Ex Libris Kirkland

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First Written 1971
Genre Fiction
Origin UK
Publisher Europa
ISBN-10 1609451414
ISBN-13 978-1609451417
My Copy library paperback
First Read September 14, 2016

A Long Way from Verona



Erika got pretty close: she called Jessica the narrator "half Anne of Green Gables, half Pippi Longstocking," which feels very accurate. Mostly I think due to Jessica's habit of run-on sentences that veer slightly into the fantastical.

Noted on September 14, 2016

I rolled my eyes at the precocious child narrator at the beginning, but this is actually a lovely coming-of-age novel, set in WWII era England. I don't know anything about the author or this book's reputation (my usual Ignorant Reader stance), but it was surprisingly great. Totally recommend it.

Noted on September 14, 2016

Oh Dear! How old are you about?
Twelve.
Oh, you poor thing! Are you indeed? I really hated twelve - and thirteen. And then somebody told me that it was all to do with growing. It was all to do with my inside. With my stomach I believe in some way. I was so relieved. I had thought I was growing unpleasant and starting to hate everyone, and I didn't want to be that sort of person at all. It all calmed down later on. I do remember though that I spent a lot of time crying. But childhood is such a wretched time anyway. Have you noticed in the street, or in a bus or anywhere, if you stop and listen you can nearly always hear a child crying? It's perfectly awful when you come to think of it.

Quoted on September 14, 2016

Usually if a poet's good he doesn't break his heart. Can you imagine Emily Bronte crumpling up with a broken heart? No, of course you can't. She'd start working instead. Like Keats who said when he was really in despair he put a clean shirt on. Though mind you he was very lucky, being a man he wouldn't have had to wash it and iron it himself first...

Quoted on September 14, 2016


Ex Libris Kirkland is a super-self-absorbed reading journal made by Matt Kirkland. Copyright © 2001 - .
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