Quotations Weblog » Literature

Book Review: The Wet Nurse’s Tale

Laura Moncur — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:00:25 +0000

I heard about The Wet Nurse’s Tale by Erica Eisdorfer from Entertainment Weekly. Considering who recommended it, I thought it would be a poorly written tale about servants in Victorian England. Instead, it was a brilliantly written tale of servants in Victorian England.

Susan Rose, our heroine, is a fat girl with bulbous breasts full of milk for the neglected babes of the upper classes. Like her mother before her, Susan is a wet nurse for rich English ladies who either cannot nurse their own babies or would rather not to “save their figures.” Each major section of the book is interspersed with the admissions of the families who sent their children to Susan’s mother.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

I have seen a peaceful expression turn to anger as fast as a whip cracks, and so the look on the face might mean less than what it seems to be.

Erica Eisdorfer, The Wet Nurse’s Tale, 2009

I take care of my things. After all, those of us as has few things to begin with must take care, lest we have fewer.

Erica Eisdorfer, The Wet Nurse’s Tale, 2009

If you’re servant enough, you can shrink into the shadows, even in the bright morning sun and even if you’re large enough to often block it.

Erica Eisdorfer, The Wet Nurse’s Tale, 2009

You can read all the quotes here:

The Quotations Page – The Wet Nurse’s Tale by Erica Eisdorfer

I love Susan Rose as a hero because she isn’t a weak woman. She may be fat, but she is strong. She toils in the laundry room, hiding her pregnancy, right until the day she delivers. She fights like a pit bull for her baby. She valiantly takes on a violent and mentally ill mistress in her home in an effort to save her own child. She one tough chick.

I didn’t expect to be so fully sucked into the book. I started reading and within a day, I couldn’t pull myself away from it. I consumed the book in a marathon session of hiding under an afghan on my couch. I can’t wait for Erica’s second book!

Too Intellectual To Be Seen Reading Chick Lit

Laura Moncur — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:06:22 +0000

This postcard from PostSecret made me smile in recognition.

It reads:

I am too intellectual and sophisticated to be seen reading “chick lit.”

Thank goodness for audio books and iPods…

This woman reminds me of myself just a few months ago. I finally had my romance novel epiphany. If you missed it, you can read it here:

Quotations Weblog Â» Archive Â» Reading Romance Novels Shamelessly

In the end, I decided:

Reading romance novels shamelessly is a feminist act. Itâ€™s celebrating literature written strictly FOR women. Itâ€™s the one genre that has been tailored specifically to women, even in a male-dominated society. I should rejoice in reading romance novels and release the shame Iâ€™ve felt all these years.

I am so grateful that I’m not the only one who was hiding my book reading behind technology.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

Intentionally Pompous Initials

Laura Moncur — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:22:24 +0000

I love these comics from Sheldon accusing authors of being intentionally pompous:

Is all you need to be a successful fantasy author is a few extra initials in your name? I don’t think so, but it certainly helps. It seems that book publishers today ARE naming their authors in order to conveniently place them near another author on the shelf. For example, the large proliferation of authors with names VERY similar to Jane Austen in the Victorian romance genre.

Maybe fantasy authors are specifically choosing their nomes du plume with extra initials to remind people of J. R. R. Tolkien. Adding a couple of initials to your current name makes you similar enough to Tolkien to be noticed without making your name sound exactly like his. It’s different than naming yourself say, Elizabeth Aston, in order to have your books right next to the Jane Austen books. It’s more of an indication to the reader what your book is going to be like, i.e. “Nerd Be Lovin’ Books About Elves.”

Here is a great article about how to choose a pen name:

How to Choose a Pen Name

She doesn’t mention choosing a name to place your books near another, more famous, author. Nor does she suggest that adding a few initials to your pen name for your fantasy books might give you a little boost in sales. I think that in the future, when more book sales happen online instead of by people browsing through shelves of books at a bookstore, this fashion of using a pen name to strategically locate yourself near other authors won’t be as common. Amazon’s book recommendation features will indiscriminately recommend a book by Elizabeth Aston just as easily as one by Amanda Grange.

Soon, pen names will be MORE like the Tolkien variety and less like the Elizabeth Aston variety. Or maybe, here’s a unique thought, authors will use their REAL names a little more often.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Laura Moncur — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:20:35 +0000

I have been looking for a good science fiction book ever since I finished the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld. John Scalzi was recommended to me FOUR years ago by Unshelved:

Unshelved comic strip: Old Man’s War

I put it on a list and didn’t look at it again until I downloaded the Amazon Kindle application for my iPhone [iTunes Link]. I went on a book buying spree for an entire month and the first book I bought and read on my iPhone was Old Man’s War.

John Perry is 75 years old and nearing the end of his life. He and his wife volunteered for the Colonial Defense Force because they were promised a new body and the ability to live another life. Unfortunately, John’s wife died before she turned 75 years old. Now that John is ready to be enlisted, he leaves behind Earth forever to find the horrors of war and deep space.

Here are the quotes that I gleaned from this excellent novel:

My marriage had its ups and downs like anyone’s, but when it came down to it, I knew it was solid. I miss that sort of security, and that sort of connection with someone.