Day 33 – The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it.. (pg 128)

... and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.’ The somewhat cynical voice of Elizabeth Bennet rings very true to me at this time. The job search is becoming more depressing by the hour.

But enough of that, I have just watched the film Cold Comfort Farm and have become aware that it is based on a book by Stella Gibbons. I therefore have to put it on the list of what to read next, because if it’s anything like the film I think I will enjoy it very much. The story is deliciously dark and fantastically funny. It does at times border on the preposterous, but it’s witty enough to be forgiven.

The local pub in the story is called 'The Condemned Man' and one of the characters provides a depressing ‘to do’ lists that includes; ‘Drain the well, there’s a neighbour missin’. In amongst all this, the main character Flora Poste, manages to remain cheerfully optimistic. This story of a young woman who dreams of becoming a writer like Jane Austen and longs to put things in order reminds me a little of myself, if only I could share her cheerful optimism. However Flora Poste is a female character in the 1930’s, where a steady job and a fulfilling career is not a must.

I am neglecting my reading... I do love Pride and Prejudice, however there always seems to be other things to do than sit down and read. I have finished my scarf and you’ll be quite glad to know that I have sent Travels with My Aunt off to Kidney Health Australia... I hope it finds a good home there.

249 days remaining, 18 books to go.

Day 14 – One’s life is more formed, I sometimes think, by books than human beings. (pg 203)

In protest to the all the horribleness of looking for a job, I spent yesterday in the kitchen baking with the air conditioning on (to avoid the 30 + degree heat). I also finished a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and read one chapter of Travels With My Aunt. I’m sure I did other things as well, however I can’t think of what they are just now.

Today, after applying for four more jobs, I sat down intent on finishing the book, and finish it I did. I am now quite happy to let this book go free to the nearest op shop for another unsuspecting reader, or perhaps for a person who will appreciate it more than I. The vandal did make a reappearance towards the end of the book, but any sense of my interest did not... I would still like to see the film, perhaps it will help me to piece together all the things I missed when I read the book. It also looks like there is a remake in production to be released next year.

With the quote above in mind from Travels with My Aunt, I pulled out one of my favourite childhood books; Socks for Supper by Jack Kent.



It’s a quaint story about a couple who have nothing but a turnip garden and industriously make socks for the neighbours who in return give them milk and cheese. It makes me see the world more simply, all I need to do is create something, give it to someone else, and I will get milk and cheese (kind of like a job really)! It also makes me hungry for cheese. Oh glorious cheese! For those who cannot eat cheese I have the greatest sympathy for those who do not like cheese, the greatest suspicion. For me there is no finer food in the world. A summers day with a piece of creamy brie melting in your mouth and a crisp glass of wine in your hand... mmm

266 days remaining, 19 books to go.

Day 11 – So I went to choose a book from my shelves (pg 141)

This week has begun after a wonderful weekend, a weekend in which I'm afraid I didn’t read a word of the current book (I did manage however to digest a newspaper article or two). Sitting down with Travels with my Aunt this evening, feels much more like a chore than a joy. I believe I was quite spoilt with my first choice.

As I am reading, I've realised just how little attention I paid the first half of the book. I am taking a lot more in now, and wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that my little vandal didn’t make it past the half way mark. It seems they too lost interest in the story, or found that even though they had no qualms in vandalising a book, they could not think of keeping it past the due date and incurring a fine.

The characters are interesting, but the settings are so confined and oppressive that after my adventures on the isle of Corfu, trips to Turkey where time is spent in musty rooms and jaunts to cemeteries in rural France are not helping my already darkened mood.

I have applied for 2 jobs this week, and even though it's only Monday, I have spent far too much time indoors in front of the computer, hiding from the stifling heat. Another highly frustrating addition is that my internet connection in this heat is so irritatingly intermittent it's likely to disconnect at any given moment. I fear I will soon go mad...

I have also discovered today, that my original countdown calculations (done online) used American dates, so until now I have been allowing myself an extra day and included the current day. Days remaining are now correct for Australian dates and do not include the current day. This means there are actually 269 Days remaining and still 20 books to go.

Day 8 - ‘Hardly Literary’ I said...(pg 130)

I can’t believe it’s been just over a week since I started this blog, it feels like so much longer. Although I am not getting much reading done at the moment. This week I have applied for another five or so jobs, thankfully one of which I am actually excited about. Having now applied it is out of my hands, and will be for at least 3 weeks until applications close, nothing like being keen!

Another reason I have not picked up my book is that yesterday I went into the Royal Children's Hospital where I sporadically volunteer on children’s television program Going Nuts With Macadamia.

I also (thanks to my boyfriend) managed to get a couple of hrs paid work filming a corporate medical video, it felt nice to be flexing my skills and general filmic know-how again.

While filming the children’s show, the current host, Mel, had brought in one of her favourite books, Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss. She mentioned that it’s commonly read out at weddings and another staff member said her mother read aloud from it at her daughter’s christening. I was instantly intrigued, and while I am quite sure I would have come across this book as a child, I couldn’t remember it. I looked at the colourful and simple cover, I wanted to walk over, pick it up, and read it there and then. I managed to restrain myself, while it is only a short book, I have not been given this book, and so it will have be added to ‘what to read next’.

I was also distracted from my book by the most wonderful film last evening called Phoebe in Wonderland. If you want to see a beautifully filmed, powerfully acted and strongly written story, I highly recommend it. I came to it with no expectations and no notion of what it might be about. I often find that this is the best way to experience anything, especially a book or a film.

274 Days remaining, 20 books to go. According to my calculations, that that gives me approx 2 weeks to read each book, which at this stage seems more than enough...

Day 7 - Thank goodness for the gold brick is all I can say (pg 118)

Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene, is another book I am already part way through, half way through in fact (once again this is not cheating!). I began this book about 3 months ago and found that it just wasn’t holding my interest. I would get through a chapter and have retained nothing about what had happened and who some of the most important characters were, so put it aside.

Not that I wasn’t enjoying it to begin with. It is very nicely written, witty and comical. I was also drawn in by the fact not only that it was written by a well known author, but that it was made into a film starring Maggie Smith (a wonderful actress don’t you think? Another film I would like to see when I have finished this story).

This book is one form the sale, and I think what is putting me off most is that someone has been through the book, marking it up as a study aid. Try as I may to ignore it, I am finding myself drawn to the underlined passages and penciled notes in the margins. Thus my interpretation of the story has been coloured by this learned vandal (although how learned can someone be and have the audacity to mark a book?)

Characters have been fleshed out before I have gotten the chance to know them, important plot points have been given away before I have been able to come to the conclusion myself. This has also robbed me of the satisfaction of arriving at the moment Greene has been taking me to, and going ‘ ah huh! I knew it!’ A truly delicious moment don’t you think?!

Having just picked it up again, I’m either looking at it with fresh eyes, or I left it just as it was starting to get interesting again, time will tell.

275 Days remaining, 20 books to go.