Word of the moment

mon·de·green

noun-- A series of words that result from the mishearing or misinterpretation of a statement or song lyric. For example, I led the pigeons to the flag for I pledge allegiance to the flag. [After (Lady) Mondegreen, a misinterpretation of the line (hae laid) him on the green, from the song "The Bonny Earl of Murray".]

Pride and Prejudice

Once upon a time I tried to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (and Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre) and failed. I could grasp the language and cadence of the writing. I was not engaged in the story or the characters. Granted, the fact that I attempted all of these books at the age of 12, and again at 16 or so was possibly part of my problem.

This time around I found that it took only a few pages to be completely enamored by the Bennet girls, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy. Seriously, who can't understand a family where the mother is constantly trying to marry off her girls and the girls who are hoping for something better than just a marriage of convenience. Of course, most families don't have five girls to marry off; or the manners that most of the Bennet girls possess.

Truly the story is mostly about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy who supply the roles of protagonist. It is an intense distaste that they have for each other's company that eventually leads them both to find that they truly love each other; though not without some fighting on both of their parts. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy both have witty, quick tongues that are as likely to bestow praise as they are barbs.

Of course, the one minor annoyance with this story is that I find myself using similar language. As I had spent a better part of the day reading about the Bennet girls before heading to work, I found myself being pulled over by a police car. As I was trying to ascertain whether or not I was speeding and come up with an excuse before he came up to the window, I found myself thinking through my head words that are not often used in casual conversation. I checked myself and made a few simple phrases in response to the officer's questions figuring that my original thoughts would have earned me a breathalyzer. (I wasn't ticketed, I just had dirt obscuring my expiration date. Guess the cop was bored at 11pm on a Saturday night.)

I am intensely interested in reading another version of Pride and Prejudice. This one is the tradition Jane Austen with additions by Seth Grahame-Smith called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance. It's hitting bestseller lists right and left. I guess they've inserted lovely zombie killing sequences throughout while still keeping the integrity of the original story. I hope to get my hands on a copy soon.

More updates to come. Look for Chocolat, Wuthering Heights, The Host, Gulliver's Travels, and Pretty in Plaid in the upcoming few days/weeks.

I'm about one book away from tipping over my house.

I'm pretty sure that I've bought at least 20 books in the last two weeks (many of them on my 1001 Books list!). That in itself is not a bad thing, especially since I picked most up at Goodwill and yard sales. The problem is that I live in a trailer. I'm certain that if not for my roommate's boxes of books stacked against the wall in her room that my whole house would tip over towards the east. That would complicate my life a lot. I'm also perilously close to having no where to put new books. My big book case is full. I'm having to rearrange my 'pretties' into other places and smooshing them all together. Then my headboard is full of borrowed books. I have a stack of books on a corner of the bed. I also have library books on one of the end tables (so I don't mix them in with my other stuff and allow them to be lost). There's a book on the edge of the bath tub that I had intentions of started while immersed in bubbles and Eric Clapton on the stereo but I got caught in games on MyYearbook. Then there are either 3 or 4 books in my purse.

My name is Heatherly and I am a bibliophile.