Recently Read: Daisy Miller, by Henry James

This short and succinct novella works as a dual character study of two American expatriates in 1870s Europe; it observes the proper but intrigued Frederick Winterbourne observing, puzzling over and only half-heartedly attempting to win the attentions of nouveau riche Daisy Miller. Miller, accompanied by her oblivious mother and a rambunctious younger brother, either deliberately or innocently ignores the social graces demanded of both European upper society and the upper class Americans attempting to ingratiate themselves with the natives.

Whether Daisy's fresh, open and free approach to life is natural or calculated (and to what extent is it a reflection of societal differences between new America and old Europe) is the crux of Winterbourne's "problem", and when Miller begins spending much time in public with a lower class but gracious and handsome Italian gentleman, he's no less intrigued.

Although nearly perfect and, then as now, one of James' most popular works with the general public, I was disappointed in reading yet another James tale of a male character who can't or won't make a fighting commitment to a union with his female interest. It's the title character, seen through Winterbourne's eyes, that makes the story memorable. She's a vibrant, truly American spirit still relevant to all ages and sexes of readers nearly a century and a half later.

The Penguin edition, edited by David Lodge and Philip Horne, makes the smart choice of using the original version of the story, as opposed to the inferior late New York Edition text, and includes much background information, analysis, comparisons of the differing texts, relevant letters and more.

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Recently Read: The Island of Dr. Moreau, by H.G. Wells

Reading his novels in the order they were written, H.G. Wells continues to amaze me. The Island of Dr. Moreau is not much like Wells' first novel, The Time Machine, and nothing like his second, The Wonderful Visit (although all three trod new ground in science fiction concepts). Dr. Moreau is the most morose of the three, chilling and nightmarish. Told by the last survivor of an island-bound, surreptitious medical lab, the book continues Wells' extrapolations of Darwinian theory; it's part suspense novel and part social commentary. The god-like Dr. Moreau's attempts to mutate animals to more closely mimic humans physically and intellectually seems far-fetched, but the basic sped-up-evolution is still being used in science fiction today (in both of the Planet of the Apes film series, for example). The new Penguin Classics edition features helpful annotations, a comprehensive reference guide for future reading, a note on the varying texts over the decades, and a very insightful introduction by novelist Margaret Atwood. Her different ways of viewing the novel and interpreting its symbolism will make you rethink your earlier views of the work.

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Recently Read: Around the World In Eighty Days, by Jules Verne

I found Michael Glencross' recent translation of Verne's 1873 Around the World in Eighty Days much more fun, fast paced and suspenseful than I expected. Phileas Fogg and Passepartout's ridiculous bid to travel the world using every means (technological or not) at their disposal has been updated and retold many times, but the original story makes the most sense. The technologies used were new then and Verne uses the opportunity to not only create a travelogue, but make wry and subtle observations on the foibles of the British (and other nationalities). It's a whimsical lark, with more humor than many of Verne's works.

The Penguin Classics edition also features an excellent introduction by Brian Aldiss, a Chronology, a Recommended list and many helpful footnotes.

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