It’s hard, at least for me, not to read it a little with modern eyes – it’s a bit manipulative, she doesn’t know who he is, but he’s omniscient the whole time (especially when he has that jealous thing where she thinks her benefactor is nixing her plans for no good reason). Of course at the time, the “mysterious benefactor” was a perfectly normal trope. And even the nickname, how she keeps calling him Daddy, which I’m sure was a perfectly cute and innocent thing, now sounds like it’s getting close to “naughty schoolgirl ooooh daddy” territory.
Picking this up at the library later today!
EEK! I’m waiting for Amazon to send me my copy!
Ahhh, yes I see and I can understand where you are coming from. Yeah, the nixing her plans thing has always bugged me. Borderline misogyny, the MAN’S plans are important, the female’s not so much…
My first reading I assumed “Daddy” was elderly and the ending was rather EEK! But I went back and reread the beginning and realized that was a misunderstanding of my own
So far, so GOOOOD. 
Should be here the 26th! I had to cancel the original pre-order since they weren’t planning to send it until JANUARY! I’d DIE!!!
On paper, I finished Morgue: A Life in Death by a forensic pathologist named DiMaio. Good not great - basically a description of famous autopsies he has done. It held my interest throughout, although his prose is a little cutesy. Currently working thru But What If We’re Wrong? by C. Klosterman, which attempts the nearly impossible task of explaining why predictions of the future are going to be wrong, including his prediction of why they will turn out wrong. Interesting even if futile. He is better talking about rock music and TV than he is about physics.
On audio-walking-the-dog-books, I got thru most of the translation of A Thousand Nights and a Night by Sir Richard Burton. I discovered along the way that not all the Arabian nights’ stories are interesting. There is an endless description of some legendary Arab hero or other and his wars against his brother. Currently about a quarter of the way thru The Wailing Asteroid, by one of my favorites, Murray Leinster. Very much like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but set during the 50s and the Cold War. Currently the hero, Joe, is building a spaceship based on the dream the aliens sent him, and battling the government who is trying (in a realistically presented reaction of the public to messages from outer space) to shut down space travel. The usual superficially plausible stuff about negative induction magnets, which is much like John Campbell’s molecular motion device in The Black Star Passes and Islands of Space. The plot device doesn’t jar, so I don’t mind. Part of what I love about 50s sci-fi - innocent gee-whiz “technology can do anything” and the magic scientist who works day and night supported by his virginal sweetheart to rescue the Earth.
I am thinking of trying The Scarlet Pimpernel on audio next. If I can find it on YouTube.
Regards,
Shodan
An interesting discussion of the book (and movie) here: Music Lovers' Debate Society: Daddy Long Legs - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
You folks are getting me interested.
I have a 10 year old who likes weird mysteries, am I right in thinking he’s like this series?
I really think it’s extremely manipulative. And it leads me to wonder things about what his intentions were from the start.
I was able to put that entirely aside while reading it, mind you. I think the book is astonishingly fun and Jerusha/Judy is a delight. It’s hard to believe this is a 100 year old novel.
It never did, despite some potential.
Now reading A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent, by Marie Brennan. Kind of a Victorian-ish England-ish world where dragons exist and proper young ladies do not study them.
I think he would, especially if he has a good vocabulary, because it is written for young adults but not written down to them.
Just home from the library, where I picked up Richard Flanagan’s “Gould’s Book of Fish”.
Also, “Cliffs of Fall”, a book of short stories by Shirley Hazzard. I usually stay away from short stories, but I love her work so much, I can’'t get enough of it.
I finished reading the novella “Castle Rackrent” by Maria Edgeworth. It was modestly funny, although the view of Irish people was basically a caricature. I was amused that half of the copy I downloaded was taken up by an introduction (by the daughter of William Thackeray, another producer of Irish caricature) and a glossary, with a snippet of story separating the two!
Just finished Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews. I think some rather large things happened, in terms of story arc. As a consequence, the story itself feels a little less finished. If you are a fan of the series, this is an important book.
I’ve started reading a new author, T.A. White. The first one I read was called Pathfinder. It’s fantasy, with a little magic and gunpowder thrown in. I enjoyed it very much. I followed that up with her first book, Dragon-Ridden, which seemed to be fantasy with hints of sci-fi. Both featured strong female leads.
Finished it today and liked it a lot. I didn’t think of it as introspective lit at all. I thought it was kind of a sardonic look at the 70s vs 2000’s/coming of age story. But again I felt connected to so many elements in the story: Chicago, riots, protest, U professor, and even computer gamer. Also of Norwegian heritage, har.
Reading End of Watch, the third book in the Bill Hodges series by Stephen King. I’m enjoying this one far more than I did the second book.
Good to hear. I plan to look for that soon. I liked the first two but admittedly the first one better.
Just started reading Ruth Rendell’s The Vault and I have to say I’m not enjoying it much. RR used to be one of my favourite authors. I don’t know whether it’s her or me but this one is leaving me cold.
I read the City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett, the sequel to City of Stairs. I liked it a lot - good characters, good plot, interesting setting.
I’m now reading City of Ember at my 10-year-old daughter’s behest. She was very excited by it and wants to discuss. I’m also reading Anne of Green Gables to her. I love Anne more than anything, and those books must have contributed substantially to my SAT score. However, as a cynical adult, I have to think that so many adverse childhood events makes Anne pretty psychologically improbable.
I want to dive into the next Lockwood and Co book immediately! Fortunately, I’ll be travelling for work shortly and will have a few evenings to myself in a comfy hotel room. Yay!