Books for Back to School

September 3, 2014 Natalie Morath

Woefully, I am not going back to school. I have a Masters degree and enough on my plate at work, so I have to live vicariously through other people this time of year. I am a hardcore autumn fan as well. That line from 'You've Got Mail' about sending a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils is (besides being one of the most genius things to ever come out of Nora Ephron's brain, which is saying something) deeply meaningful to me. Pumpkins, sweaters, college football, maple syrup, apples, crunchy leaves and back to school. The following is my list of the ultimate school books to get you in the mood for fall.

Several of these novels have been turned into some of my favorite movies as well, and a good movie trailer is a great way to find inspiration for your next read, so enjoy some clips as well.

Books on Books: 'The Madwoman in the Attic' by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar

August 27, 2014 Natalie Morath

I first came across The Madwoman in the Attic via Madeleine's thesis project in The Marriage Plot, but I'm surprised that I made it through four years of humanities studies without having read it, as I, much like the fictional Madeleine, spent a lot of time with books that were described as "discourses." The Madwoman in the Attic is the O.G. of feminist readings of fiction, and its influence cannot be overstated. I've been thinking a lot about it recently as I was reading Claire Messud's The Woman Upstairs, whose very title and premise are something of an homage. The book is largely concerned with female authors like Jane Austen, the Brontes, and Virginia Woolf, and it's a really excellent follow-up to anyone who has already read and enjoyed some of the major women writers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

It's easy to find a first edition at any decent used book store (especially those in college towns), but do yourself a favor a pickup a newer copy that include their revised introduction, which should give you a better taste of the cultural impact the book had on feminism and literature.

Jennifer Weiner's War on...Men? Women? Fiction? Everything?

July 2, 2014 Natalie Morath

I have very little patience for Jennifer Weiner. I have never read a novel by her; I have no plans to. Nothing about her books is appealing to me-- the covers (legs and shoes, mostly), the titles (“Good in Bed”? Blech!), the blurbs (“Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, an adorable little girl, a job she loves, and a big house in the suburbs. But when she’s in the pediatrician’s office with her daughter and a magazine flips open to a quiz about addiction, she starts to wonder whether her use of prescription pills is becoming a problem.” Yes, that is real), the genre (chick lit, “slumber party fiction”). But that said, I was perfectly content to leave her be; obviously someone buys her books, because she’s one of the best-selling authors in the English language, and you can’t visit an airport without seeing dozens of those leg-and-shoe covers staring back at you. It’s not for me, but I don’t mind if it exists.

Reading List: 'The Marriage Plot' by Jeffrey Eugenides

June 18, 2014 Natalie Morath

I am a huge fan of reading lists, in all their many and varied forms. Last week's 'Books on Books' post was about one of my favorite recent novels, The Marriage Plot, which is at its core a novel about readership. Thus, the below list of titles read by protagonist Madeleine:

Books on Books: 'The Marriage Plot' by Jeffrey Eugenides

June 11, 2014 Natalie Morath

On its surface, The Marriage Plot is a novel about romance and in particular a love triangle between protagonists Madeleine, Leonard and Mitchell. The marriage plot (see: most Victorian literature written by and for women) drives the action in a very literal and figurative sense, allowing Eugenides to play with the romantic tropes of literature that feel so second-nature to readers. I would argue that the real romance, however, is between Madeleine (who, let's face it, is the real protagonist, even though the men's perspectives are represented), and literature. Without spoiling anything, the romantic plotlines have their ups and down, but Madeleine's deep connection to fiction is constant. When her life lacks direction, Jane Austen gets her back on course, but not in the way one would expect.