This evening we finished watching the BBC/A & E version of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House", which came out in 2005. Had actually watched it before when shown on TV, but decided to watch again on DVD. Excellent production, put together in 15 segments, the first was one hour, and the rest were each a half hour. One thing we realized, though, was that the DVD trimmed at least one scene that we had seen in the TV broadcast, so that wasn't good. Very much a Dickens story, with good and bad characters, tangled plotlines that involve everyone, with lies and secrets and murder, love and death, illegitimacy, greed, and dark humor. The whole court muddle concerning Jarndyce and Jarndyce case was so interesting in itself. Well cast, with Gillian Anderson playing Lady Dedlock, Anna Maxwell Martin, Patrick Kennedy, Denis Lawson, Charles Dance (great villainous lawyer), and Carey Mulligan playing the principals. And Pauline Collins was wonderful as Miss Flite. Very enjoyable production, and worth watching again.

Finished 5/31/09:

LAVINIA by Ursula K. Le Guin, 2008.
Historical novel about the Latium princess Lavinia who was written about by Vergil in the Aeneid. She married the Trojan invader Aeneas and founded what became the Roman Empire. Well researched and written, although at times I felt it a bit slow. Author does a good job in her descriptions of what life was like in Italy then, its primitiveness, customs, daily life, culture, geography, and different tribes living in close proximity.

Finished 5/24/09:

THE SERPENT'S TALE by Ariana Franklin, 2008.

Second in the series of novels about Vesuvia Adelia Aguilar, the mistress of the art of death, this time concerning the poisoning of Rosamund Clifford, mistress of Henry II. Adelia is drawn into the mystery by her lover Bishop Rowley, and it falls to her to discover the culprit. Was it Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry's queen, or someone she hired to do the deed? Or someone else? Snowstorms, assorted odd characters all trapped and isolated inside Godstow Abbey, more murders, spies, and intrigue, make for a bizarre and thrilling story.

Finished on 5/11/09:

SHADOW VALLEY by Steven Barnes, 2009.
Novel set in prehistoric Africa, follows tribal wanderings of the Ibandi, led by heroine T'Cori, the Great Sky Woman. It is up to her to lead her peaceful people away from their enemies and into a land of peace and plenty near Mt. Kilimanjaro. Interesting, plenty of violence and action, details of tribal life in Africa 30,000 years ago. A good read, something different for me in terms of time period and locale.