Claire's Corner

Posted on | February 11, 2010 | 20 Comments

With the miscellany links that a number of bloggers indulge in weekly I have been inspired to begin my own feature, which will be called “Claire’s Corner” (I love alliteration!) I have had this in mind for a while but I didn’t want to launch it until I had unveiled my new living space. Like others, I wish to use this time to highlight some things that I have found online or comment on other literary things that wouldn’t warrant their own post.

This week’s visual is of one of my beloved book-bags and notebooks (I collect both); in this post I mentioned my love for both the text of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and for the merchandise imitating the iconic Penguin edition. I am sharing this because a) I couldn’t resist showing off two of my favourite things (like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens) and b) it was a representative image for the first thing to be featured on Claire’s Corner. Almost a month ago, Mae of Mad Bibliphile drew my attention to this article by Rachel Cusk in The Guardian; the title, “Shakespeare’s Daughters” is an allusion to A Room of One’s Own, in which Woolf created Judith, Shakespeare’s sister. This excellent piece discusses “Women’s Writing” in relation to the two texts that “shaped the discourse of 20th-century women’s writing, a shape that is still recognisable today”: A Room of One’s Own and The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir; one is a book/essay that I could read over and over and always glean something new and the other is a title that so far I have only ever read extracts from but has been chosen as next month’s book for my feminist book group. Following the two recent Woolf in Winter discussions and my re-acquaintance with Virginia Woolf, I found this illuminating; I regularly engage with Women’s Writing, literature written by women, and I find the subject as pertinent now as it was eighty years ago. Reading a “book of repetition”, of domesticity and family life, interests me and I was not aware that modern women writers where being prevented the choice to write about issues of their sex that interested them.

Via Caustic Cover Critic and Frances of Nonsuch Book, I became aware of the forthcoming (April in the UK) Penguin Decades series, which consists of re-issues of “[f]ive seminal novels from each decade from the 1950s to 1980s inclusive, with cover artwork by high-profile artists and designers” to celebrate Penguin Books’ Seventy-Fifth birthday. The Zandra Rhodes textile designs for the 1970s titles are stunningly eye-catching and the titles (or their authors) appeal more to me; perhaps this appeal is because the authors are still well-known and one of the titles has been coincidentally longlisted for The Lost Man Booker Prize. Of course the title that immediately pops out at me is The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter, one of only two of her works that I haven’t yet read and a book that has been out-of-print in the UK for some time; seeing as the series is being issued the day after my birthday, I have pre-ordered a copy as a gift to myself as the copy I do own is old and battered. Virago issued eight beautiful hardback editions with textile cover designs in 2008 to commemorate Thirtieth birthday of Virago Modern Classics; I own five of the eight and think they make a beautiful addition to my bookshelves; I wonder how many of the Penguin Decades series will find a place on our shelves and feature on our blogs.

Tonight with I a friend I am off to see Wicked: the Musical, which I first saw in 2006 and adore. I have never read the book by Gregory Maguire that it is based on so I picked it up at the weekend fully intending to read it but regrettably I developed a headache and put the book away for another day; are there any fans of the book reading to tell me that I must attempt it again in the near-future? I may not have managed my themed reading this time around but I know that I will have occasion to again. In the meantime I will be defying gravity tonight and share with you a clip from the delightfully cheesy show Glee and my favourite song from the musical.

Glee – Defying Gravity

Comments

20 Responses to “Claire's Corner”

Verity
February 11th, 2010 @ 2:31 pm

Ooh, I’m going to enjoy this feature! I like reading people’s miscellany posts. I think it is perfect for your new living room.

I have the Pink Penguin bag, and used to own the set of the pencils. I want some of the mugs for myself too…
stujallen
February 11th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

nice picture only read to lighthouse by woolfe ,want get her daries at some point they sound good ,like the penguin notebooks i ve the on with bookends on
Lija (writer's pet)
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:02 pm

Very nice new home! I’m sad to say, I did not make it through the book Wicked. I might’ve given up too early, but there was just too much detailed background info that I couldn’t care about.
Jo
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:27 pm

Alliteration IS wonderful! I attempted to read Wicked but found it nothing like the musical. I thought the musical was a much better, more compelling version of the story.
Cristina
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:36 pm

I love the photograph and what a lovely idea to have ‘Claire’s Corner’!
Laura
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

I’m with Lija & Jo re: the book Wicked. I finished it but didn’t think it was worth the effort. The show, on the other hand, is fabulous.
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:43 pm

Great idea! I love looking at links.

I hope you enjoy the show. I haven’t read the book or seen the show, but have heard that the show is fantastic.
Amy
February 11th, 2010 @ 3:58 pm

I tried three times to read Wicked and gave up each time. Love the musical, found the book to be a snore.
JoAnn
February 11th, 2010 @ 7:49 pm

What a great idea (and name!) for a feature! Love the lavender…
Danielle
February 11th, 2010 @ 8:23 pm

I love your blog’s new look! And I saw those new Penguins–aren’t they great–I’m very tempted by them. (Love your bag by the way). I tried one of Gregory Maguire’s books, but I didn’t get on well with it, but I bet I would enjoy the musical!
Becky from Page Turners
February 11th, 2010 @ 9:19 pm

I hope you enjoy the musical – I have read the book and to be honest I was very sceptical about how well it would translate to the musical so I can’t wait to hear what you say about it.

A Room of Ones Own is on my TBR list, I have heard so many good things about it i cant wait to read it.
Jo
February 11th, 2010 @ 10:29 pm

I Loved Wicked (the book), butI haven’t seen the musical. Will get there at some point. I keep being told they are very different!
Simon T
February 12th, 2010 @ 12:11 am

I hadn’t heard about the Penguin Decades books, thanks for sharing – I am drawn to them. Here’s hoping The Book People do a discount on them, as they seem to usually do on Penguin boxsets! (I don’t feel guilty buying Book People stuff if it’s authors who are either dead or rich… only when its struggling or new authors)
Jenny
February 12th, 2010 @ 1:14 am

I have that bag! And have fun seeing Wicked – I saw it twice when I was in England and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.
mee
February 12th, 2010 @ 2:10 am

What a coincidence that I just watched Wicked the musical and read the book just mere months ago! I absolutely loved the musical! And they’re still playing until now in Australia. The book is great in many ways too, but it’s quite different. So if you’re to attempt it again, just make sure you don’t expect it to be as fluffy and happy as the musical.
Mae
February 12th, 2010 @ 11:44 am

I’m so jealous of your awesome Penguin merchandise. If one must buy commercial merchandise then it must be Penguins or bookish. I’ve been lusting after a Jane Eyre mug but, alas, it’s slightly too pricey for me at the moment.

I love ‘Room of One’s Own’. Everytime I read it, I understand it more. I first read it when I was 18 and I went, pfft – I have all the time in the world. Sadly, that comment doesn’t really ring true anymore.
Coops
February 12th, 2010 @ 11:10 pm

I was very disappointed by the book of Wicked, and it sort of put me off the musical.

I have to disagree about Glee – it’s not cheesy! It’s fabulously snarky as well as hilarious; the very antithesis of High School Musical cheese!

Love the notebook – wonderful colour.
Nymeth
February 13th, 2010 @ 7:13 pm

I LOVE the bag/notebook! Also, many thanks for the link to the Rachel Cusk article. Definitely a theme that interests me too.
Paperback Reader
February 14th, 2010 @ 8:05 pm

Verity, I’m glad you like the new feature. I have the pencils and covet the VW mug.

Stu, I have A Writer’s Diary and what I have sampled so far is exceptionally interesting.
I am a huge fan of notebooks and the Penguin ones combine my love for stationary and books.

Lija, thanks for the info and the compliment! I’ll be postponing any reading of Wicked the book for the present.

Jo, I alliterate wherever possible! Wicked the Musical IS superb.

Cristina, thank you – on both counts.

Laura, I am such a huge fan of the show that I think the book would have an impossible task to measure up.

Jackie, the show is indeed fabulous! I highly recommend it.

Amy, I appreciate you input; I knew it was a good idea to ask for opinions to see whether I should read it.

JoAnn, I’m pleased that you’re a fan of both the feature and its name!
Paperback Reader
February 14th, 2010 @ 8:24 pm

Thanks, Danielle; I’d bet you would enjoy the musical too! The Penguins are lovely.

Becky, the musical is outstanding with a fabulous score. A Room of One’s Own is my favourite Feminist text and was one of the books that I used in my “books that define me” post.

Jo, I have heard that the book and musical are very different, which piques my interest; I’m curious whether I could love them both.

Simon T, oh here’s hoping that The Book People do offer a discount! That’s where our Penguin Love boxsets came from. I like your book-buying ethics.

Jenny, snap! Wicked is such a fun musical and I loved it as much second-time-around.

mee, I had heard they were different so thanks for confirming that; I will keep it in mind before reading the book in the future.

Mae, I adore the Penguin book merchandise; I am a believer of The Cult of Penguin!
I am overdue a re-reading of A Room of One’s Own; you’re right that there is more to appreciate in each rereading.

Coops, do not be put off the musical! It’s amazing and apparently very different from the book!
I thoroughly agree about Glee being snarky and the antithesis of High School Musical but some of it pure cheddar in a hyperbolic way.

Ana, I am so very attached to the bag and notebook. I hope you found the Rachel Cusk article equally interesting.