Dusty Pages' Book Shelves

      The Oxford Dictionary of

                      English Etymology

One of my favorite books on my shelves is The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, edited by C. T. Onions and first published in 1966.  My copy is a 1974 printing, large, hard-cover, with no dust-jacket, that I bought on eBay.  It is in excellent condition, and although it gets a pretty good workout from me, I am, so far, keeping it in excellent condition.

The publisher's note inside described Dr. Onions as the last of the editors of the original Oxford English Dictionary.  He died while the 1966 version that he edited was going through the press. 

Dr. Onions joined the staff of The Oxford English Dictionary in 1895.  He published a Shakespeare Glossary in 1911, and that is next on my list of book "wants". 

The Oxford English Dictionary of Etymology has 24,000 main entries, digging into the origins of more than 38,000 words.  For each entry the dictionary gives the pronunciation, a short definition, and the century and source of the word's first recording.

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ALICE, I THINK by Susan Juby

I loved this book!

And I think I have found a new favorite author.  I bought this book at a library sale, and I'm so glad I did.  I found it a delightful read, a true hard-to-put-down book.  I knew it was going to be a delightful book when I read the first paragraph.  Any book that begins, "I blame it all on THE HOBBIT.  That, and my supportive home life." can only be wonderful!

Alice is a home-schooled, intelligent girl with slightly wacky parents, but an adorable, normal younger brother, and a therapist she calls Death Lord Bob.  Alice's parents had raised her to be creative and freely expressive, and the first week into her first grade school experience proved that this is not necessarily a good thing when dealing with your peers in a school setting.  So they took her out of school and taught her at home.  Now, at 15, she is going to go back to regular high school and is wondering how things will work out this time around.  The story is told with a lot of satire and wry humor.

Simply Audiobooks summed up their review of the book this way: "Alice, I Think is the story of a teenager attempting to survive her parents, her hometown, and her reentry into society. Told through keenly observant, satirical journal entries, Susan Juby's first novel is wise, witty, and utterly original."

Juby is very witty, and I cannot count the times I read a sentence and then had to re-read it just so I could experience again the pure joy of her turn of phrase. The description of Juby herself, on the back flyleaf, says it all:

Susan Juby dropped out of fashion design college at a young age and it shows. She lives on an island with her husband, James, and their dog, who prefers to remain anonymous. Alice, I Think is Susan Juby's first novel. She hopes there will be many more, as a career in fashion does not, at this point, seem likely.

I look forward to finding and reading more of her books and perusing her web site.

My copy of ALICE, I THINK is a very good ex-library copy with dust jacket and was published in 2003 by Harper Tempest.

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From My Historical Fiction Shelves . . .

ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS

by Winifred Bruce Luhrmann

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989

I found this book at a thrift store and thought it sounded good.  ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS is the story of a 15-year-old girl, Faith, who travels to New England in 1675 during King Philip's War.  King Philip was the Wappanoag Indian leader who waged a year-long war against the English colonists.  Faith's father is a pious Puritan who is zealous not only about his religion but about the New World, and is determined to settle in one of the Massachusetts colonies, despite the Indian warfare.

Although the main characters are fictional, real historical characters are mentioned, such as the minister Increase Mather, and militiaman Captain Turner.  This is the only novel I could find published under the author's name of Winifred Bruce Luhrmann.  On the back leaf of the dust cover the author says that she got the idea for the book, in part, from her own family genealogy.  Her family has records indicating that they may be descendants of Metacomet, known to the English as King Philip.  She states that she wanted the New England life of the complex Puritans and the equally complex Native Americans to "come alive."

I enjoyed the book.  It was a good, easy read with realistic characters.  The story is well told, and the main character shows the type of strength and determination I like to see in the character of a young girl in a novel like this.  I would let my 12-year-old daughter read this, and I believe she would enjoy it.  It is not deep, although it covers a very bloody action during America's early years. 

My copy, as I said, is an ex-library copy in good shape with a well-maintained dust jacket.

Tags: Only Brave Tomorrows, Winifred Bruce Luhrman, King Philip's War, Metacomet, New England

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A few months ago someone, and I don't remember who, directed me to this site called Turning the Pages, which is part of the Online Gallery of the British Library web site.  I had saved it to look at later, and about a month ago was "later".  I was very enchanted with it, so I thought I'd share the info with you.  I really enjoyed reading through the Jane Austen's The History of England in her own hand.  This is a scanned copy of the book in her own handwriting, complete with little vignette sketches that she did.  You can "turn" the pages, using your mouse, just as if you were holding the book in your hand.  If her handwriting proves to be too hard to decipher, you can choose to read it in text or you can choose audio and listen to it being read as you read along.  You can also magnify portions of the text.

There are several very interesting pieces on the site, including a personal notebook of sketches of Leonardo DaVinci, Diamond Sutra -- the oldest printed book, and the first atlas of Europe, compiled in the 1570s.

So check out Turning the Pages when you have a moment.  And if one my readers is the one who first suggested it to me, then I apologise for taking so long to try it out!

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DEATH AT WHITECHAPEL

by Robyn Page

       Published in 2000

This is one of my favorite paperback mysteries on my shelves.  I got it the year it came out, and I believe I have read it three times since then.

Robin Paige is the pseudonym of the husband and wife writing team of Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert.  This is as yet the only book by Paige that I have read, and I really must remedy that situation!

From the Berkely Prime Crime web site: "Sir Charles Sheridan is many things––an amateur scientist, a renowned photographer, a skilled detective, and married to Kate Ardleigh, an American writer of the popular, yet frowned upon, 'penny dreadfuls.' Together with the help of historical figures, like Beatrix Potter, they uncover sinister secrets and solve murders."

In Death At Whitechapel the historical figure is Jenny Jerome Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill.  Scandal is threatening Winston's blossoming political career by someone who threatens to have proof that Winston's father was Jack the Ripper.  In order to help Jenny, Kate and her husband must delve into the mystery of the notorious murderer, discovering along the way a web of intrigue that goes all the way to the Royal family.

The Alberts use research that actually had been done that connects Jack the Ripper to Churchill, to Queen Victoria's son, "Eddie", and others, as well as the society of Freemasons.  I found the book intriguing, and have to say that in my opinion, of all the "Jack" theories out there, this one sounds the most plausible to me.

Check this one out at your local library and indulge in a thoroughly good read.  You won't be able to put it down. 

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             HELEN --  published in 1928

I bought my copy of HELEN several months ago, but only recently sat down to read it.  I found it extremely charming from page one.

This is supposedly the most popular of the four contemporary novels, and the one that was the most autobiographical. 

Helen's father, faced with raising his daughter alone after his wife dies in childbirth, takes on the job with joy and much appreciation for his reserved, stoic, little girl.  Helen, extremely close to her father, becomes his beloved companion.  The book takes place before, during, and after World War I, and the great changes taking place in the world at that time form a background for the changes in the life of the main character, Helen.  Since Heyer had lived this time period herself she is able to paint a very real, poignant picture of the aftermath of the great war on England.

The love story in Helen is one of the most beautiful ones that Heyer ever wrote in my opinion.  In Helen, when her father dies suddenly, she turns to her childhood friend, Richard, for comfort and realizes that she has previously undervalued his many good qualities.  Richard is portrayed as an intelligent, athletic man who knows and understands Helen's natural reserve.

Helen mirrors Georgette in many ways.  She likes and understands men better than women.  She is reserved, intelligent, self-controlled, and believes in the social classes.  But Helen was very athletic, and Georgette wasn't.

Georgette wrote Helen two years after her father died.  There is a touching part in the book where Helen, also a writer, picks up her unfinished book for the first time since her father's death and sees some pencilled corrections he had made.  But she goes on about her business, "dry-eyed and smiling", with Richard understanding and respecting her reserve. 

It is indeed a very beautiful, brilliant book, and if I had not already been a fan of Heyer this book would send me looking for her other novels.  There is a happy ending, but there is much drama on the way there.

 

My copy is a hardcover published by Buccaneer Books in the 1980s and is in perfect condition.

Heyer dedicated HELEN to Leonard P. Moore, a friend of her father's and her agent with Christy & Moore.

I have never seen HELEN in any library, but it is worth a look.  It isn't too difficult to find a copy for sale, but you will not find a paperback, so expect to pay at least $20 or more on Amazon.  I have once or twice seen a first edition on Ebay where the bidding went up very high.

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The Masqueraders

Heyer's seventh novel, The Masqueraders, was published in 1928.  I absolutely love this one!

Set in England it tells the story of Prudence and Robin Merriott, brother and sister, who arrive in England from France on the orders of their father, whom they call The Old Gentleman.

The two have grown up following their father across Europe, often taking assumed names and even switching genders with one another -- which is how they arrive in England.  Prudence, tall and built on queenly lines, dresses and acts the part of Mr. Peter Merriott, while Robin, small and compact, dresses and acts the part of Peter's sister, Kate.  Since Robin, along with their father, has recently taken part in the late Jacobite Rebellion, they feel it is a matter of life or death to maintain such a desguise.

They are guests of an old friend, Lady Lowestoft, who knows their true identities, and are supposed to wait quitely until their father arrives.  But they are inadvertantly drawn into society in their disguises by chancing upon and twarting the abduction of a young innocent.  Robin (Kate), of course, falls for the girl, Letty, while Prudence (Peter), befriended by Sir Anthony Fanshawe, a close friend of Letty's father, finds herself drawn to him.

With the help of their faithful retainer, John, the two maintain their disguises through many close calls until the very end of the book, when The Old Gentleman sets all to rights with a surprise that rocks the ton  and restores the family's fortune and rightful place in society.

The Masqueraders has romance, adventure, intrigue, and one of the most annoyingly egotistical characters ever encountered -- The Old Gentleman.   There is a dastardly villain, swordfights, tipping wine down sleeves (you have to read it to see what that means!), and a wonderful love story!  All ends well, of course, but the journey to that delightful end makes this one that you MUST try to find in your local library. 

Heyer was only 25 when she wrote this book and was living in Africa with her husband at the time.  This is one of my favorites, in my top 10.  It is light, has a fast plot, and adorable main characters.

My only copy is a hardcover, Heinemann edition, a fourth printing of the first editon, and even though it is in poor physical shape, I am very proud to have it.  The image at the top is of a newer softcover copy.

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         The History Today Who's Who In British History

                         Edited by Juliet Gardiner

A few months ago I came across a reference to this book.  I can't remember where or what the subject under discussion was, but I thought it might be a handy reference book to have around.  A couple of weeks ago I found a copy on Ebay with a starting bid at $5.00.  I was the only bidder and got it for that plus shipping.

It's a very handsome book, about three inches thick, with 40,000 entries covering over 2,000 years of British history.  (I could do without Cromwell's picture on the front, but I can live with it.)  The book was published in 2000 by Collins & Brown, Limited.

The book is edited by Juliet Gardiner, who also wrote the preface, but the entries are authored by six historians distinguished in their fields, with specialist contributions from eight period historians.  The entries are concise, but very descriptive.  The contributors chose for inclusion who they thought defined the historical period of their own expertise.  It is quite a comprehensive list, but by no means is it complete.  A complete "who's who" would undoubtedly fill a dozen more such volumes.   The book is easy to navigate, and I have been having a lot of fun with it.

My copy is in pristine condition with no tears in the dust jacket and no writing or stamping on the book at all; and I consider it a good bargain for the price I paid.  The original price inside the book jacket is £25.

I am proud to have it on my reference shelves.

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I have now started a journal exclusively about Georgette Heyer.  I will be mirroring entries about her books written in this journal, and also will be writing more about her and her life in general.  Here is the link (it's also now in my sidebar):

Getting To Know Georgette

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       From My Heyer Shelves . . .

    Published in 1926

THESE OLD SHADES by Georgette Heyer

These Old Shades was Heyer's sixth published novel, and was set in Georgian times.  It tells the story of Leonie, a girl brought up in a humble home in Paris, but whose origins are anything but humble.

Through a series of interesting events, (and after first masquerading as his page "Leon") Leonie becomes the ward of the Duke of Avon.  The mystery of her real parentage lies in the hands of the Duke of Avon's enemy, the deadly Compte de Sainte-Vire, a man Leonie greatly fears. 

Published in 1926, the book is very much "of it's time", with a rather melodramatic tone.  It seems to be a favorite with members of the Heyer Listserv (book discussion group), and Avon is definitely a favorite hero with the ladies on the list.  Justin, Duke of Avon, is amusing, arrogant, self-centered, with a sometimes destructive wit at the beginning of the book.  About halfway through we see him maturing a bit; he is kinder, his good characteristics have strengthened, and he actually puts someone else's interests above his own. 

Leonie, I have to admit, annoys me at times; she worships Avon with slavish adoration and defends him to all.  The man's nickname is "Satanas", for goodness sake!  But I still have a kindness for her, and, as I said, he does grow up.  This is a Heyer that I do like to re-read once in a while. The characters of Justin's family are so very funny.  There is a lot of wit and charm in the book (which one expects of Heyer, after all).  I think my favorite character in the whole book is Rupert, the Duke's brother.  Rupert makes the book worth reading all on his own. 

It is a fast-paced, tension-filled book, which will keep you laughing throughout -- from the moment Avon first meets Leonie, dressed in boy's clothes and going by the name of "Leon", to the excellent chase and rescue at the end.  It is a feel-good read with hilarious dialogue throughout and characters that you can't help but love.  And although it is not in my personal top 10, I know some who put it in the #1 spot on their Heyer list.  So look for it in your library or buy an inexpensive paperback on Ebay or Amazon.  It's worth the read.

My copy of TOS is a Bantam Books paperback, published in 1970.  It is one of only a few that I do not yet have in hard cover.

Note:  Heyer did not do sequels, but it is generally accepted by "Heyerites" (and stated by Heyer biographer Jane Aiken Hodge) that she did take the main characters in The Black Moth and use them again, under different names, in These Old Shades.  She titled the book so as a hint to her readers; the characters in TOS were "shades" of those in TBM.

Since TOS was published in 1926, she was probably writing it at the time of her marriage to Ronald Rougier in 1925.  It was published during what is known as The General Strike in England when there were not only no trains or newspapers, but no advertising or reviews, either.  Yet the book was an instant success.  Hodge suggests Heyer may have been encouraged to believe that she didn't need publicity to have a successful novel, after TOS sold 190,000 copies on publication.

My list, so far:

1.  Simon The Coldheart

2.  These Old Shades

3.  The Great Roxhythe

4.  Powder and Patch

5.  The Black Moth

6.  Instead of the Thorn

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