Moods

  Moods--Louisa May Alcott

Summary-- Sylvia Yule falls in love. Then she finds out that the man she loves is engaged. Her heart goes through a thousand "moods" which finally culminate in her hearing through the grape vine of his marriage. Deciding she was not in love with him but that he was simply a friend she accepts his best friend who previously purposed. They get married but on their honeymoon, the former man finds her, discloses that he is not married and not be aware that she is, asks for her hand. A dramatic scene ensues leaving her to struggle with the thought that perhaps she had not really loved her husband when she married him and that maybe she still loved this man. Things continue to escalate until she is on the verge or divorcing her husband and marrying his best friend. Instead she decides that she will do neither. She can never love her husband but should not marry her lover because they aren't matching personalities. She sends her husband abroad, still morning for her and simply waiting to be called home. Finally, she calls him. He arrives home and she tells him that she still does not love him, she still loves this friend, and that she called him home to be with her when she dies. Then she follows through leaving her perfect husband to grieve for the loss of an emotionally unfaithful wife.

Pro's-- This book gave me an inside view of a woman's tormented mind. She made a mistake, and how was she supposed to correct it? It was an interesting character study.

Con's-- (Phew, where do I start?) The bottom line is that I did not like this book. I was shocked that Alcott would write it and disgusted with the ending. Sylvia was not a person I connected with. She was foolish in every way and for the life of me I could not understand why Mr. Moore wanted to marry her. Finally, when Sylvia discovered she had married the wrong man I hate her reaction. She allowed his best friend and her lover to stay, knowing that it would be a temptation. She allows him to tell her she married the wrong man and should divorce. And worst of all, she hides everything from her husband until a freak circumstance reveals the truth. Getting counsel to try and love her husband she (in my opinion), pretends like she has tried and found that she can't, he is only a friend.  I do not believe that if she really tried she would have found it at all impossible. Mr. Moore was perfect. He gave everything to please her and demanded nothing. On the other hand, her lover demanded everything to please himself and gave nothing. Then, the last and crowning insult: she calls her husband home from abroad where she has banished him, to tell him, in so many words, that she still does not love him but wants him to take care of her as she dies.

I was not pleased to have read this book and beginning it with no previously knowledge of the contents was astounded. I will give Alcott the fact that she never exactly says she agreed with Sylvia's choice. In fact she made Sylvia so upset by the whole thing that she literally worries herself to death.

Two Stars.  Ages 15 and up.

Four Queens

Four Queens--Nancy Goldstone

Summary--Set against the backdrop of the thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry, knights and monarchs, comes the story of four provocative sisters who rose from near obscurity to become the most coveted and powerful women in Europe. The brilliant marriages of Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice the beautiful daughters of the count of Provence, made them the queens of France, England, Germany and Sicily.  (copied from the front flap)

Pro's-- The politics and tightrope walking presented in this book were fascinating. Being nobility/royalty is not all it's cracked up to be. These four sisters had to be highly diplomatic towards nobility in their own country, foreign powers, their husbands and sometimes even each other. I can't say that I would ever wish to be in their places but reading about it as an outsider several hundred years later was intriguing. At least in the beginning the book reads like a novel and kept me constantly curious about what would happen next.

Con's-- I felt like this book dragged out a little too long. The author is a good writer but not good enough for me to read every word of a 308 page book. She could have shortened things a little and kept me from skimming the last third.

If you like history, primarily, mid-evil history you will probably enjoy this book.

Four stars. Ages 15 and up. (nothing a younger person should not read but the content is a little hard to grasp for some.)