Dinner Train Book Club: The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton

My illustrated 1905 library discard copy of
The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton
and some Arsenic and Old Lace cookies

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
Charles Scribner's Sons: New York, 1905

Lily Bart is a Guilded Age socialite; though her bankrupt parents have died leaving her only a small inheritance, she has a wealthy elderly aunt who gives her an allowance and provides her with the wardrobe she needs to fit in with the right set.  Lily spends most of her time as women of her time do; vacationing at the country mansions of her friends, taking tea, and paying social visits., and her aunt is not growing younger.  At age “nine and twenty,” Lily’s own funds are running out, her aunt is not getting any younger, and she is growing desperate to shed the miss title and become a misses.  She begins to gamble, both literally and socially to maintain her lifestyle and appearances. After a chance meeting leads to taking tea with journalist George Selden, a favorite of her set, Lily finds herself conflicted for the first time, realizing that what her heart and brain want might not add up.  She wants the easy, comfortable, socialite life to which she is accustomed, but is fast realizing the price she will pay as the unquestioning wife of the man who provides her with it may not be worth it.   

Buddies, this won’t be short.  I suggest you grab yourself a freshly made Arsenic and Old Lace cookie, make a cup of George Selden’s caravan tea (whatever that is), and get settled in.

Tidbits: Good vs. bad ideas by Hollywood, pr-E-views, mini-mashups

• Queen Mary had a thing for dollhouses, and as everyone who is someone knows, no house regardless of size is complete without a library.  QM's library redefines the term pocket book, and answers a very important Zoolander question.  These dollhouse books are unbelievably cute!  And also, how did they make them so tiny?!??  Read about it at the first link, or tour the dollhouse library at this link.   [via Parathentical]
  
•  Have you always harbored a secret desire to replace steal Gilbert from Anne? Hear Captain Wentworth tell you that you pierce his heart?  Rest easy, daydreamer.  You can now special order a copy of a classic book with your name, and that of your friends/family/part-time lovers in the place of the characters.  BONUS: the company also does romance novels.  Best gag gift ever?  Bonus BONUS:  Oh, snap.  They also have a category called "vampire."  I can't even...[via GalleyCat]
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• The first twentish pages of Maggie Stiefvater's newest book, Raven Boys, is up on EW for your perusal.
  
• Ditto for an pr-E-view of  The Book of Blood and Shadow, by Robin Wasserman (who I met once, and who was very very nice!).
  
• Bad idea by Hollywood:  Robert Pattinson as Finnick Odiar?  Please, no.   
  
• Good idea by Hollywood: Oooh, I have spotted the moste curiouse tweet from Patrick Ness regarding the script for The Knife of Never Letting Go (I'm still nervous about it, even after Hunger Games didn't stink):
  
  
  CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER.  
  
  

Tidbits: I'd like to hear Maurice Sendak's thoughts on these Disney Princes (and more)

• It's a little embarrassing that I haven't gushed about Melina Marchetta in 2012.  It's almost February.  Clearly I'm letting myself go!  FEAR NOT.  An exciting review is in the works, but to tide you over until my next author-crush ramble, she's taken matters into her own hands and updated her website. 
  
• As this month is sponsored by The Count of Monte Cristo, revenge, and the letter J for January, I bring you my new fake nemesis:  Paul Scharner, professional "footballer" (soccer, Americans) and fan of the very book I have sworn to seek revenge upon!  Psshhh.  How could I NOT declare him my nemesis, with hair like this?  Paul and his dastardly football buddies are taking part in the actually highly admirable Premier League literacy drive to help English children learn to read good, and have picked their favorite children's and adult books.  In all seriousness though, I think anything to encourage literacy is high admirable.  Even if you have stupid hair and like The Count of Monte Cristo (150 pages to go before February...).  Thank you Chris for the heads up!  
  
• If you love Ezra Jack Keat's classic children's story, The Snowy Day, check out this NPR story.  I particularly love the photo series of the child that inspired the character Peter.  AND you can listen to Lavar Burton read it to you!  (Butterfly in the skkkkky...thanks to Julia for the heads up!)
  
• Enjoy this ridiculously comprehensive guide to literary tattoos over at Publisher's Weekly. 
  
• And also there, this run-down of movies based on books in the upcoming year.  I still fail to understand why Gatsby is going 3D. 
  
• Did you see Maurice Sendak, brilliant and begrudging mega-children's literature star on the Colbert Report?  (Part 1, Part 2) I would pay cash monies for a Colbert/Sendak picture book.  I especially loved the censorship campaign on the nudity in In the Night Kitchen.  If only censorship were normally that amusing!  If you're looking to get weepy, I recommend listening to the most recent Fresh Air interview with Sendak. 
  
• Annnnd finally, here is the greatest thing I've seen all day:  Disney princes do the cover of men's magazines.  I totally enjoy the related articles on the covers.  My favorite is totally this one:
  
  

Resolution 2012: The Year We All Get Classy and Ride the Dinner Train

Friends, countrymen, foreigners, frenemies,

  

Happy 2012!  Despite being the year the Mayan calendar predicts we will all die (though I’m slightly disinclined to believe the apocalyptic predictions of people who squished their own skulls with boards for fashion, but do admit that the Mayans and co were also responsible for chocolate…so I could be totally wrong here), 2012 is also rumored to be the year that awesome things happen round the world (even if the world ends), STARTING HERE.  Drum roll pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I have set a lofty goal for myself in the new year, being 2012.  I resolve to become cultured! Well read! End my librarian secret shame and finally read a Dickins!  And, obviously, eat well while doing so. 

  

For each book, I will be creating an appropriately themed menu and hosting a dinner/brunch/tea party to debrief.  You may better recognize this concept by its pedestrian name: book club.   Obviously, I have recruited only the tastiest of tastemakers to these exclusive events (so if you want in, let me know).  At the end of the month I will post all recipes here, along with a summary of my/our thoughts about the books.  Thusly, even you, foreign friends (as in anyone who doesn’t live in the same city as moi), can also read along and eat with us (after the fact, but still!).  Outsourcing into your own home is welcome, especially if you live in far far places, and photographic evidence is encouraged! 

Titles and months are listed below:  

January - Count of Monte Cristo

February - Anne of Green Gables

March - Middlemarch

April - Anna Karenina*

May - Little Women

June- Catch 22

July - Moby Dick

August - House of Mirth

September - Phantom Tollbooth

October - Frankenstein

November - 1984

December - Great Expectations

If you do want to participate and ride the dinner train with us, I happen to know you will have the best year EVER, filled with chocolate, lottery wins, laughing babies, and my undying love.  If you don’t want to partake, I happen to know that you will have a year filled with chocolate and laughing babies, but also paper cuts (kidding, it’ll be a fab and happy 2012 for you too!).   BRING IT, 2012!

I resolve to have twice as much fun reading classics while wearing twice as many pearls as this lady!

*This may be ambitious.  

Out of Print, but not out of awesome!

Confession: I have an online store I like to visit while occasionally lounging luxuriously around my apartment, usually wrapped in some sort of blanket apparatus filled with feathers.  Ahhh, online window shopping, how I love thee.  And how much do I love, and will you bibliophiles love Out of Print clothing?  SO MUCH!

My lovely lady friends joined forces and surprised me in November for my birthday with the Catcher in the Rye sweatshirt when my secret online window shopping lusting habits were revealed.   I retaliated by spearheading the efforts to give the oh-so-cozy looking Pride and Prejudice sweatshirt to Mrs. Collins!  Teehee, FACT: that is indeed her married name! How awesome is it in this context?

It seems like the men's shirts have more variety, but whatevs.  There's great lady stuff too, especially the new blue original Great Gatsby cover.  And the kid stuff?  Totally makes me squee.  Sidebar: how awesome would an Outsiders onesie be?  I would absolutely fight the urge to snatch a baby wearing that.  Plus, the company donates a book to kids in Africa for every item sold.  Snaps for international literacy!  However, I have one niggling, major, burning question.

Out of Print, where's your Jane Eyre shirt already?!