The Crimson Petal and the White - Michael Faber

Slowly but surely, I will get through the 100+ books sitting on my shelves that I have not yet read. This one has been there for years, and at about 900 pages, I consider finishing it to be a big accomplishment. I am now justified in buying three more books to replace it. The Crimson Petal and the White was written in 2002, but takes place in London in 1870, and is written like an old time Victorian novel. It is the story of Sugar, a prostitute since the age of 13, and Wiliam Rackham, the heir to a great perfume business. Rackham, stifled by his home life, seeks out the company of Sugar and finds himself obsessed with becoming her saviour. Faber's writing is heavy on the graphic/bordering on the pornographic at times, but it is still the same type of tale of the fallen woman told by Eliot in The Mill on the Floss and in Dickens's various novels featuring prostitutes (from Oliver Twist to Dombey and Son). Faber fills his novel with characters who are trying to save these women from themselves, while focusing on the hypocrisy of it all, and presenting a scathing critique of a society that confines women to maddening domesticity and patriarchal control. I think Faber probably could have benefited from a bit of editing, but all in all this was a pretty quick read that raised a number of frustrating themes still alive and well in our world today.

Everything England

In a little less than two weeks, our family is headed to England for a little adventure.  Assuming we survive the flight, we are looking forward to spending about twelve days in a small town located about an hour outside of London.  Whenever I travel, I like to immerse myself in books set in the place where I'm traveling.  When it comes to England, of course, this makes for a very broad reading selection.  Here are just a few I've enjoyed over the years.

• The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follet
• Drood - Dan Simmons
• The Crimson Petal and the White  - Michael Faber
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie 
• 84 Charring Cross Road - Helene Hanff
• Thursday Next Series - Jasper Fforde
• The Adrian Mole Series - Sue Townsend (YA)

As we prepare for our trip, I have also been seeking out children's books by British authors.  This week we've been reading:

• Beatrix Potter's Stories
• All things Roald Dahl (after finishing James and the Giant Peach, we've just moved on to Danny the Champion of the World)
• Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

I'm hoping our trip will bring me some quiet time to curl up with a blanket, a warm cup of tea, and a wonderfully British novel.