"Mrs Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf

I read this book for my course on hysteria at Carleton. I think it's my first time reading in the stream of consciousness style. At first I hated the book because I thought it was dominated by the boring musings of a middle aged woman, and why should I care about her musings when I have my own. But about half way through, the book suddenly became more meaningful, and I appreciated how the writing style mimicked consciousness. It allowed you to truly get into someone's head.

I have a love hate relationship because I think that Woolf sometimes overdid it stylistically. But I was glad I had read the book when I finished, and hearing a partial analysis from my lecturer showed me just how amazing the book is. It has so very many levels of meaning!! .... Society forcing men after WWl to conform so they can start producing babies..... Shell shock is the male equivalent of hysteria and "real" men weren't affected....  Our lecturer quotes philosophers and mentions that sex therapists arose then. It is amazing how all encompassing a good knowledge of literature has to be. This course is almost tempting me to study literature.

"A Case of Hysteria (Dora)" by Sigmund Freud translated by Anthea Bell

I read about half this book for my course on hysteria at Carleton. Freud's total lack of understanding about women was certainly an eye opener. I had considered reading the whole book, but I encountered one ridiculous assumption too manyto make it bearable. Based on what the prof said, this book had been analyzed numerous times and with great care. That's what happens, I guess, when you write a seminal work.

"The Stone Carvers" by Jane Urquhart

This book brought tears to my eyes several times and was the perfect thing to be reading on Remembrance Day. I now have a good understanding of the Vimy memorial in France. The characters in the book, who were mostly carvers of stone and wood were interesting enough. However, Urquhart is a bit too much of a romantic for my taste. I don't think I'll bother reading anything else by her.

Funny thing. In the book "Changing Heaven", one of the characters mentioned liking the word "drapery". And lo and behold.. Urquhart used that word so frequently in this book that it could have been a drinking game.

The main characters were Klara and Tillman from the Beck family. Klara lost her young lover to World War l. He went off to war hoping to fly an airplane. And Tillman was running away from home      from an amazingly young age u til his parents chained him, compelling him to run away forever, with Klara's help.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins

I read this short story for my course at Carleton on hysteria. It is a very well written description of a descent into madness, caused in part by condescending men who think the best cure for you is lack of intellectual stimulation. Silly woman, for feeling depressed after having a baby.

"Changing Heaven" by Jane Urquhart

This is the first book I've read by this well known Canadian writer, and I can't say that I'm impressed. She has a great tendency to wax much too lyrical. I have no interest in reading all her artsy fartsy mumble jumbo, and she has no write to impose it on her readers, wasting their time with it.

Bronte, Withering Heights, Tintoretto, weather, obsessive imaginary love... Those are the themes of this book.
P.S. I'm reading books by this author to prepare myself for listening to her talk during a CFUW fundraiser.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling

Skipped a few parts in this reread, but enjoyed it. Had an insight which hadn't occurred to Ray yet either. The prophecy, which hasn't come up in the books yet, said that a baby born at a certain time would destroy Voldemort. The choice for Voldemort seemed to be Harry or Neville, but they both were very significant in destroying him... Neville being the one who chopped off the snake's head.