Moley & The Professor

AL and I have just finished reading The Wind in the Willows, or Moley, as we affectionately refer to it, in honour of the gorgeous little character of Mole, created by Kenneth Graham. I now realise I only ever read the abridged pictorial edition of Wind in the Willows, and had no idea just how detailed and wonderful the original was. Reading it of course brought to mind the beautiful illustrations of the children's version, and in particular Rat's little home in the riverbank. I remember wanting to live in Rat's hole, it looked so cosy and sweet! And of course the handsome, the clever, the popular Toad, and his love of fast cars, had us chuckling away. 

Last night I also finished The Professor by Charlotte Bronte. Beautifully written, but the story of course cannot top that masterpiece, Jane Eyre! And silly me, I had forgotten that I had already read it some time ago, and bought it at the second hand book sale. Still, it was worth the re-read. 

I have now started the 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - a bit of a change-up to my usual taste. I am reading it for book club, otherwise wouldn't have bothered with it. Still, I am a fair way through it, and have to say the subject is gripping, although the writing style is jarring after dipping in Bronte's work! The book traces the history of polygamy in the Mormon church through the eyes of the 19th wife of the second "prophet" (set in the 1800's) and a young man brought up within the sect and later expelled, whose mother, also a 19th wife, has been accused of murdering her husband (set in current times). I'm not sure it is the kind of book you can enjoy - the subject matter is horrifying. Nevertheless it is thought-provoking.