Luxx and inkspot's classic challenge

Luxx has challenged me to read The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg and I have challenged her to read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.

I started the Hogg two days ago, and my first impressions were that it was going to be great. I love all those amusing, scathing remarks about Rabina, her pastor, and their bitter, petty religious beliefs. The bedroom scene where the laird starts snoring during Rabina's fervent prayers was hilarious.

I've reached the part about the antagonism between the sons George and Robert. I've slowed down a bit, which I admit has something to do with my aversion to gross injustices inflicted on likeable characters by cruel ones. I get really frustrated when a character portrayed as perfectly amiable and kind gets trampled on by one who is incredibly mean and corrupt.

However, I do like how the opposition between the brothers reveals how utterly petty, vindictive, and unforgiving the religion of Rabina, Wringham, and Robert is. Is this Calvinism?

It's so childish how Robert stands on the tennis courts and cricket pitch to prevent his brother from enjoying the games, and follows him around, giving him an evil glare. I like that Wringham's curse for the devil to sit at the sinner's right hand seems to be coming true, except that Robert is the devil.The pages I'd printed out stopped at this point, but I'll read more tonight.

The main thing that bothers me at the moment is the writing. I don't much like the Scottish brogue occasionally used as I can't always figure out exactly what they're saying. I think I might also have a bad edition/transcription because sometimes it seems like the opposite of what is intended is said, eg it refers to George but they're talking about Robert. Then again, maybe it's just me. One reason I seldom read classics is my impatience with the language, which is not something I'm proud of. I appreciate good writing, and I dislike reading books with bad writing, but I'm more interested in the ideas and characters, and sometimes I get frustrated having to pay such careful attention to a writing style which differs so much from modern language styles. In general, I read books more closely on re-readings, but am more impatient on the first reading, and consequently I seldom finish the classics I start. But hopefully this challenge is a step in the right direction, and can eventually get to all that Virginia Woolf I've been meaning to read....

I'm afraid that I don't have such an in-depth update to add - I just bought the kindle edition of The Eyre Affair, and I'll be starting it momentarily.

I hope Hogg hasn't turned you off yet!

Glad to see your challenge. I hope you have as much fun as Charles and I did with ours.

I read the first three chapters last night, and my first impressions of The Eyre Affair are not entirely positive. Chapter one carried with it a sense of familiarity that I can only connect with my reading of 1984 earlier this year; from the continuous war to the strange government departments the introduction smacked of Orwellian dystopia. But as the opening few chapters developed I felt like the author was trying to cram too much information into a short narrative space, forcing a sense of normality and familiarity on the author without the necessary construction to adequately do so. However, I'm only a few chapters in so I am trying to keep an open mind.

Wow 1984 - I wouldn't have associated it with something that dark! I take your point about the ongoing war though. I'm re-reading it along with the Hogg, and I see what you mean about a lot of information being crammed into a short narrative space. I think it's something I'm used to, since I read lots of sci fi, but I remember taking a while to get into my stride with Fforde. The first one's a bit darker than the later ones, but still a good story. I love the literariness of the world - selling forged Keats instead of drugs, and instead of Jehovah's Witnesses at the door, Francis Bacon fanatics try to convince everyone that Bacon wrote all of Shakespeare's plays.

I'm keeping pace with Hogg. I'm not bored, but not enthralled either. However, while doing some formatting on the ebook so I could print it, I saw a little of Roger's narrative, and I'm really looking forward to that. I like close character studies, as well as different perspectives on the same story, so as much as I hate Roger at this point, I'm keen to know more about him.

The constant war in the Crimea in my opinion WAS a nod to 1984, remember the Jasper Fforde novels are poking fun at other literary works.

I'm reading on my Kindle so I don't have page numbers, but I just wanted to make a quick comment: coming across a character named "Braxton Hicks" unexpectedly is incredibly funny at 36-weeks pregnant. I nearly spit hot chocolate all over my couch.

I had to google that one, but now I'll be looking out for it during my reread. The Eyre Affair is one of those books with lots of little jokes, many of which I feel I'm missing, but it just makes the reread that much more rewarding.

I'm really enjoying Hogg. I reached Robert's narrative shortly after my last post and I tore through quite a bit of it last night. As much as I dislike Robert and think him a blindly cruel idiot, I prefer his narrative to the Editor's. Rather than just being angry and perplexed at the injustice of his actions, I understand his character while still being critical of his hypocrisy and irrationality. I really like the idea that it's his religious fanaticism, the extremity of his beliefs that makes him so vulnerable to the devil, yet he thinks himself one of the 'elect'.

I'm glad to be reading this - thanks Luxx!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it! It's one of my favorite gothic novels, and not many people seem to be familiar with it. I agree with you on Robert - I think he's fabulous as a character.

I've gotten a bit more into The Eyre Affair, and I'm still running hot and cold. I am enjoying the main narrative, though! I'll probably finish it today or tonight and post my final thoughts later.

Braxton Hicks??!!?? What a hoot. I remember those.....

I'll be happy when they're a memory. ;)

115. Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair. 382 pages. 9.17.09.

The Eyre Affair is a science fiction novel set in an alternative reality and follows literary detective Thursday next as she tracks the unstable and unpredictable Acheron Hades who is wreaking havoc in both reality and literature alike. Meanwhile, Next struggles with personal emotions and conflicts associated with the Orwellian Crimean War which has been raging for over a century, and ha had disastrous consequences for Thursday's personal and moral sensibilities.

I was challenged to read The Eyre Affair by fellow LibraryThing user inkspot (Lauren) on the basis that I do not read a great deal of science fiction on my own, and likewise avoid literature that attempt to rewrite or borrow plots from classic literature. So from the very first I must say that I know next to nothing about the author, Jasper Fforde, the series that apparently comes from this novel, nor the genre as a whole.

As a cold reader I found it very difficult to become involved in the novel. The first several chapters attempt to introduce a very wide range of plots and ideas without adequately associating them, leaving me confused as to what is actually pertinent in the novel and what is more likely to turn out to be "filler" (of which it seems there is a great deal). The setting itself gave me pause, as the author at once creates a world drenched in literature (including automated Shakespeare characters on the streets and whole government departments dedicated to hunting down plagiarizers and false editions of classic works, for example), and seems to show a great deal of disdain for literary enthusiasts (as exemplified by the Milton convention, for example, or the trend in name-changing).

Likewise, while the literary material offers Fforde a wide range of possibilities in terms of building his own characters, much of the material he focuses on seems extraneous to the text and takes away from the narrative flow built around Thursday and her current tasks. The attention given to the authorship of Shakespeare's plays, for example, provides nothing more than a superfluous distraction for the reader; while the Baconists made me chuckle, the weak narrative thread focusing on a rather large literary issue seemed to just add another level of chaos to an already twisted narrative.

I also found myself getting caught up in little details that just didn't seem to make sense. For example, Bowden's insistence that he had "no idea" that a Dickens character was so popular, and her assertion of the same regarding Jane Eyre. In a world where literature confronts you on the streets, people change their names to those of authors, and others go door-to-door like Jehovah's Witnesses to convince the public of the true authorship of Shakespeare, how could Jane Eyre not be popular?

From my perspective, the novel didn't really come together until approximately 75-80% through, when several different narrative threads were finally pulled together. These late connections left the ending feeling rushed and uncertain and, while satisfactory, out of joint with the rest of the novel. I do not regret the challenge or reading The Eyre Affair, as it certainly gave me an interesting look at a genre I otherwise avoid, but I will not be seeking out any Fforde in the future.

Thank you for the challenge, Lauren! I hope James Hogg is treating you well.

Hi Luxx

I'm sorry that you couldn't enjoy the Fforde as much as I'm enjoying the Hogg. Re-reading it, I also find that I'm less impressed than I was the first time round. I don't really mind the quirky details so much - I see them less as filler as Fforde trying to paint his world - but would prefer it if the narrative were tauter and had more drive. His writing is a little clunky at times too.
In retrospect I think I made a poor choice for you for this challenge - The Eyre Affair is only partially sci fi, but I was hoping the reference to classics would make it more interesting for you. I think I should have just gone with a great sci fi novel, rather than looking for one with a link to classics. Ah well, perhaps I'll make a better choice if we ever do another challenge together.

I'm hoping to finish the Hogg tonight; I'll chat again when I do.

Cheers!
Lauren

Like you said in another thread - I never regret reading something new! It was an interesting experiment, personal opinions aside, and I appreciate you bringing me out of my book shell a bit.

And I also know what you mean about rereading books - I have a few (like The Lovely Bones) that I loved the first time around and was less impressed with when I went back to them.

If you'd like to suggest another sci fi I'd be up for giving it a go. I'm going to be reading quite a bit of classic horror for October, and I'm sure I could appreciate a break from it before too long.

I'm very interested to read your final thoughts on Hogg.

Enjoy your evening,
Luxx

Hi Luxx

I meant to post this sooner, but I've been busier than expected lately. Anyway, I've finished the Hogg, and here are my final thoughts:

Although I don’t normally read classics, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner had many of the features I enjoy in fiction – conflicting perspective on the same events, a close psychological study of a tortured character, torment and seduction by a devil, and a criticism of strict religious doctrine. Consequently, I quite enjoyed this novel (which I often do, with classics, when I take the time and patience to read them).

My feelings about the main character, Robert, were unusual. As much as I disliked him and was angered by the injustice of his actions in the first narrative, I found Robert’s narrative to be the most interesting. The first part of the story reveals him to be a grossly self-righteous, cruel, petty little man. This is no less obvious in his own story, but Robert’s memoir allows you to understand him, without condoning any of his beliefs or behaviour. Usually, if I enjoy the narrative of such an unfavourable character, there is at least something I admire about him/her, but not so with Robert.

Hogg illustrates one of the things I dislike about religion – the way it can encourage people to put dogma above compassion. From ruining a boy's reputation with lies to committing murder, Robert justifies his sins with the excuse that he is doing God's work. His 'divine' motives thus cause him to be cruel to others. Another problem is that Robert sticks to religious doctrine rather than thinking for himself. I think this is one of the reasons he's so susceptible to Gil-Martin's influences - initially he can't see past Gil-Martin's religious teachings, and when he finally does it is too late for him to resist. Robert is also unable to see all the logical flaws in his beliefs. I felt that the torment he suffered as the devil's follower was, in a way, the logical conclusion of his irrational beliefs. His suffering was as much a consequence of trying to cling to such extreme, illogical beliefs as of his relationship with the devil.

About Gil-Martin - I liked how he assumed the looks and ideas of whoever he was thinking about or focussed on. A nice touch, and pretty creepy. I'm wondering if it was some kind of twisted version of the idea of being made in God's image? Instead the devil shapes himself according to human images, and as a result is more grotesque and scary.

The narrative as a whole is beset with doubt. The editor’s narrative is a factual account of the novel’s event, but as the editor did not experience anything personally, he must rely on other sources. Robert’s narrative differs from the editor’s at certain points, giving a slightly more favourable account of himself in some situations. Robert’s narrative also has a supernatural element which the editor refuses to accept. And of course there's Hogg's letter, which is revealed to contain a few odd lies. I think the story’s uncertainties are a suitable counterpoint to Robert’s unquestioned religious beliefs. The reader, unsure of the truth, should have more reason to criticise Robert, Wringham and Lady Colwan’s assumptions about their acceptance into heaven. If the editor, and thus the reader, can’t be sure of history, how can anyone be sure of God’s mind?

I had a problem with a small part of the narrative though, where an old woman talks about how it is the most pious of people who make the best victims. That makes sense, but in this case suggests that Robert really is one of God's chosen, whereas the rest of the story exposes him as a cruel, self-righteous idiot. However, since this anecdote is from an old woman making a general statement, it doesn't have to be applied to Robert specifically.

My only other problem with the book was the language - one of the main reasons I avoid classics. While I don't mind taking my time to appreciate the nuances of an author's writing, I have less patience for taking my time merely to understand what is going on, which is often the case with older styles of writing. However, I found this novel to be a relatively easy read, although the Scottish brogue was irritating. It lent authenticity to the narrative, but reading it was frustrating.

While I’m not encouraged to seek out many more classics, I enjoyed this one, for both its story and its style. I’d once intended to read Carmilla though, and after following your challenge with Belva, I think I’m going to read that one soon :)

Thanks very much for this challenge Luxx! You made a great choice and I'm pleased to have read it. I'd be happy to do another challenge with you anytime.

A wonderful and insightful review, Lauren! Many of your arguments and questions are ones that came up in my own reading of Hogg, so I can certainly sympathize with your reading; it certainly makes me want to move the reread up on my list. I especially like your comment that "The narrative as a whole is beset with doubt", as it seems to be the reader's plague in the novel. Gothic novels in general can presented complicated (and often conflicting) views on religion and morality, and established religious institutions are often targeted for examination and satire (for example, convents).

I've had a wonderful time with this challenge, and I'm very happy that you had a relatively positive experience with Hogg. I'd love to do another challenge with you as well. And if you're interested in Carmilla, I say go for it! It's a wonderful (and short) piece that has has a big influence on classic and modern horror, even if the story itself has slipped under contemporary radar.

Thanks Luxx! I appreciate the kind of novel that has me asking a lot of questions and raising arguments (unless of course, I start arguing about how crap and illogical the book is). The Hogg is one of those that deserves a reread and little notes in the margins.

I've got two challenges pending at the moment, but let me know if you want to do another one afterwards :)