What are you reading at the moment

But just think of all the uses for the book when she's read it. Door stop, chair, firewood.........

biggran, I think you've just made the best argument for Kindle! I find it perfect for reading in bed.

Wouldn't we all still fall in love with Sgt Troy, though [especially if he really did look like Terence Stamp!]? As for Tess, just re read the page where Sorrow dies and is buried in an unmarked grave and not find the book gloomy! Gemma Arterton is one of my favourite actresses so that's probably another reason why I loved the series. When they kept showing Tess and Angel dancing together at their first meeting I blubbed uncontrollably. Thought the music was lovely as well, and then realised I'd heard it before on an Eliza Carthy album and it is a traditional folk song. Actually going to dip into TTTW again because it's so descriptive. Was fascinating watching the interview with the producers/director;screenwriter after I'd seen the film because I'd been wondering how they would approach such a complicated subject. I thought I might try the next Phillip Pullman in the series [couldn't find my Pride and Prejudice]. There's a childrens book of his that I want to read as well, but I've forgotten what it's called.....

They were discussing rogues and rascals on women's hour recently and one of them said her students thought Gabriel Oak (good man to Troy's bad boy) was their ideal husband... That line at the end always brings a tear to my eye... When I look up... (sniff sniff)
Oh T Hardy, doesn't Jude the Obscure take the biscuit though... the children committing suicide.... aaargh.
Gritty realism without the light relief of Dickens.

I've just started Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. I made a mistake and bought the ominibus edition with all three books in one volume. I can hardly lift it. I've had to buy a support thingee so that I can prop it up in bed to read it!!

I gave up on reading The Time Travellers Wife quite early on but the film was good, I understood it perfectly well.

I did not enjoy the most recent TV version of Tess. I don't remember the book being so gloomy, and I got to the stage where I thought that if I saw her crossing the same field one more time I would scream!! It felt as if the producers were simply filling up the time. In my opinion anyway.

..saw the second half of the film just now, and absolutely loved it. Didn't realise Brad Pitt was involved with the production side, but it had a touch of the Benjamin Buttons about it. Now to find something else to read. I might dip into a bit of Jane Austen, which I've never read [I'm ashamed to say].

..oh, started watching the film of Time Travellers Wife late last night, and was pleasantly surprised. I'd assume that anyone watching the film without reading the book would think the whole story was ridiculous and wouldn't rate it for that reason,but, from what I've seen so far it's a sweet adaptation of what is, in the main, a love story.

The last tv adaptation of Tess [probably the best tv adaptation I've ever seen of anything; my daughter and I were mentally wrecked watching it]went part way to explaining Angel Clare's behaviour towards Tess. I'd forgotten Sgt Troy..what a cad and a bounder! As someone once said 'Hardy wrote great roles for women but, boy did he make them pay for it'.

JessM - I remembered "The Wide Sargasso Sea" when I'd finished posting! First read it in an old, battered edition with the back cover missing, so no blurb, so didn't know what it was about. The "oh....!" moment hit about a third of the way through. Good book.

Definitely Angel Clare, closely followed (in Hardy's novels) by Sergeant Troy.

As an avid reader have read a myriad of things! Loved 'The Help' and took me back to my early years in the south of the USA.

Mr Rochester/Angel Clare...hmmmm, from a woman's point of view who was the worst? [by the way, not impressed with the new film; the last tv adaptation was far better].

Annobel, I can resist anything except temptation. It is ordered.

Loved The Help. Just read Of Bees and Mist by Erik S...... can't remember-very odd but enjoyed it. My bedside reading isn't really a book it is a list of books called Reading on Location and suggests books for reading on holiday as in going to Cuba read our Man in Havana. Started me off on all sorts of authors i'd not heard of. Saw it first in the library but realised I would have to have my own copy. Ticking off places and books with glee

Be tempted, Elegran.

I have not read "The Help" though I see it is available for the Kindle, so I might be tempted. but I have read (free!!!!!) from the Kindle ebook site a book called "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself"

I believe it was used as one of the sources for "The Help"

Well worth reading (even more so as it is free!)

Trying to finish The Midwife's Confession before tomorrow so that I can take it back to the library. There's a long list of people waiting to read it! I tend not to read many American authors (I think that may be because I'm not keen on the style of writing, sometimes). However, this one caught hold of me - so many twists and turns. Very good.

I have not read the whole thread so dont know if anyone else is reading kate macann's book madeline. I keep waking up at night and reading a bit more.

But it took me a while to accept him as the Cadfael I had read about!

I did love him as Cadfael, even though he isn't Welsh.

A bit off-topic as I am not reading any of them at the moment, but crimson reminded me of reading all of Ellis Peters' Cadfael novels, and having a very clear mental picture of Cadfael, the short, stocky, Welsh ex-soldier with black curly hair.

Then it was dramatised with - WHO? - in the role? Why , Derek Jacoby of course, English, tall, slender, straight fair hair, academic to the point of timidity!

I expect you also read The Wide Sargasso Sea Ariadne?
Lets hear if for Mrs R the first.

Does anyone else remember watching the classics serialised on BBC on a Sunday afternoon ...that was my first introduction to Mr. Rochester!
But don't actually know why we need yet another film of the story!! Think I might add it to my Kindle. ready for my flight to Canada.

When I was in the throes of Lit. Crit. I came across an interesting interpretation * of "Jane Eyre" - that the two women (Mrs R and Jane) represented the two sides of a woman's psyche. That is, the outer, cool, organised mind (repressed - it was C19th!) and the mad, red, hot insanity that raged within. Good, eh? Recognise it? I do.

*("The Madwoman in the Attic.")