will keep you updated on my progress through this book--maybe even you will go out and pick it up yourself and we can venture through it together. I am hoping that when I close the cover, it will have been worth it in the end. 

Now, for my own writing. I have started chapter four of my pirate novel. It is coming along nicely, and I am proud to say that I am steadily moving forward at the moment. I have pretty much decided I just need to finish the first draft, and leave the true tweaking and editing for when the entire story is down and complete. (Yes, Alexandra, you were right all along on what I needed to do. But I am irrevocably stubborn.) Soon I shall post a bit by way of preview, or maybe give a little glimpse at one character or another. Your patience is loved, reader. You have stuck with me this far! Together we shall make it. 

Have a safe weekend, and I shall write to you soon!