An easy read for this harried, Christmas season.
I don't know about you, but I LOVED Beverly Cleary books when I was young.
So, when I heard Beverly had written an autobiography/memoir (what is the difference?), I knew I had to read it.
It's a super easy read--I, the non-reader in the club--finished in a few short hours. It gives you some insight into how Beverly came up with some of Ramona's antics.
Doesn't she just look like Ramona?
Enjoy!
5 comments:
Stephanie, thanks for picking a light carefree book for the holiday. It is nice to read something with no hidden meaning, hateful people, or most of all no cancer.
Even though I was never the Beverly Cleary fan that my sister was I enjoyed this book. It left me wanting to read her second book, which I will start tomorrow.
Page 5
"Daddy! There's a tree sitting in the siting room""
I expect my father to spring from his chair, alarmed, and rush into the sitting room. Instead my parents laugh. They explain about Christmas trees and decorations.
Oh. Is that all? A Christmas tree is interesting, but I am disappointed. A tree slipping into the house at night appealed to me. I want my father to charge into the sitting room to save us from the intruder.
Page 258
...although the boys I had grown up with had progressed through the awful, terrible, horrible, and shy stages and had turned into reasonable human beings. They were even courteous sometimes.
Light, carefree book? Gosh, I felt like I was reading Depression Era Mommy Dearest. Cleary didn't do herself or her family any favors in writing this book. I didn't like any of the characters, including her.
Yes, I know. Everyone else is going to love it. I've been down this road before, in case you haven't noticed: Trees, Twilight, Mockingjay--the list goes on.
Bring it on, Sorta Naughties! I can take it!
So sorry, but I couldn't finish it. GASP! I know I know. I got to about page 100 and had to stop. I didn't like the way she wrote this. I felt sometimes she would jump from one topic to another without finishing her thought process from the first topic. Ugh, made me crazy! I really do love her Ramona Quimby books, I still love them, but this memoir is no bueno for me.
I am sooo glad I got on the blog today. I thought I was the only one who would not like this book. This book is one long non sequitur. She jumps all over the place, and I am only about fifty pages in. I did not read any of her books, but I am sure they were much better than her memoir or they never would have sold. Don't take it personally, Steph. I have to agree with Candy and Annell.
This book felt like I was reading a great Aunts journal. I didn't hate this book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it! The last half was definitely better than the first half. And shocking as it may seem, I am going to go get the second book in hopes that is mirrors the last half of the book and not the first.
p.36
"First of all, I must not swear. Just because Bob Perry, the town carpenter, swore did not mean I could. Harvest and sheep-shearing crews also swore but usually stopped when they saw me. I could not understand why. I love to listen to them swear."
p.303
"For the first time, I understood that I was afraid of Mother for the guilt she made me bear, and that I could never have an honest conversation with her. The woman I wanted for a friend would always be right; I would always be wrong. I have never understood why, for Mother was genuinely kind to others and could be kind to me when I did exactly as she wished."
Post a Comment