BRITANNIA

     I dubbed this title Britannia because I am an American girl, yet I highly value and appreciate my British literature readings of this week; the two of us side by side coming together.  I've had Jane Eyre sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of months now and the other day I saw a movie preview for it, so I thought I better get to reading.  Yes, I am one of those who reads the book first and then complains how the movie changed things or left out x,y,z of the story.  I have a wonderful Mr. Darcy of my own who puts up with it all and listens to my thoughts or questions days after we've watched the movie.  Anyway, I started the book the other night.  (I must back up this post one more time).  When I was in college my British Literature professor always made us read the introductions to our classic poems and novels, we even took quizzes over the introductions.  I disliked this very much and decided I would not read the introductions after his classes.  When I opened my book, I read a good 15 pages when I flipped the page to see that oops, I had read the introduction.  Not that I did not know I was reading the introduction I just forgot about my not reading the introduction rule.  Once I actually started the novel, Jane Eyre it was a much easier read than I had expected.  I read Withering Heights in high school and again in college, (don't worry, I know that Withering Heights is by Charlotte's sister Emily) but I found the language of the time very difficult to read so I expected Jane Eyre to be the same.  Maybe it is all the Masterpiece Theater I have been watching, or maybe I am more practiced since then, but I was very comfortable with the language of the novel. 
    My other British indulgence this week was a Time Magazine special edition of the Royal Wedding.  I have been able to visit London twice and one of my favorite sights was Westminster Abbey, and my husband and I saw the Queen and Prince Philip (drive by) at Buckingham Palace. So of course I was thrilled when Prince William and beautiful Catherine decided to get married at Westminster Abbey.  I liked the Time magazine edition because I of course had already read all the gossip and watched the wedding, but the article I read, "The Royal We," by Catherine Mayer, a writer from London wrote about the wedding from a British perspective.  And the pictures were very beautiful as well. 
     I consider myself to be a moody reader (imagine a mood ring, not a difficult woman).  I have about four books on my night stand so that I can read according to my mood or attention span I have at the time. My bias grandma says I am smart because I read so many books at the same time, but I think it keeps me interested in reading.  Sometimes I just need to let the day melt away and I do not want to have to struggle through a book, I want something easy and fun to read.  Other times a more difficult book may be more riveting and have me on the edge of my seat for what is going to happen next. 

Until next time, keep reading!