tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32867425557236716812024-03-12T23:55:12.943-04:00Hurdling HugoA mortal attempt at literary immortalityStephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-37489541965262221982013-12-05T13:34:00.000-05:002013-12-05T13:34:11.767-05:00Coming January 2014: Uncovering Undset<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I may start writing here again... <br />
<br />
We shall see.<br />
<br />
Watch this space.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-28520233249946386292013-01-01T13:34:00.000-05:002013-01-01T13:34:29.515-05:00Moving On...: Reflections on a Year Spent Hurdling Hugo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Il dort. Quoique le sort f</i><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">û</span></span>t pour lui bien </i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i>trange,/Il vivait. Il mourut quand il n'eut plus son ange./La chose simplement d'elle-m<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ê</span>me arriva,/Comme la nuit se fait lorsque le jour s'en va.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>[He
is asleep. Though his mettle was sorely tried,/He lived, and when he
lost his angel, died./It happened calmly, on its own,/The way night
comes when day is done.]"</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (<i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables, </i>V.9.vi [last lines])</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hugo Final Day Count:</b> <i>366</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hugo Final Page Count:</b> <i>2158</i></div>
<br />
At
the beginning of this year, I started a journey through the works of
Victor Hugo. While my eyes were bigger then than my attention span is
now, it has certainly been a fun ride, encompassing the scope of human
emotions from unspeakable joy to inconsolable sadness and everything
in-between.<br />
<br />
The year started with the goal to read the largest novel I'd ever attempted - Victor Hugo's <i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables</i>
- and, in that respect, I was successful. And, while my accountability
on the blog was certainly lacking in the last twelve months, my contact
with my Twitter followers was at an all-time high and, I am quite
certain, through my tireless efforts to tweet quotes and passages from
the classic books I read, managed to convince a few of my friends and
followers to take up this magnificent tome for themselves.<br />
<br />
<i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables </i>was,
to be sure, one of the great literary experiences of my life. While I
did not feel quite as enriched while reading it as I did upon completing
<i>War & Peace </i>in 2011, upon further reflection, I find that it
was a book that I will certainly carry with me as a favorite for the
rest of my days.<br />
<br />
I was discussing with a friend (a
doctoral student in the theatre department at Tufts University) just
yesterday the necessary changes in Aristotle's "elements of a well-made
play" (or 'story'). He suggested that it is specious to apply what
amounts to ancient and philosophical thoughts to modern story and
playwriting techniques. When I prompted him as to what changes he would
make to Aristotle's structure, he responded that, more than 'plot'
(which Aristotle ranks highest of all other elements - which also
include theme, character, music, and spectacle, among others), <i>character </i>is what drives most modern audiences in their pursuit of film, literature, and theatre. I had to admit, he had a point.<br />
<br />
How often do truly compelling characters
stick with us as an audience, as readers, as those ardent masses who
desire to experience art for what it is? There is something about them
that draws us in. More than the most fascinating plot or story, it is the <i>characters</i>
that draw us in and help us to identify our place within the human
puzzle. Given my experiences over the last two years, I would have to
agree that the Romantic writers had a great handle on this idea.<br />
<br />
One
of the great things about the Romantics - particularly the Europeans -
was their aptitude for taking a story that was, for all intents and
purposes, epic and focusing, in the midst of this epic sprawl, on <i>characters</i>,
on the people who drive the story forward. Of those great, grand
stories, few balance the grandeur of subject with intimacy of character
like Victor Hugo.<br />
<br />
In the two novels of his that I read this year - <i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables </i>and <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i>
- Hugo demonstrates a grasp of character that is unparalleled by many
an author, a feat that may even eclipse that of Tolstoy, who's writing
so influenced and enlightened me last year.<br />
<br />
In <i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables,</i> Hugo introduces us to two characters who are fundamental opposites (and yet, paradoxically, based on the same man) - <b>Jean Valjean</b>, the criminal who is shown mercy when he most needs it and, as a result, shows it to everyone he comes across; and <b>Javert</b>,
the wolfish police inspector hell-bent by his fanatical devotion to the
law of the land to see that Valjean answers for his various crimes.
Their dichotomy has fueled innumerable conversations about the nature of
justice and mercy - which certainly had to be Hugo's intent. Himself an
activist and advocate for the poorest of people, Hugo clearly favors
Valjean's ascent of grace to Javert's dive of justice - while both men
ultimately die, it is Javert who kills himself due to his inability to
justify the act of mercy shown him by Valjean, the man who he had sworn
to bring to justice. Valjean, on the other hand, dies surrounded by his
beloved adopted daughter and her husband, loved and beloved. As he tells
his daughter with his final breaths: "Love each other dearly. There is
scarcely anything else in the world but that: to love one another"
(V.9.v). Or, to put it like it was said in the musical: "And remember
the truth that once was spoken,/To love another person is to see the
face of God."<br />
<br />
Peppered among these captivating players are secondary characters who do not fail to ignite inspirational fires of their own: <b>Marius</b>, the schoolboy who scorns his beloved grandfather in order to pursue his love and his ideals; the <b>Bishop of Digne</b>, whose simple act of mercy acts as the catalyst for Valjean's complete turnaround; the tragic <b>Fantine</b>, whose story is perhaps one of the saddest I've ever encountered; the noble <b>Enjolras</b> and the nihilistic <b>Grantaire</b>, two polar opposites whose death is one of the most noble and heartbreaking in all of literature; the mischievous <b>Little Gavroche</b>,
who refuses to take guff from any man, especially those bigger than
him. All of these - and so many others - enliven this epic tale. Hugo's
attention to forming them into fully-fledged people enhances a good
story, transforming into a timeless classic.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Hugo's first novel, <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i>,
also delivers on compelling characterizations, though of a completely
different kind altogether. While these is something inherently
emulatable in his <i>Les Mis</i><i><i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span></i></i>rables </i>creations (with the exclusion of the <b>Thenardiers</b>, of course), the characters in <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> (more commonly, and erroneously, referred to as <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>)
bears characters that would appear to be more at home in a morality
play than in a Romantic novel. Even more incredible is the idea that
Hugo's main character is the titular <b>Cathedral de Notre-Dame<i> </i></b>itself rather than any of the numerous characters that occupy the structure throughout the course of the novel.<br />
<br />
Firstly, we are introduced to <b>Claude Frollo</b>, the archbishop of Notre-Dame driven mad by his lustful desires for the young <b>la Esmeralda</b>
who herself becomes the object of desire of every principal male figure
of the book. While nowhere near as cruel as most film adaptations of
him, Frollo is nonetheless compelling - a man devoted to his studies and
to his vows, until the sight of a beautiful young girl drives him to a
most fatal obsession. In Frollo's care is the gentle <b>Quasimodo</b>,
who stands out as the most compelling of all the characters of this
novel, if for no other reason than the juxtaposition of his hideous
outer appearance (see the following excerpt) with his inner gentle
nature.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"We shall not attempt to give the reader an idea of that tetrahedral nose, that horseshoe mouth, that tiny left eye obscured by a shaggy red eyebrow, while the right eye lay completely hidden beneath an enormous wart. Those irregular teeth, with gaps here and there like the battlements of a fortress, that calloused lip, over which one of those teeth protruded like an elephant's tusk, that cleft chin, and above all the facial expression extending over the whole, a mixture of malice, amazement, and sadness. Conjure up, if you can, this overall effect." </i>(I.v)</blockquote>
It
is perhaps Quasimodo, of all the characters in the novel, who loves the
most honestly and the most deeply. While his demeanor around so many
others is anger, hatred, or brutality, it is la Esmeralda - the only
soul who treats him as though he were human - whom he holds with the
utmost affection, even at the expense of his relationship with his
master, Frollo.<br />
<br />
In addition to these, we are given snapshots of <b>Captain Phoebus</b>, whose heroics make him the apple of la Esmeralda's young eye, despite his engagement and constant womanizing; of <b>Jehann Frollo</b>, the younger brother of the archbishop, the mooching, drunken student whose loud and obnoxious behavior lead him to be among the first killed in the siege of the great Cathedral; of <b>Pierre Gringoire</b>,
a real-life playwright, here given literary function as the man whom la
Esmeralda marries in order to save him from death at the hands of the
gypsies; of <b>Gudule</b>, the frightful <i>sachette</i> who has spent
her life mourning the loss of her daughter and hating the gypsies who
had stolen her. Throughout the tale it is, again, these vibrant
characters who drive the narrative, giving it substance and life and
meaning and depth.<br />
<br />
Hugo's sketching of these characters
is what makes his novels so classic and so compelling. More than the
stories, which are still excellent, it is the characters that propel
them. Even Tolstoy, who last year became one of my favorite writers, did
not have such an emotional grasp of character. In two novels, he created five characters that I became completely enamored with - <b>Andrei Bolkonsky</b>, <b>Pierre Bezukhov</b>, <b>Natasha Rostova</b>, <b>Anna Karenina</b>, and <b>Konstantin Levin</b>.
Hugo, on the other hand, has created three times as many, at least one
of which - Jean Valjean - has been named among the most compelling
characters in all of literature. While I can honestly say that Tolstoy
composes the vast, sprawling narrative with more aplomb than Hugo, it is
Hugo who creates the more relatable characters.<br />
<br />
And
perhaps it is that, above all, which I will take away from this year in
my literary journey. 2012 is the year of the captivating character.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
___________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And,
with that, ladies and gentlemen, that I bring this blog to a close. As I
mentioned in an earlier post, I am broadening my scope in the years to
come on this project. It is my hope that you will continue to follow
along with my literary journey both at <a href="http://classiclitblog.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">my new blog</a> or my new Twitter feed (<a href="http://twitter.com/ClassicLitTweet" target="_blank">@ClassicLitTweet</a>)
and provide any feedback you so desire. My intent is to leave this site
up and running (though largely untended) until such a time as I am able
to get the contents copied to another site. In the meantime, remember:
there is <i>never </i>a substitute for great literature!</div>
</div>
Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-71729810216600192332012-10-19T14:02:00.001-04:002012-10-19T14:07:33.356-04:00Starting Anew (featuring 2013's Author-of-the-Year Announcement!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"... I am your beggar. I was the mendicant at the foot of the road from your castle. You have given me alms. But he who gives does not notice; he who receives examines and observes. When you say mendicant, you say spy. But as for me, though I am often sad, I try not to be a malicious spy. I used to hold out my hand; you only saw the hand, and you threw into it the charity I needed in the morning in order that I might not die in the evening. I have often been twenty-four hours without eating. Sometimes a penny is life. I owe you my life; I pay the debt."</i><br />
- <b>Tellmarch the <i>Caimand</i> </b>(I.4.iv)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Ninety-Three</b> </i><b>Day Count:</b> <i>50</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Ninety-Three</b></i><b> Page Count:</b> <i>93</i><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b></b> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hurdling Hugo Day Count:</b> <i>293 </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hurdling Hugo Page Count:</b> <i>2296</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
________________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
You may have noticed that my
posting on this site has become sporadic at best. Life has a funny way of
taking up a lot of your time like that. Since my last post, I have finished <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Notre-Dame de Paris</i>, begun <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ninety-Three</i> (regarded by many as Hugo’s
best work), started the school year, and been cast in and performed in a community
theatre production of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Midsummer Night’s
Dream</i>. I’ve been busy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
But still… even when I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> have time to post here, it often
seems the last thing I want to do. Blogging seems a chore and I don’t want it
to be that. I enjoy literature and discussing it with my friends and, honestly,
that’s what I would like for this to be. I need to become excited again… which
has told me I need to get a fresh start.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
I want this not only to
accurately reflect my literary journey (which I’m quickly beginning to realize
will most likely take the rest of my life), but also to act as a way for others
to begin <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their </i>literary journeys. I
have received word from several friends since I started this journey that they
have become inspired by my tweeting or my blogging to begin literary journeys
of their own. My grandmother has borrowed both <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">War & Peace </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anna
Karenina</i> to read for her own enjoyment. My friend Sherri decided to devote
a year to reading the works of William Shakespeare. Numerous friends have begun
reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Les Miserables</i> as a result of
my commentary on it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
This has opened my eyes to the
realization that people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want </i>to read
good books. They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want </i>to experience
these great stories in their original medium. In a world that is continually
being overwrought with more and more visual media, there is something altogether
timeless and enduring about the written word. Perhaps that is its power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
My desire, then, has become to
broaden the scope of this blog, not simply to include my own thoughts, but
those of other literary-minded people whose opinions on art and literature I
greatly respect. The goal is almost to make this into a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">community </i>of like-minded people with the desire to become more
well-read, which, ultimately, is the goal I set out to achieve at the outset of
this whole endeavor. Maybe it’s a pipe dream or a fool’s errand… I don’t know.
Either way, that’s what I’m looking forward to most about this new direction –
spurring others on toward literary independence and discovery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
With this change will come
another new way of doing things. Gone will be the creative alliterations on the
names of the authors I’m reading – Tackling Tolstoy, Hurdling Hugo, etc. – and they
will be replaced by one ubiquitous title – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Classic Lit Blog</i>. This will be the signature title of this blog as it will
be associated with what I am calling The Classic Lit Project – a gradual
attempt to become well-read by reading classic authors one year at a time. The
mission statement, put as simply as I know how, is One Author, One Year. That’ll
likely change over time, but for now, it seems a good starting point for me as
I continue to figure out this new direction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in; text-align: center;">
________________________________________ </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
Over the past two years, October
has been my ‘announcement month’ – the month in which I put forward the author
who will be the subject of the next year of reading. After much thought and
deliberation, I’ve decided that I want to tackle what is largely considered one
of the greatest novels of the twentieth century – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ulysses</i>. As such, 2013 is set to become the year of <i><b>James Joyce</b></i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
This will require changing a few
things from the way I’ve approached literature previously. After conversations
with an English teacher friend (whose comments on Joyce definitely helped to
cement this decision for me), I feel like the best approach to Joyce would be
to read his major works – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dubliners, A
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ulysses</i> – in the order they were published. This, according to him,
will accomplish two goals: (1.) It will allow me to witness firsthand the
evolution of Joyce’s signature style over the course of his literary career,
and (2.) it will help me to familiarize myself with characters that recur in Joyce's
works in the order he established them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
My normal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modus operandi</i>, however, has typically been to start with the
largest of an author’s work first and then work my way down. I did this with
Tolstoy to some degree and with Hugo as well. With Joyce, however, I would be
working my way <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">up</i> – from the smallest
of his works, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dubliners</i>, to the
largest, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ulysses</i>. My hope is that
this will solve what I have come to call the “third book problem,” in which I
become burned out and disinterested by the third novel. (I didn’t end up
finishing the collection of short stories I’d chosen for Tolstoy last year and
am currently struggling to become motivated to continue <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ninety-Three.</i>) By saving the novel I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">most </i>want to read for last, my hope is that the momentum and desire
to get there will carry me through to the finish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
As to Joyce’s most daunting work
– <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finnegan’s Wake</i> – which is said to
be the most challenging of anything he’s written… there is a part of me that
does want to read it very much. A fine feather for my cap would be this seminal
work of Joyce’s. However, a lot will depend on my feelings upon the completion
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ulysses</i>, whether I feel I’m up for
such a monumental read. I have heard that there is a wonderful audio edition of
the book available, so I may find myself going that route (another first for
me, as I typically don’t use audio books).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
So, as you can see, there are
some big changes coming to this concept in the next few months. For those of
you still invested in Hugo, don’t bail quite yet. I’m not completely done here.
There are still insights to be shared and comments to be made, so hold on. In
the meantime, though, be excited about where this is all heading. I am.</div>
</div>
</div>
Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-74157886265492579232012-07-14T20:12:00.001-04:002012-07-14T20:12:49.367-04:00First Reflections on NOTRE-DAME<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"What [Quasimodo] loved above all else in the maternal building [the Cathedral of Notre-Dame], what awoke his soul to spread out the poor wings which it kept so miserably folded in its cavern, were the bells. He loved them, fondled them, talked to them, understood them. From the peal in the slender spire over the crossing to the great bell over the doorway, he was fond of them all. The spire over the crossing, the two towers were for him like three great cages in which the birds, trained by him, would sing for no one else. Yet it was these same bells which had made him deaf; but mothers often show most love for the child who has made them suffer most."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (IV.iii)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Notre-Dame</b></i><b> Day Count:</b><i> 14 </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Notre-Dame</b></i><b> Page Count:</b> <i>244</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>_____________________ </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i><b>'Hurdling Hugo' Day Count:</b> <i>196</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>'Hurdling Hugo' Page Count:</b> <i>1707</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i>Two weeks into my reading of <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> and I am almost (but not quite) halfway through! Below are some thoughts on my reading of the text so far:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>One of the major complaints I've read online about <i>Notre-Dame</i> (or, the unabridged version at least) is that the first 300 pages are meandering and laid out very much like a chess game - each chapter is one particular move on the board leading up to Hugo's "endgame" or somesuch. I couldn't disagree more. Maybe it's because I've just finished reading <i>Les Miserables</i>, but I do not find Hugo's structure here to be <b><i>nearly</i></b> as meandering as it was in that text. Perhaps it's the fact that I've been reading authors like Hugo and Tolstoy for the past year and a half, but that long-winded sort of narrative doesn't really bother or frighten me anymore. To be honest, if an author goes into a large degree of detail, my immediate assumption is that he is going to be showing me something later to which these details will pertain. All that having been said, with only 56 pages remaining of those first 300, I have been enjoying the ride on <i>Notre-Dame de Paris </i>immensely! (In fact, it seems rather more concise than <i>Les Mis</i> in <u>many</u> ways!)<br /></li>
<li>Here's a quote from Hugo's archdeacon of Notre-Dame, Claude Frollo: <br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"And I have studied medicine, astrology, and hermetics. Here alone </i><i>[in alchemy]</i><i> lies truth... here alone is light! Hippocrates, a dream, Urania, a dream, Hermes, an idea. Gold is the sun, to make gold is to be God. That is the only science. I have probed into medicine and astrology, I tell you! Nothing, nothing." </i></blockquote>
<br />I include this quote in order to say this: Claude Frollo is the <a href="http://youtu.be/cc_wjp262RY" target="_blank">Tom Cruise</a> of 1482.<br /></li>
<li>Is it just me or does every adaptation of this novel seem to blatantly ignore the fact that Quasimodo is deaf? (I think the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014142/" target="_blank">1923 Lon Chaney version</a> included it, but I <i>know</i> the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031455/" target="_blank">1939 Charles Laughton version</a> and the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116583/" target="_blank">1996 Disney version</a> summarily ignored this [rather important] bit of information.)</li>
</ul>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-66249418980745873772012-06-29T14:03:00.000-04:002012-06-29T17:01:55.296-04:00Forward Momentum, Albeit Not Without Trepidation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"A novel... is born, necessarily as it were, with all its chapters; a drama is born with all its scenes."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (in his introductory note to the Definitive Edition to <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i>)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>181</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i> 1463</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I prepare to begin what I will, for lack of a better term, call the second leg of my journey through the works of Victor Hugo, I find myself filled with the same sort of anxiety I felt a little over a year ago as I prepared to read Tolstoy's <i>Anna Karenina</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I feel like "anxiety" is the right word, because it certainly captures the equal parts of excitement and trepidation I'm experiencing with regard to reading another great classic by another renowned author. This is especially increased due to the fact that I enjoyed <i>Les Miserables</i> to the extent that I did; I feel as though no matter how good <i>Notre-Dame de Paris* </i>is, it won't be nearly as incredible as <i>Les Mis</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I suppose I'm not without precedent on this particular issue, seeing as how I had a similar, if not equal, situation last year. Don't get me wrong - <i>Anna Karenina </i>was a <u>great</u> book and I very much enjoyed the reading of it, but... <i>War and Peace</i> was (and, honestly speaking, still <i>is</i>) one of the best reading experiences of my life and I have yet to read something that comes close to its brilliance in my mind. Compared to a novel that wonderful, <i>Anna K</i> - though wonderful and compelling - fell a bit flat.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There is, of course, a very apropos response to this way of thinking, which is essentially that each novel cannot be compared to another, but must be read and appreciated on its own merits. This is a very good point, and worthy of consideration, but I can't help but feel as though it is, on some level, an exercise in futility. I feel like the nature of my exercise - reading the essential works of Victor Hugo in 2012 - renders such an objective appreciation impossible.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Allow me to explain. When I set out at the beginning of last year to read the essential works of Leo Tolstoy (a task at which I feel I was marginally successful), that goal had within it an implied amount of comparison built in. I'm not reading each of these books in a vacuum, but instead within the context of <i>other books</i> by the same author! It stands to reason that if I'm reading the works of Hugo for no other reason than to read the works of Hugo, there will be some comparison between the books.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I feel as though this comparison was <i>especially </i>apt last year in my study of Tolstoy, with both <i>War and Peace</i> and <i>Anna Karenina</i> being regarded as one of the best novels ever written. I felt like my comparison was not only encouraged, but <i>mandated</i> - as though it were my <u>job</u> as a thinking literary person to come up with an answer to the eternal question of which I preferred (a question I feel I have <i>more</i> than adequately answered to this point).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, I suppose the question I'm posing to you, my conspicuously-absent-and/or-silent-of-late readership, is this: is comparison the prerogative of the reader/scholar or is it his/her own hubris that he/she asserts over the text being read? (Believe it or not, this is not a rhetorical question - I actually <i>would</i> like feedback. Please consider commenting on this post with your own thoughts.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That having been said, I feel as though I'm taking some steps to keep myself mentally engaged in preparation for my next classic. Part of that was reading the <i>Hunger Games </i>series (as discussed in <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/06/sabbatical-blues-or-how-i-started-my.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>), but those were read relatively quickly and provided little in the way of mental stimulation (leastways in the ways that <i>Les Miserables </i>did).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
No, to keep my mental faculties engaged, I have turned to one of the greatest authors in the English language - William Shakespeare! There are upcoming auditions with a local community theatre group for an outdoor production of Shakespeare's immortal <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> and I have decided that I want to go out for the show! Having never performed any Shakespeare before (outside of high school English and college-level Acting classes, that is), I figured I needed to get some advice. To that end, I dug up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Shakespeare-How--Directors-Comfortable/dp/1411498720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340995312&sr=8-1&keywords=thinking+shakespeare" target="_blank">Barry Edelstein's <i>Thinking Shakespeare</i></a>, which I picked up on a whim at a <a href="http://www.hpb.com/" target="_blank">Half Price Books</a> a couple of years back. I've found the book extraordinarily helpful for an actor, filled with very practical, and at the same time, thought-provoking advice regarding the performance of the Bard.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then, yesterday, on something of a whim, I read <i><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midsummer-nights-dream-william-shakespeare/1100007460?ean=9781411400382" target="_blank">A Midsummer Night's Dream</a> </i>for the first time in... well, maybe ever. Certainly, I had read excerpts from the play over the years, but having never needed to study it in either high school or college, I cannot think of a time when I've <i>needed</i> to read it... so, I never have. (Don't worry. Sometime in the next decade, I am planning to devote a year of study to Shakespeare, at which point, I would like to read all of his plays in their entirety.) It was deceptively easy to read - especially after having read the first several chapters of <i>Thinking Shakespeare</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Auditions are still two weeks away, but I can't help but get a bit giddy about the prospects of performing Shakespeare for the first time! Here's hoping I do well!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm more or less finished with this post, but I want to leave you with a story that totally happened while I was writing this post. Being without Internet access at home, I often find myself seeking Wi-Fi hotspots when the need to update my blog roll around. About half the time (maybe more), I end up at the <a href="http://www.panerabread.com/" target="_blank">Panera Bread</a> down the street from my apartment as the food there is always tasty and the atmosphere is conducive to reading, study, and reflection (especially when you happen to be pumping <a href="http://youtu.be/o8pQLtHTPaI" target="_blank">Brandi Carlile</a> through your earbuds). At any rate, knowing I was planning to update my blog today, I brought along my copy of <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> as well as <i>Thinking Shakespeare</i> and <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I sat quietly typing away at my blog, a woman approached my table (completely innocently - I'm seated by both a trashcan and the front door, which is, admittedly, not the best of seating arrangements for a 100+-degree day, but allows for many people to walk by my location) and pointed to my stack of books.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Are you reading it or teaching it?" she asked.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Uh... neither," I answered. "I'm auditioning for <i>Midsummer</i> next month, so I have these two," I here indicated <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> and <i>Thinking Shakespeare</i>, "and I'm getting ready to read this one [<i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i>] for my own amusement."<br />
<br />
"Wow," she said. "That's pretty ambitious!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Well, I just finished <i>Les Miserables</i> earlier this month," I responded.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"I could not read Hugo for my own amusement," she said as she walked out the door, "but I can read Shakespeare!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I suppose I could comment further on this story (or you could), but I feel the need to let it speak for itself. At any rate, I feel like reading great books is the <i>ultimate </i>conversation starter!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Until next time...!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* For the record, I am refusing to call this novel <i>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame</i>, which is, admittedly, its more popular name. I am doing this for two reasons: <b>(1.)</b> <i>Notre-Dame de Paris </i>is the intended name for the novel, the one that Victor Hugo gave it when it was first published in 1831. In French, this translates to, literally, <i>Notre Dame of Paris</i> and, roughly, <i>Our Lady of Notre Dame</i>. The Hunchback is, of course, a reference to the book's 'protagonist,' Quasimodo. Still to call the novel <i>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame</i> is, I feel, to do a great disservice to the cathedral itself, which I am told becomes something of the central figure of the novel. <b>(2.)</b> The edition of the text that I am using (the <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/06/sabbatical-blues-or-how-i-started-my.html" target="_blank">aforementioned</a> Alban Krailsheimer translation) is not entitled <i>The Hunchback of Notre-Dame</i>, but is, in fact, called <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> (potentially for any number of the reasons I listed above).</span></div>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-2095523174545831762012-06-15T10:52:00.000-04:002012-06-15T10:52:19.346-04:00Sabbatical Blues ...or... How I Started My Summer Vacation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Oh, yes, forbid me to die. Who knows? Perhaps I will obey. I was just dying when you came. That stopped me, it seemed to me I was born again."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- <b>Jean Valjean</b> <i><b>to Cosette</b></i> (V.9.v)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>167</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i>1463</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Forgive me, readership, for I have sinned. It has been fourteen days since my last blog post. In that time, I have not only finished <i>Les Miserables</i> (exactly when I said I would - one day after my last post), but have finished three 'popcorn' novels (which will not contribute to my overall 'page count' as I'm reserving that for Victor Hugo novels <i>only</i>).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I mentioned <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/06/final-hesitation.html" target="_blank">in my last post</a>, June will be a month of sabbatical for me, an opportunity to pause for a few moments to gather myself for what will be the second novel in my 'Year of Hugo' - <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i> (or, as I will likely be referring to it, <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> - the novel's original title). But more on that in a moment...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Finishing <i>Les Miserables</i> may be the greatest literary achievement of my life so far. Weighing in at 1463 pages, it is over 250 pages <i>longer</i> than <i>War and Peace</i>, the massive novel I 'scaled' last year. I feel a massive sense of accomplishment, which has only been amplified by the number of people who have been inspired by my blogging and <a href="https://twitter.com/HurdlingHugo" target="_blank">incessant tweeting of quotes</a> from the novel itself to pick it up and give it a read. This, more than anything, is my favorite part about my reading of this novel this year.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As to the novel itself, what can I say that I have not already? I loved it, first of all (though this <i>should</i> go without saying). Second of all, I have to say I was surprised - not just by the amount of digression Hugo does (which, after Tolstoy, is something I come to <i>expect</i> from authors - anything <i>less</i> is merely 'concise'), but at just how woefully short of 'close' all the adaptations of <i>Les Miserables</i> I've seen come to the mark. Hugo does a masterful job of crafting these characters very carefully - <i>all </i>of his characters really, from the major characters like Valjean and Javert to the comparatively minor ones like M. Myriel (the Bishop of Digne) and the students at the barricades (Courfeyrac, Grantaire, et al).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I was reading, I came to an inevitable conclusion - <i>Les Miserables </i>is, not unadaptable, but certainly it has not yet been <i>sufficiently </i>adapted in any media so far. I think the closest we have come so far is the Orson Welles-produced radio play from July through September 1937 (predating his Mercury Theater on the Air by about a year). (The entirety of Welles' production - all seven parts - can be downloaded <a href="http://www.mercurytheatre.info/" target="_blank">here</a> on MP3 or RealAudio.) However, one of the reasons this adaptations is so effective is that it doesn't attempt to distill the major action of a 1400-page novel into two or three hours. Instead, it <i>takes its time</i>, as the author does, and develops the story over seven 'episodes,' each half an hour long. This still doesn't <i>quite</i> do the story justice, but Welles' respect for literature made him probably the most ideal candidate to undertake this adaptation.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In my mind, an ideal adaptation would be a television mini-series - masterminded by the BBC, preferably - which would take no less than five hours to develop the necessary plot points and create the fully-realized characters present in Hugo's work. This is a pipe dream, I know, but it seems the best way to do it. (And, yes, I do realize that there is a movie adaptation due out later this year, but it is, in essence, an adaptation <i>of</i> an adaptation, as it is actually adapting the <i>Les Mis</i> <u>musical</u>, rather than the actual <u>novel</u>.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That having been said, the themes of <i>Les Miserables</i> are universal - the merits of grace, salvation, redemption, the dangers of legalism, poverty, and the transformative power of faith. It has been strongly encouraging to read through this book and take these themes to heart over the last several months. I've found that literature is not a dead thing, nor should it be. It is alive and capable - if one is willing - to challenge one at whatever point in their lives they currently occupy. The goal is to enter into the reading, to engage the text on a very REAL level, honestly allowing it to speak to one's circumstances. I learned this last year from reading <i>War and Peace</i> and have found it to be true once again in my reading of <i>Les Miserables</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As to my current reading, I've taken to picking up some 'popcorn' literature - that is to say, novels that to literature what summer blockbusters are to film. I decided to make a go of Suzanne Collins' highly regarded <i>Hunger Games</i> trilogy, which I borrowed from my little sister. I must say that there was plenty in the series to like - especially for one like myself who is a HUGE fan of dystopia as a literary construct - and it was oddly deep and disturbing for a series of novels written for children. That having been said, these were quick reads (hence, 'popcorn' literature) - I began the first book (<i>The Hunger Games</i>) on June 2 (a scant few minutes after finishing <i>Les Miserables</i>) and finished the third book (<i>Mockingjay</i>) yesterday afternoon. (I would have been finished sooner, but I had to wait a week for my sister to get me the third book as she had let a friend borrow it. The third one ended up being the one that took me the longest to finish - five days.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
From here, I will likely continue reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sophies-World-History-Philosophy-Classics/dp/0374530718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339770594&sr=8-1&keywords=sophie%27s+world" target="_blank">Sophie's World</a> </i>by Jostein Gaarder, a novel on the history of philosophy that will be my primary text for a philosophy class I will teach next year. That should take me through to the end of the month, at which point, I will start reading the second of the Hugo novels I plan to tackle this year, Oxford World's Classics edition of <i>Notre-Dame de Paris</i> (more commonly known as <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>), translated by Alban Krailsheimer.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i43.tower.com/images/mm113057342/notre-dame-de-paris-victor-hugo-paperback-cover-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i43.tower.com/images/mm113057342/notre-dame-de-paris-victor-hugo-paperback-cover-art.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just what I look for in a novel - partial nudity on the cover!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In doing research into translations of the novel, I lighted upon Krailsheimer's, which is widely regarded to be among the best modern translations of the work, which - naturally - appealed to me. When reading a work translated from the original language, one wants as much of the author's original voice as possible. So much gets lost in translation from one language to another - a lot of nuance, subtlety, and wordplay - that it is essential for a translator to retain as much of that as possible. I've been lucky so far to find great <i>modern</i> translations of some wonderful classic novels (I believe modern translations are also important as is tends to be more accessible to a modern audience), and Krailsheimer's looks to be <i>just</i> what I'm looking for!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As always, tweets and blog posts will round out my reading of the novel and help to inform <i>you</i>, my occasional readership (I have no delusions about my online popularity - or lack thereof), of the progress I am making with the book.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, there it is. The long-awaited "I've-finished-<i>Les-Miserables</i>" post. Hope you enjoyed it! See you in July!</div>
</div>
Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-7619877833039285592012-06-01T17:59:00.000-04:002012-06-01T17:59:50.340-04:00A Final Hesitation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"It is nothing to keep my peace? To keep silent is simple? No, it is not simple. There is a silence that lies and my lie, and my fraud, and my unworthiness, and my cowardice, and my treachery, and my crime, I would have drunk drop by drop, I would have spit it out, then drunk again, I would have finished at midnight and begun again at noon, and my 'good morning' would have lied, and my 'good night,' too, and I would have slept on it, and eaten it with my bread, and I would have looked Cosette in the face, and answered the smile of the angel with the smile of the damned, and I would have been a detestable imposter! What for? To be happy. To be happy, I! Have I any right to be happy? I am outside of life, monsieur."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>- </i><b>Jean Valjean</b> (V.7.i)<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>153</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i>1428</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stand at a threshold of a new achievement - with only 98% of the novel finished, I am decidedly a day away from completing <i>Les Miserables</i>. By the end of this week, that is to say, two days into the month of June, I will have finished an endeavor that I began at the first of this year. It's an exciting time, to say the least.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Still, I find myself confronted with a feeling I've not felt since I finished <i>War & Peace</i> last May. There is, welling up within me, a hesitation - something that holds me in a sort of suspended animation. Almost limbo. <i><b>I don't want it to end.</b></i> As the novel winds down, the former convict Jean Valjean reveals his true identity to Marius, who has married Cosette. After this realization Valjean begins to distance himself from the couple so as not to taint their happiness with his depravity (the discussion of which precipitated the quote that started this post).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As Valjean works to distance himself from Cosette, I find myself irrevocably drawn closer to him. As the pages to complete dwindles, I find that I can't bring myself to close that gap. I will miss these characters and I will miss that world. Tomorrow, I will post some concluding thoughts about the world of <i>Les Miserables</i>, but for now, I just want to revel in this brief moment of hesitation and expectation. It's quite the place to be...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Until next time...</div>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-60714752925345827422012-05-30T18:26:00.005-04:002012-05-30T18:27:54.321-04:00LES MIS Movie Update: Poster and Teaser Trailer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>"Glacial silence in the coach. Marius, motionless, his body braced in the corner of the carriage, his head dropping on his breast, his arms dangling, his legs rigid, seemed waiting for nothing now but a coffin; Jean Valjean seemed made of shadow, and Javert of stone; and in that carriage full of night, whose interior, whenever it passed a lamp, appeared to turn lividly pale as if from an intermittent flash, chance had grouped together and seemingly confronted the three tragic immobilities - the corpse, the specter, and the statue."</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (V.3.ix)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>151</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i>1317</i> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Honestly, I shouldn't even need to say that <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html" target="_blank">I've written</a> <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html" target="_blank">three posts</a> <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_24.html" target="_blank">about the current LES MIS film project</a> (as those three posts are the most-viewed posts I've written on this blog - making up for almost 20% of this blog's viewership overall). Since the announcement of said <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/" target="_blank">film project</a>, I - like many other film and/or musical and/or literature fans - have anxiously been awaiting more information and details regarding this project.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week has been a great week for those anticipating this film.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/EnLSG5t_dc8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EnLSG5t_dc8&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EnLSG5t_dc8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Earlier today, Universal Studios released the first ever teaser trailer, depicting, among some great images of the characters in the film, Anne Hathaway as Fantine singing the ballad, "I Dreamed a Dream" (made famous recently by <a href="http://youtu.be/X9whxWNI7bE" target="_blank">Susan Boyle's performance on 'Britain's Got Talent'</a>). While many sites will likely pick this trailer apart image-by-image, I will not do that. Mainly because I don't have the time (I have to leave for rehearsal in ten minutes).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What I <i>will</i> say, however, is this: I think this trailer looks very beautiful. As it's just a teaser, it's difficult to really ascertain much at all (lucky for me, I know the plot), but the cinematography looks stunning and the characters seem really well portrayed (as well as one can figure in a trailer with no audible dialogue). Ultimately, I'm reserving final judgement, but this is a great start, I feel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Feel free to share your comments below in the comment section once you view the trailer!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I leave you with the image of the new trailer released for the film. Enjoy - and I'll catch you next time!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.bwwstatic.com/upload8/380071/tn-1000_screenshot2012-05-30at3.35.00pm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.bwwstatic.com/upload8/380071/tn-1000_screenshot2012-05-30at3.35.00pm.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-58499614927050922822012-05-27T15:14:00.002-04:002012-05-27T15:16:59.746-04:00In Which Stephen Plans His Hiatus and Reflects on the Meaning of LES MISERABLES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"The book the reader has now before his eyes - from one end to the other, in its whole and in its details, whatever the omissions, the exceptions, or the faults - is the march from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from the false to the true, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from rottenness to life, from brutality to duty, from Hell to Heaven, from nothingness to God. Starting point: matter; goal: the soul. Hydra at the beginning, angel at the end."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (V.1.xx)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>148</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i>1305</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Had I stuck to my initial "ten-pages-a-day" plan that I started with at the beginning of the year, I'd have finished reading <i>Les Miserables</i> yesterday. As it stands, I managed to fall a bit behind with the stress of finishing out the school year and still have somewhere around 160 pages left between myself and the finale. My goal is to have the novel finished before mid-June, which seems a completely realistic goal.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The best part about being a teacher is having several weeks off in the summer, time I plan to use to get some reading done. After <i>Les Miserables</i>, I plan to take a one month hiatus from the works of Hugo (returning in July to read <i>Notre-Dame-de-Paris</i> a.k.a. <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>), during which time I'll likely tackle <i>The Hunger Games</i> series by Suzanne Collins (if for no other reason than to find out what all the fuss is about). No, it's not "great literature" and I will likely not be blogging or tweeting through my reading of those books, but - the way I figure it - when you finish a meal, you get dessert, something light, sweet, and not necessarily nutritious, as a capper for your meal. The way I see it, <i>The Hunger Games </i>is my slice of cheesecake after the multi-course dinner that was <i>Les Miserables</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The quote I used to start this post is taken from the first book of Volume Five (the volume named after the chief protagonist of <i>Les Miserables</i>, Jean Valjean) in the midst of a discussion of the need for Progress. As soon as I read it, I recognized it as Hugo's statement of purpose, something akin to a thesis statement for his novel as a whole.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Renown more in France for his activism and poetry than his novels, Hugo spoke out against the debasement of the poor in Paris that occurred even in his lifetime. In fact, every character in the novel fits into the category (at one time or another throughout the narrative) as one of "The Wretched Poor," which, coincidentally, is one of the American translations of the title <i>Les Miserables.</i> Valjean was a convict; Javert, the son of two gypsy criminals; Fantine is forced into prostitution to care for her daughter; Cosette, that daughter grows up unloved and uncared for until meeting Valjean; the Thenardiers are greedy and deceptive, but live in abject poverty; Marius rejects his wealthy grandfather for the life of freedom, that is to say, the life of the impoverished. By making the poor characters that were both (a.) accurately poor (Hugo caught a lot of flack for allowing certain characters - i.e. Thenardier and his gang - to speak in <i>argot</i>, the language of the convict) and (b.) undeniably human, Hugo is able to open people's eyes - both then and now - to the realities of the life of the poor.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In fact, the only character in <i>Les Miserables</i> who was not at one time poor was the Bishop of Digne who, <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/picking-up-ball-attempting-to-run-with.html" target="_blank">it will be remembered</a>, stands out to my mind as one of the most ideally Christian characters I've ever encountered in literature. While the Bishop is a man of some means (by virtue of his position), he gives all that he has to those who fit the category of "The Wretched Poor." His house he gives to the neighboring hospital, the trappings of his parish he gives to a band of rebels, and - perhaps most famously - he gives his silverware and candlesticks to a former convict by the name of Jean Valjean. It seems clear - even from the beginning - that the Bishop of Digne is the 'ideal' to which the reader ought to desire to aspire, just as Jean Valjean does. The novel then depicts Valjean's ascent to that ideal - transforming "from evil to good." Would that we all were so motivated to aspire so highly.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At any rate, those are my thoughts for today. See you next time!</div>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-47480146644018448162012-05-12T17:07:00.000-04:002012-05-27T13:16:12.490-04:00A Little Matter of Character and Narrative (or Stephen Points Out Differences Between the Musical and the Novel)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"It's impossible that a mattress should have so much power. Triumph of what yields over what thunders. Anyway, glory to the mattress that nullifies the cannon."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>- </i><b>Bossuet</b> (V.1.ix)<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Day Count:</b> <i>133</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Page Count:</b> <i>1208</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It has been far too long since my last update and, for that, I apologize. Life has been pretty crazy-busy since March. Had I had the time and inclination to maximize the popularity that my blog underwent while writing my "Thoughts on <i>Les Mis</i> Film Casting" series (if you haven't, read parts <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html" target="_blank">one</a>, <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html" target="_blank">two</a>, and <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_24.html" target="_blank">three</a> now), I very probably could have found a way to garner more consistent readership, but so be it. Obviously, I'll never be a professional blogger!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have a post begun and planned - perhaps one day I'll get to it - regarding my two week <i>Les Mis</i> binge: reading <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-brave-new-world-is-this-that-has.html">the book</a>, watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/">the 1998 film</a>, and seeing <a href="http://www.lesmis.com/home_usa.php">the Broadway touring company of the <i>Les Mis </i>musical</a>. It was a great period and a wonderful artistic experience that I will (hopefully) one day complete and share with you all.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Today, however, I want to share one of the realizations I've become increasingly aware of in the past few weeks. I've shared several times before that my impressions of <i>Les Miserables</i> had been previously shaped by my exposure to both the film and musical adaptations of the story. For this reason, reading <i>Les Mis</i> has been a vastly different experience than, say, <i>War & Peace </i>was for me last year. With <i>W&P,</i> everything was a discovery. The characters, the story, the emotion - it was all new and exciting! With <i>Les Mis</i>, I feel like I already <i>know</i> these characters and have heard their story several times. It's not new - it's familiar.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That having been said, it's been quite an experience to have my perceptions of <i>both</i> of those works altered by what I've read in the novel. The characters I'm reading about are in many ways the same characters I know from my previous experiences, but in many ways they are different. And not just surface-level different. <i>Vastly</i> different.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I find this law at work: with but a few exceptions, the characters that I hated in the musical are the characters I am loving in the novel. Conversely, the characters I loved in the musical, I find myself hating in the book.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For example, my favorite characters in the musical are the Thenardiers. They may be smarmy and conniving, but they are <i>hilarious!</i> Monsieur Thenardier is actually one of my dream roles - I would <i>love</i> to play that character.. if only to sing <a href="http://youtu.be/izgc7IhcGG4" target="_blank">"Master of the House!"</a> The two of them certainly have their flaws, but they make up for it by providing their audience with the greatest gift imaginable - <b><i>laughter!</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Thenardiers in the novel, however, are vastly different creatures than their singing and dancing counterparts. There is no laughter. No light-hearted banter. No quick-witted jabs or well-timed gags. Heck, they don't even have any show-stopping musical numbers! No, Hugo's Thenardiers are devious, diabolical, and <i>cruel</i>. That really is the best word to describe them, too - cruel. From the moment we see them, the Thenardiers are painted as treacherous opportunists with little-to-no redeeming qualities whatever. The trauma they put the young Cosette through is enough to make you hate them eternally... and then they find a way to further plummet themselves in your estimation. Unlike Tolstoy, Hugo doesn't seem to have as much of a problem with you despising certain of his characters completely.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I also loved the character of Eponine. I detailed in <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html" target="_blank">Part Two</a> of my "Thoughts on <i>Les Mis </i>Film Casting" series the fact that <i>she </i>is the one we want to see end up with Marius because, unlike Cosette - who, despite one or two unpleasant circumstances in her childhood, leads a life of privilege - it is Eponine who is the underdog character. And we root for the underdog. It's a <i>human</i> thing. <a href="http://youtu.be/sAugBdMMdM0" target="_blank">"On My Own"</a> remains one of the best-loved, most recognized songs from the <i>Les Mis </i>musical and every word and melody draws the viewer to identify more and more with Eponine's point of view (far more than Cosette's "I Saw Him Once" or <a href="http://youtu.be/zM1sVapgUCs" target="_blank">"A Heart Full of Love"</a>).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While there are some great moments with Eponine (her chasing off of her own father and his gang of thugs outside of Valjean's house on Rue Plumet springs immediately to mind), I find myself nowhere <i>near</i> as sympathetic to her plight in the novel as I was in the musical. Most of this, awful as it sounds, happened at her death for me. She takes a bullet for Marius so that he will live and, in the musical, the tender and touching <a href="http://youtu.be/nQLlBDy_PXA" target="_blank">"A Little Fall of Rain"</a> takes place, further manipulating us into thinking Marius is an idiot for not loving the girl he had right there loving him the whole time (but more on that later). In the novel, though, her motivation for taking the bullet for Marius goes something like this:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"See, you're lost! Nobody will get out of this barricade, now. It was I who led you into this, it was! You're going to die, I'm sure. And still when I saw him aiming at you, I put my hand on the muzzle of the musket. How odd it is! But it was because I wanted to die before you. ... Oh, I'm happy! We're all going to die."</i> - <b>Eponine Thenardier</b> (IV.14.vi)</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only do we see Eponine committing suicide, but leading Marius to his own death so the two of them could die together. If <i>she</i> couldn't have Marius, <i>no one</i> would have him! This completely put me off of the character of Eponine altogether.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the other hand, one of the reasons this bothered me so was because of the depth of feeling I felt for Marius Pontmercy. In the musical, I didn't really care for Marius. I felt he was a whiny, one-dimensional waif of a man who was singularly obsessed with a girl he'd only ever seen once. And while this isn't an entirely inaccurate portrayal of Marius, it <i>is</i> only the tip of the iceberg. The musical completely omits Marius' sense of honor - the debt he feels he owes the vile Thenardier for having rescued his father during the Battle of Waterloo many years previously. It omits his role in the events that lead to the collision of Valjean, Javert, and Thendardier on the streets of Paris. It eliminates his own sense of virtue and makes trite the supreme purity of his love for Cosette (another character I hate in the musical, but love in the book).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Earlier, I mentioned "a few exceptions" to the loving characters in the novel, but hating them in the musical... because there are characters in both that I cannot help but love regardless. They are, of course, Valjean and Javert, both of whom are very well developed in both novel and musical (though, naturally, much more so in the novel). But it also includes Enjolras, possibly one of the most inspirational characters in the novel, and vividly portrayed onstage as a pillar of idealism. (Although, as I'd mentioned before, it wasn't until he was portrayed by Ramin Karimloo that I really felt Enjolras was a great character. Before that, he would've easily been listed alongside Marius and Cosette.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At any rate, this has been one of the most interesting things I've noted about my time spent in <i>Les Miserables</i>, especially as it's nearing its conclusion. I'm a scant 255 pages from the finish line and feel good about being able to wrap this book up toward the end of this month (or beginning of the next). Hopefully, it won't be another two months before you hear from me next. But, until then...</div>
</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-87705382684689984692012-03-24T16:54:00.003-04:002012-04-15T19:12:37.205-04:00Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting (Part Three): And All the Rest...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Never among animals does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey. That is only seen among men."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (III.8.iv)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>84</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>743</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just over the halfway point in <i>Les Miserables</i> and I am as entranced with it as I was when I began. I have recently been reintroduced to the character of Eponine (at least, I assume that's who she is) and the story is progressing well. This particular part of the novel seems altogether new to me, as it addresses aspects that are rarely - if ever - touched on in the adaptations of the novel I've seen. That's been exciting to experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there are still a few more characters to highlight in my "Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting" series (which has between the <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html">first</a> <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html">two</a> posts, drawn almost 120 people to this sight - more than any single post <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2010/10/brief-introduction-literary-history-or.html">since I started this blog</a> back in October of 2010) and I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone who absolutely MUST hear my ramblings. So, without any further ado, here we go!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xlZP5AdGz4s/TYdqzCQFVPI/AAAAAAAACmw/kqys64TGkcQ/s1600/aaron+tveit+smiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xlZP5AdGz4s/TYdqzCQFVPI/AAAAAAAACmw/kqys64TGkcQ/s320/aaron+tveit+smiling.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aaron Tveit will play the revolutionary Enjolras.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first time I saw the musical <i>Les Miserables</i>, I didn't much care for the role of Enjolras, the leader of the revolutionary Friends of the ABC (which, in French is pronounced <i>ah-bay-say</i>, or <i>abaiss<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">é</span></i> which, in English, translates to 'the abased'). The character seemed like little more than a stuffed shirt, a static headstrong idealist. And I'd pretty much felt that way consistently... until I saw the 25th Anniversary Concert and the performance of Canadian actor-singer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1546077/">Ramin Karimloo</a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://youtu.be/eSZK38_oFQI">Ramin's performance in that concert</a> was the an eye-opening experience for me in that I realized that Enjolras could be a character played with depth and dimension beyond that of "I'm headstrong and idealistic." When it came to an actor that, for me, embodied the role, I really could think of no one better than Mr. Karimloo.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hooper, Mackintosh, and company, however, decided on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3117836/">heartthrob actor Aaron Tveit</a> for the role. Much like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1519666/">Eddie Redmayne</a>, their <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html">choice for Marius</a>, I know little-to-nothing about Tveit or his work. Having seen none of his television and film work and being unfamiliar with his theatrical endeavors, I had to go digging for information.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apparently, Tveit is best known for guest roles on shows like <i>Gossip Girl</i> and <i>Ugly Betty</i> as well as originating roles in critically-acclaimed Broadway musicals like <a href="http://youtu.be/xjpH15kuTps"><i>Next to Normal</i></a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/McQ8a-7Ml-0"><i>Catch Me If You Can</i></a>. He's also performed in revivals of <i><a href="http://youtu.be/YbjlVIrH-Sk">Wicked</a> </i>(Fiyero)<i>, <a href="http://youtu.be/j_Mp1qE1Gbs">Hairspray</a> </i>(Link)<i>, </i>and <a href="http://youtu.be/T5ZOx19Pjag"><i>Rent</i></a> (Roger). With this kind of Broadway star power, it seems likely that Tveit should have little to no problem with the role of Enjolras.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN1i0ooWor-6MuhYGOGb99Hl3zR3Xm9lFnAc7_TjQD5TSJDbpIKAYTgFAR49_Lq3PCWuzC0xOhsFgQbcBo5GMz8eqd1NDedTdpFG8e_OjhXr6aO88NADIyX34zE1DNg_a-rNS6kJdNxBC/s1600/Daniel_Huttlestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN1i0ooWor-6MuhYGOGb99Hl3zR3Xm9lFnAc7_TjQD5TSJDbpIKAYTgFAR49_Lq3PCWuzC0xOhsFgQbcBo5GMz8eqd1NDedTdpFG8e_OjhXr6aO88NADIyX34zE1DNg_a-rNS6kJdNxBC/s1600/Daniel_Huttlestone.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Film newcomer Daniel Huttlestone will play Little Gavroche the <i>gamin</i>.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will admit that I do not know a great deal yet about the character of Little Gavroche, as my reading in the text has yet to lead me to a great many details about him. The character I know from the musical, however, is a loveable scamp, living life on the streets, the life of a <i>gamin</i> - a life which Hugo goes to great lengths to capture in the novel.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Like the character of Gavroche, it's difficult to know much about nine-year-old <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4948519/">Daniel Huttlestone</a> who has recently been cast in the role. Huttlestone has made a bit of a splash playing the role of Nipper in the UK revival of <i>Oliver! </i>opposite Rowan Atkinson's Fagin. According to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1118399/The-boy-gave-Oliver-twist.html">The Daily Mail</a>, Huttlestone captured the attention of the audience immediately, which more than likely lead to his casting in <i>Les Mis.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I don't have a problem with child actors <i>per se</i>... it's just that most of the time, their performance takes away from the overall film. You can tell they are children reading lines rather than children experiencing what's going on with the film. The few child actors that have managed to do something substantial or lead to an audience to believe they are experiencing what they're meant to be experiencing grow up and become fair-to-mediocre performers. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remain reticent of Huttlestone's casting until I see the film. Granted, the role of Gavroche, to my mind, will be less without the full version of <a href="http://youtu.be/CQna-WyNp7c">"Little People"</a> (as sung in the Original London Cast Recording). This song comes practically right out of the novel, from Hugo's discussion of the <i>gamin</i> (urchin) of Paris, and - to my mind - expresses one of the major themes of the novel: the plight of <i>les miserables</i>, the miserable ones, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the <i>abaiss<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">é. </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small;">To take it out of the musical subtracts an important thematic element from the show. (Just my opinion, though. What do I know? I'm just a community theatre actor and classic lit enthusiast.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/MV5BMTMxMzYyMDEzM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTg0NTE2NQ@@._V1._SY314_CR1720214314_-204x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/MV5BMTMxMzYyMDEzM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTg0NTE2NQ@@._V1._SY314_CR1720214314_-204x300.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">George Blagden will play the frequently inebriated Grantaire.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small;">Grantaire, one of the Friends of the ABC, is a bit of an anomaly amongst the group. While the others firmly and adamantly believe in the cause they are fighting for, Grantaire exhibits the nihilistic tendency of believing in nothing. No, what brings Grantaire to the group is his profound admiration of Enjolras, an attraction that Hugo explains thusly:</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: small;"><i>"Grantaire admired, loved, and venerated Enjolras. To whom did this anarchical doubter ally himself in this phalanx of absolute minds? To the most absolute. In what way did Enjolras subjugate him? By ideas? No. Through character. A phenomenon often seen. A skeptic adhering to a believer is as simple as the law of complementary colors. What we lack attracts us. Nobody loves the light like a blind man. The dwarf adores the drum major. The toad is always looking up at the sky. Why? To see the bird fly. Grantaire, crawling with doubt, loved to see faith soaring in Enjolras. He needed Enjolras. ... Instinctively, he admired his opposite."</i> (III.4.i)</span></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"> While this doesn't necessarily come across in the musical (Grantaire is used predominantly for comic relief amid the idealistic Enjolras and lovesick Marius), it is too great a character aspect to pass over. While the only thing I've seen of George Blagden - the actor cast to play him - is <a href="http://youtu.be/uc-tsKBYLns">this short film on YouTube</a>, he is currently playing the sure-to-inspire role of Soldier #1 in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1646987/"><i>Wrath of the Titans</i></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://nationalpostarts.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/colm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://nationalpostarts.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/colm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Original London & Broadway Valjean Colm Wilkinson will portray the Bishop of Digne.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">It happens almost all the time. Whenever successful musicals get converted into movies, the producers try to appeal to fans of the original production by casting members of the original cast in the show. Whether it's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1898313/">Brad Oscar</a> (the original Franz Liebkind) as the cab driver in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395251/"><i>The Producers</i></a> or original Velma Kelly <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729234/">Chita Rivera</a> playing an inmate in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299658/">Chicago</a>, </i>there's something of a precedent. This is why it was something less than surprising when it was announced that the man who originated the role of Jean Valjean both in London and on Broadway, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0929356/">Colm Wilkinson</a>, was to be cast as the Bishop of Digne.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the Bishop of Digne is a relatively minor role in the musical - singing in only two songs, "One Parole" and "Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven" - he is the person that kick-starts the entire action of the entire story. I do have to say, <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/picking-up-ball-attempting-to-run-with.html">as I've mentioned before</a>, that the Bishop of Digne has become one of my favorite literary characters and one of the most accurate examples of ideal Christianity that I have ever seen depicted in literature. This may be the one role that I'm not in the <i>least</i> bit worried about. Colm was <i>the </i>Valjean and he is going to bring the full force of his <a href="http://youtu.be/qsYnhVITf9E">passion</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/TrPCWfB-Jdo">intensity</a>, and <a href="http://youtu.be/V1EqaPqjX-8">incomparable </a><a href="http://youtu.be/d6ErFZZciPA">talent</a> to the role of the Bishop of Digne.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Well, that's all I've got to say on the subject. Agree? Disagree? Just want to make your voice heard? Then, by all means, feel free to comment or, if you want to follow my progress-through-quotes of my own reading of </b></i><b>Les Miserables, <i>feel free to follow me on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/HurdlingHugo">@HurdlingHugo</a>. Thanks for reading!</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>_______________________</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Read the rest of this series:</span></i></b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: black;"><i>- </i></b><a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">Part One: Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Eponine</span></b></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">- <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html">Part Two: Cosette, Marius, and the Thenardiers</a> </span></b></span><b><i> </i></b></span></div></div></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-31703922808655072112012-03-19T21:54:00.002-04:002012-04-15T19:09:46.363-04:00Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting (Part Two): Cosette, Marius, and the Thenardiers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>"In this state of reverie, an eye looking deep into Marius's soul would have been dazzled by its purity. In fact, were it given to our human eye to see into the consciences of others, we would judge a man much more surely from what he dreams than from what he thinks. There is will in the thought, there is none in the dream."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (III.5.v)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>80</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>693</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday, I posted <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html">my thoughts on the primaries</a> in the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1707386/">upcoming <i>Les Miserables</i> musical film adaptation.</a> Within a day, it became one of my most-viewed posts on this blog - getting over 50 views in just two days. (As a point of comparison, my most popular blog to date - <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-russian-transformation.html">"My Russian Transformation"</a> - has just over 100 views. With that kind of response, I knew I couldn't wait too long before starting up the second installment. With that having been said, here goes nothin'!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://download-big-love-episodes.edogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/amanda-seyfried-as-sarah-henrickson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://download-big-love-episodes.edogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/amanda-seyfried-as-sarah-henrickson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rising star Amanda Seyfried will portray Cosette. Will she be able to make it work?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">I liked up-and-coming starlet <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1086543/">Amanda Seyfried</a> since I saw her in the first season of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412253/">"Veronica Mars"</a> as Kristen Bell's deceased wild-child best friend. I also liked her in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421030/">"Big Love"</a> as Bill Paxton's eldest, conflicted daughter. However, when it came to film roles, I began to get very disappointed. The films I did end up seeing her in (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795421/">Mamma Mia!</a> </i>and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426883/"><i>Alpha Dog</i></a>) were not very good, though she managed to turn out a halfway decent performance. The other films she was in - the ones that she's 'known' for these days, like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486185/"><i>Red Riding Hood</i></a> or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131734/"><i>Jennifer's Body</i></a> - looked so horrid that I had absolutely no desire whatever to see them (appearance by Gary Oldman and script by Diablo Cody notwithstanding).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's the problem I have with the role of Cosette in the <i>Les Mis</i> musical: she's not the one you're rooting for. In the book, Cosette is a child brought from the most haggard circumstances imaginable into relative piece and security. You feel her abuse. In a musical condensing a 1400+ page novel, you don't have TIME to develop that suffering... especially not with a song as lilting and lullaby-like as <a href="http://youtu.be/Zlox1ODB2so">"Castle on a Cloud."</a> The extent of her suffering - as far as we see in that song - is that she has to sweep floors, doesn't have toys or friends, gets yelled at, gets lost, cries, and has to get water from the well by herself at night. Also, that she doesn't get to see nice, soft ladies dressed in white that tell her they love her and sing lullabies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is <i>not</i> the suffering she goes through in the book! We're talking a little girl who is worked so hard she doesn't know how to play, is ignored and abused by the daughters of the Thenardiers, and is so petrified of "the Thenardiess" that fear of her alone will keep the girl still and quiet while she and Valjean are on the run from Javert. The Cosette from the book is the epitome of pitiable, while her musical counterpart is living the life of luxury by comparison.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This only becomes a problem when the love story angle is brought into the story. We don't want Cosette to get the guy because she's not the abused underdog she is in the book... Eponine is. It is <i>her</i> character that captures the hearts and minds of the audience, not Cosette's. We don't love her and, for that reason, we find her annoying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All <i>that</i> to say that, while I'm certain that <a href="http://youtu.be/Mj06SgTgWWs">Amanda Seyfried could sing</a> and act the role, I'm not sure that having her play this particular part is a good enough use of her talent. My hope is that she can bring something likeable to the character... but I'm not sure even she can manage that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i2.listal.com/image/1047125/600full-eddie-redmayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i2.listal.com/image/1047125/600full-eddie-redmayne.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne will play Marius.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Eddie who?! I'm not going to lie to you, I have <i>no idea</i> who this guy is. Not living in New York, I've not seen his Olivier and Tony Award-winning turn as Ken in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_%28play%29"><i>Red</i></a> (2010 Best Actor in a Supporting Role). I've also only seen one of his film roles (as Edward Wilson, Jr. in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343737/"><i>The Good Shepherd</i></a>), but I won't lie, I don't remember him (or much of the rest of the movie for that matter). Still, his film/television resume looks solid (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655420/">My Week with Marilyn</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414055/">Elizabeth: The Golden Age</a></i>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453159/">"The Pillars of the Earth"</a>), but I've yet to hear a decent clip of him singing (outside of those "Do You Hear the <a href="http://youtu.be/DDK-kwVFkMA">Cast</a>/<a href="http://youtu.be/bYTTT-u7aUg">Actors</a> Sing?" videos on YouTube). I'll have to wait this one out...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...not that Marius is all that compelling a character anyway (at least in the musical - like with Cosette, most of his interesting character stuff got stripped in the conversion from book to musical). Yes, <a href="http://youtu.be/wLvMjr0CVlo">Michael Ball</a> <i>nailed it</i> in the original, but if <a href="http://youtu.be/dYToP5ZfydE">Nick Jonas</a> can get cast and manage to convince someone other than teenage girls that he can pull off the role, then I'm sure this Eddie guy will be fine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sacha_baron_cohen-cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sacha_baron_cohen-cc.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Borat</i> star Sacha Baron Cohen will portray M. Thenardier. Should I worry?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">This is where I feel like I'm going to start getting into really personal territory. Thenardier is my <i>favorite </i>role in <i>Les Mis</i> and has been since I first experienced the musical as a college freshman. Of all the roles in this epic show, it's the one I would most like to play myself. I have a vision for the role and, to be honest, it's based almost entirely on the performance of one <a href="http://youtu.be/izgc7IhcGG4">Alun Armstrong</a> - the original British Thenardier and, to my mind, the only <i>true</i> Thenardier. Sure, <a href="http://youtu.be/1sD5hjYXD3E">Matt Lucas</a> did a decent job at the 25th Anniversary Concert, but it's Armstrong who really made the role everything that it could be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then we get to Golden Globe winner <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0056187/">Sacha Baron Cohen</a>. Sure, I thought <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367274/">"Da Ali G Show"</a> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/">Borat</a> </i>were pretty funny, but didn't bother to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889583/"><i>Bruno</i></a> and still need to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/"><i>Hugo</i></a>. That having been said, <a href="http://youtu.be/ahKp51Lfwpw">we've seen the guy sing</a> as Signor Pirelli in Tim Burton's hit-and-miss adaptation of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408236/"><i>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</i></a> and, while he's not awful, he's hardly strong enough to be singing that role. Should he be singing Thenardier? I can't help but wonder... This is the role I'm <i>most </i>worried about, to be sure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.realbollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/halena-bonham-carter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.realbollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/halena-bonham-carter.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Burton staple Helena Bonham Carter will play Mme. Thenardier (a.k.a. the Thenardiess).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">And finally (for now), we have <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000307/">Helena Bonham Carter</a>, wife of 'quirky' director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/">Tim Burton</a> and two-time Academy Award nominee (for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120520/"><i>The Wings of the Dove</i></a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/"><i>The King's Speech</i></a>). While Helena is certainly not a bad actress (having great turns in the aforementioned films as well as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/"><i>Fight Club</i></a> and the TV miniseries <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130414/">"Merlin"</a>), I certainly wouldn't peg her as one of the best of her generation. In terms of singing, I really was not all that impressed with <a href="http://youtu.be/-Qq4bJvoQJM">her work in <i>Sweeney Todd</i></a>. (Of course, who <i>can</i> be after hearing <a href="http://youtu.be/N1-QQFUb3HI">the immortal Angela Lansbury</a> or <a href="http://youtu.be/15rYM5Cxufw">the incomparable Patti LuPone</a> perform the role?)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sure, Carter plays the skeezy, greasy woman better than just about anyone else... but she is <i>not</i> Mme. Thenardier material. In the book, Hugo describes her as such:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Since her first appearance, the reader perhaps remembers something of this huge Thenardiess - for such we shall call the female of this species - tall, blond, red, fat, brawny, square, enormous, and agile; she belonged, as we have said, to the race of those colossal wild women who pose at fairs with paving-stones hung in their hair... Her broad face was covered with freckles, like the holes in a skimming ladle. She had a beard. She had the look of a market porter dressed in petticoats. She swore splendidly; she prided herself on being able to crack a nut with her fist... This Thenardiess was a cross between a whore and a fishwife." </i>(II.3.ii)</div></blockquote> With the exception of perhaps the 'agile' and 'swearing' comments, I can't think of any of these characteristics which describe Helena Bonham Carter. But you know who they <i><b>do</b></i> describe? Jenny Galloway! Don't know who she is? Check out the clips of Alun Armstrong and Matt Lucas above - she's playing Mme. Thenardier in <i>both </i>of them. She's also been in the original cast of <i>Mamma Mia! </i>and has played in productions of <i>My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd</i>, and <i>Oliver!</i> She's the <i>easy </i>choice for this role as far as I'm concerned. No, she's not a big name star like Helena, but she has <i>more</i> than proven that she can knock this role <i>out of the park!</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110226232106/lesmisthemusical/images/1/17/Jenny_Galloway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110226232106/lesmisthemusical/images/1/17/Jenny_Galloway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wait... 'Elena 'oo?!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><i> <b>Alright, Hugo, musical, and film aficionados! That's all she wrote for this evening! Next time, I'll dig into the roles of Enjolras, the Bishop of Digne, and - if I can - Gavroche and Grantaire. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment by commenting below. Keep up with my thoughts on reading </b></i><b>Les Miserables<i> by following my Twitter account - <a href="http://twitter.com/HurdlingHugo">@HurdlingHugo</a>! Until next time... stay thirsty, my friends!</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>_____________</i></b><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b>Read the rest of this series:</b></i></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="color: black;">- </span></i><a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part.html"><span style="color: black;"><b></b></span><b><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;">Part One: Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Eponine</span></b></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="color: black;">- <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_24.html">Part Three: And All the Rest...</a> </span></b></span><b><i> </i></b></div></div></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-76971168531878852942012-03-18T15:18:00.002-04:002012-04-15T19:06:49.841-04:00Thoughts on LES MIS Film Casting (Part One): Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Eponine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>"...there are many great deeds done in the small struggles of life. There is a determined though unseen bravery that defends itself foot by foot in the darkness against the fatal invasions of necessity and dishonesty. Noble and mysterious triumphs that no eye sees and no fame rewards, and no flourish of triumph salutes. Life, misfortunes, isolation, abandonment, poverty, are battlefields that have their heroes; obscure heroes, sometimes greater than the illustrious heroes."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (III.5.i)<i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>78</i><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>688</i><b><br />
</b></div><br />
I won't lie - much of my exposure to <i>Les Miserables</i> prior to this year had little-to-nothing to do with Victor Hugo's initial work. That is to say, I'd been exposed to adaptations rather than the original text.<br />
<br />
My first exposure was the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/">1998 film</a> starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/">Liam Neeson</a> as Valjean, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001691/">Geoffrey Rush</a> as Javert, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000235/">Uma Thurman</a> as Fantine, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000132/">Claire Danes</a> as Cosette. I watched scenes from it in my eleventh-grade Bible class during a study on Paul's epistle to the Romans. It was interesting to contrast the major themes of Romans - grace vs. the Law - with the themes of <i>Les Mis</i>, particularly the forgiveness of Valjean juxtaposed with the by-the-book lawfulness of Javert. While there were elements of the film I enjoyed, I definitely felt that there were things lacking... but I didn't really notice to what extent until I discovered the <i>Les Mis</i> musical in college.<br />
<br />
My freshman year at Olivet Nazarene University, the student theatre organization - Green Room - took a trip up to Chicago to see the touring company of <i>Les Miserables</i>. I was entranced. From top to bottom, this was more or less the best show I'd ever seen. I was particularly enamored with the role of Thenardier (and still not-so-secretly hope to play it someday, despite my less-than-stellar singing ability). I ended up seeing the musical again my senior year at ONU and getting the soundtrack (Original London Cast, of course!).<br />
<br />
So, when I found out that, after 25 years, producer Cameron Mackintosh was FINALLY making the musical into a film, I was... well, I was nervous. Musical films made within the last several years have been incredibly hit-or-miss. They're either incredibly well-received (<i>Chicago</i>, <i>Dreamgirls</i>, <i>Hairspray, Sweeney Todd</i>) or... something less than stellar (<i>Nine, Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!</i>). As a fan of both great movies and great musicals, I know that <i>Les Miserables</i> could stand to make either one of the best (or one of the worst) movie musicals in recent memory.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/02/tom-hooper-bstage-oscar-2011-a-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/02/tom-hooper-bstage-oscar-2011-a-p.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper is set to direct the <i>Les Mis</i> musical adaptation... for which he probably hopes to win another of those glittery statuettes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Mackintosh and company have assembled an all-star cast, led by director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0393799/">Tom Hooper</a>. Hooper was a relative unknown in America until last year when his film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504320/"><i>The King's Speech</i></a> took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor for its star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000147/">Colin Firth</a>. However, Hooper had already developed an impressive resume by directing <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226271/"><i>The Damned United</i></a> and the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472027/"><i>John Adams</i></a> TV miniseries for HBO.<br />
<br />
I understand Hollywood's desire for all-star casts. Honestly, I do. You have to get butts in seats, otherwise it doesn't matter how good your movie is, no one will see it. Star power is an important factor in movies making money because, after all, in Hollywood, movies are a business more than an art.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/celebdatabase/hughjackman/hugh_jackman1_300_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/celebdatabase/hughjackman/hugh_jackman1_300_400.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugh Jackman will be Jean Valjean... but can he <i>act </i>it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is why I wasn't really all that surprised to hear that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0413168/">Hugh Jackman</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000128/">Russell Crowe</a> had been cast as Valjean and Javert, respectively. Jackman is Hollywood's new "go-to" guy when it comes to singing and dancing. His stint as host of the Oscars a few years back was full of singing and dancing, including an elaborately choreographed <a href="http://youtu.be/D8gUzmOcCtY">tribute to movie musicals</a> alongside Beyonce, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Zac Efron, and Vanessa Hudgens (ironic for a year where very few movie musicals were released), as well as an incredible <a href="http://youtu.be/Terhj8mjPwY">opening number</a> reminiscent of Billy Crystal's old openers (though with considerably more spectacle).<br />
<br />
Jackman, who comes from a musical theatre background, seems like an obvious choice to play Valjean - he's got the vocal range, he's a big enough name to bring people in, etc. But will he be strong enough to pull off the complex emotional range of reformed criminal Jean Valjean? Granted, I've never thought of Jackman as a <i>bad</i> actor per se (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/">numerous</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/">poor</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455824/">film</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455824/">choices</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433035/">notwithstanding</a>), but none of his previous films have required the type of acting one would have to convey here... which is to say nothing of the believable aging he would have to undergo to go from Valjean at 40 at the play's beginning to Valjean at 75-80 at the end? While I know he's got the voice, I wonder if he can act well enough to pull off the main protagonist here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/flafims/Russell%20Crowe/e7eed89a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f83/flafims/Russell%20Crowe/e7eed89a.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russell Crowe will be Javert... but can he <i>sing </i>it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Russell Crowe came as a bit more of a surprise. Not in terms of star power, of course. I mean, the guy is a three-time Oscar nominee (his sole win coming for the movie <i>Gladiator</i>) and he is a consistent fixture in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/">great</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119488/">period</a> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381849/">dramas</a>. No, my concerns with Crowe were the opposite of Jackman. While I have no doubt whatsoever about Crowe's ability to <i>play </i>the hardened gendarme Javert, my doubts lay in his ability to <i>sing</i> the classic Javert numbers like "Stars," "Confrontation," and "Javert's Suicide."<br />
<br />
Apparently, though, Russell Crowe has been singing and performing musically since the 80s when he became part of the band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Odd_Foot_of_Grunts">30 Odd Foot of Grunts</a> (which has to be one of the <a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_15118_the-25-most-ridiculous-band-names-in-rock-history_p6.html">most ridiculous band names of all time</a>). Crowe's vocal stylings on these recordings are hardly as 'clean' as those acts typically associated with Javert - <a href="http://youtu.be/WtSTd28FRAY">Terrence Mann</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/k0SWaGfkPxA">Philip Quast</a>, and <a href="http://youtu.be/urxk4mveLCw">Roger Allam</a>, to name a few of the more renowned. In fact, most of the YouTube clips of Crowe's singing make him sound like a <a href="http://youtu.be/6JeEzgvMHJw">grizzled old country singer</a>... but then you come to a clip of him <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqhwBr6cyEI">singing live at some awards ceremony</a> and you can't help but wonder if he might be able to pull it off. Chalk me up as 'cautiously optimistic' for this one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/anne-hathaway-les-miserables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/anne-hathaway-les-miserables.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne Hathaway will be Fantine. Can she pull it off?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then we come to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004266/">Anne Hathaway</a> as Fantine, a single mother propelled by her estranged daughter's happiness. In the book, Fantine is a broken figure and a lot of this carries through to the musical - she is without options and is caught in a downward spiral, forced to become a prostitute in order to pay for her daughter's care. I want to go on record before I go much further and say that I've long been a fan of Miss Hathaway. I'll be honest - she's really attractive. But more than that, she is also an incredible talent. Granted, she hasn't had too many opportunities to spotlight that talent, but there are certain roles she's played (including her Oscar-nominated performance in <i>Rachel Getting Married</i>) that warrant her consideration as a talented performer.<br />
<br />
Not only that, but the girl has some pipes! If you didn't catch her performance in the opening number of the 2009 Oscars that Hugh Jackman performed, check that out... and then watch her <a href="http://youtu.be/OlZ9kAz9Wuc">parody of <i>Les Mis</i> staple "On My Own"</a> at the 2011 Oscars (which she <i>attempted</i> to cohost with James Franco). So it's not a serious attempt, but she clearly has the range to pull off Fantine. I'm excited about this casting choice for no other reason than that I <i>want</i> Hathaway to do well here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.unrealitytv.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Samantha-Barks-Les-Miserables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://static.unrealitytv.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Samantha-Barks-Les-Miserables.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samantha Barks will reprise the role of Eponine.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Samantha Barks beat out a laundry list of what would appear to be "Hollywood gold" to claim the coveted role of Eponine - the daughter of the unfortunate Thenardiers who is rejected by her true love, Marius Pontmercy. Among those up for consideration for the role included <a href="http://youtu.be/rngAIY-0ZoI"><i>Glee</i>'s Lea Michele</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/q4L7uPMJHsU">Scarlett Johanssen</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/O9E0eNAu0Qs">Evan Rachel Wood</a>, and <a href="http://youtu.be/QUwxKWT6m7U">teen pop sensation Taylor Swift</a>. But Barks, who had recently portrayed the role at the 25th Anniversary Concert at O2 Arena (opposite Nick Jonas as Marius... but more on <i>that</i> later), won out... and deservedly so, I think. Her portrayal of the role at the concert is, I'm convinced, what helped her edge out the other major contenders.<br />
<br />
The best part about Barks' casting is that we don't have to wonder whether or not she's able to play it. We've SEEN her do it and she knocked it out of the park! And if you are one of the unlucky few that <i><b>hasn't</b></i> seen her portrayal, check out <a href="http://youtu.be/EYWIVmTBECE">this clip of her singing "On My Own"</a> (Eponine's perhaps-too-popular ballad) at the 25th Anniversary Concert. Barks captures every conceivable shred of emotion in this song and conveys it darn near perfectly. I remember commenting to a friend after seeing her rendition that her portrayal was among the best - if not THE best - that I'd seen. I could not be happier that she got cast in this role! (And couldn't be even happier that she won out over Taylor Swift.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/nf/taylor-swift-kanye-west-091410-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/nf/taylor-swift-kanye-west-091410-lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Alright, Taylor, I'mma let you finish... but Samantha Barks had one of the greatest film auditions OF ALL TIME!"<br />
(Sorry - have to strike while the iron is tepid and lukewarm. :))</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Okay, so this ended up being a lot more time-consuming than I initially thought (what, with the links, the photos, and all), so I'm going to have to break this up into multiple parts. Part Two will be coming in a few days and will feature my thoughts on the casting of the roles of Marius, Cosette, and the Thenardiers. Stay tuned and watch this space!</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>_____________</b></i><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">Read the rest of this series:</span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></b></i></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">- </span></span></b></i><a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_19.html"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Part Two: Cosette, Marius, and the Thenardiers</span></span></b></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">- <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2012/03/thoughts-on-les-mis-film-casting-part_24.html">Part Three: And All the Rest...</a> </span></span></b><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></b><i><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i></div></div></div></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-49083353662012406672012-02-23T19:59:00.000-05:002012-02-23T19:59:51.775-05:00Literary Linkativity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Did a voice whisper in his ear that he had just passed through the decisive hour of his destiny, that there was no longer a middle course for him, that if, thereafter, he were not the best of men, he would be the worst, that he must now, so to speak, climb higher than the bishop or fall lower than the convict; that, if he wanted to become good, he must become an angel; that, if he wanted to remain evil, he must become a monster?"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Victor Hugo</b> (I.2.xiii)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>55</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>500</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm hitting a major milestone tonight - the fifth hundred page of <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";}
</style> <![endif]--><i>Les Mis<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">é</span>rables</i>!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...but that's not why I called you here tonight.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Actually, I had what I initially considered a great post all lined up, but I decided midway through construction that it was all wrong for the current direction of the blog. So... I'm just gonna make something up on the fly and, if you like, you can come along with me. Cool? Thought so.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I was reading through the Waterloo scene in <i>Les Mis</i>, I couldn't help but be reminded of the battle scenes in Tolstoy's <i>War and Peace</i>. Come to find out that <i>Les Mis</i>, while released only seven years prior to Tolstoy's magnum opus, was read, admired, and apparently emulated by Tolstoy. While visiting France in the early 1860s, Tolstoy met with Hugo, who showed him a copy of his recently-finished novel, which Leo loved (of course!).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not sure what that anecdote has to do with anything, but I found it really interesting. Like the last couple of years of my literary life are connected somehow. I'll be interested to see how the great classic authors that I read over the next several years connect with the amazing classic works I'm reading right now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Should be fun!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Stay tuned...</div></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-82102937588159987542012-02-20T17:01:00.000-05:002012-02-20T17:01:29.721-05:00Picking Up the Ball & Attempting to Run With It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Jean Valjean had this trait, that he might be said to carry two knapsacks - in one he had the thoughts of a saint, in the other the impressive talents of a convict. He helped himself from one or the other as occasion required."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>- </i><b>Victor Hugo</b> (II.5.v)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count: </b><i>51</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>464</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well... I've certainly been remiss in my updating, haven't I? In the 47 days since my last update, a lot has happened - I've wrapped up production on a fantastic community theatre play (which you can read about <a href="http://www.indytheatrehabit.com/2012/02/15/review-moonlight-magnolias-at-the-spotlight-theatre/">here</a> and <a href="http://asota.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/moonlight-and-magnolias-at-spotlight-players/">here</a> should you feel so inclined), made what I consider to be some great strides in my professional life, and - of course! - have continued my trek through <i>Les Mis<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">é</span>rables</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For a while (before we got into Hell Week on the last play), I had even managed to jump ahead of my early, unspoken goal of knocking back ten pages a night. With the hectic and often demanding nature of live theatre, the impressive lead I once enjoyed has been pared back to a just-shy-of-daunting setback, one I look forward to rectifying in the days and weeks to come!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One thing that I have noticed consistently about Hugo's prose is the power of his simplicity. Hugo doesn't use a lot of flowery verbiage and poetic language. Rather, he sticks to very clear, concise language, often keeping dialogue to a minimum in favor of creating a certain mood. Whether it is the overwhelming suspense created by carefully outlining a darkened Parisian street or the tragic heartache of a child having grown up without love, Hugo knows exactly how to evoke the appropriate emotional response from his audience. There have been moments where I just cannot help but marvel at the man's ability to so seamlessly craft a scene that can put even the most detail-oriented filmmakers to shame. (*coffcoffStanleyKubrickcoffcoffDavidOSelznickcoffcoff*)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another thing I've loved so far about this reading experience is the fact that, much like the men and women who appeared in <i>War & Peace</i> and <i>Anna Karenina</i>, Hugo's characters are fully formed, not caricatures or stock characters, but real people who respond to each situation with the full force of their own humanity. We are shown the inner turmoil of a man striving to live according the higher standard to which he has been called; a self-righteous inspector who unwaveringly upholds the law his own family so carelessly disregarded; a pair of seasoned con artists weaving their trail of deceit throughout France; a woman abandoned by love who somehow manages to cling to the thinnest shreds of hope; and a small child growing up unloved and unwanted, becoming an unwitting pawn in a short-sighted long con.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These are my inadequate facsimiles of the masterfully crafted characters that Hugo presents to his audience. At times, they are courageous; at others, they are pitiful. Other times, they are heart-breaking; still others, they are life-affirming. What they are <i>never</i>, however, is <i>boring</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Perhaps my favorite of these characters - so far - is the man I quoted in my first <i>Les Mis</i> post some 47 days ago and the man whose singular act of grace becomes the catalyst for the entire action of the novel - the Bishop of Digne. Never before have I seen a character that is at once so human and so challenging. He is, as near as I can tell, one of the most potent and accurate examples of the Christian ideal as I have ever read in literature (discounting the Scriptures, of course). His consistent outpouring of love for all - not merely the wealthy or the politically powerful or even the ones who agree with him - is what ultimately sets the novel in motion when he encounters a lowly convict named Jean Valjean and purchases his soul with forgiveness and silver. A more fitting beginning to a book I have not yet read... and never before has a fictional character so motivated me to look at my own faith as a result.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I feel as though I've accomplished much in the last 51 days of reading <i>Les Mis</i>... but I still have quite a ways to go!<br />
<br />
More to come...</div></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-66127373265559600742012-01-04T16:31:00.001-05:002012-01-04T16:31:36.826-05:00What brave new world is this that has such treasures in it?<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Have no fear of robbers or murderers. They are external dangers, petty dangers. We should fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices the real murderers. The great dangers are within us. Why worry about what threatens our heads or our purses? Let us think instead of what threatens our souls."</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>- </i><b>Charles Myriel a.k.a. Monseigneur Bienvenu, The Bishop of Digne</b><i> </i>(I.1.vii)</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>4</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>32</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beginning anew is a task that is always as fraught with peril as it is filled with excitement. One year ago, I was wading into <i>War & Peace</i> and feeling quite good about it. This year, I'm beginning my read-through of Victor Hugo's immortal classic <i>Les Mis<span style="line-height: 115%;">é</span>rables</i> and feel just as good about it. While my schedule doesn't allow me quite the brisk pace I was enjoying at this time last year (I was not in a play last January, nor did the break end so abruptly last year), I am still getting a great deal of enjoyment from the text.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hugo is starting slow. After taking a brief stock of the first volume, I recognize that Valjean - the book's main character - doesn't appear until about 60 pages into the book and Fantine - the title character of the first volume - doesn't appear until page 120. Clearly, he is taking his time and allowing the drama to unfold organically, not rushing exposition. I'm looking forward to going wherever he has to take me!</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wt3Y3A5OzUI/TwSzvDjmpNI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/aa3WYlc8_1E/s1600/Les-Miserables-Hugo-Victor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wt3Y3A5OzUI/TwSzvDjmpNI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/aa3WYlc8_1E/s320/Les-Miserables-Hugo-Victor.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">For my journey this year, I've decided to go with the Signet Classics paperback version of <i>Les Mis</i>, which offers a 1987 English translation by Lee Fahnestock and Norman MacAfee. This translation is actually based on what is considered the 'classic' translation by Charles Wilbour with some updated language and a bit closer attention to certain details Wilbour had managed to ignore. I chose this translation for a few reasons:</span></div><ol><li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Proximity of Translation to Today</b> - I've heard it said (and pointed it out previously) that a good translation is one that makes the text accessible to its reader in a language that (s)he understands. While the Fahnestock/MacAfee translation isn't the most recent, it <i>is</i> - based on the reports I've read - the most reliable of the recent translations. It was released around the same time as the musical version of <i>Les Mis</i> (of which I am a fan), so it's got that going for it as well.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Ease of Portability</b> - Generally speaking, I do <i>not</i> like mass market paperbacks <i>at all!</i> They are generally very cheaply made, tend to fall apart, and don't look <i>nearly</i> as nice on a bookshelf as I feel books ought to. However, this translation (read: the one I wanted) was only available in mass market, which does offer one very nice perk: portability. While the book is a good two inches thick, it is a lot smaller than my copies of <i>War & Peace</i> or <i>Anna Karenina</i>, so toting it around from place to place (as I am wont to do) will be much less of a burden. So there's that...</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In a Word... Unabridged!</b> - Since announcing my Year of Hugo on Facebook (again) a scant two hours ago, I've had at least two friends advise against reading the unabridged version of <i>Les Mis</i> this year. I must admit that this is tempting and I would probably give in to said temptation... had I not already read <i>War & Peace.</i> Reading that book changed my perception of literature such that I have absolutely no fear of tackling even the epic task of a book which exceeds my other great reading exercise by about 250 pages.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: small;"> I'm looking forward to another great year of reading another of the greatest novels ever written! Here's to a great 2012! </span>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-13899609133236683332011-12-31T11:06:00.001-05:002011-12-31T11:12:03.168-05:00My Tolstoyan Year in Review ...or... Lessons Learned from my Life with Leo<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"She... always considered herself completely in the right before me, and I, in my own eyes, was always a saint before her."</i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>- </i><b>Pozdnyshev </b>('The Kruetzer Sonata' xvii)<br />
<br />
<b>Tolstoy Final Day Count:</b> <i>365</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Tolstoy Final Page Count:</b> <i>2279</i><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i>I got a chance last week to spend some time with two of my literary friends - two men I used to teach with, one an English teacher, the other, my literary mentor David - and, as things often do in our discussions, the topic turned to books.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"Well," I told them, more than a little chagrin in my voice, "I think I fell off the Tolstoy wagon."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"What do you mean?" my friend David asked.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"Well, I had wanted to get through <i>The Death of Ivan Ilyich [and Other Stories]</i> before the end of the year, and it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to make it," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "Looks like I kinda failed, huh?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">David looked at me in unbelief. "Stephen," he said, "you <i>cannot</i> think of yourself as a failure. You read <i>War & Peace</i> <u>and</u> <i>Anna Karenina</i> this year - how many other people can say they've done that? So you didn't finish as many short stories as you wanted. You've still read two of the greatest novels ever written <i>this year</i>. I don't care who you are - that's a success story!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the conversation may not have gone exactly that way (I've slept since then), it was along those lines. And, true, I've only managed to read 200 pages in the last 3 months, but when I look at the wealth of information, knowledge, and experience I've gathered over the course of the last year I've spent with Tolstoy, it's difficult to think of this year as a bust.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One year ago, I set out to read Leo Tolstoy's <i>War & Peace</i> in its entirety before this date (12/31/2011) and not only was I successful, but I managed to read Tolstoy's amazing follow-up, <i>Anna Karenina</i>, in its entirety as well. Below are some lessons I've learned from my year with Leo:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. The Importance of Being Realistic</b></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">"How do you eat an elephant?" my father often asks me when I am faced with a task that seems more than a little insurmountable. "One bite at a time," I reply, either with a wry grin or a shrug of surrender (or, on occasion, both). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When I set out last year, I had one thing in mind: finish <i>War & Peace</i>. I know myself pretty well. I tend to get busy and/or distracted relatively easily. Sitting down to read a book is, with my schedule and attention span, a luxury I am often not afforded. So, by setting myself the realistic goal of read a 1200+ page book in the span of a year, I was setting a goal that I knew would ultimately be attainable. I was completely unprepared for how engrossing and engaging a story about an ancient war would (of even <i>could</i>) be. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">By setting for myself a <i>realistic</i> goal, not only was I able to finish, but able to take on an even more ambitious one - reading through the whole body of Tolstoy's work. <i>This</i> goal, as it turned out, was <i>un</i>realistic. As I got busier and busier with a new job, plays, etc. and as the year began to steadily vanish into the realm of the past, I began to realize that this goal was unattainable. Had I stuck to eating the elephant that is Tolstoy's oeuvre one bite at a time, the disappointment that haunted me at that table with my friends would likely not have been so great. By setting <i><u>attainable</u></i> goals, I allow myself to finish them. Easily. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2.</b> <b>Big Books Aren't Scary. At All.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There are times, especially as a teacher, when I weep for the younger generation (as I'm sure my teachers wept for me and mine once upon a time). Reading, it seems, is a rarity anymore in our culture and, from my observations, the average American teenager seems incapable of reading anything more involved than a text message or a Tweet (butchered spelling and syntax and all) or, on a good day, a tabloid magazine. "Reading is boring," they say. "I don't like it." It is at this point that I systematically grab my chest and, with a look of forlorn and chagrin, say to them, "That hurts my heart."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And it <i>does</i>. People often ask me how I know certain things or how I got to be "so smart." (Their words, as I tend not to think of myself as anything more than <i>slightly</i> above average in the intelligence arena - mainly because I have several brilliant friends.) The answer, in short, is <i><b>reading!</b></i> The idea of culture and knowledge comes directly out of art and literature. If one does not immerse oneself in art, it becomes difficult to engage ones culture at a meaningful level.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That being said, one of the reasons I think people - particularly of the younger generation - are daunted or bored by reading is the length of a particular book and the amount of time it takes to complete it. It is at this point that refer them back to the elephant-eating scenario above and the importance of the realistic goal. By taking ones time to digest the book and to enjoy it for what it is (rather than, as is our habit, speeding through it and onto the next thing), one is better able to appreciate the artistry inherent within the text itself. By breaking Tolstoy down into manageable, bite-sized chunks over the course of the year, I was better able to appreciate and understand not only his individual occupations per book/story, but his larger meta-narrative.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Paying Forward Inspiration</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have made absolutely no secret of the fact that my Year of Tolstoy journey was prompted by the passion and reading of my literary mentor, David (whom I've mentioned a number of times in this blog and in this very post). His inspired reading of <i>War & Peace</i> in the fall of 2010 is what inspired <i>me</i> to read through the works of Tolstoy this year. Since the beginning of this year, I have made very public my progress and reading - tweeting individual quotes and impressions, talking about it in the course of general conversation, and blogging here (when I had time to do so).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the blessings and pleasures from having made the decision to read publicly and using social media as a platform for discussion is that I've found I've inspired the literary journeys of some others along the way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The first thing I heard when I told my grandmother that I wanted to read <i>War & Peace</i> was "I want to read it when you're done!" My grandmother, who reads often, but typically popular mysteries and religious fiction, was not the type I thought I might inspire when I started out. However, not only did she voraciously devour the book (she finished in about two months!), but we managed to have some great discussions about it in the meantime. I remember calling her after she was done and talking with her on the phone for about forty-five minutes gathering her impressions and thoughts on the text as a whole. It was fantastic to get to connect with her that way!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another one I found myself inspiring fairly early on was my friend Kyle, who resolved to read through the entirety of James Joyce's <i>Ulysses</i> and blog his research at <a href="http://ulyssesunraveled.blogspot.com/">Unraveling Ulysses</a>. While the constraints of job, family, and extracurriculars eventually put a stop to the project somewhere around March, he still managed to put forward some great insights in those first few months of his project. My hope is that he will one day pick it up again and run with it 'til it's through. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">My friend Sherri came up to me after a play a few months ago and announced, quite matter-of-factly, "You've inspired me!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I was taken aback. "I've... what now?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"I've decided that next year, I want to read through the works of Shakespeare!" I was mildly shocked and extremely proud of my friend and the conversation immediately started on which plays she would read and in what order. (The Year of Shakespeare is a plan I want to attempt sometime in the next few years as well!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Somewhat more heartwarming for me is the joy in watching my students undertake their own literary pursuits. Although often at the behest of their teachers, it has been a joy recommending books to students and watching the glee in their eyes as they realize that they are reading something that I haven't and are having an enjoyable, enriching experience in it. This, for me, has been one of the greatest things about this year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4.</b> <b>The Spirituality of Secular Art</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I've mentioned earlier in this blog, I lost my job earlier this year, but was blessed enough to find a new one. One of the many things that makes applying for a job at a Christian or church-run organization interesting is the volume of questions like <i>Briefly describe your devotional life</i> or <i>List three books you've read recently that have helped you grow spiritually</i>. In fact, <i>both</i> of those questions appeared on my last job application and, initially, it felt really weird listing <i>War & Peace</i> as a book that helped me grow spiritually. After all, it's a book that deals with a battle among the Russians and the French in the early 1800s. What's so spiritual about that?!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, if you've read this blog faithfully over the course of this year (which, I realize, puts you in a <i>very </i>exclusive club!), you know that Tolstoy deals with topics that every human being focuses on - loss, love, loneliness, joy, betrayal, pain, and fulfillment. His dealing with these issues almost always involves faith on some level. Be it the pious Marya in <i>War & Peace,</i> the searching Levin in <i>Anna Karenina</i>, the dying Ivan Ilyich, or even the repentant Pozdnyshev in 'The Kreutzer Sonata,' faith and religion lie at the heart of each of Tolstoy's characters.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Indeed, 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' reminded me of nothing so much as the Book of Job. Both Andrei (<i>W&P</i>) and Levin's (<i>AK</i>) respective searches for meaning ended only when the two men accepted that there was something larger than themselves and submitted themselves to it. The wretched Pozdnyshev rides the train, telling his story to anyone who will listen in the vain hope that someone will grant him absolution for his heinous crime.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Secular art that deals with human emotions - like those found in Tolstoy - can be every bit as inspirational and soul-feeding as "Christian" art, even more so in my experience. When we eliminate those "secular" works from our view in favor of something that speaks to us overtly and often of our Creator, we limit the ways in which our Creator may wish to speak to us. For my part, I have grown not only as a scholar, but as a human and a Christian from my reading of Tolstoy. May it be for you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There are many other things I could write and other experience I could share, but I will spare you the additional reading. Suffice it to say, however short I may have fallen from my final goal of reading ALL of Tolstoy, this year can be considered nothing if it cannot be considered a success.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks are owed to many who have influenced me over the course of this year. To David, thanks for starting me on this journey. To my family, thanks for humoring me and allowing me to be late to a few important family gatherings because I was engrossed in Tolstoy. To the various friends, students, and loved ones who have allowed me to attempt to put my love of Tolstoy and literature into words for them over the course of this year, the word 'thanks' hardly seems adequate to express what those myriad conversations have meant to me. To David & Kyle W, thanks for joining me in my reading of <i>Anna K</i> - discussing it with you helped me process it more than you can know.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>So... what's next?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I mentioned <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2011/11/coming-in-january-hurdling-hugo.html">last time</a>, 2012 will be the Year of Hugo.<b> </b>I will begin by reading <i>Les Miserables</i>, a book I've wanted to read for some time, and, if I have the time and energy to do so, I will also read <i>Notre-Dame-de-Paris</i> (more commonly known as <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>). Starting tomorrow, the name of this blog (and the corresponding Twitter feed) will be renamed accordingly. But, should you decide to continue to follow my efforts, I will continue to post my thoughts and findings whenever I am able. Thank YOU, dear reader, for accompanying me on this first leg of my journey and for sticking around for what comes next!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I remain your literary companion, your comrade-in-books,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">~ Stephen E. Foxworthy</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-50711405785638821042011-11-05T22:29:00.000-04:002011-11-05T22:29:35.876-04:00Coming in January: Hurdling HugoI've been remiss in updating this blog and, for that, I apologize. Indeed, since my life has picked up with the busy-ness of late, it's been difficult not only to find the time to update, but also to continue reading Tolstoy. While my neglect and my schedule HAVE diminished any possibility of getting through a fourth Tolstoy text before the year is over, I still hold out hope that I will be able to finish the book of his short stories that I began a couple months back. I've finished "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and moved onto "The Kreutzer Sonata," which is a downright interesting story with echoes of Plato's <i>Symposium</i> and hints toward Capote's <i>In Cold Blood</i>. Sometime soon, I will have to review them for the blog here.<br />
<br />
However, in the meantime, I have an announcement to make. It was a little over a year ago that I announced my intention to read Tolstoy's classic <i>War and Peace</i>. From that simple announcement, a journey of two novels, several short stories, and a literary awakening sprang forth. I came to a realization before I had even finished <i>War and Peace</i> that there were a great many fantastic works of fiction in this world and so few that I had ever actually bothered to read. I resolved myself then and there to change that for myself. I wanted to read those books, to better myself in the process, and discover why these classics are considered 'classics' in the first place.<br />
<br />
After I had dedicated a year or my life to the work of Tolstoy, I challenged myself to dedicate each and every new year of my life (for as long as I'm able at least) to reading one classic author and their best-known and best-loved work. There came to be so many great authors that began to vie for their place on my bookshelf and in my hands: Joyce, Dumas, Dostoyevsky, Cervantes, the Brontes, Dickens, and many, many others. It was difficult to decide where to go next.<br />
<br />
However, after giving it a goodly amount of thought, I found myself coming back to one author (and, indeed, one text) over and over again. For most of my young life (since my junior year of high school if I'm quite honest), one story has followed me. I first experienced it as a film starring Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, and Uma Thurman, then as a musical written by Claude-Michel Sch<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ö</span>nberg and Alain Boublil. About the only way I have NOT experienced the story of <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";}
</style> <![endif]--><i>Les Misérables</i> was the way it was originally intended to be experienced - by reading the original novel.<br />
<br />
So, my main story was set and, with it, my author for 2012: Victor Hugo. Reading massive novels did not really fill me with feelings of dread and apprehension like they did before I started reading <i>War and Peace</i>. As such, tackling a novel even bigger than that epic tome is not as daunting as it once might have been. In fact, I find the prospect rather exciting. So exciting, in fact, that I'm not ending the fun and excitement there! I've decided that, when I finish <i>Les Mis</i>, I'll take to reading Hugo's original masterpiece, <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i> a.k.a. <i>Notre Dame de Paris</i> (provided, of course, that I can find a good translation of it).<br />
<br />
While I am still excited about the prospect of finishing Tolstoy, I am anxiously anticipating beginning this new chapter in my literary journey! I would welcome any and all of you who have not read <i>Les Mis</i> (or even those of you who HAVE) to read it with me! I would love to discuss it with you as I go!Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-24553559409644744872011-09-02T16:55:00.001-04:002011-09-02T16:57:53.182-04:00ALL NEW! The "Tackling Tolstoy" Vlog!<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"And the candle by the light of which she had been reading that book filled with anxieties, deceptions, grief and evil, flared up brighter than ever, lit up for her all that had once been in darkness, sputtered, grew dim, and went out forever."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>- </b><b>Leo Tolstoy</b> (VII.xxxi)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Total Tolstoy Day Total:</b> <i>245</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Total Tolstoy Page Count:</b> <i>2079 </i></div><br />
I discovered a webcam on my laptop (I have a better one at home - I just didn't have it when I wanted to film this video) and so I opted to record my thoughts on finishing "Anna K" and what was coming next for my "Tackling Tolstoy" project.<br />
<br />
It was slightly less time consuming than writing out an entire blog (but only slightly as I didn't get an acceptable take until the third one). If you like it, I'll do more. If not, I'll chalk it up as a failed experiment and never try it again. So, give it a watch:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LJcBZCuZwlk?fs=1" width="425"></iframe></div><br />
(Sorry for the lack of audio/video synchronicity. As I said earlier, I was using my laptop webcam and not my GOOD webcam, so that'll be something for next time - if there is a next time.)<br />
<br />
Any feedback you guys have would be appreciated! Thanks for stopping by!Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-21578649492281866802011-07-11T20:14:00.001-04:002011-07-11T20:16:09.888-04:00Where Has the Time Gone?: My Summer Alone on an Island of Perspective<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"When I doubted, it was hard for me, but easier than now. When I doubted, there was hope; but now there is no hope and even so I doubt everything."</i><i></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Alexei Karenin </b>(IV.xii)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Anna K </i></b><b>Day Count: </b><i>43</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Anna K </i>Page Count:</b> <i>405</i><b> </b><br />
<b>Total Tolstoy Day Count:</b> <i>192</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Total Tolstoy Page Count:</b> <i>1629</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>(The title of this blog is dedicated with a nod and a wink to my good friend and brother-in-literacy, David Trujillo.)<br />
<br />
Two months after finishing <i>War and Peace</i>. A month and some days since I started <i>Anna Karenina</i>. Life continues to charge steadily onward. As it turns out, there <i>is</i> life after <i>War and Peace</i> and not only is it busy, it is filled with all manner of responsibilities, demands, obligations, and diversions. I am still reading <i>Anna Karenina</i>, though I feel I've read far less of it at this point than I had really intended to. In honesty, I'm about halfway through the novel when, according to my lofty hopes posited at the beginning of reading, I expected to be done (or darn close to it) by this point.<br />
<br />
Here are some things that are keeping me from that goal:<br />
<ul><li>Summer is one of the few times in my life where I get 'me-time' - that is to say, time for Stephen to do the things he desperately enjoys and wants to do. While this certainly does include reading Tolstoy (nerd that I am), it also includes being a part of theatrical productions. Before the school year had even ended, I got a chance to be a part of a great two-man show called <i>Greater Tuna</i> at Spotlight Players, a local community theater. The show was very well-received (read a review of it from a local community theatre goer/reviewer/actor/director <a href="http://asota.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/greater-tuna-at-spotlight-players/">here</a>) and may be one of the best productions I've ever been a part of to date. After that show wrapped, I headed down south of Indy to Martinsville, IN to do the third part of a trilogy (I had been involved in the other two parts as well and wanted to complete my character's arc). That show will wrap after school is already started, so - needless to say - my summer has been theatre-packed.</li>
<li>Summer is also a time where I try to supplement my income by picking up a part-time job. Before I taught, I worked as a head cashier at a local Barnes & Noble, and over the last couple of years, they've been kind enough to let me come back and take on the role of a bookseller during those long summer months. It's a good gig and I love the people I work with, but it is often time-consuming when you're working four-to-five days a week.</li>
<li>A [now] former co-worker's interest in the new <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> prompted me to start rewatching the series. This just in: It is [still] pretty awesome!</li>
<li>Not that this has been especially time-consuming, but many of you contacted me after my last post, so I thought it would be worth a mention - I found a new job teaching here in Indy! God has been good and I'm glad to be able to do what I feel He's called me to do.</li>
</ul>All that being said, I've still managed to get about halfway through <i>Anna K</i>. I realized early on that my projected hope of getting through fifteen pages everyday was an unrealistic pipe dream, but I read when I could and noticed a few similarities and differences between <i>War and Peace </i>and <i>Anna K</i>.<br />
<br />
To start, it took me longer to engage with <i>Anna Karenina</i> than it did with <i>War and Peace</i>. <i>W&P</i> drops you right into the middle of a crowded party, enabling you to meet several characters at once and see how they interact within society as a whole, giving you instant insight into their various characters. With <i>Anna K</i>, we are dropped into the middle of some action - the impending division of the Oblonsky family due to infidelity - but we are not introduced to multiple characters all at once. Rather, we are slowly introduced to the various characters one by one: first Stephan Oblonsky, then his wife Dolly, then his friend Levin, et cetera, et cetera. In fact, nearly a hundred pages (or so it seems - it's actually just a page or two over sixty) have gone by before we are even introduced to the titular character.<br />
<br />
And speaking of Anna's introduction - allow me to take a sidebar to say that it is, quite possibly, one of the best character introductions that I have ever read in all of literature. Tolstoy draws us into the lure of Anna Karenina through the eyes of the young Count Alexei Vronsky, who is captivated by her instantly. His captivation is ours as Tolstoy begins to describe the most alluring, enchanting woman. So enthralled are we (and Vronsky) by her that it is only after a page of description of this sort (which I absolutely devoured, by the way) that we realize that we don't even know <i>who </i>this woman is! Tolstoy has yet to tell us her name; in fact, so ensconced in her beauty and presence are we that it is only when Tolstoy tells us that this woman - yes, <i>she</i> - is the titular character we have been waiting for the entire novel thus far. That realization, I daresay, captivates us all the more. From that moment, we - like Vronsky - are flies in her web, pawns in her chess game.<br />
<br />
One device that kept <i>War and Peace</i> consistently interesting and engaging was Tolstoy's constant jumping around between his various characters and plot points. One minute we would be in a salon at a society party hosted by Helene Bezukhov or Anna Pavlovna, the next we would be whisked off to some battlefield alongside Andrei Bolkonsky or Nikolai Rostov. After that, we might be taken out of the narrative altogether and treated to a dissertation by Tolstoy on his theory of history or war. Not knowing what was coming was part of the fun - we were on our toes and ready for anything.<br />
<br />
<i>Anna K</i> follows a similar track in some ways as Tolstoy is constantly leaping between his characters - most notably Anna, Vronsky, Karenin, and Levin. However, unlike <i>War and Peace</i>, Tolstoy does not leave the narrative to wax philosophical. Rather, he places his own words, thoughts, and rather obvious attacks on the intelligentsia of his time into the words of his characters. Most of the time (if not all the time), this happens with Konstantin Levin, a character many scholars believe to be the closest character Tolstoy ever wrote to himself. (Levin does, even to the casual observer, share much in common with <i>War and Peace</i>'s Pierre Bezukhov - a character that many scholars view as the closest character to Tolstoy in that book.) While these philosophic and politic 'breaks' are written into the narrative, it often becomes tiresome (at least, it does to <i>this </i>reader) in that they take away from the action of the narrative and, in many cases, can bring it to a grinding halt. While, yes, they do serve to tell us something of certain characters (most notably Levin, Oblonsky, or Karenin), they seem to do very little for the overall story.<br />
<br />
One of the things about <i>Anna K </i>that struck me very early on was the similarity between many of the characters there and in <i>War and Peace</i>. Indeed, in his introduction, Richard Pevear takes note that many of the characters in <i>Anna K</i> (with the exception of Vronsky and Anna) were based on people that Tolstoy himself knew (he, of course, was Levin while his wife, Sophia, was Kitty). Still, I found some interesting connections between characters in <i>War and Peace</i> and in <i>Anna K</i>:<br />
<ul><li>Konstantin Levin (<i>Anna K</i>) = Pierre Bezukhov (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Kitty Shcherbatskaya (<i>Anna K</i>) = Lize Bolkonskaya + Natasha Rostova (both <i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Prince Alexander Shcherbatsky (<i>Anna K</i>) = Count Ilya Rostov (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Alexei Karenin (<i>Anna K</i>) = Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Alexei Vronsky (<i>Anna K</i>) = Anatole Karagin + Nikolai Rostov + Boris Drubretskoy (all <i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Stepan Oblonsky (<i>Anna K</i>) = Vassily Denisov (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Dolly Oblonsky + Varenka (both <i>Anna K</i>) = Marya Bolkonskaya (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Betsy Tverskaya (<i>Anna K</i>) = Helene Bezukhov (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Yashvin (<i>Anna K</i>) = Fyodor Dolokhov (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
<li>Nikolai Levin (<i>Anna K</i>) = Platon Karataev (<i>W&P</i>)</li>
</ul>It stands to reason that a writer writes what he knows. It makes sense that if Tolstoy were looking for interesting characters, he wouldn't look much further than the ones right around him. And it makes sense that if his base characters are the same, there are bound to be similarities. I'm not saying that these characters are by any means identical. Far from it. But there are certain similarities of habit and character that I find too glaring (at least in my mind) to overlook.<br />
<br />
Of course, these are only my observations from having read the first half of the book. There is certainly more coming that may do much to change my perceptions of these characters and they may end up being very different people by the end. Who's to say? (At this point, not me.) I just thought the similarities between these characters were interesting.<br />
<br />
That being said, the <i>Anna K</i> reading group (which has withered down to only a few of the mighty group who started out) is planning to meet within the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it goes (I hope).<br />
<br />
Until next time, true believers...Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-8147759850466343322011-05-27T12:44:00.000-04:002011-05-27T12:44:29.746-04:00Looks Like We Made It...! ...or.... Reminiscings Upon the Completion of "War and Peace"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnEpGwYxXY0x5jQIe7uAQ457Nw9wcMcXi7FCArdUmzU7Ki_F9v0N_IX6NSZ0cd-AEXL5Wn7Yi9-NHJ8D3wCdLuMHfqqAmw7FKA6SXTt4ZMahDg5yekZAXPXBzee1EgZqWInui8iML3kU/s1600/TheEnd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnEpGwYxXY0x5jQIe7uAQ457Nw9wcMcXi7FCArdUmzU7Ki_F9v0N_IX6NSZ0cd-AEXL5Wn7Yi9-NHJ8D3wCdLuMHfqqAmw7FKA6SXTt4ZMahDg5yekZAXPXBzee1EgZqWInui8iML3kU/s320/TheEnd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"There was always a provocative side to Tolstoy's genius, and it was most often what spurred him to write."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>- </i><b>Richard Pevear,</b> from his Introduction to <i>Anna Karenina</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>147</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>12--</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Last week, on Monday, May 16, 2010, at about 6:00am - 136 days after I started my journey through <i>War and Peace</i> - I read the final sentences of Tolstoy's epic<i> </i>and joined the ranks of the people I consider to be among the "literary elite." I feel very accomplished - like I can (and very likely <i>will</i>) read anything and everything I set my mind to. No book is 'off-limits' or 'too difficult'... because I have waded into the sparkling waters of Tolstoy's Russia and emerged glistening from the other side.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In the weeks preceding my finishing of the book, my pace began to slow considerably as the stresses on my life became more and more demanding. Since my last post on April 17 (and even in the days preceding that), a lot has happened that kept me away both from this blog and <i>War and Peace</i>. In the last month, I've lost my job, started looking for a new one, attempted to finalize my end-of-the-school year things, auditioned for a play, gotten cast in said play, and begun attending three-a-week rehearsals.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While some of this has been great (play stuff) and some has been most unnerving (job/school situation), I felt myself drifting from Tolstoy with only a scant 120 pages to go. Determined, I rallied my resolve and managed to plow through over a hundred pages in a single weekend (besting even my most impressive early reading schedule of 100 pages in a week) and finished that morning while waking up to get ready for my last two weeks of school.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some reflections on my time spent in <i>War and Peace</i>:</div><ul><li>Tolstoy's prose is absolutely captivating. He inspires your imagination and pulls you into his confidences as he invites you into his world. In many ways, you are his guest - a fellow traveler on the road of life who he welcomes into his home and, as he feeds you with a peasant meal of hearty <i>kasha</i> and strong vodka, regales you with a story that is at once timeless and universal, while still very much a product of its own time and place. When you finish, he sends you on your way, sated, fulfilled, and ready for the journey ahead.<br />
</li>
<li>To call Pierre Bezukhov, Natasha Rostova, and Andrei and Marya Bolkonsky some of my favorite literary characters seems like a disservice both to them and to Tolstoy. They have, over the course of these last few months, become closer than that to me.<br />
<br />
Pierre has become a good friend and stalwart companion, in many ways a mirror in which I see myself, and an inspiration and hope for my own future. In Natasha, I see a feminine ideal - joyful, encouraging, so full of life and energy that it is contagious and all who encounter her, from the most virtuous to the most vile and debased, love her instantly. Andrei is a close friend and something of a hero, but a tragic hero whose longing for something more fills me at once with sadness for his plight and guilt for my knowing that I have often felt the same. Marya is a rock, a woman whose piety and grace have led her to become so much stronger than she might have been without her faith. Because she is moored in the steadfastness of Christ's love, she remains an anchor for her father, for Andrei, and for Nikolai.<br />
<br />
To call Tolstoy's characters 'characters' demeans them. They are <i>people</i>. They age and grow and mature and gain wisdom and understanding and break <i>right in front of you</i>. You see them at their best and at their worst. Even the best of Tolstoy's characters is deeply flawed. Even the worst of Tolstoy's characters is made to have redemption, even if in some small way. By the end of the book, they are no longer vague, fledgling caricatures, such as those that emerge from most novels I've read, but fully-formed people with thoughts and hearts and lives all their own.<br />
<br />
<i>And you <b>relate</b> to them!</i> When they mourn, you find yourself in tears. When they are jubilant, you cannot help but grin from ear to ear. When they are heroic, you heart begins to pound in your chest as you begin to read of their exploits, swelling with every action they take. When they are peaceful and content, you suddenly forget that the world around you is falling to pieces and rest in their serenity.<br />
</li>
<li>Even after spending four-and-a-half months inside the world of <i>War and Peace</i>, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you exactly what the book is about. I know that some would answer briefly with "the Napoleonic Wars" or "life in Russia in the early 1800s" or (perhaps more ironically and with a healthy dose of sarcasm) "war and peace," but I don't think those answers are adequate enough. While, on some level, this book is <i>certainly</i> about both of those things, it is so much <i>bigger</i> than just those minute descriptions.<br />
<br />
<i>War and Peace</i> is an epic - perhaps one of the greatest epics ever written. It is certainly about war, but it is also about heroism, violence, depravity, redemption, loss, consequences, and coping. It is absolutely about peace, but it is also about life, brokenness, love, longing, growing up, forgiveness, joy, and mistakes. And it is about <i>so much more than just <b>that!</b></i> This book speaks to the subject of <i>life</i>, touching on every aspect of the human experience and expressing it in the most genuine and honest terms. Tolstoy very rarely tells; he <i>shows</i>! And it is that fact that separates <i>War and Peace</i> from other books - his ability and willingness to show you just how human <i>you</i> are by showing you just how human <i>he</i> is by showing you just how human <i>they</i> [his characters] are.</li>
</ul>It has been a difficult transition to make after stepping out of the world of <i>War and Peace</i>. Life just seems a bit less adventurous, a bit paler, and a bit more dull without the joyous smile of Natasha, the brilliance of Marya's glance, or the resolute objectivity of Andrei. To attempt to recapture some of that, I have read one of the short stories in <i>The Death of Ivan Ilych and Other Stories</i>, 'The Prisoner of Caucasus,' which was written in the period of time between his writing of <i>War and Peace</i> and <i>Anna Karenina</i>.<br />
<br />
Written as a part of a children's reader for a group of students Tolstoy had been teaching, 'The Prisoner of Caucasus' tells the (semi-autobiographical) story of a young hussar officer taken prisoner by the Tartars during the Crimean Wars. While in captivity, he plots his escape as he befriends a young girl and attempts to gain the trust and acceptance of his captors.<br />
<br />
What interested me most about the piece is Tolstoy's treatment of the relationship between Zhilin (the titular 'Prisoner') and Dina (the thirteen-year-old girl he befriends). Despite the fact that Zhilin is imprisoned by the Tartars, never once does his relationship with Dina seem disingenuous or false. Never once during the course of the story does Tolstoy suggest that Zhilin is using Dina to gain the upper-hand over his captors, to use the girl as leverage, or - perhaps most horrifyingly of all - beginning some sort of romantic relationship with her. The audience can feasibly see any of these outcomes if he is reading the story with honesty and earnest.<br />
<br />
However, Tolstoy not only never even breaches the possibility of these outcomes, he makes the relationship between the two - a relationship of good nature and good humor, in which Zhilin makes the girl laugh by fashioning dolls for her out of old rags and Dina providing the prisoner with extra food whenever possible - seem like the <i>only plausible relationship</i> these two can have. Herein lies the magic of Tolstoy - he does not go in the direction you would expect, but instead takes you in one that is better just for the way he tells it.<br />
<br />
This weekend, I'll be beginning my reading of <i>Anna Karenina</i> and am looking forward to it immensely. I read Richard Pevear's introduction last night before bed and it managed to fill me with the same level of profound excitement I experienced before reading <i>War and Peace</i>! This time, I am thrilled to be joined on my Tolstoy adventure by two of my colleagues - my department head whose reading of <i>War and Peace</i> inspired me to begin my literary journey and the first place, and a new friend and fellow-teacher who has been meaning to read <i>Anna K</i> for a while now. I am excited to share this literary journey with the two of them (and, of course, with you, gentle reader)!<br />
<br />
Keep checking my Twitter feed (<a href="http://twitter.com/TweetingTolstoy">@TweetingTolstoy</a>), as I will be updating it as I begin reading through <i>Anna K</i> with great quotes and my own brand of insight! ;)Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-20103303369833319762011-04-17T20:27:00.000-04:002011-04-17T20:27:22.482-04:00"So... What's Next?" ...or... Inching Toward the Finish Line<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"He had to remain in Moscow, concealing his name, meet Napoleon, and kill him, so as either to perish, or to put an end to the misfortunes of all Europe, which proceeded, in Pierre's opinion, solely from Napoleon."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Leo Tolstoy</b> (III.3.xvii)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>107</i><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>901</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, I am <i>still</i> reading <i>War and Peace!</i> No, I have <i>not</i> finished it yet (though I am getting closer every day)! No, I have <i>not</i> given up blogging (even though my posts have been non-existent for the better part of this month)!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reading <i>War and Peace</i> has been like a marathon, pacing myself so as not to try to do too much too quickly. I'm certain that I could have tried to sprint right through it, but there is so much going on - so many amazing characters, so much history recounted through such floral prose - that to take it any faster would mean to miss so much more than I'm sure I'm missing now on my first read. (In my experience, most nuance can't really be sussed out until later readings.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Still, my initial goal of reading <i>War and Peace</i> in a year should be met relatively easily. In fact, it's my hope that I'll have the book finished by the end of next month... which brings to mind the question of what I'll do next. After all, did I not say in <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2010/10/brief-introduction-literary-history-or.html">my very first post</a> that I was devoting all of 2011 to the reading of <i>War and Peace</i>? (I went back and checked just to make sure - I did say that.) What am I going to do when I close the book - literally - on <i>War and Peace</i> and am left with nothing to read (particularly at the beginning of the busy "summer reading" season)?!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fret not, faithful readers (all few of you)! The end of <i>War and Peace</i> will <i>not</i> be the end of my readings in Tolstoy! In fact, I've decided to keep this blog going for a while longer and devote it not just to <i>War and Peace</i>, but to the writings of Tolstoy in general. I will be "Tackling Tolstoy" on a much larger scale than originally planned.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After <i>War and Peace</i>, I'm planning on picking up the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of <i>Anna Karenina</i> (which I do own: a gift from my department head):</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIVU18RvbpGbwvWmvf4Y3KahIVrENY_xjXo7CnigbuczIric2-DQlqE0auBCx2y3afXHkoPjcbH4PVPdDk32bseE2mkin7cYAyAMKvWRwmXJOrdFWs73lnNzr5IUoFUyMTZYjqp8b5BU/s1600/annak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIVU18RvbpGbwvWmvf4Y3KahIVrENY_xjXo7CnigbuczIric2-DQlqE0auBCx2y3afXHkoPjcbH4PVPdDk32bseE2mkin7cYAyAMKvWRwmXJOrdFWs73lnNzr5IUoFUyMTZYjqp8b5BU/s320/annak.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deathdyinggriefandmourning.com/Death-&-Dying-Images%2041-60/60-Anna-Karenina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Again, I've chosen the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation (which won the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Award and, perhaps less impressively, was chosen as an official Oprah's Book Club selection) because of the level of enjoyment I've gotten out of reading their translation of <i>War and Peace</i>. Now, <i>Anna K</i> has far fewer pages than <i>War and Peace</i> (which is a 1215 page book, while <i>Anna K</i> sports only 864 pages), which means I'm not anticipating another 5 month ordeal for reading that one. Maybe four. So, what <i>then</i>? Those are the two most important of Tolstoy's works!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While researching that, I noticed that there was a recent translation (by the Dynamic Duo of Russian Lit themselves) of Tolstoy's short story collection <i>The Death of Ivan Ilyich</i>:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jPUM2L-F_5z3tKUYN0B6721ocRKcyU5OuVSsQ5XDvM9zUU3ySJUTf51IvEumISBR6VBejtMcYzNqP-U4VigueHSqVniVV10ZsXPf6dn5dVN2FCAjU_hq7CZYbn20VKfNiuAqbcGOxg0/s1600/IvanIlych.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jPUM2L-F_5z3tKUYN0B6721ocRKcyU5OuVSsQ5XDvM9zUU3ySJUTf51IvEumISBR6VBejtMcYzNqP-U4VigueHSqVniVV10ZsXPf6dn5dVN2FCAjU_hq7CZYbn20VKfNiuAqbcGOxg0/s320/IvanIlych.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Again, shorter than the previous two books, my hope is to have the three major works of Tolstoy read before the end of 2011, <i>truly </i>making this the Year of Tolstoy! (Plus, if I have some time at the end of the year - a week or two free, perhaps - I'd love to check out some of Tolstoy's religious essays like "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-God-within-You/dp/0803294042">The Kingdom of God is Within You</a>" or Isaiah Berlin's essay on Tolstoy's view of history, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hedgehog-Fox-Essay-Tolstoys-History/dp/1566630193/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303085371&sr=1-1">The Hedgehog and the Fox</a>" as a way of rounding out my year.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To that end (that is, the end of finishing <i>War and Peace</i>), it is my hope that by this time tomorrow, I will be over three-quarters of the way through Tolstoy's epic - another colossal milestone! - which is, at present count, a scant ten pages away (though math was never a strong suit of mine). I feel confident that my projection goals of finishing by May are both attainable and reasonable and I look forward to sharing my thoughts as I begin the last quarter of this adventure!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Coming soon</b> (though, in reality, who can say when?): Part Three of the <i>War and Peace</i> and Religion series - featuring the Rostovs and the Bezukhovs!</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-1276942481137018542011-04-02T12:33:00.000-04:002011-04-02T12:33:43.700-04:00"So... How's It Going?"<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"It was strange for Princess Marya to think that now, at a moment when such grief filled her soul, there could be rich and poor people, and that the rich would not help the poor."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">- </span><b>Leo Tolstoy</b> (III.2.x)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>92</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>729</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Las<i></i>t night, I went out with my friend Kelly and, while out, ran into some other friends that I had not seen in far too long a while. As the night went on, I was able to catch up with these friends and get to hear how their lives had been going and share with them what I had been up to. At one point, my friend Kari turns to me and simply says, "So... how's <i>War and Peace</i> going?"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have to admit now that this question brought a smile to my face. While I had not seen Kari and her husband Richard in about a year, she has still been following my Twitter updates via Facebook. She hasn't checked out this blog yet (for shame!), but she admitted enjoying the direct quotes I'd been posting, which made me feel good. It reminded me of why I'm using the Internet in this experience in the first place - not necessarily for notoriety or kudos (though I wouldn't be adverse to those things), but for the accountability that reading something like this publicly provides.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This question led to a conversation about what it was that I really loved about <i>War and Peace</i> - which, at this moment, has be Tolstoy's overall realism. His characters are not caricatures or over-simplifications, but real people who struggle with real problems in genuine and believable ways. Someone like Lise Bolkonsky - the 'little princess' - who, in life, felt like the most frivolous and expendable human being imaginable, becomes, in death, a pitiable and heartbreaking individual. The same could be said for the 'old prince,' Nikolai Bolkonsky: in life, he was an irascible and cantankerous brute; in sickness and death, he softens, seeking redemption and forgiveness for his many sins. Even the ruthless brute Dolokhov, who cheats Nikolai Rostov out of the Rostov family fortune and has an affair with Pierre's wife Helene, is redeemed by his taking care of his ailing mother and deformed sister.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Even Tolstoy's greatest characters are deeply flawed. The heroic Andrei is constantly disillusioned with life, seeking fulfillment in people who ultimately let him down. The noble Pierre is a morbidly obese bundle of insecurities, easily swayed and struggling to find meaning wherever he can. The beautiful Natasha - <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/war-and-peace-and-religion-part-two.html">as mentioned earlier, the 'paragon of femininity'</a> - falls for the 'bad boy,' Anatole Kuragin, forsaking her fiancee, Andrei. The pious and righteous Marya loses her faith after her father's death and is often slave to her own petty thoughts and jealousies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tolstoy pulls you into his world. You feel as though these people are not fabrications of a man's imagination, but people who actually existed and went through these various obstacles and made these decisions. You want to know how things turn out for them - whether or not Andrei will ever find meaning for his life or Pierre will ever man up. They become more than characters in a book; they become people that you know and interact with on a personal level... and that is pretty incredible!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, if you see me around and are looking to strike up a conversation, ask me how <i>War and Peace</i> is going... just be prepared for a good conversation to follow. :)</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-27730364186224308042011-03-31T18:11:00.002-04:002011-03-31T18:14:38.537-04:00"War and Peace" and Religion: Part Two - Natasha Rostova and the Kuragins<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"...[Natasha] listened to the words of the service, which she tried to follow and understand. When she understood them, her personal feeling, with its nuances, joined with her prayer; when she did not, the sweeter it was for her to think that the wish to understand everything was pride, that it was impossible to understand everything, that she only had to believe and give herself to God, who in those moments - she felt - was guiding her soul. She crossed herself, bowed, and, when she did not understand, only asked God, in horror at her own vileness, to forgive her for everything, everything, and to have mercy on her."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">- <b>Leo Tolstoy</b> (III.1.xvii)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>90</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>692</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Much like <a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/war-and-peace-and-religion-part-one.html">my last post in this series</a>, this post will include details about the overall plot of <i>War and Peace</i>. Many of you have not read this great book: if you wish to do so some day without major details regarding the plot revealed to you, you might want to skip this post; if you are living vicariously through my reading of <i>War and Peace</i>, or just don't mind spoilers, keep reading!</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">In my reading of Tolstoy - indeed, in my reading of literature as a whole, few characters have impacted and moved me quite as much as <b>Natasha Rostova</b>. The third of four children and youngest daughter of the noble Rostov family, Natasha has become something of my 'feminine ideal' - she is charming, lively, full of life, the quintessence of youthful innocence and vitality. While many literary women I know dream that Jane Austen's Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> fame) were real so that he may sweep them off their feet, I have similar wishes about Natasha (that I might sweep her of of her feet, natch).</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, while she is first introduced as a plain child of thirteen, we are privileged to see her come of age throughout Tolstoy's saga, experiencing the various triumphs and pangs of youth which, regardless of where or when one grew up, seem completely natural and relatable under the watchful eye of Tolstoy. Perhaps the most defining moment for Natasha (at least, of the ones I have read so far) is the dissolution of her engagement to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In many ways, Andrei is Tolstoy's 'heroic ideal' - he places duty before all else, believes fervently in that which he holds dear, and performs every task which he is given admirably and with gusto. While his inner turmoil and search for meaning remain one of the central conflicts in <i>War and Peace</i>, he is Tolstoy's 'man's man,' the hero that every character admires and desires to be. It is no surprise, then, when Andrei asks for Natasha's hand in marriage - after all, while he is the 'hero,' she is the quintessential 'female.' Their engagement enlivens Andrei from his seemingly constant disillusionment and he is more vibrant, joyous, and alive than we have seen him (no doubt a direct result of Natasha's influence).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It is during their engagement - but also during a prolonged absence which Andrei spends abroad - that Natasha meets <b>Anatole Kuragin</b>. From the start of the novel, Tolstoy predisposes his reader to dislike the Kuragin family. Patriarch <b>Prince Vassily Kuragin</b> is seen clamoring for a piece of Pierre's father's estate even before the Count has died, seeming to believe that he has some stake in it. His eldest son <b>Ippolit Kuragin</b> is a boorish simpleton who, for some reason or other, is quite popular in society. Vassily, in an attempt to get his hands on the Bezukhov fortune, practically whores his daughter <b>Helene Kuragin</b> to Pierre, who eventually marries him (despite her incessant infidelity - but more on the two of them in a later portion). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally... Anatole. While Tolstoy does not say much about Anatole prior to our meeting him - save that he is popular with the ladies and a bit of a reveler - we are predisposed to dislike him because of where he comes from (the Kuragin family). After all, Vassily seems to have no morality to speak of, which has obviously trickled down and effected his children. Anatole, however, takes the cake - a womanizing playboy who spends much of his time gambling and boozing. Tolstoy reveals that he impregnated a Polish girl, married her (mainly because he was forced to do so), and abandoned both her and the child to continue his lifestyle of frivolity. In other words, Anatole is the quintessential 'bad boy' - the one girls love knowing full well he will only break their heart in the end. This is the man who sets his sights on sweet, innocent Natasha, the paragon on femininity and youthful innocence.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">(I suppose what attracts Natasha to Anatole - other than his good looks - is his soul-capturing charisma. Tolstoy states that <i>"looking into his eyes, [Natasha] felt with fear that that between him and her that barrier of modesty which she had always felt between herself and other men was not there at all"</i> [II.5.x]. Anatole is the first man to look at her not as a girl or even a female, but as an object of desire. This signifies, I suppose, the moment when Natasha begins to lose her childlike innocence and wonder.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I must admit that I cried when Natasha began ignoring the good advice of her friends and family who told her to ignore Anatole, when she made plans to abscond in the night and elope with this ruffian. Her failure to do so has more to do with Pierre and his putting his foot down than with anything else. In the aftermath, Natasha becomes a shell of her former self, broken, ailing, and weeping in her bed, unwilling and unable to receive anyone; Andrei returns to his disillusionment, forsaking both Natasha and everything she represented to him and returning to the military; Pierre, trapped in a loveless marriage, begins to realize his own love for the broken Natasha and recognizes the change that love makes within him.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"Uh, nice story, Stephen, but isn't this post supposed to be about religion?" I hear you asking. To which I reply, "Yes, I was just coming to that. Hold your horses."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Natasha, recovering from that 'bad boy phase' that every female seems destined to go through, seems lost within her own misery, so ill that her family are unable to head back to their home in Otradnoe from Moscow. As she begins to recover, the reader feels that she may never return to the vibrant young woman she once was:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Natasha was more calm, but not more cheerful. She not only avoided all external conditions of joyfulness - balls, promenades, concerts, the theater - but she never once laughed so that tears were not heard behind her laughter. She could not sing. As soon as she began to laugh or tried to sing when she was by herself, tears choked her: tears of remorse, tears of remembrance of that irretrievable time of purity, tears of vexation that just so, for nothing, she had ruined her young life, which might have been so happy. Laughter and singing especially seemed to her a blasphemy against her grief."</i> (III.1.xvii)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then, a neighbor invites Natasha to go with her to take communion at the end of St. Peter's Fast and, upon going, the young girl is born anew. The quote that begins this post is taken from her experience at this service. Here, we see Tolstoy emphasizing through Natasha the power of God to heal the hurt and bitterness in a human heart. Natasha, once wracked by grief and misery at innocence lost, becomes rejuvenated once again: <i>"But the happy day came, and when Natasha, on that Sunday so memorable for her, in a white muslin dress, came home after communion, for the first time in many months she felt calm and not burdened by the life that lay ahead of her"</i> (III.1.xvii). We eventually see her regain her exuberance and love for life that seemed to have faded. Her faith brings her out of her grief and into new life!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had also planned to highlight other members of the Rostov family here - Nikolai and Count Ilya especially - but I don't really have the time or the energy to do so at present moment. Instead, I'll sign off here and save the rest of the Rostovs for another post. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<b>Read the rest of this series:</b><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://tacklingtolstoy.blogspot.com/2011/03/war-and-peace-and-religion-part-one.html"><i>War and Peace</i> and Religion: Part One - The Bolkonskys</a></li>
</ul></div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3286742555723671681.post-73275168734092642002011-03-28T18:58:00.002-04:002011-03-28T20:03:29.891-04:00My Russian Transformation<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"During that year, Pierre had grown so fat that he would have been monstrous if he had not been so tall, so large of limb, and so strong that he obviously bore his corpulence lightly."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>- </i><b>Leo Tolstoy</b> (III.1.xx)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Day Count:</b> <i>87</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Page Count:</b> <i>671</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today, I would like to share with you a little something that's been happening with me since I decided to start reading <i>War and Peace</i>. In December, after I finished my role in MerryMAC Players' production of <i>Christmas Belles</i>, I decided to let my hair - both facial and regular-type - grow rather indiscriminately. The impetus for this decision was in an effort to look more like the characters I was reading about in Tolstoy's novel, 19th century Russians. Over the course of the last few months, then, my hair has been growing rather steadily, getting a little trim here and there as needed, but I am now the proud owner of a rather impressive beard. Here are a few transition pics over the last few months.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m9wlnU1lezchFQiqeAxrO_7oiYg52-BIoA4qGSvdcmyaTma_K30Lk6ULVk7881NtSqgptXBWG8oyUb0vwd7GtgUicztkamawGbxcWhf28yAvsA7Sgva_kven5_MD8RFoFfisWmOl7Vg/s1600/w%2526p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m9wlnU1lezchFQiqeAxrO_7oiYg52-BIoA4qGSvdcmyaTma_K30Lk6ULVk7881NtSqgptXBWG8oyUb0vwd7GtgUicztkamawGbxcWhf28yAvsA7Sgva_kven5_MD8RFoFfisWmOl7Vg/s320/w%2526p.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>December 25, 2010:</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">The journey begins! Notice that subtle stubble around my chinny-chin-chin? Those are the early warning signs of the beard that is to come. At this point, I've only been growing the beard out for a little more than a week. More to come...<i><b></b></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWbx2-3-XgTCGu9rUw2VTy4eD3QJvWXQRW56Z2-nLtJ5La0BCqmlgJX9M4R1e1ScjYl1dUnfdXQP9ex0zOp-hDtovjr2XXsn4i_onR9J_AeHw-ncSqAfKN3HeG9jiMu1IDPjOdxrjLWo/s1600/beard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWbx2-3-XgTCGu9rUw2VTy4eD3QJvWXQRW56Z2-nLtJ5La0BCqmlgJX9M4R1e1ScjYl1dUnfdXQP9ex0zOp-hDtovjr2XXsn4i_onR9J_AeHw-ncSqAfKN3HeG9jiMu1IDPjOdxrjLWo/s320/beard.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>February 18, 2011:</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oddly, few acceptable pictures of me exist from during the month of January this year. That being said, the next two pictures were taken on the same day, though in admittedly different circumstances. This picture was taken in front of a classroom when I noticed I was having a particularly good hair day. The beard adds to that, methinks. :)<i><b> </b></i> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S5-AoJdnCX3pJr-hgweXUOWE148VuVlEdKQ1YS7vR0bWkMzo-wA8wTRT0BGxd5bG-x2HFqPJfAvteF5laP9PNy-7eF-i3eLeqdTy-2PQfqrkWUY1uso10NiFDokLDEyfp97NM0Mr46k/s1600/beard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S5-AoJdnCX3pJr-hgweXUOWE148VuVlEdKQ1YS7vR0bWkMzo-wA8wTRT0BGxd5bG-x2HFqPJfAvteF5laP9PNy-7eF-i3eLeqdTy-2PQfqrkWUY1uso10NiFDokLDEyfp97NM0Mr46k/s320/beard1.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>February 18th, 2011:</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">A friend of mine was kind enough to invite me to her new place in Illinois to celebrate her birthday and I was <i><b>more</b></i> than happy to oblige! It was a great chance to cut loose, relax, unwind, and spend some time with friends I don't get to see very often.<i><b></b></i> Thanks to both the angle and the lighting, the beard looks a bit thinner here, but I assure you, it's the same beard from above! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8GQhu6hLPnQGQDUoD7gKPqjaUZMYOgr6bDArrlnzT4sbM2TXzQOMz1wC3IxxbVptn9s7NGO_vNIMUSbEKRSgGjAyaLIgOXn80rSErQuh4uOnxm_mg2n8dmYF5kYL-IoDFCc_BRV_VWU/s1600/RussianBeard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8GQhu6hLPnQGQDUoD7gKPqjaUZMYOgr6bDArrlnzT4sbM2TXzQOMz1wC3IxxbVptn9s7NGO_vNIMUSbEKRSgGjAyaLIgOXn80rSErQuh4uOnxm_mg2n8dmYF5kYL-IoDFCc_BRV_VWU/s320/RussianBeard1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzQvOlrKjFmcDUKC8ocbqtzapU6pKbyAA4JDvcHvAHq46XYsWRK9ghI3hLJoLFa8OxU32wKVUIPpzEWNJzC4wlUJge37U-QWtmte8ovgtAWmcMicQ05o-fBkzOkM0BpGBxWvbve7yOXM/s1600/RussianBeard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzQvOlrKjFmcDUKC8ocbqtzapU6pKbyAA4JDvcHvAHq46XYsWRK9ghI3hLJoLFa8OxU32wKVUIPpzEWNJzC4wlUJge37U-QWtmte8ovgtAWmcMicQ05o-fBkzOkM0BpGBxWvbve7yOXM/s320/RussianBeard2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>March 27, 2011:</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">Last night, I went with my family to a new favorite restaurant - <a href="http://www.jockamopizza.com/">Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza</a> (if you visit, try their signature pie, <a href="http://www.jockamopizza.com/jockamo%20menu%20april%202010%20%282%29.pdf">the Slaughterhouse Five</a>, named for Indy's own, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut">Kurt Vonnegut</a>!) - and I realized that I hadn't taken a picture of myself in a while. In a few short moments after taking these photos, this post formed in my head and I realized that I had to let my faithful readership in on this aspect of my <i>War and Peace</i> experiment.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">More of the "<i>War and Peace</i> and Religion" series next time!</div>Stephen E. Foxworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15323810139903558226noreply@blogger.com1