Culture Watch
Within three months of her death, Godwin wrote a biography of his wife that really amounted to no more than an angry defense of the criticisms society aimed at her. Among other omissions, he failed to document much of her childhood. Her sisters, who were so much a part of her early years, were not consulted for details, nor did he contact others whose lives Mary affected.
Throughout her adulthood, Mary supported various members of her family with loans and gifts of money (of which she herself had little). Her brothers seem to have inherited their father’s lack of restraint; the eldest mismanaged the estate he inherited from his grandfather, and the younger two were not forthcoming with loan repayments, or even simple requests for correspondence.
Gordon has carefully documented all these facts in his extensive notes and bibliography. He has also provided final chapters tracing what happened to Wollstonecraft’s daughters. That chapter includes the remarkable Margaret Kingsborough, eldest daughter of the Irish family Mary served as governess, and a “daughter” Mary never knew, Clara Jane Clairmont, whose mother was William Godwin’s second wife.
Two things that strike this reviewer are the amazing number of experiences Wollstonecraft managed to cram into her short life, and the extent to which her detractors have gone to vilify her. Lyndall Gordon has done history a true service in rescuing this remarkable woman from the plethora of misinformation surrounding her. His book is long and complex, and most decidedly not one the reader could toss off in a sitting, but its rewards are great.
— J.S.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
by J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Incorporated 652 pages (but with big spacing between lines)
Well, there went another full day to Harry. Having read and reread the first five books in Ms. Rowling’s saga of the young wizard, I, along with a few million other readers, couldn’t wait for the next volume, nor could I keep from swallowing it whole once it was in my hands. I tell myself that such headlong plunges are one of the benefits of being retired, but I must admit that I’ve not given my undivided, day-long attention to any other books of late. Perhaps part of the appeal of the series is that one feels like a kid again, both because of the imaginative, fun-filled subject, and because there can once again be golden, uninterrupted hours of non-stop reading. I’m glad that Harry Potter came along to help to fill them, but I’m even gladder that my eyes have held up to the task.
Book Six brings big changes to Harry’s world. At the end of Book Five, the wizarding world was finally forced to face up to the re-emergence of the evil Lord Voldemort, despite the public relations smear campaign the Ministry of Magic waged against Harry during the summer following the events of Book Four. This is a darker adventure full of question and nuance, in which Harry, still mourning the death of Sirius Black (his godfather) must face the fact that his destiny is to kill (or be killed by) Lord Voldemort. The wise, beneficent headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, uses his magical “Pensieve” to take Harry with him into the memories of people who have had previous dealings with Voldemort, in an effort to prepare him for the challenges that lie ahead.
It would be unfair to disclose the shocking conclusion of this book, but suffice it to say that I put it down in disbelief, and the following morning, went back and re-read the last four chapters. Even though I think I can see where Rowling is going with the story, I was left hanging unhappily until the emergence of Book Seven, touted to be the last of the series, which probably won’t be out for another two or three years. At my age, I take each day as a gift, and am a bit edgy at the prospect of so long a wait!
The Potter series is unusual in that the structure of the books encompasses one school year for each, and the characters age appropriately. Thus we have naive, ten-year-old Harry in Book One, and a much more mature, fifteen-year-old Harry in Book Six. As the characters advance, we are led through their entry into adolescence, which bears all the misunderstandings and jealousies and questionings of crushes, friendships, loyalties, etc. Since the books themselves have come out with a couple of years between each, a ten-year-old who read the first book will recognize the various stages as he or she experiences them along with Harry and friends. I do question whether the very youngest readers who are just discovering the series will be able to comprehend Harry’s changes if they don’t have similar space between reading the books. I can envision a precocious ten-year-old reading all five books in the space of a couple of months, and not quite understanding the physical and emotional bases for why things are happening as they happen – but then, I’m an old fogy, possibly not in tune with the sophistication of today’s young.
In any event, the tale of Harry Potter and friends is still a rattling good story, one that entertains but also explores moral dilemmas, and comes down firmly on the side of accountability, loyalty, truth, and love.
As I said in my earlier review (What Makes Harry Sell?), I wouldn’t call the writing great, but it’s certainly a captivating, easy, delightful read for both the young and young-at-heart.
— J.S.
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