taking a break till August

Hullo, my dears.  I'm just popping in to say that, much as I dislike having to do it, I'm not going to be on Blogger for the rest of the month.  You see, there's this little thing called twelfth grade that has to be finished before this other little thing called MY DIPLOMA can be sent to the Sisters as part of my application.  Until that nasty little piece of paper is sent, I won't know if I'm accepted or not.  So I'm devoting this month to finishing the three subjects I have left - two quarters of English, one of American Government, and three-ish of French.  You see how impossible that is?! 

So, naturally, I'm asking you to spare a prayer or two for me that I may finish this Herculean task.  And I won't be posting till August, to take away some of the temptation.  If I were a nice, organized blogger, I would have queued posts, but I don't.  So, goodbye for a bit. 

Little Dorrit: Book + Film

I was going to post more poetry, but I do feel the need to vary my posts a bit more.  However, I have enough intellectual stuff to do in school (yes I am still doing it, but am trying to get done by the end of this month) without coming up with extra work for myself by writing worthwhile deep posts here.

So...what shall we talk about?  Shoes and ships and sealing wax, cabbages and kings?  You know, even though I use that line all the time, I can never remember what poem it's from.  It's just like when a line of song gets stuck in your head, but with poetry.

OOOH. LITTLE DORRIT.  Yes, that was extremely random, but my eye fell upon a list of films I have tacked up on my magnet board, and saw it written there, and then I remembered that I kinda really liked it and wanted to talk about it. (I promise to be as spoiler-free as possible.) I actually - shame on me - read Little Dorrit mostly because I wanted to see the film version.  Of course, I was happy to read it, it being Charles Dickens.  You know, at this point I really enjoy Dickens much more than Austen.  *collective gasp*  Yes.  I know.  Anyway, first of all the book was lovely.  I just discovered that you can post Goodreads reviews on your blog, so here you go:

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four-and-a-half stars. The last half is deducted simply because it was really long and I felt that it could have been cut down a bit. However, I've been feeling that way about a lot of books lately, perhaps because I have a lot less time than I used to, so maybe you should just ignore that.

I completely fell in love with Arthur Clennam. He is just the quiet kind of character that most appeals to me. Amy's forbearance was amazing, and though of course fictional, she really did inspire me to greater patience in my own life. I am very fond also of many of the secondary characters, which doesn't always happen with Dickens...Rigaud is one of the creepiest villains I've ever come across, and I'm not even quite sure why.

Note: I recommend the BBC film adaptation of this, with Matthew Macfayden. While of course very far from perfect, I thought it captured the story quite well, besides being a great film in its own right.
View all my reviews

My last little comment there is a good segway into talking about the film, no?  Well, it is visually lovely, has a gorgeous soundtrack, and was fairly faithful.  I did not like what they did with Tattycoram's story, however.  Ick.  It was certainly interesting to see Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) from Doctor Who in period costume, however!  Let's see, what else can I pick at... some say that Matthew MacFayden was too young and good-looking to play Arthur Clennam, but I dunno, I think it works.  He is not dashing, and I felt like he understood the character.  Also, he has very mild eyes.  He always looks like a sad puppy and I want to reach through the screen and hug him.

Via.  All subsequent images from same link.

Moving on....
Amy I suppose was pretty good as well.  Naturally they had to make her show a little more spice than in the book, to appease the feminists, but it wasn't too bad.  They showed her sweetness and cheerfulness enough to make me ashamed of my...er...opposite traits.

I like that they didn't make her stunningly beautiful.

Like I said in the review, this story has some of my favorite secondary characters ever.  High on the list are Mr. F's Aunt, a senile old lady who takes a very deep dislike to poor Arthur, and Maggie, a girl cared for by Amy who was mentally retarded by a fever and now is perpetually ten, though in years she is twenty-five.  She's funny and sweet and devoted to Amy.  Also there's Mr. Meagles, Mr Doyce (who looked Indian, which was a bit odd for 19th century England, methinks), poor silly Flora with whom Arthur was once in love, and who is still in love with him, Mr. Pancks (who is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BALD) and, of course....
Rigaud.
*cue creepy music*

Played by Andy Serkis of LOTR fame, I found him truly creepifying.  (No, that is not a real word.  Deal with it.)  In both book and film he makes the blood run cold whenever one hears the phrase "death of my life!" or a French children's song that runs "Qu'est-ce qui passe ici si tard ? Compagnons de la Marjolaine..."  (It will get stuck in your head.)

Ack, I forgot one of my FAVORITE favorite characters!  Frederick Dorrit, Amy's uncle. Perhaps it is from him that Amy inherits her temperament, for he is as mild as she, and only one one occasion cannot take it any more and stands up for her to her ungrateful family.  I don't know, I just feel really sorry for him, he's so gentle and seems so confused most of the time.  Especially in the latter half of the book, I felt bad for him.

One more character: Edmund Sparkler.  In the book I found him more annoying than anything, though I did recognize how good-natured he was under his silliness, but in the movie he's really rather adorable, poor boy.

Be quiet, Sparkler.

Oh, one more thing.  Amy's brother Tip is played by Arthur Darvill, also from Doctor Who.  I found this irrationally hilarious.

Well, as you see my method of movie-reviewing is more gushing over characters than anything else.  I crave your pardon, but remind you that I said in the beginning of this post that I am not up to anything complicated.

I'd say ages 10 & up would be fine with the film, but there is murder and creepy French villains and whatnot, so it depends on the person.  I give both movie and book 4/5 stars.  In other words, watch and read.  The book is on Project Gutenberg and probably free for Kindle as well, and I watched the movie on Youtube.

I leave you with a little bit of the soundtrack - which the BBC, as is its irritating practice, never released.

Here, also, is a link to a piano cover of the main theme, performed by the gentleman from whom I got the piano music to Thornton's Walk.

Have you seen or read Little Dorrit? What did you think?

In Which I Do a Tag Even Though I Said I Was Done With Tags

Simply because the lovely Aspirer tagged me and she's very sweet. :)  And also because I'm listening to a LOTR mixtape on 8tracks, and so am stuck to my computer.

Rules which may or may not be followed:

1) Once you are awarded, post about it on your blog and leave a link back to the person who awarded you

2) Answer all the questions on the tag

3) Do not award anyone who has less than 100 followers

4) Come up with ten new questions

5) Keep your questions clean and refrain from using vile language

6) Tag 5 to 10 people

 Aspirer's questions:

1. How do you like your tea?  

Brewed as dark as I can make it without it making me sick (when it's too strong, it gives me cramps and nausea.  Dunno why.)  About 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and lots of milk.  The best is half-and-half, but that's only around when my grandmother is here for a couple days, so usually it's almond milk.

2. Favorite Jane Austen novel?

YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!  Eughh...er....Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility.  ( I think...I haven't read S&S for a very long time, so my opinions may have changed.) I think that maaaaybe my top one is now Persuasion.  I'm reading Pride and Prejudice for school, and was extremely saddened to find that its magic has rather diminished for me now.  *tears*

3. Cellos or violins?  

Cellos.  I like the deep tones.

4. Latin or Greek?

LATIN.  Language of the Church!  And it's just so beautiful.  Greek is pretty cool, but it's pagan, and Latin sounds nicer, in my opinion.  I do love the Kyrie Eleison, though.

5. Dream job? (Note that reality does not apply; if you so desired, for example, you could be a librarian in the 1900's)

Nun.  *grins*  To make it more interesting, nun in the early Middle Ages, preferably with a saint for a superior.

6. Favorite saint, and why?

Once again,  there is no way I can just pick one.  However, I suppose I can say St. Therese.  I have, after all, loved her since before my First Communion.  As for why...I love her humility, her Little Way, her abandonment to God's will, and her writing.  It was actually by reading her writings and what others wrote about her that I first learned about subjecting oneself to God's will - and it's a good thing, too, because I've sure needed to trust Him a lot this year.

7. Would you rather live a short life with death by martyrdom or a long, painstaking life with a natural death?

Theoretically, I'd rather live a short life with martyrdom, because then I'd have less time to misbehave and I'd die for Christ, whereas in a long, painstaking life I'd have numerous opportunities to go astray, and I'd get very tired of fighting evil.  Also a natural death could be less meritorious.  However, let me just note that I haven't much desire for martrydom...

8. Favorite kind of chocolate?

Dark-ish, but less than 70%, preferably filled with caramel or some sort of cream filling.  Or those cherry ones.  Heck, just get me a whole box. :)

 

9. Your kind of Prince Charming?

I definitely fall for quiet types.  I like thoughtfulness, quiet chivalry, ability to have deep conversations (especially about literature), and deep voices.  I do not like being paid compliments often - it just embarrasses me.  However, if you never pay me compliments and then one day you drop a little one, I will probably explode from excitement. Oh, and manliness is an absolute necessity.
(I'm allowed to be super picky because I'm becoming a nun so I don't have to be realistic, plus I'm gonna marry the most perfect man ever to be born.)

10. Favorite fictional character?
Wow.  Um. I can't even begin to think.  There are so many.  Also, now that I'm thinking about them, I do believe that I have more male favorite characters than female.  One recent one is Gabriel Gale from Chesterton's The Poet and the Lunatics - in addition to every character Chesterton ever wrote.  *sighs* This is a hopeless endeavor.

Now I was trying to be good and do the new questions and tag people and stuff, but so many of the people I follow have done the tag already, and I can't think of good questions, so....

Bye-the-bye, Aspirer, thanks so much for thinking up such good, thought-provoking questions, and thanks for tagging me even though I'm a naughty child who doesn't follow rules.

Favorite Poetry: Litany for the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart (Part II)

As promised, here is the rest of the poem.  Please do read both parts! (Last time I did a two-part post, the second one got way less views than the first.)

Also, a most blessed Feast of the Sacred Heart to you all!

via Google Images

Litany for the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart (con't)

by Gertrude von Le Fort

Red-thorn of our gladness, 

Sorrow-thorn of our repentance,

Fair evening glow of our own setting,

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Crimson cloth that turns sin pale as death:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Ruby stream after which the sick souls thirst:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Whispering nearness in which parted friends may meet:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Comforting lamp of the distressed,

Lighthouse of the persecuted and the disgraced,

Hidden chamber in which the gentle dead may yet breathe;

All-knowing Heart, all-guiding Heart, ultimate Heart:

We ask Thee for Thy love!

Heart that takes us all to itself,

Heart that strikes the centre of all our hearts,

Heart that breaks the proud hearts of us all:

We ask Thee for Thy love!

Heart that makes solitude into a great people:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Heart that makes discord into a united people:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Heart in which the whole world becomes Thy people:

We consecrate ourselves to Thy love.

Overflowing Heart, overflaming Heart, overstorming Heart:

Be loved, Love, everlasting Love, be everlastingly loved.

That Thy Dawn may break with kindling light,

We consecrate ourselves to Thy love.

That Thy day may bring fire to our hearts,

We consecrate ourselves to Thy love.

That Thy day may burn all our hearts into Thine,

We consecrate ourselves to Thy love.

That Thy day may bring fire to our hearts,

We consecrate ourselves to Thy love,

Mighty Heart, ineluctable Heart, all-consuming Heart.

Fire! Fire!  The angels' wings are burning, the swords of the

seraphim are aflame!  

The lights of heaven are burning, the depths of earth are burning,

rocks and yesterdays are all aflame!

 The expectation of all creatures burns -- the spirit burns in the

darkness of high thought,

All has been taken from love, all must become love; sing "Holy,

Holy, Holy!" rustling flames of the seraphim!

Heart from which the heavens draw their glory,

Heart from which the suns and constellations draw their

beginning and their end,

Heart from which the souls of the blessed draw their blessedness.

World-ordering Heart, world-conquering Heart, Thou only Heart

of hearts:

Amen. Amen.  May the day of Thine infinite love come quickly.

Favorite Poetry: Litany for the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart (Part 1)

In honor of the month of the Sacred Heart, I thought I'd post a bit of this very special poem apparently composed for the feast, which, by the way, is this Friday.  It is very long, so I won't post all of it today - I know that you people grow faint of heart at the prospect of very long pieces of writing.  (And I'm not necessarily blaming you - I get the same way sometimes.)  So I shall post some of it now and then the rest on Friday.

As I was writing it out, I was reflecting that non-Catholics or weak Catholics might find it a bit bizarre or over-the-top.  Well --- all I have to say to that is: let no one say that Catholicism is cold, sterile, or repressive. You can't read this and tell me that the religion inspiring it is repressive.
I think it's one of those poems that have to be pondered - I know a priest who made it the subject of his daily meditations, a stanza every day.  That's my favorite kind of poetry.  And its imagery is just perfect.  Agh, just read it already.  More coming on Friday.

Litany for the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart

by Gertrud von Le Fort 

Now I will pray the ardour of the soul as a great litany is

prayed.  Now I will raise the song of praise that is not sung

but loved.  Blood-red secret of all that is:

Holy Heart, divine Heart, almighty Heart.

Be loved, Love, eternal Love, be thou eternally loved.

Hearth in the dark of the frozen world,

Be loved, Love!

Flame-shadow over all the false brightness of the world,

Be loved, Love!

Burning sign in all the false rest of the world;

Lonely Heart, flaming Heart, unquenchable Heart:

Be loved, everlasting Love.

Heart deep as the nights that have no face:

Be loved!

Heart strong as the waves that have no shores:

Be loved!

Heart tender as little children that have no bitterness:

Be everlastingly loved.

Rose from the flower-beds of the invisible,

Rose from the chalice of the humble maiden,

Blossoming rose-bush, in which heaven and earth are entwined,

Be loved, everlasting Love!

Royal Heart in the flowing mantle of Thy blood:

Be loved!

Brother-Heart in the wild mockery of the thorny crown:

Be loved!

Breaking Heart in the stark ornament of Thy death wounds:

Heart dethroned, Heart betrayed, Heart cruelly martyred:

Be loved, everlasting Love, be everlastingly loved.

Heart before whom the mighty find their knees,

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Heart before whom the careless find their tears:

We ask Thee for Thy love.

Herat in whom thieves and murderers yet find forgiveness,

Great Heart, Heart of mercy, Heart of glory, 

We ask Thee for Thy love!