How to Be a Heroine; Or, What I Learned from Reading Too Much

Reviewed by Ambrea

After having a conversation about some of literature’s greatest heroines with her best friend, Samantha Ellis, a playwright based in Lond, suddenly has a revelation:  her entire life, she’s wanted to be Cathy Earnshaw of Wuthering Heights fame—and, really, she should have been trying to model her life after Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.  Wielding this new insight into her life and her reading habits, she embarks on a journey to reread and reevaluate the literary ladies, both the characters and writes, that she’s loved.  And, along the way, she delves into her childhood within her Iraqi Jewish neighborhood, how it and her favorite heroines helped shape her life.

As an English major and lover of literature, I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Ellis’ fun and quirky memoir.  Clever, clear, and comical, How to be a Heroine:  Or, What I Learned from Reading Too Much was an absolute gem, and I’m glad I discovered it.  It’s perfect for the reader who simply loves to read—or loves the idea of a strong, female protagonist who can hold her own in a story.

I especially loved the insights that Ellis offered about her favorite heroines, her hopes and her fears in taking to heart the lessons of these amazing ladies in literature.  She’s candid about her reservations, insightful in her exploration of literature, vivid in her descriptions and her examinations of both author and characters, and she’s just plain fun.  Ellis is a wonderful writer, an excellent storyteller, and a fantastic scholar.

I mean, even if you aren’t an ardent fan of classical literature, Ellis makes her book—and, subsequently, the books she reads—accessible to a larger audience.  She succeeds in making literature, even the dry and boring parts, truly fun.  And, while I might not have always had experience with the novels she read (such as Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë), I found I was able to clearly understand the story and appreciate the opinions Ellis formed.

I only have one complaint about Ellis’ memoir:  spoilers.

If I were ever going to read Wuthering Heights or Anne of Green Gables or The Bell Jar, I found my perception of each novel irreversibly altered.  Ellis takes a long, hard look at some of the most important and dynamic pieces of literature and, in her exploration, she examines everything from character, plot, writing devices, and more, which I certainly appreciated and even enjoyed.  However, she also told me how each would end—which I didn’t appreciate quite so much.

I won’t say Ellis ruined the ending of several books in my To-Be-Read Pile, but I will say I’m just a little less motivated to read Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind.

Raven Report for July 26, 2011

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind lingers on, and not just in the movies! It was the topic of a lively discussion at this week’s Nevermore Book Club.  The question was, “Why is Scarlett such an icon?” The answers were varied, but included the idea that in some ways she could be considered a feminist because she “acted like a man” and went after the things she wanted.  The question of how race was handled in the novel was also discussed.

All Things Shining:  Reading the Western Classics by Hubert Dreyfus wonders about the best way to find the sacred in a secular world is. As religion becomes less an element of our society, can Great Literature answer our search for meaning in our lives?

Next up was Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich.  The question there was, has Stephanie “jumped the shark”?  Has the series lost its spunk? Opinions differed, with a plug for Evanovich’s  Wicked Appetites, which is a sister series to the Plum saga, as being funnier than the current Stephanie novel.

Quinn by Iris Johansen is the second book of a three book trilogy which is supposed to clear up one of the long-running mysteries of the Eve Duncan series.  Eve is a forensic artist with the uncanny ability to sculpt a victim’s likeness from skeletal remains.  Her passion for her work is due in part to her young daughter’s disappearance years ago.  The first book was entitled Eve; the last book, out in November, will be Bonnie.

Sixkill  is the new Spencer book, the last one completed by Robert B. Parker before his untimely demise.  Perhaps fittingly, a new character is introduced, Zebulon Sixkill, whom other characters keep comparing to Spencer and who seems destined to continue in the books.  In some ways it seems to be a passing of the torch, which is a propos, given that Ace Atkins had been hired by Parker’s estate to continue the Spencer series.

Daniel Silva was named as a writer to watch.  His Gabriel Allon thrillers are fast paced, topical and very well written.  Silva himself is a former journalist and knows the places about which he writers.  The first in the series is The Kill Artist.  His most recent is Portrait of a Spy.

Last but not least, the discussion turned to George R.R. Martin, a long time author whose books have gained new fans after the premiere of a  TV program based on his “Game of Thrones” series.  Martin has just released the next book in the series, A Dance With Dragons.  Martin is also known for his Wild Cards series as well as some wonderful stand alone books such as the space adventure Tuf Voyaging, the vampre tale  Fevre Dream (and yes, it is Fevre and not Fever) , and Armageddon Rag, a murder mystery with fantasy and rock and roll elements.

As you can see, the Nevermore Book Club ranges far and wide!  If you’d like to join us, just be at the Frances Kegley Conference Room on a Tuesday at 11 am.  Coffee is provided and the doughnuts are from the fabulous Blackbird Bakery!