I know that I haven't really reported back on the other two books we've read in our book club, but I did finish them and will have somewhat to say about them... I just got busy and then rather slacked off most of the summer. In my defense, our online book club was kind of intermittent over the summer as well. But we're reconvening now that autumn has rolled around, and this is the book we're reading- The Violent Bear It Away, Flannery O'Connor's last novel, written in 1960. I haven't read O'Conner before; I know she was a very Catholic writer, but that's about it. As a good Baptist, I don't hold with popery; the shenanigans of the current pope underscore my convictions on this matter. But I respect practicing Catholics a good deal, and have to say they've produced plenty of great writers- such as GK Chesterton, one of my favourites. In any case, I'm eager to start this novel which has been termed "southern gothic".
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The next African character I'm going to discuss is Foulata, the Kukuana woman who nurses Captain Good back to health after he's badly injured in the battle against Ignosi's evil uncle Twala. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two become infatuated with each other during Good's convalescence, much to the dismay of Allan Quatermain when he realizes it, though not for the reasons one might suspect. He himself has no problem with a possible relationship between the two, but he worries- justifiably- that nothing but heartache awaits them, as at that time interracial marriage was not acceptable to most people. Even if that wasn't a very real concern, Foulata would have to leave the only home she's known and enter a much more modern world and culture she's totally unprepared for; unlike Ignosi, she's had no previous exposure to European peoples or society. The only other option would be for Captain Good to agree to live with the Kukuanas, completely cut off from western civilization, something that he's very unlikely to be willing to do, no matter how fond he is of Foulata. Quatermain sees all this very clearly and pessimistically- but realistically- concludes that there will be no happy ending for Good and Foulata's budding romance. He is proven correct, though not for the reasons he feared. When Good is recovered, the group resumes their trek to the Mines, sans Ignosi, but with the hag/witch Gagool reluctantly along to act as guide. Foulata also accompanies them, unwilling to be separated from Captain Good. When they enter the hidden treasure room, Foulata- wisely as it turns out- refuses to go in, instead waiting by the stone entrance. When Gagool triggers the secret mechanism attempting to trap the men forever in the room, she rushes to escape under the dropping stone door but is stymied by Foulata, who bravely struggles with the ghastly creature. She is viciously stabbed by Gagool, but manages to delay her so that Gagool ends up getting squashed by the door. Good riddance, say I. Alas, poor Foulata dies there in the dark; Good is extremely broken up by this, Quatermain mentioning that he isn't the same after her death. Certainly we see a much different side of Good here than the rather bumbling figure of fun he was earlier. Despite the tragic ending to their relationship, it has made Good a better, more serious person. As for Gagool, she's the real villain in the book. Sure, Twala is a murderer and usurper, but Gagool really seems to be the power behind the throne. She's Twala's advisor, but also his chief means of staying in power. She claims to have supernatural powers which she can use to spot "traitors". Anyone whom she accuses is summarily and bloodily killed at Twala's command- no trial of course- and it's no doubt a coincidence that most of the men she has killed are ones of considerable standing among the Kukuanas, who could be considered rivals. While skeptical about her so-called "powers" it's obvious that Gagool can indeed quickly sum up peoples' characters, as well as act swiftly and ruthlessly. We witness this when she picks out Ignosi as a threat straight away and tries to have him eliminated, forcing Quatermain to intervene. Gagool is super old and wizened, though still spry... powered by her malice, no doubt. She claims to be even older- hundreds of years old- and since no one in the tribe can remember her not being there, they don't question this. It just adds to the level of fear they have for her. Of course, she's not that old, even though she has knowledge of events from that long ago which no one else has. She does, however, mention at one point her grandmother, who seems to have more or less been in the same line of work. What seems more likely than Gagool being a few hundred years old is her being the last in a long line of grifting hags who passed along their knowledge about how to keep the people in line. And with Twala there to enforce her orders, keep them in line she does, mostly through fear and intimidation. Gagool, as mentioned, is small and old; it wouldn't be difficult for any of the men- or many of them, as the case may be- to physically overpower her. But their fear of her purported sorcery and her power to have them executed keeps the other Kukuanas from rebelling against her and Twala. Even with Twala defeated- killed by Sir Henry in combat- and threatened with death herself, Gagool remains scheming and defiant until the end, plotting the demise of the Englishmen and no doubt also having plans for Ignosi later on. Underestimated by the three men, she's only thwarted by Foulata's interference and a well-placed stone door. Other than Foulata, Gagool is really the only other woman in the novel but she certainly makes her presence felt; the scene where she's dancing about pretending the spirits are guiding her to "traitors" is probably the creepiest in King Solomon's Mines. Although the one with all the old dead kings propped up at the table is a close second. But for all claims of paternalism, H Rider Haggard has produced a canny and wily female villain who gives our heroes a run for their money. I haven't said much about the actual search for Sir Henry's brother because it's really just a McGuffin, the excuse needed to send Quatermain and the others on a quest for adventure and treasure. The brother actually plays into the story very little, and they locate him accidentally, while on the way home from their excursion to the Mines. He's almost an afterthought, and it seems rather like Haggard is just quickly wrapping up the loose ends of the story so he can conclude it. So those are my thoughts about King Solomon's Mines... it's a fun story and a rollicking good adventure; I can see why it became so popular at the time of it's release. It's probably a one-time read for me because this really isn't my genre but I enjoyed it for what it was. Related Posts:Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness. -Jane Austen First Sunday of the month is always Potluck Sunday at my church. I usually make a main course dish like pulled pork or a casserole of some sort, but I just so happen to have a lot of apples at the moment so... Dutch Apple Pie. Apple-Pie And Cheese Full many a sinful notion Conceived of foreign powers Has come across the ocean To harm this land of ours; And heresies called fashions Have modesty effaced, And baleful, morbid passions Corrupt our native taste. O tempora! O mores! What profanations these That seek to dim the glories Of apple-pie and cheese! I'm glad my education Enables me to stand Against the vile temptation Held out on every hand; Eschewing all the tittles With vanity replete, I'm loyal to the victuals Our grandsires used to eat! I'm glad I've got three willing boys To hang around and tease Their mother for the filling joys Of apple-pie and cheese! Your flavored creams and ices And your dainty angel-food Are mighty fine devices To regale the dainty dude; Your terrapin and oysters, With wine to wash 'em down, Are just the thing for roisters When painting of the town; No flippant, sugared notion Shall my appetite appease, Or bate my soul's devotion To apple-pie and cheese! The pie my Julia makes me (God bless her Yankee ways!) On memory's pinions takes me To dear Green Mountain days; And seems like I see Mother Lean on the window-sill, A-handin' me and brother What she know 'll keep us still; And these feelings are so grateful, Says I, "Julia, if you please, I'll take another plateful Of that apple-pie and cheese!" And cheese! No alien it, sir, That's brought across the sea,-- No Dutch antique, nor Switzer, Nor glutinous de Brie; There's nothing I abhor so As mawmets of this ilk-- Give me the harmless morceau That's made of true-blue milk! No matter what conditions Dyspeptic come to feaze, The best of all physicians Is apple-pie and cheese! Though ribalds may decry 'em, For these twin boons we stand, Partaking thrice per diem Of their fullness out of hand; No enervating fashion Shall cheat us of our right To gratify our passion With a mouthful at a bite! We'll cut it square or bias, Or any way we please, And faith shall justify us When we carve our pie and cheese! De gustibus, ' is stated, Non disputandum est. Which meaneth, when translated, That all is for the best. So let the foolish choose 'em The vapid sweets of sin, I will not disabuse 'em Of the heresy they're in; But I, when I undress me Each night, upon my knees Will ask the Lord to bless me With apple-pie and cheese! -Eugene Field I was a little over-enthusiastic in my apple peeling, and consequently had more apples than would fit in my pie shells. So I tossed the extra slices in a small corningware dish and made some apple crisp. Growing up in a family of eleven, one learns early not to waste food. And there's no reason to throw away all of your apple cores and peels when baking apple pies, etc. I sometimes grind the peels up and add them to muffins, but there are other uses. For example, last night I put my apple scraps in a pot, covered them in water, added cinnamon, cooked them for an hour or so, and then strained off the liquid. At this point, you can use this liquid to make apple jelly- which I've done before- but this time I decided to make Apple Scrap Syrup for pancakes or waffles instead. Add some sugar-well, quite a bit of sugar; it's syrup after all- boil it down, bottle it, and voila, you have apple flavoured pancake syrup. Related Posts: |
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