Wednesday 26 January 2022

Yours Grumpily

Hello, thank you for dropping in.  It has been very cold here this week, not warmer than three degrees (oo-ooh, aa-aah, precious moments, as we sing in our house), not bright, sparkling, makes-you-smile cold but dull, murky, seeps-into-your-bones-and-makes-you-miserable cold, the kind of cold which slows me right down almost to the point of torpor.  Today the sun is shining which ordinarily would make me feel much more cheerful but in fact, today I am grumpy, VERY grumpy.

Earlier this month I found a second-hand copy of Jane Eyre in an online charity shop and I bought it.  I read a school copy of Jane Eyre when I was fourteen and last year I decided that I wanted to read it again as, being very familiar with the novels of Emily and Anne Bronte - which is no great accomplishment as there are only three of them - I felt uncomfortable about leaving Charlotte out and apart from that, Jane Eyre is a great novel with which any woman who considers herself to be "a reader" should be familiar.  I was truly tempted to buy a new copy, especially as The Crow Emporium published a beautiful, illustrated volume last year, but  in the end I followed my instincts and bought this copy instead.  It is a hardback, in good condition, lovely to hold in the hand and older than I am, and I polished my metaphorical halo at the thought that I had acted sustainably and supported a charity to the modest tune of £7.  I am enjoying reading it very much and yesterday I reached page 204.

An idea popped into my head yesterday afternoon: a couple of years ago my sister bought me a book written by Jennifer Barclay called "A Literary Feast, Recipes inspired by novels, poems and plays" and I thought it might be fun to marry up my novel with the appropriate recipe.  I turned to page 179 and found a passage in which Jane is served seed cake by Miss Temple, the superintendent at Lowood School.  Hmm.  Jane had left Lowood on page 70 of my edition and I did not recognise this passage.  I had a look online and discovered many references to the incident, which occurs in Chapter 8.  I scanned through Chapter 8 and there was no seed cake.  This morning I have reread the whole chapter and there is DEFINITELY NO SEED CAKE.  I have reached the conclusion that my edition is abridged, although that is not stated anywhere, and I am mightily disappointed.  I am a serious reader with a very rusty A Level in English Literature and I do not want to read an abridged version of Jane Eyre, I want to read exactly what Charlotte Bronte wrote.  Harrumph.  Have I made it clear enough that I am VERY grumpy?  


I shall carry on reading the book because I am enjoying it (and because I never leave a book unfinished) but I think that I shall have to buy another copy.  

Yours grumpily,

Mrs Tiggywinkle x

10 comments:

  1. I think that unwelcome discovery would make me grumpy, too! Tea and seedcake would go a long way to UN-grump me, and keep me warm! It's 1 degree here, today, but this afternoon the sun is shining for a change.

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    1. I think I've only ever eaten seed cake once which was one reason why I was keen to try the recipe. Perhaps I'll just try it anyway. I hope you're keeping warm. x

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  2. It makes you wonder why a reference to seed cake was left out, are there no references to food at all? Not my sort of book! x

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    1. There are references to gruel, burnt porridge and bread and cheese. I don't think Charlotte was much of a foodie! Thank you for making me smile. x

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  3. That is annoying. You could get a copy from your local library, save buying another copy. You'd also be supporting your library. I usually have to order in my library book choices as my local one is very small, the small fee helps I think.

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  4. How disappointing. Hope you can find a good copy. x

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    1. If nobody gives me one for the upcoming birthday I shall treat myself. x

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  5. What a shame, especially when there's so many different copies out there, it's sod's law that you'd pick up the wrong one! I've never read Jane Eyre, in fact, there are so many classics that I haven't read that I thought I'd put that right this year. I've got a selection on my bookshelf and I've set myself the challenge of reading a few this year. I might even get round to Jane Eyre and I shall be looking out for that seed cake.

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    1. Sod's law indeed. I did make a seed cake anyway but I forgot to photograph it - it went down very well indeed. If you are going to read some classics may I throw Agnes Grey into the ring? I think it's a wonderfully written book, and it's not very long so if you don't like it, you could finish it anyway and tick it off the list. Take care. x

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